Here at the FOX News bureau in Atlanta, we’re awaiting a 12 PM Eastern media briefing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases is scheduled to update reporters on the latest H1N1 activity and the distribution of vaccine.

Last week, the CDC reported a downward trend in influenza activity, but cautioned that it was too early to declare the worst was over. Health experts say holiday travel may cause temporary spikes.

AAA projects 38.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday (a 1.4 percent increase over last year when Thanksgiving travel decreased by more than 25 percent amid concerns over the economic meltdown),

In addition to the usual recommendations to wash hands, cover coughs and get vaccinated as soon as possible, the CDC is urging people not to travel if they’re sick.

As of yesterday, 49,584,300 doses of H1N1 vaccine have shipped nationwide, according to flu.gov.

Although state health departments continue to focus vaccination campaigns on high risk groups, such as children, health care workers, pregnant women and persons with underlying health conditions, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell told reporters, vaccine could become available to the general public within the next few weeks.

Canadian health officials have advised doctors in that country to stop using a specific batch of H1N1 vaccine, representing 170 thousand doses, after half a dozen patients had severe allergic reactions. A CDC spokesman says the batch in question is an adjuvanted version of the H1N1 vaccine that is not distributed in the US.

Adjuvants are ingredients added to a vaccine to increase the body’s immune response, which often allows for the use of smaller doses — thereby extending limited vaccine supplies. Although widely used in Europe, Asia and Canada, adjuvants are not currently authorized for use in influenza vaccines here in the US.

Experts say it’s still unclear whether adjuvants played a role in the adverse reactions, or whether some other factor came into play.

Meanwhile, China has reported eight cases of H1N1 mutation. However, Chinese health officials say the variant form of the virus is still prevented by vaccines and responds to anti-viral drugs.

And four patients in an isolated unit at Duke University Medical Center have contracted a strain of H1N1 that shows resistance to Tamiflu, a leading anti-viral drug. However, doctors say this new form of the virus is no more severe than the original.

Early on, researchers warned that the H1N1 virus could mutate or develop resistance to anti-viral drugs. So far, variant forms of the virus do not appear to be in wide circulation.

Share This

by Faith Mangan, FNC Field Producer

Najibullah Zazi, 24, and his father, Mohammed Zazi, 53, had an initial appearance together before Judge Craig Shaffer in federal court in Denver today.  They are charged with knowingly and willfully making false statements to the FBI in a matter involving international and domestic terrorism.

Both defendents were escorted into the crowded courtroom in handcuffs.  The elder Zazi was clad in a grey t-shirt and running pants, while his son was in a short sleeved, button-down yellow, plaid shirt.  Before the official start, they each spent some time looking over sheets of paper, while quietly conferring with defense attorney Arthur Folsom.  The courtroom was packed early on with media representatives from all the main news organizations.  It was standing room only.

The hearing got underway with a request for a court appointed attorney for Mohammed Zazi.  The judge said he knew things had been busy for Arthur Folsom’s office, but he needs to be in good standing with this district to have an appearance in it.  Folsom said he had taken care of paperwork earlier in the day and the problem was that he was still credentialed under his last law firm.  The judge said he’d accept Folsom’s representation for today, but if he’s going to have future court appearances, the paperwork needs to be properly resolved going forward.

The initial appearance continued with the judge advising the defendants of their rights: the 5^th amendment (self-incrimination) and the 6^th amendment (right to counsel).  Najibullah indicated he intends to keep Folsom as his attorney.  Mohammed affirmed he wanted court-appointed counsel.  The judge reviewed Mohammed’s affidavit of financial need and said he qualifies for the help.

The judge then moved onto citizenship, stating if someone is not a citizen, he or she has a right to have the consular office contacted.  Both men are from Afghanistan. Najibullah is a legal resident of the United States, his father is a naturalized citizen of this country.

Folsom consulted with Najibullah and said they do not wish to have that done at this time, but they reserve the right in the future.  A representative from the public defender’s office then jumped in on behalf of Mohammed, even though the case has not yet been assigned to a particular attorney.

It was then time to go over the charge each of them is facing and the penalty if convicted, a potential 8 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and three years supervised release.

The men were told they’re entitled next to a preliminary hearing.  The government is not seeking detention of the father, Mohammed, but prosecutors do want to keep Najibullah in custody.  The judge set 9 a.m. MT on Thursday, September 24, 2009 as a preliminary and detention hearing for Najibullah.  Judge Shaffer said he understands evidence gathered under the Surveillance Act (known as FISA) is part of the case, and he asked if that would be a problem for Thursday.  Prosecutors said they did not expect it to be an issue.

Mohammed’s expected release was the next thing on the agenda.  The public defender pointed out Mohammed was having issues following along with the proceedings in English and asked for an interpreter next time.  Conditions for Mohammed’s release include: $50,000 unsecured bond (he does not have to post, but can forfeit that money if he violates conditions), he’ll have to report to a court officer on a regular basis, his travel is restricted to the state of Colorado and he has to get permission before crossing the state’s lines, he has to surrender his passport and may not obtain new travel documents, he can not become an informant without the court’s prior consent, he can not have firearms and he may not leave his home except for preset reasons such as employment, medical reasons, court appearances, education or religious reasons.  Mohammed must also pay the cost of electronic monitoring.  Even though the government does not intend to hold him on an ongoing basis, he cannot be released until his home is certified for electronic monitoring.  The judge set Thursday, September 24 for t a status conference to check up on progress towards Mohammed’s release.  The prosecution said they want the full amount of allowable time, 20 days, until they have to hold a preliminary hearing for Mohammed, because they are still collecting evidence and interviewing people.

The public defender who was present finished out the hearing by taking the podium to state Mohammed has not waived his right to counsel, so further attempts by law enforcement or the government to contact Mohammed Zazi must go through counsel.

Afterwards, outside the courtroom, the wall of silence returned. The prosecution team left without saying a word to reporters. The defense, would only say they will be back Thursday.

Share This

The CDC's Global Communications Center in Atlanta.

This morning, I’m on my way to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The CDC is holding a two day workshop for journalists covering influenza (including H1N1), to give us the latest information on these viruses as well as more in-depth background.

I will update this blog with what we learn. Regarding H1N1, here’s what we know so far:

According to the CDC’s latest figures, H1N1 has been responsible for 7,983 hospitalizations and 522 deaths in the U.S. this year.

“It’s important to keep in mind that these numbers radically underestimate the number of cases that actually occur,” said Jay Butler, director of the CDC’s H1N1 Vaccine Task Force. “Many cases go without testing and, in many areas, there is not routine testing of people who are not sick enough to require hospitalization.”

The CDC stopped reporting estimates of probable cases of 2009 H1N1 on July 24. Mathematical modeling at the time suggested as many as 1 million Americans may have been infected.

“If that’s accurate, it’s more than 1 million cases now,” Butler said.

Health officials say H1N1 continues to disproportionately affect young people — unlike seasonal flu, which tends to hit the elderly the hardest. According to Butler, 75 percent of H1N1 hospitalizations and 60 percent of H1N1 deaths involve persons under 49 years of age.

This year, H1N1 is the predominant influenza virus circulating worldwide. Researchers have been keeping a close eye on South America and Australia, which are approaching the end of their winter flu season.

So far, fears that the virus might mutate into a more dangerous form have not been realized.

“There have been no significant changes detected in the influenza virus isolated from persons in the southern hemisphere as compared to viruses isolated from persons in the northern hemisphere,” Butler said.

According to Butler, the viruses remain susceptible to anti-viral drugs, such as oseltamivir phosphate (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). He said they also remain similar to the viruses selected for H1N1 vaccines currently in development.

Follow Jonathan on:     Twitter Facebook Other Blogs

Share This

OK, I must admit, I wasn’t the hugest of Michael Jackson fans.   I, like millions of others, own a copy of Thriller (the vinyl edition sits in a box in my father’s basement on Long Island).   And I, like millions of others, danced many a disco night (including at Studio 54) to “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” et. al.

But after the 80s, Jackson, and I, had moved on.

So it was with a little cynicism I took on the assignment of covering the Jackson death in London.  But almost right away I realized how special he was to a lot of people.

Getting my Friday morning coffee at our cafeteria, I chatted with a young woman who was very sad.  She was disappointed that she hadn’t been able to buy one of the 750,000 (!) seats for Jackson’s planned series of concerts in London which were sold out in a matter of hours.

When we were doing man-on-the-street interviews near the Michael Jackson sound-alike show “Thriller” in London’s West End, we ran into, by coincidence, two New York musicians who played with Jackson in 2001.    Their deep, profound and heartfelt regard for his artistry moved me.

As did other warm comments from people ranging in age from around 12 to 60+.

By sheer coincidence, this has been a huge Rock weekend in the London area.   The UK’s annual version of Woodstock, the Glastonbury festival, was being staged outside of the city.  That drew artists to gigs in London.

Jackson’s death and these concerts got me thinking about what “Pop” music (remember he was the “King of…”) means to me…and us.

Last Thursday night I saw, for the first time, one of my more modern groups, The Dave Matthews Band.   They usually play huge arenas in the States but as their following is smaller here, they played in a cozy smallish theater.

Friday, a venue in my Chelsea neighborhood hosted Roger McGuinn, founder of the legendary Byrds group. It was a bit forced, but he performed wonderful, absolutely iconic (there I said it), tunes from the Byrds’ catalogue.

Then, the big time.  The Hard Rock Café sponsored a set of concerts at one end of Hyde Park in London getting a crowd of some 50,000 for each day’s set.   The headliner Saturday night was one of my favorites, that old rock warhorse, Neil Young.

Sunday night at Hard Rock Calling, the headliner was none other than New Jersey’s hometown boy, Bruce Springsteen.   He’s arguably been my favorite singer since the first time I heard “Rosalita.”   His music a constant of passion, politics and hard–driving, good-natured rock.  Sunday he didn’t disappoint.

The age of the audiences for all the shows literally spanned decades.   And nearly everyone seemed to know the words to all the songs.  And nearly everyone got into it.

At my relatively advancing age, I’m still belting out  “Born to Run,” “Rockin’ in the Free World”  “My Back Pages” and more.

When I was young, rock’n’roll was the music of youth and rebellion.    You always kind of thought you’d eventually grow out of it and by the time you were thirty you’d be listening to classical music and Frank Sinatra.   But funny, that didn’t happen to me and it didn’t happen to a lot of other people.

One song at the Neil Young concert summed up the generation-spanning emotion-grabbing character of pop music.    These days, Neil Young’s encore tune is an odd choice, the Beatles’ 1967 Sgt Pepper anthem, “A Day in the Life.”

Saturday night it was perfect :

After Young did the first part of the song (the bit Lennon wrote and sang, “I read the news today ‘O boy’…”), out came Paul McCartney from the side of the stage where he’d been watching the concert.  And he sang the bit he wrote and performed  (“Woke up, fell out of bed…”).  They then finished it together including the endless final note, with back up vocals and cheers from EVERYONE in the crowd.

So what does this all have to do with Michael Jackson?

While a few acts at the Glastonbury festival paid tribute to Jackson, funnily enough, Jackson wasn’t mentioned at any of the four concerts I attended.

Disregard?  Emm, not really.

Most of the acts had some link to Jackson.  McCartney performed with him.    Springsteen’s ‘80s albums dueled with Jackson’s. Both Young and Matthews use or have used backings that would not have been not out of place on any funky Jackson album.

No.  I think tribute was paid by all of these performers simply by performing the music he championed, and made even bigger.

And again while “Beat it” might not have been in my pantheon of rock classics, I defy anyone to sit still when the riff  “ABC….It’s easy as 1,2,3….It’s simple as Do-Re-Mi…” blasts out of the radio.

All the best, Michael.

Share This

By John Fiegener
Fox News Coordinating Producer, Iraq

Everybody sees a crack.

If the Middle East were a neighborhood street, Iran would be the large house with the cracked foundation.

Neighbors would not be terribly displeased to see the distress this crack is causing to the owners of Iran, they might even chuckle at the misfortune of those fussy owners who have meddled in their lives, they would know that even if the crack were cemented over and painted it would still be a crack, and at night, as they fell asleep, they might be wondering how such a crack might affect them.

The reaction to events in Iran is not overly reported in neighboring Iraq or in other countries across the Middle East. Official comments have been guarded, with Iraq’s president sending a short message to congratulate president Ahmadinejad for his victory; “I am confident that friendly ties binding our two countries will grow stronger during the years to come, to the interest of the people of both sides, and peace security and stability in the region.” Fairly neutral stuff in diplomatic terms.

Everyone knows that Ahmadinejad could in fact be the president of Iran for another term and all the neighbors are taking a wait and see attitude. There is also a tradition in the region of not being overtly involved in the “internal affairs” of neighbors. Saddam Hussein crossed that line with his invasion of Kuwait in 1991 and paid the price.

Iraqis in private are more direct about their view of events in their neighboring country. Some say the Khameini and Ahmadinejad regime has been too arrogant in its dealing with Iraq since the fall of Saddam, playing too many games on Iraqi soil in a contest to win influence and outmaneuver the US in Iraq. But stability is good for business, in a year that has been bad for business, and that is what truly preoccupies many Iraqis and others in the region now. So no one is protesting on the Middle East Street in support of free and fair elections in Iran.

Everyone now sees that Iran has a cracked foundation, whatever the outcome of weeklong demonstrations and violence on the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities. The regime has clearly lost the support of many of its bright, professional, young people. Neighbors understand that it will be a different Iran no matter what happens that they will deal with. A more insecure Iranian regime might be less inclined to meddle in the affairs of the region, or not. Neighbors may gain more favorable terms in bargaining with a weakened Iranian leadership, or not.

And what must worry many of the neighbors as they fall asleep at night is the possibility of the crack in Iran spreading to other homes on the street. People and rulers around the region who have lived under autocratic regimes will be especially concerned about the perception of rigged elections, a violent backlash and crackdown.

So the neighbors will keep watching, hoping, and worrying about events in Iran for years to come following last week’s elections.

Share This

Islamabad, Pakistan — People on the streets of Pakistan shouting, banners waving and guns being fired— really nothing new as this country has been facing some very tough times over the last few years.  But those people on the streets late last night were not calling for the overthrow of the government or extremists chanting ‘death to America’ or even lawyers calling for judicial reform.  They were cricket fans celebrating Pakistan’s victory over Sri Lanka in the Twenty20 World Cup Championship.

Now I know that cricket is lost on most of us Americans, and believe me, I have tried many times to understand it.  It’s tough.  But seeing the jubilation on the streets and in the parks of Pakistan late Sunday night when their team was victorious, it did not matter if you knew the difference between a wicket and home plate or an ‘out’ verses an ‘over.’ It was crystal clear that this victory was a ray of hope the Pakistani people direly needed.

Not only have recent terror attacks thrown the country into a state of preoccupation and hyper-alertness, but it had hit their beloved cricket as well.  A few months ago, terrorists struck a convoy of the visiting Sri Lankan team just before a game in Lahore.  After that, international cricket organizations stopped any major games from being played on Pakistani soil.  So that attack prevented most Pakistanis from seeing their national team contest in international tournaments.

With nearly 2 million displaced people in the northwest, a serious battle raging in the Swat Valley between the army and militants and another just starting to open down in South Waziritstan, good news and a little bit of hope are just what the doctor ordered.  The TV news anchors even appear to be holding back ear-to-ear grins as they recount the game and show footage of drum-playing and bouncing cricket fans from every corner of Pakistan.  Thanks to huge outdoor TV screens set up at several camps, thousands of the internal refugees were able to see the game.

To be honest , while watching the dancing on the streets, in the back of my mind I was thinking that these scenes are exactly the soft targets the Taliban militants have been targeting on a regular basis over the last few months.  Luckily my paranoia was unfounded and the celebrations went off without a hitch.

My true hope is that the people of Pakistan get to savor this victory, giving them the opportunity to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  It’s a long and tough tunnel to travel through, but there is an end.

Share This

By FNC Coordinating Producer John Fiegener

The ballroom inside the Sheraton hotel had not changed much since I last saw it two years ago. The temperature inside soars to a comfortable swelter as the overworked air conditioner tries to cool the several hundred bodies gathered in the room. The seventies design has been polished for the thousandth time and a new carpet is already well worn.

Today’s event: The launch of a new political party in Iraq called the Wassat or Center Path party to compete in next year’s national elections. It is the party of Muwaffaq Rubaie, a man who retains in title only a position of power as the National Security Advisor. His position was created under the CPA, Coalition Provisional Authority, back in 2004 for a period of five years. His time is coming up and the position is going away inside a government that already has a half dozen security departments and ministries, so he is doing what any Iraqi in a position to do so would do: Form a political party.

The room filled with sheikhs and other citizens of Iraq who wield varying degrees of power in their communities. It dawned on me for the first time to ask my colleague Badr what was the significance of the headdresses worn by the hundreds of sheikhs in the room.  The general rule, I was told, is that a black and white Kufiyeh (or head cover) usually signifies one is of southern Iraqi tribal origin, a red and white one is usually worn by northerners or westerners, a plain white one can be worn by Sunnis mainly from the north, and the size of the band or Agal as it is called in Iraq, can be thick and wide to reflect southern sheikh with greater influence, or thin and tight for those from northern and western tribes. But since the tribes often times spill across all regions of the country, this is not a sure bet to know where anyone is from… what he represents… and certainly not what he wants.

Politics here is just as tidy as the general rule of the Kufiyeh and Agal. The announcement of a new political party that would bring together all Iraqis on a “Center Path” was politely greeted by those gathered. There seemed to be more black and white Kufiyehs in the room, but a good deal of plain white ones as well, so maybe more interest from southern Iraqis and Sunnis?

No great details were provided by the speakers, just a promise to act on behalf of all Iraqis.

One sheikh from Nassaryah, wearing a black and white Kufiyeh with a thick Agal, said he was here to listen, after all he had received a personal invitation and to not come would be impolite and perhaps not terribly astute down the road. He seemed somewhat disappointed that speakers did not talk about providing water projects for his area, after all that is one of his main concerns.

Another Iraqi politician-businessman said he listened and would decide in time if the party had the money to joust in the upcoming elections.
In principle the idea of a center party was interesting.

One of the few women in attendance complained that she was afraid all politicians were liars and none would deliver anything good for women in Iraq. She recounted how she recently traveled to the south and could not check into a hotel because local authorities forbade unaccompanied women from checking into hotels.

What was impressive to me was that everyone in the old ballroom listened, occasionally nodded, constantly waived papers or anything else that would move the stale, hot air around, and left without anger or argument. The process of listening to what politicians have to offer has started in Iraq, and while no one doubts much jockeying is to come and many backroom deals are to be made, at least today’s event showed there is interest in the process.

Share This

The British government is going through one of the biggest upheavals in centuries. Members of Parliament are quitting, retiring, facing defeat in the next election, even possibly going to the klink.  And who is responsible  for this revolution in the mother of parliaments, the seat of democracy?   A young American woman!

Actually, 38 year-old Heather Brooke has British parents and dual citizenship.  But she was born in the states and went to school and worked in Washington and South Carolina before coming to the UK where she is now a freelance journalist.    In Britian in 2004, she got the idea to use a brand new Freedom of Information to find out what the British pols were writing off on their expense accounts.

After five years of struggle and court cases the news is finally out.  And its not pretty.    MP’s are writing off all sorts of household items supposedly necessary to do their jobs as representatives.   Including, er, upkeep of tennis courts and pools, a $4000 house for ducks, and of course (this is England after all), the cleaning of a moat surrounding a property.

Throw in even more serious fudging like charging for mortgage payments that were already paid up and fixing up places with expense money and  then selling them and you’ve got a scandal that’s captured the attention and anger of the British public for weeks now.   Already hit with big recession worries and suspicions about politicians and this just did it.

The only hitch for Heather is … she didn’t break the story.     The expenses which she was fighting to get revealed should have been made available this summer.   Instead, the Daily Telegraph newspaper got its hands on a hard drive with all the information on it and for a price made it public early. And got the glory.

Consolation for Heather though that she’s been  recognized for efforts.   She herself did a great documentary on British TV a month before the news broke and it revealed the whole corrupt mess.   Now she’s being interviewed and written about in all the British media.  She was good enough to chat with us and that’s included here.   As well as the story we did for Special Report on a typically wet and gloomy day ion London.

So check her out, log on to her great blog at www.ytrk.org, and sing her praise.  I promise you there are a lot of polticians here in England who are saying a lot of other stuff about her … mostly unprintable!

Watch the interview:

Check out the full package:

Share This

School closings are no longer recommended for controlling the spread of the H1N1 “swine flu” virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta issued new recommendations today, which focus instead on personal responsibility and keeping infected individuals at home for at least seven days. CDC Acting Director Richard Besser, MD said the changes were the result of some key findings:

• H1N1 is not as severe as originally thought and is presenting itself more like seasonal flu.
• Schools reporting H1N1 infections are in communities where the disease has already shown up in the general public.
• School closings are “incredibly burdensome and difficult,” according to Dr. Besser, who said the CDC has heard stories of working parents dropping their children off at public libraries because they lack adequate home care.

The median age of persons infected with H1N1 is 16. Why so young?

One theory is that youthful populations, such as spring breakers in Mexico, were the first to be exposed to the disease. Another possibility is that older people have developed more resistance to the H1N1 strain through annual exposure to seasonal flu or flu vaccines.

Dr. Besser said it’s unclear whether either theory is true, but the CDC is actively investigating.

Follow Jonathan on:     Twitter Facebook Other Blogs

Share This

Common sense may be more effective than school closings.

Updating reporters on the H1N1 “Swine Flu” virus, Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, summed it up with this comment:

While we’re not out of the woods, we are seeing a lot of encouraging signs.

Dr. Besser said the genetic properties of H1N1 viruses are remaining consistent and anti-viral drugs, such as Relenza and Tamiflu, continue to provide effective treatment for the disease.

Cases in Mexico appear to be leveling off. And here in the US, the disease appears to be no more severe than seasonal flu. Still, people are hospitalized and people die from seasonal flu, said Dr. Besser, who urged Americans to continue basic preventive measures:

• Wash your hands frequently.
• Cover coughs with your sleeve, not your hand.
• Stay home when you’re sick.
• Keep your children home when they’re sick.

Dr. Besser said the CDC is considering revising its guidelines for school closings, which do not appear to be effective in preventing the spread of the disease. Researchers have found that when H1N1 is detected in schools, the virus is already well established in the surrounding community.

So what would revised guidelines look like? Public health officials are taking a close look at schools in Seattle, which emphasize personal responsibility.

Parents check their children in the morning for signs of illness. If a child is feeling sick, the parents are urged to keep that child home for seven days, even if he or she starts to feel better.

Teachers emphasize hand washing and other preventive measures and are instructed to send home any students who appear to be ill.

Follow Jonathan on:     Twitter Facebook Other Blogs

Share This

Forward Operating Base Tillman, Afghanistan –  Way out here on the far eastern edge of Paktika province, less than two miles from the Pakistani border, is FOB Tillman.  It’s named after Pat Tillman who gave up a multi-million dollar NFL contract with the Arizona Cardinals to serve his country.

Just after 9/11, he enlisted in the Army with his brother and then trained to become an elite Ranger.  Five years ago this week, he was killed when his patrol was ambushed in this rugged country.  His death was a result of friendly fire, but to those soldiers we have spoken with out here, it does not matter how he died.  He gave up his life serving his country.

Kabul-based Fox News reporter Conor Powell’s and my journey to this remote spot started on Monday at Bagram Air Field, about an hour’s drive from Kabul.  One C-130 flight to Salerno FOB, a Chinook helicopter and an overnight in FOB Orgun-E and then another Chinook flight this morning got us to our final destination.

To be honest, our timing was lucky.  We did not plot out actually being here on this solemn day, the exact day and region where the man so many have called an American hero was killed … and on the base named after him.

While waiting for our flight at Bagram we were killing some time at the USO Pat Tillman Center and a plaque with the date of his KIA caught my attention.  We could not believe the timing.  We did the story right then and there on the 5th year since his death and the USO center named after him.  It was only until we reached Orgun-E that we found out that we were coming to FOB Tillman.

Here’s a link to a story on Pat Tillman aired on the Fox Report:

During our stay over the next few days we will tag along with the 509th Baker Company as we learn the situation along this stretch of the border and how a ‘rubber meets the road’ approach is working by the three involved parties (Afghan security forces, US Army and the Pakistani Army) as they attempt to stamp out the cross border movement and attacks by insurgents.  There’s a lot at stake and has been for some time, but with the major focus by the Obama administration, the political instability in Pakistan and the Afghan Presidential elections around the corner, they ante is now through the roof.

Share This

With Captain Richard Phillips leaving Mombasa Friday for reunions with family and friends, the Maersk Alabama pirate drama came to a happy ending (except for pirates’ unhappy end).

What a crazy ten days it was.

Cameraman Mal, Producer Claire and Assignment Manager Anastasia had the funny idea of just turning me around at the airport and jetting us all down to Africa at that moment.

Cold weather Korean gear in hot humid Kenya might not have worked sartorially.

So it was a night of lives from the London bureau then off the next day.

The piracy story is, of course, a big draw. And mix in U.S. victims and heroism, and you’ve got a tale that’s bound to knock anything else off the edge so I was happy to be on it.

For the past year, I’d been treking down to Africa reporting on the growing problem of piracy off the coast of Somalia. I’d spent Christmas cruising with the French Navy in the Gulf of Aden. I’d spent time with the Dutch Navy in their anti-piracy mission. I’d nosed around the ports of Mombasa and Djibouti. And talked to sailors and folks a little too close to the bad guys.

But this was a different spin. Now, the Americans were targeted. For the first time in a longtime.

By the time we’d made it Friday to the Severin Seaside Resort on the Indian Ocean coast in Mombasa (OK there are upsides to covering this story), the tale had changed. The crew had seized back control of the Maersk Alabama and were headed our way. And the Captain was in the clutches of the pirates bobbing around in a lifeboat, with the growing might of the US Navy around him.

It doesn’t get much better than this.

Luckily, I’d managed to squirrel away some sleep on the flight down and at the Nairobi Hilton because it was another of many long nights of live shots (remember we were seven hours ahead of New York time so a 7am to 7 pm schedule gets shifted to 2pm to 2am).

Somehow it seemed to get hotter, more humid and breezy as the night wore on. After that first night, I realized I wasn’t going to win any GQ awards for grooming.

Saturday, it was down to the Mombasa Port to await the arrival of the Maersk Alabama. Along with all of the US media who had also made it over for this one. Mal found a spot for our stream box lives (no clunky and costly satellite dishes for us), Claire managed to secure us some soggy but filling boxed lunches from the hotel, our driver Jack turned out to be a big buddy, and then we waited for our ship to come in.

Which it did rather neatly in the early evening hours. Mal was very pleased that his super duper new camera sent out better shots of the ship then the rest of the world was getting via AP.

After a bit, I dragged Mal over to the ship and “shout-chatted” with a few of the crew members. They all praised their captain and at that point and were still worried about his welfare. But at the same time, were sure he’d pull through.

Only one crew member came out and screamed at us calling us “media leaches.” Hey, I’ve been called worse. And they’d had a long week.

Sunday and another busy day. We got a close- up look at the Maersk Alabama. I’ve seen literally giants of ships at sea in my coverage of piracy, but in port this one looked pretty big too. The stern sits fairly low to the water and you might imagine how the pirates could shimmy up ropes. Still with guns blasting and a hostile crew on deck, still quite a feat for four brigands.

Then, you could just imagine the fight and counter fight which occurred on board which resulted in Captain Phillips being launched in a lifeboat with the armed pirates and the crew back in charge of the ship.

Helping with our imagining, FBI agents who walked up and down the decks with the crew members recreating the act of piracy. The ship was dubbed a crime scene and the those involved could face a trial in the states. I called it on air “CSI Mombasa.”

Meanwhile, I had been getting word that Phillips’ lifeboat was drifting closer and closer to the Somalia coast. If it got there, the pirates could get him on shore and stash him away in a pirate lair. It would be a whole new ball game.

And so I reported all day that we were at a turning point in the story, perhaps a moment when the US Navy might have to make their move.

At 7:30 pm local we got the word they did…that US Navy Seal sharp shooter rescue which saved Phillip’s life and saved the day for the US…which was beginning to look like a helpless giant.

We had one more late live shot at the hotel. Which is where we got the news about the rescue. And for the next ten hours we reported about the ten minutes of celebration with the crew at the port. And then some!

By this time, too, cameraman Mal’s foray into the hotel’s buffet was beginning to take hold. He’s seen it all from Al Qaeda insurgents to Taliban terrorists, but the Mombasa potato salad did him in. So in between live shots on the roof, he’d lie down among the African ants to try to ease the pain.

Nevermind…Monday came, the Bainbridge was steaming our way with Captain Phillips, and it was a new day of lives, lives and more lives down at the port. The folks back in NY thought with Easter and all it was best to re-tell the story and add anything new. Mal found a perfect spot for me to stand where you’d get to see the whole port. Except I was standing in the middle of a rancid pile of garbage.  It’s a living.

Back to the hotel Monday night, and it’s my turn to trip up. A hot dog at the gas station convenience store where we usually stopped for essentials turned into a “highway to bathroom hell” for me too. That’s what Immodium is for.

Tuesday and a new wrinkle to the story. The Destroyer Bainbridge steamed to Mombasa with Phillips on board and a made-for-TV reunion port side between Phillips, his crew, and the captain and crew of the Bainbridge was on its way.

Then another bunch of wily pirates act up again and make a run on another American ship, the Liberty Sun. Luckily that crew did a good job of keeping the new set of pirates at bay as well, but the Bainbridge got diverted and messed up all of our plans.

The Maersk Alabama crew would end up leaving without seeing the Captain here in Mombasa. Oh, well, someone else’s fun.

A brief word here about the Kenyan people. They’re really wonderful. From our driver Jack to the longshoremen at the port, to the folks that waved to us from the highway, they’re friendly and helpful and hardworking. And definitely deserving of a bit more than they have in life right now.

And a surefire way to get a smile out of any Kenyan is to mention one word….Obama. They are very proud of their local son.

So now Wednesday, we were on Captain Phillips watch. We decided to do that near his Maersk Alabama ship. There were a few considerations in picking that location. One of them was a sea tale Mal claimed he knew of. Something about the ship being the Captain’s “mistress” and when he’s separated from “her” he’s got to return to give her a” kiss” or something.

Needless to say our Brainroom worked all day trying to nail that down… to no avail.

Well, there was no sign that night of the Bainbridge or a smooching Captain, so luckily before we stayed too long and collapsed from port exhaustion, Anastasia sent us back to our hotel for the night.

Bright and early Thursday,the Bainbridge (and the Liberty Sun) arrived in port. Hoo-rah.

It was rather cool seeing the Bainbridge up-close. I know how big destroyers are, but it still is smaller than I had imagined.

You could see where those three US Navy Seal sharp-shooters stood at the stern of the ship as they targeted the three pirates holding Captain Phillips in the lifeboat.

When you estimated the 30 yard distance between the ship and the lifeboat it really didn’t seem that far. Except for a few things : This happened at dusk and at high seas. The pirates were partially obstructed. And there was a hostage that couldn’t die. Nice work.

Now we spent the day guessing whether Phillips was inside the ship. The Pentagon said he was off and at a nearby hotel. We had checked there and there was no sign of him.

Other journalists at the scene thought he was on the ship. It seems they were right. Early in the morning Mombasa time Friday, there was video of the Captain getting into a car and speeding off to the charter jet to take him home,getting in clearly portside. Next stop, Vermont.

And after a day of somewhat decompression. Back home to London for us at all. This pirate drama is over. But as I well know…..

Check out the exclusive photos:

Share This

by Courtney Walsh,  FNC Contract Reporter

Friday morning. The heartbreaking public funeral in the center of L’aquila has just ended.

The hardest part is seeing the little white coffins of the babies who’ve died, lying on top of their mothers coffins…a last embrace. (Of the 289 dead, more than 20 were children).

When the quake struck on Monday at 3:32 AM, I was jolted out of my bed in Rome, some 70 miles away.

My first thought was get the kids and go outside. But the rocking subsided shortly.

There was no information at all on the TV. I contacted FOX in New York and found out from the desk that the quake had hit Aquila.

For almost two hours there was still no news on Italian media. And no sleep, either, as colleagues from sky UK called for reports.

The day after the quake struck, I drove up with producer Mario Biasetti and reporter Greg Burke to Onna, a village of 300 outside of Aquila.

Here are a few photos from that day.

I interviewed many of the survivors who had slept in their cars, some still in their nightclothes, and were passing time in the tent set up in a field.

The emergency relief effort was impressive. There was food, basic necessities, but the terror was palpable.

One woman told me how she had been lying on a sofa nursing her 3 month old baby when she felt the quake hit. She grabbed the baby and raced out, just in time to see part of the house collapse.

Simona In the Tent With Her Baby

What would have happened if the baby hadn’t woken her up, she asked.

Just then an aftershock hit. We were both scared. She grabbed my hands and told me how she felt tremors all the time, even when there were none.

What are we going to do, where are we going to go, she asked.

Later that night I got a ride back to Rome with a colleague from The Washington Post.

The traffic snarled as many roads were blocked. Ambulances continued to speed around the city of Aquila.

But how fortunate we were, we kept repeating, with homes to go to, and our children  safe and snug in bed.

Share This

We were among just a handful of press outside the Underhill, Vermont home of Captain Richard Phillips at 6:30 this morning.  ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN weren’t here, just one other satellite truck and camera crew providing a pool (shared) feed to the 3 broadcast nets, plus a reporter and photographer from the NY Post .

The home sits on a rural two lane road surrounded by fields of grass, thick stands of trees and mountains in every direction,  including Vermont’s tallest peak, Mount Mansfield.  The town of Underhill has a population of just over 3000.

I spoke twice at length with Gina Coggio, a sister-in-law of the Captain, who told me the family was staying optimistic and positive and had reason to believe the situation would turn out well.

The family knew Richard had a dangerous job but he’s “amazing at it”, they weren’t surprised he’d offer himself as hostage because “he’s that kind of man” and it shouldn’t be necessary to arm ships, “especially when they’re carrying relief to people who desperately need it.”

“It’s a scary situation, a sad situation and a real situation” she said, and everyone is “doing the best they can to insure everyone’s safe and it ends peacefully.”

We thanked her for her time and promised not to bother her, instead waiting for the family to approach us when they had an update.

The media crowd grew slowly throughout the morning, then started to mushroom. Three large satellite trucks rolled in along with a total of nearly two dozen cars, lining the roads and field across the street.

A dozen cameras set up on tripods on the other side of the Phillips’ weathered white picket fence.

The family asked the press to respect their privacy and stay off the yard and across the street but many weren’t listening, running to the property whenever there was a sign of activity, like when friends used a yellow ribbon to tie flowers to a tree.

Finally, at 4 pm, family friend and neighbor Michael Willard approached a podium set up for Andrea Phillips and addressed the assembled mass of cameras, microphones and news people.

“I have a very brief statement from Mrs. Phillips. She has decided she does not want to make a statement now… until this is resolved, and would like you to respect her privacy. She has stated she would like you off of her premises and away from her house by tomorrow morning.”

Since the Phillips family owns the property across the street too, this meant we wouldn’t be able to speak to ANY family or friends coming or going to and from the house.

“Could you be more specific?” I asked. “You mean the entire area?  She doesn’t want any media anywhere near her house?”

“That’s correct” he said. “She’s… She’s done very well under the circumstances and, uh, I think this is getting a little bit out of hand for her so…”

“She understands the world is concerned?” I asked.

“She’s fully aware of that but you know, she’s under enormous strain and she’d just like her privacy respected… Right now she’s just overwhelmed and she just can’t deal with this right now. She’s upset enough about her husband and his situation and just needs her privacy.”

He thanked us and left and we will of course do exactly as the family has asked.

Share This

Just saw the (purported) video of the launch of the North Korea rocket.   Release of the video coincided with our 19 course wrap dinner finishing a four-day marathon of coverage of Kim Jong-Il’s latest triumph for the Channel.

Yes, North Korea is one of my beats but also, yes, it’s ten hours away by plane from London with the right tail winds…and a 13 hour time difference from New York, so covering breaking news here is always a bit….taxing.

But Producer Tadek , Camerman Olaf  and I did it, thanks to a quick dispatch Friday by Assignment Chief Anastasia and with help from local fixer Jessica.    We were able to say at the top of Geraldo’s show at 10p Saturday night that South Korean government officials were saying the rocket would launch within the hour.    And, like Communist clockwork, at 10:30 it did.

Then, of course, came a few dozen live shots trying to figure out exactly what took place, satellite or no satellite, two or three stages, where’s Kim?, what does it mean for world peace, etc.

We do our lives from the Grand Hyatt in Seoul.   The nice PR woman Ms. Hwang and the staff give us the run of the place and it’s a huge help.  A nice big patio with a good view of the backside of Seoul and high-speed internet means the logistics of sending out our message is no worries.   Staying on top of the story is not too hard either.    Catching two or three hours of sleep in between around the clock transmissions is always the biggest challenge.

Having been to the Hermit Kingdom last year on that visit with the NY Philharmonic is a huge help in understanding the story.  It is a country like none other in the world.  Able to pull off technological feats few other nations can do while at the same time leaving its millions to scrounge for sustenance is remarkable.   In a very twisted way.

It’s too easy to make a joke of the whole thing. I half-seriously gave FOX & Friends heck for running a Team America clip in front of my live shot Monday am. “I spend months trying to get a visa into this place and you play that!” I yelled at Brian.

And then when poor Tadek and Olaf were trying to cover our story with pictures at four in the morning, I had to keep restraining them from dipping into the laughable propaganda videos of goose-stepping North Korean soldiers and choreographed rocket liftoffs.

No, in fact, it’s a deadly serious story.  50,000 Americans died trying to sort the thing out a while back.    Now half of Asia quakes, and the rest of the world worries, when Pyongyang tests a crude nuke device or sends up a rocket flare.

It’s probably the best example of the unpredictable and high stakes nature of foreign policy and why President Obama shouldn’t underestimate its importance as he grapples with our economic woes.

Because all politics, no matter how whacky and international….is local.    Especially when Dear Leader Kim takes one or two steps closer to landing a nuclear payload on a backyard in San Diego.

Thursday, the North Korean Supreme Assembly will declare Kim Jong-Il Dear Leader for a bit more time, the launch an unqualified success, and the country on its way to being a perfect state by 2012.

We’ll be on a Korean Air flight back to London.

And the story will go on.

My favorite moment of the coverage was mixing it up with a bunch of rowdy senior citizens in downtown Seoul.   Like the movie Cocoon gone agit-prop these old timers still remember when there wasn’t a north or a south Korea.  And when Kim Jong Il was just a nasty glint in the eye of father Kim.

“Obama must be strong!” screamed one South Korean AARP member into my face.  Before running off to burn a rocket effigy.  And mix it up with South Korean riot police.

Yes he can…and should be.

Check out Greg’s report  from Seoul, South Korea:

Share This

Boy this better have been worth it. I’m sure that’s what a lot of people are thinking.  About the G20 summit that is.     Never have I seen London so turned on its head.   Convoy after convoy of top leaders whisking around the city.    As my cameraman Olaf asked, “Where the heck did they get all those motorcycles?”

The big newsmaker of course was not the twenty most important people in the world deciding the fate of our future.    It was four thousand scruffy kids and aging hippies making noise and a bit of mayhem.

I was rooted to my Buckingham Palace live shot position, so was spared most of the up close and personal of that.  But it seemed as pointless and anarchic as ever.

Except maybe not completely pointless.      The hooligans made a point of hitting out at the Royal Bank of Scotland branch for a reason.   It and its exiting CEO were beneficiaries of a massive UK bank bailout.  A practice even law-abiding folks in the States are getting a bit steamed up over.

No, as mentioned, I was on Queen watch.   President Obama and Michelle met Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to be exact.    As I said in my live shot, it was arguably the high point of the Obamas’ visit.

He was actually early for a change and sneaked in without us barely noticing.  The video of the meeting has since been carefully scrutinized.   He gave her a two handed handshake. Ouch.  And she clasped hers behind her back.   Eeeek.   And an ipod as a gift?     Hopefully the greatest hits of Queen not included.

So here I sit overlooking the Excel Center as the G20 leaders wrap up their deliberations.     We already know what’s going to be in the final document.    A little bit of money and little bit of verbiage to appease everybody.   More or less.

And oh yes, one more chance for another scruffy bunch of protesters to keep a few thousand policemen occupied.

Hmmmm. Worth it?   Next time I recommend G20 Twitter.

Share This

One of the refrains we hear from people who live and work along the border is that lawmakers in DC don’t get it. They make decisions about border security and spending without having seen the realities of being here. Today, at least a few senators got to see some of the border region up close. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee had a field hearing in El Paso, across from Juarez, a town that’s been the scene of vicious drug violence.

A few points stood out. One thing all the witnesses agreed on was that Mexico is not a failed state. That said, another thing all the witnesses seemed to agree on was that the drug violence had gotten to a level that was unprecedented. And these are people who’ve been working in the field for more than a decade. The looming question, at least in El Paso, is — what happens after the Mexican military pulls out of Juarez? The violence is down after the Mexican government pumped thousands of troops into the city. That effort seems unsustainable over the long term. Are the cartels playing a waiting game? Will they just shift their focus to another area that’s not as protected?

The DEA agent in charge of this region says the majority of illicit drugs come through the Southern border.  Juarez and El Paso are at the center of a highly profitable drug route. A former police chief in Juarez says half of the force was tossed out for corruption — and there were still others. An ATF agent testified about cartel interest in obtaining not just guns, but also explosives. A professor talked about a sort of culture war that cartels are waging, with banners, music and videos on YouTube, to win over young people.

And yet — El Paso was the third safest city of its size in the U.S. even though it sits right across from arguably one of the most dangerous places in Mexico. What’s stopping cartels from bringing more bloodshed onto U.S. land? The experts say off the top — it’s not in the cartels’ business interests to create a lot of attention here. And violence would surely be met with a much different response from U.S. law enforcement. Drug enforcement officers credit their efforts. The state of Texas has been sending millions to help beef up its resources. And the Feds are ramping up as well.

What happens next and what D.C. lawmakers do next, could at least in small part be influenced by what a few of them heard here today.

Click HERE to follow Maggie on Twitter!

Share This

She is a modern woman — with a PhD from the UK and one of the most powerful positions in Syria.  Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban is one of the top advisors to Syria’s President Bashar Assad.  She speaks with authority about the situation in Syria and it’s not every day we get time with someone from the top echelons of power there.  And these are particularly interesting times with Secretary of State Clinton’s recent deployment of a couple high-level envoys to Damascus.

Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban was in Britain to speak to students at Oxford among a few other engagements.

The Syrian Ambassador to London, Dr. Sami Khiyami, invited Fox News over to the Embassy to meet with Dr. Shaaban to discuss the diplomatic dynamic going on between America and Syria.

Dr. Shaaban was incredibly positive about recent developments between Damascus and Washington.   She gave her perspective on a full range of current issues, including the prospects for peace with Israel, and how very close Syria and Israel got to reaching an agreement of the land portion of an eventual land for peace deal.  She spoke at length about Iran too.

Watch  full interview here:

Share This

I am driving along the Moscow embankment on the way to the “castle” as my four year old describes it, the Kremlin.

The ice has melted on the river.
And the sun is out which in Moscow in winter is so rare I am desperate to see some sunshine.

I park my car and walk past St. Basils Cathedral and honestly I don’t want to leave Red Square because its warm and hundreds of tourists are smiling and taking pictures.  Spring in Russia, finally.

The guards at Spasky Gate, the main entrance know I am coming, they check my press ID and I am led by a security man inside the Kremlin grounds.

Its a social call to see some Kremlin representatives who would probably rather not be written about, so I won’t.

But the message I get is this- “why do you press guys keep saying Russian President Medvedev is only a shadow of Prime Minister Putin”?
Its a long conversation about how Medvedev is separate and distinct and Putin does not influence the Kremlin the way everyone thinks.
Its hard to believe but that’s their position.

So let’s see.  If Medvedevs people want to deliver that message maybe Putin is fading as a Russian leader? Maybe he is not clinging to power?  Maybe a new generation of Russian leaders more open and liberal and with some respect of democracy and free speech are coming to power?

We will all wait for Spring to come to Kremlin, but it sure seems like a long dull political winter inside those walls. People who watch Russia closely are all waiting hopefully to be surprised by President Medvedev.

Share This

Kirkuk is one of those situations that just make my viewers’ eyeballs roll back into themselves.  It’s a crisis that threatens to take this whole “Iraq as new democracy” experiment down with it into a cesspool of sectarian strife. Or it won’t make much difference at all.

First of all, it involves the Kurds. Now, explaining the Kurds in a two minute story is  not easy. No, we’re not talking about cottage cheese or whey (as in “curds and….”)   No, they’re a big sprawling ethnic group which already has its own autonomous fiefdom and wants more. Read that Kirkuk.

Then, there’s the Arabs. Sunni’s really. Who want Kirkuk too, but just to remain in Iraq.  They’re not fussy.

Then, there’s another group of Arabs. They would be Shia’s. They pretty much run Baghdad and the Iraqi Army. Who in this instance have found common ground with their usual Sunni rivals to try to beat back the Kurds.

Throw in a group called the Turkmans, with their own Turkish ties. Mix in some Christians. And… you get the picture.

Oh, and I forgot one other thing.  Oil.  Barrels and barrels of it.  Under and around Kirkuk. Iraq’s second biggest reserve. One of the biggest pools of oil in the world. No wonder everybody is interested.

Now that things have died down in many parts of Iraq, the stuff that was only potentially dangerous rather than out and out dangerous is getting more attention. Like Kirkuk.

**Photo credit: Marcia Biggs

We were told by many US military officials that this is the flash point to watch.   Vice President Biden went there in January. Commanding US General Odierno went there when we were there. And the US military has quadrupled its presence there in the last few months.

Except there’s not too much to do there except play interlocutor to the various groups, watch the various factions and armies (the Kurds’ militia, the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army) move around the region, and just hold your breath hoping no one lights a match near this political tinderbox.

We were told that outsiders are the ones who want to stir this up and the folks in Kirkuk are just happy to live together.

We asked people on the street if they could live together, and they said yes. Then we asked them how they’ d like to live together, and everybody had a different idea about what state Kirkuk should belong to.

Oh, there’s one more hitch to this. The Kurds really like America. We actually left them in the lurch after Gulf War 1, when we encouraged them to rebel against Saddam Hussein.  They did. And then we looked the other way. But after that, we gave them air cover and aid and protection as they established their autonomous fiefdom.

So, needless to say one Kirkuk police colonel we visited proudly displayed a US flag alongside his Iraqi flag, plus pictures of him with various visiting American notables.

And the folklore was that a statue of a medium height fellow in a modern-day business suit with neat parted hair in the center of town was George W. Bush. We found the statue, and we almost thought it was… until we were told it was actually a local guy who looks western.

Anyway, we have to bend over backwards to make it seem like we’re not on the Kurds’ side. And show that we’re helping everybody. Even while everybody is trying to stab everybody else behind in their backs.

The hope is that there will be such a big momentum going forward to make Iraq a successful country that everybody will put aside their differnces and, as I described it in my story, play nice.

That’s the hope anyway. The reality might be different. Who said making new democracies was easy?

Check out the video:

Share This

My Pakistani cricket team hat

Islamabad, Pakistan – The banner headlines in today’s newspapers say it all:
TERROR BOWLS CRICKET OUT, MUMBAI TERROR VISITS LAHORE.

Tuesday’s deadly terror attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in the eastern city of Lahore left eight from their team wounded and seven others dead, six of them security officers.  This was among the highest-profile attacks on a sports team since Palestinian militants killed eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Stories are emerging of heroic actions, including the driver of the team’s bus who stayed behind the wheel and drove to safety even as bullets were whizzing through the windshield.  In total, twenty-five bullets struck the bus.

This is yet another blow to this country whose civilian government appears to be losing control at every turn, but this latest attack is a serious strike against the morale of the Pakistani people.  This in addition to ongoing battles with the Taliban and Al Qaeda, rolling blackouts and an economy that’s making it difficult for average people to feed their families let alone throwing the country’s poor further into desperation.

In this part of the world cricket is religion and now for the foreseeable future it will be impossible for the average Pakistani to see their national team play PERIOD, let alone on their own soil.  No teams will take the risk to come here for a match and the International Cricket Council is now reviewing Pakistan as a co-host for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.  Yesterday, New Zealand called off its December tour and the only reason the Sri Lankan team was in country this week is because India canceled its tour just after the Mumbai terror attacks in November.

About three months ago while poking through one of the many shopping areas here in the capital, I came across a sports store that carried the entire line of Pakistani cricket team jerseys and hats.  I bought a green cap with the team’s gold star emblem on the front.  Nearly every time I wore it, someone would comment on it.  It made their heart swell to see a foreigner wear their team’s hat.  Little did they know that I have never even been able to keep score in a cricket match, but even if they did, I’m sure it would not have mattered.

One of Fox News’ Pakistani employees was a spin bowler in his day.  I guess the best way to describe a spin bowler is like a starting pitcher in baseball with a mean curveball.  When word of the attack in Lahore came in, all he said was “Pakistani cricket, it’s now finished.”  For Munir’s sake, and for the millions of Pakistani cricket fans here, I hope that the lapse in matches will be a ‘tea break’ and not a permanent game ender.

Share This

Guess what? US soldiers are still dying in Iraq. For all the talk we heard from President Obama about ending the war, the fact of the matter is the war is still on.

When we got up to the northern Iraqi city of Mosul to report on the situation there, we were confronted with that reality. The whole unit we were with was very upset about the deaths earlier in that week of Lt. Col Garett Derby and three other troops. Their Humvee (yes, they weren’t in the new tough MRAP vehicle) was hit by a car bomb. It happened near a police check point. Some police that should’ve been there, we’re told, weren’t. There were suspicions it was a set-up job.

In fact, much in Mosul is a reminder that there is a way to go in Iraq. I hadn’t been there in a few years. The west side of the city looked as bad as any neighborhood I’d seen in my years covering Iraq. Al Qaeda in Iraq has decided to make Mosul its last stronghold. The buildings along the road soldiers have dubbed the“Highway of Death” bear the scars of countless blasts. The streets are a mess. The residents wary.

**Photo Credit: Marcia Biggs

But as with everything we’ve seen in our travels here in the past month, there is another side to the story. One day we moved around parts of the city with US Army Col Geoff Ellerson who is mentoring the Iraqi National Police. They have been criticized in the past for being in the pocket of central government interests but seem to have gotten their act together.

On this day they had basically shut a whole section of the city down to do house to house searches. Another déjà vu moment.

But now it wasn’t US soldiers annoying residents as they routed through their personal items….it was Iraqi security forces. Progress of a sort.

After seeing the tough west Mosul area we were then brought down into the center of the city, the old town near the Tigris river. It was bustling with activity, shopkeepers, traffic. A real city and what Mosul should be.

Election posters left over from an earlier poll were around as well. Which is another good sign in Mosul. Sunni’s sat the last local elections out. Because of that outsider status, it was thought they were channeling their anger through insurgents. Now it was hoped democracy would steer them a bit more to the straight and narrow.

Our tour of Mosul was cut short that day when we learned that just across the river insurgents had targeted and killed Iraqi soldiers. In fact, every day that week there was trouble.

The next day we toured a few other areas of Mosul with an Iraqi Army General. He had been touted by the Americans as another force for good in the city. I found him to be a bit of a showboat. Literally arresting one Iraqi soldier for not manning a checkpoint properly. Dragging his whole entourage half way across town to preside over some gifts doled out at an orphanage. And then trying to sort out some bad food at another Iraqi army base.

The week after we were there Iraqi security forces backed up by the Americans staged another one of those mass “operations” netting dozens of militant suspects. Again, seen that story before.

The trip actually brought to mind two other past visits to Mosul. The first was in February 2003. My cameraman Pierre on this trip was with me then. We attended a mass march of Saddam’s (he was still in power then) various militias.

The other visit was September 2003. Saddam was gone and things had loosened up. We even had a lovely dinner at an open air restaurant along the river with other Mosul residents. Of course then we all know what happened. Those folks who were marching back in February and were laying low in September then decided take up arms again, against the U.S.

Which brings us back to Lt.Col. Derby and the others who gave their lives. Six years later, Americans are still dying, still trying to make this whole thing work. And they won’t be the last to die either I think it’s unfortunately safe to say. No wonder the folks here are straining to hear something that sounded like working toward “victory” in President Obama’s speech. It’s only human.

Here’s the exclusive video:

Share This

Our second day in Basra and cameraman Pierre, producer Marcia, and myself are tackling one of the toughest stories now in Iraq. The role of our nemesis next door, Iran, is the still lingering trouble in Iraq.

Basra’s the place to go because it’s the second biggest city in Iraq, and the one with the biggest connections to Iran. For one thing, it’s just a few dozen miles away. For another, up until last year the city was run by militias with full backing, training, and outfitting, according to intelligence, by Tehran.  And they’re still active.

So going to the border was a must. That meant we got to hop on a chopper and buzz out there. Always a good time. The “bird” was a Merlin. My first time on one. It’s a UK chopper that’s a cross between an Apache and a Chinook. Nice aircraft. Pierre and Marcia got to videotape and snap a lot of great pictures. We got to see the lay of the land.

*Photo credit: Marcia Biggs

And it told the tale of the area. All across the desert we saw old sand embankments that Iraqi tanks used to shelter behind as they fended off Iranian forces’ advances during the bloody and long Iran-Iraq War in the 80’s.  Further north we were told were the remains of the tanks.

That alone says a lot about how the Iraqis feel for the Iranians. Yes, the Iraqis down south are Shia Muslim just like Iranians. And for some malcontents in Iraq their rebellious message has hit a chord. But there is still a lot of very bad blood between these two groups of people.

That was underscored too when we left the chopper and rode with US Col. Warren Perry to an Iraqi Border Guard outpost. He and his men are mentoring the Iraqis. But they seem to have the task down pretty well.

My line in the report was that the Iraqis and Iranians are eyeball to eyeball along the border. It certainly reminded me of a lot of political “divides” I’ve been to, the Berlin Wall and the Korean DMZ come to mind. Every few miles an Iranian guard post was matched on one side across a big high dirt beam with an Iraqi sentry. We were as close as 100 yards at various times.

When we got to our destination, a big burly fellow named Col. Khalil Ibrahim greeted us. He was in the Iraqi army during the 80s personally tangling with Iran. And it sounded like he was still fighting that war. No sympathizing her.

His was an interesting story. After that he fought the US in Gulf War 1, then fought us again in Gulf War 2. Then it was hinted at that he might have not been too favorable to us in the months following the fall of Saddam. But now he’s back on our side. And against the Iranians.

Nothing gets across this border, he assured us. No militia members. No weapons. But to be honest, it wouldn’t be too smart anyway. The land on either side of the border in this part was pretty desolate.

But he still had a bit of respect for his adversaries. We wanted to take some closer shots of the Iranians, and were quickly hustled away.

So we hopped back into our vehicles and made it to the main border crossing linking Iran with Basra. Here, too, it was a bit sensitive. So Pierre had to shoot from inside the truck (griping all the while that the shots weren’t good enough.)

But we could certainly see that it was very busy. And if any bad stuff or bad people were coming into Iraq this could be where the action is. Probably the reason why it had been closed for the last 8 months or so since the big crackdown on militias and just now re-opened.

American, UK and Iraqi soldiers and guards seemed to be very attentive and geared up with hi tech stuff to stop items that might do damage to American and coalition soldiers … and Iraqis.

We did have an off camera sit down with the Iraqi border crossing big cheese. And we listened as Col. Perry did the song and dance all Americans have to go through with their Arab colleagues.  “How’s the family?”  “Fine.” “How’s the wife?”   “Running the home.”   “Have some tea.”  “Thanks.”   Yada yada.

The outcome of the weekend is the border chief complained about slowing his income flow down with all the security. And Col. Perry saying tough, it’s all for a good cause.

Then after getting blasted with a hail of dirt and sand from our chopper landing again to pick us up we were whisked off and back to Basra.   Our visit to Iraq’s Rio Grande complete.   And a little better picture gained of the headaches remaining as we extricate ourselves from Iraq.

Share This

This is my  13thvisit to Iraq.  But my first in two years.  When Anastasia asked me if I wanted to go, I said sure. There was much to catch up on. And besides, I’d be doing it with my good buddy and veteran of countless hot spots with me — cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski. And a nice native New Yorker, producer Marcia Biggs.

Our first stop is the southern city of Basra.  I’d been there a few times under Saddam, and a few times after. And it hasn’t been so hot under either guise…   it’s a big sprawling marshy port city which always seems to have more garbage in the streets than redeeming features.

It does have one very  redeeming feature though: oil. Just about more than anywhere in the world. When you see the place though you can’t believe it.   It could be Houston.  It ain’t.

It’s been run by the Brits since the fall of Saddam in 2003, and that’s one of the reasons we are down here.  The UK is leaving this spring,  and the U.S., already  overstretched and trying to get itself out of Iraq, has to cover this place as well.

**Photo Credit: Marcia Biggs

Our assessment is, touch wood, it should be OK. Basra had been relatively calm for several years after 2003.  In summer 2005, in fact, I made my last trip to Basra.  Folks were eating ice cream cones along the waterfront and families were enjoying amusement park rides.

Then, as things happen in Iraq, the place turned into a blood-drenched maelstrom.  Iran-backed militia ran the city, made everyone’s lives  hell, and turned the place into a shooting gallery.

It finally took tons of Iraqi armed forces backed mostly by the US to rein the place in. Now, it’s in pretty good shape, tightly wired down by a lot of new and improved Iraqi units.

The hitch, as I noted in my report, is the place that still has a host of social ills: unemployment, lack of services, run-down infrastructure.  If the new local government doesn’t deal with that, the US is going to  have more headaches.

Anyway it’s  nice being with the Brits.   They’re always so articulate and accommodating and funny.   The press officer we dealt with was named “Dickie.”   One of his past times was playing cafeteria bingo.  He would sit at a different table every time he went to the Mess. He d keep a chart of the dining room in his office and X off the tables he sat in. Don’t ask me why.

The Brits’ food is also always a pleasure. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding just some of the fare we tucked into. I’m not saying American food on US bases is bad.  It’s just a little bit… shopping mall. Brit dining room food is more Ye Olde Thatched Cottage.

We spent time with Lt. Chris Coles and his men, who are training up those Iraqi soldiers.  They’re living with the Iraqis in their bases inside the city.  And it’s pretty urban rough and tight. But they were very pleased to show off the UK troops’ rec room. With the ever present Brit soccer on the big screen.

We went with the Brits (and Iraqis) on a street patrol. All very well conducted. You always notice how well-spaced and carefully choreographed the UK troops are. It’s those long years of Northern Ireland city warfare under their belts. And no helmets. This is how they’d been patrolling the city for much of their stay — until the local thug gangs started to turn on them and set their vehicles on fire. They must be relieved that it’s all settled down. I know I was, not just for myself but for the battle-weary American soldiers taking over here.

As the very upright British Brigadier General Tom Beckett put it to me, “In any mission you have yours ups and downs, but if you persevere you can get through it.”

As for the residents we met on patrol, they were uniformly friendly and appreciative of the troops’ presence. They all said they were happy the militias were no longer there and there was security again.  But they also were full of grumbles about what Basra needed. Just like London. What progress.

Probably the high point of our visit with the Brits though was the combat exercise involving Iraqi troops mentored by UK soldiers. It was run on a run-down, abandoned base with nearly live fire. And it was better than “Full Metal Jacket” and “Platoon” all rolled into one.

Or should I say the highpoint for cameraman Pierre, who got to run around the shooting, act like the Energizer Bunny he is,  and get up as close as possible to the blasts (his hearing has left him about 8 hot spots ago).

The Americans will be training up the police, which, if the Basra Finest are anything like other police forces in this country, will be anything but an easy job. So, I think it s a bit too early to say that we Yanks will have an easy ride of it. Too often in this tough, sprawling country things have gone from good to bad. But it appears easier than other places we’ ve wandered into.

And again, as I mentioned in my report, the other redeeming feature of all this is that it’ll be a quick exit when the U.S. troops get their final marching orders.  Kuwait, the land exit ramp for all American forces in Iraq, is right next door! And McDonald’s is not too far beyond that!

Watch the report:

Share This

By Reena Ninan, Middle East correspondent

I could never be a good smuggler.

I once tried to smuggle ten souvenir lighters on a flight from Baghdad to Amman.

The lighters had a picture of George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein with an F-16 above their heads.  I bought them at Baghdad airport.  Airport security yelled at the man who sold them to me and forced him to return my money.  He did.  I gave back most of the lighters but was allowed to keep two.

Smuggling is a profitable business–especially in Gaza.  But it’s not lighters they’re after.

This week Hamas’s Gaza spokesman Ayman Taha was busted trying to carry $11 million in cash ($9 million in U.S. dollars and $2 million in euros) through the Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border. Taha was coming back to Gaza after ceasefire talks in Egypt.  But before those talks, he made a stop in Tehran along with Hamas’s leader Khaled Meshaal, who is based in Syria.  Gazans believe he picked up the money in Iran.

It’s not the first time Hamas leaders have tried this route. When the Islamists took over the Gaza Strip in 2007, the international community launched an economic boycott.  Hamas Leader Mahmoud Zahar travelled to several countries, including Iran and Indonesia.  He successfully brought back bags of cash via Egypt–$35 million worth.

If it worked back then, why not now?

To start, Egypt appears to be making a more serious effort to crack down on the smuggling. So why not use the underground tunnels–the same tunnels that are also used to bring in rockets?

Maybe it’s become harder to do after Israel bombed hundreds of tunnels recently.  Or perhaps Hamas wanted to see if the Egyptians would really follow through on their pledges to patrol the border.

Either way, with $2 billion dollars in estimated reconstruction costs for Gaza, the Islamists will need to find some way to get fresh funds in if they expect to maintain their grip on power.

Share This