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Chavez welcomes Ahmadinejad in Venezuela

(CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad received a warm reception Wednesday from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, wrapping up a three-nation visit to Latin America to shore up support against the United States.
Ahmadinejad arrived Tuesday night on a flight from Bolivia, where he spent a few hours meeting with President Evo Morales. The Iranian leader met Monday with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
On Wednesday afternoon, Chavez gave Ahmadinejad a warm welcome with full military honors. Wearing a dark suit with a blue shirt and red tie, Chavez stood at attention in front of Palacio de Miraflores as a military band played the national anthems for both countries.
The two men then reviewed the presidential honor guard, clad in bright red uniforms with gold piping and tall black hats with a red plume on top.
"We are here to welcome you, brother Ahmadinejad. Leader. Brother. Comrade," Chavez said. In return, called Chavez "my valiant brother." "A brother," he said, "who is resisting like a mountain the intentions of imperialism and colonialism." Afterward, the two men shook hands and hugged.
Ahmadinejad was met with demonstrations in Brazil on Monday and again Wednesday in . He has already visited Gambia, on the African continent, on this trip and will stop in Senegal on his way back to Iran. The Iranian president hopes to strengthen economic ties with the five countries. But more significantly, he aims to bolster political ties with sympathetic governments as he tries to counter U.S. and European efforts to curtail Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Ahmadinejad also wants to improve Iran's image after the brutal repression of demonstrators who objected to the outcome of the presidential election in June. Ahmadinejad was re-elected, but many Iranians believe the election was rigged.
In Venezuela, the two leaders were expected to discuss agreements in areas such as energy, investment, trade and science. Experts from the two countries were reported to be reviewing 70 new accords.
Chavez is among Ahmadinejad's top supporters in Latin America, both leaders finding common ground in their opposition to U.S. foreign policy. Both men referred to "imperialism" several times in their statements Wednesday.
With its burgeoning nuclear program, Iran is interested in largely untapped uranium deposits in Venezuela, Brazil and Bolivia, the three nations Ahmadinejad visited this week.
Iran's alliance with Venezuela presents a challenge for U.S. national interests.
Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau, in a September column in the Wall Street Journal, said that "Mr. Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez have created a cozy financial, political and military partnership rooted in a shared anti-American animus."
During a visit to Iran that month, Chavez highlighted a series of joint ventures, including the construction of ethanol plants in Venezuela and gas exploration in Iran by Venezuela's state-run oil company. He also said he aimed to build a "nuclear village" with Iranian help.
In October, Chavez said Iran was helping to find uranium in Venezuela.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace estimated in December that Venezuela could have 50,000 tons of unmined uranium. Brazil also has a nuclear program and is said to sit on one of the world's largest uranium reserves. while some analysts believe Chavez could want to eventually export uranium to Iran, it might not be technically feasible.
"It's like everything Chavez does," said Robert Pastor, who was a national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s. "It's more symbolic than real." Brazil also is not likely to export uranium to Iran, said Bernard Aronson, assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs from 1989 to 1993. "That would be a bridge too far," he said. "It would be too high a cost."

Three U.S. Navy SEALs face criminal charges

-- Three U.S. Navy SEALs face criminal charges after the alleged mastermind of one of the most notorious crimes against Americans in Iraq accused them of punching him after his capture, the military said Wednesday.
Ahmed Hashim Abed -- thought to be behind the slayings and mutilation of four U.S. contractors in Falluja in 2004 and captured in summer -- made the accusations against the three servicemen, said Lt. Col. Holly Silkman, a spokeswoman for U.S. Central Command.
A civilian lawyer for one of three SEALs said his client and the other SEALs declined a nonjudicial resolution to the case, a step sometimes called a "captain's mast." The servicemen say they did not harm the detainee in any way and they want their names cleared in a court-martial so they can continue their careers in the Navy, said the attorney, Neil Puckett.
Because the charges against Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe, Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe and Petty Officer Julio Heurtas are the military equivalent of misdemeanors, they will go before a special court-martial, which is for less serious offenses than those heard in a general court-martial. If found guilty, they could be sentenced to a maximum of a year in a military prison, demotion to the lowest Navy rank, a cut in pay and a bad conduct discharge.
But if found innocent of all charges, they would be able to continue their careers with no record of the case in their personnel files.
The three are with their unit in Norfolk, Virginia. They will make an initial appearance before a military judge on December 7. The court-martial is scheduled to begin in January.
The attorney said he expects the SEALs will not waive their constitutional right to confront the accuser in court, which could cause a logistical challenge. Abed is believed to be in a U.S. military detention center overseas, and it is unclear if the military would want him brought to the United States for the court-martial.
The four contractors, one of whom was a former Navy SEAL, were working for the company when they were attacked in Falluja in 2004. After they were killed with hand grenades and rifles, their bodies were set on fire and dragged through the streets. The bodies of two of them were hung from a bridge in Falluja, an image that was broadcast around the world.
Four days after the attack, the U.S. Marines launched a major offensive inside Falluja, in part to help find the killers

The Philippines

The Philippines this year has been the world's most dangerous country for journalists, an official of the advocacy group the Committee to Protect Journalists told CNN's "Amanpour" program Wednesday.
The killing of at least 18 reporters in a massacre that claimed the lives of almost 60 people this week means the Philippines is now even more hazardous than Iraq for journalists, said Bob Dietz, CPJ Asia Program coordinator
The massacre in the Philippines is the single worst mass killing of journalists in history, according to the CPJ.
The reporters were part of a group of more than 50 unarmed civilians traveling to register a candidate in an upcoming gubernatorial election in the southern province of Maguindanao.
Authorities in the philipins have now declared a state of emergency in the south of the country and disbanded a government-backed militia suspected of having a role in Monday's massacre. The militia is linked to a powerful clan leader who has ties with President . President Arroyo's spokesman said Wednesday that Arroyo expects arrests "in the next 24 hours." The spokesman said the president is "enraged by these barbaric acts" and has thrown the full force of the law behind the investigation.
A leading journalist in the Philippines, Maria Ressa, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the massacre was a very brazen act that has shocked the country. But violence against journalists is nothing new.
."So far, in the last eight years, out of 74 journalists who have been killed, only four cases have found resolution," she added.
"Journalists are starting to come together to try to push for justice in this situation, but so far justice is very slow. They are doing their best to do their jobs, to hold both the public and the private sector accountable in as safe a manner as possible."
Ressa, a former CNN Jakarta Bureau Chief and now managing editor of ABS-CBN in Manila, said attacks on reporters come from many directions, even the government.
"You've got journalists caught in local conflicts. This one is political, election-related violence. You've got clan wars. You've also got the conflict between the insurgents," she said.
But she noted that the rebels in the Mindanao area of the Philippines often change sides and there is also widespread corruption in the police force.
"You have the police, the Philippine National Police, who by day are with the government, but at night they'll take off their hats and then they'll join the private armies of some of these warlords. And that's the difficulty," Ressa said.
She added that there is a culture of impunity in the Philippines, and journalists there have to develop a "sixth sense" to operate in areas where law and order is weak, so they can tell where the danger is coming from even as they continue trying to tell the story of the people who live in those areas.
Her sentiments were echoed by another journalist who works in an extremely violent country, Somalia. Mustafa Haji Abdinur, who is one of the few independent journalists still in Somalia. He said there is a culture of fear. But he added it is a reporter's job to see what's happening and to get the news.
Abdinur, who this week received a top award from the Committee to Protect Journalists, said six journalists have been killed in Somalia this year, including a friend who was gunned down only a few yards from where he was working.
When Amanpour asked Abdinur if he was afraid to go back to Somalia after the awards ceremony Tuesday night, he said, "There's constant fear. But what I'm going back with is courage

A year on, cold beer is flowing again at the popular Leopold Cafe

-- A year on, cold beer is flowing again at the popular Leopold Cafe. Lovers stroll the arc of Marine Drive, taking in the sultry sulfuric air of the Arabian Sea. And the main train terminus is as busy as it appeared in "Slumdog Millionaire."Mumbai is as it was -- bursting with life at every seam. But a year on, Mumbaikers put life on pause to remember the five days when their city was paralyzed, when India's biggest metropolis and financial hub came under siege.
Ten gunmen arrived here with their weapons blazing to "wage war on India," as the government would later charge the sole surviving suspect. We will not forget" --wrote students on a wall
More than 160 people perished in the series of coordinated attacks -- at Chhatrapati Shivaji Station, the Leopold Cafe, a hospital, a Jewish center and luxury hotels. And an eternal scar was etched on Mumbai's soul. The reign of terror stretched to 60 long hours, the brutality broadcast around the world through Thursday, survivors remembered the horror they endured. They saluted their heroes -- the police chiefs and security personnel who battled the terrorists -- and mourned their fallen citizens. "26/11" was how it came to be known. "We will not forget," wrote students on a wall, stamping the cold concrete with crimson handprints.
Near the Leopold, someone hung a billboard on a residential building with a enormous photo of a noose. "Hang Kesab," it read, referring to Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only suspected gunman who survived to face a death penalty trial.
Just after sunrise, Mumbai police embarked on a flag march in the heart of the city. State government officials paid homage at the Oberoi-Trident, one of the hotels attacked a year ago. They unveiled a plaque in remembrance of those who died. Rows of white candles flickered in broad daylight. The night before, Mumbaikers kept vigil in darkness with candles in front of the harbor-front Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, a beloved landmark still smeared by scaffolding. Five international designers are working to restore the splendor of the heavily damaged British Raj-era building. At Mumbai's Jewish cultural center, Chabad House, rabbis roamed through rooms where pinging bullets made Swiss cheese of the walls.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar remarked that Mumbai never stops. It's a city that keeps moving on. Just as New York City did after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
But Thursday, with memories as vivid as bullet holes at Chabad House, Mumbaikers did stop to reflect

A search was under way Thursday for a helicopter belonging to a military contractor

A search was under way Thursday for a helicopter belonging to a military contractor, NATO officials said.The helicopter for Supreme Global Service Solutions went missing Tuesday, said Lt. Col. Todd Vician, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
He did not say how many people were aboard or in what region of the country ISAF was looking for the chopper. However, the governor of Logar province in eastern Afghastan said the search's focus has been the Khar Pech district. Governor Halim Fedia said he did not have any further information. An official with Supreme Global also could not offer additional details.
Authorities did not receive a distress signal from the chopper, Vician said. "We are using reconnaissance assets to find it. We can't go into more than that. We don't provide detail on ongoing operations," he said. Supreme Global, based in the Netherlands, provides food supplies for military and multinational forces.

Profile: Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab

Little is known of Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab's background
The image of Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab clutching his gun at Mumbai railway station last year became a symbol of the attacks that horrified the world.
Prosecutors say the 21-year-old is the only surviving member of the group that launched a bloody rampage across the Indian city in November 2008, killing at least 166 people.
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, security forces struggled to collect information about the young man.
Only after several months did Pakistan admit that he was their citizen, from the province of Punjab.
More specific details are hard to pin down. Indian officials originally portrayed him as a middle-class boy who spoke good English.
But subsequent reports suggested he came from a remote village called Faridkot, where his father sold food.
He had received little education, the reports said, and had spent his youth alternating between labouring and petty crime.
In an interview with Pakistani media, a resident of Faridkot identified Mr Qasab as his son. He said that he had left home four years before the attacks.
"He had asked me for new clothes on Eid [the Muslim festival] that I couldn't provide him. He got angry and left," Dawn newspaper quoted the man as saying.
'Dark figures'
At some point, India says, Mr Qasab came under the influence of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group. After training in one of several remote camps, they say, he was hand-picked for the Mumbai operation.
India says there is little doubt that he was involved in the attacks. Mr Qasab was captured after a shoot-out with police
He was captured on camera at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a slight figure in combat trousers and a blue sweatshirt, clutching an assault rifle.
He "walked as if no-one can touch him", a photographer who took the picture of him told the court in June.
"Initially I saw two dark figures. They fired towards the ticket window. When they opened fire towards us it confirmed they were terrorists," Sebastian D'Souza said.
Captured after a shoot-out with police, Mr Qasab was interrogated and then charged with 86 offences including murder and waging war on India.
Wept
Prosecutors said he had confessed - but his lawyers then said his statement had been coerced, and it was retracted.
His trial began in March and in the early days, correspondents say, he appeared relaxed. He smiled periodically and occasionally joked with officials.
His defence had attempted to argue that he was under 18 and so a minor. Asked in May to confirm his age, he provoked laughter by stating that if prosecutors had believed him then he would not now be in court.
Later his demeanour grew more serious, even erratic.
When a 10-year-old girl injured in the attacks identified him in court, witnesses said he looked grave. When Mr D'Souza testified in June, the young man put his head down and wept.
Court officials on all sides were said to be taken aback by his decision - after several months in court - to plead guilty.
And questions remain over why Mr Qasab confessed after so many months of defiance.

Excerpts from Mumbai suspect's confession

Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab has given a detailed confession of events leading up to the attacks on various targets in Mumbai in November 2008 that killed nearly 170 people. Here are excerpts of his confession provided by the BBC's Prachi Pinglay who was in court:
Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab opened fire on commuters, it is alleged
"In CST [railway station], Abu Ismail and I started firing at the public there with our AK-47 rifles. Ismail was throwing grenades also. I was firing. We went ahead towards the hall. The police caught up with us at the time and started firing at us. We retaliated. Ismail took position behind the trains which were parked. I took position behind him. I fired at the police."
They then leave the station and enter Cama hospital.
"We went up the staircase to the first floor. Ismail went in first and gestured to me to come after him. Ismail told me: "Let's hide here". All the doors were locked there. On the fifth floor, we saw a door ajar. We went inside the ward and met four people there. Those people have come to court… We went to the terrace. Ismail told them to lie down first with their hands on the back. While three agreed, the fourth didn't [referring to Harshvardhan Shrivardhankar, who was an important witness at the trial]. Ismail told me to lock them up in the bathroom. I told them not to create any commotion." Then he moves on to talk about the first brush with police. Police officer Sadanand Date's evidence matches this account. "Meanwhile, the person who we asked said that we have to go back the same way. We asked him to walk ahead of us. The witness indicated that there is police ahead of us. As soon as he got down, we saw the police. We ran back to the terrace. Ismail was near the terrace. He started firing immediately. He directed me to keep watch on the terrace. "We then ran downstairs. Someone fired at me. I fired back. Ismail first went ahead to check if the coast was clear. He then gestured that I should step out of the compound."As they step out, a police vehicle with three senior police officers comes towards them. In this encounter, three of them died and Qasab sustained injuries.
"We could then see the headlights of another vehicle. We hid behind the bushes there. As soon as the vehicle came, there was firing from it. Ismail also fired. I sustained injury on right forearm, right elbow and left wrist [pointing to his scars]. I fell down. The firing, however, continued.
I was surrounded by police. One snatched my gun, the others started punching me on my abdomen... I then lost consciousness and woke up only in the hospital
"Ismail then proceeded towards the vehicle. While checking the vehicle, he fired once. I had gained consciousness by then. I held my gun on the right arm and opened the car door. I removed two bodies. I don't know how many bodies Ismail removed from his end. Ismail sat on the driver's seat while I sat on the seat next to him."
He then describes how they hijacked a Skoda after the police vehicle's wheel was punctured. As they sped along they saw police barriers.
"Soon, we saw some police barriers. The white car passed, but police asked us to stop. One policeman came right in front of the car. Abu got confused and tried to take a U-turn. Suddenly the wipers also started. The police came and opened the door. They took hold of my collar. I was surrounded by police. One snatched my gun, the others started punching me on my abdomen. They continued to assault me. I then lost consciousness and woke up only in the hospital."
The judge asked if he fired any bullets, and Qasab replied: "I didn't fire since I didn't have the gun with me." We described how they came to Mumbai. "We were 10 of us. We were put on a small boat in Karachi. Four people - Abu Hamza, Abu Kafa and Abu Jhundal and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi - sent us off. I installed the battery of the bomb in the bathroom. It has my name on it. This detail is not there in the charge sheet "Abu Ismail was our Amir [boss]. The others are Abu Umar, Abu Akasha alias Babar Imran, Abu Umer alias Nazir, Abu Shoaib, Abu Ali alias Javed, Abdul Rehman Chota, Abdul Rehman Bada, Hafiz Arshad, and Abu Fadalluh (whose fingers are cut)." From Karachi they took a small boat. Then they were transferred to bigger boat called al-Hussaini. Then took another boat, the MV Kuber hijacked off Gujarat coast. Four people on the Kuber were killed and a fifth, Solanki, was kept alive for navigation. He was killed as they reached Indian shore. "We filled in the 10 bags and shifted them in the inflatable boat. The bomb produced in court was also shifted. Each bag has AK-47 rifle, pistol, eight hand grenades, three sets of magazines. Abu Ali and Abdul Rehman Bada took a bag with loose AK-47 cartridges. One Nokia mobile handset was given to each group. There were three big grenades, two small, three black hand grenades (china made). "Once we sat down, the rope which was holding the inflatable dingy was cut. When we reached near the shore, the GPS was broken and thrown in the water. There were five GPS sets in all. However, I left ours in the boat.
"We reached the shore. We were told to make a phone call... by Abu Hamza. I asked Ismail how we would reach Pakistan. Ismail said I should not worry.
"We got into a taxi after some time. Hamza had told us to keep a bomb in the taxi. I sat on the front seat, while Ismail sat on the back. I kept my bag, containing a bomb in the rear seat. Ismail also had a bomb. "We got off at CST after which Ismail paid the taxi driver. I had a bomb with me. We entered the gate of CST and went to the side of the bathroom. I took my bag with me and went inside the urinal. I installed the battery of the bomb in the bathroom. It has my name on it. This detail is not there in the charge sheet…
"As per directions of Kafa, I kept my gun ready while Ismail threw grenades. Kafa told us to get into the next hall after that.
In the last session he described how he joined the Mujahideens and underwent training.
"Last year, during Bakr-Id, I was working as a decorator in Jhelum city. But I was unhappy with the meagre amount that I would make.
I was told here that I was going for a "big training" and I was taught exercises, operations weapons like AK-47, guns and pistols
"My friend Muzaffar suggested that for better money, we should get into robbery and dacoity [armed robbery]. I left the decorator's job and went to Rawalpindi with Muzaffar and took a room on rent. We decided to commit dacoity at a bungalow, as Muzaffar told me his friend knows details about its owner.
"As he went to his village to gather more details, I was roaming alone at Rawalpindi's Raza market. I saw some Mujahideens - long beard, long hair - buying animal skins there."
From here on he describes in detail different places he visited and the different levels of training he received. He starts from the office in the market.
"We went there and knocked the door. A man opened it and asked me what had I come for. I told him we had come for Jihad, so he let us in. One person asked me my name, address and asked me to return next morning with extra clothes.
"We returned with our baggage and we were given a chit on which was written the address - Marqaz Tayyeba, Muridke. The chit was given to a third person and he was given money, and the three of us were told to board a Lahore-bound bus to reach Muridke.
Twenty-one days later he was sent to Mansera with a chit saying Marqas-e-Aqsa. Then he was taken to Battal jungle for further training. After this he did not see his friend, Muzaffar.
"I was told here that I was going for a "big training" and I was taught exercises, operations weapons like AK-47, guns and pistols. After the training, I would cook food and do other daily work as over three months went by.
"Abu Abdul Rehman asked him to get identity card from my native Okhada district. I was asked to go to Muzaffarabad and asked to visit Saeed bhai's office. He told them that he was there for Daura-E-Khaas and filled a form in Urdu with all details.
"… Abu Maaviya was our trainer and trained me for three months in operating rocket launchers, grenades, AK-47s and other sophisticated weapons.
He spent a week at home and returned to Saeed bhai's office. Later Saeed bhai, Abu Kafa and Abu Hamza came there and selected 15 of them. Abu Kahfa was with them for the longest part of training.
"Of the 15 of us, two had run away, while six were sent to Kashmir. So seven of us were left, to which three other boys were added, making us 10 in all - five pairs… sent to Mumbai.
On two occasions, Hamza showed Ismail and Qasab movies and pictures of CST station on his laptop. "Two days later, we were given trousers and T-shirts, and our photographs were taken and our fake identity cards were made for the mission."
They stayed there for another 90 days. They were also trained to use the inflatable dinghy (boat).We were given arms and ammunition to keep in our bags. This ammunition was transported to Al-Hussaini before we were taken to it. Kafa took us to the Karachi shore where Al-Hussaini was anchored."

Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab's confession took everyone by surprise

Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab's confession took everyone by surprise - even his own legal team.
As news of his confession spread, the Mumbai courtroom became packed with reporters.
The shock came on Monday morning, when the court was in the process of recording evidence. The suspect told the judge he wanted to say something.
After speaking to his lawyer very briefly, Mr Qasab said: "I accept my guilt."
Judge M L Tahiliyani asked him to what was he pleading guilty. Mr Qasab admitted that he had carried out the firing at Mumbai's railway station in November 2008. MAIN QASAB CHARGES Smuggling and possessing illegal arms and explosives The judge then heard arguments from prosecution and defence lawyers over whether a confession could be recorded at this stage of the trial.
When it was noted by the court that he could indeed make the confession, Mr Qasab proceeded to give a detailed account of how he and nine others came to Mumbai from Karachi last November, and the training that led up to it.
Speaking for several hours, he first described what happened when he and accomplice Abu Ismail entered the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station. "In CST, Abu Ismail and I started firing at the public there with our AK-47 rifles. Ismail was throwing grenades also. I was firing," he said.
"We went ahead towards the hall. The police caught up with us at the time and started firing at us. We retaliated. Ismail took position behind the trains which were parked. I took position behind him. I fired at the police."
He then described how they left the station and headed to the Cama hospital - confronting four people in one of the wards.
"Ismail told them to lie down first with their hands on the back. While three agreed, the fourth didn't. Ismail told me to lock them up in the bathroom. I told them not to create any commotion." From the hospital, he said, the two men were involved in a gun battle with the police before his arrest at the city's sea front.
Mr Qasab also told the court about how he got to know of the "weapon training", how he joined the Pakistan-based Islamist militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and how he completed different levels of training before he was sent to Mumbai.
We were not expecting this. We were all shocked when he made a plea of guilt
Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam Seeming to be unaware of the exact plan, he told the court: "I asked Abu Ismail how will we go back. He said, you do not worry about it."
During his description of the training Mr Qasab gave names of other people suspected of involvement in the plot, such as Abu Hamza, Abu Kahfa, Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi and Abu Jundal. He said Abu Jundal was an Indian.
He said two people ran away in the last stage of training.
'Right direction'Mr Qasab, dressed in the traditional white pyjamas known as kurta, was calm and precise in his descriptions.
The mastermind behind the 26/11 conspiracy will come before the world
Ashok ChavanMaharashtra chief minister
He smiled several times during the recording of his statement, gesturing with his hands as he described places and recounted incidents.
At times, when the court asked him to repeat certain statements, he would listen keenly to what was being recorded. "We were not expecting this. We were all shocked when he made a plea of guilt," said prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. "It is for the court to decide whether to accept his plea or not. It was all of a sudden. The court is now recording his plea."
The defendant's lawyer, Abbas Kazmi, said he was not aware of his client's plan.
"I barely spoke to him on Friday and did not meet him over the weekend. In fact I was working on getting different books for him, which he wanted to read. I don't know when he decided to make a confession." Mr Qasab himself told the court he did not confess earlier as Pakistan had not admitted he was a Pakistani national. When he came to know that Pakistan had accepted that he belonged to Pakistan, he decided to confess. he court said the recording of his statement is now complete and the prosecution and defence can make their statements on Tuesday. The court will then decide whether to accept his plea. The chief minister of Maharashtra state, Ashok Chavan, welcomed the change of plea. The confession meant the case would come to an end soon and "the mastermind behind the 26/11 conspiracy will come before the world," he said.

Main Mumbai suspect pleads guilty

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab opened fire on commuters, it is alleged
The leading suspect in last November's deadly attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) has pleaded guilty. Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab stood up before the court to say he admitted his role in the killings.Mr Qasab, who is a Pakistani, faces 86 charges, including waging war on India, murder and possessing explosives. It is not clear why he changed his plea after pleading not guilty in May to all charges. More than 170 people died in the attacks, nine of them gunmen.
Prosecutors say Mr Qasab is the sole surviving attacker. He could face the death penalty if his confession is accepted and judges agree to impose the maximum penalty. 'Shocked' The BBC's Prachi Pinglay, who was in the courtroom in Mumbai, said Mr Qasab appeared calm.
AT THE SCENE Prachi PinglayBBC News, Mumbai Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab appeared very calm in court, smiling a number of times as his confession was being recorded. Now Pakistan has accepted he is a Pakistani national he wanted to confess, he told the court.
Mr Qasab spoke lucidly for several hours, giving specific details of names of people he had met, the kind of training he had received and weapons he had used. He talked about his family and named his two brothers and two sisters. The judge will now meet prosecution and defence teams to hear their views about the change of plea. Legal experts say it is still not clear if the trial is over. He said there had been no pressure on him to confess and it had been his decision to do so. "I request the court to accept my plea and pronounce the sentence," he told the judge, smiling. Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said: "We were not expecting this. We were all shocked when he made a plea of guilt. "It is for the court to decide whether to accept his plea or not. It was all of a sudden. The court is now recording his plea." Shortly afterwards Mr Nikam told the BBC the confession was "a victory for the prosecution". During his testimony, the suspect gave details of his journey from Pakistan, the attacks at a historic railway station in Mumbai and the city's Cama hospital. Mr Qasab's lawyer said he had nothing to do with the confession. It is not fully clear what prompted Mr Qasab to change his plea. He said he had done so because Pakistan had finally admitted he was a Pakistani citizen, but that was some time ago. Police say Mr Qasab confessed before a magistrate to the attacks after his arrest, but he retracted that confession at an early hearing. His lawyers said then that it had been coerced.
Wept in court Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, 21, was arrested on the first day of the attacks and has been in Indian custody ever since. MAIN QASAB CHARGES Waging war on India Murder Conspiracy to murder Destabilising the government Kidnap Robbery Smuggling and possessing illegal arms and explosives In his initial appearances before the court, Mr Qasab appeared relaxed and smiled and grinned. But more recently, he broke down and wept in court as a witness recounted the violent events which took place over three days in late November. The attacks led to a worsening of relationship between India and Pakistan. India accused Pakistan-based fighters from the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attacks. In the immediate aftermath of the killings, Pakistan denied any responsibility, but later admitted the attacks had been partly planned on its soil. Islamabad also eventually admitted that Mr Qasab was a Pakistani citizen.

Pakistan charges seven suspects over Mumbai attacks

The Taj Mahal Palace hotel was among the targets of the attacks
A court in Islamabad has charged seven suspects in connection with last year's attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai. They include the alleged mastermind Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi, according to prosecution lawyers. Mr Lakhvi and the other suspects were charged under Pakistan's anti-terrorism act and criminal code. All seven have pleaded not guilty, their lawyers say.
More than 170 people, including nine gunmen, were killed in the attacks between 26-29 November. The AFP news agency said the accused also include alleged key Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Zarar Shah. Indian authorities say there is evidence to show that the Mumbai attacks were planned and financed by Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan. Pakistan has admitted that they had been partly planned from its soil.

From Library Journal

The late Sri Swami Rama recalls his own spiritual journey in this memoir. Using specific incidents to illustrate spiritual truths, he presents a practical guide for those embarking on the Hindu path of enlightenment. Descriptions of rather incredulous occurrences such as levitating may tend to obscure the relatively mundane disciplines of fasting, meditation, and prayer. A few of the incidents recalled involve Gandhi, offering a different view of him than we normally see. D.C. Rao's reading improves as the work progresses; by the time he is warmed up, we are treated to a lively and energetic performance that reflects the sincerity and humanity of the author. Libraries with a high demand for New Age materials will want this as well as any needing works on Hindu practices.AMichael T. Fein, Catawba Valley Community Coll., Hickory, NC Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio cd edition.
Review "A complete and practical guide to the foundations of the spiritual journey ... The vividness of the stories is absorbing, allowing them to be read over and over again." -- New Age Book Review"A very spirited book ... on a par with that other great classic, Autobiography of a Yogi ...It is a remarkable work." -- The Illustrated Weekly of India"An inspirational and instructional work, it is a sheer pleasure to read ... offers the purest spiritual teachings in entertaining and dramatic form ... is a classic in modern yogi literature." -- John White, Editor of What Is Enlightenment?"I recommend this valuation by a fully competent modern sage, a representative of Indian wisdom." -- Franklin Merrell-Wolf, Author of Pathways Through to Space

Japanese hostage in Yemen freed

Japanese hostage, identified by Japanese media as 63-year-old Takeo Mashimo, speaks at press conference in the Yemen capital Sanaa after he released from the hands of tribesmen. The man was kidnapped on November 15. -->AFP SANAA: A Japanese engineer freed after nine days held hostage by tribesmen near the Yemeni capital Sanaa voiced his relief at his release and said he just wanted to see his wife and take a shower. Sanaa governor Numan Duid said the release of Takeo Mashimo on Monday followed a pledge by Yemeni authorities that the case of a member of the kidnappers' tribe held without charge would be examined. As he emerged from a vehicle outside the Sanaa government building, Mashimo told a swarm of reporters he was "fine". When asked what he wanted to do first, he said in images shown on Japanese television: "I want to see my wife." "I'm relieved that I was freed unharmed. Thank you," the 63-year-old Mashimo told a press conference. Speaking to someone on a mobile phone, he said: "I'm all right. I want to take a shower as I didn't have one for nine days." Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama welcomed the release, which came almost a week after a tribal leader in Yemen had mistakenly said Mashimo had been freed. Related article: Japan PM welcomes release of hostage in Yemen
"The Yemen government and the tribesmen did a very good job," Hatoyama told reporters in Tokyo, according to Jiji Press. Mashimo's wife, 63-year-old Kyoko, told reporters in Tokyo after seeing him on television: "I was relieved as he looked good." "I want to have him drink alcohol and eat sashimi, his favorite food," she said, according to the Kyodo news agency.
Tribes in Yemen, an impoverished country awash with weapons and gripped by domestic unrest, often kidnap foreigners to put pressure on local authorities. Kyodo quoted the released hostage as saying by telephone: "At the beginning of the abduction, I felt very frightened as I was surrounded by many people armed with automatic rifles. As the days passed, I kept my cool."
Sheikh Abdul Jalil, a tribal leader in Arhab, the area northeast of the capital where the kidnapping took place on November 15, had mistakenly announced the engineer's release last Tuesday. Tribal mediators had said the kidnappers were insisting on an exchange in which the detained Islamist member of their tribe would be freed. A security official said the Islamist was a "dangerous element who has fought in Iraq and Nahr el-Bared", a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, and was "difficult to let free". Hussein Abdullah Koub, 23, was jailed for a year by the US military in Iraq, before moving to Lebanon where he fought alongside Islamist militants against the Lebanese army in 2007, the official said. He was later arrested in Syria before being taken into custody upon his return to Yemen. Mediators said last week that Al-Qaeda militants had seized the hostage from his tribal kidnappers and moved him to an unknown location in the Maarib region of eastern Yemen. But the Japanese embassy said he had not changed hands or been moved. Mashimo is employed by a Tokyo-based consultancy working on the construction of an elementary school funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. More than 200 foreigners have been seized during the past 15 years, with most being freed unharmed. But five Germans and a Briton, who were seized in June in the north of the country, are still missing with no word on their fate. They were among nine people seized in the Saada region, the stronghold of Shiite rebels at war with the Sanaa government. The three others in the group -- two Germans and a South Korean -- were killed.
Two Japanese women were released unharmed in May 2008 after briefly being taken hostage by Yemeni tribesmen.

The Interior Ministry says

The Interior Ministry says a remote-controlled bomb hidden in a water truck has exploded in the eastern Afghan province of Khost, which borders Pakistan, killing three people including two children.The ministry says another two children and one man have been wounded in the Tuesday morning attack.Wazir Pacha, a spokesman for the provincial police chief of Khost, says authorities are investigating what the target might have been.
Taliban violence against U.S. and NATO soldiers and Afghan civilians continues to rise.
Military officials and others expect President Barack Obama to soon make a decision to deploy 32,000 to 35,000 U.S. forces to the 8-year-old conflict.

UK inquiry into Iraq war begins public hearings

The Iraq war inquiry's public hearings have begun in London with top civil servants and a former spy chief giving evidence on the conflict's origins. The investigation, looking at the whole period from 2001 to 2009, is expected to last months, with a report not out until after the next general election. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair will be among the future witnesses.Tuesday's session looks at UK foreign policy towards Iraq in the lead-up to the war, which began in 2003. 'Open mind' The long-awaited inquiry began with a statement from its chairman, Sir John Chilcot. He stressed that the panel was apolitical and had an "open mind" about the UK's involvement in the Iraq conflict and its aftermath. Sir Michael Wood: Legal Adviser to the Foreign Office sir Peter Ricketts: Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (2000-2001)
Simon Webb: Policy Director, MoD (2001-2004)
Sir William Patey: Head of Middle East Department, Foreign Office (1999-2002)
He said it was the panel's job to "establish" what happened in Iraq - "to evaluate what went well and what did not - and crucially why" - so that lessons could be learned. He said he intended to produce a report which was "thorough, impartial, objective and fair", stressing that it would not hold back from criticising institutions and individuals where this was "warranted".
While most hearings would be held in public, Sir John said he reserved the right to conduct sessions in private where issues directly affecting national security were addressed.
The inquiry is hearing on Tuesday from Sir Peter Ricketts, who was the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee - which oversees MI5, MI6 and GCHQ - from 2000 to 2001.
In early 2001, he said the UK and US agreed their policy of trying to contain Iraq - underpinned by sanctions, an arms embargo and no-fly zone - was failing and they must try to "regain the initiative".
"Saddam Hussein was feeling pretty comfortable," he said of the situation at the time. He noted there were "voices" in Washington calling for Saddam Hussein to be removed even before the Bush administration came to power in early 2001 and that the "rhetoric" about this possibility increased after that.
But he said there was not any "operational consequence" from this and that, prior to the 9/11 attacks, the US was still seeking to try and make the containment policy work and sanctions more effective. Others giving evidence are former senior Ministry of Defence official Simon Webb and ex-Foreign Office officials Sir Michael Wood and Sir William Patey. Controversial dossier The members of the inquiry's committee were chosen by Downing Street, leading critics to ask whether it can be independent of the government.Sir John has insisted the inquiry will not produce a "whitewash" but critics have expressed concern about the lack of legal experts on the panel and the fact witnesses will not be questioned on oath.INQUIRY TIMELINE November-December: Former top civil servants, spy chiefs, diplomats and military commanders to give evidence
January-February 2010: Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and other politicians expected to appear before the panel
March 2010: Inquiry expected to adjourn ahead of the general election campaign July-August 2010: Inquiry expected to resume
Report set to be published in late 2010 or early 2011
On Wednesday, the panel will hear from former senior Foreign Office staff on the claims that Saddam Hussein's regime possessed "weapons of mass destruction".
Over the coming weeks the inquiry is expected to hear from a succession of diplomats, military officers and politicians, including Mr Blair, who is due to appear early in the new year.sir John Scarlett, the former chief of MI6 who as chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee in 2002 drew up the Government's controversial dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, is also due to give evidence to the five-strong inquiry panel. sumer Conservative leader Michael Howard said he would have preferred witnesses to be required to give evidence on oath.owever, he said the inquiry would be broader than other past investigations into aspects of the Iraq conflict and may unearth evidence that had so far not come to light.The truth'
"I hope what we get out of Chilcot is the truth. That is what people yearn for," he told BBC Radio 4's Today.
Lord Falconer, the former Lord Chancellor, said it was important the inquiry had access to all documents covering the run-up to the war.
"There needs to be some definitive view about what happened."
Despite the fact that no weapons of mass destruction were discovered in Iraq after the invasion, he insisted previous inquiries had said Tony Blair had acted in good faith in his justification for the war.
I confidently predict that by the end of this inquiry the British public still won't know why we sent troops to Iraq or what advice the government was given regarding the war's legality.
Richard, UK
The BBC's Jim Muir, in Iraq, said people there appeared to be "bemused by the sight of the Western powers dissecting the decisions that were taken... as one politician put it, it's not at all relevant to Iraq today". The war resulted in the deaths of 179 UK forces personnel.
Previously, the Butler inquiry looked at intelligence failures before the war, while the Hutton inquiry examined the circumstances leading to the death of former government adviser David Kelly. Sir John Chilcot has said he hopes to complete his final report by the end of next year, although he has warned it could slip into 2011.

Times China Correspondent gives the background to the violence in Tibet

Has Tibet ever been independent? :-The Beijing line is that Tibet became part of China in the 13th century, when the Mongol Yuan Dynasty extended its rule over the Himalayan region. Most historians say that Tibet was at least a protectorate of China in the 18th and 19th centuries until it unilaterally declared independence in 1913. Chairman Mao’s troops entered central Tibet in 1950 Why did Tibetans rise against Beijing in 1959? When China imposed land reforms in eastern Tibet and began to destroy monasteries, thousands of refugees fled to Lhasa, setting off a popular uprising. The Dalai Lama, accompanied by thousands of followers, fled into exile in India. Official figures say that 80,000 Tibetans were killed as Chinese troops crushed the rebellion function slideshowPopUp(url) Have Tibetans always opposed communist rule? At first Tibetan aristocrats and young intellectuals regarded Chinese rule as a new beginning, but many changed their minds when Beijing imposed land reforms. However, some poor Tibetans welcomed the reforms Are Tibetans free to worship? The authorities do not generally interfere in worship by ordinary Tibetans and allow them to visit temples. However, there are some restrictions in monasteries, where lamas must take part in government-run patriotic re-education classes and are required to renounce the Dalai Lama Does the Dalai Lama want independence? No. He has given up that idea and says that he is asking for genuine autonomy and this now seems to mean that he wants cultural autonomy, leaving the central Government in Beijing in charge

Former Thai PM Sundaravej dies

In this photo taken Jan. 21, 2008, Thailand's former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is seen in Bangkok, Thailand. A Thai hospital has confirmed that Samak, a firebrand right-wing politician and TV celebrity who briefly served as prime minister, has died on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009. He was 74. -->AP BANGKOK: Samak Sundaravej, a firebrand right-wing politician and TV cooking show host who briefly served as Thailand's prime minister and considered himself a proxy of ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra, died of cancer Tuesday. He was 74.
Samak died at Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok after a long battle with liver cancer, hospital official Navachamol Sangkaew said. Samak had sought treatment for the cancer late last year in the United States and kept a low-profile after returning to Thailand.
Known as a straight-talker with a penchant for the profane, Samak's political career spanned four decades including an incarnation as an anti-communist rabble rouser, but many supporters remembered him best for his TV show called "Tasting and Complaining," a mix of traditional Thai cooking and rants on pet subjects.
Among the first Thai politicians to express their condolences was former Prime Minister Thaksin, who was forced out in a 2006 coup and tweeted about Samak's death from self-imposed exile. He also expressed regret that he could not return to the country to attend the funeral.
Somchai Wongsawat, who replaced Samak as prime minister after serving as his deputy, called him a respectful leader who devoted his whole life to politics and democracy.
"I always sought his advice. I revered and loved him very much," Somchai told reporters. "During Samak's honorable life, he was a politician loyal to the people and someone who had a strong conviction about sustaining the country."
It was ultimately Samak's TV work that ended his political career, which peaked in December 2007 when he became the country's 25th prime minister — a job that lasted only nine months.
Samak's tenure as prime minister coincided with one of the worst political crises in Thailand's history and followed the September 2006 that ousted Thaksin. Samak rose to power as the self-proclaimed proxy for Thaksin, who was living in exile. Samak became the focus of street rallies by anti-Thaksin protesters who demanded his resignation.
Tens of thousands of protesters stormed the prime minister's compound in August 2008, but it wasn't the protesters who led to his ouster.
A court ruled in September 2008 that Samak's appearance on his TV cooking show while prime minister — and the fact that he had accepted money — constituted a conflict of interest. The hasty decision prompted speculation that the court ruled to curtail protests and end Samak's divisive tenure, amid fears of another coup.
Known for hurling epithets at his critics, Samak made one of his most infamous comments while prime minister. When a female Thai reporter inquired about rumors of infighting within his party, he snapped back: "Did you have sinful sex last night?"
His colorful vocabulary earned him the nickname "Dog Mouth" among critics.
Bangkok-born and of Chinese descent, Samak began his political career in 1968 when he joined the Democrat Party. With Bangkok as his power base, he went on to hold eight Cabinet posts and served more than 20 years as a member of parliament.
Early on, Samak established his trademarks — a right wing ideology, a common touch which endeared him to some and a bias against freewheeling democracy and the press — a "burden on development" he once called reporters whom he periodically berated for asking "lousy" questions.
It was his vitriolic rhetoric on radio and at rallies that helped stoke anti-communist sentiment in 1976 that prompted mobs to storm a Bangkok university, killing and burning alive scores of leftist student activists. The massacre came after Indochina had fallen under communist rule and Thailand was deeply polarized between right and left.
Samak, who was deputy interior minister at the time, subscribed to a motto of the extreme right-wing, "It's no sin to kill communists." The massacre, he maintained, had been the work of Vietnamese communists because dead dogs were found at the site — and everyone knew that Vietnamese ate canines.
As interior minister following the bloody events of 1976, he had hundreds of "leftists" arrested in a witch hunt reminiscent of the anti-communist pogrom spearheaded by U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s.
He was linked to another bloodbath in May 1992 now known as "Black May."
Dozens were killed when the army opened fire on street protesters in Bangkok demanding the resignation of Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon, who had become prime minister in a coup the year before.
Samak, then deputy prime minister, branded the demonstrators troublemakers, arguing the government had the right to use force as long as the United States could send troops to kill people in other countries.
After stints as deputy prime minister and as Bangkok's mayor in the 1990s and early 2000s, Samak emerged as a strong supporter of Thaksin, whose populist policies, including cheap health care and low-interest loans to the poor, Samak has vowed to continue.
Following Thaksin's ouster, his Thai Rak Thai party was dissolved but former members formed the People's Power Party which named Samak as its leader.

Parliament to pass budget

KATHMANDU: The budget for the fiscal year 2009/10 which is yet to be passed from the parliament following the Maoist lawmakers’ obstruction is being endorsed on Tuesday. In a press conference organised by the main opposition party on Saturday, it made the announcement that it had decided to let the House function for three days to pave the way for the budget endorsement. The parliament session which is underway since 11 am will be endorsing the budget through the election once the 16 ministers answer the queries raised by the CA lawmakers on allocation of the budget to their ministries.
Meanwhile, ruling allies have issued a whip on compulsory attendance of its lawmakers in today’s parliament session and active participation in the budget endorsement procedure. Unconfirmed reports said the lawmakers of ruling parties who could not make their way to the capital are being airlifted by helicopters. However, Maoists who have decided to boycott the budget session walked out from Monday’s House proceedings just after deputy parliamentary party leader of the party Narayan Kaji Shrestha’s address, leaving three of its lawmakers for formality’s sake as the House cannot function without the presence of opposition leaders.

A Stimulus That Could Save Money

Daniel Rosenbaum for The New York Times

The one highly visible success of the stimulus bill has been the cash-for-clunkers program. It induced a boom in vehicle sales this summer that clearly would not have happened otherwise.

The rest of the stimulus bill has created a lot of jobs -- 700,000 to 1.5 million, according to economists' estimates. But it has done so in thousands of little ways: scattered construction projects, plugged-up school budgets and the like. Politically, these measures are not popular enough to create a groundswell for more of them.

And the economy still needs help. So White House officials are looking at creating a new version of cash for clunkers -- this time for home weatherization.

John Doerr, the Silicon Valley venture capitalist, and former President Bill Clinton have separately suggested versions of the idea to the White House. Mr. Doerr calls his proposal, which would give households money to pay for weatherization projects, "cash for caulkers." Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's chief of staff, told me, "It's one of the top things he's looking at."

The idea has a lot to recommend it. The housing bust has idled contractors and construction workers, who could be put to work insulating homes and caulking air leaks. Many households, meanwhile, would save substantial money -- not to mention help the climate -- by weatherizing their homes, research by McKinsey & Company has shown. All in all, a cash-for-caulkers program seems like a promising part of the jobs program for 2010 that Mr. Obama has suggested he is planning.

But I would also mention one point of caution: the details of any caulkers plan will matter enormously. Weatherizing a home, as I recently discovered, turns out to be a lot more complicated than buying a car.

This year, my wife and I had an energy audit done on our home. We were interested in finding out if we could save money and, given the attention that weatherizing was starting to get, I figured it could also make for good column fodder. For $400, an auditor spent hours scouring our house, with the help of a big fan he set up in our front door and an infrared camera. He produced a full-color, 13-page detailed report, informing us of the leaks in our house, and he was also willing to tell us which changes were usually a waste of money (new windows).

Even so, we are still trying to figure out which weatherization projects we should do. The whole package would probably cost $4,500 and save us something like $400 a year. We may not stay in the house nearly long enough to justify the investment.

Such concerns are typical. How do you find an auditor? How do you know whether you should seal a few ducts or pay $2,000 for new insulation? Which of the existing subsidies -- state and federal -- might you qualify for?

Mr. Doerr and Mr. Clinton are well aware of these problems. Mr. Clinton has sent the White House a memorandum written by his foundation staff that lays out the reasons people don't weatherize their homes. Mr. Doerr, who sits on a board of outside economic advisers to Mr. Obama that is working on a formal cash-for-caulkers proposal, told me that his goal was to "keep it really simple so we can do it really fast."

The Doerr plan would cost $23 billion over two years. Most of the money would go for incentive payments, generally $2,000 to $4,000, for weatherization projects. The homeowner would always have to pay at least 50 percent of the project's total cost. About $3 billion would be set aside for retailers and contractors in the hope that they would promote the program, much as car dealerships promoted cash for clunkers. (Mr. Doerr says he owns no stake in any weatherization companies.)

The Clinton plan depends on the reallocation of clean energy money from the stimulus bill that has not yet been spent. It covers not just houses and apartments but also commercial and industrial buildings.

Perhaps most intriguing is its proposal to help homeowners and building owners who are nervous they will end up selling their property before a weatherization project has paid for itself. Under the Clinton plan, they could add the project's cost to their long-term property tax bill, effectively splitting the cost with the next owner. The New York State Legislature approved such a program on Monday.

All these efforts would lead to more weatherization. But I would be surprised if they were enough to create a program as successful as cash for clunkers. Remember: Many homeowners could already save money by weatherizing their homes. And they are not doing so.

That's in large part because the projects can seem so daunting. To date, energy experts, in the government and the private sector, have not done a good job of distributing useful information. What does exist tends to be either too complicated or too general. I recently asked various experts what percentage of homes should get new insulation, for example, and several replied that it varied by region -- which is both true and unhelpful.

Imagine, though, if the Energy Department put together a weatherization-for-dummies fact sheet and Mr. Obama began promoting it.

It could start by noting that almost all homes should have a programmable thermostat (about $100) to turn down the heat or the air-conditioning when nobody is home. Other simple steps can include wrapping a water heater with an insulation blanket and replacing heating and cooling filters. Next on the list would be sealing easily accessible holes in air ducts, which can cost just a few hundred dollars and pay for itself in a few years. In California, the average duct system loses 30 percent of its heating or cooling to leaks.

Finally would come the more complicated categories, including insulation and heating equipment. Yet some basic information could still help enormously here. What share, say, of Midwestern homes built before 1950 could use more attic insulation? How quickly would the insulation pay for itself on average? Every home is different, obviously. But without any reference point, many people won't be confident enough to plunge into a project.

The shining example that Mr. Clinton cites is a Houston program in which the local government pays about $1,000 to weatherize any home in a given neighborhood. It works in part because the houses need similar improvements, which makes the program easy for residents to understand.

"Unlike traditional programs that provide an audit and a customized package of solutions for each home," the Clinton memorandum notes, Houston "offers a fixed set of interventions that include climate-appropriate ‘low hanging fruit.' "

The bottom line is that cash for caulkers would be trickier than cash for clunkers -- yet would have the potential to do far more good. McKinsey, the consulting firm, estimates that households could reduce their energy use by 28 percent over the next decade. In terms of greenhouse gases, that would be the equivalent of taking half of all vehicles in this country off the road.

And unlike many other climate-friendly policies, it would not cost money over the long term. Done right, cash for caulkers would be precisely the kind of stimulus that makes the most sense: spending money now to save money later.

A Stimulus That Could Save Money

Daniel Rosenbaum for The New York Times

The one highly visible success of the stimulus bill has been the cash-for-clunkers program. It induced a boom in vehicle sales this summer that clearly would not have happened otherwise.

The rest of the stimulus bill has created a lot of jobs -- 700,000 to 1.5 million, according to economists' estimates. But it has done so in thousands of little ways: scattered construction projects, plugged-up school budgets and the like. Politically, these measures are not popular enough to create a groundswell for more of them.

And the economy still needs help. So White House officials are looking at creating a new version of cash for clunkers -- this time for home weatherization.

John Doerr, the Silicon Valley venture capitalist, and former President Bill Clinton have separately suggested versions of the idea to the White House. Mr. Doerr calls his proposal, which would give households money to pay for weatherization projects, "cash for caulkers." Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's chief of staff, told me, "It's one of the top things he's looking at."

The idea has a lot to recommend it. The housing bust has idled contractors and construction workers, who could be put to work insulating homes and caulking air leaks. Many households, meanwhile, would save substantial money -- not to mention help the climate -- by weatherizing their homes, research by McKinsey & Company has shown. All in all, a cash-for-caulkers program seems like a promising part of the jobs program for 2010 that Mr. Obama has suggested he is planning.

But I would also mention one point of caution: the details of any caulkers plan will matter enormously. Weatherizing a home, as I recently discovered, turns out to be a lot more complicated than buying a car.

This year, my wife and I had an energy audit done on our home. We were interested in finding out if we could save money and, given the attention that weatherizing was starting to get, I figured it could also make for good column fodder. For $400, an auditor spent hours scouring our house, with the help of a big fan he set up in our front door and an infrared camera. He produced a full-color, 13-page detailed report, informing us of the leaks in our house, and he was also willing to tell us which changes were usually a waste of money (new windows).

Even so, we are still trying to figure out which weatherization projects we should do. The whole package would probably cost $4,500 and save us something like $400 a year. We may not stay in the house nearly long enough to justify the investment.

Such concerns are typical. How do you find an auditor? How do you know whether you should seal a few ducts or pay $2,000 for new insulation? Which of the existing subsidies -- state and federal -- might you qualify for?

Mr. Doerr and Mr. Clinton are well aware of these problems. Mr. Clinton has sent the White House a memorandum written by his foundation staff that lays out the reasons people don't weatherize their homes. Mr. Doerr, who sits on a board of outside economic advisers to Mr. Obama that is working on a formal cash-for-caulkers proposal, told me that his goal was to "keep it really simple so we can do it really fast."

The Doerr plan would cost $23 billion over two years. Most of the money would go for incentive payments, generally $2,000 to $4,000, for weatherization projects. The homeowner would always have to pay at least 50 percent of the project's total cost. About $3 billion would be set aside for retailers and contractors in the hope that they would promote the program, much as car dealerships promoted cash for clunkers. (Mr. Doerr says he owns no stake in any weatherization companies.)

The Clinton plan depends on the reallocation of clean energy money from the stimulus bill that has not yet been spent. It covers not just houses and apartments but also commercial and industrial buildings.

Perhaps most intriguing is its proposal to help homeowners and building owners who are nervous they will end up selling their property before a weatherization project has paid for itself. Under the Clinton plan, they could add the project's cost to their long-term property tax bill, effectively splitting the cost with the next owner. The New York State Legislature approved such a program on Monday.

All these efforts would lead to more weatherization. But I would be surprised if they were enough to create a program as successful as cash for clunkers. Remember: Many homeowners could already save money by weatherizing their homes. And they are not doing so.

That's in large part because the projects can seem so daunting. To date, energy experts, in the government and the private sector, have not done a good job of distributing useful information. What does exist tends to be either too complicated or too general. I recently asked various experts what percentage of homes should get new insulation, for example, and several replied that it varied by region -- which is both true and unhelpful.

Imagine, though, if the Energy Department put together a weatherization-for-dummies fact sheet and Mr. Obama began promoting it.

It could start by noting that almost all homes should have a programmable thermostat (about $100) to turn down the heat or the air-conditioning when nobody is home. Other simple steps can include wrapping a water heater with an insulation blanket and replacing heating and cooling filters. Next on the list would be sealing easily accessible holes in air ducts, which can cost just a few hundred dollars and pay for itself in a few years. In California, the average duct system loses 30 percent of its heating or cooling to leaks.

Finally would come the more complicated categories, including insulation and heating equipment. Yet some basic information could still help enormously here. What share, say, of Midwestern homes built before 1950 could use more attic insulation? How quickly would the insulation pay for itself on average? Every home is different, obviously. But without any reference point, many people won't be confident enough to plunge into a project.

The shining example that Mr. Clinton cites is a Houston program in which the local government pays about $1,000 to weatherize any home in a given neighborhood. It works in part because the houses need similar improvements, which makes the program easy for residents to understand.

"Unlike traditional programs that provide an audit and a customized package of solutions for each home," the Clinton memorandum notes, Houston "offers a fixed set of interventions that include climate-appropriate ‘low hanging fruit.' "

The bottom line is that cash for caulkers would be trickier than cash for clunkers -- yet would have the potential to do far more good. McKinsey, the consulting firm, estimates that households could reduce their energy use by 28 percent over the next decade. In terms of greenhouse gases, that would be the equivalent of taking half of all vehicles in this country off the road.

And unlike many other climate-friendly policies, it would not cost money over the long term. Done right, cash for caulkers would be precisely the kind of stimulus that makes the most sense: spending money now to save money later.

Sony hopes online service will build brand loyalty

SONY new online service connecting the whole range of its gadgets to downloadable content like movies and games should help build brand loyalty, a top executive said Friday.

Executive Vice President Kazuo Hirai said the service, set for launch next year, highlights an advantage that Sony has over rivals like Samsung Electronics Co. and other manufacturers that don't produce their own content. Sony's business empire spans gaming, electronics, movies and music."That's the kind of combination that I think is not seen anywhere else," Hirai said in an interview at Tokyo headquarters. "That I think is where our core competence lies, and that's a differentiator for Sony."The online service will include games, movie downloads and other interactive entertainment, which will be accessible on Sony products, such as Bravia TVs, Cyber-shot digital cameras and Reader electronic books.
But Kazuharu Miura, analyst with Daiwa Securities SMBC in Tokyo, said it was unclear whether online services will boost gadget sales.
"I understand what Sony is trying to do, and that's the best way to showcase its strengths," he said. "But whether that will really get people to buy a Sony camera or a Vaio computer all depends on what Sony does with the online service."
Hirai said Sony already offers streaming video, comic delivery and a news service, but could expand into any of the gamut of services available for personal computers, such as fitness and financial services.
Sony is targeting annual sales of 300 billion yen ($3.4 billion) from its networked services businesses and 350 million network-connected products by the fiscal year ending March 2013.

Sony's service for PlayStation 3 video game machines, which began three years ago, has attracted 33 million users. The new service will be expanded to other Sony products.
In outlining a turnaround strategy Thursday, Chief Executive Howard Stringer flagged network services as a major area where Sony hopes to grow, as well as 3-D TVs, new displays, electronic books and batteries for cars.
Sony is expecting its second straight annual loss for the fiscal year through March 2010 -- hurt by sliding prices, the global slowdown and the absence of blockbusters products like Apple Inc.'s iPod or Nintendo Co.'s Wii.
It has fallen behind in liquid-crystal display TVs to Samsung of South Korea and Japanese rival Sharp Corp. Sony is hoping to be profitable in that business by the fiscal year ending March 2011.
Hirai, who oversees games and network services, acknowledged Sony's units didn't communicate well in the past to coordinate their strengths.
That has changed under Stringer, he said. Stringer appointed a new management team earlier this year, including Hirai.
Hirai said the planned service was a chance to one-up rivals at a time when products are becoming commodities, with prices being the big way to compete.
"We want to increase the value, or the brand loyalty of our Sony products. There is no question about it," he said.
Sony has a long way to go before a full recovery.
The maker of the Walkman portable player expects a 95 billion yen ($1 billion) loss for the fiscal year through March 2010 -- marginally better than the 98.9 billion yen loss the previous fiscal year, its first annual loss in 14 years.

White House at odds with bishops over abortion

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House is on a collision course with Catholic bishops in an intractable dispute over abortion that could blow up the fragile political coalition behind President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

A top Obama administration official on Thursday praised the new Senate health care bill's attempt to find a compromise on abortion coverage -- even as an official of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said Sen. Harry Reid's bill is the worst he's seen so far on the divisive issue.

The bishops were instrumental in getting tough anti-abortion language adopted by the House, forcing Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to accept restrictions that outraged liberals as the price for passing the Democratic health care bill. Reid, D-Nev., now faces a similar choice: Ultimately, he will need the votes of Democratic senators who oppose abortion to get his bill through the Senate.
So far, Reid has steered the Senate bill in a direction that abortion rights supporters can live with: allowing coverage for abortion in federally subsidized health care plans, provided that private funds are used to pay for the procedure. But abortion opponents say his compromise would gut current federal restrictions on abortion funding.
GOP senators and governors stepped up their opposition to the bill Thursday, assailing the measure as a collection of tax increases, Medicare cuts and heavy new burdens for states.
Despite criticism, there were growing indications Reid would prevail on an initial Senate showdown set for Saturday night. He needs a 60-vote majority to advance the bill toward full debate, expected to begin after Thanksgiving and last for weeks. It's during that debate that the battle over abortion will be joined in earnest. Reid will need to clear another 60-vote hurdle before senators cast their final vote on the bill.
At the White House on Thursday, health reform director Nancy Ann DeParle praised Reid's effort to find a compromise on abortion.
"It was carefully worked through by the leader, who cares a lot about making sure this maintains the status quo on abortion policy," DeParle told reporters. Obama has said he wants the bill to remain neutral on abortion, and DeParle said Reid struck just the right balance.
But Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the bishops' conference Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, said Reid's "is actually the worst bill we've seen so far on the life issues."
He called it "completely unacceptable," adding that "to say this reflects current law is ridiculous."
The legislation is designed to answer Obama's call to expand coverage, end industry practices such as denying coverage to people with health problems and restrain the growth of health care spending.
Democrats put the price tag of the 2,074-page measure at $979 billion, higher than the $849 billion figure they had cited Wednesday as the cost of expanding coverage to 31 million who now lack insurance. Republicans calculated it at more like $1.5 trillion over a decade and said even that was understated because Reid decided to delay implementation of some of the bill's main features until 2014.
On abortion, the bill would forbid including coverage for the procedure as a required medical benefit. However, it would allow a new government insurance plan to cover abortions and let private insurers that receive federal subsidies offer plans that include abortion coverage.
In all cases, the money to pay for abortions would have to come from premiums paid by beneficiaries themselves, kept strictly separate from federal subsidy dollars. Government funds could be used for abortions only in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother -- reflecting a current law known as the Hyde amendment.
The Hyde amendment restrictions apply to Medicaid, military health care and the federal employee health plan. Many states provide abortion coverage to low-income Medicaid beneficiaries, but they must do so separately with their own funds.
Abortion opponents say Reid's bill circumvents Hyde. For example, they say that any funds a government insurance plan would use to pay for abortion would be federal funds by definition -- even if the money comes from premiums paid by beneficiaries.
"All the money the government has starts out being private money," said Douglas Johnson, legislative director for National Right to Life. "Once the government has them, they're federal funds."
The restrictive language passed by the House would forbid any health plan that receives federal subsidies from paying for abortions, except as allowed by the Hyde amendment. Women would have to purchase separate coverage for abortion services.
Abortion rights supporters say that fencing off government funds from private premiums would achieve the same goal, without forcing women to get special coverage for a legal medical procedure now routinely included in many private health insurance plans.
Associated Press Special Correspondent David Espo contributed to this report.