CONTROVERSIAL EXHIBIT

Caption …

Letters

Expending the Force?

* Too many military and civilian government leaders really have no earthly idea what it's like for reservists to balance their military duty with their civilian career while keeping their family together.

The current pace of call-ups, with little relief in sight, will cause many reservists to rethink their priorities regardless of how patriotic they are. Although repeated deployments will also adversely affect active component reenlistments, it is the reserve soldier who routinely has the most to lose and has the most flexibility to do something about it.

Sure, federal law may require that employers return reservists to their former jobs, but that …

Wall Street set for higher open

Wall Street appeared headed for a strong open Thursday after IBM Corp. reaffirmed its profit outlook and investors hoped that the panic selling that cascaded through global markets a day earlier was overdone.

Stock markets around the world moved mostly higher one day after the Federal Reserve and other leading central banks cut interest rates to help fight the credit crisis and stimulate the global economy.

Asian markets were steady to higher and European markets rose. Dow Jones industrial average futures were up 181 points ahead of the opening bell in New York.

There was hope by investors that perhaps Wall Street is getting closer to finding a …

Fate of Bluefield post office depends on ongoing study

BLUEFIELD - The fate of Bluefield's Mail Processing andDistribution Facility remains unknown.

Although postal officials launched what is called an Area MailProcessing, or AMP, study in February to determine if the CumberlandRoad facility will remain open or be consolidated with existingpostal centers in Charleston and Johnson City, the study itself isapparently still ongoing.

"We have not heard anything, and we have no information,"Bluefield Mayor Linda Whalen said of the ongoing study. "We arestill waiting to be able to publicly voice our opposition to thisfacility being closed. We understand they do need to economize andprobably consolidate, but we …

VeriSign to Offer Passwords on Bank Card

NEW YORK - A leading provider of digital-security services wants to make disposable passwords easier for consumers to accept by squeezing the technology into the corner of a regular credit or ATM card.

Fran Rosch, vice president for authentication services at VeriSign Inc., said the one-time passwords haven't taken off in the United States partly because consumers need to carry a small device that generates passwords on the fly. That barrier is removed, he said, by having the technology built into cards consumers already carry.

VeriSign was expected to announce a deal Tuesday with Innovative Card Technologies Inc. to outfit banks and e-commerce sites with cards that work …

Acura unveils trio of vehicles, including 2013 RDX

DETROIT (AP) — Acura has unveiled a trio of vehicles, including a redesigned version of its RDX crossover SUV that's set to go on sale this spring, as it tries to rebound from a difficult 2011.

Honda Motor Co.'s luxury division put the 2013 RDX, the ILX compact sedan and the NSX Concept supercar on display Monday at the Detroit auto show, all three part of its effort to regroup after the earthquake in Japan and flooding in Thailand disrupted production.

The five-passenger RDX will be built at Honda's plant in East Liberty, Ohio, and pricing will be announced later. The old version has been built in Marysville, Ohio.

Within three years, a vehicle based on the NSX Concept …

Signs of political progress as Iraqi leaders meet

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Leaders of all the main Iraqi political blocs met Monday for the first time since March elections in a new push to break the eight-month deadlock over forming a new government. Car bombs struck the country's two holiest cities and killed 14 people, a reminder that insurgents remain determined to destabilize Iraq.

The 90-minute meeting of political leaders in the northern town of Irbil kicked off three days of negotiations that could signal the deeply divided political blocs are close to a power-sharing agreement. However, officials said there are still major obstacles to overcome.

Since inconclusive March 7 elections, insurgents have tried to exploit …

RYI founder imparts life lessons to area youth

By the time Leon Tyler-Smith was 13 years old, he had been arrested for assaulting a police officer, he had spent "several nights in jail" on weapons charges for carrying knives and he was a regular at juvenile court.

At the time, running the streets of Charlestown, Tyler-Smith thought respect was gained through a reputation for breaking the law.

Today, he is 26 years old, a successful loan officer with a Boston-based mortgage company and a single parent caring for both a 3-year-old son and his parents.

Tyler-Smith says without his court-ordered stint at Roxbury Youthworks (RYI) when he was 13, he would either be dead or in jail. Dressed in a business suit and tie …

Dominica, Venezuela proceeds with plan for oil refinery despite activists' complaints

Dominica and Venezuela will proceed with plans to build an oil refinery in the poor island nation despite objections from local environmentalists, a Dominica official said Tuesday.

Reginald Austrie, Minister for Housing, Lands & Telecommunications in Dominica, dismissed claims by the local Waitukubuli Ecological Foundation that the refinery will pollute the lush Caribbean country, which markets itself as the region's "Nature Island."

"We need to find new ways of bringing economic activity and relief to the Dominican people," Austrie said, suggesting the refinery would generate work on the island, which has a fragile economy based on …

Money News

For The Last Lap

Walking away into the sunset is much easier when you have a fatnest egg. With pension funds now fully under Section 80C, take aserious look at retirement planning.

By Anand Adhikari

Here is something to scare you. Assume you are 35 years of age,working in the private sector with a take-home pay of Rs 25,000 permonth. You have dreams of retiring and tending to your roses when youare, say, 58. A fairly reasonable dream, you would say? As a prudentsaver, you even have a modest nest egg in readiness. So, what'sscary?

Here's what: the size of your 'modest' nest egg will have to be awhopping Rs 64 lakh, if you factor in inflation, want to …

Democratization of telematics

The Fast Lane

With all the advances in automotive safety systems and vehicle dynamics, we still continue to pile up fatalities on the order of 45,000 each year on the highways of the United States.

We have many more vehicles than we used to, drive many more miles in any weather condition and really have made serious strides in improved safety. But the number of fatalities seems almost institutionalized.

Pilot error is what we need to work on and we've always known that but we refuse to address it. We never like to look at our customer as the root of the problem, but it could be the case.

Seatbelts, airbags, ABS braking systems and such have saved hundreds …

Favre says he's tempted to show up at Packers camp

Brett Favre says he's tempted to show up at the Green Bay Packers' training camp just to call the team's "bluff." In the second part of an interview with Fox News, the quarterback says he knows his arrival in camp would cause a media circus …

AP-News Pronunciation Guide L-R

L

La Canada Flintridge, Calif. - kan-YAH'-duh

Anthony LaCalamita -- luh-kal-uh-MEE'-tuh

Debra Lafave -- luh-FAYV'

Emeril Lagasse -- EM'-ur-ul leh-GAH'-see

Laglio -- LAHL'-yoh

Abdullah Lagmani -- ab-DOOL'-uh lahg-MAHN'-ee

Lagos -- LAY'-gohs or LAH'-gohs

Maurice Lagrone -- lah-GROHN'

Emile Lahoud -- ee-MEEL' lah-HOOD'

Andy Laine -- LAY'-nee

Hemant Lakhani -- HEH'-muhnt luh-KAH'-nee

Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi -- zah-KEE' oor-rah-MAHN' lahk-VEE'

Lakshmi -- LAHK'-shmee

Guy Laliberte -- gee lah-lee-behr-TAY'

Ovide Lamontagne -- OH'-vihd la-mahn-TAYN'

L'Aquila -- LAH'-kwee-lah

Lashkar-e-Taiba -- LAHSH'-kahr ee TOY'-buh

Las Ramblas -- lahs RAHM'-blahs

Mary Landrieu -- LAN'-droo

Mitch Landrieu -- LAN'-droo

Landstuhl -- LAHND'-shtool

James Langevin -- LAN'-jih-vin

Dave Lapan -- luh-PAN'

Ali Larijani -- lehr-uh-ZHAH'-nee

Lashkar-e-Taiba -- LASH'-kar-ee-TOY'-buh

Queen Latifah -- lah-TEE'-fuh

Latifiyah -- lah-TEE'-fee-yuh

Cesar Laurean -- SEH'-sahr LOHR'-ee-uhn

Maria Lauterbach -- LAW'-tur-bahk

Sergey Lavrov -- SEHR'-gay LAHV'-rahf

Jorge Lazareff -- HOR'-hay

Ed Lazear -- luh-ZEER'

Lee Hoi-chang -- lee hweh-chayng

Annie Le -- lay

LaSalle Leffall -- leh-FAWL'

Mike Leavitt -- LEH'-vit

Lee Hsien Loong -- lee haz-ee-en lahng

Lee Myung-bak -- lee myuhng bahk

Robert Joseph Legendre -- leh-ZHAHN'-dray

Lehman Brothers -- LEE'-muhn

John Lehman -- LAY'-man

Reichen Lehmkuhl -- RY'-kuhn LEHM'-kuhl

Richard Leigh -- lee

Le Mans -- lu-MAHN'

George LeMieux -- luh-MYOO'

Lennar -- LEN'-ahr

Leola -- lee-OH'-luh

William Levada -- leh-VAY'-duh

Chiara Levin -- kee-AH'-rah LEV'-in

Diana Levine -- luh-VEEN'

Chandra Levy -- SHAHN'-druh LEE'-vee

Robert Levy -- LEE'-vee

Leyte -- LAY'-tay

Lhasa -- LAH'-sah

Daniel Libeskind -- LEE'-behs-kihnd

LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) -- LY'-bor

Liviu Librescu -- LIHV'-yoo lih-BRES'-koo

Stephen Liczbinski -- liz-BIN'-skee

Lien Chan -- LEE'-ehn jan

Likud -- lee-KOOD'

Lima -- LEE'-muh

Rick Linnehan -- LIN'-uh-han

Lithonia -- ly-THOH'-nee-uh

Alexander Litvinenko -- leet-vee-NYEN'-koh

Scott Livengood -- LY'-vehn-gud

Ken Livingstone -- LIHV'-ing-stuhn

Liu Boming -- leeyo bo-mee-ayng

Liu Xiaobo -- lee-OO' show-BOH'

Tzipi Livni -- TSIH'-pee LIHV'-nee

Gaspar Llamazares -- gas-pahr yah-mah-THAHR'-ays

Lindsay Lohan -- LOH'-un

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador -- ahn-DRAYS' mahn-WEHL' LOH'-pez OH'-brah-dohr

Lorazepam -- lor-AZ'-uh-pam

Demi Lovato -- DEM'-ee luh-VAH'-toh

Laurence Lovette -- luh-VEHT'

Jane Lubchenco -- LOOB'-chihn-koh

Andrei Lugovoi -- AHN'-dray LOO'-goh-voy

Alexander Lukashenko -- loo-kuh-SHENG'-koh

Sarah Lunde -- LUHN'-dee

Lupit -- loo-PEET'

Valery Lyndin -- vah-LEH'-ree LIN'-din

M

Ma Ying-jeou -- mah yeeng-joh

Maalot -- mah-ah-LOHT'

Wangari Maathai -- wan-GAH'-ree mah-DY'

Lorin Maazel -- mah-ZEL'

Maersk -- mursk

Marcial Maciel -- mahrs-YAHL' mahs-YEL'

Madhya Pradesh -- MUH'-dyuh PRUH'-desh

Bernard Madoff -- MAY'-dawf

Magee -- muh-GEE'

Magen David Adom -- mah-GHEN' dah-VIHD' ah-DOHM'

Sandy Magnus -- MAG'-nus

Abhijit Mahoto -- ah-buh-SHEET' muh-HAH'-toh

Mahawil -- mah-hah-WEEL'

Imam Mahdi -- EE'-mahm MAH'-dee

Ahmed Maher -- AHH'-mehd MAH'-ehr

Mahmoudiya -- mahk-moo-DEE'-ah

Mukhtar Mai -- mook-TAHR my

Majdanek -- my-DAH'-nehk

Deborah Majoras -- mah-JOHR'-us

Alaa Makki -- AH'-lah MEH'-kee

Malaga -- MAL'-uh-guh

Malawi -- mah-LAH'-wee

Maldives -- MAHL'-dyvz

Yuri Malenchenko -- YOOR'-ee mal-ehn-CHEHN'-koh

Ramiele Malubay -- RAY'-me-el mah-LOO'-by

Mamaroneck -- muh-MA'-ruh-nek

Manama -- mah-NAH'-mah

Joe Manchin -- MAN'-chihn

Mandali -- MAHN'-dah-lee

Imran Mandhai -- im-rahn mahn-dy

Sergio Marchionne -- SEHR'-jee-oh mahr-kee-OH'-nay

Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz -- KAH'-zhee-myehrsh mahr-cheen-KAY'-vihch

Zachariah Marcyniuk -- MAHR'-seh-nihk

Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky -- mahr-GOH'-leez mehz-VIHN'-skee

Joseph Margulies -- mahr-GOO'-lee-ez

Mengistu Haile Mariam -- mehn-JEE'-stoo HY'-lee mahr-ee'-am

Harry Markopolos -- mahr-KAHP'-uh-luhs

Mirjana Markovic -- meer-ee-YAH'-nah mahr-KOH'-vich

Diarmuid Martin -- DER'-muhd

Marjayoun -- mar-zheye-OON'

Mas Selamat Kastari -- mahs sel-AH-maht KAHS'-tahr-ee

Khaled Mashaal -- HAH'-led MAH'-shahl

Aslan Maskhadov -- AS'-lahn mahs-HA'-dahv

Ben Massar -- muh-SAHR'

Rick Mastracchio -- muh-STRAHK'-ee-oh

Mattawamkeag -- mat-ah-WAHM-keg

Keith Matthew Maupin -- MAW'-pin

Jaime Maya Duran -- HY'-may MY'-uh dur-AHN'

Roger Maynulet -- MAN'-yoo-leht

Mazar-e-Sharif -- mu-ZAHR'-eh-sheh-REEF'

Thabo Mbeki -- TAH'-boh um-BEH'-kee

McAfee -- MAK'-uh-fee

James McAvoy -- MAK'-uh-voy

Patrick McGagh -- mik-GAH'

Dina Matos McGreevey -- DEE'-nuh MAY'-tohs mihk-GREE'-vee

Jeanice McMillan -- juh-NEES'

Evan Mecham -- MEE'-kuhm

Medellin -- meh-deh-YEEN'

Javier Suarez Medina -- HAH'-vi-er SWAHR'-es muh-DEE'-nuh

Adis Medunjanin -- ah-DEES' may-DOON'-yah-neen

Dmitry Medvedev -- dih-MEE'-tree med-VYEH'-dyev

Megawati Sukarnoputri -- meh-gah-WAH'-tee soo-kahr-noh-POOT'-rih

Megi -- meh-GEE'

Ahmed Mehalba -- AH'-med meh-HAHL'-bah

Tarek Mehanna -- TEH'-rehk meh-HAH'-nah

Detlev Mehlis -- DET'-lev MEL'-ihs

Anwar Mehmood -- an-WEHR' mah-MOOD'

Johannes Mehserle -- yoh-HAH'-nes MEZ'-ur-lee

Baitullah Mehsud -- BEH'-tuh-luh mah-SOOD'

Zeljko Mejakic -- ZHEHL'-koh meh-YAH'-kich

Camilo Mejia -- kah-MEE'-loh meh-HEE'-ah

Hipolito Mejia -- ee-POH'-lee-toh me-HEE'-yah

Meijer -- MY'-ur

Mei Lan -- may lahn

Armin Meiwes -- AHR'-meen MY'-vays

Fayssal Mekdad -- FY'-suhl MEHK'-dahd

Charles Melancon -- mel-ahn-SOHN'

Mena -- MEE'-nuh

Kristian Menchaca -- men-CHAH'-kah

Larry Mendte -- MEN'-tee

Jean Charles de Menezes -- zheh-AHN' SHAR'-lehs deh meh-NEH'-zehs

Menominee River -- meh-NAH'-mih-nee

Mentawai - mehn-TAH'-wy

Idina Menzel -- ih-DEE'-nah mehn-ZEHL'

Meramec River -- MEHR'-uh-mehk

Mount Merapi -- meh-RAH'-pee

Ismail Merchant -- ISH'-mayl

Anthony Mercieca -- mur-see-AY'-kuh

Paul Merhige -- MAYR'-ihj

Angela Merkel -- AHN'-geh-lah MEHR'-kuhl

Johannes Mehserle -- yoh-HAH'-nes MEZ'-ur-lee

Khaled Meshaal -- MAH'-shahl

Stipe Mesic -- STEE'-pay MEH'-sich

Jean-Marie Messier -- zhan mah-REE' MEH'-see-ay

Methuen -- mih-THOO'-uhn

Kweisi Mfume -- kwah-EE'-see oom-FOO'-may

Joseph Micale -- mi-KAYL'

Michael Michaud -- MEE'-show

Roberto Micheletti -- mee-cheh-LEH'-tee

Harriet Miers -- MY'-urz

Mijailo Mijailovic -- mee-EYE'-loh mee-EYE'-luh-vich

Milan, Michigan -- MY'-lehn

Alexander Milinkevich -- mee-leen-KAY'-veech

Bart Millard -- mil-AHRD'

Slobodan Milosevic -- sloh-BOH'-dahn mee-LOH'-shuh-vich

Richard Milstein -- MIL'-steen

Milan Milutinovic -- mee-LAHN' mee-loo-TIN'-oh-vik

Anthony Minghella -- AN'-tuh-nee min-GEHL'-lah

Minke whale -- MING'-kee

John Mittleider -- MIHT'-ly-dur

Amram Mitzna --AHM'rahm MITS'-nah

Walter Mixa -- MIHK'-sah

Ole Mjoes -- OO'-leh MYEHS

Ratko Mladic -- RAHT'-koh MLAH'-dich

Moab -- MOH'-ab

Shaul Mofaz -- shah-OOL' moh-FAHZ'

Khalfan Khamis Mohamed -- KAHL'-fahn KAH'-mis moh-HAH'-med

Mahathir Mohamed -- muh-HAH'-thihr moh-HAH'-med

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed -- HAH'-leed shayk moh-HAH'-med

Ramzi Mohammed -- RAHM'-zee moh-HAH'-mehd

Monmouth -- MAHN'-muth

Hossein Ali Montazeri -- hoh-SAYN ah-LEE' mon-tah-zeh-REE'

Vladimiro Montesinos -- mon-tay-SEE'-nohs

Monticello, Minnesota -- mahn-tih-SEL'-oh

Evo Morales -- EH'-voh mohr-AHL'-ays

Mossad -- moh-SAHD'

Mosul -- MOH'-sul

Luc Montagnier -- mohn-tahn-YAY

Geoff Morrell -- moh-REHL'

Ennio Morricone -- EHN'-yoh mor-ee-KOHN'-eh

Robert Mosbacher -- MAHS'-bah-kur

Mounir el Motassadeq -- moo-NEER' el moh-tah-SAH'-dek

Manouchehr Mottaki -- mah-noo-CHAYR' moh-tah-KEE'

Mir Hossein Mousavi -- meer hoh-SAYN' moo-SAH'-vee

Amr Moussa -- AH'-mer MOO'-sah

Zacarias Moussaoui -- zak-uh-REE'-uhs moo-SOW'-ee

Imad Moustapha -- ih-mahd moo-STAH'-fuh

MRSA -- MUR'-suh

Marwan Muasher -- mahr-WAHN moo-AH-shur

Hosni Mubarak -- HAHS'-nee moo-BAH'-rahk

Robert Mueller -- MUHL'-ur

Robert Mugabe -- moo-GAH'-bay

Imad Mughniyeh -- ee-MAHD' MOOG'-nee-yuh Larry Mugrage -- MUH'-grij

Mujahedeen -- moo-jah-hih-DEEN'

Mujahedeen Khalq -- moo-jah-hih-DEEN' kahlk

Michael Mukasey -- myoo-KAY'-zee

Mukwonago -- muh-KWAHN'-uh-goh

Alan Mulally -- muh-LAHL'-lee

Mumbai -- MOOM'-by Mohammad Munaf -- moh-HAHM'-ed MUN'-af

Edvard Munch -- AYD'-vart MOONGK

Frankie Muniz -- MYOO'-nihz Cristian Mungiu -- moon-joo

Lachlan Murdoch -- LAHK'-lahn MUR'-dahk

Timothy Muris -- MYOOR'-ihs

Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse -- AHB'-dih-wah-lee AHB'-dih-kah-dir moo-SAY'

Pervez Musharraf -- pur-VEHZ' moo-SHAH'-ruhv

Nacer Mustafa -- NAH'-sur moo-STAH'-fah

Amir Khan Muttaqui -- mew-TAH'-kee

Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil -- wah-KEEL' ah-MED' mut-uh-wah-KIHL'

Levy Mwanawasa -- LEH-vee wah-nah-WAH-sah Myanmar -- mee-an-MAWR'

Abdelghani Mzoudi -- ahb-del-GAH'-nee muh-SOOD'-ee

N

Naalin -- nah-LEEN'

Nabatiyeh -- nah-bah-TEE'-yuh

Nabilone -- NAB'-ih-lohn

Joseph Nacchio -- NAH'-chee-oh

Javid Naghani -- jah-VEED' neh-GAH'-nee

Ray Nagin -- NAY'-gin

Nahariya -- nah-hah-REE'-yuh

David Nahmias -- NAH'-mee-uhs

Ali Naimi -- NAH'-mee

Najaf -- NAH'-jahf

Nalchik -- NAHL'-chik

Namdaemun -- NAHM'-day-moon

Janet Napolitano -- neh-pahl-ih-TAN'-oh

Nappanee -- NA'-puh-nee

Nasiriyah -- nah-sih-REE'-uh

Hassan Nasrallah -- HAS'-ahn NAS'-ruh-lah

Nauru -- NAH'-roo

Emilio Navaira -- nah-VY'-rah

Prince Nayef -- NY'-ehf

Ahmed Nazief -- AHKH'-med ah-ZEEF'

Ido Nehustan -- ee-DOH' neh-HOHS'-tarn

Neosho -- nee-OH'-shoh

Paolo Nespoli -- NES'-poh-lee

Benjamin Netanyahu -- neh-ten-YAH'-hoo

Randy Neugebauer -- NAW'-guh-bow-er

Neve Dekalim -- neh-VEH' deh-kah-LEEM'

Thandie Newton -- TAN'-dee

Ne-Yo -- NEE'-yoh

Tan Nguyen -- WIN

Nias -- nee-AHS'

Pete Nickolenko -- nih-koh-LEHN'-koh

Lisa Niemi -- NEE'-mee

Michael Niemira -- nuh-MY'-rah

Mike Nifong -- NY'-fawng

Niger -- nee-ZHEHR'

Imad Nimer -- NEE'-mer

El Nino -- el NEEN'-yoh

Laurent Nkunda -- luh-RAWN' un-KOON'-duh

Rinaldo Nocentini -- noh-chen-TEE'-nee

Tom Noe -- NOH'-ee

Soichi Noguchi -- soh-EE'-chee noh-GOO'-chee

Philippe Noiret -- nwah-RAY'

Elin Nordegren -- EE'-lihn NOHRD'-grihn

Manuel Noriega -- nor-ee-AY'-guh

Ayman Nour -- EYE'-muhn noor

Krist Novoselic -- noh-voh-SEL'-ik

Novosibirsk -- noh-vuh-sih-BEERSK'

Nowruz -- noh-ROOZ'

Nuestro Himno -- NWAY'-stroh EEM'-noh Robert Nunes -- noonz

Amrozi bin Nurhasyim -- am-ROH'-zee bihn noor-hah-SEEM'

Yusuf Nuristani -- YOO'-sihf noo-ruh-STAH'-nee

Nursultan Nazarbayev -- nur-sul-TAHN' nah-sahr-BAH'-yev

Sari Nusseibeh -- noo-SAY'-buh

Julius Nyerere -- ny-REHR'-ee

O

Oaxaca -- wuh-HAH'-kah

Thoraya Obaid -- thohr-EYE'-uh oh-BAYD'

Olusegun Obasanjo -- oh-LOO'-see-gun oh-BAH'-sahn-joh

Mahdi Shukur Obeidi -- MAH'-dee shuh-KOOR' oh-BAY'-dee

Rupinder Oberoi -- roo-PIN'-dur OH'-bur-roy

Jim Oberweis -- OH'-ber-wys

Abdullah Ocalan -- ab-DOOL'-uh OH'-juh-lahn

Ochlockonee River -- oh-KLAHK'-nee

Ocoee -- oh-KOH'-ee

Ocracoke Island -- OHK'-ruh-kohk

Stephenie Ochsenbine -- OH'-shun-byn

Mohamed Sadeek Odeh -- sah-DEEK' oh-DAY'

Ray Odierno -- oh-dee-EHR'-noh

Peter Odighizuwa -- ah-dig-uh-ZOO'-wuh

Raila Odinga -- RY'-luh oh-DING'-uh

Dan Odom -- OH'-dum

Oglala -- ahg-LAH'-luh

Ogunquit -- oh-GUHNG'-kwit

Ojai -- OH'-hy

Dragoljub Ojdanic -- DRAH'-goh-loob oy-DAHN'-ich

Okcular -- AWK'-choo-lahr

Oktibbeha County -- ahk-TIH'-bee-hah

Hakeem Olajuwon -- ah-KEEM' ah-LAH'-zhoo-wahn

Danny Olivas -- oh-LEE'-vus

Ehud Olmert -- EH'-hood OHL'-murt

Oman -- OH'-mahn

Mullah Mohammed Omar -- MOO'-lah moh-HAHM'-ed oh-MAHR'

Shawqi Omar -- SHAW'-kee OH'-mahr

Esam Omeish -- oh-MEESH'

Onondaga County -- ahn-uhn-DAH'-gah

Yuri Onufrienko -- oh-noo-free-ENH'-koh

Zeituni Onyango -- zay-TUH'-nee awn-YAHN'-goh

Orakzai -- OR'-ehk-zy

Orion Township -- OHR'-ee-uhnPeter Orszag -- OHR'-zag

Valerie Oskin -- OH'-skin

Hussain Osman -- hoo-SAYN' AHZ'-muhn

Thomas Osowik -- AH'-suh-wihk

Ossetia -- oh-SET'-yuh

Susanne Osthoff -- AH'-stahf

Owatonna -- oh-wuh-TAHN'-uh

P

Padang -- PAH'-dahng

Jose Padilla -- hoh-ZAY' puh-DEE'-uh

Juan Pio Paiva -- hwahn PEE'-oh pah-EE'-vuh

Rolandas Paksas -- roh-LAHN'-dahs PAHK'-sahs

Paktia -- pahk-TEE'-ah

Alan Pakula -- pa-KOO'-luh

Ana Palacio -- AH'-nuh puh-LAH'-see-oh

Sarah Palin -- PAY'-lin

Yigal Palmor -- YEE'-gahl pahl-MOHR'

Palomar Mountain -- PAHL'-oh-mahr

Orhan Pamuk -- OR'-hahn PAH'-muk

Hayden Panettiere -- pan-uh-tee-EHR'

Pangandaran -- pang-ahn-dah-RAHNG'

George Papandreou -- pah-pahn-DRAY'-oh

Papua province - PAH'-poo-wuh

Uzair Paracha -- oo-ZAYR' puh-RAH'-chuh

Scott Parazynski -- pehr-uh-ZIN'-skee

Huzaifa Parhat -- hoo-ZY'-fah PAHR'-haht

BNP Paribas -- PEHR'-ih-buhs

Annise Parker -- an-EES'

Passaic -- puh-SAY'-ihk

George Pataki -- puh-TAK'-kee

Sharan Patil -- SHAHR'-en puh-TIL'

Pratibha Patil -- PRUH'-tee-bah puh-TIHL'

Deval Patrick -- deh-VAL'

Paso Robles -- PAS'-uh ROH'-bulz

Nicole Paultre -- PAWL'-tray

Patriarch Pavle -- PAHV'-leh

Laguerre Payen -- lah-GAYR' PAY'-en

Julie Payette -- py-EHT'

Janos Pasztor -- YAH'- nosh PAZ'-tor

Marwyn Peaster -- PEE'-stuhr

Nasim Pedrad -- nah-SEEM' peh-DRAHD'

Harvey Pekar -- PEE'-kahr

Nancy Pelosi -- puh-LOH'-see

Richard Pena -- PEEN'-yah

Suzie Pena -- PAYN'-yah

Pengxi -- puhng-SHEE'

Peramivir -- pur-AM'-uh-veer

Shimon Peres -- shee-MOHN' PEHR'-ehs

Amir Peretz -- ah-MEER' PEHR'-etz

Felipe Perez Roque -- feh-LEE'-pay PEH'-rehz ROH'-kay

Perrigo -- PEHR'-ih-goh

Goeran Persson -- YOH'-rahn PEHR'-suhn

Peshawar -- puh-SHAH'-wuhr

Don Pettit -- PET'-it

David Petraeus -- peh-TRAY'-uhs

Daniel Petrocelli -- pet-roh-CHEL'-ee

Mariana Pfaelzer -- FEHL'-zur

Michael Pfleger -- FLAY'-gur

Philippi -- FIL'-ih-pee

Kyra Phillips -- KEER'-uh

Phosgene -- FAHZ'-jeen

Picaridin -- pih-KAHR'-ih-din

Augusto Pinochet -- pee-noh-CHET'

Pinole -- puh-NOHL'

Heide Piper -- HY'-dee PY'-pur

Jeanine Pirro -- juh-NEEN' PEER'-oh

Christopher Pissarides -- pihs-ah-REE'-dees

John Pistole -- PIH'-stohl

Jaime Placencia -- HY'-mee plah-SIN'-see-yah

Valerie Plame -- playm

Bernard Planche -- plahnsh

Plaquemines Parish -- PLAK'-uh-minz

Biljana Plavsic -- BIHL'-yah-nah PLAHV'-shich

David Plouffe -- pluhf

Raymond Plouhar -- PLOO'-hahr

Stephen Poaches -- poh-SHAY'

Pocosin -- puh-KOH'-sin

James Polehinke -- pohl-HING'-kee

Anna Politkovskaya -- poh-lit-kohv-SKAH'-yuh

Arisman Pongruangrong -- A'-rihz-mahn PAWNG'-groo-ehn-rawn

Richard Poplawski -- pahp-LAW'-skee

Port-au-Prince -- port-oh-PRIHNS'

G. Thomas Porteous -- POR'-tee-us

Port Hueneme -- wy-NEE'-mee

Luis Posada Carriles -- loo-EES' poh-SAH'-dah kah-REE'-lays

Poti -- PAH'-tee

Haleigh Poutre -- HAY'-lee POOT'-ruh

Poway -- POW'-ay

Pozarevac -- POH'-zhuh-ray-vahts

Chip Prather -- PRAY'-thur

Carrie Prejean -- pray-ZHAHN'

Presumpscot -- preh-ZUMP'-skaht

Rene Preval -- reh-NAY' preh-VAHL'

Yevgeny Primakov -- yehv-GEH'-nee PREE'-mah-kawf

Salvatore Princiotta -- SAL'-vuh-tohr prin-see-AH'-tuh

Pristina -- PREE'-shtee-nah

Romano Prodi -- roh-MAH'-noh PROH'-dee

Bill Proenza -- proh-EN'-zah

Jan Pronk -- yahn prahnk

Propofol -- PROH'-puh-fahl

Puerto Vallarta -- PWEHR'-toh vah-YAHR'-tah

Puig quintuplets -- POOSH

Pulte Homes -- PUL'-tee

Vladimir Putin -- POO'-tihn

Pyeongchang -- pyahng-chang

Pyongyang -- pyuhng-yahng

Q

Abdul Qadir -- kah-DEER'

Qaim -- KYM

Ali Shalal Qaissi --ah-LEE' shuh-LAHL' KEYE'-see

Qalqiliya -- kahl-KEEL'-yuh

Qana -- KAH'-nah

Entifadh Qanbar -- EHN'-tee-fahd KAHN'-bar

Yunus Qanooni -- YOO'-nuhs kah-NOO'-nee

Qatar -- GUH'-tur

Qingdao -- king-DOW'

Qom -- KOHM

Hassan Kazemi Qomi -- HAH'-sahn KAH'-zi-mee KOH'-mee

Evi Quaid -- EH'-vee

Quantico -- KWAHN'-tih-koh

Frank Quattrone -- kwah-TROHN'

Quds -- kuhdz Quetta -- KWEH'-tuh Quezon City -- KAY'-zahn

Quinnipiac -- KWIN'-ih-pee-ak

Bruce Quintelir -- kwin-teh-LEER'

Robert Quiroz -- keer-OHS'

Quran -- ku-RAHN'

Ahmed Qureia -- AHK'-mehd kuh-RAY'-uh

Shah Mahmood Qureshi -- MAH'-mood keh-REHSH'-ee

R

Burhanuddin Rabbani -- boor-HAHN'-uh-deen ruh-BAH'-nee

Yasser Abed Rabbo -- YAH'-ser AH'-bed RA'-boh

Yitzhak Rabin -- YIT'-sahk rah-BEEN'

Ivica Racan -- EE'-vih-chah RAH'-chihn

Amy Radin -- RAY'-dihn

John Raese -- RAY'-see

Rafah -- RAH'-fah

Jean-Pierre Raffarin -- zhohn-pee-ehr raw-fuh-REH'

Hashemi Rafsanjani -- hah-SHEH'-mee rahf-sahn-JAHN'-ee

Nick Rahall -- RAY'-hahl

Paulos Faraj Rahho -- POW'-loh fah-RAHJ' rah-HOO'

Abdul Rahman -- ahb-DOOL' RAHK'-mahn

Matiur Rahman -- MAH'-tee-ayr RAH'-mahn

Mount Rainier -- ray-NEER'

Prince Rainier -- ren-YAY'

Raj Rajaratnam -- rah-juh-RUHT'-nuhm

Jabril Rajoub -- jahb-REEL' rah-JOOB'

Ramadan -- RAH'-mah-dahn

Ramadi -- rah-MAH'-dee

Ramallah -- rah-MAHL'-ah

Ramapo -- RAM'-uh-poh

Ramstein Air Base -- RAHM'-shtyn

Bill Rancic -- RAN'-sik

Abdel Aziz Rantisi -- AHB'-duhl ah-ZEEZ' rahn-TEE'-see

Anders Fogh Rasmussen -- AHN'-derz FOHG RAHS'-moo-sihn

Lars Loekke Rasmussen -- lahrs LEHK'-ee RAS'-muh-sen

Ratatouille -- rat-uh-TOO'-ee

Christopher Ratte -- RA'-tuh

Feisal Abdul Rauf -- rah-OOF'

Rawalpindi -- rah-wuhl-PIN'-dee

Nabil Abu Rdeneh -- nuh-BEEL' AH'-boo ruh-DIH'-nay

Bill Readdy -- REE'-dee

Mount Redoubt -- REE' dowt

Maulana Fazal-ur Rehman -- muh-law-nuh fuhz-LOOR' VEH'-mahn

Olli Rehn -- AW'-lee rehn

Bryan Reichel -- RY'-kuhl Hans Reiser -- hahnz REYE'-zur

Garrett Reisman -- REES'-man

Thomas Reiter -- toh-MAHS' RY'-ter

Victor Renuart -- REN'-yoo-ahrt

Angel Maturino Resendiz -- ahn-HEHL' mah-tyoo-REE'-noh reh-SEN'-deez

Ahmed Ressam -- AH'-med res-AHM'

Sylvestre Reyes -- sil-VEHS'-tree RAY'-uhs

Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar -- REH'-zah tah-ur-eh-ZAHR'

Mohsen Rezaei — MUH'-sihn rez'a-EE

Rhein-Main -- ryn-myn

Angela, Richard Ricci -- REE'-see

Frank Ricci -- RIH'-chee

Tom Riccio -- REE'-shee-oh

Paul Rieckhoff -- RY'-kawf

Riegelwood -- REE'-gul-wud

Riga -- REE'-guh

Rimantadine -- rih-MAN'-tah-deen

Rimonabant -- rih-MOH'-nuh-bant

Richard Riordan -- REER'-den

Jim Risch -- rish

Riyadh -- rih-YAHD'

Alain Robert -- al-AN' roh-BEHR'

Jacques Robidoux -- ROH'-bih-doh

James Roche -- rohch

John Roche -- rohsh

Rodanthe -- roh-DAN'-thee

Scott Roeder -- ROH'-dur

Bill Roehl -- rayl

Timothy Roemer -- ROH'-mur

Jacques Rogge -- zhahk ROH'-geh

Roh Moo-hyun -- noh moo-hyuhn

David Rohde -- rohd

Danny Rolling -- RAHL'-ing

Rebecca Romijn -- roh-MAYN'

Josh Romanow -- ROH'-muh-now

Zhu Rongji -- joo wrang jee

Saoirse Ronin -- SUR'-shuh

Anton Rop -- AN'-tawn rohp

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen -- ih-lay-AH'-nah rahs LAY'-tih-nehn

Mark Rosenker -- ROH'-zen-kur

Admiral Gary Roughead -- RUF'-hehd

John Rowland -- ROH'-lund

J.K. Rowling -- ROHL'-ing

Dan Ruefly -- ROO'-fly

Ibrahim Rugova -- IHB'-rah-heem roo-GOH'-vah

Jeffrey Runge -- RUHN'-gee (hard "g'')

Marla Ruzicka -- roo-ZEE'-kah

GOP Debate Focuses on Iraq War, Abortion

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - Alone among 10 Republican presidential contenders, Rudy Giuliani said in campaign debate Thursday night "it would be OK" if the Supreme Court upholds a 1973 landmark abortion rights ruling. "It would be OK to repeal it. It would be OK also if a strict constructionist viewed it as precedent," said the former New York city mayor, who has a record of supporting abortion rights.

In a party that draws strength from anti-abortion voters, Giuliani's nine GOP rivals agreed that it would be a great day if the court overturns the landmark ruling.

"Glorious day of human liberty and freedom," responded Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney acknowledged he had changed his mind on the subject when he began to delve into the issue of cloning. He said his position had once effectively been "pro-choice."

But Giuliani, who said he personally hates abortion, hedged when asked about his position.

"I think the Court has to make that decision and then the country can deal with it," he said. "... The states could then make their own decisions."

Alone among the top three contenders, Arizona Sen. John McCain has a career-long record of opposition to abortion.

The 10 rivals showed their conservative credentials across 90 minutes of debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, each claiming they were the worthy heir to the political legacy of the late 40th president.

They stressed the importance of prevailing in Iraq, called for lower taxes and a muscular defense and supported spending restraint.

"The first pork barrel, earmark bill that crosses my desk I'm going to veto it and I'm going to make the author famous," said McCain.

Romney jumped in at that, saying that as governor he had cast a veto "hundreds of times."

Giuliani, McCain and Romney were the first among 10 equals on the debate stage - the men with the most money and the best approval ratings in the polls more than eight months before the first 2008 national convention delegates are selected.

Other participants included Brownback; former Govs. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin, Jim Gilmore of Virginia, and Reps. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, Duncan Hunter of California and Ron Paul of Texas.

They debated in the shadow of Reagan's Air Force One. The aircraft hung suspended in the library's Air Force One Pavilion. The 40th president's widow, Nancy Reagan, sat in the front row next to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The issue of abortion looms large in the 2008 presidential campaign in a party where a wide swath of political activists support the overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

Both Romney and Giuliani must persuade conservative voters they are ready to embrace that view - or else persuade them to overlook the issue in picking a candidate for the White House.

In a debate that ranged broadly, most of the contenders said they opposed legislation making federal funds available for a wider range of embryonic stem cell research.

The technique necessarily involves the destruction of a human embryo, and is opposed by many anti-abortion conservatives as a result.

There are exceptions, though, including Reagan's widow, Nancy, who was in the debate audience. Also, public opinion polls show overwhelming support for the research, which doctors say holds promise for treatment or even cures of numerous diseases.

Most of the contenders said they opposed expanded federal research.

McCain was the exception, saying unambiguously he supports expanded federal research into embryonic stem cells.

Thompson said he couldn't provide a yes or no answer, and Giuliani's response was open to interpretation.

He said he supports it "as long as we're not creating life in order to destroy it," then added he would back funding for research along the lines of legislation pending in Congress.

The bill he cited does not expand research on embryonic stem cells, however, but deals with adult stem cells.

There was no dissent about the importance of the U.S. military mission in Iraq.

McCain said the war effort is now on the right track, although he said that until recently, the war had been "terribly mismanaged" by the Bush administration. "Terribly mismanaged," he repeated for emphasis.

"We should never retreat in the face of terrorism," said Giuliani, adding, "terrible mistake."

Romney also said the United States must support the government of Nouri al-Maliki in its efforts to combat terrorism.

"I want to get our troops home as soon as we possibly can, but at the same time we don't want to get them out in such a precipitous way that we have to go back," he said, warning that too hasty a departure could lead to chaos in the region.

The Iraq comments contrasted sharply with last week's debate among Democratic presidential hopefuls.

Then, eight presidential hopefuls called for an end to the military involvement that so far has claimed the lives of more than 3,300 U.S. troops.

Speaking of Iran, Giuliani said "they looked in Ronald Reagan's eyes and in two minutes they released the hostages." That was a reference to the U.S. hostages released from captivity on the day of Reagan's inauguration in 1981.

He didn't mention other hostages taken on Reagan's watch - those seized in Lebanon and kept for years.

Romney invoked Reagan in discussing abortion rights. "I changed my mind. I took the same course that Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush" did, he said.

Romney and McCain squared off over terrorist leader Osama bin Laden without directly addressing each other. Last week, the ex-governor said, "it's not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person" and advocated a broader strategy to defeat Islamic jihadists. McCain had called the comment "naive."

Under questioning, Romney defended his comment, saying: "It's more than Osama bin Laden. But he is going to pay and he will die."

McCain shot back, saying bin Laden's responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent Americans. "We will do whatever is necessary. We will track him down. We will catch him. We will bring him to justice and I'll follow him to the gates of hell," he said.

MSNBC and The Politico co-sponsored the debate, moderated by MSNBC's Chris Matthews.

Missing were three Republicans still weighing whether to run - Fred Thompson, the actor and former Tennessee senator; Newt Gingrich, the ex-House speaker from Georgia, and Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. They also weren't slated to participate in two more debates - in South Carolina and New Hampshire - in the next month.

---

On the Net:

http://www.reaganlibrary.com

NEWS

Hispanic activists criticize race panel Tomorrow's White House town meeting intended to smooth racerelations has instead angered Latino activists who say the panel isslighting Hispanics. Felipe Lopez of the Dominican Republic, abasketball player at St. John's University, is the only Hispanic onthe 11-member panel, which also includes President Clinton and nineathletic figures - six blacks and three whites. "Whenever there's adialogue on race, it's always black and white. They should beginconsidering Hispanics as part of the dialogue," Alfonso Maldonado,director of the Houston chapter of the League of United LatinAmerican Citizens, said Sunday. The 90-minute town hall meeting inHouston, part of Clinton's initiative on race, will discuss theimpact of race in sports from the playground to the pro level. Theforum will be televised on ESPN.Yeltsin resubmits arms pactRussian President Boris Yeltsin submitted an amended version of thelong-stalled START II arms control treaty to parliament today, andthis time seemed likely to see it passed. The treaty was signed byYeltsin and President Clinton in 1993. It would halve the strategicnuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia. The U.S. Senateratified it in 1996, but the State Duma, the lower house of Russia'sparliament, so far has refused to approve it. Parliamentary leadersnow say they expect the treaty to pass. The version that Yeltsinsent to parliament today extends the deadline for getting rid of thetwo countries' nuclear arsenals from Jan. 1, 2003 to the end of 2007,under accords signed in New York last fall.U.S. diplomats ask to flee smogThe U.S. Embassy in Brunei has requested permission from Washingtonto temporarily remove its staff from the smog-choked capital, theU.S. ambassador said Monday. U.S. Ambassador Glen Robert Rease saidhe was waiting for State Department approval to fly his staff toAustralia or back to the United States. Wildfires from droughtconditions in Brunei and in neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia haveshrouded the region in a blanket of soot and debris.North Korea dependent on food aidDespite three years of severe food shortages, North Korean childrenlook healthier this year because they have been getting more foreignaid, a UN agency says. The meager North Korean harvest has run out,forcing its people to rely on foreign donations and to scavenge forroots and edible plants, Catherine Bertini, executive director of theWorld Food Program, said Sunday. It could be years before NorthKorea can reform its centrally planned agriculture and feed its 24million people, she said. "Food aid must continue until they have aconsiderably better harvest and agricultural production," Bertinisaid after returning from a four-day visit to North Korea. Bertinisaid that because of foreign aid, conditions are better for children,hospital patients and other "vulnerable groups." Children lookhealthier, she said.Children roll 'em at White HouseThe Marine band played "Easter Parade," children tumbled hard-boiledcolored eggs across the grass, and costumed bunnies waved and dancedas President Clinton blew the opening whistle today at the 1998 WhiteHouse Easter Egg Roll. An estimated 30,000 children and accompanyingadults covered the grounds, rolling eggs, playing games and listeningto storytellers. And for the first time since the first egg rolledin 1879, the event was open to children across the world viacybercast. "This is the only thing every year, no matter what elsehappens, I know I will do right," the president said, pressing anickel-clad whistle to his lips, blowing authoritatively, andstarting eggs whizzing across the green grass.

Olmert: Israel, Syria exchanging messages to clarify expectations

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says Israel and Syria have exchanged messages to clarify what each would expect of any future peace treaty, a newspaper reported Thursday.

The disclosure in an interview with the Yediot Ahronot newspaper was Olmert's strongest indication yet that Israel and Syria have been in contact. The Israeli leader has in recent months repeatedly expressed a willingness to resume peace talks, which broke down in 2000.

"They know what we want from them, and I know full well what they want from us," Olmert told the newspaper. Olmert did not disclose the content of the messages or provide other details about the contacts, the daily said.

"Israel is open to peace with Syria," Olmert told another newspaper, Maariv, in comments published Thursday.

He spoke with both newspapers in traditional interviews to the Hebrew press before the Jewish Passover holiday, which begins Saturday night.

Israeli Cabinet Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said last month that Israel was trying to get Syria to restart the talks.

Negotiations broke off after Syria rejected Israel's offer to return the Golan Heights, which it captured in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed.

Syria wanted Israel to withdraw to the prewar line on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. But Israel wasn't prepared to give up any control of lake that provides about half of the country's drinking water.

Despite the peace overtures, tensions have been high between the two countries in recent months, largely stemming from an Israeli air attack on a Syrian military facility in September. Some foreign reports have said the target was a nuclear installation Syria was building with North Korean assistance.

Damascus denies having an atomic program, and North Korea says it was not involved in any such project. Syria did not retaliate for the attack.

Both Syria and Israel have expressed a willingness to renew talks since Israel's war against the Lebanese-based Hezbollah militia in 2006. Olmert has insisted that if Syria is serious about peace, Damascus must withdraw its support for Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Serb nationalist says he will not get a fair trial at U.N. tribunal

Serb nationalist Vojislav Seselj, whose U.N. war crimes trial was scheduled to start Wednesday, said he will unlikely get a fair trial because prosecutors have not sent him thousands of pages of evidence that could help him clear his name.

Seselj, chairman of the popular nationalist Serbian Radical Party, is one of the most senior political figures in custody at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal. His trial marks one of the court's few remaining chances to hold Serbian leaders responsible for the atrocities unleashed by the break up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.

He is charged with recruiting notorious Serb paramilitaries and fanning ethnic tensions with hate-laced nationalistic speeches.

Seselj is also accused of planning the takeover of towns in Croatia and Bosnia as part of a criminal plot involving other political and military leaders including former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to create a Greater Serbia by expelling non-Serbs.

Milosevic died in custody in March last year before his genocide trial could finish. Other key suspects in the atrocities, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his military chief Gen. Ratko Mladic, both indicted on genocide charges, remain on the run.

Seselj's trial started a year ago, but was almost immediately suspended because he was on a hunger strike to back various demands, including that he be allowed to defend himself _ a request the U.N. court eventually agreed to.

Seselj, 53, has pleaded innocent to the charges, which include murder, persecution, inhumane treatment and wanton destruction of property including religious buildings. He faces a maximum life sentence if convicted.

"I have no other involvement in the crimes except what I said and wrote," he said Tuesday at a final pretrial hearing.

Seselj accused prosecutors of dragging their heels translating into Serbian 207,000 documents that could help him fight the charges and sending them to him on paper _ he refuses to use a computer to study evidence or prepare his defense.

Presiding judge Jean-Claude Antonetti said prosecutors had whittled down the number of pages to under 18,000, but added: "The trial is about to start and you do not have all the exculpatory material. This is true, nobody can deny this."

But Seselj insisted he wants all the documents. "Without that, it is impossible to have a fair trial," he told the three-judge panel.

Antonetti expressed surprise at the volume of the evidence that could help Seselj.

"If there are 207,000 pages of exculpatory evidence, it is hard to see why the indictment remains," he said.

Prosecutor Christine Dahl accused Seselj of deliberately hindering the prosecution with his demands, saying he made demands "when he knows it is untenable."

Prosecutors will make their opening statement Wednesday and Seselj will make a statement Thursday. The first prosecution witnesses, an expert who Dahl said will explain Seselj's "contribution to the collective violence that engulfed the Balkans" when he testifies starting Dec. 11.

Antonetti earmarked 120-125 hours each to prosecutors and Seselj to present their cases. Prosecutors want to call 101 witnesses, but Antonetti urged them to look for ways of cutting that number.

Seselj said he would call few witnesses, but would testify on his own behalf.

Seselj surrendered voluntarily in February 2003 declaring his innocence and vowing to turn the proceedings against him into a circus.

Among his disruptive courtroom antics in pretrial hearings, he has told judges to remove their robes because they reminded him of medieval inquisitors and refused to be represented by a court-appointed lawyer "with a bird's nest on his head," a reference to the British barrister's traditional wig.

Accusation of opportunism was off the mark

Sure, I care about soccer moms. I have the honor and privilege tobe married to one.

Sure, I see a huge political opportunity in working with thesoccer community - the real chance to leave not even one childbehind. That's what a real political solution should be. In my book,that's good politics.

Sure, I am happy to be one of the Kanawha County commissioners,along with H. "Duke" Bloom and Hoppy Shores, to proudly stand withBetty Schoenbaum in creating the first private/public partnership tobuild a soccer stadium in the history of West Virginia - which, Imight add, came as a surprise and astonishment to those in thesoccer communities, who have seen broken promises one after another.

Bloom is to be applauded for his pivotal role in making the dreamof a soccer stadium for our children become reality this comingfall.

Sometimes, doing things for all the right reasons and obtainingall the right results falls short in some quarters.

The success of Kanawha County government in meeting the realimmediate needs of our children in numerous areas of recreation,including soccer, has been a remarkable success story, especially inlight of failed attempts by others.

Bloom and Shores and myself, with little fanfare, held publicmeetings and then began doing rather than talking. Children areplaying on soccer fields built by our county government at littlecost.

Other fields are in final stages of planning. The recentphenomenal result at Coonskin, with approximately two-thirds of thecost from one private donor, brings new vitality, interest andrenewed effort to soccer.

My intent was to stand upon this renewed interest and call allthe attention I can muster to bring additional resources to addressthis dire need and to attempt to set up endowment funds to protectthis investment of the taxpayers far into the future.

The charge of opportunism leveled against me personally by theDaily Mail fails when the facts and my actions are looked at by areasonable person.

I trust my record and any future political opportunity I mighthave to the people I have tried to serve.

W. Kent Carper

Charleston

Carper is president of the Kan-awha County Commission.

In `Killshot,' Elmore Leonard lets the women have their say

It rained the recent day Elmore Leonard came to town, a cold,uncomfortable rain. Still, inside Kroch's & Brentano's Wabash Streetstore right at noon, the line of fans waiting to have him autographcopies of his latest book, Killshot, snaked out past the cordons andaround the counters.

Leonard sat at a long table with two stacks of books off to theside. Even though Killshot officially appeared on the shelves justthat day, it already had landed a spot on the New York Timesbest-seller list. (It's No. 7 now.)

Each fan stepped up in his turn for a morsel of conversation anda personalized inscription from arguably America's hottest crimewriter. Leonard was looking serious indeed in a dark blue suit, hisgray-blond hair and beard just long enough to signal that this wasnot a corporate man, not someone who depends upon the approval ofothers. But aside from that, an ordinary man, devoid ofaffectation. It would have been easy enough to mistake him for oneof Kroch's employees, rather than the celebrity guest.

These were the devoted braving the chilling rain, mostly men intheir 30s and 40s, in suits and trench coats, carrying soggyumbrellas. One man, in jeans, had brought a stack of a dozen or sohardcover Leonard books dating back more than a decade, and waswaiting for a lull to have the author sign them, as long as he wassitting right here with a pen in his hand.

Maybe you need to have lived a little to be drawn to Leonard'sbooks. Maybe you need to have learned that evil is as unremarkableas mud, that it gets tracked into everybody's house sooner or later,and that the real heroes are ordinary people who, forced bycircumstance into dramatic situations, do what they must to protecttheir own.

For readers who have come far enough to know that, Killshot willbe a satisfying bit of catharsis to curl up with. The book is beingreceived by the critics as prime Leonard, a rousing good yarn saltedwith small, jolting surprises, often funny, and well-written in theauthor's celebrated argot.

That is all true, but Killshot represents some realexperimentation as well. Leonard always has excelled at giving voiceto the uneducated, to lowlifes, to those who speak in shreddedsentences and the bones of innuendo; his villains are as ordinaryand yet compelling as his heroes.

But here he also takes on a favorite theme of "women's fiction,"the often parallel exchanges of men and women as they connect andmiss connections in what women like to call "relationships." And itturns out he's very good at conveying these sessions; he hears whatwomen say, and - much rarer - he also hears what they hear.

In Killshot, Leonard has created three terrific women. In aninterview the afternoon of the book-signing, he said, "Yeah, I'mgetting my women into real situations now. They're not just hangingaround wringing their hands. That's true in life, so why not?"

The protagonists of Killshot are really a happily marriedcouple, Wayne and Carmen Colson. Wayne is vintage Leonard, a smart,self-contained ironworker in the prime of life who tangles almost inspite of himself with Armand and Richie, two seasoned killers, whothen set out to murder the Colsons to silence them.

Wayne is the apparent hero, but Carmen, too, is in danger. She,too, is smart and capable, a woman who does pretty well in judgingpeople by what she learned in a handwriting analysis class at theYMCA when she was in high school.

For his part, Wayne lays out their defense strategy and thenblithely trots off on this errand and that adventure, assuming thatbecause, as he said, "My wife's a winner; that's why I married her,"Carmen will handle whatever comes up. As the plot unfolds, anymember of a long-term couple - perhaps women in particular - willrecognize the tension that builds up between the two.

"I was doing so much of Wayne from Carmen's point of view in thebeginning; I just continued," Leonard said. "A couple of criticshave called him a lout, and oh, God, how could she put up with thisguy. I think he is like 80 percent of the men in the world."

Carmen refuses to analyze her mother's handwriting when she asksher because she hasn't seen anything good in there, and can tell fromthe wide-spaced T-stem that her mother will be hurt if she divulgeswhat she sees.

But Lenore, Carmen's mother, stays with us throughout the book,serving as an obsessive sort of Greek chorus heard mostly over thephone at inopportune times. She is the one character in the bookLeonard said is based on a real person, his mother-in-law. "Onlyshe's much worse than Lenore," he said.

The third woman is Donna, an Elvis Presley devotee and formercorrections officer who has lost her job for consorting too closelywith the prisoners. She is Richie's sometime girlfriend, for whomArmand comes to feel real affection. At one point Donna wants todiscuss with Armand who, if Elvis were Jesus, his 12 apostles mightbe. Donna is a peach of a character, loony and appealing; Leonardthought so, too.

"I couldn't wait for her to get back on," he said. "Those sceneswere a lot of fun to do. The fact that she was an Elvis Presleyfreak got to Armand, softened him up."

Leonard's people develop out of stock characters, "and I tend toforget the time it takes to bring them to life, beginning with thename. They have to have the right name or they won't talk. It'samazing - I have to change names. Once I know them, and as long as Ican keep them in character, then I know the story will develop."

Leonard's novels have a wonderfully understated moral tone thatmakes them, for all the ordinariness of the antagonists, a clear andsatisfying contest between good and evil. The author said he thinksthat sense of morality is there because, in his Catholic education,he spent seven years with the Jesuits, who gave him a strong andclosely reasoned sense of right and wrong. His male characters, hepointed out, "all went to Catholic schools, and they have that at theback of their heads at least."

But Leonard is by no means removed from the everydaydegradations that are such an important part of the culture he writesabout. If he were, the police in Killshot wouldn't be so dense andliteral-minded, so indifferent and even criminal. There's also arude cretin of a gas station attendant who, even after having crossedArmand and Richie, manages to escape unscathed.

Leonard said he puts in a rigorous writing schedule - fiveeight-hour days per week - and he has the output to back him up. Buthe also has a suspicious familiarity with daytime television, whichcrops up in his books, often as a device for fleshing out hischaracters without a lot of conversation: While Carmen was thestraight-A student in school, it's Wayne who knows the "Jeopardy"answer, the one that both Carmen and the smartest woman she has everseen on the program miss.

Leonard said his books don't sell well in Europe - apparentlybecause the intricate conversations that carry the action collapse intranslation.

He doesn't like most of the film versions of his books - andquite a few have made the transition. But he does often write thescreenplays. He just finished one for Cat Chaser, due to be releasedthis summer. "I'm waiting for something to happen," he said.

But those setbacks aside, his work is earning him millions thesedays. Given that Leonard's style relies on the language and concernsof American subcultures that rarely find their way into the diningroom at the Ritz-Carlton, does wealth and fame present a threat tohis ability to function?

"If I had hit the best seller list with my second or third book,back in the '50s or even the '60s, I might have had some problem,"Leonard said. "But this is my 27th book, and I know what I do, andall I have to do is do it. I know what frame of mind I have to havewhen I sit down in the morning. I have to think of it as veryunimportant: It's only a book.

"My main characters, my male leads, really don't have highaspirations. They are content, that is, happy with themselves, and Ifind this in my own work. If I don't try so hard, it works better.Yogi Berra said you can't think and hit at the same time."

The recognition is satisfying, he said, but "the satisfaction isin the work, thank God. It's in having written a scene that works."

And as to his fans in the bookstore, it turned out that Leonardhad been taking them in, all right. "There were more black peoplethan I have ever signed for before," he said. "There were quite anumber of women, a couple of older women, one named Nellie - she musthave been 80, anyway. There has been more response, more real warmthfrom people on this trip than I have found before."

Then Leonard's face lit up as he thought suddenly of a cherishedsubject.

"I do know who my audience is in the federal correctionalinstitution in Danbury, Conn., where a heroin dealer who writes mefrom time to time reports that I'm catching on with American blacksand some of the more educated whites. He said I haven't caught onwith the cocaine dealers - they are younger, louder and lesseducated. But the heroin dealers - they go for it."

Jenkins to join Welsh exodus to France next season

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — British and Irish Lions prop Gethin Jenkins has become the latest Wales international to join the money-spinning French league after announcing he will move to a Top 14 club for next season.

Jenkins, one of the world's leading props, is reported in the British media to have agreed a deal with big-spending Toulon, whose squad already includes former England flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson and Australian utility back Matt Giteau.

Jenkins currently plays for Cardiff Blues but will join Wales teammates Mike Phillips, James Hook and Lee Byrne in France, where the salary cap for clubs is much higher.

The 31-year-old Jenkins says "it will be time for me to have a fresh start and a new challenge."

Cabrera, Hosmer homer in 14th to lift Royals

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Melky Cabrera and rookie Eric Hosmer hit consecutive one-out homers in a five-run 14th inning and the Kansas City Royals snapped a five-game losing streak with a 12-7 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.

Cabrera hit a drive over the center field fence off Dave Bush (0-1) to snap a 7-all tie, and Hosmer gave the Royals a two-run lead. Brayan Pena added a three-run homer off Bush. The Royals won for the third time in 13 games.

Blake Wood (2-0), the sixth Royals pitcher, threw a perfect 13th for the win.

Hosmer, called up from Triple-A Omaha on May 6, had four hits and four RBIs for the first time in his career.

With the score even at 7, the Rangers loaded the bases against Tim Collins with two outs in the ninth, but Nelson Cruz struck out looking to send the game to extra innings.

Texas closer Neftali Feliz came on to protect a 7-6 lead in the top of the ninth, but Alex Gordon's one-out solo homer 423 feet into the upper deck in right field tied it. Feliz had his third blown save in 13 chances.

Ian Kinsler and David Murphy homered in a five-run first for the Rangers.

Royals rookie Nate Adcock was knocked around for seven runs and eight hits in 2 2-3 innings in his second big-league start.

Texas starter Colby Lewis also struggled early as Kansas City scored three times in the first. Gordon, Cabrera and Hosmer opened the game with doubles, and Wilson Betemit contributed a run-scoring single.

Lewis had allowed three runs in his previous three starts over a span of 23 innings.

Kinsler got the bottom of the first underway with his third leadoff homer of the season and 16th of his career, extending his club record.

Later in the inning, Michael Young added a run-scoring double, Cruz had an RBI groundout, and Murphy's two-run blast gave the Rangers a 5-3 advantage.

In the second, Hosmer's two-run single and Billy Butler's RBI single gave Kansas City a 6-5 edge. Two of the three runs were unearned because of catcher Yorvit Torrealba's throwing error on Alcides Escobar's sacrifice bunt.

Texas answered with a two-run second aided by Jeff Francoeur's overthrow from right field on Elvis Andrus' single. The ball sailed into the photo well to the left of the Royals dugout for an error, allowing Kinsler to score from first and Andrus to take third. Andrus crossed the plate on Josh Hamilton's groundout to put Texas back in front, 7-6.

From there, Lewis settled down, retiring the last 10 batters he faced and 13 of his last 14.

Lewis, who's lasted at least six innings in each of his last six starts, gave up six runs — four earned — and seven hits in six innings.

NOTES: Kinsler snapped a streak of 30 games without a homer. ... RHP Felipe Paulino, acquired by the Royals on Thursday in a trade with Colorado, joined the team late Friday afternoon and was in the game by the third inning. Paulino allowed one hit in 4 1-3 shutout innings. ... Rangers RHP Brandon Webb had his final bullpen session before he begins a minor league rehab assignment. He's scheduled to start for Double-A Frisco on Monday night. Webb, the 2006 NL Cy Young winner for the Arizona Diamondbacks who's currently on the 60-day disabled list, is trying to come back from right rotator cuff surgery in August of 2009. ... Hamilton was DH for the third straight game but is expected to be in LF on Saturday night. Hamilton missed 36 games due to a broken bone in his right shoulder, and wants to reclaim his spot in the outfield. ... The Rangers went over 1 million in home attendance, their second fastest to that total at Rangers Ballpark behind their first season there in 1994.

Tibet's Potala Palace receives protection boost

China has tightened restrictions on advertising and construction outside Tibet's famed Potala Palace, following calls from the United Nations to better preserve the UNESCO World Heritage Site's natural setting.

The new rules, posted Thursday on the Web site of the official Tibet Daily newspaper, appear amid a ban on foreign tourists in Tibet and tensions over possible anti-government protests to mark the anniversary of last year's massive demonstrations against Chinese rule.

Foreign visitors have also been barred from another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the remote Jiuzhaigou valley, in the volatile Aba prefecture, where dissent continues to simmer.

New regulations for the palace lay out a protected area on all four sides of the massive 350-year-old hillside palace in the regional capital of Lhasa that was the former winter home of Tibet's supreme Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama.

The rules, which took effect this month, mandate fines of up to 1,000 yuan ($145) and possible legal proceedings for serious violations.

While the rules did not explicitly cite UNESCO, they appeared to take on board concerns over development at the Potala Palace and five other Chinese sites listed at the organization's 2007 conference. Sites can be removed from the prestigious World Heritage List if corrective measures are not taken.

Tibet's tourism industry has suffered massive losses since deadly rioting in Lhasa March 14, 2008 sparked the biggest anti-government demonstrations in western China in decades. The protests appeared to give vent to long-simmering anger over heavy-handed communist policies over culture and religion.

Beijing has sought in recent years to exploit the tourist potential of Tibet's traditional Buddhist culture, while exercising strict controls over religious observance and ceaselessly vilifying the Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule but remains broadly popular among ordinary Tibetans.

Developer's offer [Edition 3]

LLANMILOE A property developer has offered up to Pounds 500,000in community benefits in the Pendine area if a housing estate isbuilt. Matthew Roberts, who currently owns nearby East House, isplanning to offer the money for community projects as part of plansto buy the Llanmiloe House mansion.

Page 3

Police officers suspected of robbing Paris store

The two masked men filmed by a surveillance camera stealing from a Paris shop may not be ordinary thieves but off-duty police officers, officials said Tuesday.

An official at the French Interior Ministry said that two Paris police officers have been suspended and preliminary charges filed against them over the theft from a telephone equipment store Friday. The official was not authorized to be named because the investigation is ongoing.

A surveillance camera filmed two men, with a police armband and a handgun, rummaging in the cash register, apparently stealing money and phone cards. The video was run on the Web site of French radio station Europe 1.

The store owner, with help from bystanders, chased the two down and caught them after they left the store.

The internal watchdog agency for the French police was asked to investigate, and the two officers were detained Saturday, a judicial official said.

The two were questioned and later released under judicial supervision, the official said. They were barred from carrying arms or contacting each other while the investigation is under way.

Preliminary charges under French law mean an investigating judge has strong reason to suspect involvement in a crime and gives the magistrate more time to continue the probe.

Bobsled World Cup Results

Results Friday from a bobsled World Cup:

Women

1, Sandra Kiriasis and Romy Logsch, Germany, 1 minute, 38.60 seconds.

2, Cathleen Martini and Janine Tischer, Germany, 1:38.88.

3, Shauna Rohbock and Valerie Fleming, United States, 1:39.48.

4, Helen Upperton and Heather Moyse, Canada, 1:39.60.

5, Erin Pac and Elena Meyers, United States, 1:39.72.

6, Kaillie Humphries and Shelly-Ann Brown, Canada, 1:39.80.

7, Claudia Schramm and Nicole Herschmann, Germany, 1:40.03.

8, Lisa Szabon and Jenni Hucul, Canada, 1:40.20.

9, Jessica Gillarduzzi and Fabiana Mollica, Italy, 1:40.49.

10, Sabina Hafner and Hanne Schenk, Switzerland, 1:40.54.

___

Men

1, Steven Holcomb and Curtis Tomasevicz, United States, 1:37.01.

2, Thomas Florschuetz and Mirko Paetzold, Germany, 1:37.17.

3, Wolfgang Stampfer and Johannes Wipplinger, Austria, 1:37.28.

4, Andre Lange and Kevin Kuske, Germany, 1:37.31.

5, Pierre Lueders and Lascelles Brown, Canada, 1:37.41.

6, Simone Bertazzo and Samuele Romanini, Italy, 1:37.46.

7, Alexandr Zubkov and Alexei Andrynin, Russia, 1:37.48.

8, Karl Angerer and Marc Kuehne, Germany, 1:37.70.

9, Ivo Rueegg and Cedric Grand, Switzerland, 1:37.74.

10, Lyndon Rush and Dan Humphries, Canada, 1:37.77.

Canada freezes Gadhafi regime's assets

TORONTO (AP) — Canada has frozen more than two billion worth of assets belonging to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's regime.

Dimitri Soudas, a spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said 2.3 billion Canadian dollars ($2.4 billion) worth of assets were frozen. Soudas did not provide further details.

Canada is also sending a warship to the Libyan coast, adding to the international military buildup in the region.

The frigate, HMCS Charlottetown, is expected to conduct as-yet-undefined humanitarian relief operations in conjunction with an American carrier battle group led by the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise.

Defense Minister Peter MacKay says the ship will increase Canada's ability to evacuate Canadians and to prepare for any need, including the enforcement of sanctions.

Georgia pulls out close win: Capital One Bowl decided in OT; Georgia 34 Purdue 27

ORLANDO, Fla. - Kregg Lumpkin stood along the sideline, headdrooping. The freshman was disconsolate about the stunning fumblethat cost Georgia a chance to wrap up the Capital One Bowl.

He wanted another chance.

He got it in overtime.

Lumpkin redeemed himself by scoring on a 1-yard, fourth-down divein the first overtime, giving No. 11 Georgia a 34-27 victory over No.12 Purdue on Thursday.

"I was just happy they were going to give me another chance,"Lumpkin said. "I was thinking, 'Don't fumble, just score.'"

The Bulldogs (11-3) built a 24-0 lead in the first half. TheBoilermakers tied it with a 17-point fourth quarter. Georgia finallywon it when Lumpkin slipped into the end zone, then Tony Taylor madea game-ending interception.

Whew!

"We've never been in overtime, so we tried to force it intoovertime," said Georgia Coach Mark Richt, able to joke about thehectic finish. "And our scoring average was down, so we were able toget a few more points."

Richt wasn't in such a good mood at the end of regulation. TheBoilermakers (9-4) tied it up thanks to a remarkable turn of eventswith just over a minute remaining.

Purdue was out of timeouts when Richt called a run on second downinstead of ordering quarterback David Greene to take a knee. Thecoach was trying to avoid a punt with a few seconds left, but hequickly regretted his decision.

Lumpkin got hemmed up deep in the backfield and tried to run theother way, but Shaun Phillips stripped the ball. After a wildscramble, Niko Koutouvides recovered for Purdue at the Georgia 34.

"What we talked about was getting down without going out ofbounds," Lumpkin said. "I should have just fallen down when I sawthat guy. I wish I had."

Ben Jones kicked a 44-yard field goal with 49 seconds remaining tokeep the game going, tied at 27.

It was reminiscent of the "Miracle of the Meadowlands," a 1978 NFLgame in which the New York Giants fumbled trying to run out theclock. Philadelphia scooped up the loose ball and ran it in for thewinning touchdown.

This time, Georgia had a chance to make up for its mistake inovertime. As the teams prepared for the extra period, Richt noticedLumpkin standing along the sideline, his head down.

"I looked at him and said, 'Hey, you can't be down now. We mightneed you to win this football game.'"

How prophetic. Taking the ball first, the Bulldogs got to the 3with the help of a pass interference penalty on Bobby Iwuchukwu, thenwent for it on fourth down from inside the 1. Lumpkin managed toslide through a crease for the touchdown.

Purdue had a chance to keep the game going. Georgia appeared toget the clinching stop when Kyle Orton threw an incomplete pass onfourth-and-goal from the 8, but the Bulldogs were offsides.

Orton's final pass was intercepted by Taylor in the end zone,setting off a wild celebration by the Georgia players after a gamethat lasted nearly four hours.

"We don't have moral victories at Purdue," Coach Joe Tiller said."It was a loss for us, a tough loss."

Tiller wasn't happy about the penalty in overtime.

"The ball was probably 10, 12 yards over the receiver's head," hesaid. "Last time I checked, Shaquille O'Neal isn't playing receiverfor Georgia."

The game was similar to the only other meeting between theschools, the 2000 Outback Bowl.

In that one, Purdue built a 25-0 lead early in the second quarter,but was stunned by one of the greatest comebacks in bowl history.Georgia rallied for a 28-25 victory in overtime.

Greene passed for three touchdowns in the first half and theBulldogs seemed on the verge of their own blowout. He finished 27-of-37 for 327 yards and was the game's MVP.

But Greene's performance was overshadowed by Purdue's thrillingcomeback, led by Orton. The quarterback ran for two TDs and threw a 3-yard scoring pass to Anthony Chambers with 1:41 remaining, pullingthe Boilermakers to 27-24.

When the onside kick went out of bounds, the game was over, right?Not so fast.

Jones, who had missed an overtime kick in a loss to Ohio State,got a chance when Lumpkin fumbled. The kicker came through with hissecond field goal.

Fatah Militants Renounce Israel Violence

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Scores of Fatah militants in the West Bank have signed a pledge renouncing attacks against Israel in return for an Israeli promise to stop pursuing them, a Palestinian security official said Sunday.

The deal would grant amnesty to 178 Fatah gunmen who will join the official Palestinian security forces, and Israel will remove them from its lists of wanted militants, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to divulge details of the agreement.

An official in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office confirmed the deal would extend to wanted militants who openly renounce terrorism, and was part of a series of measures to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The moderate president set up a Fatah-led government in the West Bank after his rivals from the Islamic group Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in mid-June. Israel and the international community back Abbas in his struggle against Hamas.

Olmert will meet Abbas on Monday, Olmert's office said, in the first meeting between the two leaders since a June 25 summit that followed the Hamas victory in Gaza. At the meeting, Olmert is expected to present a list of 250 Fatah prisoners Israel will release.

And in another gesture of support, Israel agreed to Abbas' request to allow Nayef Hawatmeh, an exiled Palestinian militant leader, to enter the West Bank this week for a meeting of a top Palestine Liberation Organization policy-making body, a step that Abbas hopes will provide him added legitimacy among Palestinians.

Hawatmeh heads the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a small and nearly forgotten PLO faction best known for commandeering a school in the northern Israeli town of Maalot in 1974. The attack left 24 Israelis dead, most of them children, and helped shaped the attitudes of a generation of Israelis about the Palestinian leadership.

The amnesty document began circulating Saturday among members of Fatah-allied militia groups dedicated to fighting Israel.

The Palestinian official said an "overwhelming majority" of the militants have already signed. The Palestinians asked that another 200 militants be included in the amnesty, he said.

An Arabic text of the document obtained by The Associated Press reads in part: "The Israeli security and judicial authorities will refrain from arresting or pursuing me after I sign this document. I must be committed to the decisions of the Palestinian Authority and its security apparatus ... and refrain from carrying out any military or security activities against the Israelis."

Kamel Ghanam, a Fatah militia leader in Ramallah, said all 40 of the militia's men in the city have signed the pledge.

"We feel that we have a new political atmosphere. We are optimistic," Ghanam said.

In Bethlehem, Amjad Khalawi, a 35-year-old Fatah gunman, signed the document and came out of hiding after six years. Khalawi said he planned to get his hair cut for the first time since going underground to evade the Israelis, and would become a member of the Palestinian Preventive Security organization.

"I am happy for this end," he said.

In other moves aimed at helping Abbas, Israel has begun transferring Palestinian tax revenues that were frozen after Hamas won a Palestinian election in 2006, drawing an international boycott. The money has allowed Abbas' government to resume paying salaries to civil servants.