Afghan violence falls in 2012, insider attacks up

Internally displaced Afghans wait in line to receive firewood donated by Welt Hunger Hilfe 'German Agro Action' in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Around 240 internally displaced families received firewood. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Internally displaced Afghans wait in line to receive firewood donated by Welt Hunger Hilfe 'German Agro Action' in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Around 240 internally displaced families received firewood. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Afghan women wait for transportation after receiving flour donated by the women's affairs department, in the Gozara district, Herat province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. The women's affairs department of Herat province donated a sack of flour to around 250 families in the Gozara district. (AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi)

Graphic shows monthly U.S. troop deaths in Afghanistan since October

Internally displaced Afghans from Helmand province, carry sacks of blankets to be donated by the United Nation's refugee agency (UNHCR) at a refugee camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Around 600 internally displaced families received winter relief assistance distributed by the United Nation's refugee agency. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Internally displaced Afghan children from Helmand province, wait for winter relief assistance from the United Nation's refugee agency (UNHCR) at a refugee camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Around 600 internally displaced families received winter relief assistance distributed by the United Nation's refugee agency. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Violence in Afghanistan fell in 2012, but more Afghan troops and police who now shoulder most of the combat were killed, according to statistics compiled by The Associated Press.

At the same time, insider killings by uniformed Afghans against their foreign allies rose dramatically, eroding confidence between the sides at a crucial turning point in the war and when NATO troops and Afghan counterparts are in more intimate contact.

"The overall situation is improving," said a NATO spokesman, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lester T. Carroll. He singled out Afghan special forces as "surgically removing insurgent leaders from the battle space."

Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, said Afghan forces were now charged with 80 percent of security missions and were less equipped to face the most lethal weapon of the militants ? roadside bombs.

"Our forces are out there in the battlefields and combat areas more than at any other time in the past," he said, citing reasons for the spike in casualties.

U.S. troop deaths, overall NATO fatalities and Afghan civilian deaths all dropped as insurgent attacks fell off in their traditional strongholds in the south and east. However, insurgent activity rose in the north and west, where the Taliban and other groups have been less active in the past, and overall levels of violence were higher than before a U.S. troop surge more than two years ago.

U.S. troop deaths declined overall from 404 last year to 295 as of Saturday. The Defense Department says 1,701 U.S. troops have been killed in action in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion in 2001 until Dec. 26. Of those, 338 died from non-hostile causes. Some 18,154 were wounded.

A total of 394 foreign troops, including the Americans, were killed in 2012, down from 543 in 2011. The British, with the second-largest military presence, had 43 killed ? the second-highest toll among countries with forces in Afghanistan, by AP's count. The figure includes a Georgian soldier who went missing on Dec. 18 and whose body was turned over to NATO on Saturday.

The AP keeps daily tallies of casualties and violent incidents across Afghanistan based on reports from NATO and Afghan officials. Most cannot be independently verified, and other incidents may never come to light. The statistics sometimes vary from official counts because of time lags, different criteria and other reasons.

Deaths from so-called insider attacks ? Afghan police and troops killing foreign allies ? surged to 61 in 45 attacks last year compared with 2011, when 35 coalition troops were killed in 21 attacks.

The number, provided by the NATO command, does not include the Dec. 24 killing of an American civilian adviser by a female member of the Afghan police because the investigation is ongoing.

The focus of NATO's mission has largely veered from the battlefield to training the Afghans ahead of a pullout of most troops by 2014. The U.S plans to maintain a residual force, the size of which is now being determined.

A NATO report that tracks violence in the country showed a rise this year compared with the period before the surge of U.S. troops into the country. But the levels were down from last year and a peak in the summer of 2010. Kabul and the country's second-largest city, Kandahar, saw a considerable drop in lethal attacks, but districts in Kandahar province remain among the most restive in Afghanistan.

Militant attacks, the report said, decreased countrywide by 7 percent through November compared with the same 11-month period last year. But they were up in the northern and western parts of the country, which previously had been among the most peaceful regions.

Although NATO officials frequently credit Afghan troops with successful unilateral operations, a recent U.S. congressional report noted that higher-level Afghan units still need vital air, logistics and other support from foreign forces.

More Afghan police and soldiers are dying in the conflict, according to numbers provided by the interior and defense ministries.

More than 1,050 Afghan troops died this year, substantially higher than last year, although the ministry could not provide the exact 2011 death toll.

Nearly 1,400 police died in the 10 months from March 21 to the end of the year, compared with about the same number for the 12 months beginning March 21, 2011. The Afghan government follows a calendar year starting March 21.

NATO says Afghan security forces have grown from 132,000 in March 2011 to 333,000 this month.

The AP tally showed that at least 822 Afghan civilians had been killed by the Taliban and other militants this year while another 119 died in NATO airstrikes and other operations. That was a decrease from last year, when 1,151 were killed by insurgents and 283 by NATO. Substantially smaller numbers perish when caught in crossfires.

The United Nations reported different casualty figures but also noted that civilian deaths had decreased, reversing a five-year trend of mounting civilian deaths. Its latest report says that during the first six months of the year, 1,145 civilians died in conflict-related violence, compared with 1,510 in the same period of 2011. The U.N. considers insurgent land mines and roadside bombs to be particularly deadly for civilians.

Close to 3,000 militants were reported to have been killed by coalition and Afghan forces this year, compared with more than 3,500 last year. The NATO command does not issue reports on the number of insurgents its troops have killed, and Afghan military figures, from which the AP compiles its data, cannot be independently verified.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-30-AS-Afghanistan-Year-of-Violence/id-14d6caab9e394635b54587e0ed40aca8

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GMA Live! reports from Newtown, Conn.

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President Obama calls for U.S. to do more to protect its children (Washington Bureau)

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Rible Special Education Bill Clears Committee - Manasquan-Belmar ...

A state Assembly bill aimed at streamlining special education programs in the state?s public schools on Thursday passed its first major hurdle when it cleared the Education Committee.

The bill, A1365, this week passed the committee by a unanimous vote and will be headed for a full vote of the Assembly. The bill is sponsored by Assemblyman Dave Rible and would create a task force charged with improving the funding, deliver and effectiveness of special education programs and services in New Jersey?s public schools.

The bill would create the Task Force on Improving Special Education for Public School Students, comprised of 14 Gubernatorial appointments and the state Education Commissioner. The 14 would include parents, teachers, administrators and advocates involved in the special education community, according to the bill.

The panel would be charged with studying issues such as the methods of classifying special needs students strategies to reduce costs of out-of-district placements and program standards to ensure programs meets students? needs and focus on achievement.

It would have 180 days after it organizes study to present findings and recommendations based on its study, according to the bill.

?Many families with special needs children have been frustrated with their experiences in the public school system. Although there are some exceptional special education programs in New Jersey, we can do better,? Rible, R-Monmouth and Ocean, said in a release. ?This task force will leave no stone unturned in its quest to find ways to make special education more efficient and effective with a greater emphasis on student achievement.?

The bipartisan legislation is also prime-sponsored by Assembly members Mary Pat Angelini, Jason O?Donnell and Donna Simon, and Senators Jennifer Beck and Teresa M. Ruiz.

?I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support of this critical issue affecting education in just about every community in New Jersey,? Rible said.

Source: http://manasquan.patch.com/articles/rible-special-education-bill-clears-committee

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Protesters to march on Michigan capitol over 'right-to-work' vote

LANSING, Michigan (Reuters) - As many as 10,000 labor union workers from throughout Michigan and the U.S. Midwest are expected to march on the Michigan Capitol building in freezing temperatures on Tuesday to protest likely passage of a "right-to-work" law.

The Republican-controlled Michigan House of Representatives will consider two and perhaps three bills on Tuesday that would prohibit unions from compelling private sector workers and government employees to pay union dues.

The right-to-work movement has been growing in the country since Wisconsin fought a similar battle with unions over two years ago.

Michigan would become the 24th state to enact right-to-work provisions and passage of the legislation would deal a stunning blow to the power of organized labor in the United States.

Michigan is home of the heavily unionized U.S. auto industry, with some 700 manufacturing plants in the state. It is also the birthplace of the United Auto Workers, the richest U.S. labor union.

While the new laws are not expected to have much immediate impact because existing union contracts would be preserved, they could, over time, further weaken the UAW, which has already seen its influence wane in negotiating with the major automakers.

Right-to-work laws typically allow workers to hold a job without being forced to join a union or pay union dues.

Last Thursday, when the senate passed two bills and the House also considered right-to-work legislation, protesters converged on Lansing. Several people were arrested and officials sealed the Capitol from the public.

"We support people exercising their constitutional rights to protest," said Inspector Gene Adamczyk of the Michigan State Police. "But we need them to do it in an orderly manner."

President Barack Obama waded into the debate during a visit to the Daimler Detroit Diesel plant in Redford, Michigan on Monday, criticizing the Republican right-to-work effort.

"What they're really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money," Obama said.

School teachers are among those expected to march on the Capitol on Tuesday. Several school districts will not hold classes on Tuesday due to teacher and staff absences, Detroit newspapers and television stations reported.

Labor leaders such as UAW President Bob King say they were blindsided by Republican Governor Rick Snyder, who last Thursday announced he was supporting right-to-work after nearly two years of saying the issue was too divisive.

King was unsuccessful in more than a week of talks with Snyder and his staff in staving off the right-to-work push by the Republicans, who will lose several seats when newly elected members take their seats in the state house and senate in January.

Michigan has the fifth highest percentage of unionized workers in the United States at 17.5 percent and the Detroit area is headquarters for General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Chrysler, which is majority owned by Fiat SpA.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Greg McCune and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/protesters-march-michigan-capitol-over-vote-054656984.html

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Daily Use Self Training Workout Advice For A ... - Fitness Spotlight

December 10, 2012 ‐ Posted by Fitness Tips ‐ Under: Fitness Tips

If you are lacking fitness, then you are not clear as to which health and fitness approach to take. What gets people stuck in a rut is no substantial desire or information on how to get in shape. Although a lot of people are convinced that exercising is difficult, it doesn?t have to be. It can be a lot of fun. Use these tips in order to add fun into your exercise routine.

An easy way to get your body moving is to crank up some great music. No one can resist dancing to an infectious beat or and addictive song blasting on the radio. You would be missing out if you don?t build music into you exercise program! Turn on your favorite songs, and start moving! Music can lift your spirits and give you the extra push you need to follow through with your fitness goals.

TIP! Motivation will almost always beat mere talent. -Norman R. Augustine

When you decide to start working out, encourage a couple of friends to join you. Pleasant conversation can make a long work out session fly by. This will take the focus off the workout and make the experience more enjoyable. You can also use this time to socialize. Working out can be really fun if you are with friends.

Get an workout video game to play. Fitness games are an easy way for you to add variety to your workout regimen. When you are engrossed in your video game, you will not be thinking about the workout that you are getting. By doing this, you will be able to increase the length of your workout because tiredness is not a factor.

Some people are anxious about being seen while working out. Having sexy, new exercise clothes can make you feel better about working out. Clothing nowadays has a wide variety of colors and sizes. Make sure your exercise clothing is cool-looking and puts you in the right mood to exercise. You?ll be more motivated to exercise.

TIP! Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein

Variety is the key to keeping you interested and motivated when it comes to exercise programs. Therefore, it is important that you switch your exercise routine up. If you?re glued to the treadmill every time you exercise, why not try a long run outdoors instead? Changing your regular exercise routine can give you the extra push you need to keep going.

Rewarding yourself is a great way to motivate yourself to complete a goal. Just give yourself little perks to keep yourself going and help you stay motivated. Get yourself a small candy or a book you?ve wanted. Reward yourself by getting something that you have put off purchasing. My vote goes for a home gym fitness equipment, as this is that kind of a reward that will keep you motivated for the rest of your life. You will feel proud.

Daily Use Self Training Workout Advice For A Physically Fitter Body

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Source: http://www.fitnessspotlight.net/daily-use-self-training-workout-advice-for-a-physically-fitter-body/

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U.S. and Russia to meet on Syria amid chemical weapons fears

DUBLIN (AP) ? The top U.S. and Russian diplomats will hold a surprise meeting Thursday with the United Nations' peace envoy for Syria, signaling fresh hopes of an international breakthrough to end the Arab country's 21-month civil war.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and mediator Lakhdar Brahimi will gather in Dublin on the sidelines of a human rights conference, a senior U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because she wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter. She provided few details about the unscheduled get-together.

Ahead of the three-way meeting, Clinton and Lavrov met separately Thursday for about 25 minutes. They agreed to hear Brahimi out on a path forward, a senior U.S. official said. The two also discussed issues ranging from Egypt to North Korea, as well as new congressional action aimed at Russian officials accused of complicity in the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

The former Cold War foes have fought bitterly over how to address Syria's conflict, with Washington harshly criticizing Moscow of shielding its Arab ally. The Russians respond by accusing the U.S. of meddling by demanding the downfall of President Bashar Assad's regime and ultimately seeking an armed intervention such as the one last year against the late Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi.

But the gathering of the three key international figures suggests possible compromise in the offing. At the least, it confirms what officials describe as an easing of some of the acrimony that has raged between Moscow and Washington over the future of an ethnically diverse nation whose stability is seen as critical given its geographic position in between powder kegs Iraq, Lebanon and Israel.

The threat of Syria's government using some of its vast stockpiles of chemical weapons is also adding urgency to diplomatic efforts. Western governments have cited the rising danger of such a scenario this week, and officials say Russia, too, shares great concern on this point.

On Thursday, Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad accused the United States and Europe of using the issue of chemical weapons to justify a future military intervention against Syria. He warned that any such intervention would be "catastrophic."

In Ireland's capital, one idea that Brahimi could seek to resuscitate with U.S. and Russian support would be the political agreement strategy both countries agreed on in Geneva in June.

That plan demanded several steps by the Assad regime to de-escalate tensions and end the violence that activists say has killed more than 40,000 people since March 2011. It would then have required Syria's opposition and the regime to put forward candidates for a transitional government, with each side having the right to veto nominees proposed by the other.

If employed, the strategy would surely mean the end of more than four decades of an Assad family member at Syria's helm. The opposition has demanded Assad's departure and has rejected any talk of him staying in power. Yet it also would grant regime representatives the opportunity to block Sunni extremists and others in the opposition that they reject.

The transition plan never got off the ground this summer, partly because no pressure was applied to see it succeed by a deeply divided international community. Brahimi's predecessor, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who drafted the plan, then resigned his post in frustration.

The United States blamed the collapse on Russia for vetoing a third resolution at the U.N. Security Council that would have applied world sanctions against Assad's government for failing to live by the deal's provisions.

Russia insisted that the Americans unfairly sought Assad's departure as a precondition and worried about opening the door to military action, even as Washington offered to include language in any U.N. resolution that would have expressly forbade outside armed intervention.

Should a plan similar to that one be proposed, the Obama administration is likely to insist anew that it be internationally enforceable ? a step Moscow may still be reluctant to commit to.

In any case, the U.S. insists the tide of the war is turning definitively against Assad.

On Wednesday, the administration said several countries in the Middle East and elsewhere have informally offered to grant asylum to Assad and his family if they leave Syria.

The comments came a day after the United States and its 27 NATO allies agreed to send Patriot missiles to Turkey's southern border with Syria. The deployment, expected within weeks, is meant solely as a defensive measure against the cross-border mortar rounds from Syria that have killed five Turks, but still bring the alliance to the brink of involvement in the civil war.

The United States is also preparing to designate Jabhat al-Nusra, a Syrian rebel group with alleged ties to al-Qaida, as a foreign terrorist organization in a step aimed at blunting the influence of extremists within the Syrian opposition, officials said Wednesday.

Word of the move came as the State Department announced Clinton will travel to the Mideast and North Africa next week for high-level meetings on the situation in Syria and broader counter-terrorism issues. She is likely then to recognize Syria's newly formed opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, according to officials.

The political endorsement is designed to help unite the country against Assad and spur greater nonlethal and humanitarian assistance from the United States to the rebels.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-russia-set-surprise-syria-meeting-093221177--politics.html

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Is the Birth Rate Properly a Political Question? (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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