The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, October 23, 2006 - 3A
NEWS BRIEFS
KHARTOUM, Sudan
Sudan orders U.N.
envoy to leave
The Sudanese government
yesterday ordered the chief U.N.
envoy out of the country after he
wrote that Sudan's army had suf-
fered major losses in recent fight-
ing in Darfur.
Jan Pronk was given 72 hours
to leave - an order that is likely to
complicate international efforts to
halt the killings, rapes and other
atrocities in the strife-torn region
of western Sudan.
"The presence of the United
Nations is vital to hundreds of
thousands of citizens of the Dar-
fur region," said a European Union
spokesman, Amadeu Altafaj Tar-
dio, in Brussels.
In a statement distributed by
the official Sudan News Agency,
the country's Foreign Ministry
accused Pronk of demonstrating
"enmity to the Sudanese govern-
ment and the armed forces" and of
involvement in unspecified activi-
ties "that are incompatible with
his mission."
In New York, U.N. spokesman
Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-
General Kofi Annan had received
a letter from the Sudanese gov-
ernment asking that Pronk be
removed from the post.
HOUSTON
Enron CEO carries
burden of company's
collapse, scandal
Ken Lay's death wiped away his
convictions. Andrew Fastow got
a reduced six-year sentence. That
leaves former CEO Jeffrey Skilling
as the sole top Enron Corp. execu-
tive who could be given at least
20 years in prison when he is sen-
tented today for helping orches-
trate the biggest corporate scandal
in U.S. history.
In addition to the legal conse-
quences of his actions, the burden
of lost jobs, worthless pension
plans and ruined lives that result-
ed from Enron's 2001 collapse has
now shifted solely onto Skilling's
shoulders.
Lay's death and the lighter than
expected sentence handed last
month to Fastow, Enron's former
chief financial officer, will work
against Skilling when he faces sen-
tencing, former federal prosecutor
Robert Mintz said.
HAMTRAMCK, Mich.
Court gives Muslim
woman choice: Take
0 off veil or drop case
A devout Muslim woman from
Detroit says a judge forced her to
choose between her small-claims
case and her religious conviction.
Ginnnah Muhammad, 42, wore a
niqab - ascarfandveil thatcovers
her head and face, leaving only the
eyes visible - during a court hearing
earlier this month in Hamtramck, a
city surrounded by Detroit.
Muhammad was contesting a
$2,750 charge from a rental-car
company to repair avehicle that
she said had been broken into by
thieves. District Judge Paul Paruk
told her he needed to see her face to
judge her truthfulness and gave her
a choice: take off the veil while tes-
tifying or have the case dismissed.
She kept it on.
PANAMA CITY, Panama
Voters approve
canal expansion
Voters overwhelmingly approved
the largest modernization plan in
the 92-year history of the Panama
Canal on yesterday, backing a
multi-billion dollar expansion that
will allow the world's largest ships
to squeeze through the shortcut
between the seas.
About 79 percent of Panama-
nians voted in favor the canal
expansion, with 66 percent of 4,416
polling stations reporting, accord-
ing to preliminary results released
by the country's electoral tribunal.
Early returns pointed to a dis-
mally low turnout with nearly 60
percent of the country's more than
2.1 million voters abstaining.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports
TABLE ,UMER
17
Number of states, including
Michigan, warned of con-
taminated egg salad made
by Ballard's Farm Sausage, as
reported by The Associated
Press. The company said it
found traces of a bacteria on
the salad that can cause fatal
infections in infants and the
elderly.
POWDER-PUFF PITCH
LSA junior Carlie Kleinman hands off the football as sororities Alpa Delta Pi and Delta Delta Delta battle each other during
yesterday's fraternity and sorority Mud Bowl tournament on Palmer Field. Tri-Delt emerged victorious, winning the flag foot-
ball game 21-6.
Obama says he is considering
running for president in 2008
Questions persuade
senator to mull
political ambitions
WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen.
Barack Obama acknowledged
yesterday he was considering a
run for president in 2008, back-
ing off previous statements that
he would not do so.
The Illinois Democrat said
he could no longer stand by the
statements he made after his
2004 election and earlier this
year that he would serve a full
six-year term in Congress. He
said he would not make a deci-
sion until after the Nov. 7 elec-
tions.
"That was how I was thinking
at that time," said Obama, when
asked on NBC's "Meet the Press"
about his previous statements.
"Given the responses that I've
been getting over the last several
months, I have thought about the
possibility" although not withthe
seriousness or depth required, he
said. "My main focus right now
is in the '06. ... After November
7, I'll sit down, I'll sit down and
consider, and if at some point I
change my mind, I will make a
public announcement and every-
body will be able to go at me."
Obama was largely unknown
outside Illinois when he burst
onto the national scene with a
widely acclaimed address at the
2004 Democratic National Con-
vention.
In recent weeks, his political
stock has been rising as a poten-
tially viable centrist candidate
for president in 2008 after for-
mer Virginia Gov. Mark Warner
announced earlier this month
that he was bowing out of the
race.
In a recent issue of Time
magazine, Obama's face fills the
cover next to the headline, "Why
Barack Obama Could Be The
Next President." He is currently
on a tour promoting his latest
book, "The Audacity of Hope:
Thoughts on Reclaiming the
American Dream."
Yesterday, Obama dismissed
notions that he might not be
ready to run for president
because of his limited experi-
ence in national politics. He
agreed the job requires a "cer-
tain soberness and seriousness"
and "can't be something you
pursue on the basis of vanity and
ambition."
"I'm not sure anyone is ready
to be president before they're
president," Obama said. "I trust
the judgment of the American
people.
"We have a long and rigorous
process. Should I decide to run,
if I ever did decide to run, I'll be
confident that I'll be run through
the paces pretty good," Obama
said.
GOP losses
could threaten
Bush agenda
With a 15-seat gain, and investigations.
Theprsdn and chief politi-
Democrats could block cal strategist Karl Rove last week
expressed renewed confidence of
White House goals retaining both House and Senate;
others are not so upbeat.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The "All of our numbers look pretty
White House is bracing for guer- bad and there's no question that
rilla warfare on the homefront there's a jet stream in our face,"
politically if Republicans lose con- said House Majority Leader John
trol of the House, the Senate or Boehner (R-Ohio).
both - and with it, the president's Furthermore, some of Bush's
ability to shape and dominate the fighting in the trenches is likely to
national agenda. be with fellow Republicans as they
Republicans are battling to keep seek to find a new standard bearer
control of Congress. But polls and for 2008 - and distance them-
analysts in both parties increas- selves from an unpopular war, the
ingly suggest Democrats will cap- unpopular president who waged
ture the House and possibly the it and congressional scandals that
Senate on Election Day Nov. 7. include inappropriate e-mails to
Democrats need a 15-seat pick- House pages from ex-Rep. Mark
up to regain the House and a gain Foley (R-Fla.).
of six seats to-claim the Senate. "There's no question that the
Everything could change over- Republican coalition is stressed
night for President Bush, who has over the way Washington has
governed for most of the past six been handling fiscal matters, the
years with a Republican Congress Foley affair, the Iraq war," said
and with little support from Dem- GOP consultant ScottsReed. "All of
ocrats. these are coming
"Every ses- "He will have the together at the
sion you change same time"
the way you do capacity to say Already,
business with y Republicans are
the Congress. no to Democratic showing divi-
And you test the legislation but he sions on Iraq
mood of the Con- policy. Fresh
gress, find out won't have the skepticism has
what their appe- come from Sen-
tite will be. But capacity to say yes ate Armed Set-
it doesn't change vices Chairman
your priorities," to his own legisla- John Warner of
the president told tion." Virginia, Texas
ABC News. Sen. Kay Bailey
Former Presi- DAVID GERGEN, Hutchison and
dent Clinton former White House adviser former Secretary
had to deal with of State James A.
the Democrats' and Harvard professor Baker III, a long-
loss of control of time Bush family
Congress in 1994. But Clinton had loyalist.
something Bush does not: six more If Republicans lose their major-
years to regain his footing. ities, it will be that much harder
Bush has barely over two years for Bush to hold together already
left. The loss of either house in splintering GOP cohesion on Iraq.
voting next month could hasten Bush has been quoted by jour-
Bush's descent into a lame-duck nalist Bob Woodward as saying,
presidency. "I'll stay in Iraq even if the only
"If he loses one house here, support I have left is from my wife
President Bush will enter the last and my dog." A Democratic take-
two years very wounded," said over and Republican defections
David Gergen, a former White could make that day seem closer.
House adviser who served in the Whilerthe Senate has been dif-
administrations of Presidents ficult for Bush, even with GOP
Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton. control, the House for most of his
"He will have the capacity to presidency has delivered for him.
say no to Democratic legislation, That could be about to change.
but he won't have the capacity to The White House traditionally
say yes to his own legislation," said loes seats in midterm congressio-
Gergen, who teaches at Harvard nal races. The most recent excep-
University's Kennedy School of tion was 2002, when Bush's party
Government. picked up seats.
Democratic victories essen- Many Democrats seethe upcom-
tially could block Bush's remain- ing elections as a mirror image of
ing agenda and usher in a period 1994, with the parties reversed.
of intense partisan bickering over Then, Republicans rallied behind
nearly every measure to come firebrand Rep. Newt Gingrich of
before Congress. Georgia, announced a "Contract
Loss of either chamber also with America," and stormed to vic-
could subject his administration tory, seizing both House and Sen-
to endless congressional inquiries ate from Democrats.
Poll finds little support for U.S.
among majority of Iraqi youth
State Department survey:
Most young Iraqis believe
American troops should pull out
WASHINGTON (AP) - Majorities of Iraqi youth
in Arab regions of the country believe security would
improve and violence decrease if the U.S.-led forces
left immediately, according to a State Department
poll that provides a window into the grim warnings
provided to policymakers.
The survey - unclassified, but marked "For Offi-
cial U.S. Government Use Only" - also finds that
Iraqi leaders may face particular difficulty recruit-
ing young Sunni Arabs to join the stumbling secu-
rity forces. Strong majorities of 15- to 29-year-olds
in two Arab Sunni areas - Mosul and Tikrit-Baquba
- would oppose joining the Iraqi army or police.
The poll has its shortcomings; regional samples
are small and the results do not say how many people
refused to respond to questions. The private polling
firm hired by the State Department also was not able
to interview residents of al-Anbar, a Sunni-dominat-
ed province and an insurgent stronghold.
But the findings of the summer survey - circulat-
ed to policymakers last month and obtained by The
Associated Press last week - nevertheless provide
a solemn reminder of the difficulty that the U.S.-
backed Iraqi government faces as it tries to add eth-
nic diversity to its security institutions.
As Iraqi leaders try to diversify the ethnic and
religious backgrounds of their security forces, the
department's opinion analysis said that Arab Sunnis
may be particularly hard to recruit.
In Sunni areas, "confidence in the Iraqi army and
police is low, and majorities oppose enlisting in either
force," the analysis said. "Even recruitment in Arab
Shia areas could present challenges as sizable num-
bers of local youth express support" for local militias,
"thus clouding the issue of loyalty to national forces."
The analysis was headlined "Youth In Iraq's Arab
Sunni Regions Not Eager to Enlist in National Army,
Police" and highlighted views from those areas.
Yet in its assessment of the broader picture for
Iraq, which includes Kurds and Arab Shiites, there
were pieces of good news: A majority of young Iraqis
would be willing to join the security forces or sup-
port a family member who did, the survey found.
On Thursday, Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, a U.S.
military spokesman in Baghdad, said a two-month
old U.S.-Iraqi bid to quell the violence in the Iraqi
capital did "not met our overall expectations."