Some Abstinence Programs Mislead Teens, Report Says

By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 2, 2004; Page A01

Many American youngsters participating in federally funded abstinence-only programs have been taught over the past three years that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, that half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, and that touching a person's genitals "can result in pregnancy," a congressional staff analysis has found.

Those and other assertions are examples of the "false, misleading, or distorted information" in the programs' teaching materials, said the analysis, released yesterday, which reviewed the curricula of more than a dozen projects aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease.

In providing nearly $170 million next year to fund groups that teach abstinence only, the Bush administration, with backing from the Republican Congress, is investing heavily in a just-say-no strategy for teenagers and sex. But youngsters taking the courses frequently receive medically inaccurate or misleading information, often in direct contradiction to the findings of government scientists, said the report, by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), a critic of the administration who has long argued for comprehensive sex education.

Several million children ages 9 to 18 have participated in the more than 100 federal abstinence programs since the efforts began in 1999. Waxman's staff reviewed the 13 most commonly used curricula -- those used by at least five programs apiece.

The report concluded that two of the curricula were accurate but the 11 others, used by 69 organizations in 25 states, contain unproved claims, subjective conclusions or outright falsehoods regarding reproductive health, gender traits and when life begins. In some cases, Waxman said in an interview, the factual issues were limited to occasional misinterpretations of publicly available data; in others, the materials pervasively presented subjective opinions as scientific fact.

Among the misconceptions cited by Waxman's investigators:

• A 43-day-old fetus is a "thinking person."

• HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can be spread via sweat and tears.

• Condoms fail to prevent HIV transmission as often as 31 percent of the time in heterosexual intercourse.

One curriculum, called "Me, My World, My Future," teaches that women who have an abortion "are more prone to suicide" and that as many as 10 percent of them become sterile. This contradicts the 2001 edition of a standard obstetrics textbook that says fertility is not affected by elective abortion, the Waxman report said.

"I have no objection talking about abstinence as a surefire way to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases," Waxman said. "I don't think we ought to lie to our children about science. Something is seriously wrong when federal tax dollars are being used to mislead kids about basic health facts."

When used properly and consistently, condoms fail to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) less than 3 percent of the time, federal researchers say, and it is not known how many gay teenagers are HIV-positive. The assertion regarding gay teenagers may be a misinterpretation of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found that 59 percent of HIV-infected males ages 13 to 19 contracted the virus through homosexual relations.

Joe. S. McIlhaney Jr., who runs the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, which developed much of the material that was surveyed, said he is "saddened" that Waxman chose to "blast" well-intentioned abstinence educators when there is much the two sides could agree on.

McIlhaney acknowledged that his group, which publishes "Sexual Health Today" instruction manuals, made a mistake in describing the relationship between a rare type of infection caused by chlamydia bacteria and heart failure. Chlamydia also causes a common type of sexually transmitted infection, but that is not linked to heart disease. But McIlhaney said Waxman misinterpreted a slide that warns young people about the possibility of pregnancy without intercourse. McIlhaney said the slide accurately describes a real, though small, risk of pregnancy in mutual masturbation.

Congress first allocated money for abstinence-only programs in 1999, setting aside $80 million in grants, which go to a variety of religious, civic and medical organizations. To be eligible, groups must limit discussion of contraception to failure rates.

President Bush has enthusiastically backed the movement, proposing to spend $270 million on abstinence projects in 2005. Congress reduced that to about $168 million, bringing total abstinence funding to nearly $900 million over five years. It does not appear that the abstinence-only curricula are being taught in the Washington area.

Waxman and other liberal sex-education proponents argue that adolescents who take abstinence-only programs are ill-equipped to protect themselves if they become sexually active. According to the latest CDC data, 61 percent of graduating high school seniors have had sex.

Supporters of the abstinence approach, also called abstinence until marriage, counter that teaching young people about "safer sex" is an invitation to have sex.

Alma Golden, deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement that Waxman's report is a political document that does a "disservice to our children." Speaking as a pediatrician, Golden said, she knows "abstaining from sex is the most effective means of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, STDs and preventing pregnancy."

Nonpartisan researchers have been unable to document measurable benefits of the abstinence-only model. Columbia University researchers found that although teenagers who take "virginity pledges" may wait longer to initiate sexual activity, 88 percent eventually have premarital sex.

Bill Smith, vice president of public policy at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, a comprehensive sex education group that also receives federal funding, said the Waxman report underscored the need for closer monitoring of what he called the "shame-based, fear-based, medically inaccurate messages" being disseminated with tax money. He said the danger of abstinence education lies in the omission of useful medical information.

Some course materials cited in Waxman's report present as scientific fact notions about a man's need for "admiration" and "sexual fulfillment" compared with a woman's need for "financial support." One book in the "Choosing Best" series tells the story of a knight who married a village maiden instead of the princess because the princess offered so many tips on slaying the local dragon. "Moral of the story," notes the popular text: "Occasional suggestions and assistance may be alright, but too much of it will lessen a man's confidence or even turn him away from his princess."

© 2004 The Washington Post Company

Mussolini heir closes in on centre of power

From Richard Owen in Rome





GIANFRANCO FINI, the Italian “post-Fascist” leader who once described
Mussolini as “the greatest statesman of the 20th century”, attained
international respectability yesterday when he was named Italian Foreign
Minister.

The appointment is likely to enhance Signor FiniÂ’s chances of eventually
becoming Prime Minister. Signor Fini, 52, who took one of the biggest
gambles in Italian postwar politics by transforming the neo-Fascists into a
mainstream conservative party ten years ago, replaces Franco Frattini, Italy
Â’s new European Commissioner. His appointment had been rumoured for weeks
but had been held up by wrangling within the centre-right coalition of
Silvio Berlusconi over tax reforms.

Signor FiniÂ’s party, Alleanza Nazionale, which is the second largest party
in the coalition after Signor BerlusconiÂ’s Forza Italia, has long demanded a
greater role in government.

Signor Fini — dapper, able, urbane and ambitious — had made no secret of his
desire to be Foreign Minister. He is expected to take a higher profile than
Signor Frattini, a Berlusconi protégé.

There are lingering suspicions about Signor FiniÂ’s record, both in Europe
and on the Italian Left. Apart from his remark about MussoliniÂ’s greatness,
in a 1994 interview with La Stampa, Alleanza Nazionale retains some features
of Fascist social and economic thinking in its emphasis on family values,
nationalism and the role of the corporate state.

On the other hand, its democratic and European credentials are not in
question. Last year Signor Fini took even his detractors aback by proposing
that immigrants from outside the EU should have the right to vote in local
elections. He has twice visited Israel in the past year to make amends for
Fascist anti-Semitism, and has backed the controversial Israeli wall on the
West Bank.

In 1996 he told The Times that the legacy of Fascism had been overcome, that
Europe need not fear the re-emergence of a strong man at ItalyÂ’s helm, and
that a verdict on Mussolini was “best left to the historians”.

In 2002, when he was named the Italian delegate to the EU Convention
drafting the new European Constitution, he retracted his remark about
Mussolini. Sergio Romano, a former ambassador and ItalyÂ’s foremost
commentator on foreign affairs, said that Signor Fini had “crossed the
desert” and had a “definitive” opportunity to put the past behind him.

Signor Fini joined the Italian Social Movement (MSI), the ideological
descendant of MussoliniÂ’s Blackshirts, as a young man, becoming its youth
leader at 24 and its national secretary in 1987, at 35.

Although Fascism is banned by the postwar Italian Constitution, MSI members
made the Fascist “Roman salute” at rallies and had a reputation for street
violence. In 1994 Signor Fini stunned the rank and file by declaring that
this legacy had to be abandoned, renaming the party the Alleanza Nazionale,
or National Alliance. Diehard neo-Fascists who formed breakaway splinter
groups have recently been joined by Alessandra Mussolini, the granddaughter
of Il Duce, who has become increasingly critical of Signor Fini.

Signor Fini, who on a trip to Auschwitz in 1999 was pelted with eggs and
snowballs by demonstrators, also condemned “the shameful chapters in the
history of our people” while in Israel and denounced the 1938 Fascist “race
laws” as “disgraceful”.

Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, called him “a good and friendly
leader”, adding that it was “time to look to the future, not the past”.

Signor Berlusconi, 68, has been in power for a record 3½ years, but faces
coalition squabbles, falling opinion poll ratings, strikes and allegations
of corruption.

FROM FAR-RIGHT FIREBRAND TO FIERCE FRIEND OF ISRAEL

1952: born in Bologna

1975: graduates with first-class degree in psychology from La Sapienza
university, in Rome

At 24 becomes youth leader of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), descendant
of MussoliniÂ’s Blackshirts

Journalist on Il Secolo DÂ’Italia, the neo-Fascist paper


1983: elected councillor for the MSI in Latina, a town south of Rome created
by Mussolini

1987: becomes MSI party leader and elected to Parliament


1992: embarrassed when supporters mark the 70th anniversary of MussoliniÂ’s
March on Rome by wearing black shirts and giving the fascist salute


1994: transforms the MSI into moderate Alleanza Nazionale (AN), retaining
the MSI symbol — a flame — but jettisoning the Mussolini legacy at party
congress at Fiuggi in January 1995


1994: takes AN into the short-lived centre-right Government of Silvio
Berlusconi

May 2001: becomes deputy Prime Minister when Berlusconi and the centre Right
return to power

January 2002: appointed Italian delegate to the EU Convention drawing up the
European Constitution

November 2004: becomes fourth Foreign Minister since 2001, after Renato
Ruggiero, who was pressurised to resign, Berlusconi himself, who took the
post as an interim measure, and Franco Frattini

Married to Daniela. One daughter. Keen fan of Lazio football club and
forceful opponent of racist violence on the terraces













Copyright 2004 Times Newspapers Ltd.

Condoleezza Rice

Thursday, November 18, 2004


Now that Condoleezza Rice has been nominated to be the next U.S. secretary
of state, the whole world seems to be noticing that President George W. Bush
is stuffing his second-term cabinet with yes men and women. It's worrisome,
although when the president did have dissident voices in the top tier of his
administration, he did a very thorough job of ignoring them. Optimists can
regard the new team as a more efficient packaging of the status quo.

Our concern about Rice is not that she makes the president feel comfortable.
It's that as national security adviser, she seemed to tell him what he
wanted to hear about decisions he'd already made, rather than what he needed
to know to make sound judgments in the first place.

That was particularly true regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Rice, who appeared so often on the Sunday morning talk shows and even on the
campaign trail that she sometimes seemed more like a press secretary than a
national security adviser, was the one who told Americans that Saddam
Hussein was actively pursuing nuclear weapons. And she ominously warned that
"we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."

Her staff knew that the evidence behind those claims was extremely dubious
at best. Rice was either ignoring facts that were right in front of her,
unable to screen out the bad intelligence, or deliberately misleading the
American people. In any case, she failed in her duty to keep the president
from seizing upon the same unreliable intelligence to defend his policy of
preventive war with Iraq before Americans and the world.

As secretary of state, Rice is going to be first and foremost a loyal
servant of Bush's agenda and worldview, and that does not bode well for
those who were hoping for a more nuanced approach to American diplomacy.
Much more worrisome is where the people around her and directly under her
will be getting their marching orders. Stephen Hadley, who will become
national security adviser after four years as Rice's loyal second, has ties
to Vice President Dick Cheney, as do other officials who have been mentioned
for possible top jobs at the State Department. If Rice surrounds herself
with ideologues who adopt Cheney's my-way-or-the-highway attitude toward the
rest of the world, she'll be undermining herself and the United States'
national interests from Day 1.

Rice, a former academic, has no real background in managing a vast
bureaucracy or in hands-on diplomacy. But she has other attributes that
could serve her well in her new job. Unlike Colin Powell, Rice seems willing
to travel constantly. That's a critical requirement for a secretary of
state. Diplomacy is a world of formal positions and personal relationships -
breakthroughs almost always occur when players at the highest level meet
face to face. And when Rice negotiates in her new job, she will not only
have an exalted title, but will also have all the power that comes from
having the president's trust and attention.

The greatest service Rice could do for the United States, the world and
Bush's legacy would be to focus her considerable energies on encouraging a
permanent peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. This is the
real key to long-term stability in the Middle East, and opportunities to
achieve it have opened up with the death of Yasser Arafat. If Bush could do
what President Bill Clinton tried so hard to do, but failed, it could be an
achievement that would overshadow many of the foreign policy disasters of
the first term. And Rice would have proved beyond argument that she deserved
the president's - and the American people's - trust because of qualities far
more important than knee-jerk loyalty.





Copyright © 2004 The International Herald Tribune | www.iht.com

Tutti «dottori», la passione italiana e' salva

Il titolo spettera' anche a chi ha preso la laurea breve in tre anni. Chi
prosegue gli studi sara' Âdottore magistrale»

di BEPPE SEVERGNINI

I posteggiatori non sbaglieranno più, quando grideranno «Piano, dottore!»
durante la retromarcia. L'annuncio «Dottoressa, le stanno portando via la
macchina», in un ristorante, provocheràà una sommossa: solo la cameriera
resterà dov'e'¨, e forse nemmeno lei. Visti gli stipendi dei neo-laureati,
infatti, è¨ probabile che molte giovani italiane decideranno di servire
spaghetti e contorni. C'è¨ da registrare una novità , gravida di conseguenze
sociali. La novità è¨ questa: la revisione del decreto che ha istituito il
percorso universitario detto «3+2», approvata dalla Corte dei Conti e in
attesa di pubblicazione sulla Gazzetta Ufficiale, introduce nuove qualifiche
accademiche. Il titolo di «dottore» spetterà ai possessori della laurea
triennale. Chi prosegue gli studi e consegue la laurea magistrale e il
dottorato di ricerca avrà diritto, rispettivamente, alla qualifica di
«dottore magistrale» e di «dottore di ricerca».



Inaugurazione dell'anno accademico all'università Cattolica di Milano
(Newpress)
NUOVI DOTTORI - Prepariamoci, dunque: la Penisola verrà attraversata da
raffiche di sdottoreggiamenti. Il titolo - sogno dichiarato di milioni di
mamme, cruccio segreto di tanti che hanno abbandonato lÂ’università - verrÃ
rilasciato con più generosità . Chi sognava di ridurre l’uso pubblico delle
qualfiche accademiche è servito. Festa grande, invece, tra quanti si sono
iscritti all’università soprattutto per ottenere un titolo di studio (scopo
raggiunto in soli tre anni, venticinque per cento di sforzo risparmiato).
Tutto bene, quindi? Siamo giunti alla pacificazione sociale nel segno del
«dottore»? Temo di no: il sottile classismo italiano troverà altre strade. I
dottori di ricerca, che esistono anche negli altri Paesi, scopriranno che il
titolo (sudato) è troppo comune, e cominceranno a farsi chiamare PhD, all’
americana: così, giusto per non fare confusione. Anche i dottori
magistrali - quelli che completano il 3+2 - vorranno distinguersi.
Stamperanno «Dott. Mag.» sul biglietto da visita, magari: così qualcuno li
scambierà per magistrati, che fanno sempre una certa impressione.

DOTTORI MAGISTRALI - Non è finita: se si è capito bene, il titolo di
«dottore magistrale» spetterà anche a chi «ha conseguito la laurea con gli
ordinamenti didattici previgenti al decreto 509/1999». Penso a molti
fuori-corso degli Anni Ottanta, laureati a calci del sedere sotto ricatto di
genitori esasperati, improvvisamente insigniti del titolo di «dottore
magistrale». Se hanno un po’ di senso dell’umorismo, dovrebbero ridere. Non
escludo, invece, che corrano a farsi la carta intestata. Ci aspettano
giornate interessanti. Con tre diverse categorie di «dottori» (più i medici,
poveretti, che hanno studiato sei anni, più specialità , per ritrovarsi con
un titolo inflazionato) la nazione barocca darà il meglio di sé. Le persone
importanti nasconderanno il titolo accademico (e poi cadranno malamente,
accettando d'essere chiamate «vip»). Il dottor Rossi di Milano e il dottore
(con la «e») Russo di Napoli metteranno in cornice il diploma di laurea in
giurisprudenza, perché si veda che è stato conseguito prima del 1999.
Ragionieri e geometri penseranno di rivolgersi alla Corte Costituzionale:
come, e noi? Ma più di tutti si divertiranno gli stranieri. Già da tempo
erano convinti che il prefisso «dott.», davanti al nome di una persona,
indicasse che quella persona era italiana. Ora hanno la prova definitiva. Un
tempo eravamo «il bel Paese là dove il sì suona» (Dante Alighieri). Oggi,
dopo i condoni e le riforme accademiche, siamo «il Paese (un po’ meno bello)
là dove riecheggia il dott.». Potrebbe essere un progresso, ma non siamo
sicuri.


10 novembre 2004 - Corriere.it

Archaeologists fear 'looters' charter'

John Hooper in Rome
Tuesday November 9, 2004

The Guardian

Archaeologists were yesterday aghast over a plan by MPs loyal to Silvio
Berlusconi to legalise the private ownership of archaeological treasures in
Italy. One called the measure a "looters' charter".
At present, all antiquities found in Italian soil are deemed to be the
property of the state and are meant to be handed over to the authorities.

But under the proposed legislation, treasure hunters who declare their finds
can keep and own them if they pay the state 5% of the object's estimated
value.

Supporters have argued that it would bring to light previously hidden
treasures.

In an article for the newspaper La Repubblica, Salvatore Settis, rector of
the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, said he feared "a gigantic treasure
hunt all over the country" if the measures were approved.

Filippo Coarelli, professor of Roman Antiquities at the University of
Perugia, called the plan "an incitement to theft". He added: "Since there
appears to be no limit on the time during which artefacts can be amnestied,
you could rob today so as to sell tomorrow."

Lord Renfrew, professor emeritus of archaeology at the University of
Cambridge and a former director of the Illicit Antiquities Research Centre,
said: "It sounds like a looters' charter." He added: "Italy has a very good
tradition of looking after its antiquities. This legislation would be a slap
in the face for those in the administration who work for the conservation of
its heritage."

Italy suffers a thriving industry of tomb robbing and is the source of
thousands of illicitly sold artefacts.

In the 1990s, it was estimated that art and antiquities worth around £150m
were exported from Italy each year, but the trade is so secret no one really
knows its true dimensions. In 1996, in one of the largest antiquities
seizures, police in Geneva recovered 10,000 artefacts worth an estimated
$35m (£18.8m) that had been smuggled out of Italy.

This month, the Art Newspaper published an interview with a robber of
Etruscan tombs who said he averaged a break-in every 10 days.

The proposed guidelines are contained in two amendments to the 2005 budget,
which is being debated in the Italian parliament. Both were drafted by
members of Mr Berlusconi's governing Forza Italia party.

The amendments would give the job of pricing and taxing newly declared
antiquities to the officials who are already responsible for Italy's vast
archaeological heritage.

If they failed within a reasonable time to value an artefact, the holder
would automatically become the legal owner.

Once legalised, the artefact could "be the object of contractual activity",
according to the text of one of the amendments.

Earlier this month, one of the signatories of the amendment said that it
would help the "emergence of archaeological items in private hands".

An archaeologist working in Italy who spoke on condition of anonymity said:
"Anyone who works in this sector knows the [officials] are already
overloaded. You can imagine the flood of requests this would bring and the
difficulty the [officials] would have in coping with them."

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

MEPs reject anti-gay commission candidate

David Gow in Brussels
Tuesday October 12, 2004

The Guardian

José Manuel Barroso, the incoming European commission president, was under
strong pressure last night to dump Rocco Buttiglione, a professed opponent
of women's and gay rights, as the next commissioner for justice and
security, after the European parliament's civil liberties committee rejected
his appointment.
It is the first time MEPs have rejected a designated commissioner. Although
they can unseat only the whole commission, not a single member, their
opposition to Mr Buttiglione could at the very least force Mr Barroso to
hand key parts of the justice portfolio to a colleague.

So far Mr Barroso has resolutely backed the Italian Roman Catholic, who is a
close friend of the Pope, saying his personal moral views will not affect
his political decisions in the secular EU, and Mr Buttiglione has been
chosen as one of his vice-presidents.

But as party leaders argue about at least four other designated
commissioners, including Neelie Kroes, the competition chief with a string
of former company directorships, Mr Barroso is faced with a serious
challenge to his authority when he meets them on October 21.

Mr Barroso succeeds Romano Prodi on November 1, and MEPs have the power to
vote out his entire team when it meets six days later. That is unlikely, but
sources said Mr Barroso would be unable to ignore the clear distaste of MEPs
for one of his senior team.

The Socialist group urged him to "reflect on the deep unease" in all the
parties about some of the proposed new commissioners.

After the committee voted narrowly to reject Mr Buttiglione yesterday, the
biggest group, the conservative European People's party (EPP), joined in a
majority vote to turn him down for another portfolio and as vice-president.

Michael Cashman, the gay Labour MEP who is on the committee, said: "The game
is almost up for Buttiglione ... Most MEPs don't want this man to be put in
charge of defending human rights, civil liberties and the EU's
anti-discrimination laws."

If Mr Barroso wanted to keep him he would have to give key parts of his
portfolio - non-discrimination, fundamental rights and women's rights - to a
colleague.

Last week Mr Buttiglione told MEPs: "I may think homosexuality is a sin, but
this has no effect on politics unless I say homosexuality is a crime."

But Mr Cashman said Mr Buttiglione, a former Europe minister in Silvio
Berlusconi's Italian cabinet, had put forward an amendment to delete
non-discrimination on sexual grounds during the drawing up of the EU's
charter of fundamental rights.

"We should not judge him by what he says but what he did and does."

Lady Ludford, a Liberal Democrat MEP and justice spokesman, said Mr
Buttiglione had "failed to convince that he could be a champion of
fundamental freedoms or civil liberties, or even effective security
cooperation."

Mr Buttiglione accused opponents of political and ideological
discrimination: "Some people think that a Catholic cannot be commissioner
for justice while others think a minister in Berlusconi's government cannot
do the job."

He denied having said that he wanted a family in which the woman stayed at
home and raised children. "I said that in today's world women have too many
obligations and we have to develop policies that allow them to become
mothers and develop their professional talents."

His party, the UDC, said last night that the vote against him was an
expression of prejudice. "We reject it on two grounds, as Catholics who
respect values and as liberals who are custodians of freedom," its
secretary, Marco Follini, said.

In Rome, Mr Berlusconi accused Italian leftwingers of "coarse propaganda"
against Mr Buttiglione's beliefs, telling the conservative newspaper Il
Foglio: "On a cultural and civic level, the mere idea of putting into
question the freedom of consciousness and opinion of a commissioner with a
Roman Catholic education and faith ... has an extremist if not obscurantist
flavour."

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

How bad is Iraq report for Blair?

Analysis
By Nick Assinder
BBC News Online political correspondent


The fact that the Iraq Survey Group has found no weapons of mass destruction
in Iraq is unlikely to provoke gasps of surprise in Britain.
This is, after all, the moment the prime minister has carefully been
preparing voters for over the past few months.

His original line had been to urge his critics to let the ISG complete its
work before jumping to conclusions.

By last July, however, he had changed tack and told the MPs on the Commons
liaison committee that he had to accept the ISG had not found WMD "and may
never find them".

By the time of his party conference speech last week, he had gone so far as
to accept that the original intelligence on Saddam's supposed WMD had been
wrong.

Most importantly, however, he also completed the process of appearing to
shift his justification for the war away from WMD to the removal of Saddam
Hussein.

UN resolutions

"I can apologise for the information that turned out to be wrong, but I
can't, sincerely at least, apologise for removing Saddam.

"The world is a better place with Saddam in prison not in power," he told
the conference.


Indeed it is even possible that the ISG report's findings... will offer Mr
Blair some ammunition to hurl back at his critics



What Mr Blair cannot do, however, is suggest regime change was his real
motive for the war - that may well have been illegal and, in any case, was
not cited at the time.
So he has chosen instead to remind people the precise justification was to
uphold UN resolutions which Saddam had defied for 12 years.

He will also now take much comfort from the suggestion by the inspectors
that Saddam was certainly attempting to produce a WMD programme and was
potentially even more of a threat than had originally been suggested before
the war.

None of this, however, will alter the stark fact that claims used by the
prime minister to back the war at the time - including the infamous 45
minute from attack suggestion - were wrong.

Not responsible

But that is now almost universally accepted, and any damage to the prime
minister as a result has probably already been caused.

Indeed it is even possible that the ISG report's findings on the level of
the potential threat posed by Saddam - because it is relatively new - will
offer Mr Blair some ammunition to hurl back at his critics.


It [the intelligence service] concludes Iraq has chemical and biological
weapons, that Saddam has continued to produce them, that he has existing and
active military plans for the use of chemical and biological weapons, which
could be activated within 45 minutes
Tony Blair
House of Commons Sept 2002


Critics are unlikely to accept that though. Former foreign secretary Robin
Cook, who quit the cabinet over the decision to go to war, said the
international community had always known Saddam Hussein had ambitions to
have such weapons.
This was why there had been a policy of containment, says Mr Cook.

Indeed, he says, the report's findings that Saddam wanted WMD, but had none,
suggested containment was a remarkably successful policy and the war was
unnecessary.

Democrats

The most troublesome aspect of the report for Tony Blair could be from its
impact in the US.

President Bush or his officials have now accepted that Saddam was not
responsible for 11 September (as many Americans had once believed), that
there was no link between Baghdad and al-Qaeda before the war and, now, that
there were no stockpiles of WMD.

These revelations are bound to be a factor the Presidential election
campaign and if Democrat John Kerry defies the odds and wins as a result,
that could spell trouble for Tony Blair.

Government advisers who attended the Democrat convention returned in no
doubt about the level of anger felt by Kerry - and even President Clinton -
at Tony Blair's stance on the war and continuing closeness to George Bush.

President Kerry would, of course, have to put much of that anger to one side
in the interests of good diplomatic relations with Britain.

But many believe there would still be a significant cooling in
trans-Atlantic relations.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk_politics/3719468.stm

Published: 2004/10/06 14:44:22 GMT

© BBC MMIV

SUV

Firenze vieterà la circolazione durante gli stop antinquinamento
Roma, pedaggio da 1000 euro per i Suv
Dal 2005 una tassa annuale per entrare nel centro della città con i
cosiddetti «Sport utility vehicle»

ROMA - Possedete un Suv e vivete in una grande città? Rischiate di poterlo
utilizzare al massimo per andare in montagna. Dopo polemiche e progetti di
legge cominciano ad arrivare i primi provvedimenti concreti volti a limitare
l'uso degli Sport utility vehicles.

PEDAGGIO SALATO - Costerà con ogni probabilità 1.000 euro anziché 316 il
permesso annuale della Ztl (la zona a traffco limitato che copre gran parte
del centro storico) di Roma per i Suv. La nuova tariffa potrebbe partire già
dal primo gennaio prossimo.


Uno dei modelli di Suv più diffusi anche sulle strade italiane: la Bmw X5
(Ansa)
Lo annuncia l'assessore alla mobilità Mario Di Carlo, in merito alle norme
restrittive che il Campidoglio sta preparando nei confronti dei fuoristrada,
accusati di essere altamente inquinanti. «Vorrei riuscire a introdurre
inoltre - prosegue Di Carlo - un riferimento al "passo", un po' come
succedeva non troppo tempo fa sulle autostrade: si pagava cioè il pedaggio a
seconda dello spazio che occupavano». Cautela invece da parte dell'assessore
riguardo al divieto di accesso all'interno della Ztl: «Non sappiamo ancora
se riusciremo a introdurre questo divieto perchè si tratterebbe di
limitazione della libertà individuale». Anche Firenze seguirà l'esempio
della Capitale vietando la circolazione dei Suv nei giorni che prevedono il
blocco dei mezzi più inquinanti, ovvero per due giorni alla settimana.

PROBLEMA EUROPEO - Il problema della circolazione dei Suv nasce dal fatto
che secondo una ricerca di Legambiente consumano fino a 4-5 volte più di un
utilitaria e che ingombrano in maniera esagerata le strette strade dei
centri storici. Per alcuni modelli si pone poi il problema delle bull-bar, i
paraurti creati per reggere gli urti dei tori, che possono essere pericolose
per i pedoni in caso di urto Un problema che si sono poste anche altre città
europee: Londra e parigi hanno infatti allo studio misure che limiterebbero
la circolazione di questo tipo di mezzi.

I PROPRIETARI SI DIFENDONO - Tuttavia i proprietari di Suv si difendono
contro la criminalizzazione di questo tipo di mezzo. «Non è la prima volta
che si tenta di mettere in castigo le auto a quattro ruote motrici, i
cosiddetti Sport Utility Vehicle, con motivazioni fragili se non inventate.
C'è molta confusione perché i Suv sono auto come tutte le altre», dice Wanni
Zarpellon, segretario della Federazione Italiana Fuoristrada, che conta
oltre 12 mila iscritti proprietari di auto 4x4 con 270 Club in tutta italia.
«La Panda 4x4 è un Suv e, in base al ragionamento che questi veicoli
inquinano, dovrebbe essere vietata, anche se si tratta della più classica e
conosciuta delle utilitarie -dice Zarpellon-. Immagino le reazioni di mamme
e nonne che accompagnano i ragazzini a scuola d'inverno e che usando questo
mezzo perché si sentono più sicure. La veritá è che gli scooter sono più
inquinanti delle auto. Questa è solo una campagna contro le auto 4x4 e gli
Sport Utility Vehicle».

6 ottobre 2004 - Corriere.it

nella toilette del bar non e' reato

La decisione di un giudice di Como: assolta coppia di svizzeri

Fare sesso nella toilette del bar non e' reato

Non si tratta di «atti osceni in luogo» pubblico perche' i due «erano
appartati e nessuno li vedeva».

COMO - Sesso libero nei bagni dei pub e dei bar. Basta che nessuno vi veda.
Cosi' ha stabilito un giudice di Como. La coppia che consuma sesso nella
toilette di un bar non commette atti osceni in luogo pubblico, perche' il
luogo e' comunque appartato. Cosi' si legge nella sentenza del giudice
monocratico di Como Luciano Storaci, che ha assolto due svizzeri del Canton
Ticino 33 anni lui, 32 lei, sorpresi un anno fa in intimita' nel bagno di un
pub del centro di Como. La coppia era stata scoperta dal titolare del
locale, che era andato a cercarli venti minuti dopo averli visti andare in
bagno: «Se il barista mi avesse dato il tempo di rivestirmi non sarebbe
successo nulla», si e' difesa la donna davanti al giudice.
Il pubblico ministero aveva chiesto una condanna a sei mesi per l'uomo e a
cinque per la donna, per atti osceni in luogo pubblico. Secondo il
difensore, invece, il comune senso del pudore non era stato violato, perche'
i due erano appartati e nessuno li vedeva. Alla fine il giudice ha assolto
gli imputati dall'imputazione principale, ma ha condannato l'uomo al
pagamento di 200 euro per avere rotto la serratura del bagno. A parte, lo
svizzero ha poi patteggiato tre mesi per resistenza a pubblico ufficiale,
per via della reazione inconsulta avuta all' intervento della polizia subito
dopo il «fattaccio».
5 ottobre 2004 - Corriere.it

AC Milan 3-1 Celtic (bbc)

Two goals by AC Milan in the final two minutes left Celtic without a point
in Champions League Group F.
Andriy Shevchenko pounced on a Kaka through-ball to drive home from just
inside the box after eight minutes.

Celtic improved after the break and got their reward when Stan Varga headed
in Stilian Petrov's corner.

But substitute Filippo Inzaghi forced home a Shevchenko cross and an Andrea
Pirlo free-kick deflected into the net to win it for the Italians.

Giuseppe Pancaro, Jon Dahl Tomasson and Andrea Pirlo had come into the Milan
line-up instead of Kaka Kaladze, Massimo Ambrosini and Hernan Crespo.

Chris Sutton and Didier Agathe won their fitness battle to start for Celtic,
with Juninho and Momo Sylla dropping to the bench.

Joos Valgaeren, filling in at left back for the injured Jackie McNamara,
lost control on the edge of his own box in the opening seconds and Marshall
had to tip round the post at full stretch.

The breakthrough was not delayed for long, Kaka sending Shevchenko clear in
the box and the Ukraine striker hammered the ball through the arms of the
advancing Marshall.

Celtic crept into the game and Shevchenko cleared a Petrov free-kick clear
with Varga ready to pounce and the Slovak defender headed the resulting
corner a couple of feet over the bar.

Henri Camara lashed the ball well over from just inside the box after a
clever knock-down by John Hartson.

A low drive from Shevchenko was destined for the Celtic net until Bobo Balde
scrambled the ball clear.

Marshall also blocked a powerful effort from Kaka after Balde had lost
possession to Shevchenko.

But Celtic looked more attack-minded after the break and Dida did well to
hold a low drive from Camara.

The Scottish champions lost Alan Thompson to a hamstring injury after 58
minutes and he was replaced in midfield byJuninho.

Another low Camara drive was smothered by the goalkeeper before Celtic
eventually got the equaliser.

Varga rose above Shevchenko to head home a Petrov corner from 12 yards.

It looked like Celtic would collect their first-ever away point in the
Champions League after seven matches.

But Shevchenko broke clear and his low cross into the six-yard box was
forced home by Inzaghi and Pirlo's free-kick deceived Marshall after
striking the head of Neil Lennon.


AC Milan: Dida, Cafu, Nesta, Maldini, Pancaro, Gattuso (Rui Costa 86),
Pirlo, Seedorf (Ambrosini 77), Kaka, Shevchenko, Tomasson (Inzaghi 77).
Subs Not Used: Fiori, Kaladze, Costacurta, Crespo.

Goals: Shevchenko 8, Inzaghi 89, Pirlo 90.

Celtic: Marshall, Agathe, Varga, Balde, Valgaeren, Petrov, Lennon, Sutton,
Thompson (Juninho Paulista 59), Hartson (Sylla 86), Camara. Subs Not Used:
Douglas, Lambert, Laursen, Wallace, McGeady.

Booked: Sutton.

Goals: Varga 74.

Att: 50,000.

Ref: Gilles Veissiere (France).

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/europe/3696378.stm

Published: 2004/09/29 20:37:26 GMT

Celtic (bbc)

Celtic target away points
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP F
AC Milan v Celtic
Date: Weds, 29 September
Venue: San Siro Stadium, Milan
Kick off: 1945 BST

Martin O'Neill says Celtic must end their Champions League drought away from
home in the San Siro to keep their qualification hopes alive.
The Scottish champions face AC Milan without having recorded a single point
in their previous six away matches.

But the Celtic manager said: "We knew how difficult the group was going to
be with two very fine sides in our group.

"So it's a simple equation - we have to try and get something out of the
game to stay in the competition."

History also goes against Celtic, who lost their opening game at home to
Barcelona, with no club from Scotland able to score against the Milanese
giants at the stadium.

"If we are going to qualify then we have to knock out one or the other,
which is a hell of task," said O'Neill.


We definitely need to take something from the game
Celtic midfielder Stilian Petrov

"You have to respect them (Milan) as an excellent team but, if you're saying
that the respect turns into fear, that would present a problem. I don't
think that will be the case.

"I think we have enough belief in ourselves to think we can come here and
perform and that means taking the game to them when it demands."

Midfielder Stilian Petrov believes Celtic must leave Italy on Wednesday with
at least a point.

"If we want to stay in the competition, we definitely need to take something
from the game," said the midfielder.

"Milan didn't start very well in their championship, but I watched their
last game against Lazio, when they won even though they had only 10 men.

"It will be a very hard game for us, but we have to be confident."

Goalkeeper David Marshall added: "It's a poor record we have away from home
in the Champions League and I can't put my finger on why, because we had
good results in the Uefa Cup.

"We went to Anfield and won and we can't say that is any easier than going
to Rosenborg and winning.

"We haven't won a game in the Champions League away and in the Uefa Cup we
were flying, so we need to change that.

"If we concede early doors, we're going to have to go for it and attack. We
won't go there and set our stall out to defend."


Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/3693872.s
tm

Published: 2004/09/29 06:47:58 GMT

© BBC MMIV

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