Six In The Morning

Taliban Captives Dispute U.S. View on Afghanistan War



By ROD NORDLAND and ALISSA J. RUBIN
KABUL, Afghanistan — More Taliban insurgents are being killed or captured than ever before, yet when the captives are interrogated by the American military, they remain convinced that they are winning the war. That is because the Taliban believe that their own hearts-and-minds campaign is winning over Afghans — or so they tell their interrogators — and even converting a growing number of Afghan government officials and soldiers. Those are among some of the findings of a NATO report, “State of the Taliban 2012,” based on 27,000 interrogations of 4,000 Taliban and other captives that portrays a Taliban insurgency that is far from vanquished or demoralized even as the United States and its allies enter what they hope will be the final phase of the war. A copy of the document, which was first reported by the BBC and The Times of London, was given to The New York Times by a Western official, on the condition of anonymity because it was classified.

Global land grab could trigger conflict, report says
A study by the Rights and Resources Initiative says developing country governments that fail to protect the rights of those using communally held land could spark civil unrest

Claire Provost guardian.co.uk, Thursday 2 February 2012 07.00 GMT
The global rush for land in developing countries around the world could trigger a new wave of civil unrest if governments fail to recognise the rights of those using land without formal legal titles, according to new studies. Research published on Wednesday by the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) estimates that half a billion people rely on 1.4bn hectares of communally held rural land in sub-Saharan Africa, which has attracted the lion's share of investor interest.

The experts' view on the euro's future: it doesn't have one
Leading economists and politicians issue stark warning over eurozone

Thursday 02 February 2012
In interviews and articles for The Independent today, the experts were asked for their short-term and long-term predictions for the future of the euro. While most believe the eurozone may well survive the current Greek debt crisis – especially given the political will invested in preventing a disorderly default – none is confident that the contagion could be contained, and most believe the new European Fiscal Compact agreed in principle on Monday is unsustainable as it would take key financial powers from national governments – and their electorates.

Scores killed, hundreds injured in Egypt soccer tragedy
At least 74 people were killed and hundreds injured when rival fans clashed on Wednesday after a soccer match in the Egyptian city of Port Said, in what Fifa called a "black day for football".

JAILAN ZAYAN CAIRO, EGYPT - Feb 02 2012 06:34
In one of the deadliest incidents in the sport's history, violence erupted as soon as the referee blew the final whistle in a match which saw home team al-Masri beat Cairo's al-Ahly 3-1. Al-Masri fans flooded the pitch, throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at al-Ahly supporters, sparking chaos and panic as al-Ahly players and fans ran in all directions trying to flee, witnesses said. Photos of bleeding players circulated on the internet. Gunfire was also reported on the main road leading to Port Said from Cairo, and troops were deployed to prevent further clashes.

Why Britain and Argentina are tussling, again, over the Falklands
Britain's decision to send a new, more powerful warship to the Falkland Islands has ignited a long-simmering territorial dispute that came to war decades ago.

By Mian Ridge, Correspondent
Decades of sharp exchanges between Britain and Argentina escalated this week as Argentina reasserted its claim to the Falklands Islands, a territory about 300 miles off the Argentine coast that has been ruled by Britain since 1833. Britain responded, as it always has, that it has no intention of giving the islands up. Today, as the 30th anniversary of the two nations’ war over the South Atlantic's Falklands approaches, tensions have risen, with Britain accusing Argentina of “colonialism” for pursuing its claim. On Jan. 30, Britain announced it was deploying the destroyer HMS Dauntless to the South Atlantic, replacing a less powerful warship that is there now. Today Prince William, second-in-line to the British throne, began his Royal Air Force posting to the Falklands – arriving, as many Argentineans saw it, in “the uniform of the conqueror," even though he is flying a search-and-rescue helicopter.

'Super PACs' largely funded by a wealthy few
A few super-rich individuals are using their personal and corporate wealth to influence American politics in an unprecedented manner.

By Matea Gold, Tom Hamburger and Maloy Moore, Washington Bureau
Reporting from Washington and Los Angeles— When it comes to big money in politics, Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons' influence has long been apparent in Texas, where he has plowed more than $1 million into Rick Perry's gubernatorial campaigns. Now Simmons has found a new outlet for his outsize political giving — the explosion this election cycle of "super PACs," independent political organizations that can accept massive contributions to influence the presidential race and other federal elections.