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Caption …

Nanomaterials Have Novel Physical and Chemical Properties

These cerium-based oxide nanomaterials, termed HSA nanoproducts, are expected to have applications in ultrafine polishing, catalysis, and potentially fuel cells. They may be combined with dopants, such as rare earths (e.g., lanthanum, samarium and/or praseodymium) or other elements (e.g., zirconium), to form single crystal, multi-element nanomaterials. The patented NanoArc technology …

SunTrust Banks to receive $3.5B from Treasury

SunTrust Banks Inc. said Monday it has received preliminary approval from the Treasury Department for a $3.5 billion investment under the government's capital purchase program.

The bank said it plans to use the capital to expand lending and other business capabilities, and may also explore potential acquisitions.

"Our participation in the Capital Purchase Program enhances SunTrust's already solid capital position and will permit us to further expand our business and take advantage of growth opportunities," James M. Wells III, chairman, president and chief executive, said in a statement.

The investment will be made in the form of a sale …

Reservoir work worry

Fluffy the goat is livid about it. And it's not the news thatpotential buyers of new goat sheds off Wedmore Road would want tohear.

She's been on about getting on the affordable housing ladder forages and thought she'd secured a new pad to place her cloven hoovesin.

Then she discovers Bristol Water may build a huge reservoiroverlooking her back garden.

She would never have contemplated buying the place if she'd know.It was all those lush pastures she had her eye on for summer grazing- and now they could soon be under water.

The construction of the reservoir would mean a giant buildingsite on her doorstep for years to come - plus noise and …

Bush Previews European Trip Initiatives

WASHINGTON - Europeans may bristle over President Bush's Iraq policy, yet he spent the week rolling out initiatives they can more easily embrace - ones that address global warming, AIDS and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

"In all these endeavors, the American people can be proud of our global leadership and generosity," Bush said Saturday in his weekly radio address. "Our nation is delivering aid and comfort to those in need."

Bush leaves Monday for Europe, where he will visit six countries and attend a three-day meeting in Germany of the leaders of the world's industrialized nations. Unlike earlier summits chilled by discussion of Iraq, the Group of Eight agenda this …

Big ideas for cutting deficit, but they'd hurt

WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters who demanded Washington rein in the nation's spiraling debt are getting a message from President Barack Obama and leaders of his deficit commission: It'll hurt.

A proposal released Wednesday by the bipartisan leaders of the commission suggested cuts to Social Security benefits, deep reductions in federal spending and higher taxes for millions of Americans to stem the flood of red ink that they say threatens the nation's very future. The popular child tax credit and mortgage interest deduction would be eliminated.

Interest groups on the right and the left squealed, predictably, about the plan, which would cut total deficits by as much as $4 trillion …

Canada opposition leader Jack Layton dies

TORONTO (AP) — Jack Layton, a folksy and charismatic political leader who guided his party to become the dominant opposition group in Canada's Parliament while battling severe health problems, died Monday of cancer. He was 61.

Layton hobbled through the campaign earlier this year as he recovered from a broken hip and prostate cancer. Under his upbeat leadership the leftist New Democrats outpolled the Liberals and became the official opposition party for the first time in their 50-year history.

The New Democrat party issued a statement saying Layton died peacefully Monday morning at his Toronto home, surrounded by family and loved ones. Only weeks ago, a gaunt Layton held a …

The state of Mennonite farming today

Five years after a special church conference met to examine issues facing Mennonite food producers and consumers, how are our farmers faring? In this feature report, Canadian Mennonite interviewed farmers across the country as well as going back to several people involved in that conference to ask what has changed since then. We also asked Cam Harder and Elaine Froese to write for us on these issues and report on how they were addressed at the recent J.J. Thiessen Lectures at Canadian Mennonite University. Ed.

A few weeks ago, I visited the farm of Reg and Bev Stow, bean growers from Graysville, Man., to buy a bag of beans for our 100 Mile Diet (an initiative to limit consumption …

Jailed ex-Yukos chief critical of Putin but optimisitc about Russia's future

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former oil tycoon now jailed in Russia, said in an interview published Thursday that the rule of law in his country has suffered under President Vladimir Putin and is unlikely to improve under his successor.

But Khodorkovsky, ex-owner of the now-dismantled oil giant Yukos, told the Financial Times it is "not possible" for Russia to return to the darkest days of its Soviet past because even Putin's government understands that businesses need access to technology and the outside world to thrive.

"People can leave freely; the Internet works," the Financial Times quoted Khodorkovsky as saying Wednesday during a …

Contracts Not Renewed At Bbc

Camera crews working for BBC Points West have been told theirfreelance contracts will not be renewed after they run out nextyear.

The decision affects six freelance camera operators who are now intalks about permanent staff positions with the BBC after thecontracts expire in May, 2004.

One camera operator who contacted the Evening Post and did notwant to be named, partly blamed the move on the introduction of PDPcameras, the hand-held digital cameras being introduced in a rollingprogramme to be used by journalists and some production staff.

The BBC has hailed them as a revolution in news production,designed to bring journalists closer to their subjects, and …

Abdul Sharif Baruwa

VIENNA ABDUL SHARIF BARUWA GALERIE GRITA INSAM In one of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, a little girl climbs down a well. Down below, where everything looks identical to our world, she enters the service of Frau Holle, the mythical figure who makes it snow on our earth by beating and airing out the feather pillows. Down below is also up above. The switch between the two spheres is only natural.

Precisely this curious model of the world was evoked by the young artist Abdul Sharif Baruwa, who was until recently a student at Vienna's Akademie der Bildenden Kunste in the studio of Gunther Damisch. This was his first solo exhibition. Under the title "Welcome," Baruwa exhibited …

Carpenter returns to Cardinals with solid start

Chris Carpenter pitched four solid innings in his first start since April 2007 and the St. Louis Cardinals best the slumping Atlanta Braves 7-2 on Wednesday night.

Albert Pujols drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh for the Cardinals and Joe Mather put the game out of reach with a two-run homer in the eighth.

Carpenter, who won the NL Cy Young Award in 2005, spent the past year recovering from ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow.

Carpenter allowed one run and five hits. He threw 67 pitches, striking out two and walking two.

His return is a boost to the Cardinals heading into the final two months of the season as they try to …

UN chief and Security Council strongly condemn assassination of top Lebanese army commander

The U.N. Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the assassination of a top army commander in Lebanon, calling it an attempt to destabilize the armed forces.

In separate statements on Wednesday, the U.N.'s most powerful body and its chief executive said the killing of Brig. Gen. Francois Hajj, who had been tipped as the likely next head of the army, was an attempt to undermine Lebanon's sovereignty and demanded that the perpetrators be brought to justice.

They also called for presidential elections to be held without delay.

The Lebanese president's office has been vacant since Nov. 23, when Emile Lahoud's term ended.

Hajj's boss, army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman, has emerged as a possible consensus candidate for the presidency. But political wrangling has held up his election, which would require a constitutional amendment because currently a sitting army commander is barred from the post.

The Security Council condemned the killing of Hajj "in the strongest terms" and strongly condemned the attempt "to destabilize Lebanese institutions, in this particular case the Lebanese Armed Forces." The council reiterated its condemnation of all targeted assassinations in Lebanon.

Ban, the U.N. chief, "was outraged" at the attack and "strongly condemns this act of violence and terror on the Lebanese Armed Forces, a symbol of Lebanon's sovereignty," U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.

"The secretary-general calls on the Lebanese for calm and restraint at this critical juncture in their history," Okabe said. "Their political leaders must exert every possible effort to resolve differences and arrive at a solution for an immediate presidential election, without conditionality, in accordance with constitutional rules."

The Security Council underlined "that no attempt to destabilize Lebanon should prevent the holding, without delay, of a free and fair presidential election in conformity with Lebanese constitutional rules, without any foreign interference or influence, and with full respect for democratic institutions."

It backed Ban's efforts to establish a special tribunal for Lebanon "in a timely manner, as a means to put an end to impunity in Lebanon and deter further assassinations."

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said "these terrorists are holding not only the lives of Lebanese leaders at risk ... but even democracy itself is being threatened in Lebanon by these terrorists."

The presidential statement adopted by the council was the second in two days focusing on Lebanon.

On Tuesday, the council stressed its "deep concern at the repeated postponements of the presidential election" and reiterated its call for the election to be held without delay.

It commended the role of the democratically elected government and the Lebanese Armed Forces in carrying out their responsibilities in the period until the election takes place and urged all parties to exercise restraint and engage in talks to prevent further deterioration of the situation in the troubled Mideast nation.

Delta Air Lines Posts $1.77B Profit

ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Inc., the nation's third-largest carrier, cited a 5.5 percent gain in sales as it reported Wednesday that it swung to a profit in the second quarter, which saw it emerge from bankruptcy after shaving billions of dollars in costs.

The Atlanta-based company's results beat Wall Street expectations when one-time items are excluded.

For the three months ending June 30, Delta said it recorded net income of $1.77 billion, or $4.49 a share, compared to a loss of $2.21 billion in the same period a year earlier. The corresponding per-share figure for the year-ago loss was not provided in Delta's balance sheet.

Excluding reorganization and related one-time items, Delta said it had a profit of $274 million, or 70 cents a share, in the second quarter. On a comparable basis, analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial were expecting a profit of 59 cents a share.

The reorganization and related one-time items Delta accounted for in the second quarter of this year stemmed from $1.5 billion of income primarily due to the discharge of claims and liabilities in connection with its bankruptcy proceedings and the adoption of fresh-start reporting.

Revenue in the April-June quarter rose to $5 billion, compared to $4.74 billion recorded in the same period a year earlier.

For the first six months of the year, Delta said its net income was $1.64 billion, compared to a loss of $4.28 billion for the same period a year earlier. Per-share figures were not given. Six-month revenue rose to $9.24 billion, compared to revenue of $8.54 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Delta entered Chapter 11 on Sept. 14, 2005. The company emerged on April 30.

In bankruptcy, Delta shed billions in costs and restructured the carrier's operations. It also survived a hostile takeover bid by Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways Group Inc.

After exiting bankruptcy, Delta unveiled plans for a new paint job for its planes, featuring the company's three-dimensional red logo flying across a blue background on the tail of aircraft.

Delta's board still must find a new chief executive officer to replace outgoing CEO Gerald Grinstein and decide whether to sell or spin off regional feeder carrier Comair. The airline has not provided a specific timetable for either decision.

The top internal candidates for CEO are Chief Financial Officer Ed Bastian and Chief Operating Officer James Whitehurst. No external candidates have been mentioned publicly.

---

On the Net:

Delta Air Lines Inc.: http://www.delta.com

Righteousness reigned in torrents of love at the Gospel Queen's musical

Traffic slowed to a snail's pace as automobiles parked in three lots, bringing people to West Point Missionary Baptist Church recently, where its members were coming to extol Gospel Queen Albertina Walker's life, career and contribution to the church.

Inside, ministers, musicians and members packed the church from wall to wall to hear individuals pay tribute to The Queen of Gospel. Right from the beginning after Rev. L. Bernard Jakes provided a warm welcome to guests and visitors the music began, not the kind of gospel marketing sounds by which the entertainers make, but it was singing deeply involved with passionate outpouring of the amazing graze.

Righteous sound reigned in torrents of love in words and deeds from the singers and preachers.

Victory Travelers sang, with tremendous enthusiasm. Kim Stratton can really sing and the various registers of her voice were superbly etched as she delivered "You Are Jehovah". Operation/PUSH delivered "Let It Go-Let It Be." DeAndre Patterson, with a lyrical vitality, sang "My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me."

Rev. Jakes invited the various ministers present, approximately 50, to provide spoken tributes to Queen Albertina. They were very generous in telling how she had never turned them down when requested to perform at their church for programs, religious services or for just making guest appearances.

In response, The Queen said, "I never thought that I would receive this expression of love when I was a little girl. I just loved to sing and was happy when asked to give my talent to the Lord." She also mentioned James Cleveland and others who were her inspiration. She sang a medley of tunes and then set down to listen to others sing.

"Order My Steps" came from the soul of Mi Mi Red with uninhibited fervor. The sentiments of that song was overwhelming as its sounds vibrated from her luxuriant lower textures to its thrilling ecstasy -- even to a high "C" or two backed by the many voices in the choir.

In her is a vocal instrument that no opera voice could resemble this innate talent of Mi Mi Red.

Dorothy Norwood, who had performed with the Caravans, praised Queen Albertina and then called the other Caravans to perform with her on "Lord Keep Me Day By Day."

Pam Morris from the Mayor Richard M. Daley's office, served as Mistress of Ceremonies for the tribute.

Photograph (Albertina Walker and the Caravans)

ETSU beats Campbell 72-57, ties for league lead

Justin Tubbs scored 18 points and Jocolby Davis hit a key 3-pointer with 2:58 left to lift East Tennessee State to a 72-57 victory over Campbell on Wednesday night.

The win moved the Buccaneers (11-10, 7-3 Atlantic Sun Conference) into a three-way tie for the conference lead with the Camels (12-7, 7-3) and Jacksonville.

ETSU led 40-22 early in the second half but the Camels whittled the lead to 51-47 before Davis connected on a 40-foot 3-pointer.

Tubbs hit 3-pointers on ETSU's next two possessions, and the Buccaneers never led by less than nine after that.

ETSU shot 58.5 percent (24-for-41), including 50 percent (8-for-16) on 3-pointers. Campbell shot just 39.3 percent overall (22-for-56) and 18.2 percent (2-for-11) on 3-pointers.

Tommy Hubbard added 15 points and 10 rebounds for ETSU.

Jonathan Rodriguez and Junard Hartley scored 12 points apiece for Campbell.

ALTAMONT NOW

ALTAMONT NOW

dir. Joshua von Brown

contact: altamontnow.com

The cover for this DVD advertises "self-indulgent pirate tv broadcasts," "painfully lame interpersonal arguments," "angsty whining about The Man," and "the completely unnecessary use of firearms," and boy, does Altamont Now deliver all that and more.

A satire of anarchist rebellious types who want to stand for something but really don't know what to stand for, Joshua von Brown's mock-doc follows three 20-somethings who have formed a sort of cult and are hauled up in a missile silo waiting for the youth revolution, or the "Indie Rockopalypse," to come. Altamont Now is reminiscent of Fear of a Black Hat, and while not quite as clever or funny at the latter, it's worth watching, particularly for the scenes from the ex-childstar's television show Why's Daddy Acting Funny? (Lindsay Gibb)

Today's doggone sham, er, shame: spelling Society's slovenly approach to language spells d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r

I try not to write about spelling. The topic is just a little tooclose to home for me. It's too personal, too emotional. So many of mylife's triumphs and defeats are spelling- related.

I remember spending hours bonding with my father in the seventhgrade as he quizzed me for the regional spelling bee. I remembergarbling the word "corolla," settling for second place and vowing tounofficially boycott Toyota forever.

I remember landing a job here at the paper thanks to my mastery ofwords such as "accommodate." And enough years have passed that I cannow confess to the lowest moment of my career: misspelling"stupefied" in a headline. My god, the shame.

Maybe if I'd grown up athletic, or if I'd had a dog, I wouldn't beso obsessed with spelling. But any kid who loves reading knows thefeeling. Hoarding words. Memorizing the artful arrangements ofconsonant blends. Searching for Latin roots, trying to decipher themeaning. All in secret. Until the day the family sits down for dinnerand you manage to slip the word "solipsistic" in to a request to passthe mashed potatoes.

That's a great day.

Still, I always suspected that I took spelling a mite seriously.Until I read about Louisa Moats.

Moats, an author and a researcher with the National Institute ofChild Health and Human Development, appeared in People to championold-fashioned spelling skills. "She's a national treasure," LynneCheney says.

Moats says things such as: "Get a good dictionary, make friendswith it, and take it to bed."

I wonder if Moats had a dog.

Schools have been teaching the "whole language" approach, whichprizes comprehension over exact spelling. The discovery of dyslexiahas proved that not everyone has the ability to spell. And ever sincePrince put on tight purple pants and released the single "I Would Die4 U," spelling purists have wished he would. Today the titles of popsongs routinely resemble license plates.

It all spells trouble for me and Moats.

The other day on the train, I sat behind a young girl and threeadults. The girl, writing in a notebook, asked, "Do you spell tragedyt-r-a-d-g-e-d-y?" There followed a long silence.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to stop the train. I wanted to adoptthe little girl. What chance did she have, growing up in such anunhealthy atmosphere, with such unworthy parents?

Finally, the girl's mother said, "I think there's just one 'd.' "

I unclenched my fists, took a breath, and quietly chanted until mystop: "'I' before 'e' except after 'c...' "

Ex-Twins great suffers stroke

PHOENIX - Kirby Puckett was listed in critical condition earlyMonday after surgery for a stroke, and the Minnesota Twins asked fansto pray for the Hall of Fame outfielder.

Puckett, who led the Twins to two World Series championshipsbefore his career was cut short by glaucoma, was stricken Sunday athis Arizona home.

A nursing supervisor at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Centerin Phoenix, who declined to give her full name, said early Monday the44-year-old Puckett was in critical condition. She did not provideadditional details.

Puckett had surgery at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn on Sunday, theTwins said from their spring training camp in Fort Myers, Fla., andwas later moved to St. Joseph's.

"The Minnesota Twins and major league baseball ask fans to keepKirby and his family in their thoughts and prayers," the team saidearlier in a statement.

Ron Shapiro, who was Puckett's agent, said he had been in contactwith Puckett's family Sunday.

"We're all praying for his recovery," Shapiro said.

"The doctors said that if he has good luck, he'll be all right.You have to keep the faith," former manager Tom Kelly said.

Twins center fielder Torii Hunter sat out Minnesota's exhibitiongame against the Red Sox after learning of Puckett's stroke.

Said manager Ron Gardenhire: "Our hearts and our prayers are allwith Puck. We know it's a tough situation out there."

Puckett, who broke in with Minnesota in 1984, had a career battingaverage of .318 and carried the Twins to World Series titles in 1987and 1991.

Glaucoma forced the Gold Glove center fielder and 10-time All-Star to retire in 1996 after 12 seasons with the Twins when he wentblind in one eye.

Three years ago, he was cleared of assault charges after beingaccused of groping a woman at a Twin Cities restaurant.

Puckett has maintained relationships with many people in theTwins' organization. The team tried unsuccessfully to get him to cometo spring training as a special instructor this year, something hehasn't done since 2002.

Another former Twins great, Tony Oliva, a special instructorduring spring training, said he has been worried about Puckett'sweight.

"The last few times I saw him, he kept getting bigger and biggerand bigger," Oliva said. "And we worried about him. I saw him aboutfive months ago. He always tries to invite me. He says, 'Come toArizona, and we'll play some golf."'

Puckett is divorced and has two children.

AP-ES-03-06-06 0505EST

Enzyme can detect, destroy anthrax, researchers report

A bacteria-killing enzyme can detect and destroy anthrax, andshould work even if terrorists create antibiotic-resistant strains,researchers say.

The enzyme was isolated from a virus that attacks bacterial cells.

"Essentially, it cracks them open and releases all the cellcontents, so the bacterial cell explodes," said Raymond Schuch of theRockefeller University in New York, co-author of a study publishedtoday in the journal Nature.

Ordinary anthrax responds to antibiotics, but there is concernterrorists might develop resistant strains. The researchers suggestedit would be difficult to create strains that resist the enzymebecause it acts on a vital part of the bacterial wall that can'teasily be modified.

Schuch and colleagues said the enzyme, called PlyG lysin, killsanthrax bacteria in the laboratory. What's more, when they infectedmice with a related kind of bacteria that can kill the animals withinfive hours, prompt treatment with PlyG saved 13 of 19 animals.

They also said spores of this bacteria could be quickly detectedusing PlyG and a hand-held device.

AP

US wholesale prices rise, mostly due to gas, food

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. companies paid more for raw materials and factory goods in April, mostly because energy prices jumped for the seventh straight month.

The Labor Department says the Producer Price Index, which measures price changes before they reach the consumer, rose 0.8 percent last month. That's slightly above the 0.7 percent gain in March. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, the core index increased 0.3 percent, the same as the previous month.

In the past 12 months, the index has increased 6.8 percent, the biggest gain in nearly three years. Outside of food and energy, prices rose 2.1 percent, up from a 1.9 percent gain in March. The price of civilian aircraft rose by the most in nearly seven years, pushing up the core index.

Dodgers 12, Reds 3

Cincinnati @ Los Angeles @
ab r h bi @ ab r h bi
Tavers cf 4 0 0 0 Furcal ss 5 2 3 4
Rhodes p 0 0 0 0 Hudson 2b 4 1 1 0
HrstnJr rf 3 0 0 0 JCastro 2b 1 0 0 0
Herrer p 0 0 0 0 MRmrz lf 1 0 1 2
Wethrs p 0 0 0 0 Pierre pr-lf 3 1 0 0
Dickrsn ph-cf 1 0 0 0 Ethier rf 4 1 1 0
Votto 1b 4 1 1 1 Blake 3b 3 1 0 0
Gomes lf 3 1 1 1 DeWitt 3b 1 0 0 0
Encrnc 3b 4 0 1 0 RMartn c 4 0 0 0
Hanign c 2 0 0 0 Loney 1b 4 3 3 2
Tatum ph-c 2 0 0 0 Kemp cf 2 2 1 2
ARosls 2b 3 1 1 0 Wolf p 3 1 2 1
Janish ss 2 0 0 0 CVargs p 0 0 0 0
HBaily p 1 0 0 0
Burton p 1 0 0 0
Sutton rf 1 0 1 1
Totals @ 31 3 5 3 Totals @ 35 12 12 11
Cincinnati 010 000 011_ 3
Los Angeles 225 030 00x_12
E_Gomes (1), Votto (6). DP_Cincinnati 1, Los Angeles 1. LOB_Cincinnati 3, Los Angeles 4. 2B_Sutton (1), Ethier (19), Wolf (2). 3B_M.Ramirez (1). HR_Votto (13), Gomes (7), Furcal (5), Kemp (13). S_Wolf.
IP H R ER BB SO
Cincinnati
H.Bailey L,1-2 2 2-3 8 9 6 2 0
Burton 2 1-3 4 3 3 0 1
Herrera 1 0 0 0 0 0
Weathers 1 0 0 0 1 0
Rhodes 1 0 0 0 0 1
Los Angeles
Wolf W,5-4 7 1-3 4 2 2 1 4
C.Vargas 1 2-3 1 1 1 0 1
HBP_by H.Bailey (M.Ramirez), by Wolf (Gomes). WP_H.Bailey 2.
Umpires_Home, Tony Randazzo	First, Chris Guccione	Second, Mike Winters	Third, Jerry Layne.
T_3:01. A_49,027 (56,000).

Tens of thousands march in Shiite cleric's funeral

Tens of thousands are gathering south of Beirut for the mass funeral of Lebanon's top Shiite cleric and one of the sect's most revered religious authorities.

The government declared Tuesday a national day of mourning for Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, 75, who died Sunday after a long illness. State institutions, schools and universities were closed.

In Beirut's southern suburb of Haret Hreik, crowds dressed in black and carrying portraits of the late ayatollah gathered outside his house to accompany the coffin to the mosque for burial.

Seen by some as a spiritual mentor to the Hezbollah militant movement and by others as a voice of pragmatism and religious moderation, Fadlallah's following stretched beyond Lebanon's borders to Iraq, the Gulf and central Asia.

Analysis: Nuclear papers leave many questions open

The Bush administration breathed easier when the prickly and unpredictable North Korean government stuck to its script and handed over long-delayed nuclear paperwork as planned.

But if the documentation provided Thursday were a college term paper, the grade would be "incomplete."

The documents do not spell out the number of plutonium bombs in storage or make promises about what happens to them. That could come in the next phase of the often-troubled talks with North Korea, when the reclusive communist country is supposed to destroy its weapons and facilities.

Missing are details about an alleged parallel program to seek weapons fueled by enriched uranium. Also missing is a complete account of North Korea's role in helping Syria develop what the U.S. alleges was a nuclear facility. The site was destroyed by Israel last year.

Those activities are addressed in a separate two-page document turned over to the U.S. in April, a senior U.S. official told The Associated Press. That previously secret document, known as a "confidential minute," probably will be attached to the longer declaration.

In the attachment, the U.S. outlines its concerns about uranium enrichment and the nuclear cooperation with Syria. North Korea acknowledges those concerns and says it will cooperate to work out differences to "mutual satisfaction," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the agreement before the documents were released Thursday.

In fact, the papers awaited by the world for months leave unanswered the biggest questions about North Korea's nuclear work and will tell investigators little they didn't already know.

The chief unanswered question almost surely will outlast the Bush administration: Is North Korea serious about giving up nuclear weapons that have proved a valuable bargaining chip?

"How this process will work out in the end and whether they will give up their nuclear weapons, frankly, I think nobody knows the answer right now," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said at the Pentagon.

The document and the underlying deal it solidifies provide no assurance that the North Korea, which cheated on an earlier agreement with the U.S., will not do so again.

The roughly 60-page document is less precise than what the U.S. once demanded, opening the administration to conservatives' charge that President Bush wanted a deal so badly that he settled for a bad one.

For the administration, the main value of the handover is that it happened at all. It is a small but important marker that Bush did not misplace his newfound confidence in a country he once branded as part of an "axis of evil."

Bush tried to inoculate himself against criticism from the right with a Rose Garden announcement that rapped North Korea even as he delivered on a promise of economic and political goodies in return for the nuclear accounting.

"The United States has no illusions about the regime in Pyongyang," Bush said, and will only trust North Korea to the extent it shows it can be trusted.

Washington says it will retaliate if North Korea reneges on a promise to eventually get rid of all its weapons, and that even North Korea's sometime protectors in Asia will do the same.

The carefully orchestrated handover is of little practical consequence to North Korea. It gains no immediate benefit from the lifting of some trade penalties or from Bush's promise to remove the country from the U.S. list of nations that sponsor terrorism.

Those are symbolic political victories for impoverished and isolated North Korea, however, and ruler Kim Jong Il is expected to make the most of them. He offered a symbolic gesture of his own _ the televised destruction of the distinctive conical cooling tower at the shuttered Yongbyon plutonium complex.

The papers themselves document the work of Yongbyon, an aging facility some analysts think was nearly obsolete anyway.

Still, the paperwork emerged as a linchpin for the nuclear disarmament deal the North has worked out over three years with the United States, Japan, South Korea, China and Russia. During that time, the talks stopped and started several times, and North Korea exploded a nuclear device in an underground test.

North Korea missed an end-of-2007 deadline to turn over the inventory, and complained that the United States was moving the goal posts. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill worked out a painstaking compromise that culminated in Thursday's handover.

Had the clock run much longer, Bush would have had little chance of getting the more significant prize _ the destruction of actual bombs _ before he leaves office. As it is, Hill has said it will be difficult to complete the deal by the end of this year.

The declaration details the amount of plutonium the North produced, down to the gram. A senior U.S. official says North Korea claims to have produced an amount of plutonium in the low 40-kilogram range (about 88 pounds), including estimates of waste.

That is enough to construct at least a half-dozen nuclear bombs and is in line with U.S. intelligence estimates.

North Korea stopped making plutonium and has partly disabled its nuclear facilities so they cannot be quickly restarted. But it has its stockpile of radioactive material for now.

"I'm pleased with the progress," Bush said. "I'm under no illusions that this is the first step; this isn't the end of the process, this is the beginning."

___

EDITOR'S NOTE _ Anne Gearan covers diplomacy and U.S. foreign policy for The Associated Press.

A viewer uprising for zombie drama 'Walking Dead'

NEW YORK (AP) — AMC network says "The Walking Dead" began its second season with a vengeance, delivering 7.3 million viewers for Sunday's premiere telecast.

AMC reported Monday that the zombie drama went on to boost its total viewership to 11 million viewers for the night's three airings of the episode.

This eclipsed the year-ago audience for the series, which emerged as a surprise hit by averaging 5.2 million viewers weekly during that first season.

Based on the popular comic book of the same name, "The Walking Dead" depicts the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse confronted by a group of survivors outside Atlanta. Its cast includes Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal and Sarah Wayne Callies.

Martin Baily, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

(This is not a legal transcript. Bloomberg LP cannot guarantee its accuracy.)

MARTIN BAILY, SENIOR FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION, TALKS ABOUT CHINA AND THE ECONOMY AT BLOOMBERG SURVEILLANCE

MARCH 21, 2011

SPEAKERS: TOM KEENE, BLOOMBERG SURVEILLANCE HOST

MARTIN BAILY, SENIOR FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION

9:07

TOM KEENE, BLOOMBERG SURVEILLANCE HOST: Thrilled to have on Martin Baily, the former chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, of course, with the Brookings Institution. Dr. Baily, good morning.

MARTIN BAILY, SENIOR FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Good morning to you.

KEENE: You have a terrific, short policy brief. Folks, go to Brookings, Brief 179 from a few months ago on our relationship with China.

First off, are we solving our relationship by having a weak dollar? Are we managing ourselves to a weak dollar?

BAILY: Well, the trouble is the Chinese set their currency against the U.S. dollar, so we don't have that weaker dollar against the Chinese currency. And right now, of course, the global economy is in somewhat of a chaotic state, so there are pluses and minus to the weak dollar.

I am one of those who thinks we need a competitive dollar, which against the euro would be maybe around 1.40, against the yen would be somewhere around 90.00 perhaps. If we get way out of align with those, then that is not helping us. But generally, we need to have a dollar which U.S. manufacturing can be competitive in the world economy, and those are our principal competitors - Europe and Japan.

Now in terms of China, I think probably the bigger issue, which I raise in the piece that you mention, is China is sort of developing technology and are they going to really develop their own? Are they going to come and take some of ours? And are we going to be able to compete with them on an appropriate basis?

KEENE: Well, you have a spectacular chart. I mean I guess I knew this, but it takes Martin Baily to put it in front of my face and say, hey, you, shut up and look at this chart. It is remarkable how the differential in Chinese exports and our imports is computers and electronic products. I mean they dominate everything, don't they?

BAILY: They do, and it certainly should be a wake up call that that has traditionally been one of our strengths. It is still where we have very strong companies and a lot of innovation. But they are coming up fast on that and we need to make sure that we are developing the right technology.

Now keep in mind that a lot of what they do in that area is assembly, so we get most of the money from iPods and iPads and all of that stuff. They do the assembly of that. So their prowess as yet is still sort of developing. It's not there. But it is amazing how they have come forward on that.

KEENE: From where you and your experts at Brookings sit, if we get the value added of an iPad, and that's all fine and well, is that accounted for in the trade statics? When we quote our trade deficit, does it adjust for the reality that we get the value added?

BAILY: The trade statistics probably will not. So it does make our trade deficit look larger. We do get quite a lot of income flows, so it - I don't want to get too into the weeks here, -

KEENE: Sure.

BAILY: - but on our current accounts it would count. The only other problem though is that while the money comes to the designers and obviously the folks like the shareholders of Apple, which is appropriate enough, but it does not create a lot of manufacturing jobs here.

And that has been one of our problems. We've just seen a huge drop in the number of manufacturing jobs. And now one of our tasks is try to get some of those back. Manufacturing is not going to be the salvation of full employment, but it should going forward begin to create some more jobs and some more good jobs.

KEENE: If you're just joining us, folks, Martin Neil Baily, Brookings Institution, as we look at just a really wonderful update on China. We'll get onto some other things here in a bit.

BAILY: Thank you.

KEENE: Dr. Baily, when you look at our issues and saying technology is not the problem, do we just dollar depreciate our way out of this? Or do you see actually a new industrial policy that leads to a manufacturing renaissance?

BAILY: Well, industrial policy is kind of a dirty word or a dirty two words here, and I am not a big fan of industrial policy.

But what we can do is to make sure we have the right environment here to continue to be innovative, which we already are, and make sure that we have the right skills in the workforce, which I think at the moment we probably don't have. We just haven't done a good job of continuing to maintain a strong, educated workforce. We have good people at the very top, but the bulk of the workforce is falling behind I think the rest of the world. So that's one problem.

And then I think there is a reasonable role for government to play and which it has always played in sort of funding basic science and making sure that our universities continue to be top universities. So that is important, too.

But industrial policy, no, I don't think we want to say let's pick this industry or that industry.

KEENE: Right.

BAILY: I think we can give general support to technology. And, of course, traditionally the Defense Department, the Energy Department have been a big source of innovations, which have then gone into the rest of the economy.

KEENE: You were at the White House I believe it was '01, '02, right?

BAILY: No, I left just in the beginning of '01.

KEENE: Okay.

BAILY: I was there in '99 and 2000.

KEENE: Well, I'm looking at real trade weighted dollar and you were on the economic watch during a strong dollar policy. What exactly is a strong dollar policy?

BAILY: Well, we did have a strong dollar policy, and I always have to say that a strong dollar is in the best interests of the U.S. economy. To be honest, I -

KEENE: Did they give you a card that said that? Did you like have to - did you sit at home and like memorize it at the kitchen table?

BAILY: Pretty much. Pretty much. And one reason is you don't want your government officials talking down the dollar. I mean that is never a good idea to go out and say we want a weak dollar because we don't want a weak dollar.

What we don't want though is an overvalued dollar. And the dollar appreciated - it was pretty low in 1995. It came up and by 2002, after I had left the White House, it definitely was overvalued at that point. And our trade deficit was just getting bigger and bigger.

So that, I think, does not do us any good. Maybe it makes trips overseas cheaper, but it is really bad for our tradable good sectors, particularly manufacturing.

KEENE: Yes, I mean I'm looking here, Dr. Baily, and we're going to run here and come back, but we are now 2.8 percent below the 1995 [NADR]. I mean we went up to the Martin Baily peak, and then we came down, and we elegantly sat there at the 1995 level. The last two months have been disconcerting to say the least.

BAILY: Well, we've had this - obviously this financial crisis, which has caused the dollar to go up and down. It has remained somewhat of a safe haven during the financial crisis. So that is one of the, of course, important issues is that our dollar is not just determined by our trade position. It is determined by the capital flows that come in and out.

And so now we have to try to go forward I think, see if we can get the dollar on a sound, but reasonable footing so that everybody can compete on a level playing field.

KEENE: We're going to come back. Martin Neil Baily with us. Thrilled to have him on, from the Brookings Institution.

I want to come back and talk about one of his areas of focus, and that is our budget deficit. We have been so international recently. Baily on what he has learned at CBO.

9:14

(BREAK)

9:21

KEENE: From the Brookings Institution, Martin Baily. Martin, I'm looking at a March report from Camp Elmendorf at the CBO. And it is real simple, we go from just under the value of our economy - $10 trillion - out to a $20 trillion deficit, oh, I don't know, ten years out or so. Have we made any headway in the last 12 months in our budget analysis?

BAILY: We - this is a horrendous problem. I mean - and it is linked to the thing we were just about it because if we run these huge deficits all the time, that is one of the reasons we have this huge inflow of capital, and then we have a trade deficit that goes with it. But it's - the numbers you are citing are just horrendous. We've got to do something about it.

I think most economists and there actually are a group of former CEA chairs - Republican and Democrats - that are pushing now that Congress really should take seriously the Deficit Commission. And, you know, even if you don't think that is the perfect way to do it, there is a blueprint laid out to do something about the deficit. And we simply have to do something about that deficit going forward, otherwise it is going to overwhelm all our other economic issues.

KEENE: Out of the tragedy of Japan, I think something that has been so good, folks, thanks to Jim McCormick of Nomura for his really wonderful work today, this idea that Japan is not the gloom that we think. Yes, there is a huge public debt and there are massive problems there. But they are a saving nation. We're not. That's the key distinction, isn't it?

BAILY: Well, it is, and their debt is not owned by foreigners. A lot of our debt is owned by foreigners, so we are sort of more dependent on the global capital market than they are.

But one thing about Japan is that it is an aging nation. It is not saving as much as it used to.

KEENE: Right.

BAILY: And going forward, it may save less. So I think it has an issue around its deficit, too, especially as it has got to do a lot of rebuilding after the earthquake.

KEENE: Well, I'll give you the demographic call there. Our nominal GDP, are you focused more on our ability to grow inflation adjusted? Or is Martin Baily just looking for an animal spirit at the top line?

BAILY: Well, right now, I could just use a little animal spirits. But basically it is real GDP that we need to grow, yes.

KEENE: Let's leave it there. Martin Baily, thank you so much, with the Brookings Institution, with a terrific piece. Look for it, folks, BrookingsInstitution.com, Policy Brief 179, January of 2011. I'm going to try to put that out on Facebook today. It's just a terrific three or four page summary, some interesting dynamics there on Japan.

9:24

***END OF TRANSCRIPT***

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Cuba to free 6 more political prisoners into exile

Cuba's Roman Catholic Church on Tuesday revealed the names of six more political prisoners to be released into exile in Spain under an agreement with President Raul Castro's government.

The men are among 75 dissidents who were arrested in a March 2003 crackdown on organized political opposition and sentenced to lengthy prison terms on charges that included treason. In a landmark deal, Cuba agreed on July 7 to release the remaining 52 prisoners still jailed from the crackdown.

The new releases would bring to 32 the number freed under the agreement so far _ and all have left Cuba for Spain, with one then settling in Chile.

Church official Orlando Marquez said in a statement that the next six slated for release are Victor Arroyo Carmona, Alexis Rodriguez Fernandez, Leonel Grave de Peralta Almenares, Alfredo Dominguez Batista, Prospero Gainza Aguero and Claro Sanchez Altarriba.

Both the Cuban government and the church say releasing all 52 will take months _ but Tuesday's announcement means that after barely six weeks, just 20 are still left behind bars.

Some political prisoners in Cuba have been offered freedom but have declined to leave their homeland. It is not clear if those released subsequently will be exiled or if some will be allowed to stay in the country.

On Monday, U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters in Washington that some of the Cubans released to Spain "have inquired about coming to the United States and we will evaluate those cases on a case by case basis."

He said U.S. officials are working "to find the most expeditious manner to handle any requests that these individuals might make and details are still being worked out."

Crowley said that coming to the U.S. through a third country is a more complicated process than arriving directly from Cuba, "but it doesn't by itself rule out anyone coming to the United States."

Sondheim to be honored at London's Olivier Awards

LONDON (AP) — Broadway master Stephen Sondheim will be receiving a special prize at Britain's Laurence Olivier Theater Awards.

Organizers said Friday the 80-year-old composer and lyricist would accept the award in person during the March 13 ceremony at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Sondheim's work includes "Company," ''A Little Night Music" and "Sweeney Todd."

Previous recipients of the special award include Alec Guinness, Judi Dench and Sam Mendes.

Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Love Never Dies" and Terence Rattigan revival "After the Dance" lead the nominations for Britain's equivalent of the Tonys.

Previously held as an industry dinner, the awards are relaunching this year as a glitzy stage show, with performances by West End stars, dance troupes and Barry Manilow.

Another home run

Honda's July sales tally was a whopping 31.8% gain versus last July. Clearing out leftovers to make room for the sixth edition of its popular Accord, Honda management wondered if they should have produced a few thousand more of the still-popular old model. Four years ago, in this column, I questioned whether the previous brand-new Accord had what it took. Obviously, it did.

As you'll read in this issue's cover story, the latest (and best) Accord is a "one class above" mid-sizer with many inclusions. but at more or less current pricing. Honda proudly says it designed-in the new model's better value, rather than achieving it by decontenting.

Barring a fiscal calamity, I'm not pondering whether Accord bI will be a hit-it - it wll. Honda has millions of loyal owners of Civics and current Accords who can't wait to trade up. This bigger, American-styled car will appeal to Taurus and Camry intenders. too. Re-lease and conquest programs are just waiting for the signal. Aside from a possible price advantage, Nissan's new Altima and Mazda's new 626 are good efforts, but they were development budget-limited - and neither car is really in the high-volume hunt. Honda plans to build and sell 321.000 Accord sedans in its ramp-up '98 model year more in 1999.

Is that enough to regain the top-selling sedan crown from Ford's Taurus? Honda executive vice-president Tom Elliott doesn't worry about it. The Accord represents a big share of Honda's U.S. volume. Elliott simply wants to sell his planned number of units, 360,000 to 400,000 Accord sedans and 50,000 coupes in a full year. If that makes Accord number one, it's fine with him. But the sales crown's not his primary goal.

Elliott sees shrinkage in the fullsized car classes and among smaller cars. below the Civic. Although the Accord's class is hotly-contested, he thinks it's also likely to remain the most popular for family sedans. Is Elliott optimistic? "We've always had a (replacement) Accord that's better than its predecessor," he says, s; "hut this car is just so much better. I don't see how it can fail."

Looking ahead, Elliott wants to sell a million Honda units in the U.S. by the year 2000. Honda expects to produce 910,000 of those cars locally, including two new engines, and also expects to export more of its U.S.built cars in the future.

For a company that doesn't (yet?) build pickup trucks, Honda's progress and market prowess are remarkable. But there are challenges, including as many as 80 potentially embarrassing lawsuits pending from American Honda-, 1994-95 sales management kick-back scandal. Some dealers are also fuming about what they call the "McDonaldization" of Honda. One dealer who preferred anonymity told me, "... this latest J.D. Power-driven foolishness is forcing us into new buildings that look like used White Castles."

Dealer gripes aside for a moment, the upgrade rationale is fundamental and probably necessary. As competitors improve, the principal difference among carmakers becomes brand image. Standardizing salesrooms is nothing new; it worked in the early '60s for Volkswagen, and it could have a positive effect for Honda. but it s a BandAid measure. Honda would be better served refining its dealer body to be as user-friendly as its cars.

With so much great new product coming I look for retailing to be the principal new car battle ground. I also think Tom Elliott's right: The latest Accord represents very, very tough competition.

[Author Affiliation]

Ken Gross, an automotive writer, is director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

American troops' role in Iraq: ; still crucial, U.S. general says

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - The top U.S. commander in Iraq said Tuesdayan American role over the next 2 1/2 years is crucial to ensuringlegitimate national elections and helping Iraq become a long-termU.S. partner in the Middle East.

Gen. Ray Odierno disputed a colonel's call for the military todeclare victory and leave ahead of schedule, telling The AssociatedPress that the American presence is needed even though security isbetter than expected a month after Iraqi forces assumedresponsibility for protecting cities.

"Our goal here given us by the president is a secure, stablesovereign self-reliant Iraq. We're not there yet," he said in a wide-ranging interview after meeting with Iraqi officials at a U.S. baseoutside the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi.

Odierno argued that U.S. troops should stay mainly to train andadvise Iraqis to avoid a resurgence of major violence that wouldsquander more than six years of enormous U.S. sacrifices. Hecautioned that many obstacles remain, particularly Kurdish-Arabtensions that could stoke violence in northern Iraq.

His remarks came five days after the circulation of acontroversial memo prepared by Col. Timothy R. Reese, a U.S. Armyadviser to the Iraqi military in Baghdad. Reese argued that theAmerican effort to train, equip and advise Iraqi security forces hasreached a point of rapidly diminishing returns and the U.S. shouldgo home next summer, 16 months ahead of schedule.

The memo was intended for limited distribution among U.S.officers in Baghdad but ended up being circulated on the Internetlast Thursday. It reflected the frustration of many Americansoldiers who feel they have done as much as they can after more thansix years of warfare that has left at least 4,331 service membersdead.

Iraq has seen relatively little violence following the June 30deadline for Americans to pull back from urban areas to rural bases,although there have been periods of intense bombings.

"Overall it's gone very, very well," Odierno acknowledged.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last month that a combatbrigade of 5,000 American troops may be brought home early from Iraqif the trend of reduced violence holds.

But the Obama administration and top Pentagon officials are leeryof a premature withdrawal - as much as they are eager to end the warin Iraq and shift more effort and resources to Afghanistan.

The current timeline calls for American combat troops to withdrawby August 2010, leaving behind a residual force of 35,000-50,000troops to train and advise the Iraqi security forces until a finalpullout by the end of 2011.

There are now about 130,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.

The Americans have pinned their hopes on national parliamentaryelections scheduled for January to give the national reconciliationprocess a jump-start by empowering disaffected groups.

Odierno said the Americans can play an important role inmaintaining calm as political tensions rise ahead of the vote.

"What we have to be able to do is to make sure that we reducetensions so that they can solve this politically," he said. "It'simportant that we're here to make sure that we have legitimate,credible parliamentary elections."

He also emphasized the importance of a stable Iraq for the restof the Middle East.

"We want to continue to build the institutional capacity of Iraqto move it towards a stable country and we want to make them a long-term partner that would help us to, in my mind, help overall withthe security situation in the Middle East. That's what our goalsare," Odierno said.

American troops' role in Iraq: ; still crucial, U.S. general says

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - The top U.S. commander in Iraq said Tuesdayan American role over the next 2 1/2 years is crucial to ensuringlegitimate national elections and helping Iraq become a long-termU.S. partner in the Middle East.

Gen. Ray Odierno disputed a colonel's call for the military todeclare victory and leave ahead of schedule, telling The AssociatedPress that the American presence is needed even though security isbetter than expected a month after Iraqi forces assumedresponsibility for protecting cities.

"Our goal here given us by the president is a secure, stablesovereign self-reliant Iraq. We're not there yet," he said in a wide-ranging interview after meeting with Iraqi officials at a U.S. baseoutside the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi.

Odierno argued that U.S. troops should stay mainly to train andadvise Iraqis to avoid a resurgence of major violence that wouldsquander more than six years of enormous U.S. sacrifices. Hecautioned that many obstacles remain, particularly Kurdish-Arabtensions that could stoke violence in northern Iraq.

His remarks came five days after the circulation of acontroversial memo prepared by Col. Timothy R. Reese, a U.S. Armyadviser to the Iraqi military in Baghdad. Reese argued that theAmerican effort to train, equip and advise Iraqi security forces hasreached a point of rapidly diminishing returns and the U.S. shouldgo home next summer, 16 months ahead of schedule.

The memo was intended for limited distribution among U.S.officers in Baghdad but ended up being circulated on the Internetlast Thursday. It reflected the frustration of many Americansoldiers who feel they have done as much as they can after more thansix years of warfare that has left at least 4,331 service membersdead.

Iraq has seen relatively little violence following the June 30deadline for Americans to pull back from urban areas to rural bases,although there have been periods of intense bombings.

"Overall it's gone very, very well," Odierno acknowledged.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last month that a combatbrigade of 5,000 American troops may be brought home early from Iraqif the trend of reduced violence holds.

But the Obama administration and top Pentagon officials are leeryof a premature withdrawal - as much as they are eager to end the warin Iraq and shift more effort and resources to Afghanistan.

The current timeline calls for American combat troops to withdrawby August 2010, leaving behind a residual force of 35,000-50,000troops to train and advise the Iraqi security forces until a finalpullout by the end of 2011.

There are now about 130,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.

The Americans have pinned their hopes on national parliamentaryelections scheduled for January to give the national reconciliationprocess a jump-start by empowering disaffected groups.

Odierno said the Americans can play an important role inmaintaining calm as political tensions rise ahead of the vote.

"What we have to be able to do is to make sure that we reducetensions so that they can solve this politically," he said. "It'simportant that we're here to make sure that we have legitimate,credible parliamentary elections."

He also emphasized the importance of a stable Iraq for the restof the Middle East.

"We want to continue to build the institutional capacity of Iraqto move it towards a stable country and we want to make them a long-term partner that would help us to, in my mind, help overall withthe security situation in the Middle East. That's what our goalsare," Odierno said.

American troops' role in Iraq: ; still crucial, U.S. general says

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - The top U.S. commander in Iraq said Tuesdayan American role over the next 2 1/2 years is crucial to ensuringlegitimate national elections and helping Iraq become a long-termU.S. partner in the Middle East.

Gen. Ray Odierno disputed a colonel's call for the military todeclare victory and leave ahead of schedule, telling The AssociatedPress that the American presence is needed even though security isbetter than expected a month after Iraqi forces assumedresponsibility for protecting cities.

"Our goal here given us by the president is a secure, stablesovereign self-reliant Iraq. We're not there yet," he said in a wide-ranging interview after meeting with Iraqi officials at a U.S. baseoutside the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi.

Odierno argued that U.S. troops should stay mainly to train andadvise Iraqis to avoid a resurgence of major violence that wouldsquander more than six years of enormous U.S. sacrifices. Hecautioned that many obstacles remain, particularly Kurdish-Arabtensions that could stoke violence in northern Iraq.

His remarks came five days after the circulation of acontroversial memo prepared by Col. Timothy R. Reese, a U.S. Armyadviser to the Iraqi military in Baghdad. Reese argued that theAmerican effort to train, equip and advise Iraqi security forces hasreached a point of rapidly diminishing returns and the U.S. shouldgo home next summer, 16 months ahead of schedule.

The memo was intended for limited distribution among U.S.officers in Baghdad but ended up being circulated on the Internetlast Thursday. It reflected the frustration of many Americansoldiers who feel they have done as much as they can after more thansix years of warfare that has left at least 4,331 service membersdead.

Iraq has seen relatively little violence following the June 30deadline for Americans to pull back from urban areas to rural bases,although there have been periods of intense bombings.

"Overall it's gone very, very well," Odierno acknowledged.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last month that a combatbrigade of 5,000 American troops may be brought home early from Iraqif the trend of reduced violence holds.

But the Obama administration and top Pentagon officials are leeryof a premature withdrawal - as much as they are eager to end the warin Iraq and shift more effort and resources to Afghanistan.

The current timeline calls for American combat troops to withdrawby August 2010, leaving behind a residual force of 35,000-50,000troops to train and advise the Iraqi security forces until a finalpullout by the end of 2011.

There are now about 130,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.

The Americans have pinned their hopes on national parliamentaryelections scheduled for January to give the national reconciliationprocess a jump-start by empowering disaffected groups.

Odierno said the Americans can play an important role inmaintaining calm as political tensions rise ahead of the vote.

"What we have to be able to do is to make sure that we reducetensions so that they can solve this politically," he said. "It'simportant that we're here to make sure that we have legitimate,credible parliamentary elections."

He also emphasized the importance of a stable Iraq for the restof the Middle East.

"We want to continue to build the institutional capacity of Iraqto move it towards a stable country and we want to make them a long-term partner that would help us to, in my mind, help overall withthe security situation in the Middle East. That's what our goalsare," Odierno said.

American troops' role in Iraq: ; still crucial, U.S. general says

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - The top U.S. commander in Iraq said Tuesdayan American role over the next 2 1/2 years is crucial to ensuringlegitimate national elections and helping Iraq become a long-termU.S. partner in the Middle East.

Gen. Ray Odierno disputed a colonel's call for the military todeclare victory and leave ahead of schedule, telling The AssociatedPress that the American presence is needed even though security isbetter than expected a month after Iraqi forces assumedresponsibility for protecting cities.

"Our goal here given us by the president is a secure, stablesovereign self-reliant Iraq. We're not there yet," he said in a wide-ranging interview after meeting with Iraqi officials at a U.S. baseoutside the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi.

Odierno argued that U.S. troops should stay mainly to train andadvise Iraqis to avoid a resurgence of major violence that wouldsquander more than six years of enormous U.S. sacrifices. Hecautioned that many obstacles remain, particularly Kurdish-Arabtensions that could stoke violence in northern Iraq.

His remarks came five days after the circulation of acontroversial memo prepared by Col. Timothy R. Reese, a U.S. Armyadviser to the Iraqi military in Baghdad. Reese argued that theAmerican effort to train, equip and advise Iraqi security forces hasreached a point of rapidly diminishing returns and the U.S. shouldgo home next summer, 16 months ahead of schedule.

The memo was intended for limited distribution among U.S.officers in Baghdad but ended up being circulated on the Internetlast Thursday. It reflected the frustration of many Americansoldiers who feel they have done as much as they can after more thansix years of warfare that has left at least 4,331 service membersdead.

Iraq has seen relatively little violence following the June 30deadline for Americans to pull back from urban areas to rural bases,although there have been periods of intense bombings.

"Overall it's gone very, very well," Odierno acknowledged.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last month that a combatbrigade of 5,000 American troops may be brought home early from Iraqif the trend of reduced violence holds.

But the Obama administration and top Pentagon officials are leeryof a premature withdrawal - as much as they are eager to end the warin Iraq and shift more effort and resources to Afghanistan.

The current timeline calls for American combat troops to withdrawby August 2010, leaving behind a residual force of 35,000-50,000troops to train and advise the Iraqi security forces until a finalpullout by the end of 2011.

There are now about 130,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.

The Americans have pinned their hopes on national parliamentaryelections scheduled for January to give the national reconciliationprocess a jump-start by empowering disaffected groups.

Odierno said the Americans can play an important role inmaintaining calm as political tensions rise ahead of the vote.

"What we have to be able to do is to make sure that we reducetensions so that they can solve this politically," he said. "It'simportant that we're here to make sure that we have legitimate,credible parliamentary elections."

He also emphasized the importance of a stable Iraq for the restof the Middle East.

"We want to continue to build the institutional capacity of Iraqto move it towards a stable country and we want to make them a long-term partner that would help us to, in my mind, help overall withthe security situation in the Middle East. That's what our goalsare," Odierno said.

American troops' role in Iraq: ; still crucial, U.S. general says

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - The top U.S. commander in Iraq said Tuesdayan American role over the next 2 1/2 years is crucial to ensuringlegitimate national elections and helping Iraq become a long-termU.S. partner in the Middle East.

Gen. Ray Odierno disputed a colonel's call for the military todeclare victory and leave ahead of schedule, telling The AssociatedPress that the American presence is needed even though security isbetter than expected a month after Iraqi forces assumedresponsibility for protecting cities.

"Our goal here given us by the president is a secure, stablesovereign self-reliant Iraq. We're not there yet," he said in a wide-ranging interview after meeting with Iraqi officials at a U.S. baseoutside the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi.

Odierno argued that U.S. troops should stay mainly to train andadvise Iraqis to avoid a resurgence of major violence that wouldsquander more than six years of enormous U.S. sacrifices. Hecautioned that many obstacles remain, particularly Kurdish-Arabtensions that could stoke violence in northern Iraq.

His remarks came five days after the circulation of acontroversial memo prepared by Col. Timothy R. Reese, a U.S. Armyadviser to the Iraqi military in Baghdad. Reese argued that theAmerican effort to train, equip and advise Iraqi security forces hasreached a point of rapidly diminishing returns and the U.S. shouldgo home next summer, 16 months ahead of schedule.

The memo was intended for limited distribution among U.S.officers in Baghdad but ended up being circulated on the Internetlast Thursday. It reflected the frustration of many Americansoldiers who feel they have done as much as they can after more thansix years of warfare that has left at least 4,331 service membersdead.

Iraq has seen relatively little violence following the June 30deadline for Americans to pull back from urban areas to rural bases,although there have been periods of intense bombings.

"Overall it's gone very, very well," Odierno acknowledged.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last month that a combatbrigade of 5,000 American troops may be brought home early from Iraqif the trend of reduced violence holds.

But the Obama administration and top Pentagon officials are leeryof a premature withdrawal - as much as they are eager to end the warin Iraq and shift more effort and resources to Afghanistan.

The current timeline calls for American combat troops to withdrawby August 2010, leaving behind a residual force of 35,000-50,000troops to train and advise the Iraqi security forces until a finalpullout by the end of 2011.

There are now about 130,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.

The Americans have pinned their hopes on national parliamentaryelections scheduled for January to give the national reconciliationprocess a jump-start by empowering disaffected groups.

Odierno said the Americans can play an important role inmaintaining calm as political tensions rise ahead of the vote.

"What we have to be able to do is to make sure that we reducetensions so that they can solve this politically," he said. "It'simportant that we're here to make sure that we have legitimate,credible parliamentary elections."

He also emphasized the importance of a stable Iraq for the restof the Middle East.

"We want to continue to build the institutional capacity of Iraqto move it towards a stable country and we want to make them a long-term partner that would help us to, in my mind, help overall withthe security situation in the Middle East. That's what our goalsare," Odierno said.

An old-fashioned, rip-snorting Arctic yarn

The Ice Master A Novel of the Arctic. By James Houston (McClelland& Stewart, $29.99).James Houston, a Canadian-born novelist, artist, documentaryfilmmaker and master designer for Steuben Glass, takes us to theArctic in The Ice Master, a novel about an encounter between a Yankeewhaler, a young Canadian sea captain, and some Eskimos on a smallisland in the Cumberland Sound off Baffin Island in 1876.

This is a rip-roaring, old-fashioned adventure story, packedwith information about whaling and Eskimo life a century ago, andbeautifully illustrated with the author's sketches.

Caleb Dunston is an overbearing, temperamental whaler who isforced by his employers to sail with an inexperienced young captain,Titus Kildeer, who is courting Dunston's stepdaughter Kate. A fewdays out of New London, Conn., Kildeer's crew mutinies and he and hisfirst mate are murdered. Dunston manages to board Kildeer's ship andput down the mutiny, but he is forced to accept help from ThomasFinn, a young but capable Newfoundlander who specializes in guidingships through treacherous sea ice.Finn takes command of Kildeer's ship, replaces the crew withCanadian sailors and accompanies Dunston to the Yankee's favoritewhaling grounds off Blacklead Island.A sexual, architectural and whaling rivalry erupts between thetwo men that drives much of the plot. Dunston and Finn must worktogether, however, when two Scottish whalers arrive and all fourships are frozen in the ice for the winter. Finn leaves when the icebreaks up.Needless to say, he faces many more adventures before the end ofthe story, which is a predictable but satisfying close.

HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER BITS

Another soccer player who will do double duty as a footballkicker this season is St. Patrick junior Gus Guerra, an all-EastSuburban Catholic selection as a sophomore forward last year. "Henever kicked a football before, but he's automatic from 25 yards,"soccer coach Chris Cuolo said. Carl Sandburg coach Brian Papa is hoping his team goes out with abang this season. The Orland Park school has produced a 33-6-1record the last two seasons, but has been eliminated in the firstgame of the state tournament both seasons.

"Those regional games have been very bitter losses," Papa said."We're ready to play some soccer this year." Led by midfielder JeffO'Hare, Sandburg started proving its mettle over the summer,finishing second to Naperville Central in the Western Soccer League.

Papa is hoping a non-conference schedule that includes HinsdaleSouth, Lyons, Naperville Central and Downers Grove North will preparehis team for the state tournament. Lyons coach Greg Beste feels he has one of the best goalies in thecountry in senior Russ Prince, who has set a school record for careershutouts with 13 as a junior and five as a sophomore. With threestarting defenders also returning - Carl Anderson, Chris Clarke andKerry Crawford - it's likely Prince will add to that total thisseason. Lincoln-Way coach Don Eken is touting seniorforward-midfielder Tim Nudd as one of the best in the state. Nuddhad 17 goals and 12 assists as a junior last year. New Trier graduated all starters but midfielder Steve Snower andforward Brandon Linn from last year's third place team. But lookfor the Trevians to reload. The lower levels are reportedly loaded and coach TonySchinto, a former goalie who has produced 11 all-staters at thatposition, says backstop Scott Brown is "right out of the New Triermold."

[ BUSINESS ]

Hastert pushes Net privacy standard U.S. House Speaker J. DennisHastert told a gathering of Internet technology executives in Chicagotoday that the industry should adopt strict privacy standards sogovernment doesn't have to do it. The Illinois Republican, speakingat the technology trade show Comdex Chicago, said privacy standardsare needed to protect consumers' financial and health information. Healso said he was "bullish when it comes to the technology economy. Ithink the technology sector is going to keep this economy strong. Youare our future." Hastert also said he supports extending a moratoriumon new Internet taxes. The moratorium is set to expire later …

Intel set to buy McAfee for $7.7 billion.

India, Aug. 20 -- Intel Corp said it would buy security software maker McAfee Inc for $7.7 billion to capitalize on rising demand from consumers for better protection of their laptops, smartphones and tablets.

Intel will pay $48 per share in cash for McAfee in its biggest acquisition ever. The price represents a 60 percent premium to McAfee's Wednesday closing price - a level company executives defended as within the range of other large software and security deals.

The pact is the latest in a steady stream of technology deals, including Dell Inc's $1.3 billion purchase of storage company 3PAR Inc earlier this week.

The McAfee deal, which caught some analysts by surprise and worried others because it marries a chipmaker and a software …

ON THE RAIL.(SPORTS)

Times Union handicappers Tim Wilkin and Mike Jarboe were given mythical $1,000 bankrolls to spend as they saw fit. Handicapper Matt Graves offers daily advice on the Pick 3, and handicapper Bev Swimm serves up an angle of the day. TIM WILKIN

TODAY'S BETS: Press box chef Eddie Lalama had about two dozen hot dogs left over Wednesday. That is your first hint that Jarboe was nowhere to be seen as the second week of the meet began. I am going to have to check out Barclay Tagg's barn and see if The Fiddler has taken a job over there as a groom. No, on second thought, if Barclay saw Bad Santa within 5 yards of his barn he would have run him off the place with his …

Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts - Appointment.

Jenifer Zeigler will become senior vice president, global brand management at Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts, leading the development of brand strategy and marketing. Zeigler moves …

'Project Nim' wins Directors Guild doc award

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Marsh won the documentary prize Saturday at the Directors Guild of America Awards for "Project Nim," his chronicle of the triumphs and trials of a chimpanzee that was raised like a human child.

It was the latest major Hollywood prize for Marsh, who earned the documentary Academy Award for 2008's "Man on Wire." Among those Marsh beat out for the guild award was Martin Scorsese, who had been up for the documentary honor for "George Harrison: Living in the Material World" and also was nominated for the evening's highest honor, for feature-film directing.

The film favorites were guild awards regular Scorsese for his Paris adventure "Hugo" and first-time …

Sandy Wise enjoys life here: ; Public policy lawyer takes on different role

DAILY MAIL STAFF

SANDY Wise's day follows the unpredictable schedule of a womanwhose husband is running for governor. But one thing is written inink in her daily calendar. Every weekday afternoon around 2:30, Wisegets in the well-worn family van and heads out to pick her kids upfrom school.

"It's been heaven," she said of this new ritual in her life. Herroute takes her to Holz Elementary School to pick up 10-year-oldAlexandra, a fifth-grader, and to John Adams Junior High to pick upseventh-grader Robert, 13.

While her husband, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Wise,shuttles from Washington, where he still must tend to his duties inCongress, to points …