BAGHDAD - The rise of armed Sunni groups — who now battle al-Qaida in Iraq instead of fighting U.S. troops — is widely seen as a major reason for a drop in violence across the country.
But bringing these fighters into the fold of Iraq's security forces — and sparking a political reconciliation that will allow more Sunnis to participate in the governing process — is something the Shiite-dominated government is not adequately addressing, analysts say.
Iraqi officials report the number of fighters in the so-called "awakening" councils as about 70,000 and rapidly growing. They expect the number of Sunni fighters in Baghdad alone to grow to 45,000 next year — a fourfold increase from present figures.
By comparison, the Shiite dominated army and police make up the majority of the 440,000 Iraqi security forces.
Shiite government officials have in recent weeks cautiously praised the fighters for helping reduce violence. But laced into the comments were warnings that represent Shiites' biggest fear: that these groups will become an uncontrollable force and eventually use their guns to escalate a sectarian war that has largely divided Iraq into blocs along religious lines.
"The awakening movement was a response to al-Qaida in Iraq trying to prevent Sunnis from entering the political process," Defense Minister Abdul-Qader al-Obeidi, himself a Sunni Arab, said at a news conference on Saturday.
"The Sunnis' response was an uprising, represented by the awakening groups. Now that al-Qaida has largely been marginalized in certain areas, Sunnis are entering the political arena," al-Obeidi said. "We will see a definite change soon because there is nobody now standing between them and the rest of the Iraqi people."
Sunnis make up about 20 percent of Iraq's population. Under Saddam Hussein — and during the Ottoman and British rule of Iraq — they were the dominant political entity. But since Hussein's fall, Sunnis have been politically fractured.
Now that the awakening movement is being credited tamping down violence, the tribal sheiks directing the fighters are demanding more of a political voice. If they do not get it, they may turn their guns back on U.S. and Iraqi forces, something American officials are keenly aware of.
U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker told journalists Sunday in Baghdad that the awakening was never envisioned as an independent force.
"We've always felt that they have to link up to the government of Iraq," he said. "That's got to happen or nothing good is coming down the line."
Crocker also noted that violence has fallen in Iraq because of what he said appeared to be a conscious decision by Iran's leaders to halt support of Shiite militias.
"There have been some signs, indicators that Iran is using some influence to bring down violence," he said. "How lasting a phenomenon that will be and how Iran defines its role in 2008 will be important to Iraq's long-term future."
Iraq's government has said it wants to regularize about 25 percent of the Sunni fighters into its security forces, but only 5 percent of the fighters have been absorbed into the force so far. The rest will be given vocational training.
Deepening the uncertainty is the refusal of Iraqi officials to give anything but scant details about what this job training would consist of. Nor do they adequately address the problem of finding a job for these trained gunmen. Crocker said Iraq is matching $155 million that the U.S. has set aside for "employment creation" funds, but that a strategy for carrying it out was still being planned.
In December, the unemployment rate for Iraq's work force was 17.6 percent and underemployment stood at 38.1 percent, according to Iraq's Central Statistical Organization. Experts suggest those rates are much higher, given the difficulty of collecting data.
Even if the government meets its 25-percent absorption target, 75 percent of the irregulars will likely face unemployment, a situation analysts say could push them back into the fight against U.S. and Iraqi forces.
Deborah D. Avant, director of international studies at the University of California-Irvine and author of the book "The Market for Force: The Consequences of Privatizing Security," said there are ominous similarities between the awakening councils and armed groups in past conflicts that were used for short-term military gains but ended up being roadblocks for state building.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Gaza's Christians keep low Xmas profile
By SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press Writer Sun Dec 23, 3:41 PM ET
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Gaza's tiny Christian community is keeping a low profile this Christmas, traumatized by the killing of a prominent activist in the wake of Hamas' takeover of the coastal territory.
Few Christmas trees are on display, churches are holding austere services and hundreds of Christians hope to travel to the moderate-controlled West Bank to celebrate the holiday in Bethlehem. Many say they don't plan on returning to Gaza.
"We have a very sad Christmas," said Essam Farah, acting pastor of Gaza's Baptist Church, which has canceled its annual children's party because of the grim atmosphere.
About 3,000 Christians live in Gaza, an overwhelmingly conservative Muslim territory of 1.5 million people. It has been virtually cut off from the world and its residents driven deeper into poverty since the June takeover by Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States.
Christians and Muslims have generally had cordial relations over the years in Gaza, but that relationship has been shaky since Hamas seized control and tensions were exacerbated with the recent death of 32-year-old Rami Ayyad.
Ayyad, a member of the Baptist Church, managed Gaza's only Christian bookstore. In early October, he was found shot in the head, his body thrown on a Gaza street 10 hours after he was kidnapped from the store.
He regularly received death threats from people angry about his perceived missionary work — a rarity among Gaza's Christians — and the store was firebombed six months before the kidnapping.
No group claimed responsibility for the killing, and no one has openly accused Hamas of persecution. But Christians fear that the Hamas takeover, along with the lack of progress in finding Ayyad's killers, has emboldened Islamic extremists.
Hamas has tried to calm jittery Christians with reassuring handshakes and official visits promising justice.
Hamas "will not spare any effort to find the culprits of this crime and bring them to justice," said spokesman Fawzi Barhoum. He insisted the killing was not religiously motivated.
At the Baptist Church on Sunday, just 10 people attended the regular weekly prayer service, down from an average of 70. There was no Christmas tree in sight.
Farah said the church's full-time pastor, along with his family and 12 employees of Ayyad's store, have relocated to the West Bank, where President Mahmoud Abbas heads a pro-Western government. Farah said he prayed for forgiveness and love among Muslims and Christians.
Community leaders say an unprecedented number of Christian families are already migrating from Gaza — rattled by the religious tensions and tough economic sanctions Israel imposed on the area after the Hamas takeover.
While no official statistics were available, the signs of the flight are evident. Rev. Manuel Musallem, head of Gaza's Roman Catholic church, said he alone knows of seven families that sold their properties and left the area, and 15 more are preparing to do the same.
Musallem blamed Israeli sanctions and excessive violence in Gaza for the flight.
"In previous years we didn't see this rate of migration," Musallem said. "Now, exit is not on individual basis. Whole families are leaving, selling their cars, homes and all their properties."
The signs of despair are evident at Ayyad's home. Posters declaring him a "martyr of Jesus" hang on the walls. There is no Christmas tree this year.
Ayyad's older brother, 35-year old Ibrahim, said his 6-year old son, Khedr, was nagged in school about his uncle's murder. Muslim schoolmates call him "infidel."
Ayyad's wife, Pauline, 29, left for Bethlehem a month ago with her two children. She said their 3-year-old son, George, has been shattered by his father's death.
"I tell him Papa Noel (Santa Claus) is coming to see you, and he tells me he wants Papa Rami," she said tearfully during a telephone interview.
Pauline, who is seven months pregnant, said she plans to come back to Gaza for the birth.
But many Christians privately said they would use their travel permits to leave Gaza for good, even if that means remaining in the West Bank as illegal residents. Israeli security officials said they were permitting 400 Gaza Christians to travel through Israel to Bethlehem for Christmas.
A family of four, refusing to be identified for fear their permits would be revoked, have sold their house and car and packed their bags. The wife has transferred her job to the West Bank and enrolled her son and daughter in school there. "We fear what is to come," said the husband.
Fouad, a distant relative of Ayyad, said he also is packing up. He said his father, a guard at a local church, was stopped recently by unknown bearded men who put a gun to his head before he was rescued by passers-by.
"We don't know why it happened," the 20-year-old police officer said. "We can't be sure how they (Muslims) think anymore."
Those who are staying are trying to limit the risks. Nazek Surri, a Roman Catholic, walked out from Sunday's service with a Muslim-style scarf covering her head.
"We have to respect the atmosphere we are living in. We have to go with the trend," she said.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Gaza's tiny Christian community is keeping a low profile this Christmas, traumatized by the killing of a prominent activist in the wake of Hamas' takeover of the coastal territory.
Few Christmas trees are on display, churches are holding austere services and hundreds of Christians hope to travel to the moderate-controlled West Bank to celebrate the holiday in Bethlehem. Many say they don't plan on returning to Gaza.
"We have a very sad Christmas," said Essam Farah, acting pastor of Gaza's Baptist Church, which has canceled its annual children's party because of the grim atmosphere.
About 3,000 Christians live in Gaza, an overwhelmingly conservative Muslim territory of 1.5 million people. It has been virtually cut off from the world and its residents driven deeper into poverty since the June takeover by Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States.
Christians and Muslims have generally had cordial relations over the years in Gaza, but that relationship has been shaky since Hamas seized control and tensions were exacerbated with the recent death of 32-year-old Rami Ayyad.
Ayyad, a member of the Baptist Church, managed Gaza's only Christian bookstore. In early October, he was found shot in the head, his body thrown on a Gaza street 10 hours after he was kidnapped from the store.
He regularly received death threats from people angry about his perceived missionary work — a rarity among Gaza's Christians — and the store was firebombed six months before the kidnapping.
No group claimed responsibility for the killing, and no one has openly accused Hamas of persecution. But Christians fear that the Hamas takeover, along with the lack of progress in finding Ayyad's killers, has emboldened Islamic extremists.
Hamas has tried to calm jittery Christians with reassuring handshakes and official visits promising justice.
Hamas "will not spare any effort to find the culprits of this crime and bring them to justice," said spokesman Fawzi Barhoum. He insisted the killing was not religiously motivated.
At the Baptist Church on Sunday, just 10 people attended the regular weekly prayer service, down from an average of 70. There was no Christmas tree in sight.
Farah said the church's full-time pastor, along with his family and 12 employees of Ayyad's store, have relocated to the West Bank, where President Mahmoud Abbas heads a pro-Western government. Farah said he prayed for forgiveness and love among Muslims and Christians.
Community leaders say an unprecedented number of Christian families are already migrating from Gaza — rattled by the religious tensions and tough economic sanctions Israel imposed on the area after the Hamas takeover.
While no official statistics were available, the signs of the flight are evident. Rev. Manuel Musallem, head of Gaza's Roman Catholic church, said he alone knows of seven families that sold their properties and left the area, and 15 more are preparing to do the same.
Musallem blamed Israeli sanctions and excessive violence in Gaza for the flight.
"In previous years we didn't see this rate of migration," Musallem said. "Now, exit is not on individual basis. Whole families are leaving, selling their cars, homes and all their properties."
The signs of despair are evident at Ayyad's home. Posters declaring him a "martyr of Jesus" hang on the walls. There is no Christmas tree this year.
Ayyad's older brother, 35-year old Ibrahim, said his 6-year old son, Khedr, was nagged in school about his uncle's murder. Muslim schoolmates call him "infidel."
Ayyad's wife, Pauline, 29, left for Bethlehem a month ago with her two children. She said their 3-year-old son, George, has been shattered by his father's death.
"I tell him Papa Noel (Santa Claus) is coming to see you, and he tells me he wants Papa Rami," she said tearfully during a telephone interview.
Pauline, who is seven months pregnant, said she plans to come back to Gaza for the birth.
But many Christians privately said they would use their travel permits to leave Gaza for good, even if that means remaining in the West Bank as illegal residents. Israeli security officials said they were permitting 400 Gaza Christians to travel through Israel to Bethlehem for Christmas.
A family of four, refusing to be identified for fear their permits would be revoked, have sold their house and car and packed their bags. The wife has transferred her job to the West Bank and enrolled her son and daughter in school there. "We fear what is to come," said the husband.
Fouad, a distant relative of Ayyad, said he also is packing up. He said his father, a guard at a local church, was stopped recently by unknown bearded men who put a gun to his head before he was rescued by passers-by.
"We don't know why it happened," the 20-year-old police officer said. "We can't be sure how they (Muslims) think anymore."
Those who are staying are trying to limit the risks. Nazek Surri, a Roman Catholic, walked out from Sunday's service with a Muslim-style scarf covering her head.
"We have to respect the atmosphere we are living in. We have to go with the trend," she said.
Chinese police probe slaughter of rare Siberian tiger
BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese police have launched an investigation into the illegal slaughter of a rare Siberian tiger at a reserve in central China, state press reported Sunday.
The six year old female tiger was found skinned with its head and the lower part of its legs cut off at the knee in a wildlife zoo in China's Hubei province, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the report, the locks to the tiger cage were smashed and four home-made anaesthetic rifles were found nearby.
"This was cruel and professional slaughter," an official close to the case was quoted as saying.
Liu Xinxian, head of the forestry bureau in the city of Yichang that borders the Yangtze river, vowed to find the perpetrators.
"The Siberian tiger is a key species under state protection and the criminals will be severely punished," Liu said.
Police have offered an undisclosed reward for information leading to the capture of those involved. If caught the killers could be jailed for up to 10 years.
No more than a few dozen wild tigers are believed left in China, and only a couple of thousand live in their native habitat worldwide.
Among the world's 10 most endangered species, about 400 Siberian tigers are thought to live in northeast China and Russia's far east.
The six year old female tiger was found skinned with its head and the lower part of its legs cut off at the knee in a wildlife zoo in China's Hubei province, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the report, the locks to the tiger cage were smashed and four home-made anaesthetic rifles were found nearby.
"This was cruel and professional slaughter," an official close to the case was quoted as saying.
Liu Xinxian, head of the forestry bureau in the city of Yichang that borders the Yangtze river, vowed to find the perpetrators.
"The Siberian tiger is a key species under state protection and the criminals will be severely punished," Liu said.
Police have offered an undisclosed reward for information leading to the capture of those involved. If caught the killers could be jailed for up to 10 years.
No more than a few dozen wild tigers are believed left in China, and only a couple of thousand live in their native habitat worldwide.
Among the world's 10 most endangered species, about 400 Siberian tigers are thought to live in northeast China and Russia's far east.
Snowstorm blamed for 11 deaths, outages
By CARRIE ANTLFINGER, Associated Press Writer 58 minutes ago
MILWAUKEE - Highways were hazardous for holiday travelers Sunday and thousands of homes and businesses had no electricity in the Midwest as a storm blustered through the region with heavy snow and howling wind.
At least 11 deaths had been blamed on the storm.
Winter storm warnings were posted for parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan on Sunday as the core of the storm headed north across the Great Lakes. Parts of Wisconsin already had a foot of snow, and up to a foot was forecast Sunday in northeastern Minnesota, the National Weather Service said.
Radar showed snow falling across much of Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota on Sunday and moving into parts of Michigan and Indiana.
"Everything is just an ice rink out there," said Sgt. Steve Selby with the sheriff's department in Rock County, Wis.
The weather system also spread locally heavy rain on Sunday from the Southeast to the lower Great Lakes.
The storm rolled through Colorado and Wyoming on Friday, then spread snow and ice on Saturday from the Texas Panhandle to Minnesota. Multi-car pileups closed parts of several major highways Saturday in the Plains states.
The area of Madison, Wis., got three to four hours of freezing rain early Sunday, said weather service meteorologist intern Bill Borghoff at Sullivan. The combination of icy pavement and gusty wind made driving treacherous, he said.
"It's quite a mess out there," Borghoff said.
Wind gusting to more than 50 mph uprooted trees in parts of Michigan. "I can see the snow moving basically sideways," meteorologist Wayne Hoepner said in Grand Rapids.
Winds were recorded blowing as fast as 88 mph over Lake Michigan with gusts of 50 to 68 mph across the Chicago region, according to the National Weather Service.
Because of the wind, airlines canceled more than 300 flights Sunday at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, the city Aviation Department said. Municipal officials said the wind had knocked out nearly 170 traffic signals, and there were more than 500 reports of fallen trees and limbs.
More than 11,000 homes and businesses were without power at some point Saturday in Wisconsin because of the freezing rain, ice, gusty wind and heavy snow, utilities said. Michigan utilities reported some 60,000 customers were still without power Sunday night, and in Illinois about 15,000 customers were blacked out.
At least three people in Minnesota, three in Wyoming, three in Wisconsin and one person each in Texas and Kansas were killed in traffic accidents that authorities said stemmed from the storm.
The fatality in Texas came in a chain-reaction pileup involving more than 50 vehicles, including several tractor-trailer rigs, on Interstate 40, police said. At least 16 people were taken to hospitals, Sgt. Michael Poston said.
"We're not really sure how many cars, probably in excess of 40 cars and in excess of 20 semitrailers," Amarillo police Sgt. Greg Fisher said Sunday.
Many were holiday travelers, including families with small children not dressed for the weather, Sgt. Shawn McLeland said. Other drivers opened their own Christmas presents to provide warmer clothing for the children.
Authorities believe the pileup, which shut down the highway for most of the day, was caused by near zero visibility in blowing snow and slippery pavement. Multi-vehicle wrecks on Saturday also temporarily blocked sections of I-70 in Kansas and I-29 in Missouri.
___
MILWAUKEE - Highways were hazardous for holiday travelers Sunday and thousands of homes and businesses had no electricity in the Midwest as a storm blustered through the region with heavy snow and howling wind.
At least 11 deaths had been blamed on the storm.
Winter storm warnings were posted for parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan on Sunday as the core of the storm headed north across the Great Lakes. Parts of Wisconsin already had a foot of snow, and up to a foot was forecast Sunday in northeastern Minnesota, the National Weather Service said.
Radar showed snow falling across much of Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota on Sunday and moving into parts of Michigan and Indiana.
"Everything is just an ice rink out there," said Sgt. Steve Selby with the sheriff's department in Rock County, Wis.
The weather system also spread locally heavy rain on Sunday from the Southeast to the lower Great Lakes.
The storm rolled through Colorado and Wyoming on Friday, then spread snow and ice on Saturday from the Texas Panhandle to Minnesota. Multi-car pileups closed parts of several major highways Saturday in the Plains states.
The area of Madison, Wis., got three to four hours of freezing rain early Sunday, said weather service meteorologist intern Bill Borghoff at Sullivan. The combination of icy pavement and gusty wind made driving treacherous, he said.
"It's quite a mess out there," Borghoff said.
Wind gusting to more than 50 mph uprooted trees in parts of Michigan. "I can see the snow moving basically sideways," meteorologist Wayne Hoepner said in Grand Rapids.
Winds were recorded blowing as fast as 88 mph over Lake Michigan with gusts of 50 to 68 mph across the Chicago region, according to the National Weather Service.
Because of the wind, airlines canceled more than 300 flights Sunday at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, the city Aviation Department said. Municipal officials said the wind had knocked out nearly 170 traffic signals, and there were more than 500 reports of fallen trees and limbs.
More than 11,000 homes and businesses were without power at some point Saturday in Wisconsin because of the freezing rain, ice, gusty wind and heavy snow, utilities said. Michigan utilities reported some 60,000 customers were still without power Sunday night, and in Illinois about 15,000 customers were blacked out.
At least three people in Minnesota, three in Wyoming, three in Wisconsin and one person each in Texas and Kansas were killed in traffic accidents that authorities said stemmed from the storm.
The fatality in Texas came in a chain-reaction pileup involving more than 50 vehicles, including several tractor-trailer rigs, on Interstate 40, police said. At least 16 people were taken to hospitals, Sgt. Michael Poston said.
"We're not really sure how many cars, probably in excess of 40 cars and in excess of 20 semitrailers," Amarillo police Sgt. Greg Fisher said Sunday.
Many were holiday travelers, including families with small children not dressed for the weather, Sgt. Shawn McLeland said. Other drivers opened their own Christmas presents to provide warmer clothing for the children.
Authorities believe the pileup, which shut down the highway for most of the day, was caused by near zero visibility in blowing snow and slippery pavement. Multi-vehicle wrecks on Saturday also temporarily blocked sections of I-70 in Kansas and I-29 in Missouri.
___
Storm blasts central US, at least 5 die
ST. PAUL, Minn. - A winter storm packing heavy snow walloped the central United States, causing at least 5 deaths and dozens of injuries as multi-car pileups forced authorities to close parts of several major highways.
The storm Saturday blew heavy snow from Texas to Minnesota. Much of the region was still recovering from a severe ice storm early last week that knocked out electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.
At least three people in Minnesota and one person each in Texas and Kansas were killed in traffic accidents that authorities said were weather related. Strong winds could make traveling hazardous all weekend, said Craig Cogil, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Des Moines, Iowa. Parts of the state were expected to get between 6 and 10 inches of snow by Sunday morning, he said.
In Minnesota, a man was killed when he lost control of his car on Highway 10 in Harris and went into the opposite lane and was hit by an oncoming car, according to the Chisago County Sheriff's Office. The victim was identified as John Marvin Becklin, 46, of Harris. Authorities said weather appeared to be a factor in the collision, which happened shortly after noon.
A 17-year-old girl died in an early-morning accident when she lost control of her car in Oak Grove, crossed the center line and was struck by a pickup truck, the Anoka County Sheriff's Office said. The name of the victim, who was from Oak Grove, was being withheld until relatives had been notified.
A 33-year-old West St. Paul man was killed when the car he was driving on icy Highway 7 slid sideways into oncoming traffic and was hit by an oncoming car, according to the State Patrol. The victim's 24-year-old passenger was critically injured in the crash. Their names were not immediately released.
The Minnesota State Patrol said it handled at least 347 accident reports of vehicles that ran off roads across the state.
In Texas, one person died in a chain-reaction pileup involving more than 50 vehicles, including several tractor-trailer rigs, on Interstate 40, police said. Authorities said it would take a few days to determine exactly how many were involved.
Eighteen people were taken to hospitals, two with life-threatening injuries, Sgt. Michael Poston said.
"There were cars crashing while they (firefighters) were there," Fire Department Capt. Bob Johnson told the Amarillo Globe-News for its Sunday editions. "They could hear them (the crashes), but they couldn't see them."
Many were holiday travelers, including families with small children not dressed for the weather, Sgt. Shawn McLeland said. Other drivers spotted them and opened Christmas presents to provide warmer clothing for the children.
The tangle of twisted cars and trucks shut down the interstate for most of the day. Authorities believe the pileup was caused by blowing snow and the resulting zero visibility.
In northeast Kansas, at least one person was killed in a 30-car pileup on Interstate 70, prompting authorities to close a 40-mile stretch of the highway. The pileup occurred about 30 miles west of Topeka.
The fierce snowstorm caused another wreck involving 20 to 40 vehicles, including three tractor-trailer rigs, on Interstate 29 in St. Joseph in western Missouri. Police closed about 100 miles of I-29 to the Iowa state line.
Wind was blowing at sustained speeds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph in Oklahoma, where U.S. 412 near Mooreland in western Oklahoma was closed after up to 20 cars slid off the road or crashed, authorities said.
The storm also impacted flights at airports in the Midwest, as the busy pre-Christmas weekend travel was getting underway. The delays rippled across the country, affecting flights in the New York region.
The storm Saturday blew heavy snow from Texas to Minnesota. Much of the region was still recovering from a severe ice storm early last week that knocked out electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.
At least three people in Minnesota and one person each in Texas and Kansas were killed in traffic accidents that authorities said were weather related. Strong winds could make traveling hazardous all weekend, said Craig Cogil, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Des Moines, Iowa. Parts of the state were expected to get between 6 and 10 inches of snow by Sunday morning, he said.
In Minnesota, a man was killed when he lost control of his car on Highway 10 in Harris and went into the opposite lane and was hit by an oncoming car, according to the Chisago County Sheriff's Office. The victim was identified as John Marvin Becklin, 46, of Harris. Authorities said weather appeared to be a factor in the collision, which happened shortly after noon.
A 17-year-old girl died in an early-morning accident when she lost control of her car in Oak Grove, crossed the center line and was struck by a pickup truck, the Anoka County Sheriff's Office said. The name of the victim, who was from Oak Grove, was being withheld until relatives had been notified.
A 33-year-old West St. Paul man was killed when the car he was driving on icy Highway 7 slid sideways into oncoming traffic and was hit by an oncoming car, according to the State Patrol. The victim's 24-year-old passenger was critically injured in the crash. Their names were not immediately released.
The Minnesota State Patrol said it handled at least 347 accident reports of vehicles that ran off roads across the state.
In Texas, one person died in a chain-reaction pileup involving more than 50 vehicles, including several tractor-trailer rigs, on Interstate 40, police said. Authorities said it would take a few days to determine exactly how many were involved.
Eighteen people were taken to hospitals, two with life-threatening injuries, Sgt. Michael Poston said.
"There were cars crashing while they (firefighters) were there," Fire Department Capt. Bob Johnson told the Amarillo Globe-News for its Sunday editions. "They could hear them (the crashes), but they couldn't see them."
Many were holiday travelers, including families with small children not dressed for the weather, Sgt. Shawn McLeland said. Other drivers spotted them and opened Christmas presents to provide warmer clothing for the children.
The tangle of twisted cars and trucks shut down the interstate for most of the day. Authorities believe the pileup was caused by blowing snow and the resulting zero visibility.
In northeast Kansas, at least one person was killed in a 30-car pileup on Interstate 70, prompting authorities to close a 40-mile stretch of the highway. The pileup occurred about 30 miles west of Topeka.
The fierce snowstorm caused another wreck involving 20 to 40 vehicles, including three tractor-trailer rigs, on Interstate 29 in St. Joseph in western Missouri. Police closed about 100 miles of I-29 to the Iowa state line.
Wind was blowing at sustained speeds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph in Oklahoma, where U.S. 412 near Mooreland in western Oklahoma was closed after up to 20 cars slid off the road or crashed, authorities said.
The storm also impacted flights at airports in the Midwest, as the busy pre-Christmas weekend travel was getting underway. The delays rippled across the country, affecting flights in the New York region.
Former child star Fishel arrested
Former child star Danielle Fishel, a teen heartthrob on ABC's "Boy Meets World," was arrested this week on a drunken driving warrant from Los Angeles County, police said.
Fishel was arrested Thursday just before 5 a.m. after officers stopped a car she was in, said Newport Beach Sgt. James Rocker. She was released from jail shortly after her arrest.
Fishel grew up in Yorba Linda and spent more than seven years playing Topanga, the love interest of "Boy Meets World" star Ben Savage
In 2006, Fishel became the spokeswoman for NutriSystem after she announced on The Tyra Banks show that she was so thrilled about losing 20 pounds with the diet program that she wanted to be the company's spokeswoman.
In February, Fishel became a special correspondent for the Tyra Banks show.
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press
Fishel was arrested Thursday just before 5 a.m. after officers stopped a car she was in, said Newport Beach Sgt. James Rocker. She was released from jail shortly after her arrest.
Fishel grew up in Yorba Linda and spent more than seven years playing Topanga, the love interest of "Boy Meets World" star Ben Savage
In 2006, Fishel became the spokeswoman for NutriSystem after she announced on The Tyra Banks show that she was so thrilled about losing 20 pounds with the diet program that she wanted to be the company's spokeswoman.
In February, Fishel became a special correspondent for the Tyra Banks show.
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press
Cuban says Floyd in MMA is no stunt
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! SportsDecember 22, 2007
There is no doubt that Floyd Mayweather could become one of the world's great mixed martial arts fighters.
The world's best boxer was basically bred to fight.
But whether he will become anything more than an expensive publicity stunt in MMA is impossible to answer at this stage.
Mayweather, who said after his Dec. 8 stoppage of Ricky Hatton that he plans to take a long vacation, is now mulling entering MMA. Mayweather hasn't spoken publicly about his intentions, but his best friend, Leonard Ellerbe, insists he's serious.
And Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who developed a friendship with Mayweather when both were contestants on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, said Mayweather's notoriety would be a boon to the sport.
Cuban, who owns a fledgling MMA promotional company, HDNet Fights, is convinced Mayweather's stature in the sports world would extend to MMA.
"Floyd is well known well beyond just boxing fans and I doubt there are many, if any MMA fans (who) don't know who he is," Cuban said in an e-mail interview Saturday with Yahoo! Sports. "So I don't think there is any question that if he dedicated himself to the sport he could quickly become its biggest draw."
MMA has grown dramatically over the last three years, but it still lags behind boxing. The largest paid gate in an MMA fight in North America was $5.39 million for UFC 66, which featured Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.
There have been 31 larger paid gates in Nevada alone, including the last two Mayweather fights.
So as far as MMA has come, it still has a long way to go to gain mainstream acceptance. It may get to that point in the near future, but it's not there yet.
A transcendent star like Mayweather would give it a huge shove in the right direction. "In spite of its growth, MMA is still in its infancy," Cuban said. "The UFC has done a great job of getting it this far. Someone like Floyd could help catapult it to even greater heights by introducing not just boxing fans, but general sports fans to MMA."
If he even fights once, he'll attract a huge audience and perhaps even network television exposure for a sport that was once squeezed off of pay-per-view because of concerns about its brutality.
Mayweather would be taking an extraordinary risk should he attempt to fight, because if he were to get choked out quickly, everything he built in boxing would be gone. He made more than $20 million in each of his last two fights.
To put that amount of money in perspective, consider that just Mayweather's haul from the Hatton fight, which figures to wind up somewhere slightly in excess of $20 million, would be more than every fighter combined on the last three UFC pay-per-view shows.
And if Mayweather were to agree to fight unbeaten WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, the 2007 Yahoo! Sports Fighter of the Year, sometime in 2008, he'd be looking at another $25-million-plus haul.
For him to turn his back on that to enter a sport where he's years behind the curve would require extraordinary courage.
Were Mayweather to have trained in the martial arts for several years, there's no doubt he'd be an elite MMA fighter. He's physically strong, incredibly quick, is a powerful striker and is one of the most well-conditioned athletes alive.
Other boxers have turned to MMA and done well. Marcus Davis, a UFC welterweight, is one of the sport's most successful fighters now. He began as a boxer and was essentially a journeyman, but has become a player in MMA.
It can be done. And have little doubt that with four-ounce gloves on, Mayweather would instantly become the best striker in the game, so long as his fragile hands could handle the shock that would come from landing blows with much less padding on them.
But the question is whether Mayweather will put the time into learning the sport that would be required.
Cuban, for one, believes he would. He wouldn't put a timeframe on how long it would take, but he has little doubt that a motivated Mayweather could learn MMA well enough to be successful.
"Hard to say (how long it would take him)," Cuban said. "He obviously would have to develop additional skills, but there are plenty of accomplished fighters who live off of being great at one particular discipline. Floyd understands he would have a lot to learn, but there is no one that would work harder."
Most likely what is going on is that Mayweather is trying to find his own niche as a promoter. In Cuban, he's befriended a master who has the deep pockets to help him get started.
If Mayweather trained in MMA for a year, he could fight a lower-level opponent to start and be successful. That would be a huge event and could be a vehicle for Mayweather Promotions, his company, to promote MMA cards.
Cuban, who flatly said he could never envision himself promoting a boxing match involving Mayweather, clearly is smitten with the idea.
And it makes sense on a number of levels.
If he wants to prove he can do it and win an MMA fight, he's clearly gifted enough to do so. If he wants to delve into MMA promoting, it's a great launching pad for that bid. But if he plans to try to become the best MMA fighter in the world, that's an entirely different story. At nearly 31 and with a body that he says is beginning to break down from a lifetime of boxing, time is his enemy.
There is no doubt that Floyd Mayweather could become one of the world's great mixed martial arts fighters.
The world's best boxer was basically bred to fight.
But whether he will become anything more than an expensive publicity stunt in MMA is impossible to answer at this stage.
Mayweather, who said after his Dec. 8 stoppage of Ricky Hatton that he plans to take a long vacation, is now mulling entering MMA. Mayweather hasn't spoken publicly about his intentions, but his best friend, Leonard Ellerbe, insists he's serious.
And Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who developed a friendship with Mayweather when both were contestants on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, said Mayweather's notoriety would be a boon to the sport.
Cuban, who owns a fledgling MMA promotional company, HDNet Fights, is convinced Mayweather's stature in the sports world would extend to MMA.
"Floyd is well known well beyond just boxing fans and I doubt there are many, if any MMA fans (who) don't know who he is," Cuban said in an e-mail interview Saturday with Yahoo! Sports. "So I don't think there is any question that if he dedicated himself to the sport he could quickly become its biggest draw."
MMA has grown dramatically over the last three years, but it still lags behind boxing. The largest paid gate in an MMA fight in North America was $5.39 million for UFC 66, which featured Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.
There have been 31 larger paid gates in Nevada alone, including the last two Mayweather fights.
So as far as MMA has come, it still has a long way to go to gain mainstream acceptance. It may get to that point in the near future, but it's not there yet.
A transcendent star like Mayweather would give it a huge shove in the right direction. "In spite of its growth, MMA is still in its infancy," Cuban said. "The UFC has done a great job of getting it this far. Someone like Floyd could help catapult it to even greater heights by introducing not just boxing fans, but general sports fans to MMA."
If he even fights once, he'll attract a huge audience and perhaps even network television exposure for a sport that was once squeezed off of pay-per-view because of concerns about its brutality.
Mayweather would be taking an extraordinary risk should he attempt to fight, because if he were to get choked out quickly, everything he built in boxing would be gone. He made more than $20 million in each of his last two fights.
To put that amount of money in perspective, consider that just Mayweather's haul from the Hatton fight, which figures to wind up somewhere slightly in excess of $20 million, would be more than every fighter combined on the last three UFC pay-per-view shows.
And if Mayweather were to agree to fight unbeaten WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, the 2007 Yahoo! Sports Fighter of the Year, sometime in 2008, he'd be looking at another $25-million-plus haul.
For him to turn his back on that to enter a sport where he's years behind the curve would require extraordinary courage.
Were Mayweather to have trained in the martial arts for several years, there's no doubt he'd be an elite MMA fighter. He's physically strong, incredibly quick, is a powerful striker and is one of the most well-conditioned athletes alive.
Other boxers have turned to MMA and done well. Marcus Davis, a UFC welterweight, is one of the sport's most successful fighters now. He began as a boxer and was essentially a journeyman, but has become a player in MMA.
It can be done. And have little doubt that with four-ounce gloves on, Mayweather would instantly become the best striker in the game, so long as his fragile hands could handle the shock that would come from landing blows with much less padding on them.
But the question is whether Mayweather will put the time into learning the sport that would be required.
Cuban, for one, believes he would. He wouldn't put a timeframe on how long it would take, but he has little doubt that a motivated Mayweather could learn MMA well enough to be successful.
"Hard to say (how long it would take him)," Cuban said. "He obviously would have to develop additional skills, but there are plenty of accomplished fighters who live off of being great at one particular discipline. Floyd understands he would have a lot to learn, but there is no one that would work harder."
Most likely what is going on is that Mayweather is trying to find his own niche as a promoter. In Cuban, he's befriended a master who has the deep pockets to help him get started.
If Mayweather trained in MMA for a year, he could fight a lower-level opponent to start and be successful. That would be a huge event and could be a vehicle for Mayweather Promotions, his company, to promote MMA cards.
Cuban, who flatly said he could never envision himself promoting a boxing match involving Mayweather, clearly is smitten with the idea.
And it makes sense on a number of levels.
If he wants to prove he can do it and win an MMA fight, he's clearly gifted enough to do so. If he wants to delve into MMA promoting, it's a great launching pad for that bid. But if he plans to try to become the best MMA fighter in the world, that's an entirely different story. At nearly 31 and with a body that he says is beginning to break down from a lifetime of boxing, time is his enemy.
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