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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republicans reacted with surprise and recrimination Sunday to blistering criticism of the Iraq war from former coalition commander retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez. Lawmakers lashed back at retired Gen. Ricardo Sanchez on Sunday after he criticized the war effort. On Friday, Sanchez, who was coalition commander in 2003 and 2004, called the Iraq war "a nightmare with no end in sight." He said the Bush administration, the State Department and Congress all share blame. Speaking with military reporters in Virginia, Sanchez also said such dereliction of duty by a military officer would mean immediate dismissal or court martial, but the politicians have not been held accountable. "I'm astounded, really," South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on CNN's "Late Edition" with Wolf Blitzer on Sunday. Graham, who recently returned from Baghdad, said he and GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain had visited Sanchez several times in 2003 and 2004. "Every time we talked to Gen. Sanchez, we got pushback -- we have enough troops; Guard and reserves aren't being strained," Graham said. He added that Sanchez's own record in Iraq is blemished: Abu Ghraib "got out of control under his watch. The war in general got out of control under his watch." But Graham said that "finally," with the commitment of nearly 30,000 additional U.S. troops since January, "We are getting it right." Sanchez told reporters that American political leaders have cost American lives on the battlefield with their "lust for power." Sanchez said it had been his duty to obey orders and not object publicly while on active duty, but that he has an obligation to speak out now that he has retired. "While the politicians espouse a rhetoric designed to preserve their reputations and their political power, our soldiers die," he said. That brought a tart response from McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I wish that he had given us the benefit of that knowledge at the time," McCain told CBS's "Face the Nation." He said Sanchez should have spoken out at the time -- or resigned -- but "unfortunately, that doesn't happen very often." One of the reasons few speak out, he said, is evidenced by what happened to former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki, McCain said. Shinseki was sidelined after telling Congress that hundreds of thousands of troops would be needed to occupy Iraq. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, told ABC's "This Week" that Sanchez is simply wrong. "My definition of winning is a stable country and an ally in the war on terror," he said. "I think we're making significant progress toward that end." But, he added, "I think the central government in Iraq has been an embarrassment. They've not been able to produce any of the kind of political compromises that we had hoped for." Graham said he hopes the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will "step up to the plate and do something meaningful by the end of the year." If that does not happen, he said, "it will be incumbent upon us, as a nation, to devise a new political strategy to find a way forward or create a stable Iraq." That brought a blistering response from Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser under President Carter. "What is this? This is a colony," he said. "That's the heart and essence of the difficulties we encounter." Even those Iraqis who were happy to see Saddam Hussein toppled from power more than four years ago are not happy with the continuing U.S. presence, Brzezinski said. Though some countries are willing to go along with the United States, "No one in the world really supports our policy in Iraq," he said. In his Friday speech, Sanchez added that the "surge" of U.S. troops into Iraq represents "a desperate attempt by the administration that has not accepted the political and

What position did Sanchez have in the Iraq war?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republicans reacted with surprise and recrimination Sunday to blistering criticism of the Iraq war from former coalition commander retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez. Lawmakers lashed back at retired Gen. Ricardo Sanchez on Sunday after he criticized the war effort. On Friday, Sanchez, who was coalition commander in 2003 and 2004, called the Iraq war "a nightmare with no end in sight." He said the Bush administration, the State Department and Congress all share blame. Speaking with military reporters in Virginia, Sanchez also said such dereliction of duty by a military officer would mean immediate dismissal or court martial, but the politicians have not been held accountable. "I'm astounded, really," South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on CNN's "Late Edition" with Wolf Blitzer on Sunday. Graham, who recently returned from Baghdad, said he and GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain had visited Sanchez several times in 2003 and 2004. "Every time we talked to Gen. Sanchez, we got pushback -- we have enough troops; Guard and reserves aren't being strained," Graham said. He added that Sanchez's own record in Iraq is blemished: Abu Ghraib "got out of control under his watch. The war in general got out of control under his watch." But Graham said that "finally," with the commitment of nearly 30,000 additional U.S. troops since January, "We are getting it right." Sanchez told reporters that American political leaders have cost American lives on the battlefield with their "lust for power." Sanchez said it had been his duty to obey orders and not object publicly while on active duty, but that he has an obligation to speak out now that he has retired. "While the politicians espouse a rhetoric designed to preserve their reputations and their political power, our soldiers die," he said. That brought a tart response from McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I wish that he had given us the benefit of that knowledge at the time," McCain told CBS's "Face the Nation." He said Sanchez should have spoken out at the time -- or resigned -- but "unfortunately, that doesn't happen very often." One of the reasons few speak out, he said, is evidenced by what happened to former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki, McCain said. Shinseki was sidelined after telling Congress that hundreds of thousands of troops would be needed to occupy Iraq. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, told ABC's "This Week" that Sanchez is simply wrong. "My definition of winning is a stable country and an ally in the war on terror," he said. "I think we're making significant progress toward that end." But, he added, "I think the central government in Iraq has been an embarrassment. They've not been able to produce any of the kind of political compromises that we had hoped for." Graham said he hopes the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will "step up to the plate and do something meaningful by the end of the year." If that does not happen, he said, "it will be incumbent upon us, as a nation, to devise a new political strategy to find a way forward or create a stable Iraq." That brought a blistering response from Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser under President Carter. "What is this? This is a colony," he said. "That's the heart and essence of the difficulties we encounter." Even those Iraqis who were happy to see Saddam Hussein toppled from power more than four years ago are not happy with the continuing U.S. presence, Brzezinski said. Though some countries are willing to go along with the United States, "No one in the world really supports our policy in Iraq," he said. In his Friday speech, Sanchez added that the "surge" of U.S. troops into Iraq represents "a desperate attempt by the administration that has not accepted the political and

What was Sanchez's description of war?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republicans reacted with surprise and recrimination Sunday to blistering criticism of the Iraq war from former coalition commander retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez. Lawmakers lashed back at retired Gen. Ricardo Sanchez on Sunday after he criticized the war effort. On Friday, Sanchez, who was coalition commander in 2003 and 2004, called the Iraq war "a nightmare with no end in sight." He said the Bush administration, the State Department and Congress all share blame. Speaking with military reporters in Virginia, Sanchez also said such dereliction of duty by a military officer would mean immediate dismissal or court martial, but the politicians have not been held accountable. "I'm astounded, really," South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on CNN's "Late Edition" with Wolf Blitzer on Sunday. Graham, who recently returned from Baghdad, said he and GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain had visited Sanchez several times in 2003 and 2004. "Every time we talked to Gen. Sanchez, we got pushback -- we have enough troops; Guard and reserves aren't being strained," Graham said. He added that Sanchez's own record in Iraq is blemished: Abu Ghraib "got out of control under his watch. The war in general got out of control under his watch." But Graham said that "finally," with the commitment of nearly 30,000 additional U.S. troops since January, "We are getting it right." Sanchez told reporters that American political leaders have cost American lives on the battlefield with their "lust for power." Sanchez said it had been his duty to obey orders and not object publicly while on active duty, but that he has an obligation to speak out now that he has retired. "While the politicians espouse a rhetoric designed to preserve their reputations and their political power, our soldiers die," he said. That brought a tart response from McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I wish that he had given us the benefit of that knowledge at the time," McCain told CBS's "Face the Nation." He said Sanchez should have spoken out at the time -- or resigned -- but "unfortunately, that doesn't happen very often." One of the reasons few speak out, he said, is evidenced by what happened to former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki, McCain said. Shinseki was sidelined after telling Congress that hundreds of thousands of troops would be needed to occupy Iraq. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, told ABC's "This Week" that Sanchez is simply wrong. "My definition of winning is a stable country and an ally in the war on terror," he said. "I think we're making significant progress toward that end." But, he added, "I think the central government in Iraq has been an embarrassment. They've not been able to produce any of the kind of political compromises that we had hoped for." Graham said he hopes the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will "step up to the plate and do something meaningful by the end of the year." If that does not happen, he said, "it will be incumbent upon us, as a nation, to devise a new political strategy to find a way forward or create a stable Iraq." That brought a blistering response from Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser under President Carter. "What is this? This is a colony," he said. "That's the heart and essence of the difficulties we encounter." Even those Iraqis who were happy to see Saddam Hussein toppled from power more than four years ago are not happy with the continuing U.S. presence, Brzezinski said. Though some countries are willing to go along with the United States, "No one in the world really supports our policy in Iraq," he said. In his Friday speech, Sanchez added that the "surge" of U.S. troops into Iraq represents "a desperate attempt by the administration that has not accepted the political and

What did Sanchez comment about the Iraq war?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republicans reacted with surprise and recrimination Sunday to blistering criticism of the Iraq war from former coalition commander retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez. Lawmakers lashed back at retired Gen. Ricardo Sanchez on Sunday after he criticized the war effort. On Friday, Sanchez, who was coalition commander in 2003 and 2004, called the Iraq war "a nightmare with no end in sight." He said the Bush administration, the State Department and Congress all share blame. Speaking with military reporters in Virginia, Sanchez also said such dereliction of duty by a military officer would mean immediate dismissal or court martial, but the politicians have not been held accountable. "I'm astounded, really," South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on CNN's "Late Edition" with Wolf Blitzer on Sunday. Graham, who recently returned from Baghdad, said he and GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain had visited Sanchez several times in 2003 and 2004. "Every time we talked to Gen. Sanchez, we got pushback -- we have enough troops; Guard and reserves aren't being strained," Graham said. He added that Sanchez's own record in Iraq is blemished: Abu Ghraib "got out of control under his watch. The war in general got out of control under his watch." But Graham said that "finally," with the commitment of nearly 30,000 additional U.S. troops since January, "We are getting it right." Sanchez told reporters that American political leaders have cost American lives on the battlefield with their "lust for power." Sanchez said it had been his duty to obey orders and not object publicly while on active duty, but that he has an obligation to speak out now that he has retired. "While the politicians espouse a rhetoric designed to preserve their reputations and their political power, our soldiers die," he said. That brought a tart response from McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I wish that he had given us the benefit of that knowledge at the time," McCain told CBS's "Face the Nation." He said Sanchez should have spoken out at the time -- or resigned -- but "unfortunately, that doesn't happen very often." One of the reasons few speak out, he said, is evidenced by what happened to former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki, McCain said. Shinseki was sidelined after telling Congress that hundreds of thousands of troops would be needed to occupy Iraq. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, told ABC's "This Week" that Sanchez is simply wrong. "My definition of winning is a stable country and an ally in the war on terror," he said. "I think we're making significant progress toward that end." But, he added, "I think the central government in Iraq has been an embarrassment. They've not been able to produce any of the kind of political compromises that we had hoped for." Graham said he hopes the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will "step up to the plate and do something meaningful by the end of the year." If that does not happen, he said, "it will be incumbent upon us, as a nation, to devise a new political strategy to find a way forward or create a stable Iraq." That brought a blistering response from Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser under President Carter. "What is this? This is a colony," he said. "That's the heart and essence of the difficulties we encounter." Even those Iraqis who were happy to see Saddam Hussein toppled from power more than four years ago are not happy with the continuing U.S. presence, Brzezinski said. Though some countries are willing to go along with the United States, "No one in the world really supports our policy in Iraq," he said. In his Friday speech, Sanchez added that the "surge" of U.S. troops into Iraq represents "a desperate attempt by the administration that has not accepted the political and

What has him surprised?

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Khartoum, Sudan (CNN) -- South Sudan's government has gained control of a remote town that had been under attack by fighters from a rival tribe, the nation's information minister said Monday. Some of the thousands who fled into the bush have begun to return to Pibor, said Barnaba Benjamin, South Sudan's minister of information and broadcasting. Earlier Monday, a military official said that roughly 4,000 army and police reinforcements were on the way to Pibor after weekend attacks. The United Nations also said it sent a battalion of peacekeepers to Pibor last week amid reports that members of the Lou Nuer tribe were marching toward the town, home to the Murle tribe, after attacking the village of Lukangol. Ethnic tensions in the South Sudan state of Jonglei have flared as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights, disagreements that have dissolved into cattle raids and abduction of women and children. Fighters first struck Pibor on Saturday, attacking a portion that was out of the reach of U.N. peacekeepers, said Col. Philip Auger of the South Sudan army. Benjamin said there were no casualties and no direct confrontation between the two tribes there, because most of the Murle had fled when they heard the Lou Nuer were approaching. The nonprofit group Medecins sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, was still trying Monday to reach 117 of its 130 aid workers who fled into the bush along with the populations of Pibor and Lukangol before the attack, said Sarathy Rajendran, head of the group's South Sudan mission. Rajendran said the organization was afraid for its workers' safety and "very concerned" for the people of Pibor and Lukangol. "We believe tens of thousands are currently displaced without access to water, food and health care," he said. "The situation is tense. We don't know what is happening on the ground, so we are monitoring the situation." The nonprofit's clinic in Lukangol was "burned and looted," spokeswoman Emily Linendoll said, adding that its Pibor clinic "has been targeted." The attack on Pibor follows reports last week that Lou Nuer fighters raided Lukangol, burning it to the ground and forcing thousands to flee toward Pibor. At least 50,000 people have fled the violence in the state that began last year, said Quade Hermann, chief of radio at Radio Miraya, a U.N.-backed radio station in South Sudan. She similarly said that the town of Pibor is secure now, though the situation there remains fluid. The people who fled remain scattered, and the United Nations is working on a plan for how to distribute humanitarian aid, Hermann said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week urged the groups to work with the government of South Sudan to find solutions. South Sudan's vice president, Riek Machar, is leading an initiative to bridge the differences between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes, including encouraging the armed groups to disband and go home, the United Nations has said. The violence in Jonglei state is the latest to rock South Sudan, which officially gained its statehood in July after separating from the north.

Some have started to return to where?

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Khartoum, Sudan (CNN) -- South Sudan's government has gained control of a remote town that had been under attack by fighters from a rival tribe, the nation's information minister said Monday. Some of the thousands who fled into the bush have begun to return to Pibor, said Barnaba Benjamin, South Sudan's minister of information and broadcasting. Earlier Monday, a military official said that roughly 4,000 army and police reinforcements were on the way to Pibor after weekend attacks. The United Nations also said it sent a battalion of peacekeepers to Pibor last week amid reports that members of the Lou Nuer tribe were marching toward the town, home to the Murle tribe, after attacking the village of Lukangol. Ethnic tensions in the South Sudan state of Jonglei have flared as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights, disagreements that have dissolved into cattle raids and abduction of women and children. Fighters first struck Pibor on Saturday, attacking a portion that was out of the reach of U.N. peacekeepers, said Col. Philip Auger of the South Sudan army. Benjamin said there were no casualties and no direct confrontation between the two tribes there, because most of the Murle had fled when they heard the Lou Nuer were approaching. The nonprofit group Medecins sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, was still trying Monday to reach 117 of its 130 aid workers who fled into the bush along with the populations of Pibor and Lukangol before the attack, said Sarathy Rajendran, head of the group's South Sudan mission. Rajendran said the organization was afraid for its workers' safety and "very concerned" for the people of Pibor and Lukangol. "We believe tens of thousands are currently displaced without access to water, food and health care," he said. "The situation is tense. We don't know what is happening on the ground, so we are monitoring the situation." The nonprofit's clinic in Lukangol was "burned and looted," spokeswoman Emily Linendoll said, adding that its Pibor clinic "has been targeted." The attack on Pibor follows reports last week that Lou Nuer fighters raided Lukangol, burning it to the ground and forcing thousands to flee toward Pibor. At least 50,000 people have fled the violence in the state that began last year, said Quade Hermann, chief of radio at Radio Miraya, a U.N.-backed radio station in South Sudan. She similarly said that the town of Pibor is secure now, though the situation there remains fluid. The people who fled remain scattered, and the United Nations is working on a plan for how to distribute humanitarian aid, Hermann said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week urged the groups to work with the government of South Sudan to find solutions. South Sudan's vice president, Riek Machar, is leading an initiative to bridge the differences between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes, including encouraging the armed groups to disband and go home, the United Nations has said. The violence in Jonglei state is the latest to rock South Sudan, which officially gained its statehood in July after separating from the north.

How many reinforcements were being sent to Pibor?

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Khartoum, Sudan (CNN) -- South Sudan's government has gained control of a remote town that had been under attack by fighters from a rival tribe, the nation's information minister said Monday. Some of the thousands who fled into the bush have begun to return to Pibor, said Barnaba Benjamin, South Sudan's minister of information and broadcasting. Earlier Monday, a military official said that roughly 4,000 army and police reinforcements were on the way to Pibor after weekend attacks. The United Nations also said it sent a battalion of peacekeepers to Pibor last week amid reports that members of the Lou Nuer tribe were marching toward the town, home to the Murle tribe, after attacking the village of Lukangol. Ethnic tensions in the South Sudan state of Jonglei have flared as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights, disagreements that have dissolved into cattle raids and abduction of women and children. Fighters first struck Pibor on Saturday, attacking a portion that was out of the reach of U.N. peacekeepers, said Col. Philip Auger of the South Sudan army. Benjamin said there were no casualties and no direct confrontation between the two tribes there, because most of the Murle had fled when they heard the Lou Nuer were approaching. The nonprofit group Medecins sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, was still trying Monday to reach 117 of its 130 aid workers who fled into the bush along with the populations of Pibor and Lukangol before the attack, said Sarathy Rajendran, head of the group's South Sudan mission. Rajendran said the organization was afraid for its workers' safety and "very concerned" for the people of Pibor and Lukangol. "We believe tens of thousands are currently displaced without access to water, food and health care," he said. "The situation is tense. We don't know what is happening on the ground, so we are monitoring the situation." The nonprofit's clinic in Lukangol was "burned and looted," spokeswoman Emily Linendoll said, adding that its Pibor clinic "has been targeted." The attack on Pibor follows reports last week that Lou Nuer fighters raided Lukangol, burning it to the ground and forcing thousands to flee toward Pibor. At least 50,000 people have fled the violence in the state that began last year, said Quade Hermann, chief of radio at Radio Miraya, a U.N.-backed radio station in South Sudan. She similarly said that the town of Pibor is secure now, though the situation there remains fluid. The people who fled remain scattered, and the United Nations is working on a plan for how to distribute humanitarian aid, Hermann said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week urged the groups to work with the government of South Sudan to find solutions. South Sudan's vice president, Riek Machar, is leading an initiative to bridge the differences between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes, including encouraging the armed groups to disband and go home, the United Nations has said. The violence in Jonglei state is the latest to rock South Sudan, which officially gained its statehood in July after separating from the north.

Who were the attackers?

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Khartoum, Sudan (CNN) -- South Sudan's government has gained control of a remote town that had been under attack by fighters from a rival tribe, the nation's information minister said Monday. Some of the thousands who fled into the bush have begun to return to Pibor, said Barnaba Benjamin, South Sudan's minister of information and broadcasting. Earlier Monday, a military official said that roughly 4,000 army and police reinforcements were on the way to Pibor after weekend attacks. The United Nations also said it sent a battalion of peacekeepers to Pibor last week amid reports that members of the Lou Nuer tribe were marching toward the town, home to the Murle tribe, after attacking the village of Lukangol. Ethnic tensions in the South Sudan state of Jonglei have flared as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights, disagreements that have dissolved into cattle raids and abduction of women and children. Fighters first struck Pibor on Saturday, attacking a portion that was out of the reach of U.N. peacekeepers, said Col. Philip Auger of the South Sudan army. Benjamin said there were no casualties and no direct confrontation between the two tribes there, because most of the Murle had fled when they heard the Lou Nuer were approaching. The nonprofit group Medecins sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, was still trying Monday to reach 117 of its 130 aid workers who fled into the bush along with the populations of Pibor and Lukangol before the attack, said Sarathy Rajendran, head of the group's South Sudan mission. Rajendran said the organization was afraid for its workers' safety and "very concerned" for the people of Pibor and Lukangol. "We believe tens of thousands are currently displaced without access to water, food and health care," he said. "The situation is tense. We don't know what is happening on the ground, so we are monitoring the situation." The nonprofit's clinic in Lukangol was "burned and looted," spokeswoman Emily Linendoll said, adding that its Pibor clinic "has been targeted." The attack on Pibor follows reports last week that Lou Nuer fighters raided Lukangol, burning it to the ground and forcing thousands to flee toward Pibor. At least 50,000 people have fled the violence in the state that began last year, said Quade Hermann, chief of radio at Radio Miraya, a U.N.-backed radio station in South Sudan. She similarly said that the town of Pibor is secure now, though the situation there remains fluid. The people who fled remain scattered, and the United Nations is working on a plan for how to distribute humanitarian aid, Hermann said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week urged the groups to work with the government of South Sudan to find solutions. South Sudan's vice president, Riek Machar, is leading an initiative to bridge the differences between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes, including encouraging the armed groups to disband and go home, the United Nations has said. The violence in Jonglei state is the latest to rock South Sudan, which officially gained its statehood in July after separating from the north.

Who attacked the town?

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Khartoum, Sudan (CNN) -- South Sudan's government has gained control of a remote town that had been under attack by fighters from a rival tribe, the nation's information minister said Monday. Some of the thousands who fled into the bush have begun to return to Pibor, said Barnaba Benjamin, South Sudan's minister of information and broadcasting. Earlier Monday, a military official said that roughly 4,000 army and police reinforcements were on the way to Pibor after weekend attacks. The United Nations also said it sent a battalion of peacekeepers to Pibor last week amid reports that members of the Lou Nuer tribe were marching toward the town, home to the Murle tribe, after attacking the village of Lukangol. Ethnic tensions in the South Sudan state of Jonglei have flared as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights, disagreements that have dissolved into cattle raids and abduction of women and children. Fighters first struck Pibor on Saturday, attacking a portion that was out of the reach of U.N. peacekeepers, said Col. Philip Auger of the South Sudan army. Benjamin said there were no casualties and no direct confrontation between the two tribes there, because most of the Murle had fled when they heard the Lou Nuer were approaching. The nonprofit group Medecins sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, was still trying Monday to reach 117 of its 130 aid workers who fled into the bush along with the populations of Pibor and Lukangol before the attack, said Sarathy Rajendran, head of the group's South Sudan mission. Rajendran said the organization was afraid for its workers' safety and "very concerned" for the people of Pibor and Lukangol. "We believe tens of thousands are currently displaced without access to water, food and health care," he said. "The situation is tense. We don't know what is happening on the ground, so we are monitoring the situation." The nonprofit's clinic in Lukangol was "burned and looted," spokeswoman Emily Linendoll said, adding that its Pibor clinic "has been targeted." The attack on Pibor follows reports last week that Lou Nuer fighters raided Lukangol, burning it to the ground and forcing thousands to flee toward Pibor. At least 50,000 people have fled the violence in the state that began last year, said Quade Hermann, chief of radio at Radio Miraya, a U.N.-backed radio station in South Sudan. She similarly said that the town of Pibor is secure now, though the situation there remains fluid. The people who fled remain scattered, and the United Nations is working on a plan for how to distribute humanitarian aid, Hermann said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week urged the groups to work with the government of South Sudan to find solutions. South Sudan's vice president, Riek Machar, is leading an initiative to bridge the differences between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes, including encouraging the armed groups to disband and go home, the United Nations has said. The violence in Jonglei state is the latest to rock South Sudan, which officially gained its statehood in July after separating from the north.

How many people fled from Jonglei?

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Khartoum, Sudan (CNN) -- South Sudan's government has gained control of a remote town that had been under attack by fighters from a rival tribe, the nation's information minister said Monday. Some of the thousands who fled into the bush have begun to return to Pibor, said Barnaba Benjamin, South Sudan's minister of information and broadcasting. Earlier Monday, a military official said that roughly 4,000 army and police reinforcements were on the way to Pibor after weekend attacks. The United Nations also said it sent a battalion of peacekeepers to Pibor last week amid reports that members of the Lou Nuer tribe were marching toward the town, home to the Murle tribe, after attacking the village of Lukangol. Ethnic tensions in the South Sudan state of Jonglei have flared as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights, disagreements that have dissolved into cattle raids and abduction of women and children. Fighters first struck Pibor on Saturday, attacking a portion that was out of the reach of U.N. peacekeepers, said Col. Philip Auger of the South Sudan army. Benjamin said there were no casualties and no direct confrontation between the two tribes there, because most of the Murle had fled when they heard the Lou Nuer were approaching. The nonprofit group Medecins sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, was still trying Monday to reach 117 of its 130 aid workers who fled into the bush along with the populations of Pibor and Lukangol before the attack, said Sarathy Rajendran, head of the group's South Sudan mission. Rajendran said the organization was afraid for its workers' safety and "very concerned" for the people of Pibor and Lukangol. "We believe tens of thousands are currently displaced without access to water, food and health care," he said. "The situation is tense. We don't know what is happening on the ground, so we are monitoring the situation." The nonprofit's clinic in Lukangol was "burned and looted," spokeswoman Emily Linendoll said, adding that its Pibor clinic "has been targeted." The attack on Pibor follows reports last week that Lou Nuer fighters raided Lukangol, burning it to the ground and forcing thousands to flee toward Pibor. At least 50,000 people have fled the violence in the state that began last year, said Quade Hermann, chief of radio at Radio Miraya, a U.N.-backed radio station in South Sudan. She similarly said that the town of Pibor is secure now, though the situation there remains fluid. The people who fled remain scattered, and the United Nations is working on a plan for how to distribute humanitarian aid, Hermann said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week urged the groups to work with the government of South Sudan to find solutions. South Sudan's vice president, Riek Machar, is leading an initiative to bridge the differences between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes, including encouraging the armed groups to disband and go home, the United Nations has said. The violence in Jonglei state is the latest to rock South Sudan, which officially gained its statehood in July after separating from the north.

How many people fled the violence in Jonglei?

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Khartoum, Sudan (CNN) -- South Sudan's government has gained control of a remote town that had been under attack by fighters from a rival tribe, the nation's information minister said Monday. Some of the thousands who fled into the bush have begun to return to Pibor, said Barnaba Benjamin, South Sudan's minister of information and broadcasting. Earlier Monday, a military official said that roughly 4,000 army and police reinforcements were on the way to Pibor after weekend attacks. The United Nations also said it sent a battalion of peacekeepers to Pibor last week amid reports that members of the Lou Nuer tribe were marching toward the town, home to the Murle tribe, after attacking the village of Lukangol. Ethnic tensions in the South Sudan state of Jonglei have flared as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights, disagreements that have dissolved into cattle raids and abduction of women and children. Fighters first struck Pibor on Saturday, attacking a portion that was out of the reach of U.N. peacekeepers, said Col. Philip Auger of the South Sudan army. Benjamin said there were no casualties and no direct confrontation between the two tribes there, because most of the Murle had fled when they heard the Lou Nuer were approaching. The nonprofit group Medecins sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, was still trying Monday to reach 117 of its 130 aid workers who fled into the bush along with the populations of Pibor and Lukangol before the attack, said Sarathy Rajendran, head of the group's South Sudan mission. Rajendran said the organization was afraid for its workers' safety and "very concerned" for the people of Pibor and Lukangol. "We believe tens of thousands are currently displaced without access to water, food and health care," he said. "The situation is tense. We don't know what is happening on the ground, so we are monitoring the situation." The nonprofit's clinic in Lukangol was "burned and looted," spokeswoman Emily Linendoll said, adding that its Pibor clinic "has been targeted." The attack on Pibor follows reports last week that Lou Nuer fighters raided Lukangol, burning it to the ground and forcing thousands to flee toward Pibor. At least 50,000 people have fled the violence in the state that began last year, said Quade Hermann, chief of radio at Radio Miraya, a U.N.-backed radio station in South Sudan. She similarly said that the town of Pibor is secure now, though the situation there remains fluid. The people who fled remain scattered, and the United Nations is working on a plan for how to distribute humanitarian aid, Hermann said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week urged the groups to work with the government of South Sudan to find solutions. South Sudan's vice president, Riek Machar, is leading an initiative to bridge the differences between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes, including encouraging the armed groups to disband and go home, the United Nations has said. The violence in Jonglei state is the latest to rock South Sudan, which officially gained its statehood in July after separating from the north.

Where did they flee from?

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Khartoum, Sudan (CNN) -- South Sudan's government has gained control of a remote town that had been under attack by fighters from a rival tribe, the nation's information minister said Monday. Some of the thousands who fled into the bush have begun to return to Pibor, said Barnaba Benjamin, South Sudan's minister of information and broadcasting. Earlier Monday, a military official said that roughly 4,000 army and police reinforcements were on the way to Pibor after weekend attacks. The United Nations also said it sent a battalion of peacekeepers to Pibor last week amid reports that members of the Lou Nuer tribe were marching toward the town, home to the Murle tribe, after attacking the village of Lukangol. Ethnic tensions in the South Sudan state of Jonglei have flared as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights, disagreements that have dissolved into cattle raids and abduction of women and children. Fighters first struck Pibor on Saturday, attacking a portion that was out of the reach of U.N. peacekeepers, said Col. Philip Auger of the South Sudan army. Benjamin said there were no casualties and no direct confrontation between the two tribes there, because most of the Murle had fled when they heard the Lou Nuer were approaching. The nonprofit group Medecins sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, was still trying Monday to reach 117 of its 130 aid workers who fled into the bush along with the populations of Pibor and Lukangol before the attack, said Sarathy Rajendran, head of the group's South Sudan mission. Rajendran said the organization was afraid for its workers' safety and "very concerned" for the people of Pibor and Lukangol. "We believe tens of thousands are currently displaced without access to water, food and health care," he said. "The situation is tense. We don't know what is happening on the ground, so we are monitoring the situation." The nonprofit's clinic in Lukangol was "burned and looted," spokeswoman Emily Linendoll said, adding that its Pibor clinic "has been targeted." The attack on Pibor follows reports last week that Lou Nuer fighters raided Lukangol, burning it to the ground and forcing thousands to flee toward Pibor. At least 50,000 people have fled the violence in the state that began last year, said Quade Hermann, chief of radio at Radio Miraya, a U.N.-backed radio station in South Sudan. She similarly said that the town of Pibor is secure now, though the situation there remains fluid. The people who fled remain scattered, and the United Nations is working on a plan for how to distribute humanitarian aid, Hermann said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week urged the groups to work with the government of South Sudan to find solutions. South Sudan's vice president, Riek Machar, is leading an initiative to bridge the differences between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes, including encouraging the armed groups to disband and go home, the United Nations has said. The violence in Jonglei state is the latest to rock South Sudan, which officially gained its statehood in July after separating from the north.

Where have they returned to?

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(CNN) -- Barack Obama has talked of ripping out the White House bowling alley and replacing it with a basketball court. The former reserve player for Punahou High School's 1979 state championship team brings an enthusiasm for pickup basketball games to a place where golf, baseball and football have been the most-discussed sports. Reggie Miller says he'd pick Barack Obama for his squad because he likes the president-elect's team approach. And if he puts hoops in the White House, Reggie Miller, the retired basketball star and sports broadcaster, wants in. "I would love to be the first to go there and play," said Miller, whose record-breaking 2,560 three-pointers with the Indiana Pacers electrified basketball fans. Today Miller, 43, is an NBA analyst for TNT, which is owned by Turner Broadcasting, parent company of CNN. Miller and others have said Obama's playing style yields clues to the type of president he will be. Miller, who said he backed Obama in the election, spoke Monday to CNN.com. iReport.com: What would you like to ask Obama? CNN: Do you know Barack Obama? Reggie Miller: I have never met him personally, but from afar, obviously I admire the man and the courage and the strength, the wisdom. I respect how much of a family man he is. CNN: Where does basketball fit in your view of Barack Obama? Miller: It seems like he has a regular pickup game, which I like because as a ballplayer, you like to do the same routine. ... He plays with the same guys, he likes to get a good sweat in. ... When you get a good workout in, you feel good for the rest of the day. It helps clear the mind. CNN: He's a left-hander; he likes to fake right and go to the left? Miller: I've seen clips of his Punahou [high school] days, when he played in Hawaii, and I saw that HBO special with Bryant Gumbel when they had that informal game. ... He is a point guard, and most point guards are right-handed, so it would be definitely be difficult to guard a point guard that was left-handed. And in that [HBO] clip, I loved his decision-making, because it looked like he tried to get everyone involved, until it was game point and it was tied up. Obviously, the commander in chief decides the game [Obama made the winning shot], and I like it. I think that trickles down into, you let your colonels, your generals do all the little work, but when it's time to make the big decision and win the game -- then it's the commander in chief, top dog, numero uno. But I will say this, if I was playing against him in a pickup game, I would definitely force him right because it looks like he loves to go left. CNN: Does he remind you of anyone you played against? Miller: Well, it's funny because you don't play against a lot of left-handed point guards. Greg Anthony of the Knicks, a left-handed point guard from UNLV. ... [Nate] "Tiny" Archibald, I believe he was left-handed as well. CNN: From what you've seen, how good a player is Obama? Miller: I would not mind picking him up on my squad; if there were 10 guys and we had to pick, he could definitely be in my squad. Because he knows what his strength is -- making sure that everyone gets involved, and that's the kind of point guard I want. Those are guys like Magic Johnson, Mark Jackson, John Stockton, it's not all about them; it's about let's make sure our team is good. He's going to get the ball to everyone. CNN: Speaking of being commander in chief, what are the lessons that you take away from Obama's basketball that you think would

Who does Obama try to involve?

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(CNN) -- Barack Obama has talked of ripping out the White House bowling alley and replacing it with a basketball court. The former reserve player for Punahou High School's 1979 state championship team brings an enthusiasm for pickup basketball games to a place where golf, baseball and football have been the most-discussed sports. Reggie Miller says he'd pick Barack Obama for his squad because he likes the president-elect's team approach. And if he puts hoops in the White House, Reggie Miller, the retired basketball star and sports broadcaster, wants in. "I would love to be the first to go there and play," said Miller, whose record-breaking 2,560 three-pointers with the Indiana Pacers electrified basketball fans. Today Miller, 43, is an NBA analyst for TNT, which is owned by Turner Broadcasting, parent company of CNN. Miller and others have said Obama's playing style yields clues to the type of president he will be. Miller, who said he backed Obama in the election, spoke Monday to CNN.com. iReport.com: What would you like to ask Obama? CNN: Do you know Barack Obama? Reggie Miller: I have never met him personally, but from afar, obviously I admire the man and the courage and the strength, the wisdom. I respect how much of a family man he is. CNN: Where does basketball fit in your view of Barack Obama? Miller: It seems like he has a regular pickup game, which I like because as a ballplayer, you like to do the same routine. ... He plays with the same guys, he likes to get a good sweat in. ... When you get a good workout in, you feel good for the rest of the day. It helps clear the mind. CNN: He's a left-hander; he likes to fake right and go to the left? Miller: I've seen clips of his Punahou [high school] days, when he played in Hawaii, and I saw that HBO special with Bryant Gumbel when they had that informal game. ... He is a point guard, and most point guards are right-handed, so it would be definitely be difficult to guard a point guard that was left-handed. And in that [HBO] clip, I loved his decision-making, because it looked like he tried to get everyone involved, until it was game point and it was tied up. Obviously, the commander in chief decides the game [Obama made the winning shot], and I like it. I think that trickles down into, you let your colonels, your generals do all the little work, but when it's time to make the big decision and win the game -- then it's the commander in chief, top dog, numero uno. But I will say this, if I was playing against him in a pickup game, I would definitely force him right because it looks like he loves to go left. CNN: Does he remind you of anyone you played against? Miller: Well, it's funny because you don't play against a lot of left-handed point guards. Greg Anthony of the Knicks, a left-handed point guard from UNLV. ... [Nate] "Tiny" Archibald, I believe he was left-handed as well. CNN: From what you've seen, how good a player is Obama? Miller: I would not mind picking him up on my squad; if there were 10 guys and we had to pick, he could definitely be in my squad. Because he knows what his strength is -- making sure that everyone gets involved, and that's the kind of point guard I want. Those are guys like Magic Johnson, Mark Jackson, John Stockton, it's not all about them; it's about let's make sure our team is good. He's going to get the ball to everyone. CNN: Speaking of being commander in chief, what are the lessons that you take away from Obama's basketball that you think would

who does Obama try and include

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(CNN) -- Barack Obama has talked of ripping out the White House bowling alley and replacing it with a basketball court. The former reserve player for Punahou High School's 1979 state championship team brings an enthusiasm for pickup basketball games to a place where golf, baseball and football have been the most-discussed sports. Reggie Miller says he'd pick Barack Obama for his squad because he likes the president-elect's team approach. And if he puts hoops in the White House, Reggie Miller, the retired basketball star and sports broadcaster, wants in. "I would love to be the first to go there and play," said Miller, whose record-breaking 2,560 three-pointers with the Indiana Pacers electrified basketball fans. Today Miller, 43, is an NBA analyst for TNT, which is owned by Turner Broadcasting, parent company of CNN. Miller and others have said Obama's playing style yields clues to the type of president he will be. Miller, who said he backed Obama in the election, spoke Monday to CNN.com. iReport.com: What would you like to ask Obama? CNN: Do you know Barack Obama? Reggie Miller: I have never met him personally, but from afar, obviously I admire the man and the courage and the strength, the wisdom. I respect how much of a family man he is. CNN: Where does basketball fit in your view of Barack Obama? Miller: It seems like he has a regular pickup game, which I like because as a ballplayer, you like to do the same routine. ... He plays with the same guys, he likes to get a good sweat in. ... When you get a good workout in, you feel good for the rest of the day. It helps clear the mind. CNN: He's a left-hander; he likes to fake right and go to the left? Miller: I've seen clips of his Punahou [high school] days, when he played in Hawaii, and I saw that HBO special with Bryant Gumbel when they had that informal game. ... He is a point guard, and most point guards are right-handed, so it would be definitely be difficult to guard a point guard that was left-handed. And in that [HBO] clip, I loved his decision-making, because it looked like he tried to get everyone involved, until it was game point and it was tied up. Obviously, the commander in chief decides the game [Obama made the winning shot], and I like it. I think that trickles down into, you let your colonels, your generals do all the little work, but when it's time to make the big decision and win the game -- then it's the commander in chief, top dog, numero uno. But I will say this, if I was playing against him in a pickup game, I would definitely force him right because it looks like he loves to go left. CNN: Does he remind you of anyone you played against? Miller: Well, it's funny because you don't play against a lot of left-handed point guards. Greg Anthony of the Knicks, a left-handed point guard from UNLV. ... [Nate] "Tiny" Archibald, I believe he was left-handed as well. CNN: From what you've seen, how good a player is Obama? Miller: I would not mind picking him up on my squad; if there were 10 guys and we had to pick, he could definitely be in my squad. Because he knows what his strength is -- making sure that everyone gets involved, and that's the kind of point guard I want. Those are guys like Magic Johnson, Mark Jackson, John Stockton, it's not all about them; it's about let's make sure our team is good. He's going to get the ball to everyone. CNN: Speaking of being commander in chief, what are the lessons that you take away from Obama's basketball that you think would

Whose basketball style offers clues to his leadership?

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(CNN) -- Barack Obama has talked of ripping out the White House bowling alley and replacing it with a basketball court. The former reserve player for Punahou High School's 1979 state championship team brings an enthusiasm for pickup basketball games to a place where golf, baseball and football have been the most-discussed sports. Reggie Miller says he'd pick Barack Obama for his squad because he likes the president-elect's team approach. And if he puts hoops in the White House, Reggie Miller, the retired basketball star and sports broadcaster, wants in. "I would love to be the first to go there and play," said Miller, whose record-breaking 2,560 three-pointers with the Indiana Pacers electrified basketball fans. Today Miller, 43, is an NBA analyst for TNT, which is owned by Turner Broadcasting, parent company of CNN. Miller and others have said Obama's playing style yields clues to the type of president he will be. Miller, who said he backed Obama in the election, spoke Monday to CNN.com. iReport.com: What would you like to ask Obama? CNN: Do you know Barack Obama? Reggie Miller: I have never met him personally, but from afar, obviously I admire the man and the courage and the strength, the wisdom. I respect how much of a family man he is. CNN: Where does basketball fit in your view of Barack Obama? Miller: It seems like he has a regular pickup game, which I like because as a ballplayer, you like to do the same routine. ... He plays with the same guys, he likes to get a good sweat in. ... When you get a good workout in, you feel good for the rest of the day. It helps clear the mind. CNN: He's a left-hander; he likes to fake right and go to the left? Miller: I've seen clips of his Punahou [high school] days, when he played in Hawaii, and I saw that HBO special with Bryant Gumbel when they had that informal game. ... He is a point guard, and most point guards are right-handed, so it would be definitely be difficult to guard a point guard that was left-handed. And in that [HBO] clip, I loved his decision-making, because it looked like he tried to get everyone involved, until it was game point and it was tied up. Obviously, the commander in chief decides the game [Obama made the winning shot], and I like it. I think that trickles down into, you let your colonels, your generals do all the little work, but when it's time to make the big decision and win the game -- then it's the commander in chief, top dog, numero uno. But I will say this, if I was playing against him in a pickup game, I would definitely force him right because it looks like he loves to go left. CNN: Does he remind you of anyone you played against? Miller: Well, it's funny because you don't play against a lot of left-handed point guards. Greg Anthony of the Knicks, a left-handed point guard from UNLV. ... [Nate] "Tiny" Archibald, I believe he was left-handed as well. CNN: From what you've seen, how good a player is Obama? Miller: I would not mind picking him up on my squad; if there were 10 guys and we had to pick, he could definitely be in my squad. Because he knows what his strength is -- making sure that everyone gets involved, and that's the kind of point guard I want. Those are guys like Magic Johnson, Mark Jackson, John Stockton, it's not all about them; it's about let's make sure our team is good. He's going to get the ball to everyone. CNN: Speaking of being commander in chief, what are the lessons that you take away from Obama's basketball that you think would

what offers clues to Obama's leadership style

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(CNN) -- Bayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign Croatian international striker Ivica Olic from Bundesliga rivals Hamburg, the German champions have revealed on their official Web site fcbayern.de. Olic will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season after proving a success in his time at Hamburg. "We've struck an agreement to sign Olic at the end of the season. All we need now are the signatures under the contract," said Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness following the team's arrival at a winter training camp in Dubai. Olic will complete his move on a free transfer on July 1 and will sign a three-year contract binding him to the club until 2012. "I'll do everything I can to mark my departure from Hamburg with a trophy," the 29-year-old Olic vowed on Friday, as he and his team-mates prepared for a winter training camp almost exactly parallel to Bayern's in Dubai. The two teams will meet on January 30 in Hamburg in a match marking the official start of the second half of the Bundesliga season. Olic joined Hamburg from CSKA Moscow in January 2007 having won three league titles and the UEFA Cup in Russia. He has already scored 12 goals this season and has netted 11 times in 61 internationals for Croatia. "We're certain Ivica will be a perfect compliment to our strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose. One pleasing aspect is that he is out of contract at the end of the season," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last month.

Who rivals Hamburg?

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(CNN) -- Bayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign Croatian international striker Ivica Olic from Bundesliga rivals Hamburg, the German champions have revealed on their official Web site fcbayern.de. Olic will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season after proving a success in his time at Hamburg. "We've struck an agreement to sign Olic at the end of the season. All we need now are the signatures under the contract," said Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness following the team's arrival at a winter training camp in Dubai. Olic will complete his move on a free transfer on July 1 and will sign a three-year contract binding him to the club until 2012. "I'll do everything I can to mark my departure from Hamburg with a trophy," the 29-year-old Olic vowed on Friday, as he and his team-mates prepared for a winter training camp almost exactly parallel to Bayern's in Dubai. The two teams will meet on January 30 in Hamburg in a match marking the official start of the second half of the Bundesliga season. Olic joined Hamburg from CSKA Moscow in January 2007 having won three league titles and the UEFA Cup in Russia. He has already scored 12 goals this season and has netted 11 times in 61 internationals for Croatia. "We're certain Ivica will be a perfect compliment to our strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose. One pleasing aspect is that he is out of contract at the end of the season," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last month.

What player did Bayern Munich agree to sign?

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(CNN) -- Bayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign Croatian international striker Ivica Olic from Bundesliga rivals Hamburg, the German champions have revealed on their official Web site fcbayern.de. Olic will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season after proving a success in his time at Hamburg. "We've struck an agreement to sign Olic at the end of the season. All we need now are the signatures under the contract," said Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness following the team's arrival at a winter training camp in Dubai. Olic will complete his move on a free transfer on July 1 and will sign a three-year contract binding him to the club until 2012. "I'll do everything I can to mark my departure from Hamburg with a trophy," the 29-year-old Olic vowed on Friday, as he and his team-mates prepared for a winter training camp almost exactly parallel to Bayern's in Dubai. The two teams will meet on January 30 in Hamburg in a match marking the official start of the second half of the Bundesliga season. Olic joined Hamburg from CSKA Moscow in January 2007 having won three league titles and the UEFA Cup in Russia. He has already scored 12 goals this season and has netted 11 times in 61 internationals for Croatia. "We're certain Ivica will be a perfect compliment to our strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose. One pleasing aspect is that he is out of contract at the end of the season," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last month.

Who agrees to make a deal?

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(CNN) -- Bayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign Croatian international striker Ivica Olic from Bundesliga rivals Hamburg, the German champions have revealed on their official Web site fcbayern.de. Olic will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season after proving a success in his time at Hamburg. "We've struck an agreement to sign Olic at the end of the season. All we need now are the signatures under the contract," said Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness following the team's arrival at a winter training camp in Dubai. Olic will complete his move on a free transfer on July 1 and will sign a three-year contract binding him to the club until 2012. "I'll do everything I can to mark my departure from Hamburg with a trophy," the 29-year-old Olic vowed on Friday, as he and his team-mates prepared for a winter training camp almost exactly parallel to Bayern's in Dubai. The two teams will meet on January 30 in Hamburg in a match marking the official start of the second half of the Bundesliga season. Olic joined Hamburg from CSKA Moscow in January 2007 having won three league titles and the UEFA Cup in Russia. He has already scored 12 goals this season and has netted 11 times in 61 internationals for Croatia. "We're certain Ivica will be a perfect compliment to our strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose. One pleasing aspect is that he is out of contract at the end of the season," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last month.

How old is Ivica Olic?

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(CNN) -- Bayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign Croatian international striker Ivica Olic from Bundesliga rivals Hamburg, the German champions have revealed on their official Web site fcbayern.de. Olic will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season after proving a success in his time at Hamburg. "We've struck an agreement to sign Olic at the end of the season. All we need now are the signatures under the contract," said Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness following the team's arrival at a winter training camp in Dubai. Olic will complete his move on a free transfer on July 1 and will sign a three-year contract binding him to the club until 2012. "I'll do everything I can to mark my departure from Hamburg with a trophy," the 29-year-old Olic vowed on Friday, as he and his team-mates prepared for a winter training camp almost exactly parallel to Bayern's in Dubai. The two teams will meet on January 30 in Hamburg in a match marking the official start of the second half of the Bundesliga season. Olic joined Hamburg from CSKA Moscow in January 2007 having won three league titles and the UEFA Cup in Russia. He has already scored 12 goals this season and has netted 11 times in 61 internationals for Croatia. "We're certain Ivica will be a perfect compliment to our strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose. One pleasing aspect is that he is out of contract at the end of the season," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last month.

Who will join?

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(CNN) -- Bayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign Croatian international striker Ivica Olic from Bundesliga rivals Hamburg, the German champions have revealed on their official Web site fcbayern.de. Olic will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season after proving a success in his time at Hamburg. "We've struck an agreement to sign Olic at the end of the season. All we need now are the signatures under the contract," said Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness following the team's arrival at a winter training camp in Dubai. Olic will complete his move on a free transfer on July 1 and will sign a three-year contract binding him to the club until 2012. "I'll do everything I can to mark my departure from Hamburg with a trophy," the 29-year-old Olic vowed on Friday, as he and his team-mates prepared for a winter training camp almost exactly parallel to Bayern's in Dubai. The two teams will meet on January 30 in Hamburg in a match marking the official start of the second half of the Bundesliga season. Olic joined Hamburg from CSKA Moscow in January 2007 having won three league titles and the UEFA Cup in Russia. He has already scored 12 goals this season and has netted 11 times in 61 internationals for Croatia. "We're certain Ivica will be a perfect compliment to our strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose. One pleasing aspect is that he is out of contract at the end of the season," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last month.

Who agreed to a deal?

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(CNN) -- Bayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign Croatian international striker Ivica Olic from Bundesliga rivals Hamburg, the German champions have revealed on their official Web site fcbayern.de. Olic will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season after proving a success in his time at Hamburg. "We've struck an agreement to sign Olic at the end of the season. All we need now are the signatures under the contract," said Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness following the team's arrival at a winter training camp in Dubai. Olic will complete his move on a free transfer on July 1 and will sign a three-year contract binding him to the club until 2012. "I'll do everything I can to mark my departure from Hamburg with a trophy," the 29-year-old Olic vowed on Friday, as he and his team-mates prepared for a winter training camp almost exactly parallel to Bayern's in Dubai. The two teams will meet on January 30 in Hamburg in a match marking the official start of the second half of the Bundesliga season. Olic joined Hamburg from CSKA Moscow in January 2007 having won three league titles and the UEFA Cup in Russia. He has already scored 12 goals this season and has netted 11 times in 61 internationals for Croatia. "We're certain Ivica will be a perfect compliment to our strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose. One pleasing aspect is that he is out of contract at the end of the season," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last month.

What is the length of his contract with Bayern?

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(CNN) -- Bayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign Croatian international striker Ivica Olic from Bundesliga rivals Hamburg, the German champions have revealed on their official Web site fcbayern.de. Olic will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season after proving a success in his time at Hamburg. "We've struck an agreement to sign Olic at the end of the season. All we need now are the signatures under the contract," said Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness following the team's arrival at a winter training camp in Dubai. Olic will complete his move on a free transfer on July 1 and will sign a three-year contract binding him to the club until 2012. "I'll do everything I can to mark my departure from Hamburg with a trophy," the 29-year-old Olic vowed on Friday, as he and his team-mates prepared for a winter training camp almost exactly parallel to Bayern's in Dubai. The two teams will meet on January 30 in Hamburg in a match marking the official start of the second half of the Bundesliga season. Olic joined Hamburg from CSKA Moscow in January 2007 having won three league titles and the UEFA Cup in Russia. He has already scored 12 goals this season and has netted 11 times in 61 internationals for Croatia. "We're certain Ivica will be a perfect compliment to our strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose. One pleasing aspect is that he is out of contract at the end of the season," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last month.

What position does Olic play?

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(CNN) -- Bayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign Croatian international striker Ivica Olic from Bundesliga rivals Hamburg, the German champions have revealed on their official Web site fcbayern.de. Olic will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season after proving a success in his time at Hamburg. "We've struck an agreement to sign Olic at the end of the season. All we need now are the signatures under the contract," said Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness following the team's arrival at a winter training camp in Dubai. Olic will complete his move on a free transfer on July 1 and will sign a three-year contract binding him to the club until 2012. "I'll do everything I can to mark my departure from Hamburg with a trophy," the 29-year-old Olic vowed on Friday, as he and his team-mates prepared for a winter training camp almost exactly parallel to Bayern's in Dubai. The two teams will meet on January 30 in Hamburg in a match marking the official start of the second half of the Bundesliga season. Olic joined Hamburg from CSKA Moscow in January 2007 having won three league titles and the UEFA Cup in Russia. He has already scored 12 goals this season and has netted 11 times in 61 internationals for Croatia. "We're certain Ivica will be a perfect compliment to our strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose. One pleasing aspect is that he is out of contract at the end of the season," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last month.

Will it cost a fee?

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(CNN) -- Clouds of black smoke from burning plastic hang over the sites of Nigeria's vast dumps, as tiny figures pick their way through slicks of oily water, past cracked PC monitors and television screens. Toxins from dumped electronics in developing countries has been seen as a growing problem. But it isn't just a cut from broken glass these mainly young scavengers are risking. Much of the discarded electronic kit contains tiny -- but valuable -- quantities of aluminum, copper, cadmium and other minerals, all of which can be sold on, if they can be recovered. However they also contain highly toxic materials, which have been linked to reproductive problems and cancers. "People living and working on and around the dump sites, many of whom are children, are exposed to a cocktail of dangerous chemicals that can cause severe damage to health, including cancer, damage to the nervous system and to brain development in children," Kim Schoppink, Toxics Campaigner at Greenpeace, told CNN. "The open burning creates even more hazardous chemicals among which are cancerous dioxins." No studies have been done on the extent of the chemical pollution of such sites in Nigeria, but in 2008 a Greenpeace report on similar dumps in nearby Ghana confirmed that high levels of lead, phthalates and dioxins were present in soils and the water of a nearby lagoon. A Chinese academic report published in "Environmental Health Perspectives" in 2007 confirmed that children living in the same area had higher levels of toxic metals in their blood than other children living nearby. There is increasing evidence that this new health and environment problem is arriving in shipping containers from Western countries. Nigeria is one of the principal global destinations for "e-waste" -- the catch-all term for discarded consumer electronics. Some of this may have been legitimately handed in to be recycled in an EU or U.S. city, but lax enforcement, vague legislation and a lack of political will has meant that it instead passes through a network of traders keen to profit from developing countries' hunger for hi-tech and a burgeoning second hand market. According to the United Nations Environment Program around 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste are generated worldwide each year. In 2008 a Greenpeace study, "Not in My Backyard", found that in Europe only 25 percent of the e-waste was recycled safely. In the U.S. it is only 20 percent and in developing countries it is less than one percent. Extrapolating out from these figures the report concluded that a massive 80 percent of e-waste generated worldwide is not properly recycled. Some is burnt in Western incinerators or buried in landfill sites. But much is exported to developing countries including India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria and Ghana. When it arrives, a further percentage may be repaired and sold on to populations desperate for affordable technology. But anything beyond the skills of local traders will end up dumped. It's a profitable business, and is already attracting the attention of organized crime. A report issued by the United Nations in July said that the criminal gangs behind much of the drug trade in West Africa were becoming involved with e-waste trading. The volume of material on the move is staggering. In 2005, more than 500 containers full of e-waste entered Nigerian ports every month, according to the Basel Action Network, a U.S. NGO campaigning on issues surrounding toxic waste. Each one contains 10 to 15 tons of e-waste, totaling 60,000 to 90,000 tons per year. These figures are likely to have increased in recent years. There seems little doubt that much of this waste is finding its way to Africa from Western countries. The Basel Action Network and Dutch NGO Danwatch have traced equipment from Europe to Nigerian dumps and earlier this year Greenpeace placed a radio tracking device in a broken TV handed in for safe recycling in the UK, but followed it to a Nigerian market. "Greenpeace is disappointed especially by U.S. and EU authorities," said Schoppink. "It is toxic waste from the U.S. and EU countries that is causing serious environmental and health problems

What was involved in e-waste trading according to UN report in July?

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(CNN) -- Clouds of black smoke from burning plastic hang over the sites of Nigeria's vast dumps, as tiny figures pick their way through slicks of oily water, past cracked PC monitors and television screens. Toxins from dumped electronics in developing countries has been seen as a growing problem. But it isn't just a cut from broken glass these mainly young scavengers are risking. Much of the discarded electronic kit contains tiny -- but valuable -- quantities of aluminum, copper, cadmium and other minerals, all of which can be sold on, if they can be recovered. However they also contain highly toxic materials, which have been linked to reproductive problems and cancers. "People living and working on and around the dump sites, many of whom are children, are exposed to a cocktail of dangerous chemicals that can cause severe damage to health, including cancer, damage to the nervous system and to brain development in children," Kim Schoppink, Toxics Campaigner at Greenpeace, told CNN. "The open burning creates even more hazardous chemicals among which are cancerous dioxins." No studies have been done on the extent of the chemical pollution of such sites in Nigeria, but in 2008 a Greenpeace report on similar dumps in nearby Ghana confirmed that high levels of lead, phthalates and dioxins were present in soils and the water of a nearby lagoon. A Chinese academic report published in "Environmental Health Perspectives" in 2007 confirmed that children living in the same area had higher levels of toxic metals in their blood than other children living nearby. There is increasing evidence that this new health and environment problem is arriving in shipping containers from Western countries. Nigeria is one of the principal global destinations for "e-waste" -- the catch-all term for discarded consumer electronics. Some of this may have been legitimately handed in to be recycled in an EU or U.S. city, but lax enforcement, vague legislation and a lack of political will has meant that it instead passes through a network of traders keen to profit from developing countries' hunger for hi-tech and a burgeoning second hand market. According to the United Nations Environment Program around 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste are generated worldwide each year. In 2008 a Greenpeace study, "Not in My Backyard", found that in Europe only 25 percent of the e-waste was recycled safely. In the U.S. it is only 20 percent and in developing countries it is less than one percent. Extrapolating out from these figures the report concluded that a massive 80 percent of e-waste generated worldwide is not properly recycled. Some is burnt in Western incinerators or buried in landfill sites. But much is exported to developing countries including India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria and Ghana. When it arrives, a further percentage may be repaired and sold on to populations desperate for affordable technology. But anything beyond the skills of local traders will end up dumped. It's a profitable business, and is already attracting the attention of organized crime. A report issued by the United Nations in July said that the criminal gangs behind much of the drug trade in West Africa were becoming involved with e-waste trading. The volume of material on the move is staggering. In 2005, more than 500 containers full of e-waste entered Nigerian ports every month, according to the Basel Action Network, a U.S. NGO campaigning on issues surrounding toxic waste. Each one contains 10 to 15 tons of e-waste, totaling 60,000 to 90,000 tons per year. These figures are likely to have increased in recent years. There seems little doubt that much of this waste is finding its way to Africa from Western countries. The Basel Action Network and Dutch NGO Danwatch have traced equipment from Europe to Nigerian dumps and earlier this year Greenpeace placed a radio tracking device in a broken TV handed in for safe recycling in the UK, but followed it to a Nigerian market. "Greenpeace is disappointed especially by U.S. and EU authorities," said Schoppink. "It is toxic waste from the U.S. and EU countries that is causing serious environmental and health problems

What is creating health and environment problems?

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(CNN) -- Clouds of black smoke from burning plastic hang over the sites of Nigeria's vast dumps, as tiny figures pick their way through slicks of oily water, past cracked PC monitors and television screens. Toxins from dumped electronics in developing countries has been seen as a growing problem. But it isn't just a cut from broken glass these mainly young scavengers are risking. Much of the discarded electronic kit contains tiny -- but valuable -- quantities of aluminum, copper, cadmium and other minerals, all of which can be sold on, if they can be recovered. However they also contain highly toxic materials, which have been linked to reproductive problems and cancers. "People living and working on and around the dump sites, many of whom are children, are exposed to a cocktail of dangerous chemicals that can cause severe damage to health, including cancer, damage to the nervous system and to brain development in children," Kim Schoppink, Toxics Campaigner at Greenpeace, told CNN. "The open burning creates even more hazardous chemicals among which are cancerous dioxins." No studies have been done on the extent of the chemical pollution of such sites in Nigeria, but in 2008 a Greenpeace report on similar dumps in nearby Ghana confirmed that high levels of lead, phthalates and dioxins were present in soils and the water of a nearby lagoon. A Chinese academic report published in "Environmental Health Perspectives" in 2007 confirmed that children living in the same area had higher levels of toxic metals in their blood than other children living nearby. There is increasing evidence that this new health and environment problem is arriving in shipping containers from Western countries. Nigeria is one of the principal global destinations for "e-waste" -- the catch-all term for discarded consumer electronics. Some of this may have been legitimately handed in to be recycled in an EU or U.S. city, but lax enforcement, vague legislation and a lack of political will has meant that it instead passes through a network of traders keen to profit from developing countries' hunger for hi-tech and a burgeoning second hand market. According to the United Nations Environment Program around 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste are generated worldwide each year. In 2008 a Greenpeace study, "Not in My Backyard", found that in Europe only 25 percent of the e-waste was recycled safely. In the U.S. it is only 20 percent and in developing countries it is less than one percent. Extrapolating out from these figures the report concluded that a massive 80 percent of e-waste generated worldwide is not properly recycled. Some is burnt in Western incinerators or buried in landfill sites. But much is exported to developing countries including India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria and Ghana. When it arrives, a further percentage may be repaired and sold on to populations desperate for affordable technology. But anything beyond the skills of local traders will end up dumped. It's a profitable business, and is already attracting the attention of organized crime. A report issued by the United Nations in July said that the criminal gangs behind much of the drug trade in West Africa were becoming involved with e-waste trading. The volume of material on the move is staggering. In 2005, more than 500 containers full of e-waste entered Nigerian ports every month, according to the Basel Action Network, a U.S. NGO campaigning on issues surrounding toxic waste. Each one contains 10 to 15 tons of e-waste, totaling 60,000 to 90,000 tons per year. These figures are likely to have increased in recent years. There seems little doubt that much of this waste is finding its way to Africa from Western countries. The Basel Action Network and Dutch NGO Danwatch have traced equipment from Europe to Nigerian dumps and earlier this year Greenpeace placed a radio tracking device in a broken TV handed in for safe recycling in the UK, but followed it to a Nigerian market. "Greenpeace is disappointed especially by U.S. and EU authorities," said Schoppink. "It is toxic waste from the U.S. and EU countries that is causing serious environmental and health problems

What kind of problems is exporting electronic problems for recycling creating?

b442f41ffac04e8583718b80e0100b86

(CNN) -- Clouds of black smoke from burning plastic hang over the sites of Nigeria's vast dumps, as tiny figures pick their way through slicks of oily water, past cracked PC monitors and television screens. Toxins from dumped electronics in developing countries has been seen as a growing problem. But it isn't just a cut from broken glass these mainly young scavengers are risking. Much of the discarded electronic kit contains tiny -- but valuable -- quantities of aluminum, copper, cadmium and other minerals, all of which can be sold on, if they can be recovered. However they also contain highly toxic materials, which have been linked to reproductive problems and cancers. "People living and working on and around the dump sites, many of whom are children, are exposed to a cocktail of dangerous chemicals that can cause severe damage to health, including cancer, damage to the nervous system and to brain development in children," Kim Schoppink, Toxics Campaigner at Greenpeace, told CNN. "The open burning creates even more hazardous chemicals among which are cancerous dioxins." No studies have been done on the extent of the chemical pollution of such sites in Nigeria, but in 2008 a Greenpeace report on similar dumps in nearby Ghana confirmed that high levels of lead, phthalates and dioxins were present in soils and the water of a nearby lagoon. A Chinese academic report published in "Environmental Health Perspectives" in 2007 confirmed that children living in the same area had higher levels of toxic metals in their blood than other children living nearby. There is increasing evidence that this new health and environment problem is arriving in shipping containers from Western countries. Nigeria is one of the principal global destinations for "e-waste" -- the catch-all term for discarded consumer electronics. Some of this may have been legitimately handed in to be recycled in an EU or U.S. city, but lax enforcement, vague legislation and a lack of political will has meant that it instead passes through a network of traders keen to profit from developing countries' hunger for hi-tech and a burgeoning second hand market. According to the United Nations Environment Program around 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste are generated worldwide each year. In 2008 a Greenpeace study, "Not in My Backyard", found that in Europe only 25 percent of the e-waste was recycled safely. In the U.S. it is only 20 percent and in developing countries it is less than one percent. Extrapolating out from these figures the report concluded that a massive 80 percent of e-waste generated worldwide is not properly recycled. Some is burnt in Western incinerators or buried in landfill sites. But much is exported to developing countries including India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria and Ghana. When it arrives, a further percentage may be repaired and sold on to populations desperate for affordable technology. But anything beyond the skills of local traders will end up dumped. It's a profitable business, and is already attracting the attention of organized crime. A report issued by the United Nations in July said that the criminal gangs behind much of the drug trade in West Africa were becoming involved with e-waste trading. The volume of material on the move is staggering. In 2005, more than 500 containers full of e-waste entered Nigerian ports every month, according to the Basel Action Network, a U.S. NGO campaigning on issues surrounding toxic waste. Each one contains 10 to 15 tons of e-waste, totaling 60,000 to 90,000 tons per year. These figures are likely to have increased in recent years. There seems little doubt that much of this waste is finding its way to Africa from Western countries. The Basel Action Network and Dutch NGO Danwatch have traced equipment from Europe to Nigerian dumps and earlier this year Greenpeace placed a radio tracking device in a broken TV handed in for safe recycling in the UK, but followed it to a Nigerian market. "Greenpeace is disappointed especially by U.S. and EU authorities," said Schoppink. "It is toxic waste from the U.S. and EU countries that is causing serious environmental and health problems

What does the study from Greenpeace suggest?

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(CNN) -- Clouds of black smoke from burning plastic hang over the sites of Nigeria's vast dumps, as tiny figures pick their way through slicks of oily water, past cracked PC monitors and television screens. Toxins from dumped electronics in developing countries has been seen as a growing problem. But it isn't just a cut from broken glass these mainly young scavengers are risking. Much of the discarded electronic kit contains tiny -- but valuable -- quantities of aluminum, copper, cadmium and other minerals, all of which can be sold on, if they can be recovered. However they also contain highly toxic materials, which have been linked to reproductive problems and cancers. "People living and working on and around the dump sites, many of whom are children, are exposed to a cocktail of dangerous chemicals that can cause severe damage to health, including cancer, damage to the nervous system and to brain development in children," Kim Schoppink, Toxics Campaigner at Greenpeace, told CNN. "The open burning creates even more hazardous chemicals among which are cancerous dioxins." No studies have been done on the extent of the chemical pollution of such sites in Nigeria, but in 2008 a Greenpeace report on similar dumps in nearby Ghana confirmed that high levels of lead, phthalates and dioxins were present in soils and the water of a nearby lagoon. A Chinese academic report published in "Environmental Health Perspectives" in 2007 confirmed that children living in the same area had higher levels of toxic metals in their blood than other children living nearby. There is increasing evidence that this new health and environment problem is arriving in shipping containers from Western countries. Nigeria is one of the principal global destinations for "e-waste" -- the catch-all term for discarded consumer electronics. Some of this may have been legitimately handed in to be recycled in an EU or U.S. city, but lax enforcement, vague legislation and a lack of political will has meant that it instead passes through a network of traders keen to profit from developing countries' hunger for hi-tech and a burgeoning second hand market. According to the United Nations Environment Program around 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste are generated worldwide each year. In 2008 a Greenpeace study, "Not in My Backyard", found that in Europe only 25 percent of the e-waste was recycled safely. In the U.S. it is only 20 percent and in developing countries it is less than one percent. Extrapolating out from these figures the report concluded that a massive 80 percent of e-waste generated worldwide is not properly recycled. Some is burnt in Western incinerators or buried in landfill sites. But much is exported to developing countries including India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria and Ghana. When it arrives, a further percentage may be repaired and sold on to populations desperate for affordable technology. But anything beyond the skills of local traders will end up dumped. It's a profitable business, and is already attracting the attention of organized crime. A report issued by the United Nations in July said that the criminal gangs behind much of the drug trade in West Africa were becoming involved with e-waste trading. The volume of material on the move is staggering. In 2005, more than 500 containers full of e-waste entered Nigerian ports every month, according to the Basel Action Network, a U.S. NGO campaigning on issues surrounding toxic waste. Each one contains 10 to 15 tons of e-waste, totaling 60,000 to 90,000 tons per year. These figures are likely to have increased in recent years. There seems little doubt that much of this waste is finding its way to Africa from Western countries. The Basel Action Network and Dutch NGO Danwatch have traced equipment from Europe to Nigerian dumps and earlier this year Greenpeace placed a radio tracking device in a broken TV handed in for safe recycling in the UK, but followed it to a Nigerian market. "Greenpeace is disappointed especially by U.S. and EU authorities," said Schoppink. "It is toxic waste from the U.S. and EU countries that is causing serious environmental and health problems

What percentage of people recycled safely?

310867637dfb4770b0d7594f83f563f8

Editor's note: We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini's vacation destination, and you chose South Africa. Check back for updates on his trip. CNN.com's Jarrett Bellini tours vineyards outside Cape Town, South Africa. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- I'm not a wine drinker. Before today's excursion, in fact, I could only tell you that on the face of the planet there existed three types of wine: red, white and Carlo Rossi. The reds are good with meat. The whites go with fish. And, according to what I learned from my dad, Carlo Rossi goes with a glass of ice. So, exploring South Africa's wine country, just a short drive from Cape Town, seemed like a perfect educational way for me to spend my day. I mean, it was that or go to a museum. Our guide, Jack, was amazingly knowledgeable about the subject, but without being a pretentious jerk. Really, as far as he is concerned, the best wine in the world is whatever wine you enjoy. I didn't ask, but was curious if that applied to Boone's Farm? Throughout the day, we hit four wineries, tasting 23 bottles in all. I know because I kept hash marks on my hand. I'm pretty classy. Now, despite the outstanding info we received from our guide as we sipped and swirled and spat, I can't say that I'm any better at understanding the finer points of wine than I was this morning when I woke up. However, I did manage to get a solid buzz. And that should be worth something. Even without the wine, a visit to South Africa's vineyards is a great addition to a traveler's to-do list. It's not far from the city and the scenery is beautiful. If you need an added incentive, there are even a few cheese farms in the area where you can really crank the whole experience up to 11. I personally thanked one of the goats for his contribution. He didn't seem to care. He also didn't seem physically capable of producing anything that might actually turn into cheese. But I thanked him anyway. What can I say? I'm not a wine drinker.

through whom will the updates be provided

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Editor's note: We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini's vacation destination, and you chose South Africa. Check back for updates on his trip. CNN.com's Jarrett Bellini tours vineyards outside Cape Town, South Africa. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- I'm not a wine drinker. Before today's excursion, in fact, I could only tell you that on the face of the planet there existed three types of wine: red, white and Carlo Rossi. The reds are good with meat. The whites go with fish. And, according to what I learned from my dad, Carlo Rossi goes with a glass of ice. So, exploring South Africa's wine country, just a short drive from Cape Town, seemed like a perfect educational way for me to spend my day. I mean, it was that or go to a museum. Our guide, Jack, was amazingly knowledgeable about the subject, but without being a pretentious jerk. Really, as far as he is concerned, the best wine in the world is whatever wine you enjoy. I didn't ask, but was curious if that applied to Boone's Farm? Throughout the day, we hit four wineries, tasting 23 bottles in all. I know because I kept hash marks on my hand. I'm pretty classy. Now, despite the outstanding info we received from our guide as we sipped and swirled and spat, I can't say that I'm any better at understanding the finer points of wine than I was this morning when I woke up. However, I did manage to get a solid buzz. And that should be worth something. Even without the wine, a visit to South Africa's vineyards is a great addition to a traveler's to-do list. It's not far from the city and the scenery is beautiful. If you need an added incentive, there are even a few cheese farms in the area where you can really crank the whole experience up to 11. I personally thanked one of the goats for his contribution. He didn't seem to care. He also didn't seem physically capable of producing anything that might actually turn into cheese. But I thanked him anyway. What can I say? I'm not a wine drinker.

what did they choose

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Editor's note: We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini's vacation destination, and you chose South Africa. Check back for updates on his trip. CNN.com's Jarrett Bellini tours vineyards outside Cape Town, South Africa. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- I'm not a wine drinker. Before today's excursion, in fact, I could only tell you that on the face of the planet there existed three types of wine: red, white and Carlo Rossi. The reds are good with meat. The whites go with fish. And, according to what I learned from my dad, Carlo Rossi goes with a glass of ice. So, exploring South Africa's wine country, just a short drive from Cape Town, seemed like a perfect educational way for me to spend my day. I mean, it was that or go to a museum. Our guide, Jack, was amazingly knowledgeable about the subject, but without being a pretentious jerk. Really, as far as he is concerned, the best wine in the world is whatever wine you enjoy. I didn't ask, but was curious if that applied to Boone's Farm? Throughout the day, we hit four wineries, tasting 23 bottles in all. I know because I kept hash marks on my hand. I'm pretty classy. Now, despite the outstanding info we received from our guide as we sipped and swirled and spat, I can't say that I'm any better at understanding the finer points of wine than I was this morning when I woke up. However, I did manage to get a solid buzz. And that should be worth something. Even without the wine, a visit to South Africa's vineyards is a great addition to a traveler's to-do list. It's not far from the city and the scenery is beautiful. If you need an added incentive, there are even a few cheese farms in the area where you can really crank the whole experience up to 11. I personally thanked one of the goats for his contribution. He didn't seem to care. He also didn't seem physically capable of producing anything that might actually turn into cheese. But I thanked him anyway. What can I say? I'm not a wine drinker.

In which country to Jarrett Bellini traveling

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Editor's note: We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini's vacation destination, and you chose South Africa. Check back for updates on his trip. CNN.com's Jarrett Bellini tours vineyards outside Cape Town, South Africa. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- I'm not a wine drinker. Before today's excursion, in fact, I could only tell you that on the face of the planet there existed three types of wine: red, white and Carlo Rossi. The reds are good with meat. The whites go with fish. And, according to what I learned from my dad, Carlo Rossi goes with a glass of ice. So, exploring South Africa's wine country, just a short drive from Cape Town, seemed like a perfect educational way for me to spend my day. I mean, it was that or go to a museum. Our guide, Jack, was amazingly knowledgeable about the subject, but without being a pretentious jerk. Really, as far as he is concerned, the best wine in the world is whatever wine you enjoy. I didn't ask, but was curious if that applied to Boone's Farm? Throughout the day, we hit four wineries, tasting 23 bottles in all. I know because I kept hash marks on my hand. I'm pretty classy. Now, despite the outstanding info we received from our guide as we sipped and swirled and spat, I can't say that I'm any better at understanding the finer points of wine than I was this morning when I woke up. However, I did manage to get a solid buzz. And that should be worth something. Even without the wine, a visit to South Africa's vineyards is a great addition to a traveler's to-do list. It's not far from the city and the scenery is beautiful. If you need an added incentive, there are even a few cheese farms in the area where you can really crank the whole experience up to 11. I personally thanked one of the goats for his contribution. He didn't seem to care. He also didn't seem physically capable of producing anything that might actually turn into cheese. But I thanked him anyway. What can I say? I'm not a wine drinker.

On what media will Bellini provide updates of his travels

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Editor's note: We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini's vacation destination, and you chose South Africa. Check back for updates on his trip. CNN.com's Jarrett Bellini tours vineyards outside Cape Town, South Africa. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- I'm not a wine drinker. Before today's excursion, in fact, I could only tell you that on the face of the planet there existed three types of wine: red, white and Carlo Rossi. The reds are good with meat. The whites go with fish. And, according to what I learned from my dad, Carlo Rossi goes with a glass of ice. So, exploring South Africa's wine country, just a short drive from Cape Town, seemed like a perfect educational way for me to spend my day. I mean, it was that or go to a museum. Our guide, Jack, was amazingly knowledgeable about the subject, but without being a pretentious jerk. Really, as far as he is concerned, the best wine in the world is whatever wine you enjoy. I didn't ask, but was curious if that applied to Boone's Farm? Throughout the day, we hit four wineries, tasting 23 bottles in all. I know because I kept hash marks on my hand. I'm pretty classy. Now, despite the outstanding info we received from our guide as we sipped and swirled and spat, I can't say that I'm any better at understanding the finer points of wine than I was this morning when I woke up. However, I did manage to get a solid buzz. And that should be worth something. Even without the wine, a visit to South Africa's vineyards is a great addition to a traveler's to-do list. It's not far from the city and the scenery is beautiful. If you need an added incentive, there are even a few cheese farms in the area where you can really crank the whole experience up to 11. I personally thanked one of the goats for his contribution. He didn't seem to care. He also didn't seem physically capable of producing anything that might actually turn into cheese. But I thanked him anyway. What can I say? I'm not a wine drinker.

Where does Jarret provide updates about his travels?

84009178ee914ab9b133cf5491ac26fb

Editor's note: We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini's vacation destination, and you chose South Africa. Check back for updates on his trip. CNN.com's Jarrett Bellini tours vineyards outside Cape Town, South Africa. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- I'm not a wine drinker. Before today's excursion, in fact, I could only tell you that on the face of the planet there existed three types of wine: red, white and Carlo Rossi. The reds are good with meat. The whites go with fish. And, according to what I learned from my dad, Carlo Rossi goes with a glass of ice. So, exploring South Africa's wine country, just a short drive from Cape Town, seemed like a perfect educational way for me to spend my day. I mean, it was that or go to a museum. Our guide, Jack, was amazingly knowledgeable about the subject, but without being a pretentious jerk. Really, as far as he is concerned, the best wine in the world is whatever wine you enjoy. I didn't ask, but was curious if that applied to Boone's Farm? Throughout the day, we hit four wineries, tasting 23 bottles in all. I know because I kept hash marks on my hand. I'm pretty classy. Now, despite the outstanding info we received from our guide as we sipped and swirled and spat, I can't say that I'm any better at understanding the finer points of wine than I was this morning when I woke up. However, I did manage to get a solid buzz. And that should be worth something. Even without the wine, a visit to South Africa's vineyards is a great addition to a traveler's to-do list. It's not far from the city and the scenery is beautiful. If you need an added incentive, there are even a few cheese farms in the area where you can really crank the whole experience up to 11. I personally thanked one of the goats for his contribution. He didn't seem to care. He also didn't seem physically capable of producing anything that might actually turn into cheese. But I thanked him anyway. What can I say? I'm not a wine drinker.

to where is she travelling

46dcbdbf7a944112aa6fa8dff45021c9

Editor's note: We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini's vacation destination, and you chose South Africa. Check back for updates on his trip. CNN.com's Jarrett Bellini tours vineyards outside Cape Town, South Africa. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- I'm not a wine drinker. Before today's excursion, in fact, I could only tell you that on the face of the planet there existed three types of wine: red, white and Carlo Rossi. The reds are good with meat. The whites go with fish. And, according to what I learned from my dad, Carlo Rossi goes with a glass of ice. So, exploring South Africa's wine country, just a short drive from Cape Town, seemed like a perfect educational way for me to spend my day. I mean, it was that or go to a museum. Our guide, Jack, was amazingly knowledgeable about the subject, but without being a pretentious jerk. Really, as far as he is concerned, the best wine in the world is whatever wine you enjoy. I didn't ask, but was curious if that applied to Boone's Farm? Throughout the day, we hit four wineries, tasting 23 bottles in all. I know because I kept hash marks on my hand. I'm pretty classy. Now, despite the outstanding info we received from our guide as we sipped and swirled and spat, I can't say that I'm any better at understanding the finer points of wine than I was this morning when I woke up. However, I did manage to get a solid buzz. And that should be worth something. Even without the wine, a visit to South Africa's vineyards is a great addition to a traveler's to-do list. It's not far from the city and the scenery is beautiful. If you need an added incentive, there are even a few cheese farms in the area where you can really crank the whole experience up to 11. I personally thanked one of the goats for his contribution. He didn't seem to care. He also didn't seem physically capable of producing anything that might actually turn into cheese. But I thanked him anyway. What can I say? I'm not a wine drinker.

Who is Jarrett Bellini?

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Editor's note: We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini's vacation destination, and you chose South Africa. Check back for updates on his trip. CNN.com's Jarrett Bellini tours vineyards outside Cape Town, South Africa. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- I'm not a wine drinker. Before today's excursion, in fact, I could only tell you that on the face of the planet there existed three types of wine: red, white and Carlo Rossi. The reds are good with meat. The whites go with fish. And, according to what I learned from my dad, Carlo Rossi goes with a glass of ice. So, exploring South Africa's wine country, just a short drive from Cape Town, seemed like a perfect educational way for me to spend my day. I mean, it was that or go to a museum. Our guide, Jack, was amazingly knowledgeable about the subject, but without being a pretentious jerk. Really, as far as he is concerned, the best wine in the world is whatever wine you enjoy. I didn't ask, but was curious if that applied to Boone's Farm? Throughout the day, we hit four wineries, tasting 23 bottles in all. I know because I kept hash marks on my hand. I'm pretty classy. Now, despite the outstanding info we received from our guide as we sipped and swirled and spat, I can't say that I'm any better at understanding the finer points of wine than I was this morning when I woke up. However, I did manage to get a solid buzz. And that should be worth something. Even without the wine, a visit to South Africa's vineyards is a great addition to a traveler's to-do list. It's not far from the city and the scenery is beautiful. If you need an added incentive, there are even a few cheese farms in the area where you can really crank the whole experience up to 11. I personally thanked one of the goats for his contribution. He didn't seem to care. He also didn't seem physically capable of producing anything that might actually turn into cheese. But I thanked him anyway. What can I say? I'm not a wine drinker.

Where did jarret go?

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Editor's note: We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini's vacation destination, and you chose South Africa. Check back for updates on his trip. CNN.com's Jarrett Bellini tours vineyards outside Cape Town, South Africa. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- I'm not a wine drinker. Before today's excursion, in fact, I could only tell you that on the face of the planet there existed three types of wine: red, white and Carlo Rossi. The reds are good with meat. The whites go with fish. And, according to what I learned from my dad, Carlo Rossi goes with a glass of ice. So, exploring South Africa's wine country, just a short drive from Cape Town, seemed like a perfect educational way for me to spend my day. I mean, it was that or go to a museum. Our guide, Jack, was amazingly knowledgeable about the subject, but without being a pretentious jerk. Really, as far as he is concerned, the best wine in the world is whatever wine you enjoy. I didn't ask, but was curious if that applied to Boone's Farm? Throughout the day, we hit four wineries, tasting 23 bottles in all. I know because I kept hash marks on my hand. I'm pretty classy. Now, despite the outstanding info we received from our guide as we sipped and swirled and spat, I can't say that I'm any better at understanding the finer points of wine than I was this morning when I woke up. However, I did manage to get a solid buzz. And that should be worth something. Even without the wine, a visit to South Africa's vineyards is a great addition to a traveler's to-do list. It's not far from the city and the scenery is beautiful. If you need an added incentive, there are even a few cheese farms in the area where you can really crank the whole experience up to 11. I personally thanked one of the goats for his contribution. He didn't seem to care. He also didn't seem physically capable of producing anything that might actually turn into cheese. But I thanked him anyway. What can I say? I'm not a wine drinker.

What is that readers are able to chose and suggest

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democrats' top investigator in Congress reacted angrily Friday to a report that the former Blackwater USA employee accused of killing an Iraqi vice presidential guard was hired by another U.S. contractor weeks later. Rep. Henry Waxman says the State Department is covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq. The report comes alongside Rep. Henry Waxman's warning of a "confrontation" with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over how much Americans should be able to learn about corruption in Iraq. In a sharply worded letter, Waxman demanded Rice turn over a long list of documents related to the contractor, Andrew Moonen. "Serious questions now exist about whether the State Department may have withheld from the U.S. Defense Department facts about this Blackwater contractor's shooting of the Iraqi guard that should have prevented his hiring to work on another contract in support of the Iraq War," wrote Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Moonen is accused of fatally shooting an Iraqi guard and fleeing the scene, according to a Congressional memo describing the investigation report. He was fined, fired and flown home from Iraq, and the company later paid $20,000 in compensation to the victim's family. Moonen returned to the United States within a few days of the incident, his attorney said, but in February he returned to Kuwait working for Combat Support Associates (CSA), a company spokesman said. CNN reported Thursday night that CSA said it was unaware of the December incident when it hired Moonen, because the State Department and Blackwater kept the incident quiet and out of Moonen's personnel records. Waxman wrote it is "hard to reconcile this development" with previous assertions State Department officials have made in recent days. Waxman earlier accused Rice and the State Department of a cover-up of what he called "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq in general. He branded the State Department's anti-corruption efforts "dysfunctional, under-funded and a low priority." Waxman further blasted the department for trying to keep secret details of corruption in Iraq, especially relating to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "Corruption is increasing in Iraq, and the State Department can't keep us from knowing that -- can't censor that -- just because it might embarrass or hurt our relationship with [al-]Maliki," Waxman said at the House committee hearing. Watch Waxman ask why negative comments must be said behind closed doors » Deputy Secretary of State Larry Butler repeatedly refused to answer questions from Waxman about Iraqi corruption but offered full disclosure if his testimony would be kept secret. Asked if he believes the Iraqi government has the political will or the capability to root out corruption, Butler responded, "Mr. Chairman, questions which go to the broad nature of our bilateral relationship with Iraq are best answered in a classified setting." But he was more forthcoming when talking about efforts that al-Maliki has taken to improve matters, commending the prime minister for dispatching Iraqi forces to surround a refinery to ensure oil did not end up on the black market. But Waxman appeared unmoved. "Why can you talk about the positive things and not the negative things?" he asked. "Shouldn't we have the whole picture?" "I'd be very pleased to answer those questions in an appropriate setting," Butler replied. Waxman laughed and asked, "An appropriate setting for positive things is a congressional hearing, but for negative things, it must be behind closed doors?" "As you know, this goes to the very heart of diplomatic relations and national security," Butler said. "It goes to the very heart of propaganda," Waxman said, putting funding for anti-corruption activities through June 15, 2006, at $65 million, "or less than 0.003 percent of the total" spent by the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The State Department said details of anti-corruption efforts must be secret to protect investigators and Iraqi allies. In a letter to Rice last week, Waxman called the department's position

What did Henry Waxman accuse the State Department of covering up?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democrats' top investigator in Congress reacted angrily Friday to a report that the former Blackwater USA employee accused of killing an Iraqi vice presidential guard was hired by another U.S. contractor weeks later. Rep. Henry Waxman says the State Department is covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq. The report comes alongside Rep. Henry Waxman's warning of a "confrontation" with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over how much Americans should be able to learn about corruption in Iraq. In a sharply worded letter, Waxman demanded Rice turn over a long list of documents related to the contractor, Andrew Moonen. "Serious questions now exist about whether the State Department may have withheld from the U.S. Defense Department facts about this Blackwater contractor's shooting of the Iraqi guard that should have prevented his hiring to work on another contract in support of the Iraq War," wrote Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Moonen is accused of fatally shooting an Iraqi guard and fleeing the scene, according to a Congressional memo describing the investigation report. He was fined, fired and flown home from Iraq, and the company later paid $20,000 in compensation to the victim's family. Moonen returned to the United States within a few days of the incident, his attorney said, but in February he returned to Kuwait working for Combat Support Associates (CSA), a company spokesman said. CNN reported Thursday night that CSA said it was unaware of the December incident when it hired Moonen, because the State Department and Blackwater kept the incident quiet and out of Moonen's personnel records. Waxman wrote it is "hard to reconcile this development" with previous assertions State Department officials have made in recent days. Waxman earlier accused Rice and the State Department of a cover-up of what he called "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq in general. He branded the State Department's anti-corruption efforts "dysfunctional, under-funded and a low priority." Waxman further blasted the department for trying to keep secret details of corruption in Iraq, especially relating to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "Corruption is increasing in Iraq, and the State Department can't keep us from knowing that -- can't censor that -- just because it might embarrass or hurt our relationship with [al-]Maliki," Waxman said at the House committee hearing. Watch Waxman ask why negative comments must be said behind closed doors » Deputy Secretary of State Larry Butler repeatedly refused to answer questions from Waxman about Iraqi corruption but offered full disclosure if his testimony would be kept secret. Asked if he believes the Iraqi government has the political will or the capability to root out corruption, Butler responded, "Mr. Chairman, questions which go to the broad nature of our bilateral relationship with Iraq are best answered in a classified setting." But he was more forthcoming when talking about efforts that al-Maliki has taken to improve matters, commending the prime minister for dispatching Iraqi forces to surround a refinery to ensure oil did not end up on the black market. But Waxman appeared unmoved. "Why can you talk about the positive things and not the negative things?" he asked. "Shouldn't we have the whole picture?" "I'd be very pleased to answer those questions in an appropriate setting," Butler replied. Waxman laughed and asked, "An appropriate setting for positive things is a congressional hearing, but for negative things, it must be behind closed doors?" "As you know, this goes to the very heart of diplomatic relations and national security," Butler said. "It goes to the very heart of propaganda," Waxman said, putting funding for anti-corruption activities through June 15, 2006, at $65 million, "or less than 0.003 percent of the total" spent by the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The State Department said details of anti-corruption efforts must be secret to protect investigators and Iraqi allies. In a letter to Rice last week, Waxman called the department's position

What did Rep. Henry Waxman demand?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democrats' top investigator in Congress reacted angrily Friday to a report that the former Blackwater USA employee accused of killing an Iraqi vice presidential guard was hired by another U.S. contractor weeks later. Rep. Henry Waxman says the State Department is covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq. The report comes alongside Rep. Henry Waxman's warning of a "confrontation" with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over how much Americans should be able to learn about corruption in Iraq. In a sharply worded letter, Waxman demanded Rice turn over a long list of documents related to the contractor, Andrew Moonen. "Serious questions now exist about whether the State Department may have withheld from the U.S. Defense Department facts about this Blackwater contractor's shooting of the Iraqi guard that should have prevented his hiring to work on another contract in support of the Iraq War," wrote Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Moonen is accused of fatally shooting an Iraqi guard and fleeing the scene, according to a Congressional memo describing the investigation report. He was fined, fired and flown home from Iraq, and the company later paid $20,000 in compensation to the victim's family. Moonen returned to the United States within a few days of the incident, his attorney said, but in February he returned to Kuwait working for Combat Support Associates (CSA), a company spokesman said. CNN reported Thursday night that CSA said it was unaware of the December incident when it hired Moonen, because the State Department and Blackwater kept the incident quiet and out of Moonen's personnel records. Waxman wrote it is "hard to reconcile this development" with previous assertions State Department officials have made in recent days. Waxman earlier accused Rice and the State Department of a cover-up of what he called "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq in general. He branded the State Department's anti-corruption efforts "dysfunctional, under-funded and a low priority." Waxman further blasted the department for trying to keep secret details of corruption in Iraq, especially relating to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "Corruption is increasing in Iraq, and the State Department can't keep us from knowing that -- can't censor that -- just because it might embarrass or hurt our relationship with [al-]Maliki," Waxman said at the House committee hearing. Watch Waxman ask why negative comments must be said behind closed doors » Deputy Secretary of State Larry Butler repeatedly refused to answer questions from Waxman about Iraqi corruption but offered full disclosure if his testimony would be kept secret. Asked if he believes the Iraqi government has the political will or the capability to root out corruption, Butler responded, "Mr. Chairman, questions which go to the broad nature of our bilateral relationship with Iraq are best answered in a classified setting." But he was more forthcoming when talking about efforts that al-Maliki has taken to improve matters, commending the prime minister for dispatching Iraqi forces to surround a refinery to ensure oil did not end up on the black market. But Waxman appeared unmoved. "Why can you talk about the positive things and not the negative things?" he asked. "Shouldn't we have the whole picture?" "I'd be very pleased to answer those questions in an appropriate setting," Butler replied. Waxman laughed and asked, "An appropriate setting for positive things is a congressional hearing, but for negative things, it must be behind closed doors?" "As you know, this goes to the very heart of diplomatic relations and national security," Butler said. "It goes to the very heart of propaganda," Waxman said, putting funding for anti-corruption activities through June 15, 2006, at $65 million, "or less than 0.003 percent of the total" spent by the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The State Department said details of anti-corruption efforts must be secret to protect investigators and Iraqi allies. In a letter to Rice last week, Waxman called the department's position

What did Waxman accuse the state department of doing?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democrats' top investigator in Congress reacted angrily Friday to a report that the former Blackwater USA employee accused of killing an Iraqi vice presidential guard was hired by another U.S. contractor weeks later. Rep. Henry Waxman says the State Department is covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq. The report comes alongside Rep. Henry Waxman's warning of a "confrontation" with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over how much Americans should be able to learn about corruption in Iraq. In a sharply worded letter, Waxman demanded Rice turn over a long list of documents related to the contractor, Andrew Moonen. "Serious questions now exist about whether the State Department may have withheld from the U.S. Defense Department facts about this Blackwater contractor's shooting of the Iraqi guard that should have prevented his hiring to work on another contract in support of the Iraq War," wrote Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Moonen is accused of fatally shooting an Iraqi guard and fleeing the scene, according to a Congressional memo describing the investigation report. He was fined, fired and flown home from Iraq, and the company later paid $20,000 in compensation to the victim's family. Moonen returned to the United States within a few days of the incident, his attorney said, but in February he returned to Kuwait working for Combat Support Associates (CSA), a company spokesman said. CNN reported Thursday night that CSA said it was unaware of the December incident when it hired Moonen, because the State Department and Blackwater kept the incident quiet and out of Moonen's personnel records. Waxman wrote it is "hard to reconcile this development" with previous assertions State Department officials have made in recent days. Waxman earlier accused Rice and the State Department of a cover-up of what he called "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq in general. He branded the State Department's anti-corruption efforts "dysfunctional, under-funded and a low priority." Waxman further blasted the department for trying to keep secret details of corruption in Iraq, especially relating to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "Corruption is increasing in Iraq, and the State Department can't keep us from knowing that -- can't censor that -- just because it might embarrass or hurt our relationship with [al-]Maliki," Waxman said at the House committee hearing. Watch Waxman ask why negative comments must be said behind closed doors » Deputy Secretary of State Larry Butler repeatedly refused to answer questions from Waxman about Iraqi corruption but offered full disclosure if his testimony would be kept secret. Asked if he believes the Iraqi government has the political will or the capability to root out corruption, Butler responded, "Mr. Chairman, questions which go to the broad nature of our bilateral relationship with Iraq are best answered in a classified setting." But he was more forthcoming when talking about efforts that al-Maliki has taken to improve matters, commending the prime minister for dispatching Iraqi forces to surround a refinery to ensure oil did not end up on the black market. But Waxman appeared unmoved. "Why can you talk about the positive things and not the negative things?" he asked. "Shouldn't we have the whole picture?" "I'd be very pleased to answer those questions in an appropriate setting," Butler replied. Waxman laughed and asked, "An appropriate setting for positive things is a congressional hearing, but for negative things, it must be behind closed doors?" "As you know, this goes to the very heart of diplomatic relations and national security," Butler said. "It goes to the very heart of propaganda," Waxman said, putting funding for anti-corruption activities through June 15, 2006, at $65 million, "or less than 0.003 percent of the total" spent by the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The State Department said details of anti-corruption efforts must be secret to protect investigators and Iraqi allies. In a letter to Rice last week, Waxman called the department's position

Who demanded documents on Iraq Contractor?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democrats' top investigator in Congress reacted angrily Friday to a report that the former Blackwater USA employee accused of killing an Iraqi vice presidential guard was hired by another U.S. contractor weeks later. Rep. Henry Waxman says the State Department is covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq. The report comes alongside Rep. Henry Waxman's warning of a "confrontation" with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over how much Americans should be able to learn about corruption in Iraq. In a sharply worded letter, Waxman demanded Rice turn over a long list of documents related to the contractor, Andrew Moonen. "Serious questions now exist about whether the State Department may have withheld from the U.S. Defense Department facts about this Blackwater contractor's shooting of the Iraqi guard that should have prevented his hiring to work on another contract in support of the Iraq War," wrote Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Moonen is accused of fatally shooting an Iraqi guard and fleeing the scene, according to a Congressional memo describing the investigation report. He was fined, fired and flown home from Iraq, and the company later paid $20,000 in compensation to the victim's family. Moonen returned to the United States within a few days of the incident, his attorney said, but in February he returned to Kuwait working for Combat Support Associates (CSA), a company spokesman said. CNN reported Thursday night that CSA said it was unaware of the December incident when it hired Moonen, because the State Department and Blackwater kept the incident quiet and out of Moonen's personnel records. Waxman wrote it is "hard to reconcile this development" with previous assertions State Department officials have made in recent days. Waxman earlier accused Rice and the State Department of a cover-up of what he called "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq in general. He branded the State Department's anti-corruption efforts "dysfunctional, under-funded and a low priority." Waxman further blasted the department for trying to keep secret details of corruption in Iraq, especially relating to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "Corruption is increasing in Iraq, and the State Department can't keep us from knowing that -- can't censor that -- just because it might embarrass or hurt our relationship with [al-]Maliki," Waxman said at the House committee hearing. Watch Waxman ask why negative comments must be said behind closed doors » Deputy Secretary of State Larry Butler repeatedly refused to answer questions from Waxman about Iraqi corruption but offered full disclosure if his testimony would be kept secret. Asked if he believes the Iraqi government has the political will or the capability to root out corruption, Butler responded, "Mr. Chairman, questions which go to the broad nature of our bilateral relationship with Iraq are best answered in a classified setting." But he was more forthcoming when talking about efforts that al-Maliki has taken to improve matters, commending the prime minister for dispatching Iraqi forces to surround a refinery to ensure oil did not end up on the black market. But Waxman appeared unmoved. "Why can you talk about the positive things and not the negative things?" he asked. "Shouldn't we have the whole picture?" "I'd be very pleased to answer those questions in an appropriate setting," Butler replied. Waxman laughed and asked, "An appropriate setting for positive things is a congressional hearing, but for negative things, it must be behind closed doors?" "As you know, this goes to the very heart of diplomatic relations and national security," Butler said. "It goes to the very heart of propaganda," Waxman said, putting funding for anti-corruption activities through June 15, 2006, at $65 million, "or less than 0.003 percent of the total" spent by the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The State Department said details of anti-corruption efforts must be secret to protect investigators and Iraqi allies. In a letter to Rice last week, Waxman called the department's position

Who demanded documents?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democrats' top investigator in Congress reacted angrily Friday to a report that the former Blackwater USA employee accused of killing an Iraqi vice presidential guard was hired by another U.S. contractor weeks later. Rep. Henry Waxman says the State Department is covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq. The report comes alongside Rep. Henry Waxman's warning of a "confrontation" with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over how much Americans should be able to learn about corruption in Iraq. In a sharply worded letter, Waxman demanded Rice turn over a long list of documents related to the contractor, Andrew Moonen. "Serious questions now exist about whether the State Department may have withheld from the U.S. Defense Department facts about this Blackwater contractor's shooting of the Iraqi guard that should have prevented his hiring to work on another contract in support of the Iraq War," wrote Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Moonen is accused of fatally shooting an Iraqi guard and fleeing the scene, according to a Congressional memo describing the investigation report. He was fined, fired and flown home from Iraq, and the company later paid $20,000 in compensation to the victim's family. Moonen returned to the United States within a few days of the incident, his attorney said, but in February he returned to Kuwait working for Combat Support Associates (CSA), a company spokesman said. CNN reported Thursday night that CSA said it was unaware of the December incident when it hired Moonen, because the State Department and Blackwater kept the incident quiet and out of Moonen's personnel records. Waxman wrote it is "hard to reconcile this development" with previous assertions State Department officials have made in recent days. Waxman earlier accused Rice and the State Department of a cover-up of what he called "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq in general. He branded the State Department's anti-corruption efforts "dysfunctional, under-funded and a low priority." Waxman further blasted the department for trying to keep secret details of corruption in Iraq, especially relating to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "Corruption is increasing in Iraq, and the State Department can't keep us from knowing that -- can't censor that -- just because it might embarrass or hurt our relationship with [al-]Maliki," Waxman said at the House committee hearing. Watch Waxman ask why negative comments must be said behind closed doors » Deputy Secretary of State Larry Butler repeatedly refused to answer questions from Waxman about Iraqi corruption but offered full disclosure if his testimony would be kept secret. Asked if he believes the Iraqi government has the political will or the capability to root out corruption, Butler responded, "Mr. Chairman, questions which go to the broad nature of our bilateral relationship with Iraq are best answered in a classified setting." But he was more forthcoming when talking about efforts that al-Maliki has taken to improve matters, commending the prime minister for dispatching Iraqi forces to surround a refinery to ensure oil did not end up on the black market. But Waxman appeared unmoved. "Why can you talk about the positive things and not the negative things?" he asked. "Shouldn't we have the whole picture?" "I'd be very pleased to answer those questions in an appropriate setting," Butler replied. Waxman laughed and asked, "An appropriate setting for positive things is a congressional hearing, but for negative things, it must be behind closed doors?" "As you know, this goes to the very heart of diplomatic relations and national security," Butler said. "It goes to the very heart of propaganda," Waxman said, putting funding for anti-corruption activities through June 15, 2006, at $65 million, "or less than 0.003 percent of the total" spent by the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The State Department said details of anti-corruption efforts must be secret to protect investigators and Iraqi allies. In a letter to Rice last week, Waxman called the department's position

Who demands documents on Iraq contractor?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democrats' top investigator in Congress reacted angrily Friday to a report that the former Blackwater USA employee accused of killing an Iraqi vice presidential guard was hired by another U.S. contractor weeks later. Rep. Henry Waxman says the State Department is covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq. The report comes alongside Rep. Henry Waxman's warning of a "confrontation" with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over how much Americans should be able to learn about corruption in Iraq. In a sharply worded letter, Waxman demanded Rice turn over a long list of documents related to the contractor, Andrew Moonen. "Serious questions now exist about whether the State Department may have withheld from the U.S. Defense Department facts about this Blackwater contractor's shooting of the Iraqi guard that should have prevented his hiring to work on another contract in support of the Iraq War," wrote Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Moonen is accused of fatally shooting an Iraqi guard and fleeing the scene, according to a Congressional memo describing the investigation report. He was fined, fired and flown home from Iraq, and the company later paid $20,000 in compensation to the victim's family. Moonen returned to the United States within a few days of the incident, his attorney said, but in February he returned to Kuwait working for Combat Support Associates (CSA), a company spokesman said. CNN reported Thursday night that CSA said it was unaware of the December incident when it hired Moonen, because the State Department and Blackwater kept the incident quiet and out of Moonen's personnel records. Waxman wrote it is "hard to reconcile this development" with previous assertions State Department officials have made in recent days. Waxman earlier accused Rice and the State Department of a cover-up of what he called "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq in general. He branded the State Department's anti-corruption efforts "dysfunctional, under-funded and a low priority." Waxman further blasted the department for trying to keep secret details of corruption in Iraq, especially relating to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "Corruption is increasing in Iraq, and the State Department can't keep us from knowing that -- can't censor that -- just because it might embarrass or hurt our relationship with [al-]Maliki," Waxman said at the House committee hearing. Watch Waxman ask why negative comments must be said behind closed doors » Deputy Secretary of State Larry Butler repeatedly refused to answer questions from Waxman about Iraqi corruption but offered full disclosure if his testimony would be kept secret. Asked if he believes the Iraqi government has the political will or the capability to root out corruption, Butler responded, "Mr. Chairman, questions which go to the broad nature of our bilateral relationship with Iraq are best answered in a classified setting." But he was more forthcoming when talking about efforts that al-Maliki has taken to improve matters, commending the prime minister for dispatching Iraqi forces to surround a refinery to ensure oil did not end up on the black market. But Waxman appeared unmoved. "Why can you talk about the positive things and not the negative things?" he asked. "Shouldn't we have the whole picture?" "I'd be very pleased to answer those questions in an appropriate setting," Butler replied. Waxman laughed and asked, "An appropriate setting for positive things is a congressional hearing, but for negative things, it must be behind closed doors?" "As you know, this goes to the very heart of diplomatic relations and national security," Butler said. "It goes to the very heart of propaganda," Waxman said, putting funding for anti-corruption activities through June 15, 2006, at $65 million, "or less than 0.003 percent of the total" spent by the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The State Department said details of anti-corruption efforts must be secret to protect investigators and Iraqi allies. In a letter to Rice last week, Waxman called the department's position

Who accuses State Department of covering up "an epidemic of corruption"?

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- As Britain's Prince Harry neared the end of his second and final day in New York City on Saturday, he described his experiences as "fantastic." Prince Harry smiles whilte touring the Harlem Children's Zone on Saturday during a 36-hour visit to New York. The 24-year-old visited the Harlem Children's Zone, a nonprofit organization that offers free programs and classes in a low-income area, then went to Governors Island in New York Harbor to play in the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic. Profits from the match will benefit Sentebale, a charity for orphans in Lesotho, Africa, a cause Harry's mother, Princess Diana, had promoted. The prince was accompanied by Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, who also lost his mother when he was young. The men toured the Children's Zone with founder Geoffrey Canada, and spent time in a classroom where some students were studying for a math test. A 10-year-old girl sitting at a desk covered with drawing paper and colored markers gave Harry a picture. "Is this for me?" Harry asked as he accepted it. Pointing to the desk and pens, he then asked, "You find yourself very lucky to have all this?" When she nodded, he replied "Good." A young boy gave Harry a bowl containing a dish he had prepared, and the prince ate it while the child sounded off the ingredients. Throughout the classroom visit, the prince smiled and chatted easily with students. Watch Soledad O'Brien's report on the Children's Zone » Cheering people lined the street as Harry entered the building. As he left, reporters shouted questions. Asked how he liked his first official visit overseas and meeting the children, the prince responded, "It's been fantastic -- really, really worthwhile." "It's my first visit to New York. I'm hopeful I'll come back to visit again." He also was asked whether he thought his appearances would change any image the public might have of him, apparently referring to some of his wild exploits ways when he was younger. Those incidents included a one-day stint in drug rehab in 2002 and accusations of racism in January. "I don't know what the image is of me. There is always the image that's been given to me, but people have their own opinions, it's the media that likes to stamp on the image which isn't really me." On Friday, the youngest son of Princess Diana offered his condolences to September 11 victims at the former site of the World Trade Center. The prince met New York Gov. David Paterson and briefly spoke with family members of 9/11 victims. The prince then laid a wreath at the site and bowed his head in a moment of silence. Watch Prince Harry's visit to Ground Zero » He left a handwritten note tacked to the wreath, citing an "the courage shown by the people" of New York on September 11, 2001. Harry later paid tribute to his fellow citizens at Lower Manhattan's British Garden at Hanover Square, where he honored the 67 British victims of the September 11 attacks, officials said. The third in line for the British crown, Harry is active in the British Army. He received a promotion to lieutenant in April 2008 and is currently training for an Army Air Corps pilot position, according to the prince's Web site.

Where does Prince Harry visit?

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- As Britain's Prince Harry neared the end of his second and final day in New York City on Saturday, he described his experiences as "fantastic." Prince Harry smiles whilte touring the Harlem Children's Zone on Saturday during a 36-hour visit to New York. The 24-year-old visited the Harlem Children's Zone, a nonprofit organization that offers free programs and classes in a low-income area, then went to Governors Island in New York Harbor to play in the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic. Profits from the match will benefit Sentebale, a charity for orphans in Lesotho, Africa, a cause Harry's mother, Princess Diana, had promoted. The prince was accompanied by Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, who also lost his mother when he was young. The men toured the Children's Zone with founder Geoffrey Canada, and spent time in a classroom where some students were studying for a math test. A 10-year-old girl sitting at a desk covered with drawing paper and colored markers gave Harry a picture. "Is this for me?" Harry asked as he accepted it. Pointing to the desk and pens, he then asked, "You find yourself very lucky to have all this?" When she nodded, he replied "Good." A young boy gave Harry a bowl containing a dish he had prepared, and the prince ate it while the child sounded off the ingredients. Throughout the classroom visit, the prince smiled and chatted easily with students. Watch Soledad O'Brien's report on the Children's Zone » Cheering people lined the street as Harry entered the building. As he left, reporters shouted questions. Asked how he liked his first official visit overseas and meeting the children, the prince responded, "It's been fantastic -- really, really worthwhile." "It's my first visit to New York. I'm hopeful I'll come back to visit again." He also was asked whether he thought his appearances would change any image the public might have of him, apparently referring to some of his wild exploits ways when he was younger. Those incidents included a one-day stint in drug rehab in 2002 and accusations of racism in January. "I don't know what the image is of me. There is always the image that's been given to me, but people have their own opinions, it's the media that likes to stamp on the image which isn't really me." On Friday, the youngest son of Princess Diana offered his condolences to September 11 victims at the former site of the World Trade Center. The prince met New York Gov. David Paterson and briefly spoke with family members of 9/11 victims. The prince then laid a wreath at the site and bowed his head in a moment of silence. Watch Prince Harry's visit to Ground Zero » He left a handwritten note tacked to the wreath, citing an "the courage shown by the people" of New York on September 11, 2001. Harry later paid tribute to his fellow citizens at Lower Manhattan's British Garden at Hanover Square, where he honored the 67 British victims of the September 11 attacks, officials said. The third in line for the British crown, Harry is active in the British Army. He received a promotion to lieutenant in April 2008 and is currently training for an Army Air Corps pilot position, according to the prince's Web site.

What does the Prince take part in?

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- As Britain's Prince Harry neared the end of his second and final day in New York City on Saturday, he described his experiences as "fantastic." Prince Harry smiles whilte touring the Harlem Children's Zone on Saturday during a 36-hour visit to New York. The 24-year-old visited the Harlem Children's Zone, a nonprofit organization that offers free programs and classes in a low-income area, then went to Governors Island in New York Harbor to play in the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic. Profits from the match will benefit Sentebale, a charity for orphans in Lesotho, Africa, a cause Harry's mother, Princess Diana, had promoted. The prince was accompanied by Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, who also lost his mother when he was young. The men toured the Children's Zone with founder Geoffrey Canada, and spent time in a classroom where some students were studying for a math test. A 10-year-old girl sitting at a desk covered with drawing paper and colored markers gave Harry a picture. "Is this for me?" Harry asked as he accepted it. Pointing to the desk and pens, he then asked, "You find yourself very lucky to have all this?" When she nodded, he replied "Good." A young boy gave Harry a bowl containing a dish he had prepared, and the prince ate it while the child sounded off the ingredients. Throughout the classroom visit, the prince smiled and chatted easily with students. Watch Soledad O'Brien's report on the Children's Zone » Cheering people lined the street as Harry entered the building. As he left, reporters shouted questions. Asked how he liked his first official visit overseas and meeting the children, the prince responded, "It's been fantastic -- really, really worthwhile." "It's my first visit to New York. I'm hopeful I'll come back to visit again." He also was asked whether he thought his appearances would change any image the public might have of him, apparently referring to some of his wild exploits ways when he was younger. Those incidents included a one-day stint in drug rehab in 2002 and accusations of racism in January. "I don't know what the image is of me. There is always the image that's been given to me, but people have their own opinions, it's the media that likes to stamp on the image which isn't really me." On Friday, the youngest son of Princess Diana offered his condolences to September 11 victims at the former site of the World Trade Center. The prince met New York Gov. David Paterson and briefly spoke with family members of 9/11 victims. The prince then laid a wreath at the site and bowed his head in a moment of silence. Watch Prince Harry's visit to Ground Zero » He left a handwritten note tacked to the wreath, citing an "the courage shown by the people" of New York on September 11, 2001. Harry later paid tribute to his fellow citizens at Lower Manhattan's British Garden at Hanover Square, where he honored the 67 British victims of the September 11 attacks, officials said. The third in line for the British crown, Harry is active in the British Army. He received a promotion to lieutenant in April 2008 and is currently training for an Army Air Corps pilot position, according to the prince's Web site.

who visit Prince Harry?

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- As Britain's Prince Harry neared the end of his second and final day in New York City on Saturday, he described his experiences as "fantastic." Prince Harry smiles whilte touring the Harlem Children's Zone on Saturday during a 36-hour visit to New York. The 24-year-old visited the Harlem Children's Zone, a nonprofit organization that offers free programs and classes in a low-income area, then went to Governors Island in New York Harbor to play in the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic. Profits from the match will benefit Sentebale, a charity for orphans in Lesotho, Africa, a cause Harry's mother, Princess Diana, had promoted. The prince was accompanied by Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, who also lost his mother when he was young. The men toured the Children's Zone with founder Geoffrey Canada, and spent time in a classroom where some students were studying for a math test. A 10-year-old girl sitting at a desk covered with drawing paper and colored markers gave Harry a picture. "Is this for me?" Harry asked as he accepted it. Pointing to the desk and pens, he then asked, "You find yourself very lucky to have all this?" When she nodded, he replied "Good." A young boy gave Harry a bowl containing a dish he had prepared, and the prince ate it while the child sounded off the ingredients. Throughout the classroom visit, the prince smiled and chatted easily with students. Watch Soledad O'Brien's report on the Children's Zone » Cheering people lined the street as Harry entered the building. As he left, reporters shouted questions. Asked how he liked his first official visit overseas and meeting the children, the prince responded, "It's been fantastic -- really, really worthwhile." "It's my first visit to New York. I'm hopeful I'll come back to visit again." He also was asked whether he thought his appearances would change any image the public might have of him, apparently referring to some of his wild exploits ways when he was younger. Those incidents included a one-day stint in drug rehab in 2002 and accusations of racism in January. "I don't know what the image is of me. There is always the image that's been given to me, but people have their own opinions, it's the media that likes to stamp on the image which isn't really me." On Friday, the youngest son of Princess Diana offered his condolences to September 11 victims at the former site of the World Trade Center. The prince met New York Gov. David Paterson and briefly spoke with family members of 9/11 victims. The prince then laid a wreath at the site and bowed his head in a moment of silence. Watch Prince Harry's visit to Ground Zero » He left a handwritten note tacked to the wreath, citing an "the courage shown by the people" of New York on September 11, 2001. Harry later paid tribute to his fellow citizens at Lower Manhattan's British Garden at Hanover Square, where he honored the 67 British victims of the September 11 attacks, officials said. The third in line for the British crown, Harry is active in the British Army. He received a promotion to lieutenant in April 2008 and is currently training for an Army Air Corps pilot position, according to the prince's Web site.

Prince Harry takes part in what Manhattan sport?

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- As Britain's Prince Harry neared the end of his second and final day in New York City on Saturday, he described his experiences as "fantastic." Prince Harry smiles whilte touring the Harlem Children's Zone on Saturday during a 36-hour visit to New York. The 24-year-old visited the Harlem Children's Zone, a nonprofit organization that offers free programs and classes in a low-income area, then went to Governors Island in New York Harbor to play in the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic. Profits from the match will benefit Sentebale, a charity for orphans in Lesotho, Africa, a cause Harry's mother, Princess Diana, had promoted. The prince was accompanied by Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, who also lost his mother when he was young. The men toured the Children's Zone with founder Geoffrey Canada, and spent time in a classroom where some students were studying for a math test. A 10-year-old girl sitting at a desk covered with drawing paper and colored markers gave Harry a picture. "Is this for me?" Harry asked as he accepted it. Pointing to the desk and pens, he then asked, "You find yourself very lucky to have all this?" When she nodded, he replied "Good." A young boy gave Harry a bowl containing a dish he had prepared, and the prince ate it while the child sounded off the ingredients. Throughout the classroom visit, the prince smiled and chatted easily with students. Watch Soledad O'Brien's report on the Children's Zone » Cheering people lined the street as Harry entered the building. As he left, reporters shouted questions. Asked how he liked his first official visit overseas and meeting the children, the prince responded, "It's been fantastic -- really, really worthwhile." "It's my first visit to New York. I'm hopeful I'll come back to visit again." He also was asked whether he thought his appearances would change any image the public might have of him, apparently referring to some of his wild exploits ways when he was younger. Those incidents included a one-day stint in drug rehab in 2002 and accusations of racism in January. "I don't know what the image is of me. There is always the image that's been given to me, but people have their own opinions, it's the media that likes to stamp on the image which isn't really me." On Friday, the youngest son of Princess Diana offered his condolences to September 11 victims at the former site of the World Trade Center. The prince met New York Gov. David Paterson and briefly spoke with family members of 9/11 victims. The prince then laid a wreath at the site and bowed his head in a moment of silence. Watch Prince Harry's visit to Ground Zero » He left a handwritten note tacked to the wreath, citing an "the courage shown by the people" of New York on September 11, 2001. Harry later paid tribute to his fellow citizens at Lower Manhattan's British Garden at Hanover Square, where he honored the 67 British victims of the September 11 attacks, officials said. The third in line for the British crown, Harry is active in the British Army. He received a promotion to lieutenant in April 2008 and is currently training for an Army Air Corps pilot position, according to the prince's Web site.

What did Prince Harry say about his first trip to New York?

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London, England (CNN) -- A number of Latin American countries have rushed to offer their support to Argentina in its long-running territorial dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands. This week Britain began drilling for oil in the waters off the archipelago, despite opposition from Buenos Aires which claims sovereignty over the islands it calls Las Malvinas. The project has reignited tensions between the two countries, who fought a brief war over the islands in 1982, with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner accusing London of ignoring international law. Argentina says the natural resources around the islands, which lie in the South Atlantic Ocean off the Argentinean coast, should be protected, and Britain must accept international resolutions labeling the Falklands a disputed area. Mexico's President Felipe Calderon weighed into the dispute late Monday when he said a number of countries in the region had drafted a document in support of their South American neighbor. Speaking at a summit of Latin American leaders in the Mexican resort of Playa Del Carmen, Calderon claimed Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, Bolivia and Venezuela had all backed Argentina's opposition to the drilling. "We have approved a declaration in which leaders of countries and governments present here reaffirm their support for the Republic of Argentina's legitimate rights in its sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom," he said in a statement issued by Argentine officials. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa offered his country's "unconditional support" to Argentina, while his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet said, "We not only support our sister republic's claims to the Malvinas islands but every year we present its case to the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonization." Venezuela's outspoken leader Hugo Chavez also reiterated his support for Argentina. "We support unconditionally the Argentine government and the Argentine people in their complaints," Chavez told reporters Tuesday, according to Reuters.com. "That sea and that land belongs to Argentina and to Latin America." A day earlier, Chavez had used his weekly televised address to make a direct appeal to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. "Look, England, how long are you going to be in Las Malvinas? Queen of England, I'm talking to you," he said. "The time for empires are over, haven't you noticed? Return the Malvinas to the Argentine people." On Monday, British oil and gas exploration company Desire Petroleum announced that its Ocean Guardian rig had started drilling an exploration well in the North Falkland Basin, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the islands. Desire estimates that the North Falkland Basin could contain 3.5 billion barrels of oil as well as having "significant gas potential." The exploratory drilling is expected to last around 30 days, a spokesman for the company told CNN. But the prospect of Britain making a highly lucrative discovery in region has infuriated Buenos Aires. This has to do with the defense of the interests of Argentineans, not just about sovereignty," Argentine Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez said last week, adding that Argentina lays claim not just to the islands, but to any resources that could be found there. In a statement last week, the Falkland Islands government, which represents its 2,500 residents, said it had "every right to develop a hydrocarbons industry within our waters." "The British government has clearly stated that they support our right to develop legitimate business," it said. "The British government have also reiterated their stance on our British sovereignty."

Which President says that a number of Countries support Argentina's position?

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London, England (CNN) -- A number of Latin American countries have rushed to offer their support to Argentina in its long-running territorial dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands. This week Britain began drilling for oil in the waters off the archipelago, despite opposition from Buenos Aires which claims sovereignty over the islands it calls Las Malvinas. The project has reignited tensions between the two countries, who fought a brief war over the islands in 1982, with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner accusing London of ignoring international law. Argentina says the natural resources around the islands, which lie in the South Atlantic Ocean off the Argentinean coast, should be protected, and Britain must accept international resolutions labeling the Falklands a disputed area. Mexico's President Felipe Calderon weighed into the dispute late Monday when he said a number of countries in the region had drafted a document in support of their South American neighbor. Speaking at a summit of Latin American leaders in the Mexican resort of Playa Del Carmen, Calderon claimed Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, Bolivia and Venezuela had all backed Argentina's opposition to the drilling. "We have approved a declaration in which leaders of countries and governments present here reaffirm their support for the Republic of Argentina's legitimate rights in its sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom," he said in a statement issued by Argentine officials. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa offered his country's "unconditional support" to Argentina, while his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet said, "We not only support our sister republic's claims to the Malvinas islands but every year we present its case to the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonization." Venezuela's outspoken leader Hugo Chavez also reiterated his support for Argentina. "We support unconditionally the Argentine government and the Argentine people in their complaints," Chavez told reporters Tuesday, according to Reuters.com. "That sea and that land belongs to Argentina and to Latin America." A day earlier, Chavez had used his weekly televised address to make a direct appeal to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. "Look, England, how long are you going to be in Las Malvinas? Queen of England, I'm talking to you," he said. "The time for empires are over, haven't you noticed? Return the Malvinas to the Argentine people." On Monday, British oil and gas exploration company Desire Petroleum announced that its Ocean Guardian rig had started drilling an exploration well in the North Falkland Basin, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the islands. Desire estimates that the North Falkland Basin could contain 3.5 billion barrels of oil as well as having "significant gas potential." The exploratory drilling is expected to last around 30 days, a spokesman for the company told CNN. But the prospect of Britain making a highly lucrative discovery in region has infuriated Buenos Aires. This has to do with the defense of the interests of Argentineans, not just about sovereignty," Argentine Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez said last week, adding that Argentina lays claim not just to the islands, but to any resources that could be found there. In a statement last week, the Falkland Islands government, which represents its 2,500 residents, said it had "every right to develop a hydrocarbons industry within our waters." "The British government has clearly stated that they support our right to develop legitimate business," it said. "The British government have also reiterated their stance on our British sovereignty."

what did the Mexican president say?

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London, England (CNN) -- A number of Latin American countries have rushed to offer their support to Argentina in its long-running territorial dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands. This week Britain began drilling for oil in the waters off the archipelago, despite opposition from Buenos Aires which claims sovereignty over the islands it calls Las Malvinas. The project has reignited tensions between the two countries, who fought a brief war over the islands in 1982, with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner accusing London of ignoring international law. Argentina says the natural resources around the islands, which lie in the South Atlantic Ocean off the Argentinean coast, should be protected, and Britain must accept international resolutions labeling the Falklands a disputed area. Mexico's President Felipe Calderon weighed into the dispute late Monday when he said a number of countries in the region had drafted a document in support of their South American neighbor. Speaking at a summit of Latin American leaders in the Mexican resort of Playa Del Carmen, Calderon claimed Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, Bolivia and Venezuela had all backed Argentina's opposition to the drilling. "We have approved a declaration in which leaders of countries and governments present here reaffirm their support for the Republic of Argentina's legitimate rights in its sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom," he said in a statement issued by Argentine officials. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa offered his country's "unconditional support" to Argentina, while his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet said, "We not only support our sister republic's claims to the Malvinas islands but every year we present its case to the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonization." Venezuela's outspoken leader Hugo Chavez also reiterated his support for Argentina. "We support unconditionally the Argentine government and the Argentine people in their complaints," Chavez told reporters Tuesday, according to Reuters.com. "That sea and that land belongs to Argentina and to Latin America." A day earlier, Chavez had used his weekly televised address to make a direct appeal to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. "Look, England, how long are you going to be in Las Malvinas? Queen of England, I'm talking to you," he said. "The time for empires are over, haven't you noticed? Return the Malvinas to the Argentine people." On Monday, British oil and gas exploration company Desire Petroleum announced that its Ocean Guardian rig had started drilling an exploration well in the North Falkland Basin, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the islands. Desire estimates that the North Falkland Basin could contain 3.5 billion barrels of oil as well as having "significant gas potential." The exploratory drilling is expected to last around 30 days, a spokesman for the company told CNN. But the prospect of Britain making a highly lucrative discovery in region has infuriated Buenos Aires. This has to do with the defense of the interests of Argentineans, not just about sovereignty," Argentine Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez said last week, adding that Argentina lays claim not just to the islands, but to any resources that could be found there. In a statement last week, the Falkland Islands government, which represents its 2,500 residents, said it had "every right to develop a hydrocarbons industry within our waters." "The British government has clearly stated that they support our right to develop legitimate business," it said. "The British government have also reiterated their stance on our British sovereignty."

what did falklands government say?

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London, England (CNN) -- A number of Latin American countries have rushed to offer their support to Argentina in its long-running territorial dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands. This week Britain began drilling for oil in the waters off the archipelago, despite opposition from Buenos Aires which claims sovereignty over the islands it calls Las Malvinas. The project has reignited tensions between the two countries, who fought a brief war over the islands in 1982, with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner accusing London of ignoring international law. Argentina says the natural resources around the islands, which lie in the South Atlantic Ocean off the Argentinean coast, should be protected, and Britain must accept international resolutions labeling the Falklands a disputed area. Mexico's President Felipe Calderon weighed into the dispute late Monday when he said a number of countries in the region had drafted a document in support of their South American neighbor. Speaking at a summit of Latin American leaders in the Mexican resort of Playa Del Carmen, Calderon claimed Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, Bolivia and Venezuela had all backed Argentina's opposition to the drilling. "We have approved a declaration in which leaders of countries and governments present here reaffirm their support for the Republic of Argentina's legitimate rights in its sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom," he said in a statement issued by Argentine officials. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa offered his country's "unconditional support" to Argentina, while his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet said, "We not only support our sister republic's claims to the Malvinas islands but every year we present its case to the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonization." Venezuela's outspoken leader Hugo Chavez also reiterated his support for Argentina. "We support unconditionally the Argentine government and the Argentine people in their complaints," Chavez told reporters Tuesday, according to Reuters.com. "That sea and that land belongs to Argentina and to Latin America." A day earlier, Chavez had used his weekly televised address to make a direct appeal to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. "Look, England, how long are you going to be in Las Malvinas? Queen of England, I'm talking to you," he said. "The time for empires are over, haven't you noticed? Return the Malvinas to the Argentine people." On Monday, British oil and gas exploration company Desire Petroleum announced that its Ocean Guardian rig had started drilling an exploration well in the North Falkland Basin, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the islands. Desire estimates that the North Falkland Basin could contain 3.5 billion barrels of oil as well as having "significant gas potential." The exploratory drilling is expected to last around 30 days, a spokesman for the company told CNN. But the prospect of Britain making a highly lucrative discovery in region has infuriated Buenos Aires. This has to do with the defense of the interests of Argentineans, not just about sovereignty," Argentine Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez said last week, adding that Argentina lays claim not just to the islands, but to any resources that could be found there. In a statement last week, the Falkland Islands government, which represents its 2,500 residents, said it had "every right to develop a hydrocarbons industry within our waters." "The British government has clearly stated that they support our right to develop legitimate business," it said. "The British government have also reiterated their stance on our British sovereignty."

Who is at odds over the ownership of South Atlantic Islands?

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London, England (CNN) -- A number of Latin American countries have rushed to offer their support to Argentina in its long-running territorial dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands. This week Britain began drilling for oil in the waters off the archipelago, despite opposition from Buenos Aires which claims sovereignty over the islands it calls Las Malvinas. The project has reignited tensions between the two countries, who fought a brief war over the islands in 1982, with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner accusing London of ignoring international law. Argentina says the natural resources around the islands, which lie in the South Atlantic Ocean off the Argentinean coast, should be protected, and Britain must accept international resolutions labeling the Falklands a disputed area. Mexico's President Felipe Calderon weighed into the dispute late Monday when he said a number of countries in the region had drafted a document in support of their South American neighbor. Speaking at a summit of Latin American leaders in the Mexican resort of Playa Del Carmen, Calderon claimed Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, Bolivia and Venezuela had all backed Argentina's opposition to the drilling. "We have approved a declaration in which leaders of countries and governments present here reaffirm their support for the Republic of Argentina's legitimate rights in its sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom," he said in a statement issued by Argentine officials. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa offered his country's "unconditional support" to Argentina, while his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet said, "We not only support our sister republic's claims to the Malvinas islands but every year we present its case to the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonization." Venezuela's outspoken leader Hugo Chavez also reiterated his support for Argentina. "We support unconditionally the Argentine government and the Argentine people in their complaints," Chavez told reporters Tuesday, according to Reuters.com. "That sea and that land belongs to Argentina and to Latin America." A day earlier, Chavez had used his weekly televised address to make a direct appeal to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. "Look, England, how long are you going to be in Las Malvinas? Queen of England, I'm talking to you," he said. "The time for empires are over, haven't you noticed? Return the Malvinas to the Argentine people." On Monday, British oil and gas exploration company Desire Petroleum announced that its Ocean Guardian rig had started drilling an exploration well in the North Falkland Basin, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the islands. Desire estimates that the North Falkland Basin could contain 3.5 billion barrels of oil as well as having "significant gas potential." The exploratory drilling is expected to last around 30 days, a spokesman for the company told CNN. But the prospect of Britain making a highly lucrative discovery in region has infuriated Buenos Aires. This has to do with the defense of the interests of Argentineans, not just about sovereignty," Argentine Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez said last week, adding that Argentina lays claim not just to the islands, but to any resources that could be found there. In a statement last week, the Falkland Islands government, which represents its 2,500 residents, said it had "every right to develop a hydrocarbons industry within our waters." "The British government has clearly stated that they support our right to develop legitimate business," it said. "The British government have also reiterated their stance on our British sovereignty."

who is UK at odds with?

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London, England (CNN) -- A number of Latin American countries have rushed to offer their support to Argentina in its long-running territorial dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands. This week Britain began drilling for oil in the waters off the archipelago, despite opposition from Buenos Aires which claims sovereignty over the islands it calls Las Malvinas. The project has reignited tensions between the two countries, who fought a brief war over the islands in 1982, with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner accusing London of ignoring international law. Argentina says the natural resources around the islands, which lie in the South Atlantic Ocean off the Argentinean coast, should be protected, and Britain must accept international resolutions labeling the Falklands a disputed area. Mexico's President Felipe Calderon weighed into the dispute late Monday when he said a number of countries in the region had drafted a document in support of their South American neighbor. Speaking at a summit of Latin American leaders in the Mexican resort of Playa Del Carmen, Calderon claimed Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, Bolivia and Venezuela had all backed Argentina's opposition to the drilling. "We have approved a declaration in which leaders of countries and governments present here reaffirm their support for the Republic of Argentina's legitimate rights in its sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom," he said in a statement issued by Argentine officials. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa offered his country's "unconditional support" to Argentina, while his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet said, "We not only support our sister republic's claims to the Malvinas islands but every year we present its case to the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonization." Venezuela's outspoken leader Hugo Chavez also reiterated his support for Argentina. "We support unconditionally the Argentine government and the Argentine people in their complaints," Chavez told reporters Tuesday, according to Reuters.com. "That sea and that land belongs to Argentina and to Latin America." A day earlier, Chavez had used his weekly televised address to make a direct appeal to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. "Look, England, how long are you going to be in Las Malvinas? Queen of England, I'm talking to you," he said. "The time for empires are over, haven't you noticed? Return the Malvinas to the Argentine people." On Monday, British oil and gas exploration company Desire Petroleum announced that its Ocean Guardian rig had started drilling an exploration well in the North Falkland Basin, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the islands. Desire estimates that the North Falkland Basin could contain 3.5 billion barrels of oil as well as having "significant gas potential." The exploratory drilling is expected to last around 30 days, a spokesman for the company told CNN. But the prospect of Britain making a highly lucrative discovery in region has infuriated Buenos Aires. This has to do with the defense of the interests of Argentineans, not just about sovereignty," Argentine Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez said last week, adding that Argentina lays claim not just to the islands, but to any resources that could be found there. In a statement last week, the Falkland Islands government, which represents its 2,500 residents, said it had "every right to develop a hydrocarbons industry within our waters." "The British government has clearly stated that they support our right to develop legitimate business," it said. "The British government have also reiterated their stance on our British sovereignty."

who is hugo chavez?

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(CNN) -- We are losing in Afghanistan, on two fronts. The most important center of gravity of the conflict -- as the Taliban well recognizes -- is the American public. And now, most Americans are opposed to the war. For years, Afghanistan was "the forgotten war," and when Americans started paying attention again -- roughly around the time of President Obama's inauguration -- what they saw was not a pretty sight: a corrupt Afghan government, a world-class drug trade, a resurgent Taliban and steadily rising U.S. casualties. Many surely thought: Didn't we win this war eight years ago? Americans, of course, hate seeing the deaths of fellow citizens in combat, but even more they hate to see those deaths in the service of a war they believe they are either not winning or maybe even losing, which is one of the reasons why they largely turned against the Iraq war in 2006. Within a couple of years, Iraq came back from the brink and started to turn around, after which the war there became largely a nonissue for most Americans. Similarly, the American public would be more likely to tolerate the losses of blood and treasure in Afghanistan if they saw real progress being made there. And right now, they don't. The second front we're losing is the Afghans themselves, who are the United States' center of gravity in the Afghan war. Eight years into this conflict, America and its NATO allies -- who are still looked on favorably by a majority of Afghans -- are not providing large swaths of the Afghan population with the most basic public good, which is security. It's time to table fancy counterinsurgency doctrines about "connecting the Afghan people to the government" -- Afghans have never had, and don't expect much, in the way of services from their government, and it's time now to focus on something much more basic: security. The last government to provide Afghans with real security was ... the Taliban. When they ruled the country before 9/11, security came at a tremendous price: a brutal, theocratic regime that bankrupted the country and was a pariah on the world stage. But in the context of Afghan history, the Taliban bringing security was decisively important, since what had immediately preceded their iron rule was a nightmarish civil war during which you could be robbed or killed at will by gangs of roving ethnic and tribal militias. It is has been a staple of Western political theory since the mid-17th century, when Hobbes wrote "Leviathan," that if the state does not provide security to its people, life will be "nasty, brutish and short." Hobbes wrote "Leviathan" in the shadow of the English Civil War, deriving from that bloody conflict the idea that the most important political good the state can deliver is security. The United States relearned this lesson in Iraq with some success starting in 2007. But the U.S. seems to have developed instant amnesia about this issue in Afghanistan, where around 40 percent of the country was controlled by the Taliban or was at high risk for attacks by insurgents, according to a private assessment prepared by the Afghan military in April, which was obtained by CNN. A glaring symbol of the collapse of security in the country is the 300-mile Kabul-to-Kandahar highway, economically and politically the most important road in the country, which is now too dangerous to drive on. Who will then provide security? The Afghan army is relatively small and generally ineffective. The police are worse. The plans to ramp up the size and efficacy of those forces are, of course, a key part of the American exit strategy from the country. But that training mission is going to take years. Nor are NATO allies going to add significantly more troops. Indeed, a number of NATO countries are already heading to the exits. That means that it now falls to the United States to do the heavy lifting in Afghanistan, and if Obama is serious about securing the country and rolling back the Taliban, he really doesn't have much choice but to put significant numbers of more troops

Which government don't provide basic security?

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(CNN) -- We are losing in Afghanistan, on two fronts. The most important center of gravity of the conflict -- as the Taliban well recognizes -- is the American public. And now, most Americans are opposed to the war. For years, Afghanistan was "the forgotten war," and when Americans started paying attention again -- roughly around the time of President Obama's inauguration -- what they saw was not a pretty sight: a corrupt Afghan government, a world-class drug trade, a resurgent Taliban and steadily rising U.S. casualties. Many surely thought: Didn't we win this war eight years ago? Americans, of course, hate seeing the deaths of fellow citizens in combat, but even more they hate to see those deaths in the service of a war they believe they are either not winning or maybe even losing, which is one of the reasons why they largely turned against the Iraq war in 2006. Within a couple of years, Iraq came back from the brink and started to turn around, after which the war there became largely a nonissue for most Americans. Similarly, the American public would be more likely to tolerate the losses of blood and treasure in Afghanistan if they saw real progress being made there. And right now, they don't. The second front we're losing is the Afghans themselves, who are the United States' center of gravity in the Afghan war. Eight years into this conflict, America and its NATO allies -- who are still looked on favorably by a majority of Afghans -- are not providing large swaths of the Afghan population with the most basic public good, which is security. It's time to table fancy counterinsurgency doctrines about "connecting the Afghan people to the government" -- Afghans have never had, and don't expect much, in the way of services from their government, and it's time now to focus on something much more basic: security. The last government to provide Afghans with real security was ... the Taliban. When they ruled the country before 9/11, security came at a tremendous price: a brutal, theocratic regime that bankrupted the country and was a pariah on the world stage. But in the context of Afghan history, the Taliban bringing security was decisively important, since what had immediately preceded their iron rule was a nightmarish civil war during which you could be robbed or killed at will by gangs of roving ethnic and tribal militias. It is has been a staple of Western political theory since the mid-17th century, when Hobbes wrote "Leviathan," that if the state does not provide security to its people, life will be "nasty, brutish and short." Hobbes wrote "Leviathan" in the shadow of the English Civil War, deriving from that bloody conflict the idea that the most important political good the state can deliver is security. The United States relearned this lesson in Iraq with some success starting in 2007. But the U.S. seems to have developed instant amnesia about this issue in Afghanistan, where around 40 percent of the country was controlled by the Taliban or was at high risk for attacks by insurgents, according to a private assessment prepared by the Afghan military in April, which was obtained by CNN. A glaring symbol of the collapse of security in the country is the 300-mile Kabul-to-Kandahar highway, economically and politically the most important road in the country, which is now too dangerous to drive on. Who will then provide security? The Afghan army is relatively small and generally ineffective. The police are worse. The plans to ramp up the size and efficacy of those forces are, of course, a key part of the American exit strategy from the country. But that training mission is going to take years. Nor are NATO allies going to add significantly more troops. Indeed, a number of NATO countries are already heading to the exits. That means that it now falls to the United States to do the heavy lifting in Afghanistan, and if Obama is serious about securing the country and rolling back the Taliban, he really doesn't have much choice but to put significant numbers of more troops

What does Hobbes say about life in nations without security?

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(CNN) -- We are losing in Afghanistan, on two fronts. The most important center of gravity of the conflict -- as the Taliban well recognizes -- is the American public. And now, most Americans are opposed to the war. For years, Afghanistan was "the forgotten war," and when Americans started paying attention again -- roughly around the time of President Obama's inauguration -- what they saw was not a pretty sight: a corrupt Afghan government, a world-class drug trade, a resurgent Taliban and steadily rising U.S. casualties. Many surely thought: Didn't we win this war eight years ago? Americans, of course, hate seeing the deaths of fellow citizens in combat, but even more they hate to see those deaths in the service of a war they believe they are either not winning or maybe even losing, which is one of the reasons why they largely turned against the Iraq war in 2006. Within a couple of years, Iraq came back from the brink and started to turn around, after which the war there became largely a nonissue for most Americans. Similarly, the American public would be more likely to tolerate the losses of blood and treasure in Afghanistan if they saw real progress being made there. And right now, they don't. The second front we're losing is the Afghans themselves, who are the United States' center of gravity in the Afghan war. Eight years into this conflict, America and its NATO allies -- who are still looked on favorably by a majority of Afghans -- are not providing large swaths of the Afghan population with the most basic public good, which is security. It's time to table fancy counterinsurgency doctrines about "connecting the Afghan people to the government" -- Afghans have never had, and don't expect much, in the way of services from their government, and it's time now to focus on something much more basic: security. The last government to provide Afghans with real security was ... the Taliban. When they ruled the country before 9/11, security came at a tremendous price: a brutal, theocratic regime that bankrupted the country and was a pariah on the world stage. But in the context of Afghan history, the Taliban bringing security was decisively important, since what had immediately preceded their iron rule was a nightmarish civil war during which you could be robbed or killed at will by gangs of roving ethnic and tribal militias. It is has been a staple of Western political theory since the mid-17th century, when Hobbes wrote "Leviathan," that if the state does not provide security to its people, life will be "nasty, brutish and short." Hobbes wrote "Leviathan" in the shadow of the English Civil War, deriving from that bloody conflict the idea that the most important political good the state can deliver is security. The United States relearned this lesson in Iraq with some success starting in 2007. But the U.S. seems to have developed instant amnesia about this issue in Afghanistan, where around 40 percent of the country was controlled by the Taliban or was at high risk for attacks by insurgents, according to a private assessment prepared by the Afghan military in April, which was obtained by CNN. A glaring symbol of the collapse of security in the country is the 300-mile Kabul-to-Kandahar highway, economically and politically the most important road in the country, which is now too dangerous to drive on. Who will then provide security? The Afghan army is relatively small and generally ineffective. The police are worse. The plans to ramp up the size and efficacy of those forces are, of course, a key part of the American exit strategy from the country. But that training mission is going to take years. Nor are NATO allies going to add significantly more troops. Indeed, a number of NATO countries are already heading to the exits. That means that it now falls to the United States to do the heavy lifting in Afghanistan, and if Obama is serious about securing the country and rolling back the Taliban, he really doesn't have much choice but to put significant numbers of more troops

Does anyone worry about security in Afghanistan?

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(CNN) -- We are losing in Afghanistan, on two fronts. The most important center of gravity of the conflict -- as the Taliban well recognizes -- is the American public. And now, most Americans are opposed to the war. For years, Afghanistan was "the forgotten war," and when Americans started paying attention again -- roughly around the time of President Obama's inauguration -- what they saw was not a pretty sight: a corrupt Afghan government, a world-class drug trade, a resurgent Taliban and steadily rising U.S. casualties. Many surely thought: Didn't we win this war eight years ago? Americans, of course, hate seeing the deaths of fellow citizens in combat, but even more they hate to see those deaths in the service of a war they believe they are either not winning or maybe even losing, which is one of the reasons why they largely turned against the Iraq war in 2006. Within a couple of years, Iraq came back from the brink and started to turn around, after which the war there became largely a nonissue for most Americans. Similarly, the American public would be more likely to tolerate the losses of blood and treasure in Afghanistan if they saw real progress being made there. And right now, they don't. The second front we're losing is the Afghans themselves, who are the United States' center of gravity in the Afghan war. Eight years into this conflict, America and its NATO allies -- who are still looked on favorably by a majority of Afghans -- are not providing large swaths of the Afghan population with the most basic public good, which is security. It's time to table fancy counterinsurgency doctrines about "connecting the Afghan people to the government" -- Afghans have never had, and don't expect much, in the way of services from their government, and it's time now to focus on something much more basic: security. The last government to provide Afghans with real security was ... the Taliban. When they ruled the country before 9/11, security came at a tremendous price: a brutal, theocratic regime that bankrupted the country and was a pariah on the world stage. But in the context of Afghan history, the Taliban bringing security was decisively important, since what had immediately preceded their iron rule was a nightmarish civil war during which you could be robbed or killed at will by gangs of roving ethnic and tribal militias. It is has been a staple of Western political theory since the mid-17th century, when Hobbes wrote "Leviathan," that if the state does not provide security to its people, life will be "nasty, brutish and short." Hobbes wrote "Leviathan" in the shadow of the English Civil War, deriving from that bloody conflict the idea that the most important political good the state can deliver is security. The United States relearned this lesson in Iraq with some success starting in 2007. But the U.S. seems to have developed instant amnesia about this issue in Afghanistan, where around 40 percent of the country was controlled by the Taliban or was at high risk for attacks by insurgents, according to a private assessment prepared by the Afghan military in April, which was obtained by CNN. A glaring symbol of the collapse of security in the country is the 300-mile Kabul-to-Kandahar highway, economically and politically the most important road in the country, which is now too dangerous to drive on. Who will then provide security? The Afghan army is relatively small and generally ineffective. The police are worse. The plans to ramp up the size and efficacy of those forces are, of course, a key part of the American exit strategy from the country. But that training mission is going to take years. Nor are NATO allies going to add significantly more troops. Indeed, a number of NATO countries are already heading to the exits. That means that it now falls to the United States to do the heavy lifting in Afghanistan, and if Obama is serious about securing the country and rolling back the Taliban, he really doesn't have much choice but to put significant numbers of more troops

Who now oppose the war in Afghanistan?

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(CNN) -- We are losing in Afghanistan, on two fronts. The most important center of gravity of the conflict -- as the Taliban well recognizes -- is the American public. And now, most Americans are opposed to the war. For years, Afghanistan was "the forgotten war," and when Americans started paying attention again -- roughly around the time of President Obama's inauguration -- what they saw was not a pretty sight: a corrupt Afghan government, a world-class drug trade, a resurgent Taliban and steadily rising U.S. casualties. Many surely thought: Didn't we win this war eight years ago? Americans, of course, hate seeing the deaths of fellow citizens in combat, but even more they hate to see those deaths in the service of a war they believe they are either not winning or maybe even losing, which is one of the reasons why they largely turned against the Iraq war in 2006. Within a couple of years, Iraq came back from the brink and started to turn around, after which the war there became largely a nonissue for most Americans. Similarly, the American public would be more likely to tolerate the losses of blood and treasure in Afghanistan if they saw real progress being made there. And right now, they don't. The second front we're losing is the Afghans themselves, who are the United States' center of gravity in the Afghan war. Eight years into this conflict, America and its NATO allies -- who are still looked on favorably by a majority of Afghans -- are not providing large swaths of the Afghan population with the most basic public good, which is security. It's time to table fancy counterinsurgency doctrines about "connecting the Afghan people to the government" -- Afghans have never had, and don't expect much, in the way of services from their government, and it's time now to focus on something much more basic: security. The last government to provide Afghans with real security was ... the Taliban. When they ruled the country before 9/11, security came at a tremendous price: a brutal, theocratic regime that bankrupted the country and was a pariah on the world stage. But in the context of Afghan history, the Taliban bringing security was decisively important, since what had immediately preceded their iron rule was a nightmarish civil war during which you could be robbed or killed at will by gangs of roving ethnic and tribal militias. It is has been a staple of Western political theory since the mid-17th century, when Hobbes wrote "Leviathan," that if the state does not provide security to its people, life will be "nasty, brutish and short." Hobbes wrote "Leviathan" in the shadow of the English Civil War, deriving from that bloody conflict the idea that the most important political good the state can deliver is security. The United States relearned this lesson in Iraq with some success starting in 2007. But the U.S. seems to have developed instant amnesia about this issue in Afghanistan, where around 40 percent of the country was controlled by the Taliban or was at high risk for attacks by insurgents, according to a private assessment prepared by the Afghan military in April, which was obtained by CNN. A glaring symbol of the collapse of security in the country is the 300-mile Kabul-to-Kandahar highway, economically and politically the most important road in the country, which is now too dangerous to drive on. Who will then provide security? The Afghan army is relatively small and generally ineffective. The police are worse. The plans to ramp up the size and efficacy of those forces are, of course, a key part of the American exit strategy from the country. But that training mission is going to take years. Nor are NATO allies going to add significantly more troops. Indeed, a number of NATO countries are already heading to the exits. That means that it now falls to the United States to do the heavy lifting in Afghanistan, and if Obama is serious about securing the country and rolling back the Taliban, he really doesn't have much choice but to put significant numbers of more troops

What does Peter Bergen say about most Americans regarding the war in Afghanistan?

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Editor's note: CNN contributor Bob Greene is a best-selling author whose current book is "When We Get to Surf City: A Journey Through America in Pursuit of Rock and Roll, Friendship, and Dreams." "Tumbling tumbleweeds" have been romanticized in song, but they're no fun in some parts of the U.S. (CNN) -- "Do we like them?" Patrick Victor, a game and fish commission employee in San Carlos, Arizona, repeated the question back to me as if I had proved my lunacy by asking it in the first place. "Do we like tumbleweeds?" he said. "No one likes them. They're not like in the cowboy movies. We consider them garbage -- worse than garbage. There is nothing to treasure or cherish about a tumbleweed." We were talking about tumbleweeds because of a theory I had been pondering: In this country, because of the immediacy of news, it seems as if everyone from one coast to the other is worrying obsessively about the same thing at the same time. You name it: the banking meltdown one day, the feared floods in Fargo, North Dakota, the next; the forced ouster of the head of General Motors one morning, followed soon after by the street demonstrations in London during the Group of 20 summit. We all tend to fret together about one crisis at a time; undoubtedly there will be something new for all of us to be nervous about together before sundown tonight. So the goal here was to come up with something utterly unlikely -- something that, in 2009, you wouldn't think would bother people -- and find out if it does. Tumbleweeds. That, just picked at random, was the test case. "They can be a pretty big problem out here," said Scott McGuire, a code enforcement inspector in Greeley, Colorado. "When the wind is right, they'll pile up right to the roofline of a house. Seriously -- people can't see out of their windows or even easily get out of their homes." There was something instructive, even (in an off-kilter way) comforting, about learning this: the affirmation that, in this increasingly monolithic country, there are still local vexations that override the breaking news bulletins on the national networks, that people in one pocket of America are routinely dealing with forces that people a few hundred miles away are blissfully unaware of. Just hearing about it makes life seem somehow more life-size. "I meant what I said literally," McGuire said, continuing on his pinned-in-the-house-by-tumbleweeds theme. "They are big and prickly -- they can blow for hundreds of miles, sometimes all the way from Wyoming. They go until the wind dies out or they run into something. That's when people can have piles of them pressing against their homes -- when the tumbleweeds stop there." Tumbleweeds, if you haven't thought about them in years, may seem like a gauzy memory from old Western movies, a nostalgic high-plains symbol of desolation and loneliness. There was that campfire song by Roy Rogers and his group, the Sons of the Pioneers; once you think of the lyrics and melody again, you can't get it out of your head: "See them tumbling down/Pledging their love to the ground/Lonely but free I'll be found/Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds." But in the 21st century? In our connected-by-broadband, addicted-to-cell phones, technologically tethered nation? Tumbleweeds? As something to be concerned about? "They're ugly and nasty," said Charlene Hardin, the county manager of Roosevelt County, New Mexico. "They can make our roads impassable. You can see 12-foot-high, chain-link fences with tumbleweeds piled all the way up to the top. They're very flammable -- toss a cigarette, and you have a big fire. "Tumbleweeds are more than a nuisance out here. We'll get

What dominates news?

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Editor's note: CNN contributor Bob Greene is a best-selling author whose current book is "When We Get to Surf City: A Journey Through America in Pursuit of Rock and Roll, Friendship, and Dreams." "Tumbling tumbleweeds" have been romanticized in song, but they're no fun in some parts of the U.S. (CNN) -- "Do we like them?" Patrick Victor, a game and fish commission employee in San Carlos, Arizona, repeated the question back to me as if I had proved my lunacy by asking it in the first place. "Do we like tumbleweeds?" he said. "No one likes them. They're not like in the cowboy movies. We consider them garbage -- worse than garbage. There is nothing to treasure or cherish about a tumbleweed." We were talking about tumbleweeds because of a theory I had been pondering: In this country, because of the immediacy of news, it seems as if everyone from one coast to the other is worrying obsessively about the same thing at the same time. You name it: the banking meltdown one day, the feared floods in Fargo, North Dakota, the next; the forced ouster of the head of General Motors one morning, followed soon after by the street demonstrations in London during the Group of 20 summit. We all tend to fret together about one crisis at a time; undoubtedly there will be something new for all of us to be nervous about together before sundown tonight. So the goal here was to come up with something utterly unlikely -- something that, in 2009, you wouldn't think would bother people -- and find out if it does. Tumbleweeds. That, just picked at random, was the test case. "They can be a pretty big problem out here," said Scott McGuire, a code enforcement inspector in Greeley, Colorado. "When the wind is right, they'll pile up right to the roofline of a house. Seriously -- people can't see out of their windows or even easily get out of their homes." There was something instructive, even (in an off-kilter way) comforting, about learning this: the affirmation that, in this increasingly monolithic country, there are still local vexations that override the breaking news bulletins on the national networks, that people in one pocket of America are routinely dealing with forces that people a few hundred miles away are blissfully unaware of. Just hearing about it makes life seem somehow more life-size. "I meant what I said literally," McGuire said, continuing on his pinned-in-the-house-by-tumbleweeds theme. "They are big and prickly -- they can blow for hundreds of miles, sometimes all the way from Wyoming. They go until the wind dies out or they run into something. That's when people can have piles of them pressing against their homes -- when the tumbleweeds stop there." Tumbleweeds, if you haven't thought about them in years, may seem like a gauzy memory from old Western movies, a nostalgic high-plains symbol of desolation and loneliness. There was that campfire song by Roy Rogers and his group, the Sons of the Pioneers; once you think of the lyrics and melody again, you can't get it out of your head: "See them tumbling down/Pledging their love to the ground/Lonely but free I'll be found/Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds." But in the 21st century? In our connected-by-broadband, addicted-to-cell phones, technologically tethered nation? Tumbleweeds? As something to be concerned about? "They're ugly and nasty," said Charlene Hardin, the county manager of Roosevelt County, New Mexico. "They can make our roads impassable. You can see 12-foot-high, chain-link fences with tumbleweeds piled all the way up to the top. They're very flammable -- toss a cigarette, and you have a big fire. "Tumbleweeds are more than a nuisance out here. We'll get

What are some parts of the U.S. plagued by?

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(CNN) -- A Seattle man has been charged with insurance fraud for allegedly sinking his own yacht because of "financial pressure and frustration with the maintenance" of the vessel, authorities said. The Jubilee sank in Puget Sound Bay last year. On March 22, 2008, Brian Lewis, 50, scuttled the Jubilee in the Puget Sound Bay, then rowed a borrowed dinghy back to shore, according to court documents filed in February by prosecutors in King County, Washington. Later that day, Lewis boarded a flight to take him to his job in Kodiak, Alaska, as a petty officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to court documents. Three days later, Lewis filed an insurance claim with USAA Insurance reporting the Jubilee sank accidentally "due to unknown causes." However, due to environmental concerns, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources salvaged the vessel at a cost to the state of $2,866. An inspection found a hole was drilled into the bottom of the Jubilee, and that two main engine sea strainers appeared to have been broken with a hammer. "The vessel appeared to have been deliberately sunk," authorities said in their probable cause affidavit. Confronted by investigators, Lewis admitted he intentionally sank his vessel, saying the financial strain "caused him extreme anxiety and frustration." Lewis told investigators "the engine trouble he experienced caused him to lose his temper. In his rage, he smashed the sea strainers with a hammer and drilled the hole to sink the vessel," the affidavit said. "[He] wanted to clarify that his motive for sinking the vessel was anger and frustration, not greed," it added. Prior to its sinking, the Jubilee had been listed for sale with Mahina Yachts for $28,500. Jack Bateman, a broker with Mahina, remembers the Jubilee as a "beautiful" 1967 Chris Craft Cavalier. He said the Mahina has only seen this type of case one other time in its 30 years of operation. "This is a very rare, not common occurrence" he says. Bateman added that Mahina has yet to see any real distress sales due to the bad economy. The King County Prosecutor's Office has charged Lewis with making a fraudulent insurance claim. Lewis filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2004. Messages left for him were not returned.

who filed claim due to unknown causes?

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(CNN) -- A Seattle man has been charged with insurance fraud for allegedly sinking his own yacht because of "financial pressure and frustration with the maintenance" of the vessel, authorities said. The Jubilee sank in Puget Sound Bay last year. On March 22, 2008, Brian Lewis, 50, scuttled the Jubilee in the Puget Sound Bay, then rowed a borrowed dinghy back to shore, according to court documents filed in February by prosecutors in King County, Washington. Later that day, Lewis boarded a flight to take him to his job in Kodiak, Alaska, as a petty officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to court documents. Three days later, Lewis filed an insurance claim with USAA Insurance reporting the Jubilee sank accidentally "due to unknown causes." However, due to environmental concerns, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources salvaged the vessel at a cost to the state of $2,866. An inspection found a hole was drilled into the bottom of the Jubilee, and that two main engine sea strainers appeared to have been broken with a hammer. "The vessel appeared to have been deliberately sunk," authorities said in their probable cause affidavit. Confronted by investigators, Lewis admitted he intentionally sank his vessel, saying the financial strain "caused him extreme anxiety and frustration." Lewis told investigators "the engine trouble he experienced caused him to lose his temper. In his rage, he smashed the sea strainers with a hammer and drilled the hole to sink the vessel," the affidavit said. "[He] wanted to clarify that his motive for sinking the vessel was anger and frustration, not greed," it added. Prior to its sinking, the Jubilee had been listed for sale with Mahina Yachts for $28,500. Jack Bateman, a broker with Mahina, remembers the Jubilee as a "beautiful" 1967 Chris Craft Cavalier. He said the Mahina has only seen this type of case one other time in its 30 years of operation. "This is a very rare, not common occurrence" he says. Bateman added that Mahina has yet to see any real distress sales due to the bad economy. The King County Prosecutor's Office has charged Lewis with making a fraudulent insurance claim. Lewis filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2004. Messages left for him were not returned.

Is it illegal to sink your own boat?

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(CNN) -- A Seattle man has been charged with insurance fraud for allegedly sinking his own yacht because of "financial pressure and frustration with the maintenance" of the vessel, authorities said. The Jubilee sank in Puget Sound Bay last year. On March 22, 2008, Brian Lewis, 50, scuttled the Jubilee in the Puget Sound Bay, then rowed a borrowed dinghy back to shore, according to court documents filed in February by prosecutors in King County, Washington. Later that day, Lewis boarded a flight to take him to his job in Kodiak, Alaska, as a petty officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to court documents. Three days later, Lewis filed an insurance claim with USAA Insurance reporting the Jubilee sank accidentally "due to unknown causes." However, due to environmental concerns, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources salvaged the vessel at a cost to the state of $2,866. An inspection found a hole was drilled into the bottom of the Jubilee, and that two main engine sea strainers appeared to have been broken with a hammer. "The vessel appeared to have been deliberately sunk," authorities said in their probable cause affidavit. Confronted by investigators, Lewis admitted he intentionally sank his vessel, saying the financial strain "caused him extreme anxiety and frustration." Lewis told investigators "the engine trouble he experienced caused him to lose his temper. In his rage, he smashed the sea strainers with a hammer and drilled the hole to sink the vessel," the affidavit said. "[He] wanted to clarify that his motive for sinking the vessel was anger and frustration, not greed," it added. Prior to its sinking, the Jubilee had been listed for sale with Mahina Yachts for $28,500. Jack Bateman, a broker with Mahina, remembers the Jubilee as a "beautiful" 1967 Chris Craft Cavalier. He said the Mahina has only seen this type of case one other time in its 30 years of operation. "This is a very rare, not common occurrence" he says. Bateman added that Mahina has yet to see any real distress sales due to the bad economy. The King County Prosecutor's Office has charged Lewis with making a fraudulent insurance claim. Lewis filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2004. Messages left for him were not returned.

Who filed the fraudulent claim?

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(CNN) -- A Seattle man has been charged with insurance fraud for allegedly sinking his own yacht because of "financial pressure and frustration with the maintenance" of the vessel, authorities said. The Jubilee sank in Puget Sound Bay last year. On March 22, 2008, Brian Lewis, 50, scuttled the Jubilee in the Puget Sound Bay, then rowed a borrowed dinghy back to shore, according to court documents filed in February by prosecutors in King County, Washington. Later that day, Lewis boarded a flight to take him to his job in Kodiak, Alaska, as a petty officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to court documents. Three days later, Lewis filed an insurance claim with USAA Insurance reporting the Jubilee sank accidentally "due to unknown causes." However, due to environmental concerns, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources salvaged the vessel at a cost to the state of $2,866. An inspection found a hole was drilled into the bottom of the Jubilee, and that two main engine sea strainers appeared to have been broken with a hammer. "The vessel appeared to have been deliberately sunk," authorities said in their probable cause affidavit. Confronted by investigators, Lewis admitted he intentionally sank his vessel, saying the financial strain "caused him extreme anxiety and frustration." Lewis told investigators "the engine trouble he experienced caused him to lose his temper. In his rage, he smashed the sea strainers with a hammer and drilled the hole to sink the vessel," the affidavit said. "[He] wanted to clarify that his motive for sinking the vessel was anger and frustration, not greed," it added. Prior to its sinking, the Jubilee had been listed for sale with Mahina Yachts for $28,500. Jack Bateman, a broker with Mahina, remembers the Jubilee as a "beautiful" 1967 Chris Craft Cavalier. He said the Mahina has only seen this type of case one other time in its 30 years of operation. "This is a very rare, not common occurrence" he says. Bateman added that Mahina has yet to see any real distress sales due to the bad economy. The King County Prosecutor's Office has charged Lewis with making a fraudulent insurance claim. Lewis filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2004. Messages left for him were not returned.

What has Brian Lewis been charged with?

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(CNN) -- A Seattle man has been charged with insurance fraud for allegedly sinking his own yacht because of "financial pressure and frustration with the maintenance" of the vessel, authorities said. The Jubilee sank in Puget Sound Bay last year. On March 22, 2008, Brian Lewis, 50, scuttled the Jubilee in the Puget Sound Bay, then rowed a borrowed dinghy back to shore, according to court documents filed in February by prosecutors in King County, Washington. Later that day, Lewis boarded a flight to take him to his job in Kodiak, Alaska, as a petty officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to court documents. Three days later, Lewis filed an insurance claim with USAA Insurance reporting the Jubilee sank accidentally "due to unknown causes." However, due to environmental concerns, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources salvaged the vessel at a cost to the state of $2,866. An inspection found a hole was drilled into the bottom of the Jubilee, and that two main engine sea strainers appeared to have been broken with a hammer. "The vessel appeared to have been deliberately sunk," authorities said in their probable cause affidavit. Confronted by investigators, Lewis admitted he intentionally sank his vessel, saying the financial strain "caused him extreme anxiety and frustration." Lewis told investigators "the engine trouble he experienced caused him to lose his temper. In his rage, he smashed the sea strainers with a hammer and drilled the hole to sink the vessel," the affidavit said. "[He] wanted to clarify that his motive for sinking the vessel was anger and frustration, not greed," it added. Prior to its sinking, the Jubilee had been listed for sale with Mahina Yachts for $28,500. Jack Bateman, a broker with Mahina, remembers the Jubilee as a "beautiful" 1967 Chris Craft Cavalier. He said the Mahina has only seen this type of case one other time in its 30 years of operation. "This is a very rare, not common occurrence" he says. Bateman added that Mahina has yet to see any real distress sales due to the bad economy. The King County Prosecutor's Office has charged Lewis with making a fraudulent insurance claim. Lewis filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2004. Messages left for him were not returned.

what were filed against Seattle man?

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(CNN) -- A Seattle man has been charged with insurance fraud for allegedly sinking his own yacht because of "financial pressure and frustration with the maintenance" of the vessel, authorities said. The Jubilee sank in Puget Sound Bay last year. On March 22, 2008, Brian Lewis, 50, scuttled the Jubilee in the Puget Sound Bay, then rowed a borrowed dinghy back to shore, according to court documents filed in February by prosecutors in King County, Washington. Later that day, Lewis boarded a flight to take him to his job in Kodiak, Alaska, as a petty officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to court documents. Three days later, Lewis filed an insurance claim with USAA Insurance reporting the Jubilee sank accidentally "due to unknown causes." However, due to environmental concerns, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources salvaged the vessel at a cost to the state of $2,866. An inspection found a hole was drilled into the bottom of the Jubilee, and that two main engine sea strainers appeared to have been broken with a hammer. "The vessel appeared to have been deliberately sunk," authorities said in their probable cause affidavit. Confronted by investigators, Lewis admitted he intentionally sank his vessel, saying the financial strain "caused him extreme anxiety and frustration." Lewis told investigators "the engine trouble he experienced caused him to lose his temper. In his rage, he smashed the sea strainers with a hammer and drilled the hole to sink the vessel," the affidavit said. "[He] wanted to clarify that his motive for sinking the vessel was anger and frustration, not greed," it added. Prior to its sinking, the Jubilee had been listed for sale with Mahina Yachts for $28,500. Jack Bateman, a broker with Mahina, remembers the Jubilee as a "beautiful" 1967 Chris Craft Cavalier. He said the Mahina has only seen this type of case one other time in its 30 years of operation. "This is a very rare, not common occurrence" he says. Bateman added that Mahina has yet to see any real distress sales due to the bad economy. The King County Prosecutor's Office has charged Lewis with making a fraudulent insurance claim. Lewis filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2004. Messages left for him were not returned.

what did he do to the yacht?

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(CNN) -- A Seattle man has been charged with insurance fraud for allegedly sinking his own yacht because of "financial pressure and frustration with the maintenance" of the vessel, authorities said. The Jubilee sank in Puget Sound Bay last year. On March 22, 2008, Brian Lewis, 50, scuttled the Jubilee in the Puget Sound Bay, then rowed a borrowed dinghy back to shore, according to court documents filed in February by prosecutors in King County, Washington. Later that day, Lewis boarded a flight to take him to his job in Kodiak, Alaska, as a petty officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to court documents. Three days later, Lewis filed an insurance claim with USAA Insurance reporting the Jubilee sank accidentally "due to unknown causes." However, due to environmental concerns, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources salvaged the vessel at a cost to the state of $2,866. An inspection found a hole was drilled into the bottom of the Jubilee, and that two main engine sea strainers appeared to have been broken with a hammer. "The vessel appeared to have been deliberately sunk," authorities said in their probable cause affidavit. Confronted by investigators, Lewis admitted he intentionally sank his vessel, saying the financial strain "caused him extreme anxiety and frustration." Lewis told investigators "the engine trouble he experienced caused him to lose his temper. In his rage, he smashed the sea strainers with a hammer and drilled the hole to sink the vessel," the affidavit said. "[He] wanted to clarify that his motive for sinking the vessel was anger and frustration, not greed," it added. Prior to its sinking, the Jubilee had been listed for sale with Mahina Yachts for $28,500. Jack Bateman, a broker with Mahina, remembers the Jubilee as a "beautiful" 1967 Chris Craft Cavalier. He said the Mahina has only seen this type of case one other time in its 30 years of operation. "This is a very rare, not common occurrence" he says. Bateman added that Mahina has yet to see any real distress sales due to the bad economy. The King County Prosecutor's Office has charged Lewis with making a fraudulent insurance claim. Lewis filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2004. Messages left for him were not returned.

what was discovered in inspection?

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(CNN) -- Spongy red balls wait in a queue, separating two teams wired to smack their opponent. Within seconds, the players dip and dive like dolphins until one player stands alone, relishing in victory. An adult plays in a dodge ball league organized by the City of Sparks Parks and Recreation in Nevada. It's the classic game of dodge ball, but these aren't fifth-graders during PE class in Sparks, Nevada. The childhood sport of dodge ball made a comeback four years ago in this bedroom community among adults in their 20s and 30s -- and even a few players who reached retirement. Now, hundreds of working professionals, doctors, lawyers and teachers congregate at the local recreation center for a dose of dodge ball on Sunday nights. "I think a lot of it goes back to trying to stay young," said Tony Pehle, recreation supervisor in Sparks, who started the dodge ball program after being inspired by the 2004 Ben Stiller movie "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." "They might be adults, but they still like to play and have fun." Has Peter Pan syndrome come to stay? From playing dodge ball to jumping double Dutch and competing in rock-paper-scissors, adult men and women, from urban nests to rural towns, are reveling in games and activities once thought to be child's play. The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando, Florida, this weekend (August 13) is all grown up, attracting more than 150 adult competitors, who can showcase dizzying tricks with the flick of a finger. Later in the month, hundreds of adults outfitted in pirate and animal costumes will race their homebuilt vehicles for Oregon's annual Portland Adult Soapbox Derby, a crafty activity that began for youths in the 1930s. "Once a year, I get to build something for the kid in me," says Jason Hogue, a 41-year-old carpenter, who has participated in the race for eight years. Last year, he constructed a car shaped like a hammerhead shark. "We get to use our creativity and get excited with our friends." Whether they're done to seek refuge from the daily grind or to provide nostalgia for youthful days -- or they're a product of what some experts say is a generation that can't grow up -- these juvenile pastimes are getting more popular. For example, adult viewership of the Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob SquarePants" swelled by 51 percent from 1999 to 2009, officials say. The World Adult Kickball Association, one of the largest kickball organizations, has spread its tentacles to 33 states as well a soldier division in Iraq. WAKA Kickball began as a casual game between a few young single friends in their 20s in Washington, D.C. Now, the games appeal to tens of thousands of adults, many of them yuppies wanting a quick escape from the stresses of their first 401(k), mortgage and job. "I played soccer growing up, and I like competition," says avid kickball player Marlon LeWinter, 28, of New York City. LeWinter, a public relations executive, usually plays the position of center with a bunch of producers, writers and analysts in their late 20s. They named their team Chipwich Nation after they scarfed down the cookies-and-ice cream treat at a bar after a game one night. "Sometimes when it's [the score] two to one in a kickball came, I get the jitters," he says. The economic bind also creates a favorable environment for adults to latch onto simple children's games and sports. With players who are trapped in a world of layoffs and job freezes, these adult leagues, contests and tournaments are the equivalent of sandbox time for children. They can make new friends and go for a beer after the game. These activities are also budget-friendly, costing less than $100 to join for several months of play -- much less than a golf club membership. Since the recession, Duncan Toys, one of the biggest yo-yo manufacturers in the United States, has seen

How long ago did WAKA Kickball start?

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(CNN) -- Spongy red balls wait in a queue, separating two teams wired to smack their opponent. Within seconds, the players dip and dive like dolphins until one player stands alone, relishing in victory. An adult plays in a dodge ball league organized by the City of Sparks Parks and Recreation in Nevada. It's the classic game of dodge ball, but these aren't fifth-graders during PE class in Sparks, Nevada. The childhood sport of dodge ball made a comeback four years ago in this bedroom community among adults in their 20s and 30s -- and even a few players who reached retirement. Now, hundreds of working professionals, doctors, lawyers and teachers congregate at the local recreation center for a dose of dodge ball on Sunday nights. "I think a lot of it goes back to trying to stay young," said Tony Pehle, recreation supervisor in Sparks, who started the dodge ball program after being inspired by the 2004 Ben Stiller movie "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." "They might be adults, but they still like to play and have fun." Has Peter Pan syndrome come to stay? From playing dodge ball to jumping double Dutch and competing in rock-paper-scissors, adult men and women, from urban nests to rural towns, are reveling in games and activities once thought to be child's play. The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando, Florida, this weekend (August 13) is all grown up, attracting more than 150 adult competitors, who can showcase dizzying tricks with the flick of a finger. Later in the month, hundreds of adults outfitted in pirate and animal costumes will race their homebuilt vehicles for Oregon's annual Portland Adult Soapbox Derby, a crafty activity that began for youths in the 1930s. "Once a year, I get to build something for the kid in me," says Jason Hogue, a 41-year-old carpenter, who has participated in the race for eight years. Last year, he constructed a car shaped like a hammerhead shark. "We get to use our creativity and get excited with our friends." Whether they're done to seek refuge from the daily grind or to provide nostalgia for youthful days -- or they're a product of what some experts say is a generation that can't grow up -- these juvenile pastimes are getting more popular. For example, adult viewership of the Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob SquarePants" swelled by 51 percent from 1999 to 2009, officials say. The World Adult Kickball Association, one of the largest kickball organizations, has spread its tentacles to 33 states as well a soldier division in Iraq. WAKA Kickball began as a casual game between a few young single friends in their 20s in Washington, D.C. Now, the games appeal to tens of thousands of adults, many of them yuppies wanting a quick escape from the stresses of their first 401(k), mortgage and job. "I played soccer growing up, and I like competition," says avid kickball player Marlon LeWinter, 28, of New York City. LeWinter, a public relations executive, usually plays the position of center with a bunch of producers, writers and analysts in their late 20s. They named their team Chipwich Nation after they scarfed down the cookies-and-ice cream treat at a bar after a game one night. "Sometimes when it's [the score] two to one in a kickball came, I get the jitters," he says. The economic bind also creates a favorable environment for adults to latch onto simple children's games and sports. With players who are trapped in a world of layoffs and job freezes, these adult leagues, contests and tournaments are the equivalent of sandbox time for children. They can make new friends and go for a beer after the game. These activities are also budget-friendly, costing less than $100 to join for several months of play -- much less than a golf club membership. Since the recession, Duncan Toys, one of the biggest yo-yo manufacturers in the United States, has seen

How many adults are expected to compete in the 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest?

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(CNN) -- Spongy red balls wait in a queue, separating two teams wired to smack their opponent. Within seconds, the players dip and dive like dolphins until one player stands alone, relishing in victory. An adult plays in a dodge ball league organized by the City of Sparks Parks and Recreation in Nevada. It's the classic game of dodge ball, but these aren't fifth-graders during PE class in Sparks, Nevada. The childhood sport of dodge ball made a comeback four years ago in this bedroom community among adults in their 20s and 30s -- and even a few players who reached retirement. Now, hundreds of working professionals, doctors, lawyers and teachers congregate at the local recreation center for a dose of dodge ball on Sunday nights. "I think a lot of it goes back to trying to stay young," said Tony Pehle, recreation supervisor in Sparks, who started the dodge ball program after being inspired by the 2004 Ben Stiller movie "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." "They might be adults, but they still like to play and have fun." Has Peter Pan syndrome come to stay? From playing dodge ball to jumping double Dutch and competing in rock-paper-scissors, adult men and women, from urban nests to rural towns, are reveling in games and activities once thought to be child's play. The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando, Florida, this weekend (August 13) is all grown up, attracting more than 150 adult competitors, who can showcase dizzying tricks with the flick of a finger. Later in the month, hundreds of adults outfitted in pirate and animal costumes will race their homebuilt vehicles for Oregon's annual Portland Adult Soapbox Derby, a crafty activity that began for youths in the 1930s. "Once a year, I get to build something for the kid in me," says Jason Hogue, a 41-year-old carpenter, who has participated in the race for eight years. Last year, he constructed a car shaped like a hammerhead shark. "We get to use our creativity and get excited with our friends." Whether they're done to seek refuge from the daily grind or to provide nostalgia for youthful days -- or they're a product of what some experts say is a generation that can't grow up -- these juvenile pastimes are getting more popular. For example, adult viewership of the Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob SquarePants" swelled by 51 percent from 1999 to 2009, officials say. The World Adult Kickball Association, one of the largest kickball organizations, has spread its tentacles to 33 states as well a soldier division in Iraq. WAKA Kickball began as a casual game between a few young single friends in their 20s in Washington, D.C. Now, the games appeal to tens of thousands of adults, many of them yuppies wanting a quick escape from the stresses of their first 401(k), mortgage and job. "I played soccer growing up, and I like competition," says avid kickball player Marlon LeWinter, 28, of New York City. LeWinter, a public relations executive, usually plays the position of center with a bunch of producers, writers and analysts in their late 20s. They named their team Chipwich Nation after they scarfed down the cookies-and-ice cream treat at a bar after a game one night. "Sometimes when it's [the score] two to one in a kickball came, I get the jitters," he says. The economic bind also creates a favorable environment for adults to latch onto simple children's games and sports. With players who are trapped in a world of layoffs and job freezes, these adult leagues, contests and tournaments are the equivalent of sandbox time for children. They can make new friends and go for a beer after the game. These activities are also budget-friendly, costing less than $100 to join for several months of play -- much less than a golf club membership. Since the recession, Duncan Toys, one of the biggest yo-yo manufacturers in the United States, has seen

What will attract more than 150 adults this year?

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(CNN) -- Spongy red balls wait in a queue, separating two teams wired to smack their opponent. Within seconds, the players dip and dive like dolphins until one player stands alone, relishing in victory. An adult plays in a dodge ball league organized by the City of Sparks Parks and Recreation in Nevada. It's the classic game of dodge ball, but these aren't fifth-graders during PE class in Sparks, Nevada. The childhood sport of dodge ball made a comeback four years ago in this bedroom community among adults in their 20s and 30s -- and even a few players who reached retirement. Now, hundreds of working professionals, doctors, lawyers and teachers congregate at the local recreation center for a dose of dodge ball on Sunday nights. "I think a lot of it goes back to trying to stay young," said Tony Pehle, recreation supervisor in Sparks, who started the dodge ball program after being inspired by the 2004 Ben Stiller movie "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." "They might be adults, but they still like to play and have fun." Has Peter Pan syndrome come to stay? From playing dodge ball to jumping double Dutch and competing in rock-paper-scissors, adult men and women, from urban nests to rural towns, are reveling in games and activities once thought to be child's play. The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando, Florida, this weekend (August 13) is all grown up, attracting more than 150 adult competitors, who can showcase dizzying tricks with the flick of a finger. Later in the month, hundreds of adults outfitted in pirate and animal costumes will race their homebuilt vehicles for Oregon's annual Portland Adult Soapbox Derby, a crafty activity that began for youths in the 1930s. "Once a year, I get to build something for the kid in me," says Jason Hogue, a 41-year-old carpenter, who has participated in the race for eight years. Last year, he constructed a car shaped like a hammerhead shark. "We get to use our creativity and get excited with our friends." Whether they're done to seek refuge from the daily grind or to provide nostalgia for youthful days -- or they're a product of what some experts say is a generation that can't grow up -- these juvenile pastimes are getting more popular. For example, adult viewership of the Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob SquarePants" swelled by 51 percent from 1999 to 2009, officials say. The World Adult Kickball Association, one of the largest kickball organizations, has spread its tentacles to 33 states as well a soldier division in Iraq. WAKA Kickball began as a casual game between a few young single friends in their 20s in Washington, D.C. Now, the games appeal to tens of thousands of adults, many of them yuppies wanting a quick escape from the stresses of their first 401(k), mortgage and job. "I played soccer growing up, and I like competition," says avid kickball player Marlon LeWinter, 28, of New York City. LeWinter, a public relations executive, usually plays the position of center with a bunch of producers, writers and analysts in their late 20s. They named their team Chipwich Nation after they scarfed down the cookies-and-ice cream treat at a bar after a game one night. "Sometimes when it's [the score] two to one in a kickball came, I get the jitters," he says. The economic bind also creates a favorable environment for adults to latch onto simple children's games and sports. With players who are trapped in a world of layoffs and job freezes, these adult leagues, contests and tournaments are the equivalent of sandbox time for children. They can make new friends and go for a beer after the game. These activities are also budget-friendly, costing less than $100 to join for several months of play -- much less than a golf club membership. Since the recession, Duncan Toys, one of the biggest yo-yo manufacturers in the United States, has seen

what would attract more than 150 adults?

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(CNN) -- Spongy red balls wait in a queue, separating two teams wired to smack their opponent. Within seconds, the players dip and dive like dolphins until one player stands alone, relishing in victory. An adult plays in a dodge ball league organized by the City of Sparks Parks and Recreation in Nevada. It's the classic game of dodge ball, but these aren't fifth-graders during PE class in Sparks, Nevada. The childhood sport of dodge ball made a comeback four years ago in this bedroom community among adults in their 20s and 30s -- and even a few players who reached retirement. Now, hundreds of working professionals, doctors, lawyers and teachers congregate at the local recreation center for a dose of dodge ball on Sunday nights. "I think a lot of it goes back to trying to stay young," said Tony Pehle, recreation supervisor in Sparks, who started the dodge ball program after being inspired by the 2004 Ben Stiller movie "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." "They might be adults, but they still like to play and have fun." Has Peter Pan syndrome come to stay? From playing dodge ball to jumping double Dutch and competing in rock-paper-scissors, adult men and women, from urban nests to rural towns, are reveling in games and activities once thought to be child's play. The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando, Florida, this weekend (August 13) is all grown up, attracting more than 150 adult competitors, who can showcase dizzying tricks with the flick of a finger. Later in the month, hundreds of adults outfitted in pirate and animal costumes will race their homebuilt vehicles for Oregon's annual Portland Adult Soapbox Derby, a crafty activity that began for youths in the 1930s. "Once a year, I get to build something for the kid in me," says Jason Hogue, a 41-year-old carpenter, who has participated in the race for eight years. Last year, he constructed a car shaped like a hammerhead shark. "We get to use our creativity and get excited with our friends." Whether they're done to seek refuge from the daily grind or to provide nostalgia for youthful days -- or they're a product of what some experts say is a generation that can't grow up -- these juvenile pastimes are getting more popular. For example, adult viewership of the Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob SquarePants" swelled by 51 percent from 1999 to 2009, officials say. The World Adult Kickball Association, one of the largest kickball organizations, has spread its tentacles to 33 states as well a soldier division in Iraq. WAKA Kickball began as a casual game between a few young single friends in their 20s in Washington, D.C. Now, the games appeal to tens of thousands of adults, many of them yuppies wanting a quick escape from the stresses of their first 401(k), mortgage and job. "I played soccer growing up, and I like competition," says avid kickball player Marlon LeWinter, 28, of New York City. LeWinter, a public relations executive, usually plays the position of center with a bunch of producers, writers and analysts in their late 20s. They named their team Chipwich Nation after they scarfed down the cookies-and-ice cream treat at a bar after a game one night. "Sometimes when it's [the score] two to one in a kickball came, I get the jitters," he says. The economic bind also creates a favorable environment for adults to latch onto simple children's games and sports. With players who are trapped in a world of layoffs and job freezes, these adult leagues, contests and tournaments are the equivalent of sandbox time for children. They can make new friends and go for a beer after the game. These activities are also budget-friendly, costing less than $100 to join for several months of play -- much less than a golf club membership. Since the recession, Duncan Toys, one of the biggest yo-yo manufacturers in the United States, has seen

Where will the soapbox race be held?

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(CNN) -- Spongy red balls wait in a queue, separating two teams wired to smack their opponent. Within seconds, the players dip and dive like dolphins until one player stands alone, relishing in victory. An adult plays in a dodge ball league organized by the City of Sparks Parks and Recreation in Nevada. It's the classic game of dodge ball, but these aren't fifth-graders during PE class in Sparks, Nevada. The childhood sport of dodge ball made a comeback four years ago in this bedroom community among adults in their 20s and 30s -- and even a few players who reached retirement. Now, hundreds of working professionals, doctors, lawyers and teachers congregate at the local recreation center for a dose of dodge ball on Sunday nights. "I think a lot of it goes back to trying to stay young," said Tony Pehle, recreation supervisor in Sparks, who started the dodge ball program after being inspired by the 2004 Ben Stiller movie "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." "They might be adults, but they still like to play and have fun." Has Peter Pan syndrome come to stay? From playing dodge ball to jumping double Dutch and competing in rock-paper-scissors, adult men and women, from urban nests to rural towns, are reveling in games and activities once thought to be child's play. The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando, Florida, this weekend (August 13) is all grown up, attracting more than 150 adult competitors, who can showcase dizzying tricks with the flick of a finger. Later in the month, hundreds of adults outfitted in pirate and animal costumes will race their homebuilt vehicles for Oregon's annual Portland Adult Soapbox Derby, a crafty activity that began for youths in the 1930s. "Once a year, I get to build something for the kid in me," says Jason Hogue, a 41-year-old carpenter, who has participated in the race for eight years. Last year, he constructed a car shaped like a hammerhead shark. "We get to use our creativity and get excited with our friends." Whether they're done to seek refuge from the daily grind or to provide nostalgia for youthful days -- or they're a product of what some experts say is a generation that can't grow up -- these juvenile pastimes are getting more popular. For example, adult viewership of the Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob SquarePants" swelled by 51 percent from 1999 to 2009, officials say. The World Adult Kickball Association, one of the largest kickball organizations, has spread its tentacles to 33 states as well a soldier division in Iraq. WAKA Kickball began as a casual game between a few young single friends in their 20s in Washington, D.C. Now, the games appeal to tens of thousands of adults, many of them yuppies wanting a quick escape from the stresses of their first 401(k), mortgage and job. "I played soccer growing up, and I like competition," says avid kickball player Marlon LeWinter, 28, of New York City. LeWinter, a public relations executive, usually plays the position of center with a bunch of producers, writers and analysts in their late 20s. They named their team Chipwich Nation after they scarfed down the cookies-and-ice cream treat at a bar after a game one night. "Sometimes when it's [the score] two to one in a kickball came, I get the jitters," he says. The economic bind also creates a favorable environment for adults to latch onto simple children's games and sports. With players who are trapped in a world of layoffs and job freezes, these adult leagues, contests and tournaments are the equivalent of sandbox time for children. They can make new friends and go for a beer after the game. These activities are also budget-friendly, costing less than $100 to join for several months of play -- much less than a golf club membership. Since the recession, Duncan Toys, one of the biggest yo-yo manufacturers in the United States, has seen

who will wear costumes to race in portland?

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(CNN) -- Fans of the character Easy Rawlins don't want to hear it, but author Walter Mosley says he has officially moved on. Author Walter Mosley found fame with his Easy Rawlins mysteries and has debuted a new series. The prolific writer seemingly wrapped up his beloved series -- which spawned the 1995 film "Devil in a Blue Dress" starring Denzel Washington -- in 2007 with the 10th Easy Rawlins mystery, "Blonde Faith." The ending saddened die-hard fans who had faithfully followed the adventures of the Los Angeles, California-based everyman-turned-private investigator whose stories played out in an era from the Jim Crow 1940s to the politically charged 1960s. Now Mosley, who has found success writing everything from erotica to science fiction, has launched a new mystery series with the release of his book "The Long Fall" (Riverhead). The book features an ex-boxer named Leonid Trotter McGill, the latest colorfully named Mosley character. Three of his previous books involved ex-convict Socrates Fortlow, and another trio concerned bookseller Paris Minton. But the new novel takes Mosley to a different place and time. Instead of mid-20th century Los Angeles, "The Long Fall" is set in modern-day New York, where McGill is finding it hard to leave his less-than-stellar past behind. That past includes a childhood as a red-diaper baby abandoned by his union organizer father and left to fend for himself at an early age, a loveless marriage to an unfaithful woman named Katrina and a son who's a burgeoning criminal mastermind. Moreover, he's at work on a case where you just know people are going to die. Such page turners are nothing new for Mosley, who is known for his strong, black male characters and his passionate musings on race, politics and the writing life. McGill's creator recently spoke with CNN about the new mystery novel, why he doesn't miss Easy, and how the changes in the United States are mirrored in his writing. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Why leave Los Angeles for a setting in modern-day New York? Walter Mosley: I have been a resident of both cities. The new series being contemporary and about a character who in some murky ways reflects where America is right now, New York seemed the right place for that. CNN: How so? Where do you think America is right now? Mosley: I think that America has made a decision, after about 20 years of going in one direction, to go in another direction: to leave rampant and amoral kind of deregulation and also rampant and immoral wars and say, "Maybe we should be doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing," or redefining what the right thing is, at any rate. Those kinds of decisions, there are only two places [the setting] can be, and that's either in Washington, D.C., which I feel is very limiting because it's a one-business town, or New York, where everything from economics to government is centered. So I decided on New York. CNN: McGill is trying to leave behind his shady past. Do you feel like America is trying to do the same? Mosley: Yes, I think that's exactly what's happening. I think America is trying to seek redemption after having done many things wrong in the eyes of the world in general. Leonid McGill is trying to seek redemption after a long criminal history. His history is somewhat forgivable, but still it's criminal. CNN: Did you approach this book differently than you did when you were writing the Easy Rawlins mysteries? Mosley: Yes and no. All books are different, so each of the Easy Rawlins books I wrote I approached differently. [Leonid] is a new character and he has a unique life that I had to begin to learn. I knew Easy very well, but Leonid I had to learn who he was. CNN: In your new book, I love

What is the name of his new book?

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(CNN) -- Fans of the character Easy Rawlins don't want to hear it, but author Walter Mosley says he has officially moved on. Author Walter Mosley found fame with his Easy Rawlins mysteries and has debuted a new series. The prolific writer seemingly wrapped up his beloved series -- which spawned the 1995 film "Devil in a Blue Dress" starring Denzel Washington -- in 2007 with the 10th Easy Rawlins mystery, "Blonde Faith." The ending saddened die-hard fans who had faithfully followed the adventures of the Los Angeles, California-based everyman-turned-private investigator whose stories played out in an era from the Jim Crow 1940s to the politically charged 1960s. Now Mosley, who has found success writing everything from erotica to science fiction, has launched a new mystery series with the release of his book "The Long Fall" (Riverhead). The book features an ex-boxer named Leonid Trotter McGill, the latest colorfully named Mosley character. Three of his previous books involved ex-convict Socrates Fortlow, and another trio concerned bookseller Paris Minton. But the new novel takes Mosley to a different place and time. Instead of mid-20th century Los Angeles, "The Long Fall" is set in modern-day New York, where McGill is finding it hard to leave his less-than-stellar past behind. That past includes a childhood as a red-diaper baby abandoned by his union organizer father and left to fend for himself at an early age, a loveless marriage to an unfaithful woman named Katrina and a son who's a burgeoning criminal mastermind. Moreover, he's at work on a case where you just know people are going to die. Such page turners are nothing new for Mosley, who is known for his strong, black male characters and his passionate musings on race, politics and the writing life. McGill's creator recently spoke with CNN about the new mystery novel, why he doesn't miss Easy, and how the changes in the United States are mirrored in his writing. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Why leave Los Angeles for a setting in modern-day New York? Walter Mosley: I have been a resident of both cities. The new series being contemporary and about a character who in some murky ways reflects where America is right now, New York seemed the right place for that. CNN: How so? Where do you think America is right now? Mosley: I think that America has made a decision, after about 20 years of going in one direction, to go in another direction: to leave rampant and amoral kind of deregulation and also rampant and immoral wars and say, "Maybe we should be doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing," or redefining what the right thing is, at any rate. Those kinds of decisions, there are only two places [the setting] can be, and that's either in Washington, D.C., which I feel is very limiting because it's a one-business town, or New York, where everything from economics to government is centered. So I decided on New York. CNN: McGill is trying to leave behind his shady past. Do you feel like America is trying to do the same? Mosley: Yes, I think that's exactly what's happening. I think America is trying to seek redemption after having done many things wrong in the eyes of the world in general. Leonid McGill is trying to seek redemption after a long criminal history. His history is somewhat forgivable, but still it's criminal. CNN: Did you approach this book differently than you did when you were writing the Easy Rawlins mysteries? Mosley: Yes and no. All books are different, so each of the Easy Rawlins books I wrote I approached differently. [Leonid] is a new character and he has a unique life that I had to begin to learn. I knew Easy very well, but Leonid I had to learn who he was. CNN: In your new book, I love

what is is set in modern-day New York?

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(CNN) -- Fans of the character Easy Rawlins don't want to hear it, but author Walter Mosley says he has officially moved on. Author Walter Mosley found fame with his Easy Rawlins mysteries and has debuted a new series. The prolific writer seemingly wrapped up his beloved series -- which spawned the 1995 film "Devil in a Blue Dress" starring Denzel Washington -- in 2007 with the 10th Easy Rawlins mystery, "Blonde Faith." The ending saddened die-hard fans who had faithfully followed the adventures of the Los Angeles, California-based everyman-turned-private investigator whose stories played out in an era from the Jim Crow 1940s to the politically charged 1960s. Now Mosley, who has found success writing everything from erotica to science fiction, has launched a new mystery series with the release of his book "The Long Fall" (Riverhead). The book features an ex-boxer named Leonid Trotter McGill, the latest colorfully named Mosley character. Three of his previous books involved ex-convict Socrates Fortlow, and another trio concerned bookseller Paris Minton. But the new novel takes Mosley to a different place and time. Instead of mid-20th century Los Angeles, "The Long Fall" is set in modern-day New York, where McGill is finding it hard to leave his less-than-stellar past behind. That past includes a childhood as a red-diaper baby abandoned by his union organizer father and left to fend for himself at an early age, a loveless marriage to an unfaithful woman named Katrina and a son who's a burgeoning criminal mastermind. Moreover, he's at work on a case where you just know people are going to die. Such page turners are nothing new for Mosley, who is known for his strong, black male characters and his passionate musings on race, politics and the writing life. McGill's creator recently spoke with CNN about the new mystery novel, why he doesn't miss Easy, and how the changes in the United States are mirrored in his writing. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Why leave Los Angeles for a setting in modern-day New York? Walter Mosley: I have been a resident of both cities. The new series being contemporary and about a character who in some murky ways reflects where America is right now, New York seemed the right place for that. CNN: How so? Where do you think America is right now? Mosley: I think that America has made a decision, after about 20 years of going in one direction, to go in another direction: to leave rampant and amoral kind of deregulation and also rampant and immoral wars and say, "Maybe we should be doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing," or redefining what the right thing is, at any rate. Those kinds of decisions, there are only two places [the setting] can be, and that's either in Washington, D.C., which I feel is very limiting because it's a one-business town, or New York, where everything from economics to government is centered. So I decided on New York. CNN: McGill is trying to leave behind his shady past. Do you feel like America is trying to do the same? Mosley: Yes, I think that's exactly what's happening. I think America is trying to seek redemption after having done many things wrong in the eyes of the world in general. Leonid McGill is trying to seek redemption after a long criminal history. His history is somewhat forgivable, but still it's criminal. CNN: Did you approach this book differently than you did when you were writing the Easy Rawlins mysteries? Mosley: Yes and no. All books are different, so each of the Easy Rawlins books I wrote I approached differently. [Leonid] is a new character and he has a unique life that I had to begin to learn. I knew Easy very well, but Leonid I had to learn who he was. CNN: In your new book, I love

who is best known for his Easy Rawlins mystery series?

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(CNN) -- Fans of the character Easy Rawlins don't want to hear it, but author Walter Mosley says he has officially moved on. Author Walter Mosley found fame with his Easy Rawlins mysteries and has debuted a new series. The prolific writer seemingly wrapped up his beloved series -- which spawned the 1995 film "Devil in a Blue Dress" starring Denzel Washington -- in 2007 with the 10th Easy Rawlins mystery, "Blonde Faith." The ending saddened die-hard fans who had faithfully followed the adventures of the Los Angeles, California-based everyman-turned-private investigator whose stories played out in an era from the Jim Crow 1940s to the politically charged 1960s. Now Mosley, who has found success writing everything from erotica to science fiction, has launched a new mystery series with the release of his book "The Long Fall" (Riverhead). The book features an ex-boxer named Leonid Trotter McGill, the latest colorfully named Mosley character. Three of his previous books involved ex-convict Socrates Fortlow, and another trio concerned bookseller Paris Minton. But the new novel takes Mosley to a different place and time. Instead of mid-20th century Los Angeles, "The Long Fall" is set in modern-day New York, where McGill is finding it hard to leave his less-than-stellar past behind. That past includes a childhood as a red-diaper baby abandoned by his union organizer father and left to fend for himself at an early age, a loveless marriage to an unfaithful woman named Katrina and a son who's a burgeoning criminal mastermind. Moreover, he's at work on a case where you just know people are going to die. Such page turners are nothing new for Mosley, who is known for his strong, black male characters and his passionate musings on race, politics and the writing life. McGill's creator recently spoke with CNN about the new mystery novel, why he doesn't miss Easy, and how the changes in the United States are mirrored in his writing. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Why leave Los Angeles for a setting in modern-day New York? Walter Mosley: I have been a resident of both cities. The new series being contemporary and about a character who in some murky ways reflects where America is right now, New York seemed the right place for that. CNN: How so? Where do you think America is right now? Mosley: I think that America has made a decision, after about 20 years of going in one direction, to go in another direction: to leave rampant and amoral kind of deregulation and also rampant and immoral wars and say, "Maybe we should be doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing," or redefining what the right thing is, at any rate. Those kinds of decisions, there are only two places [the setting] can be, and that's either in Washington, D.C., which I feel is very limiting because it's a one-business town, or New York, where everything from economics to government is centered. So I decided on New York. CNN: McGill is trying to leave behind his shady past. Do you feel like America is trying to do the same? Mosley: Yes, I think that's exactly what's happening. I think America is trying to seek redemption after having done many things wrong in the eyes of the world in general. Leonid McGill is trying to seek redemption after a long criminal history. His history is somewhat forgivable, but still it's criminal. CNN: Did you approach this book differently than you did when you were writing the Easy Rawlins mysteries? Mosley: Yes and no. All books are different, so each of the Easy Rawlins books I wrote I approached differently. [Leonid] is a new character and he has a unique life that I had to begin to learn. I knew Easy very well, but Leonid I had to learn who he was. CNN: In your new book, I love

What work is Walter Mosley best known for?

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(CNN) -- Fans of the character Easy Rawlins don't want to hear it, but author Walter Mosley says he has officially moved on. Author Walter Mosley found fame with his Easy Rawlins mysteries and has debuted a new series. The prolific writer seemingly wrapped up his beloved series -- which spawned the 1995 film "Devil in a Blue Dress" starring Denzel Washington -- in 2007 with the 10th Easy Rawlins mystery, "Blonde Faith." The ending saddened die-hard fans who had faithfully followed the adventures of the Los Angeles, California-based everyman-turned-private investigator whose stories played out in an era from the Jim Crow 1940s to the politically charged 1960s. Now Mosley, who has found success writing everything from erotica to science fiction, has launched a new mystery series with the release of his book "The Long Fall" (Riverhead). The book features an ex-boxer named Leonid Trotter McGill, the latest colorfully named Mosley character. Three of his previous books involved ex-convict Socrates Fortlow, and another trio concerned bookseller Paris Minton. But the new novel takes Mosley to a different place and time. Instead of mid-20th century Los Angeles, "The Long Fall" is set in modern-day New York, where McGill is finding it hard to leave his less-than-stellar past behind. That past includes a childhood as a red-diaper baby abandoned by his union organizer father and left to fend for himself at an early age, a loveless marriage to an unfaithful woman named Katrina and a son who's a burgeoning criminal mastermind. Moreover, he's at work on a case where you just know people are going to die. Such page turners are nothing new for Mosley, who is known for his strong, black male characters and his passionate musings on race, politics and the writing life. McGill's creator recently spoke with CNN about the new mystery novel, why he doesn't miss Easy, and how the changes in the United States are mirrored in his writing. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Why leave Los Angeles for a setting in modern-day New York? Walter Mosley: I have been a resident of both cities. The new series being contemporary and about a character who in some murky ways reflects where America is right now, New York seemed the right place for that. CNN: How so? Where do you think America is right now? Mosley: I think that America has made a decision, after about 20 years of going in one direction, to go in another direction: to leave rampant and amoral kind of deregulation and also rampant and immoral wars and say, "Maybe we should be doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing," or redefining what the right thing is, at any rate. Those kinds of decisions, there are only two places [the setting] can be, and that's either in Washington, D.C., which I feel is very limiting because it's a one-business town, or New York, where everything from economics to government is centered. So I decided on New York. CNN: McGill is trying to leave behind his shady past. Do you feel like America is trying to do the same? Mosley: Yes, I think that's exactly what's happening. I think America is trying to seek redemption after having done many things wrong in the eyes of the world in general. Leonid McGill is trying to seek redemption after a long criminal history. His history is somewhat forgivable, but still it's criminal. CNN: Did you approach this book differently than you did when you were writing the Easy Rawlins mysteries? Mosley: Yes and no. All books are different, so each of the Easy Rawlins books I wrote I approached differently. [Leonid] is a new character and he has a unique life that I had to begin to learn. I knew Easy very well, but Leonid I had to learn who he was. CNN: In your new book, I love

In which geographical location is the new book set?

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(CNN) -- A fast-moving brush fire burning just south of Reno, Nevada, on Thursday prompted evacuations, closed a major highway and led the governor of Nevada to declare a state of emergency. The more than 3,000-acre fire began burning around 1 p.m. Thursday in North Washoe Valley, according to a press release from county officials. At least 10,000 people have been evacuated. There was no containment on the blaze, said Nancy Leuenhagen, Washoe County press Iinformation officer. Video from CNN Reno affiliate KOLO showed dark smoke plumes, fueled by heavy wind and dry vegetation, pushing toward U.S. Highway 395. A 12-mile stretch of the highway remained closed late Thursday, according to Dan Lopez of the Nevada Highway Patrol. Several flights at the Reno airport have been canceled or diverted, CNN affiliate KTVN reported. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire," Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a statement. "Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist." The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety were aiding local firefighters and emergency personnel, Sandoval said. The National Guard was on standby and the state of California was also providing assistance, according to the governor's website. About 12 families displaced by the fire were receiving assistance at an evacuation shelter at a local high school, said Karli Epstien, Red Cross press information officer. CNN's Nigel Walwyn and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.

Who says there has been no containment of the fire?

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(CNN) -- A fast-moving brush fire burning just south of Reno, Nevada, on Thursday prompted evacuations, closed a major highway and led the governor of Nevada to declare a state of emergency. The more than 3,000-acre fire began burning around 1 p.m. Thursday in North Washoe Valley, according to a press release from county officials. At least 10,000 people have been evacuated. There was no containment on the blaze, said Nancy Leuenhagen, Washoe County press Iinformation officer. Video from CNN Reno affiliate KOLO showed dark smoke plumes, fueled by heavy wind and dry vegetation, pushing toward U.S. Highway 395. A 12-mile stretch of the highway remained closed late Thursday, according to Dan Lopez of the Nevada Highway Patrol. Several flights at the Reno airport have been canceled or diverted, CNN affiliate KTVN reported. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire," Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a statement. "Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist." The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety were aiding local firefighters and emergency personnel, Sandoval said. The National Guard was on standby and the state of California was also providing assistance, according to the governor's website. About 12 families displaced by the fire were receiving assistance at an evacuation shelter at a local high school, said Karli Epstien, Red Cross press information officer. CNN's Nigel Walwyn and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.

what was the count of evacuated people

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(CNN) -- A fast-moving brush fire burning just south of Reno, Nevada, on Thursday prompted evacuations, closed a major highway and led the governor of Nevada to declare a state of emergency. The more than 3,000-acre fire began burning around 1 p.m. Thursday in North Washoe Valley, according to a press release from county officials. At least 10,000 people have been evacuated. There was no containment on the blaze, said Nancy Leuenhagen, Washoe County press Iinformation officer. Video from CNN Reno affiliate KOLO showed dark smoke plumes, fueled by heavy wind and dry vegetation, pushing toward U.S. Highway 395. A 12-mile stretch of the highway remained closed late Thursday, according to Dan Lopez of the Nevada Highway Patrol. Several flights at the Reno airport have been canceled or diverted, CNN affiliate KTVN reported. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire," Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a statement. "Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist." The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety were aiding local firefighters and emergency personnel, Sandoval said. The National Guard was on standby and the state of California was also providing assistance, according to the governor's website. About 12 families displaced by the fire were receiving assistance at an evacuation shelter at a local high school, said Karli Epstien, Red Cross press information officer. CNN's Nigel Walwyn and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.

How many acres are affected by the fire?

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(CNN) -- A fast-moving brush fire burning just south of Reno, Nevada, on Thursday prompted evacuations, closed a major highway and led the governor of Nevada to declare a state of emergency. The more than 3,000-acre fire began burning around 1 p.m. Thursday in North Washoe Valley, according to a press release from county officials. At least 10,000 people have been evacuated. There was no containment on the blaze, said Nancy Leuenhagen, Washoe County press Iinformation officer. Video from CNN Reno affiliate KOLO showed dark smoke plumes, fueled by heavy wind and dry vegetation, pushing toward U.S. Highway 395. A 12-mile stretch of the highway remained closed late Thursday, according to Dan Lopez of the Nevada Highway Patrol. Several flights at the Reno airport have been canceled or diverted, CNN affiliate KTVN reported. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire," Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a statement. "Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist." The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety were aiding local firefighters and emergency personnel, Sandoval said. The National Guard was on standby and the state of California was also providing assistance, according to the governor's website. About 12 families displaced by the fire were receiving assistance at an evacuation shelter at a local high school, said Karli Epstien, Red Cross press information officer. CNN's Nigel Walwyn and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.

How many people have been evacuated?

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(CNN) -- A fast-moving brush fire burning just south of Reno, Nevada, on Thursday prompted evacuations, closed a major highway and led the governor of Nevada to declare a state of emergency. The more than 3,000-acre fire began burning around 1 p.m. Thursday in North Washoe Valley, according to a press release from county officials. At least 10,000 people have been evacuated. There was no containment on the blaze, said Nancy Leuenhagen, Washoe County press Iinformation officer. Video from CNN Reno affiliate KOLO showed dark smoke plumes, fueled by heavy wind and dry vegetation, pushing toward U.S. Highway 395. A 12-mile stretch of the highway remained closed late Thursday, according to Dan Lopez of the Nevada Highway Patrol. Several flights at the Reno airport have been canceled or diverted, CNN affiliate KTVN reported. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire," Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a statement. "Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist." The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety were aiding local firefighters and emergency personnel, Sandoval said. The National Guard was on standby and the state of California was also providing assistance, according to the governor's website. About 12 families displaced by the fire were receiving assistance at an evacuation shelter at a local high school, said Karli Epstien, Red Cross press information officer. CNN's Nigel Walwyn and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.

What did officials say?

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(CNN) -- A fast-moving brush fire burning just south of Reno, Nevada, on Thursday prompted evacuations, closed a major highway and led the governor of Nevada to declare a state of emergency. The more than 3,000-acre fire began burning around 1 p.m. Thursday in North Washoe Valley, according to a press release from county officials. At least 10,000 people have been evacuated. There was no containment on the blaze, said Nancy Leuenhagen, Washoe County press Iinformation officer. Video from CNN Reno affiliate KOLO showed dark smoke plumes, fueled by heavy wind and dry vegetation, pushing toward U.S. Highway 395. A 12-mile stretch of the highway remained closed late Thursday, according to Dan Lopez of the Nevada Highway Patrol. Several flights at the Reno airport have been canceled or diverted, CNN affiliate KTVN reported. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire," Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a statement. "Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist." The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety were aiding local firefighters and emergency personnel, Sandoval said. The National Guard was on standby and the state of California was also providing assistance, according to the governor's website. About 12 families displaced by the fire were receiving assistance at an evacuation shelter at a local high school, said Karli Epstien, Red Cross press information officer. CNN's Nigel Walwyn and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.

How many acres did the fire affect?

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(CNN) -- A fast-moving brush fire burning just south of Reno, Nevada, on Thursday prompted evacuations, closed a major highway and led the governor of Nevada to declare a state of emergency. The more than 3,000-acre fire began burning around 1 p.m. Thursday in North Washoe Valley, according to a press release from county officials. At least 10,000 people have been evacuated. There was no containment on the blaze, said Nancy Leuenhagen, Washoe County press Iinformation officer. Video from CNN Reno affiliate KOLO showed dark smoke plumes, fueled by heavy wind and dry vegetation, pushing toward U.S. Highway 395. A 12-mile stretch of the highway remained closed late Thursday, according to Dan Lopez of the Nevada Highway Patrol. Several flights at the Reno airport have been canceled or diverted, CNN affiliate KTVN reported. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire," Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a statement. "Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist." The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety were aiding local firefighters and emergency personnel, Sandoval said. The National Guard was on standby and the state of California was also providing assistance, according to the governor's website. About 12 families displaced by the fire were receiving assistance at an evacuation shelter at a local high school, said Karli Epstien, Red Cross press information officer. CNN's Nigel Walwyn and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.

How many people were evacuated?

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(CNN) -- Scotland's Susan Boyle gives new meaning to the term "overnight sensation." The "Britain's Got Talent" contestant was expected to be something of a joke when she first sauntered on stage, but she absolutely wowed the audience, the judges -- and then the world via the Internet -- with her stunning rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream." Along with Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden is a judge on "Britain's Got Talent." But like others who stumble upon sudden fame, she found the pressure and scrutiny to be overwhelming. "Talent" judge Amanda Holden and Dr. Drew Pinsky of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" joined CNN's Larry King Tuesday night to discuss Boyle's hospitalization for stress and the toll the spotlight and media criticism might have taken on her mental health. They also discussed whether Boyle will develop the emotional stamina for a high-pressure singing career. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: What do we know right now? Amanda Holden: Basically, we've spoken to Susan's brother. He, in fact, spoke on [CBS' "The Early Show"] this morning to say that his sister was very keen to come home as soon as she possibly could and that she was resting up in a clinic in London and that she was very much looking forward to coming out and seeing what was available to her when she felt better. King: Is the show, Amanda, paying for the hospital bills and are they taking care of her? Holden: I have no idea if they're paying the hospital bills. I would imagine that they are. We're a very loyal show. We love Susan very much. In fact, all the contestants that appear on our show are extraordinarily well looked after. King: Your fellow judge, Piers Morgan, has said that there was talk of taking her off the show because of all the pressures on her. Were you involved? Were there any discussions like that? Holden: I wasn't involved in any discussions like that. And I think Piers has a slightly closer relationship with her. ... The only thing I'm worried about with Susan Boyle is that she seems to have a crush on Piers Morgan. ... I think that Piers kind of reassured her during the final that she was doing well and that she mustn't pay any kind of attention to the press and all the other stuff that was going King: Despite all the tumult, there's no disputing that Susan sang her heart out during the finale of the competition. I know the dance troupe [Diversity] was terrific. But, frankly, why didn't she win? Holden: Honestly, I can't criticize the decision because it was the British public that voted in the end. I have no real idea, to be honest. I wonder whether it could be that Diversity was utterly fantastic on the show that night. They decimated the show. They really, really were amazing. And I just wonder whether maybe younger people voted and were quicker on the texts than the kind of people that were voting for Susan. But as I keep saying, if Susan is a loser, then surely she is the biggest and best loser that we have in the world. And coming second is no bad thing. Watch Amanda Holden discuss Susan Boyle » King: She came in, though, [as] a small-town amateur singer, [with] learning disabilities due to suffering oxygen deprivation at birth. Some say the program exploited her and her vulnerabilities. Do you agree? Holden: I couldn't disagree more. You know, she's a grown woman who applied to come on a talent show. She enjoyed every second of every moment that I met her or saw her behind the scenes. She was very excited. She was very proud to be taking part in the show. I think the downturn in press in our country [Britain], I think, maybe stressed her out a

Who applied for the talent show?

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LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Angry protests are a common sight in Pakistan. Crowds often gather to denounce the United States or the Pakistani government, which critics accuse of being an American puppet. AntiTaliban protesters in Lahore. But in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore this week, several hundred protesters gathered on a scorching day to take on a very different target: the Taliban. "I will fight them to my last breath and the last drop of my blood in my body. I'm not scared," vowed newspaper publisher Jugnu Mohsin. She was leading a crowd of several hundred students, artists, writers and others, chanting "the Taliban is the enemy of Islam" in Urdu. Public protests against the Taliban started cropping up in various Pakistani cities after a video emerged showing militants publicly flogging a teenage girl. The Taliban's recent declaration that the Pakistani government and judicial system are "unIslamic" has also outraged many educated Pakistanis. Neha Mehdi moved to Lahore to study. Now, she fears her way of life is being threatened by the Taliban. "I cannot give up my education, and I cannot give up the way I'm living," the 23-year-old student said. "These Talibans have ruined the reputation of Islam." "There were threats here also from the Taliban that if we gather they might just bomb us," Mehdi said. Watch how the anti-Taliban movement is growing » More than 250 miles away, Pakistan's military continued its assault against Taliban militants who want to impose a radical interpretation of Islamic law in the country's northwestern tribal regions. Pakistan's government recently signed a deal that would allow Islamic law, or sharia, in the tribal belt as long as the law was imposed in accordance with the country's constitution. Mehdi and others in Lahore fear that the Taliban's version of sharia -- which forbids girls from attending school, as well as music, poetry and dance -- is slowly creeping into Lahore, the center of Pakistani culture. "Our way of life is being threatened," said Kamiar Rokni, a fashion designer who took part in the protest. "And if we don't do anything about it, then you're just going to be sitting around and one day the way you live and what this country's all about is going to stand for nothing." Rokni said he fears the Taliban "want to change the way we exist." Lahore may be hundreds of miles away from the Taliban-held areas outside Islamabad, but it is no stranger to militant attacks. "Last year we lost 39 people in acts of terrorism and this year we have lost 17 people in Lahore alone," Lahore police Chief Parvez Rathore said. As he speaks, a heavily armed escort is one step behind the police chief even as he walks outside the walls of the city's police headquarters. In March, gunmen attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore, killing six Pakistani police officers and the team's driver. Weeks later, militants dressed in police uniforms stormed a police training center in the city, prompting an eight-hour stand-off with police. Eight cadets were killed during the March 30 siege, which the government blamed on Pakistan's Taliban. Police in Lahore said the attacks would not have been possible without local support. Residents say there is no doubt that the Taliban have support in Pakistan's second largest city. "They're here in Lahore, this is the thing," said Jamal Rahman, who plays guitar for the Lahore-based band, "Lal" which means "Red." "Little groups of the Taliban are going around and intimidating people, causing fear, telling women to cover up and if they don't they'll shoot them." Rahman and his cousin, Aider -- who plays flute for "Lal" -- are using their music to rally society against what he says is a growing threat by the Taliban. "We want to try to get people aware, and try

What were the protests against?

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LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Angry protests are a common sight in Pakistan. Crowds often gather to denounce the United States or the Pakistani government, which critics accuse of being an American puppet. AntiTaliban protesters in Lahore. But in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore this week, several hundred protesters gathered on a scorching day to take on a very different target: the Taliban. "I will fight them to my last breath and the last drop of my blood in my body. I'm not scared," vowed newspaper publisher Jugnu Mohsin. She was leading a crowd of several hundred students, artists, writers and others, chanting "the Taliban is the enemy of Islam" in Urdu. Public protests against the Taliban started cropping up in various Pakistani cities after a video emerged showing militants publicly flogging a teenage girl. The Taliban's recent declaration that the Pakistani government and judicial system are "unIslamic" has also outraged many educated Pakistanis. Neha Mehdi moved to Lahore to study. Now, she fears her way of life is being threatened by the Taliban. "I cannot give up my education, and I cannot give up the way I'm living," the 23-year-old student said. "These Talibans have ruined the reputation of Islam." "There were threats here also from the Taliban that if we gather they might just bomb us," Mehdi said. Watch how the anti-Taliban movement is growing » More than 250 miles away, Pakistan's military continued its assault against Taliban militants who want to impose a radical interpretation of Islamic law in the country's northwestern tribal regions. Pakistan's government recently signed a deal that would allow Islamic law, or sharia, in the tribal belt as long as the law was imposed in accordance with the country's constitution. Mehdi and others in Lahore fear that the Taliban's version of sharia -- which forbids girls from attending school, as well as music, poetry and dance -- is slowly creeping into Lahore, the center of Pakistani culture. "Our way of life is being threatened," said Kamiar Rokni, a fashion designer who took part in the protest. "And if we don't do anything about it, then you're just going to be sitting around and one day the way you live and what this country's all about is going to stand for nothing." Rokni said he fears the Taliban "want to change the way we exist." Lahore may be hundreds of miles away from the Taliban-held areas outside Islamabad, but it is no stranger to militant attacks. "Last year we lost 39 people in acts of terrorism and this year we have lost 17 people in Lahore alone," Lahore police Chief Parvez Rathore said. As he speaks, a heavily armed escort is one step behind the police chief even as he walks outside the walls of the city's police headquarters. In March, gunmen attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore, killing six Pakistani police officers and the team's driver. Weeks later, militants dressed in police uniforms stormed a police training center in the city, prompting an eight-hour stand-off with police. Eight cadets were killed during the March 30 siege, which the government blamed on Pakistan's Taliban. Police in Lahore said the attacks would not have been possible without local support. Residents say there is no doubt that the Taliban have support in Pakistan's second largest city. "They're here in Lahore, this is the thing," said Jamal Rahman, who plays guitar for the Lahore-based band, "Lal" which means "Red." "Little groups of the Taliban are going around and intimidating people, causing fear, telling women to cover up and if they don't they'll shoot them." Rahman and his cousin, Aider -- who plays flute for "Lal" -- are using their music to rally society against what he says is a growing threat by the Taliban. "We want to try to get people aware, and try

what did the residents say

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LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Angry protests are a common sight in Pakistan. Crowds often gather to denounce the United States or the Pakistani government, which critics accuse of being an American puppet. AntiTaliban protesters in Lahore. But in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore this week, several hundred protesters gathered on a scorching day to take on a very different target: the Taliban. "I will fight them to my last breath and the last drop of my blood in my body. I'm not scared," vowed newspaper publisher Jugnu Mohsin. She was leading a crowd of several hundred students, artists, writers and others, chanting "the Taliban is the enemy of Islam" in Urdu. Public protests against the Taliban started cropping up in various Pakistani cities after a video emerged showing militants publicly flogging a teenage girl. The Taliban's recent declaration that the Pakistani government and judicial system are "unIslamic" has also outraged many educated Pakistanis. Neha Mehdi moved to Lahore to study. Now, she fears her way of life is being threatened by the Taliban. "I cannot give up my education, and I cannot give up the way I'm living," the 23-year-old student said. "These Talibans have ruined the reputation of Islam." "There were threats here also from the Taliban that if we gather they might just bomb us," Mehdi said. Watch how the anti-Taliban movement is growing » More than 250 miles away, Pakistan's military continued its assault against Taliban militants who want to impose a radical interpretation of Islamic law in the country's northwestern tribal regions. Pakistan's government recently signed a deal that would allow Islamic law, or sharia, in the tribal belt as long as the law was imposed in accordance with the country's constitution. Mehdi and others in Lahore fear that the Taliban's version of sharia -- which forbids girls from attending school, as well as music, poetry and dance -- is slowly creeping into Lahore, the center of Pakistani culture. "Our way of life is being threatened," said Kamiar Rokni, a fashion designer who took part in the protest. "And if we don't do anything about it, then you're just going to be sitting around and one day the way you live and what this country's all about is going to stand for nothing." Rokni said he fears the Taliban "want to change the way we exist." Lahore may be hundreds of miles away from the Taliban-held areas outside Islamabad, but it is no stranger to militant attacks. "Last year we lost 39 people in acts of terrorism and this year we have lost 17 people in Lahore alone," Lahore police Chief Parvez Rathore said. As he speaks, a heavily armed escort is one step behind the police chief even as he walks outside the walls of the city's police headquarters. In March, gunmen attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore, killing six Pakistani police officers and the team's driver. Weeks later, militants dressed in police uniforms stormed a police training center in the city, prompting an eight-hour stand-off with police. Eight cadets were killed during the March 30 siege, which the government blamed on Pakistan's Taliban. Police in Lahore said the attacks would not have been possible without local support. Residents say there is no doubt that the Taliban have support in Pakistan's second largest city. "They're here in Lahore, this is the thing," said Jamal Rahman, who plays guitar for the Lahore-based band, "Lal" which means "Red." "Little groups of the Taliban are going around and intimidating people, causing fear, telling women to cover up and if they don't they'll shoot them." Rahman and his cousin, Aider -- who plays flute for "Lal" -- are using their music to rally society against what he says is a growing threat by the Taliban. "We want to try to get people aware, and try

what are they afraid of

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LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Angry protests are a common sight in Pakistan. Crowds often gather to denounce the United States or the Pakistani government, which critics accuse of being an American puppet. AntiTaliban protesters in Lahore. But in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore this week, several hundred protesters gathered on a scorching day to take on a very different target: the Taliban. "I will fight them to my last breath and the last drop of my blood in my body. I'm not scared," vowed newspaper publisher Jugnu Mohsin. She was leading a crowd of several hundred students, artists, writers and others, chanting "the Taliban is the enemy of Islam" in Urdu. Public protests against the Taliban started cropping up in various Pakistani cities after a video emerged showing militants publicly flogging a teenage girl. The Taliban's recent declaration that the Pakistani government and judicial system are "unIslamic" has also outraged many educated Pakistanis. Neha Mehdi moved to Lahore to study. Now, she fears her way of life is being threatened by the Taliban. "I cannot give up my education, and I cannot give up the way I'm living," the 23-year-old student said. "These Talibans have ruined the reputation of Islam." "There were threats here also from the Taliban that if we gather they might just bomb us," Mehdi said. Watch how the anti-Taliban movement is growing » More than 250 miles away, Pakistan's military continued its assault against Taliban militants who want to impose a radical interpretation of Islamic law in the country's northwestern tribal regions. Pakistan's government recently signed a deal that would allow Islamic law, or sharia, in the tribal belt as long as the law was imposed in accordance with the country's constitution. Mehdi and others in Lahore fear that the Taliban's version of sharia -- which forbids girls from attending school, as well as music, poetry and dance -- is slowly creeping into Lahore, the center of Pakistani culture. "Our way of life is being threatened," said Kamiar Rokni, a fashion designer who took part in the protest. "And if we don't do anything about it, then you're just going to be sitting around and one day the way you live and what this country's all about is going to stand for nothing." Rokni said he fears the Taliban "want to change the way we exist." Lahore may be hundreds of miles away from the Taliban-held areas outside Islamabad, but it is no stranger to militant attacks. "Last year we lost 39 people in acts of terrorism and this year we have lost 17 people in Lahore alone," Lahore police Chief Parvez Rathore said. As he speaks, a heavily armed escort is one step behind the police chief even as he walks outside the walls of the city's police headquarters. In March, gunmen attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore, killing six Pakistani police officers and the team's driver. Weeks later, militants dressed in police uniforms stormed a police training center in the city, prompting an eight-hour stand-off with police. Eight cadets were killed during the March 30 siege, which the government blamed on Pakistan's Taliban. Police in Lahore said the attacks would not have been possible without local support. Residents say there is no doubt that the Taliban have support in Pakistan's second largest city. "They're here in Lahore, this is the thing," said Jamal Rahman, who plays guitar for the Lahore-based band, "Lal" which means "Red." "Little groups of the Taliban are going around and intimidating people, causing fear, telling women to cover up and if they don't they'll shoot them." Rahman and his cousin, Aider -- who plays flute for "Lal" -- are using their music to rally society against what he says is a growing threat by the Taliban. "We want to try to get people aware, and try

Where is the Taliban exerting influence?

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LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Angry protests are a common sight in Pakistan. Crowds often gather to denounce the United States or the Pakistani government, which critics accuse of being an American puppet. AntiTaliban protesters in Lahore. But in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore this week, several hundred protesters gathered on a scorching day to take on a very different target: the Taliban. "I will fight them to my last breath and the last drop of my blood in my body. I'm not scared," vowed newspaper publisher Jugnu Mohsin. She was leading a crowd of several hundred students, artists, writers and others, chanting "the Taliban is the enemy of Islam" in Urdu. Public protests against the Taliban started cropping up in various Pakistani cities after a video emerged showing militants publicly flogging a teenage girl. The Taliban's recent declaration that the Pakistani government and judicial system are "unIslamic" has also outraged many educated Pakistanis. Neha Mehdi moved to Lahore to study. Now, she fears her way of life is being threatened by the Taliban. "I cannot give up my education, and I cannot give up the way I'm living," the 23-year-old student said. "These Talibans have ruined the reputation of Islam." "There were threats here also from the Taliban that if we gather they might just bomb us," Mehdi said. Watch how the anti-Taliban movement is growing » More than 250 miles away, Pakistan's military continued its assault against Taliban militants who want to impose a radical interpretation of Islamic law in the country's northwestern tribal regions. Pakistan's government recently signed a deal that would allow Islamic law, or sharia, in the tribal belt as long as the law was imposed in accordance with the country's constitution. Mehdi and others in Lahore fear that the Taliban's version of sharia -- which forbids girls from attending school, as well as music, poetry and dance -- is slowly creeping into Lahore, the center of Pakistani culture. "Our way of life is being threatened," said Kamiar Rokni, a fashion designer who took part in the protest. "And if we don't do anything about it, then you're just going to be sitting around and one day the way you live and what this country's all about is going to stand for nothing." Rokni said he fears the Taliban "want to change the way we exist." Lahore may be hundreds of miles away from the Taliban-held areas outside Islamabad, but it is no stranger to militant attacks. "Last year we lost 39 people in acts of terrorism and this year we have lost 17 people in Lahore alone," Lahore police Chief Parvez Rathore said. As he speaks, a heavily armed escort is one step behind the police chief even as he walks outside the walls of the city's police headquarters. In March, gunmen attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore, killing six Pakistani police officers and the team's driver. Weeks later, militants dressed in police uniforms stormed a police training center in the city, prompting an eight-hour stand-off with police. Eight cadets were killed during the March 30 siege, which the government blamed on Pakistan's Taliban. Police in Lahore said the attacks would not have been possible without local support. Residents say there is no doubt that the Taliban have support in Pakistan's second largest city. "They're here in Lahore, this is the thing," said Jamal Rahman, who plays guitar for the Lahore-based band, "Lal" which means "Red." "Little groups of the Taliban are going around and intimidating people, causing fear, telling women to cover up and if they don't they'll shoot them." Rahman and his cousin, Aider -- who plays flute for "Lal" -- are using their music to rally society against what he says is a growing threat by the Taliban. "We want to try to get people aware, and try

Where did the protests occur?

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LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Angry protests are a common sight in Pakistan. Crowds often gather to denounce the United States or the Pakistani government, which critics accuse of being an American puppet. AntiTaliban protesters in Lahore. But in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore this week, several hundred protesters gathered on a scorching day to take on a very different target: the Taliban. "I will fight them to my last breath and the last drop of my blood in my body. I'm not scared," vowed newspaper publisher Jugnu Mohsin. She was leading a crowd of several hundred students, artists, writers and others, chanting "the Taliban is the enemy of Islam" in Urdu. Public protests against the Taliban started cropping up in various Pakistani cities after a video emerged showing militants publicly flogging a teenage girl. The Taliban's recent declaration that the Pakistani government and judicial system are "unIslamic" has also outraged many educated Pakistanis. Neha Mehdi moved to Lahore to study. Now, she fears her way of life is being threatened by the Taliban. "I cannot give up my education, and I cannot give up the way I'm living," the 23-year-old student said. "These Talibans have ruined the reputation of Islam." "There were threats here also from the Taliban that if we gather they might just bomb us," Mehdi said. Watch how the anti-Taliban movement is growing » More than 250 miles away, Pakistan's military continued its assault against Taliban militants who want to impose a radical interpretation of Islamic law in the country's northwestern tribal regions. Pakistan's government recently signed a deal that would allow Islamic law, or sharia, in the tribal belt as long as the law was imposed in accordance with the country's constitution. Mehdi and others in Lahore fear that the Taliban's version of sharia -- which forbids girls from attending school, as well as music, poetry and dance -- is slowly creeping into Lahore, the center of Pakistani culture. "Our way of life is being threatened," said Kamiar Rokni, a fashion designer who took part in the protest. "And if we don't do anything about it, then you're just going to be sitting around and one day the way you live and what this country's all about is going to stand for nothing." Rokni said he fears the Taliban "want to change the way we exist." Lahore may be hundreds of miles away from the Taliban-held areas outside Islamabad, but it is no stranger to militant attacks. "Last year we lost 39 people in acts of terrorism and this year we have lost 17 people in Lahore alone," Lahore police Chief Parvez Rathore said. As he speaks, a heavily armed escort is one step behind the police chief even as he walks outside the walls of the city's police headquarters. In March, gunmen attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore, killing six Pakistani police officers and the team's driver. Weeks later, militants dressed in police uniforms stormed a police training center in the city, prompting an eight-hour stand-off with police. Eight cadets were killed during the March 30 siege, which the government blamed on Pakistan's Taliban. Police in Lahore said the attacks would not have been possible without local support. Residents say there is no doubt that the Taliban have support in Pakistan's second largest city. "They're here in Lahore, this is the thing," said Jamal Rahman, who plays guitar for the Lahore-based band, "Lal" which means "Red." "Little groups of the Taliban are going around and intimidating people, causing fear, telling women to cover up and if they don't they'll shoot them." Rahman and his cousin, Aider -- who plays flute for "Lal" -- are using their music to rally society against what he says is a growing threat by the Taliban. "We want to try to get people aware, and try

what happened in lahore

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LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Angry protests are a common sight in Pakistan. Crowds often gather to denounce the United States or the Pakistani government, which critics accuse of being an American puppet. AntiTaliban protesters in Lahore. But in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore this week, several hundred protesters gathered on a scorching day to take on a very different target: the Taliban. "I will fight them to my last breath and the last drop of my blood in my body. I'm not scared," vowed newspaper publisher Jugnu Mohsin. She was leading a crowd of several hundred students, artists, writers and others, chanting "the Taliban is the enemy of Islam" in Urdu. Public protests against the Taliban started cropping up in various Pakistani cities after a video emerged showing militants publicly flogging a teenage girl. The Taliban's recent declaration that the Pakistani government and judicial system are "unIslamic" has also outraged many educated Pakistanis. Neha Mehdi moved to Lahore to study. Now, she fears her way of life is being threatened by the Taliban. "I cannot give up my education, and I cannot give up the way I'm living," the 23-year-old student said. "These Talibans have ruined the reputation of Islam." "There were threats here also from the Taliban that if we gather they might just bomb us," Mehdi said. Watch how the anti-Taliban movement is growing » More than 250 miles away, Pakistan's military continued its assault against Taliban militants who want to impose a radical interpretation of Islamic law in the country's northwestern tribal regions. Pakistan's government recently signed a deal that would allow Islamic law, or sharia, in the tribal belt as long as the law was imposed in accordance with the country's constitution. Mehdi and others in Lahore fear that the Taliban's version of sharia -- which forbids girls from attending school, as well as music, poetry and dance -- is slowly creeping into Lahore, the center of Pakistani culture. "Our way of life is being threatened," said Kamiar Rokni, a fashion designer who took part in the protest. "And if we don't do anything about it, then you're just going to be sitting around and one day the way you live and what this country's all about is going to stand for nothing." Rokni said he fears the Taliban "want to change the way we exist." Lahore may be hundreds of miles away from the Taliban-held areas outside Islamabad, but it is no stranger to militant attacks. "Last year we lost 39 people in acts of terrorism and this year we have lost 17 people in Lahore alone," Lahore police Chief Parvez Rathore said. As he speaks, a heavily armed escort is one step behind the police chief even as he walks outside the walls of the city's police headquarters. In March, gunmen attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore, killing six Pakistani police officers and the team's driver. Weeks later, militants dressed in police uniforms stormed a police training center in the city, prompting an eight-hour stand-off with police. Eight cadets were killed during the March 30 siege, which the government blamed on Pakistan's Taliban. Police in Lahore said the attacks would not have been possible without local support. Residents say there is no doubt that the Taliban have support in Pakistan's second largest city. "They're here in Lahore, this is the thing," said Jamal Rahman, who plays guitar for the Lahore-based band, "Lal" which means "Red." "Little groups of the Taliban are going around and intimidating people, causing fear, telling women to cover up and if they don't they'll shoot them." Rahman and his cousin, Aider -- who plays flute for "Lal" -- are using their music to rally society against what he says is a growing threat by the Taliban. "We want to try to get people aware, and try

Where are the protests?

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(Budget Travel) -- On your next trip, you could be checking into a wine cask, a salvaged 727 airplane, or a room where the furniture defies the law of gravity. The casks at the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands once held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine. Upside-down stay At Berlin's Propeller Island City Lodge, each of the 30 rooms is weird in its own way. The artist-owner, Lars Stroschen, has seen to that. One room, the first built, is made to look like a brightly painted medieval town, with an ultra-mini golf course surrounding the castle bed. Another has furniture attached to the ceiling, another has coffins for beds, and still another has lion cages on stilts (the Web site claims that kids "love to sleep" in them). Then there's the Freedom Room, which resembles a prison, complete with a toilet next to the bed -- oh, that German humor! 011-49/30-891-90-16, propeller-island.com. A place to unwine'd When they were owned by a Swiss château, the four enormous casks on the grounds of the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine. Now, after some creative recycling, it's guests rather than booze that mellow out inside the casks. The richly worn and airtight oak barrels have two narrow beds, with a small sitting area outside. The grounds are quite close to tiny Stavoren's harbor, which was a major port in the Middle Ages. 011-31/51-46-81-202, hotel-vrouwevanstavoren.nl. A bad trip (with none of the consequences) The daughter of Ho Chi Minh's number two masterminded the Hang Nga Guest House and Art Gallery, a complex that more than earns its local nickname, the Crazy House. This LSD nightmare's three main buildings are Gaudi-esque concrete treehouse-like growths that appear as if they flowed organically out of the ground. Inside, the walls seem to dissolve into the floor, and right angles are avoided entirely. Each guest room is built around a different animal theme: the Eagle Room has a big-beaked bird standing atop a huge egg, while another has arm-sized ants crawling up the wall. The animal theme continues outside -- a large giraffe statue on the property contains a teahouse, and human-size "spider webs" are set up here and there. 011-84/63-82-20-70. Budget Travel: Check out these unusual hotels In a league of its own Hydrophobics should stay far from Jules' Undersea Lodge, named for novelist Jules Verne of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" fame. The 600-square-foot lodge, a former marine lab, is 21 feet underwater, close to the bottom of the mangrove-filled Emerald Lagoon, in Key Largo. You'll have to know how to scuba dive to reach your room, and guests without the mandatory certification must take a course at the hotel. Once you've reached the lodge, which sleeps up to six, you'll be close to angelfish, anemones, barracuda, oysters, and other creatures -- each room is equipped with a 42-inch window, so you don't need to be suited up to keep an eye on the neighborhood. 305/451-2353, jul.com. Crash in a jet plane Near a beach that's within Manuel Antonio National Park, the Hotel Costa Verde doesn't lack for great sights. But few are as amazing as its own 727 Fuselage Suite, a salvaged 1965 Boeing 727-100 that looks as if it's crashed into the Costa Rican jungle (it's actually mounted atop a 50-foot pillar and reached via a spiral staircase). The jet's interior was once able to hold up to 125 passengers, but there are few reminders left of its days in the service of South African Airways and Colombia's Avianca Airlines. The suite's two bedrooms, dining area, and sitting room are now covered over entirely in teak to match the surroundings. Guests can play "spot the toucan" on the small

A Costa Rica hotel offers stays inside a salvaged what ?

5bd36b560da14c1b9208c433712ce2af

(Budget Travel) -- On your next trip, you could be checking into a wine cask, a salvaged 727 airplane, or a room where the furniture defies the law of gravity. The casks at the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands once held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine. Upside-down stay At Berlin's Propeller Island City Lodge, each of the 30 rooms is weird in its own way. The artist-owner, Lars Stroschen, has seen to that. One room, the first built, is made to look like a brightly painted medieval town, with an ultra-mini golf course surrounding the castle bed. Another has furniture attached to the ceiling, another has coffins for beds, and still another has lion cages on stilts (the Web site claims that kids "love to sleep" in them). Then there's the Freedom Room, which resembles a prison, complete with a toilet next to the bed -- oh, that German humor! 011-49/30-891-90-16, propeller-island.com. A place to unwine'd When they were owned by a Swiss château, the four enormous casks on the grounds of the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine. Now, after some creative recycling, it's guests rather than booze that mellow out inside the casks. The richly worn and airtight oak barrels have two narrow beds, with a small sitting area outside. The grounds are quite close to tiny Stavoren's harbor, which was a major port in the Middle Ages. 011-31/51-46-81-202, hotel-vrouwevanstavoren.nl. A bad trip (with none of the consequences) The daughter of Ho Chi Minh's number two masterminded the Hang Nga Guest House and Art Gallery, a complex that more than earns its local nickname, the Crazy House. This LSD nightmare's three main buildings are Gaudi-esque concrete treehouse-like growths that appear as if they flowed organically out of the ground. Inside, the walls seem to dissolve into the floor, and right angles are avoided entirely. Each guest room is built around a different animal theme: the Eagle Room has a big-beaked bird standing atop a huge egg, while another has arm-sized ants crawling up the wall. The animal theme continues outside -- a large giraffe statue on the property contains a teahouse, and human-size "spider webs" are set up here and there. 011-84/63-82-20-70. Budget Travel: Check out these unusual hotels In a league of its own Hydrophobics should stay far from Jules' Undersea Lodge, named for novelist Jules Verne of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" fame. The 600-square-foot lodge, a former marine lab, is 21 feet underwater, close to the bottom of the mangrove-filled Emerald Lagoon, in Key Largo. You'll have to know how to scuba dive to reach your room, and guests without the mandatory certification must take a course at the hotel. Once you've reached the lodge, which sleeps up to six, you'll be close to angelfish, anemones, barracuda, oysters, and other creatures -- each room is equipped with a 42-inch window, so you don't need to be suited up to keep an eye on the neighborhood. 305/451-2353, jul.com. Crash in a jet plane Near a beach that's within Manuel Antonio National Park, the Hotel Costa Verde doesn't lack for great sights. But few are as amazing as its own 727 Fuselage Suite, a salvaged 1965 Boeing 727-100 that looks as if it's crashed into the Costa Rican jungle (it's actually mounted atop a 50-foot pillar and reached via a spiral staircase). The jet's interior was once able to hold up to 125 passengers, but there are few reminders left of its days in the service of South African Airways and Colombia's Avianca Airlines. The suite's two bedrooms, dining area, and sitting room are now covered over entirely in teak to match the surroundings. Guests can play "spot the toucan" on the small

What town has a hotel has an Airstream trailer park on the roof?

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(Budget Travel) -- On your next trip, you could be checking into a wine cask, a salvaged 727 airplane, or a room where the furniture defies the law of gravity. The casks at the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands once held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine. Upside-down stay At Berlin's Propeller Island City Lodge, each of the 30 rooms is weird in its own way. The artist-owner, Lars Stroschen, has seen to that. One room, the first built, is made to look like a brightly painted medieval town, with an ultra-mini golf course surrounding the castle bed. Another has furniture attached to the ceiling, another has coffins for beds, and still another has lion cages on stilts (the Web site claims that kids "love to sleep" in them). Then there's the Freedom Room, which resembles a prison, complete with a toilet next to the bed -- oh, that German humor! 011-49/30-891-90-16, propeller-island.com. A place to unwine'd When they were owned by a Swiss château, the four enormous casks on the grounds of the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine. Now, after some creative recycling, it's guests rather than booze that mellow out inside the casks. The richly worn and airtight oak barrels have two narrow beds, with a small sitting area outside. The grounds are quite close to tiny Stavoren's harbor, which was a major port in the Middle Ages. 011-31/51-46-81-202, hotel-vrouwevanstavoren.nl. A bad trip (with none of the consequences) The daughter of Ho Chi Minh's number two masterminded the Hang Nga Guest House and Art Gallery, a complex that more than earns its local nickname, the Crazy House. This LSD nightmare's three main buildings are Gaudi-esque concrete treehouse-like growths that appear as if they flowed organically out of the ground. Inside, the walls seem to dissolve into the floor, and right angles are avoided entirely. Each guest room is built around a different animal theme: the Eagle Room has a big-beaked bird standing atop a huge egg, while another has arm-sized ants crawling up the wall. The animal theme continues outside -- a large giraffe statue on the property contains a teahouse, and human-size "spider webs" are set up here and there. 011-84/63-82-20-70. Budget Travel: Check out these unusual hotels In a league of its own Hydrophobics should stay far from Jules' Undersea Lodge, named for novelist Jules Verne of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" fame. The 600-square-foot lodge, a former marine lab, is 21 feet underwater, close to the bottom of the mangrove-filled Emerald Lagoon, in Key Largo. You'll have to know how to scuba dive to reach your room, and guests without the mandatory certification must take a course at the hotel. Once you've reached the lodge, which sleeps up to six, you'll be close to angelfish, anemones, barracuda, oysters, and other creatures -- each room is equipped with a 42-inch window, so you don't need to be suited up to keep an eye on the neighborhood. 305/451-2353, jul.com. Crash in a jet plane Near a beach that's within Manuel Antonio National Park, the Hotel Costa Verde doesn't lack for great sights. But few are as amazing as its own 727 Fuselage Suite, a salvaged 1965 Boeing 727-100 that looks as if it's crashed into the Costa Rican jungle (it's actually mounted atop a 50-foot pillar and reached via a spiral staircase). The jet's interior was once able to hold up to 125 passengers, but there are few reminders left of its days in the service of South African Airways and Colombia's Avianca Airlines. The suite's two bedrooms, dining area, and sitting room are now covered over entirely in teak to match the surroundings. Guests can play "spot the toucan" on the small

What hotel offers stays inside of a salvaged airplane?

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