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Show 2 Monday, March 24,2008 BULLETIN www.daifyutahchronicle.com All stories and photos from The Associated Press WORLD China attacks Dalai Lama, Speaker Pelosi over Tibet as it tries to avert PR disaster CHENGDU, China—China accused the Dalai Lama on Sunday of stoking Tibetan unrest to sabotage the Beijing Olympics and also berated House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying she is ignoring the truth about Tibet. This month's violence in Tibet and neighboring provinces has turned into a public relations disaster for China ahead of the August Olympics, which it had been hoping to use to bolster its international image. The Chinese government said through official media that formerly restive areas were under control and accused the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, of trying to harm China's image ahead of the summer games. "The Dalai clique is scheming to take the Beijing Olympics hostage to force the Chinese government to make concessions to Tibet independence," said the People's Daily, the main mouthpiece of the Communist Party. The Tibetan spiritual leader called the accusations against him "baseless," asserting that he supported China's hosting of the summer games. "I always support (that) the Olympics should...take place in Beijing...so that more than i billion human beings, that means Chinese, they feel proud of it," he said Sunday in New Delhi, India. Pelosi's visit to the Dalai Lama in Dharmsala, India, on Friday was the first by a major foreign official since the protests broke out. The Democratic leader said if people don't speak out against China's oppression in Tibet, "we have lost all moral authority to speak on behalf of human rights any- Al-Zawahri calls on Muslims to strike US interests . CAIRO, Egypt—Al-Qaida deputy leader Ayman alZawahri is calling on Muslims to strike Israeli and American interests to avenge Israel's recent offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to a new audiotape. In the 4-minute tape, posted on a Web site Monday, al-Zawahri accuses Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak of helping Israel in its offensive by sealing off the border between Egypt and Gaza. He calls on Muslims to "strike the interests of the Jews, the Americans, and all of those who participated in the attack on the Muslims-," and says attacks should not be limited to areas in Israel or the Palestinian territories. Gilani picked to challenge Musharraf in Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Pakistan's prime ministerin-waiting has the experience and track record to hold together an unwieldy coalition as it moves to neutralize President Pervez Musharraf, lawmakers and analysts said Sunday. But Yousaf Raza Gilani also has a personal reason to ignore Musharraf's appeals for cooperation: he spent years in jail under the U.S.-backed leader. Lawmakers are expected to confirm him in a parliamentary vote Monday. He is a shoo-in after opposition parties swept elections last month and Musharraf is then expected to swear him in Tuesday. Gilani, a loyalist of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto, will lead an administration facing mounting economic problems, including double-digit inflation, power shortages and sagging foreign investment. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on the world community Friday to denounce China in the wake of its crackdown in Tibet, calling the crisis"a challenge to the conscience of the world." where in the world." China's official Xinhua New Agency published commentary Sunday accusing Pelosi of ignoring the violence caused by the Tibetan rioters. '"Human rights police' like Pelosi are habitually bad tempered and ungenerous when it comes to China, refusing to check their facts and find out the truth of the case," it said. "Her views are like so many other politicians and western media. Beneath the double standards lies their intention to serve the interest groups behind them, who want to contain or smear China," it said. ' Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said Sunday that Pelosi condemns the Chinese government's crackdown in Tibet and calls on it "to begin a substantive dialogue and to allow journalists and independent monitors into Tibet to find out the truth." China's reported death toll from the protests in the Tibetan capital Lhasa earlier this month is 22. Tibet's exiled government says 99 Tibetans have been killed. Xinhua said Sunday that 94 people had been injured in four counties and one city in Gansu province in riots on March 15-16. U.S. Fire, explosions destroy Ark. meat packing plant BOONEVTLLE, Ark.—A fire set off a series of explosions at a meat packing plant on Sunday, destroying the factory and causing an ammonia gas leak that forced 180 people from their homes, authorities said. There were no reported injuries. Authorities said dispatchers received the first emergency call about the fire at about 1 p.m. Sunday, and at least one fire could still be seen burning Sunday night. Wisconsin woman believes son was victim of war WAUSAU, Wis.—Joan McDonald believes her son was a casualty of the war in Iraq, but the Army says that while he did suffer a severe head wound in a bomb blast, the cause of his death is undetermined, keeping him off the casualty list. McDonald, 26, was injured in a roadside bomb blast in Iraq last May. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment based at Fort Hood, Texas. After treatment in Germany, McDonald returned to Fort Hood and underwent extensive facial surgery in August. His body was found in his barracks apartment Nov. 12, a Monday. He was last seen alive the previous Friday. Bombing raises US death toll in Iraq war to 4,000 BAGHDAD—A roadside bomb killed four U.S. soldiers in Baghdad on Sunday, the military said, pushing the overall American death toll in the five-year war to at least 4,000. The grim milestone came on a day when at least 61 people were killed across the country. Rockets and mortars pounded the U.S.-protected Green Zone, underscoring the fragile security situation and the resilience of both Sunni and Shiite extremist groups despite an overall lull in violence. The soldiers with Multi-National Division—Baghdad were on a patrol when their vehicle was struck at about 10 p.m. in southern Baghdad, the military said. Another soldier was wounded in the attack. Identities of those killed were withheld pending notification of relatives. Navy Lt. Patrick Evans, a military spokesman, expressed condolences to all the families who have lost a loved one in Iraq, saying each death is "equally tragic." "There have been some significant gains. However, this enemy is resilient and will not give up, nor will we," he said. "There's still a lot of work to be done." Attacks in Baghdad probably stemmed from rising tensions between rival Shiite groups— some of whom may have been behind the Green Zone blasts. It was the most sustained assault in months against the nerve center of the U.S. mission. The deadliest attack of the day was in Mosul when a suicide driver slammed his vehicle through a security checkpoint in a hail of gunfire and detonated his explosives in front of an Iraqi headquarters building, killing 13 Iraqi soldiers and injuring 42 other people, police said. Iraqi guards opened fire on the vehicle but couldn't stop it because the windshield had been bulletproofed, said an Iraqi army officer. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information. Mosul, Iraq's third largest city about 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, has been described as the last major urban area where the Sunni extremist al-Qaida group maintains a significant presence. In Baghdad, rockets and mortars began slamming into the Green Zone about sunrise, and scattered attacks persisted throughout the day, sending plumes of smoke rising over the heavily guarded district in the heart of the capital. UTAH Rep. calls for less showmanship, more lawmaking Each legislative session, lawmakers routinely take time every day on the House and Senate floors to identify constituents who are present so they can be recogni2ed and receive applause. It's a tradition that eats up precious time during the 45-day session. Now one lawmaker thinks it's time to change the way legislators do businessAmong the more than 200 items lawmakers want to study this summer is a proposal by Rep. Brad King, D-Price, to limit the personal privileges lawmakers take to introduce people during the last two weeks of the session. Cheney says US won't pressure Israel to risk its security ;ll.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, right, is greeted by Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi •Livni, left, upon Cheney's arrival at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, Israel, Saturday. JERUSALEM—In a bold defense of Israel, Vice President "Dick Cheney said Saturday that the United States wants a new beginning for the Palestinian people but will never pressure Israel to take steps that would jeopardize its security. Cheney, on an Easter weekend visit to Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, reaffirmed Washington's commit- ment to establishing a Palestinian state—a feat he said would require painful concessions on both sides. "America's commitment to Israel's security is enduring and unshakable, as is our commitment to Israel's right to defend itself—always—against terrorism, rocket attacks and other threats from forces dedicated to Israel's destruction," Cheney said, standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. "The United States will never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security." After attending a worship service and holding talks with other Israeli leaders, Cheney will travel Sunday to Ramallan in the West Bank to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. "We want to see a resolution to the conflict, and an end to the terrorism that has caused so much grief to Israelis and a new beginning for the Palestinian people," Cheney said. Cheney also said that as the U.S. and Israel worked on a Mideast peace deal, they must not take their eyes off Iran and other adversaries in the region. Israel considers Iran the greatest threat to its survival; it rejects Tehran's claims that its nuclear program is not designed to produce arms. Back in 2005, Cheney raised the possibility that Israel was convinced that Iran had significant nuclear capability. At the Israeli prime minister's residence, his first stop alter landing in Israel, Cheney said, "We must not, and will not, ignore the darkening shadows of the situations in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Syria and in Iran and the forces there that are working to derail the hopes of the world." Group knocks attorney general for clearing UTA A transit group upset over fare hikes and bus-route aits says Attorney General Mark Shurtleff should investigate Utah Transit Authority executives for overstating rail passenger counts to win job performance bonuses. The UTA strongly denies any wrongdoing, and Shurtleff said nothing in a legislative audit released in January justifies a criminal investigation. This day in U history... 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