Al Jazeera TV says hit by Morocco broadcast ban

Reuters: [2008-05-06 23:01:00]

DUBAI, May 6 (Reuters) - Moroccan authorities have banned Al Jazeera television from broadcasting a news programme focusing on north Africa from its studios in Morocco, the Qatar-based Arabic network said on Tuesday.

Authorities gave no reason for the ban against the nightly news broadcast, Al Jazeera said, adding that the programme would be aired from its main studios in the Qatari capital Doha.

The popular news network, which also launched an English-language channel in late 2006, has often drawn the ire of Middle Eastern governments as well as the United States over its coverage of the war in Iraq and providing a platform for opposition and human rights groups.

There was no immediate comments available from Moroccan authorities.

(Reporting by Firouz Sedarat)

((Gulf newsroom))

Keywords: JAZEERA MOROCCO/BAN

UPDATE 1-US House Democrats favor timetable for Iraq troops

Reuters: [2008-05-06 22:21:00]

(Adds quotes, details throughout)

By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives have agreed on a plan to fund the Iraq war into next year but included a provision to withdraw combat troops by the end of 2009, lawmakers said on Tuesday.

The plan for supporting the approximately $170 billion request from President George W. Bush to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan also would expand education benefits for war veterans and give more help to the long-term U.S. unemployed.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, a Wisconsin Democrat who is an outspoken opponent of the Iraq war, said the legislation would give Bush all the new money he requested for combat "so that whoever becomes president will have a few months to get his or her act together before they submit their plans to extricate us from Iraq."

A new president will be sworn in next January. Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have promised to start withdrawing troops if they are elected. Sen. John McCain, who will likely be the Republican nominee, has talked about a possibly long U.S. combat presence in Iraq.

The measure could face problems in the Senate and is expected to be resisted by Bush. He rejects any Iraq withdrawal timetable and opposes the Democrats' plan for expanding veterans' education benefits and extending U.S. jobless benefits for up to six months.

Obey acknowledged that while Democrats can pass troop withdrawal timetables through the House, there was not enough support in Congress overall to win passage.

He said when the legislation reaches the House floor, lawmakers will have a chance to vote on a plan to begin immediate combat troop withdrawals from Iraq with the goal of completing the pullout by the end of 2009.

The full House could vote on Thursday on the plan, which would provide war funds for the remainder of this fiscal year and the next one, which starts on Oct. 1.

One year ago, Bush vetoed war-funding legislation that contained timetables for withdrawing troops, saying that decision must be left to military commanders.

Other provisions in the bill also are opposed by the White House, including imposing standards for training and rotating combat troops, who in the past have had deployments in Iraq extended.

INPUT INTO THE BILL

The bill also would outlaw torture of detainees, as outlined by the Army field manual.

Rep. Jerry Lewis of California, the senior Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, said he will try to obstruct House debate on the bill this week, complaining his party did not have input into the bill.

A spokeswoman said Lewis would have tried to attach a controversial electronic-surveillance bill to the war-funding measure.

Other Republicans wanted to pursue a mix of unrelated amendments, from suspending federal gasoline taxes to prohibiting government funds from being used to pay for officials' trips to the summer Olympics in Beijing.

Obey responded: "The Pentagon is saying you've got to get this through fast. Meanwhile they (House Republicans) want an operation that will slow us down for weeks and weeks."

The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday to consider its version of the war-funding bill.

If Congress approves the combat funds, as expected, it will have given Bush more than $800 billion since 2001 for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of that money has gone to Iraq, where about 159,000 troops are now fighting.

Obey said the legislation also would require Iraq's government to take on more of the burden of reconstruction and training of its security forces.

For every dollar U.S. taxpayers spend, Iraq would have to spend one dollar, he said. This would apply to projects costing more than $750,000.

The Bush administration has told Congress that it needs additional money for the wars by the end of this month or it will have difficulty paying soldiers after June 15.

But Democratic Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, who chairs a panel overseeing defense spending, accused the administration of "scare" tactics, saying, "We know the troops are going to get paid."

(Editing by Philip Barbara)

((richard.cowan@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: richard.cowan.reuters.com@reuters.net; 202-898-8391)) Keywords: IRAQ USA/FUNDING

UPDATE 3-U.S. panel authorizes subpoena of Cheney aide

Reuters: [2008-05-06 22:15:00]

(Updates with comments by Conyers, paragraphs 5-6)

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - A Democratic-led U.S. congressional panel on Tuesday authorized a subpoena of Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff in its probe of possible U.S. torture of suspected terrorists.

House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers of Michigan was expected to move within days to subpoena David Addington, who the administration maintains is immune from being required to testify to Congress.

If Addington refuses to show up, a court fight is likely, but it may not be resolved until after President George W. Bush and Cheney end their terms in January and leave office.

Regardless, Conyers pushed ahead.

"The administration's use of harsh interrogation methods -- with approval of the Justice Department and other administration lawyers -- requires the strictest scrutiny and oversight," Conyers said.

"In the view of the many reports that Mr. Addington played a key role in shaping interrogation policy and drafting legal memos on the subject, it is very important to hear from him," Conyers said.

Without debate, a subcommittee of Conyers' panel approved a resolution authorizing him to subpoena Addington.

Cheney spokeswoman Megan Mitchell said: "We have not yet received a subpoena. Once we do, we will review and respond accordingly."

Bush maintains that the United States does not torture, but he has refused to discuss interrogation techniques, saying he does not want to tip off the enemy.

The CIA has acknowledged using a simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding on three terrorism suspects, but says it stopped using that method in 2003.

Waterboarding has been condemned by human rights groups, foreign countries and many U.S. lawmakers as torture.

The subcommittee authorized the subpoena shortly before beginning a hearing on treatment of enemy combatants.

Those who testified were primarily legal and academic figures who discussed what amounts to torture and the scope of the administration's power to establish interrogation methods.

Former Attorney General John Ashcroft has agreed to testify at a yet-to-be scheduled hearing. John Yoo, a former deputy assistant attorney general, also agreed to testify at a later date after facing a possible subpoena.

Bush has invoked executive privilege in rejecting congressional subpoenas for a number of current and former administration officials, many sought as witnesses in the 2006 firing of nine federal prosecutors.

In March, the House Judiciary Committee filed suit in U.S. District Court asking it to direct White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten to produce subpoenaed documents and order former White House counsel Harriet Miers to comply with a subpoena and testify about the ousted prosecutors.

A ruling is not expected for at least several months.

Cheney's counsel, Kathryn Wheelbarger, in a letter to the subcommittee, argued Addington cannot be required to testify.

"The office of the vice president remains of the view that the courts, to protect the institution of the vice presidency under the Constitution from encroachment by committees of Congress, would recognize that a chief of staff or counsel to the vice president is immune from compulsion to appear before committees of Congress," Wheelbarger wrote.

(Editing by David Alexander and Eric Walsh)

((thomas.ferraro@reuters.com; 202 898-8391))

Keywords: USA CONGRESS/CHENEY

UPDATE 1-Verizon joins another undersea cable network

Reuters: [2008-05-06 21:36:00]

(Adds background on Verizon's cable networks, dateline)

NEW YORK, May 6 (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc's <VZ.N> business unit said on Tuesday it would help build an undersea cable connecting Europe, the Middle East and India to expand its global network to support Internet traffic.

Verizon Business, the No. 2 U.S. phone company's unit in charge of corporate clients, said it joined a consortium of 16 companies to build a 9,000 mile (15,000 km) optical cable system linking the three continents.

The network, named the Europe India Gateway, is due to be completed in 2010 and cost more than $700 million. Verizon Business did not disclose how much it would pay.

Verizon Business is involved in more than 67 submarine cables worldwide, and the Europe India Gateway is its third major project in the last four years.

It has been boosting investment in such advanced cable networks to provide more stable voice connections and faster Internet services for global corporate clients. (Reporting by Ritsuko Ando, Editing by Toni Reinhold) ((ritsuko.ando@thomsonreuters.com; +1 646 223 6084; Reuters Messaging: ritsuko.ando.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: VERIZON/

UPDATE 9-Oil rockets to record $122 on dollar, supply worry

Reuters: [2008-05-06 21:31:00]

(Updates prices)

By Matthew Robinson

NEW YORK, May 6 (Reuters) - Oil shot to a record above $122 a barrel on Tuesday on supply worries and the weak dollar, extending a rally that has doubled prices over the past year and has some experts forecasting a potential spike to $200.

U.S. crude <CLc1> settled up $1.87 at $121.84 a barrel after touching a record $122.73 earlier. London Brent crude <LCOc1> gained $2.32 to $120.31 a barrel, after hitting a record $120.99.

Rising tensions with Iran, after the world's No. 4 oil producer refused to accept inspections of its nuclear program that the West fears could be linked to weapons, stirred supply concerns from the OPEC nation. [ID:nL05474341]

Nigerian disruptions from militant attacks and a strike have also underpinned prices since late April, adding to gains that have sent prices for oil up about six-fold since 2002 as part of a wider commodity surge. [ID:nL06909102].

Growing demand from emerging markets like China has supported the oil rally, as supplies struggle to keep pace, with further strength for dollar-denominated commodities coming from the slumping greenback.

"Demand from China and India, the falling dollar making oil an inflation hedge, speculation, OPEC supply restraints, supply threats in Iran, Iraq and Nigeria and refinery bottlenecks in the United States (are pushing up crude)," John Kilduff, senior vice president at MF Goldman, wrote in a research note.

High oil prices have hit U.S. refiners' profit margins, prompting some to trim runs, but stoking supply concerns as the world's biggest oil consumer heads into the summer driving season. Speculators have also poured cash into commodities as a hedge against inflation since September.

The mounting supply problems and strong demand from emerging economies prompted Goldman Sachs to forecast oil could reach $200 a barrel within the next two years.[ID:nL06914488]

"We believe the current energy crisis may be coming to a head, as a lack of adequate supply growth is becoming apparent," Goldman said in the note.

"In our view, a gradual rally in prices is likely to be longer lasting than a sharp, sudden spike."

U.S. President George W. Bush is expected to talk with officials from OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia about the effects of high fuel prices on the U.S. economy on his trip to the world's top exporter later this month. [ID:nN05395646]

Bush has called on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to raise output to help bring down prices, but the cartel has blamed high prices on speculators and insists markets are well-supplied.

Rising costs as well as wider problems with the economy have hurt U.S. fuel demand, with the U.S. Energy Information Administration cutting its forecast for U.S. demand by 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter and 100,000 bpd in the third quarter. [ID:nN06489554]

A weekly U.S. government report on fuel inventories due out Wednesday is expected to show a 1.6 million barrel build in crude supplies, an 800,000 barrel rise in distillate inventories and a 100,000 barrel decline in gasoline stocks, according to a Reuters poll. [EIA/S] (Reporting by Matthew Robinson, Gene Ramos and Robert Gibbons in New York, Jane Merriman in London, Baizhen Chua in Singapore, editing by Matthew Lewis) ((matthew.robinson@thomsonreuters.com: + 1 646 223 6052; Reuters Messaging: matthew.robinson.reuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: MARKETS OIL