Obama gaining on Clinton in Pennsylvania: poll

Tue Apr 8, 2008 11:06pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama by 6 points among likely Pennsylvania Democratic primary voters but he is chipping away at her lead, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Tuesday.

With two weeks to go until the state’s April 22 primary, Clinton has a 50 percent to 44 percent lead, the poll found.

In the last poll on April 2, Clinton had a 9-point lead over the Illinois senator, 50 percent to 41 percent.

Obama and Clinton, a New York senator, are fighting to be their party’s nominee in the November presidential election against Republican Sen. John McCain.

Among Pennsylvania women, support for Clinton remained steady at 54 percent, but Obama gained ground in the new poll with 41 percent. In the earlier survey, 37 percent of women favored Obama.

The poll found that among white voters, Obama gained 4 points to 38 percent support, while Clinton slipped 3 points to 56 percent.

Among voters under age 44, support for Obama was up 4 percentage points to 55 percent. Clinton dropped 2 points to 40 percent support in that age group, the poll found.

Fifty-two percent of Pennsylvania Democrats said the economy was the single most important issue in deciding their primary vote, followed by 22 percent who said the war in Iraq and 15 percent who cited health care.

Voters who list the economy as the top issue gave Clinton a small 49 percent to 45 percent margin over Obama, down from 53 percent to 39 percent. Voters who say the war is the preeminent issue back Obama 51 percent to 44 percent for Clinton.

The poll of the 1,340 Pennsylvania likely Democratic primary voters was conducted April 3-6 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.

(Reporting by Joanne Allen; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

Reuters journalists are subject to the Reuters Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.

University in north Lebanon receives terror threats

Beirut- The Christian-funded Balamand University in north Lebanon Tuesday took steps to increase its security after reports of a threat by a terrorist group.

A security source said a number of flyers signed by Fatah al-Islam – a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda – were found by students on the campus of Balamand University.

The security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the flyers contained ‘threats to bomb the university.’

A university official who requested anonymity said: ‘We cannot ignore such a threat … We are taking the necessary precautionary measures.’

There was no confirmation from the Fatah al-Islam group that it had produced the leaflet.

Last year, Fatah al-Islam fought a bloody three-month gunbattle with the Lebanese army at the northern Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared which ended last September with many members of the group killed and the others, including the leader fled to Syria

Fatah al-Islam emerged in November 2006 when it split from Fatah al-Intifada (Fatah Uprising), a Syrian-backed Palestinian group based in Lebanon, which itself was a splinter of Yasser Arafat’s mainstream organization Fatah.

Lebanese security officers dispute that it was a real split and allege that Fatah al-Islam is a part of Syrian intelligence security forces, and also has links with the al-Qaeda terrorist network, led by Osama bin Laden. Syria has denied any links with Fatah al-Islam.

Sources: DPA, Ya Libnan

INTERVIEW-Geagea sees more killings, deadlock in Lebanon

Tue Apr 8, 2008 12:12pm EDT

By Tom Perry

MAARAB, Lebanon, April 8 (Reuters) – Lebanese leader Samir Geagea said on Tuesday he expected Syria to try to kill more leaders of his anti-Damascus governing coalition, blaming it for previous assassinations.

Geagea, one of Lebanon’s main Christian leaders, also said he saw no end in sight to a political conflict between the U.S.-backed governing alliance and opposition factions led by Hezbollah, a group backed by Syria and Iran.

“I expect new assassinations if those undertaking them get the chance,” Geagea told Reuters in an interview. “Naturally, these assassinations will target the official and non-official leadership of March 14,” he said, referring to the governing alliance whose members have been targeted in a series of attacks over the past three years.

Eight anti-Syrian politicians have been assassinated, starting with the Feb. 14, 2005 truck bombing that killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

“In my view … the Syrian intelligence stands behind these assassinations, or attempted assassinations,” said Geagea, consistently one of the toughest opponents of Syrian involvement in Lebanon. Syria has denied involvement in the killings.

Damascus dominated Lebanon from the end of the 1975-90 civil war until 2005 when the Hariri killing triggered international pressure that forced Syria to withdraw troops from the country.

Geagea spent most of the post-civil war period in jail — the only wartime leader not to benefit from an amnesty.

He was sentenced to four life terms in 1994 for political murders. He always claimed his innocence and said he was a political prisoner. Leader of the Lebanese Forces group, Geagea was freed in 2005 after the Syrian withdrawal.

The March 14 alliance accuses Syria of trying to reassert itself in Lebanon through its allies in Beirut, led by the powerful political and military group Hezbollah.

STATUS QUO

The opposition has been locked in a power struggle with the governing coalition since November 2006. The conflict has paralysed much of the work of government and left Lebanon without a president for four months.

Geagea was sceptical of a new call for dialogue by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, leader of the Amal Movement and a close ally of Syria.

He said the initiative seemed designed merely to ease pressure on Syria, which is accused by Arab states including Saudi Arabia of thwarting efforts to resolve the crisis.

“That’s why we are very hesitant in giving a response to the dialogue before we know what’s on the agenda and where it will lead,” Geagea said. A recent Arab mediation effort failed to make progress, leaving the conflict in a state of stalemate.

“Regarding the current balances of power locally, regionally, internationally … I think the situation will stay as it is,” Geagea said.

“For the foreseeable future, weeks or perhaps the coming few months, the status quo will remain,” he said. “It’s not in anyone’s interest for there to be any escalation.” The crisis, Lebanon’s worst since the civil war, has triggered bouts of violence between supporters of rival leaders.

But Geagea dismissed the chance of a more widespread conflict. “I am not afraid of civil war or internal war in the foreseeable future,” he said. Neither March 14 or opposition groups Hezbollah and Amal wanted such a conflict, he added.

“I don’t think they have the intention or that there is any political decision to go towards internal fighting.” (Editing by Catherine Evans)

© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

Reuters journalists are subject to the Reuters Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.

Iran ‘installing new centrifuges’

Iran has begun installing 6,000 new centrifuges at its main nuclear plant in Natanz, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said.

He also appeared to cast doubt on the official version of the 9/11 attacks and accused the US of using them as a “pretext” to launch invasions.

Iran is already thought to have some 3,000 centrifuges – which are used to enrich uranium – at its Natanz plant.

The US and Western allies condemned him but disagreed on how to respond.

Later, Mr Ahmadinejad claimed Iran had tested on Tuesday advanced new equipment – thought to be a reference to a possible new generation of centrifuges.

‘Five times greater’

“The capacity of these new machines… is five times greater than the current machines,” he told a televised event in Tehran.

He made the comments following a visit to Natanz to mark national nuclear day.

Turning his attention to the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US, Mr Ahmadinejad said: “On the pretext of this incident a major military operation was launched and oppressed Afghanistan was attacked.

“Tens of thousands of people have been killed until now. Poor Iraq was attacked.”

He also alleged the names of the people killed in the attacks on New York’s World Trade Center had never been published.

And he added: “How is it possible that with the best radar systems and intelligence networks the planes could crash undetected into the towers?”

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appealed to Tehran to halt enrichment.

“Iran faces continued isolation in the international community because it will not take a reasonable offer from the international community to have another way,” she said.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner suggested sanctions on Iran could be “reinforced”.

Last month, the UN Security Council approved a third round of sanctions against Iran.

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov instead suggested a new package of incentives to encourage Iran to halt uranium enrichment.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7336089.stm

Published: 2008/04/08 22:20:14 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

US ‘must suspend’ Iraq withdrawal

US ‘must suspend’ Iraq withdrawal

Petraeus said Iraq was “exceedingly complex and challenging” Petraeus statement

The top US military leader in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, has recommended a suspension of troop withdrawals after July to protect gains in Iraq.

Gen Petraeus praised “significant” but “uneven” improvements in security and said troop levels would need a period of evaluation over the summer.

He also said the recent Iraqi operation in Basra was “not adequately planned”.

He and Ambassador Ryan Crocker gave an update to Congress on the Iraq “surge”, on the first of two days of hearings.

They also came face to face with the three senators vying to succeed George W Bush as president this November.

John McCain, the Republicans’ choice as candidate, was positive about the situation in Iraq while Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the rivals for the Democratic candidacy, pressed for withdrawal.

‘Evaluation period’

Gen Petraeus and Mr Crocker began on Tuesday by testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, then moved on to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Our allies, Arab countries, the UN and the Iraqis themselves will not step up to their responsibilities if we recklessly retreat Senator John McCain

Gen Petraeus said security was better than the situation at the time of his last report to Congress in September and significantly better than before the start of the US troop surge at the beginning of last year.

But while there had been real progress, it was “fragile and is reversible”, he said.

The planned “drawdown” of about 20,000 troops should continue to July but afterwards there should be a 45-day “period of consolidation and evaluation”, he said.

He could not say how many US troops would be in Iraq at the end of the year. The US currently has 160,000 troops in Iraq.

Mr McCain said he believed there was a genuine chance of success in Iraq and that a withdrawal could result in a failure that might require the US to return later for a far more costly war.

“Our allies, Arab countries, the UN and the Iraqis themselves will not step up to their responsibilities if we recklessly retreat,” he said.

When he asked Gen Petraeus about the recent Iraqi-led operation against militias in Basra, the US commander said it had not been “adequately planned or prepared”.

Iraq sent thousands of troops to Basra in a failed attempt to force the Shia Mehdi Army militia into submission. Hundreds died in heavy fighting.

‘Massive blunder’

Ambassador Crocker said progress in Iraq had been “uneven and often frustratingly slow” but the US and Iraq were negotiating a long-term agreement on their relations that would cover the US troop presence.

He insisted the deal did not envisage permanent US bases in Iraq and that it would “not tie the hands of the next administration”.

Mrs Clinton, who serves on the armed services committee, condemned the decision not to submit the deal to the US Congress.

She said it was time for the “orderly process of withdrawing troops” as Iraqi leaders had failed to deliver.

The Iraq deployment, she argued, was stretching the military’s resources while the Bush administration was ignoring the costs being incurred by continuing a failed policy.

Gen Petraeus accused Iran of funding and training Shia militias through cells the US terms “special groups”.

Speaking as a member of the foreign relations committee, Mr Obama said the US “should be talking to Iran [as it could] not stabilise the situation without them”.

He repeated his view that the US invasion had been a “massive strategic blunder” and called for a timetable for withdrawal.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7336731.stm

Published: 2008/04/08 23:30:49 GMT