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Show MONDAY, MARCH 7,2005 15 STATES MA># $V 0 R LD&NATION China and Sudan some countries cited for humanrightsabuses | OODS 7/55 3> ii AP Diplomatic WASHINGTON - Man's inhumanity to man was documented anew Monday by the State Department as it surveyed human rights abuses last year in scores of countries and found systematic torture in Syria, serious abuses in China and the killing of civilians by governmentbacked militia in Sudan's troubled Darfur province. Egypt, a close ally of the United States in Mideast peacemaking, was condemned for security forces torturing prisoners and for mass arrests. Iran's "poor human rights record worsened " the State Department report said. Summary executions, political killings, disappearances , amputations and flogging were among the cited abuses in Iran. North Korea, which President Bush has denounced as part of an "axis of evil," is one of the worlds most repressive and brutal regimes, the report said. An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people are believed to be in detention camps in remote areas, and defectors report many have died from torture, starvation and disease. Russia was credited with generally respecting the human rights of its citizens. The Federal Security Service operated with little oversight, security forces committed ki a i I AP Photo/Haraz Gbanbari 880 N. 650 E. 736 E. 800 N. •Next to Campus •Private or shared bedroom and bath •Separate living room & kitchen •Furnished •Free washer & dryer •Free Wireless Internet (coming in Fall 2005) •Microwave •Vacuum 'Dishwasher •Covered Parking (Edgewood) •Summer from $450 •School Yean Private: $204042910 Shared: $1860-52340 www.logancrestwoods.com Department in Washington, Monday, to discuss the State Department's 2004 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. "numerous and serious human rights abuses" President Vladimir Putin strengthened his power over regional governors and restrictions were imposed on the media, the report said. Both sides in the dispute over Chechnya showed little respect for basic human rights and there were reports of killings, it said. "By anybody's account, Russia has moved backward in the past year," Michael Kozak, assistant secretary for human rights, told reporters. Last week, at a summit meeting in Slovakia, Putin, responding to loud and clear" criticism from Bush, said Russia was committed to democracy. Syria's human rights record BY ANGELA DOLAND •:..,-.. 736 E. 900 N. Edgewood UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS PAULA DOBRIANSKY meets reporters at tine State is poor, the report said. Syrians do not have arightto change their government and "continuing serious abuses included the use of torture in detention, which at times resulted in death," unfair trials and arbitrary arrests. Terrorism fell off in postTaliban Afghanistan, respect for human rights in Ukraine rose with the staging of free elections, and what the report said were prospects for peace in Iraq "help create momentum for the improvement of human rights practices." Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's promise last weekend to hold multi-candidate elections came too late to be reflected in the report, which accused government-controlled security forces of numerous, serious human rights abuses. Egyptians did not have the meaningful ability to change their government, the report said, noting Mubarak was serving a fourth six-year term as a result of national referenda in which he was not opposed. China, described as an authoritarian state, denies its citizens freedom to oppose the Chinese Communist Party's political system, the report said. The government used war on terror as a pretext for cracking down on peaceful Uighur separatists and does not permit outsiders to monitor the human rights situation in the country, the report to Congress added. Italian journalist disputes U.S. account of her shooting, claims it could have been intentional A s s o c i a t e d Press Lynwood Stay in the Very Best Single Student Housing! i BY BARRY SCHWEID Brentwood •••->.-: ROME — Left-wing journalist Giuliana Sgrena claimed American soldiers gave no warning before they opened fire and said Sunday she could not rule out that U.S. forces intentionally shot at the car carrying her to the Baghdad airport, wounding her and killing the Italian agent who had just won her freedom after a month in captivity. An Italian Cabinet member urged Sgrena, who writes for a communist newspaper that routinely opposes U.S. policy in'Iraq, to be cautious in her accounts and said the shooting would not affect Italy's support for the Bush administration. The White House called the shooting a "horrific accident" and restated its promise to investigate fully. Sgrena's editor at the daily II Manifesto, Gabriele Polo, said Italian officials told him 300-400 rounds werefiredat the car. Italian military officials said two other intelligence agents were wounded in the shooting; U.S. officials said only one other agent was hurt Without backing up the claim, Sgrena said she believed it was possible she was targeted because the United States objected to methods used to secure her release. The fact that the Americans don't want negotiations tofreethe hostages is known" the 56-year-old journalist told Sky TG24 television by telephone, her voice hoarse and shaky. "The fact that they do everything to prevent the adoption of this practice to save the lives of people held hostage, everybody knows that. So I don't see why I should rule out that I could have been the target" Sgrena said she knew nothing about a ransom payment, and no details have emerged about how authorities won her release. An Italian Cabinet minister said money likely changed hands. U.S. officials object to ransom payments or negotiation with kidnappers, claiming that only encourages further hostage-taking. The shooting has fueled anti-American sentiment in a country where people have deeply opposed the war in Iraq, but it did not provoke mass protests this weekend like those that have drawn tens of thousands of people into the streets. At least 10,000 people, however, lined up in the rain to pay their respects to Nicola Calipari, the agent who died trying to shield Sgrena from the American bullets. Draped in an Italianflag,his casket lay in state at Rome's Vittoriano national monument, which houses the tomb of the unknown soldier. A state funeral was planned for Monday and Calipari has been awarded the gold medal of valor posthumously. Calipari was struck in the temple by a single round and died instantly, the ANSA news agency reported, quoting doctors who did an autopsy. White House counselor Dan Bartlett said Sunday the shootings were a "horrific accident," saying President Bush called Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi to offer condolences and promise a full investigation. "As you know, in a situation where there is a live combat zone, particularly this road to the airport, has been a notorious area for car bombs, that people are making split-second decisions, and it's critically important that we get the facts before we make judgments," Bartlett said. SELMA MARCH CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST AMELIA BOYNTON ROBINSON, 98, is reflected in a monument honoring her and fellow activist Marie Foster at an unveiling, Sunday, at the end of the jubilee celebration commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Ala. n Watch monies • Earn Cash n save H ure H Become a blood plasma donor & ITlake a difference Donate Plasma Receive up to $200 per monl! WESTERN PLASWA Main Street You can help save someone's life by giving plasma. Western Plasma 1061 No. Main • 753-7802 HOURS: Mon-Fri 10am - 6pm, Sat noon-4 pm, Closed Sun HAVE A SAFE SPRING BREAK! From page 2 AP Photo/The Seima Times-journal, Donnie Coffee What did troopers and sheriff's deputies on March 7,1565. He was among 17 blacks hospitalized as that march was turned back. A second march two weeks later, under the protection of a federal court order and led by the Martin Luther King Jr., went 50 milesfromthe bridge over the Alabama River to the steps of the state Capitol in Montgomery. The attack and the march inspired passage of the Voting Rights Act, which barred obstacles such as literacy tests that were set up by segregationists to keep blacks from registering to vote. A re-enactment of the fiveday march is planned this week, culminating with a rally at the Capitol on Saturday. In a service at Brown Chapel, six blocksfromthe bridge, Lewis cited former President Bill Clinton, who crossed the bridge with Selma marchers in 2000, and former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman as white politicians who have greeted modern civil rights concerns with open arms. We at the Student Wellness Center hope you all have a fun and fabulous break. We want to remind you to follow the student policy, and make safe, smart decisions! More than half of USU s t u d e n t s (53%) d o not know or think the drug and alcohol policy i s not enforced. IT IS! Educate yourself on student policy:" Possession, consumption, sale, purchase, distribution, manufacture, and/or storage of any alcoholic beverage and/or illegal dings anywhere on campus is prohibited by the USU Student Code. Off-campus University functions are subject to federal, state and local laws. Crimes committed on or off campus violate University standards and may subject students to discipline under the non-academic section of the student code. Disciplinary actions, which may include referral to the Student Wellness Center, probation, suspension and/or expulsion, are designed to maintain the institution's integrity, protect individual lights and help students solve personal problems. Violation of this code by students under age 2\ may also result in parental notification. Staff and students are expected 10 report violations of campus regulations to the Office of the Vice President for Student Services. For a complete copy of the USU Student Code, go to Ymv.usu.edu/stuseiY/scode/index.luml. |