French journalists return home after Afghanistan hostage ordeal [VIDEO] (The Christian Science Monitor)

Paris Herve Ghesquiere and Stephane Taponier – Joy came to France this morning as the last two journalists held hostage under war conditions arrived home after 547 days in Taliban captivity. They said the ordeal raised their awareness of other hostages held “everywhere in the world.”

Herve Ghesquiere and Stephane Taponier of France 3 television started reporting in Afghanistan while embedded with a French military unit and were abducted in 2009 in the Kapisa Valley after visiting a town without the protection of troops, in order to get an authentic take on the area.

Today the two landed at a military air base outside Paris amid throngs of French journalists and hugged each other and family, answering questions in an ebullient moment. "We're doing really, really, really well," said Mr. Taponier, a cameraman who has worked in Gaza and Lebanon. “We stayed optimistic.”

When French Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced yesterday the release of the two at the National Assembly, that body erupted in a standing ovation. France has a famed tradition of patriotic emotion on the return home of captives. The release of a French-Colombian celebrity politician, Ingrid Betancourt, after six years held in the jungle brought a day of celebration two years ago.

The two France 3 journalists today described their ordeal as grueling due to poor conditions, lack of food, and uncertainty, but said they were not treated badly by their Taliban captors. Their translator, an Afghan national named Reza Din, was also released.

Winning hearts and minds in Afghanistan

“We were never threatened, never beaten, never tied up,” Taponier said. “But we were locked up 23 hours and 45 minutes [a day], with very little to eat, and always the same thing, ‘Afghan mountain special.’ It might sound stupid, food, but it's vital."

Mr. Ghesquiere, who worked in the Rwanda, Kosovo, and Balkan wars, said the experience has him thinking more of other unfortunates who are locked away or kidnapped. "There are many hostages in the world, I am really thinking about them,” he told colleagues today. “To be a hostage is complicated and difficult… I feel a deep emotion for them."

The two were released following a December intervention with Afghan President Hamid Karzai by French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, as well as the announcement of a withdrawal of French troops this month after US President Obama’s decision to draw down US troop levels. The Paris-based Reporters San Frontiers says the two are the final professional journalists held hostage that they are aware of.

Unusually, for four months after their kidnapping the French government did not release the men’s names. The reason was to reduce pressure in negotiations, a tactic similar to that used by the New York Times in securing its reporter David Rhodes. It was the first time France had held back names of captives.

Perils of war reporting Journalists here later criticized French officials for insinuating, once their names were known, that the men were irresponsible and perhaps culpable, since they left their embed. The issue of operating independently in Taliban areas has been a sensitive and highly subjective one among foreign reporters in Afghanistan: The calculation pits the reporter’s experience and skill with a desire to achieve a thrilling or significant story and includes the risk of doing harm to local translators, civilians or troops that may be called to rescue.

In this case, the men had war reporting backgrounds. They worked for a highly regarded series on France 3 television called “Pieces a conviction,” an in-depth report akin to “Frontline” on US public television or “Assignment” on the BBC. Their Afghan report focused on a road reconstruction project in the French military zone to the east of Kabul and was planned for three months.

After it was posited today that French military officials warned the journalists not to go to the town they were captured in, Ghesquiere offered in a slight eruption that: "No one had warned us against going there… We didn't start out climbing the North Face of Everest wearing flip-flops, far from it… We didn't go there blindly… Let me make myself clear: No one told us anything."

GhesquierA? said he looked forward to returning to a normal life and that he did not want to a€?play the role of an ex-hostage.a€

--

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Bahrain medics return to court

Bahraini Shiite men chant anti-government slogans in the Shiite town of Sitra on March 18.The case is one of two involving 24 doctors and 23 nurses and paramedicsProsecutors allege the accused refused to help patientsHuman Rights groups have said Bahrain is targeting medical professionals for treating protesters

Abu Dhabi, Uae (CNN) -- More than two dozen medics accused of misdemeanors returned to court in Bahrain on Monday.

The case is one of two involving 24 doctors and 23 nurses and paramedics who are accused of working against the kingdom's government during large protests earlier this year.

Prosecutors allege the accused refused to help patients at Salmaniya Medical Complex, the main hospital in Manama. Charges also include deadly assault, storing and funneling weapons to protesters, and effectively holding people hostage, according to Bahrain's Information Affairs Authority.

Human Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights, have said they believe Bahrain is actively targeting medical professionals for treating protesters at Salmaniya, which was taken over by security forces during the protest.

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The court hearing Monday lasted for about 30 minutes. A lawyer for the medics, accused of misdemeanors, told the judge he wanted to hear testimony from witnesses who were supposed to testify against the medics, according to a family member of one of the accused.

The judge said that he would not allow for the witnesses to testify as they testified earlier this month in the other case involving medics accused of more serious crimes.

During that previous court hearing, seven witnesses were called by the defense, according to the state-run Bahrain News Agency. One witnesses claimed that medics gave protesters blood bags to splash on themselves and distributed knives to protesters using an ambulance, BNA said. That court hearing is scheduled to resume June 30 with additional witness testimony.

Monday's court hearing was adjourned until July 6.

CNN

Bin Laden's widow 'may soon return to Yemen' (AFP)

ISLAMABAD (AFP) – The youngest widow of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden could return home to Yemen from Pakistan within days, a Pakistani security official confirmed to AFP on Friday.

"Eventually everyone will go back, but I'm not sure about the time frame. It could be a day, two days, may be more," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release the information.

"But the first one is probably the Yemeni wife," the official added.

Pakistan took custody of Amal Abdulfattah and two Saudi widows as well as bin Laden's children after US Navy SEALs found and killed the Al-Qaeda terror chief at a home in the military town of Abbottabad on May 2.

From the outset, the Pakistani government said that the relatives would be handed over to their countries of origin.

On Wednesday, Abdulfattah's brother, Zakariya, told AFP that the family in Yemen had been told by Sanaa and Islamabad that she and her five children would be returning home in the coming days.

"There have been diplomatic arrangements between the Yemeni and the Pakistani parties to secure her return to her country and we have received promises that it will take place soon," he said.

Her brother had said that he has received assurances from the Yemeni ambassador in Islamabad that she is "in good health" despite sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg during the US commando raid that killed bin Laden.

US intelligence services have interrogated bin Laden's widows.

Twenty-nine-year-old Amal married bin Laden in 1999 through a local matchmaker, the brother said, and then travelled to Afghanistan to join him.

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Fire-displaced residents in Arizona community return

Alpine, nestled among aspen and spruce, will reopen at 10 a.m., according to the Apache County Sheriff's Office.Residents of eastern Arizona hamlet alllowed homeThey were forced to flee large Wallow fireRed-flag alerts make for critical fire conditions in Arizona, New Mexico

Tucson, Arizona (CNN) -- Residents of a picturesque mountain community will be allowed to return home Saturday amid continued progress against a massive eastern Arizona wildfire.

Alpine, nestled among aspen and spruce, will reopen at 10 a.m., according to the Apache County Sheriff's Office. The community has a population of about 300, but many more seasonal visitors were forced to leave earlier this month.

The Wallow Fire, at 500,409 acres, was 38% contained.

A red-flag alert through the weekend indicates firefighting conditions may prove difficult. Wind gusts could top 40 miles per hour.

The 200-plus residents of Nutrioso, not far from Alpine, were allowed to go home Wednesday.

Conditions will be especially difficult Sunday at the Monument fire just south of Sierra Vista, Arizona, according to Glenn Lader of the National Weather Service office in Tucson. The blaze grew dramatically Friday, racing down from canyons and gobbling parched grasslands and brush.

Relentless winds have spread the 19,335-acre fire that has torched at least 40 homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds. It was 15% contained Saturday morning.

The Monument fire has spread across the Huachuca Mountains near the Mexican border.

The area is known as the "Sky Islands" region.

"These mountain 'islands,' forested ranges separated by vast expanses of desert and grassland plains, are among the most diverse ecosystems in the world," according to the Sky Island Alliance, a conservation group.

Garry Foss, who operates Oaks of the Wild West nursery in Hereford, a community just east of the fire, said grasses 2 to 3 feet tall have not seen rain since December, making for a ready fire fuel source.

Sierra Vista, home to the Army's Fort Huachuca, has had 0.13 inches of rain this year, according to Lader, compared with 2.5 to 3 inches in a normal year. There's no rain in the forecast.

"I'm trying to sit it out," Foss said, adding that he now has to drive east to Bisbee and northwest to reach Sierra Vista. "This grass is so dry."

Much of Highway 92 south of Sierra Vista was ordered closed. A brush fire was reported on Fort Huachuca.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, meanwhile, issued emergency declarations for the Monument fire and another blaze, Horseshoe II, making Cochise County eligible for $100,000 toward response and recovery expenses.

CNN

Yemen awaits possible Saleh return after surgery (Reuters)

By Mohammed Ghobari and Mohammed Mukhashaf Mohammed Ghobari And Mohammed Mukhashaf – 1 hr 52 mins ago

SANAA/ADEN (Reuters) – Loyalists to wounded President Ali Abdullah Saleh celebrated reports that he would soon return to Yemen, but opponents said they were working to ensure that, even if he does, he will no longer be in power.

U.S. and Yemeni officials have said Saleh, 69, was burned on 40 percent of his body in a rocket or bomb attack at his palace last Friday -- injuries which, depending on the depth of wounds, could be fatal and would probably curb his ability to rule.

Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for three decades, has not been seen since being flown for surgery to Saudi Arabia.

But after months of factional violence and pro-democracy protests, he has resisted Western and Arab pressure to step down and a government website dismissed dire assessments of Saleh's condition, said his injuries were minor and announced on Thursday that preparations for his return were under way.

"He has overcome the health difficulties after successful surgery to remove shrapnel ... Sources expected him to return soon after completing his recovery and treating some light surface burns," the government website 26 September said.

Opposition figures said their main concern was for Saleh to transfer his powers, regardless of whether he returned.

Even before the wave of pro-democracy protests, Saleh was struggling to quell a separatist rebellion in the south and a Shi'ite insurgency in the north.

TRANSFERRING POWER

Mohammed al-Mutawakkil of the coalition of opposition parties said the opposition had informed Saleh's ruling General People's Congress party on Wednesday that it would seek to establish its own transitional assembly after one week if action was not taken on transferring power to his deputy, Ab-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was named acting president on June 4.

"More important than Saleh's return is that the ruling party transfers power and begins implementing the Gulf initiative," he said, referring to a Gulf Arab plan for Saleh to begin a power transfer which stalled in the days before he was wounded.

Political analyst Ali Seif Hassan said he was not convinced by state media reports that Saleh was about to come back but said that his return could help cement a new order.

"I'm not worried if he comes back since the important thing is that he signs an agreement to transfer power, whether he does that in Sanaa or Riyadh," he said.

The Yemeni government website said preparations were being made around the country to welcome back Saleh, who wavered between accepting Arab and international calls for him to step down and accusing his opponents of staging a coup.

Army units and supporters were heard in many areas of the capital Sanaa firing shots in the air overnight in celebration and the General People's Congress said it would organize a "Friday of Loyalty" demonstration after Friday prayers.

The site described statements by U.S. and Yemeni officials that Saleh's health was in a dire state as fabrications, saying he was being treated for burns to his face and had had shrapnel removed from his chest.

WEST ALARMED

The volatile situation in a country that lies on oil shipping lanes alarms Western nations and neighboring oil giant Saudi Arabia, who fear the chaos could give al Qaeda freer rein to establish itself in the impoverished mountain state.

More than 40 percent of Yemenis live on less than $2 a day while a third face chronic hunger. Dwindling water and oil supplies are also problems.

A ceasefire has held in Sanaa since Saleh left, after more than 200 people were killed and thousands fled over two weeks in clashes between Saleh loyalists and the forces of tribal leader Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, who backs the protesters.

Many government ministries are not functioning as staff stay away and the city is suffering from cuts in electricity, fuel and water supplies, while fighting rages in the southern town of Zinjibar where Islamist militants have taken over.

Some of Saleh's opponents have accused the president of deliberately allowing al Qaeda militants to take over Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province, to demonstrate the security risks if he were to lose power.

A government statement said on Thursday 12 members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula had died in clashes, including some leading figures.

Health officials and residents described dire scenes in Zinjibar this week, as dead bodies were left on the streets and wild dogs roamed. Once home to more than 50,000 people, now it is a ghost town without power or running water.

Yemen's state news agency Saba said on Thursday the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had begun the process of offering humanitarian aid to 10,000 people fleeing the Abyan province after the attacks from al Qaeda.

Saudi's state news agency quoted a Yemeni health ministry official as saying he estimated the number of people fleeing Abyan to be as high as 20,000.

There has been no word from Western powers, regional allies and Yemeni opposition parties on any efforts to take advantage of Saleh's absence to move toward implementing the Gulf Arab peace initiative -- by which Saleh was to step down one month after allowing a new opposition-led cabinet to be formed.

The U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP) said Yemenis are going hungry as the fighting disrupts food supplies and pushes up the price of gas, water, fuel and other basic commodities.

(Additional reporting by Asma Alsharif and Shaimaa Fayed; Writing by Andrew Hammond; Editing by Philippa Fletcher and Jonathan Lynn)

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Saudi TV: Saleh to return to Yemen

NEW: The government denies being behind the shooting of 3 tribesmenOpposition leaders express cautious support for the vice presidentA tribal spokesman says the government kills 3 tribesmen despite a cease-fireYemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment after being wounded

(CNN) -- Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh underwent two operations in Saudi Arabia and will return to Yemen after he recovers, the Saudi state-run Ekhbariya television station reported Monday.

Saleh is in Saudi Arabia for treatment following a rocket attack on his presidential compound on Friday.

There are conflicting reports about his health, with Western diplomatic sources saying Sunday Saleh was undergoing neurosurgery while a spokesman for his party described Saleh's procedures as "simple check-ups."

A senior U.S. official said Saleh had shrapnel wounds and severe burns to his face and chest, adding that it was not clear how serious the injuries were. The official declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation.

Two opposition leaders in Yemen expressed cautious support Monday for acting President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, the vice president who assumed temporary power when Saleh flew to Saudi Arabia.

"We do not have any problem if Hadi takes control of the government. He is respected by the people," said Tawakkul Karman, adding that Hadi "must use this historic moment to enter Yemen's history as a leader and revolutionary."

But, she warned that if he does not "conduct immediate reforms, the youth protesters will go against him the same way they did against Saleh. It's Hadi's choice to decide which door of history he wants to go through."

Ahmed Bahri, a senior official of the opposition Joint Meeting Parties, said that if Hadi can lead peaceful change, "we welcome it. If not, he should step aside and not stall the revolution."

"Hadi has been respected by all the political factions for decades, but Saleh did not give him a chance to lead positive change," Bahri said. "Today is his opportunity to repay the Yemeni people for their patience and work for the sake of the people and not for Saleh."

Violence in Yemen continued Monday as three Hashed tribesmen were killed by Yemeni government snipers despite a cease-fire between the two sides, a spokesman for the tribe's leader said.

The cease-fire was agreed upon late Sunday between Hashed leader Sadeq Al-Ahmar -- who opposes the Yemeni government -- and Vice President Hadi, said Abdulqawi Al-Qaisi, spokesman for the Hashed leader.

He blamed Yemen's Republican Guard for the tribesmen's deaths in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

"The tribes are insistent that the cease-fire continues, but the Republican Guard wants chaos as usual to show the people that without Saleh, clashing will take place everywhere," Al-Qaisi said.

But the government denied being behind the deaths.

"The government does not attack people who are not going against the law," government spokesman Abdu Ganadi said. "These are claims from the tribes in order to cause more crimes in Sanaa."

Supporters of Al-Ahmar are suspected in the Friday attack on the Yemeni presidential compound. Yemen's state-run news agency SABA, citing a source in Saleh's office, reported last week that three guards and an imam were killed.

Yemeni security forces shelled Al-Ahmar's home on Friday in response to the attack, leaving 10 people dead and 35 others wounded, according to Fawzi Al-Jaradi, an official with the Hashed tribal confederation.

The cease-fire deal followed two weeks of clashes between government and tribal forces in Yemen, where thousands of protesters have been pressuring Saleh to give up power since January.

The fighting erupted when Saleh balked at a deal with the opposition that would have eased him out of office in 30 days.

Yemen's largest opposition bloc had vowed to prevent Saleh from returning.

"The Yemeni people will do all in their power to not allow Saleh to re-enter the country," JMP spokesman Mohammed Qahtan said Sunday.

But what's next for the embattled president and country remains unclear.

Joost Hiltermann, an Washington-based analyst at the International Crisis Group, said Saleh's decision to seek treatment in Saudi Arabia means a shift in power is likely, but "not yet a foregone conclusion."

"The president's sons and nephews control a significant part of the security apparatus," Hiltermann said. "And they might yet put up a fight, or decide to go into negotiations over a transition of power."

CNN's Tim Lister, Nic Robertson and Elise Labott contributed to this report.

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Cote d'Ivoire: Reluctant to Return Home (OneWorld.net)

ABIDJAN, May 24 (IRIN) - While outright conflict has abated in Cote d’Ivoire’s commercial capital, Abidjan, many of the thousands of displaced people there are still too fearful to return to once conflict-ridden neighbourhoods.

Fear of men in uniform, fear of continued arms flows, and of unexploded ordnance (UXO) is keeping Abidjan residents from returning home, displaced people told IRIN.

Arms are still circulating in some neighbourhoods, residents of Abobo and Yopougon told IRIN. These neighbourhoods saw some of the heaviest fighting between President Alassane Ouattara’s Forces Republicaines de Cote d’Ivoire (FRCI), ex-President Laurent Gbagbo’s fighters, and other militia groups.

UXO has been identified by the UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) in 60 sites around the city, including near hospitals, schools, businesses and in people’s homes.

On 21 May UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the Union of Evangelical Churches, which is sheltering 160 displaced people in Cocody, an eastern Abidjan neighbourhood. Cecile Bla, 48, fled to the shelter from Yopougon.

Bla’s home and business - she sold cosmetics - were pillaged, leaving her with nothing. She is now baking tarts for sale to support her five children.

“I lost everything… I know I need to start a new life, but that will not be before I can be guaranteed better security.” Life is slowly returning to normal in Yopougon, and the streets are filling up, but Bla’s neighbours regularly ring her with reports of armed men turning up to the compound unannounced, leaving her scared. There have been some reports of continued, sporadic aggression committed against civilians in Yopougon and Abobo, according to the UN.

Members of the FRCI still man checkpoints in Yopougon, to keep the peace; and mixed patrols of UNOCI, French Licorne forces and ex-President Laurent Gbagbo’s gendarmerie patrol the streets of the capital; but many residents still fear, rather than trust, men in uniform.

Still traumatized

Some who witnessed violence are still traumatized by it. Habiba Kante, 36, stayed in the Abobo neighbourhood amid heavy fighting before fleeing to the church shelter. She now jumps in fear every time she hears a car horn.

“It’s like reliving the war. I know I need to restart a new life and that I must return, but I can’t do that until I get a guarantee that it is safe, and that guns are no longer in circulation in the streets,” she told IRIN.

Pastor Michel Loh, who is running the church shelter, is trying to help children recover by setting up a temporary school for them. Schooling can be instrumental in the psychosocial recovery of children in conflict. Kane’s seven-year-old daughter, Aisha Diakite, may make up the school year rather than having to skip a year, said Loh.

Clearing UXO

To enable people to return home, a joint UNOCI and FRCI team is trying to clear sites of unexploded bombs, grenades and mines, according to UNOCI spokesperson Hamadoun Toure. Some 40 sites have been cleared out of a total of 60 reported thus far, though sightings continue to rise, said UNOCI’s Col Rayes Koshavsky.

The team will clear sites outside Abidjan once they have cleared the commercial capital of ordnance, said Toure.

Ban Ki-moon and local UN Refugee Agency head Jacques Franquin stressed that in the meantime, there is no hurry to return. “No one will be forced to return until they are ready,” Ban told displaced families. “Many of you have lost everything, and have witnessed terrible atrocities. You must heal so that you can try to relive a normal life.”

Want to Know More?

» OneWorld.net Guide: Refugees

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Netanyahu to Obama: No return to 1967 lines

Washington (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday firmly rejected President Barack Obama's call for an approximate return to the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, telling the U.S. leader that such a move is impossible in light of current security concerns and demographic realities.

The two leaders pledged to work together, however, in the pursuit of a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

"Israel wants peace. I want peace," Netanyahu said while meeting with Obama at the White House. But "a peace based on illusions will crash eventually on the rocks of Middle Eastern reality," he said.

"Obviously there are some differences between us in the precise formulations and language, and that's going to happen between friends," Obama said.

"But what we are in complete accord about is that a true peace can only occur if the ultimate resolution allows Israel to defend itself against threats, and that Israel's security will remain paramount in U.S. evaluations of any prospective peace deal."

Both men stressed that the presence of the militant group Hamas in a Palestinian government would be extremely problematic for future peace talks. The United States and Israel consider Hamas a terrorist group.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas "has to decide if he negotiates or keeps his pact with Hamas, or makes peace with Israel," Netanyahu said. "I hope he makes the choice -- the right choice -- in choosing peace with Israel."

But Abbas' spokesman said it was Netanyahu who was derailing the peace process.

"These statements are an official declaration that he is not ready for true peace based on justice and international resolutions," presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh told the WAFA news agency.

Abu Rudeineh said the Palestinian government independent and has "nothing to do with Fatah or Hamas. What Netanyahu is saying are excuses to avoid sitting at the negotiating table," he said.

Obama's call Thursday for an approximate return to the 1967 borders, which made official a long-held but rarely stated U.S. position, has increased tension between the two longstanding allies at a moment of turbulent change in the Arab world.

Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula during the 1967 war. The Sinai has since been returned to Egypt. Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, a move not recognized by the international community and condemned by Syria, which still claims the land.

Hamas now controls Gaza, while the more moderate Palestinian group Fatah administers the West Bank, site of a growing number of Israeli settlements. Ultimately, the Palestinians are aiming to unite Gaza and the West Bank under the authority of a new state.

The Israeli government has repeatedly said, among other things, that peace talks with the Palestinians cannot seriously proceed without firmer security guarantees and a clear recognition of the Jewish state's right to exist.

Obama said Thursday that the borders of Israel and a Palestinian state "should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states."

His position largely agreed with the Palestinian negotiating stance on border issues in the staggering peace process, now stalled by disputes over Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the role of Hamas in the Palestinian leadership.

At the same time, Obama reiterated unwavering U.S. support for Israel's security Thursday, and he endorsed certain negotiating positions of Netanyahu's government, including an incremental handover of security responsibilities by Israel when conditions on the ground allow it.

He also said a future Palestinian state would have to remain "nonmilitarized."

Obama sought to undercut momentum for a declaration of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations in September, warning that "symbolic actions to isolate Israel (at the U.N.) won't create an independent state."

The president said he recognizes that two "wrenching and emotional issues" remain unresolved: the future status of Jerusalem, which is claimed by both sides, and the fate of Palestinian refugees who claim Israel as their homeland.

Netanyahu, considered hawkish on security matters, reacted coolly to the president's speech. He has argued that the 1967 borders are now "indefensible" for Israel, and noted that major population centers are located beyond those lines.

Hamas also rejected the terms outlined in the speech, calling them "empty of concrete significance."

Israel, meanwhile, announced the approval Thursday of new projects to build 1,500 housing units in Har Homa and Pisgat Zeev, which are outside the 1967 borders. The projects had previously received initial approval, said Roye Lackmanovich, an Interior Ministry spokesman.

Israeli officials said before Friday's meeting that Netanyahu intended to use the occasion not only to stress his opposition to a restoration of the 1967 lines, but also to seek specifics on the type of security guarantees envisioned by the president, including the assertion that a Palestinian state would remain nonmilitarized.

Netanyahu also wanted Obama to clarify his stance on both Hamas and the so-called "right of return" for Palestinian families who left Israel after the state's founding in 1948. Israel has repeatedly warned that it cannot allow those families to return without sacrificing its identity as a Jewish state.

Netanyahu made clear after Friday's meeting that the families of the 1948 refugees cannot settle within Israel's borders.

While Netanyahu and other conservative members of the Israeli government have been critical of Obama in the wake of Thursday's speech, the president also has defenders within the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Tzipi Livni, an opposition leader and former foreign minister, applauded Obama's call for a two-state solution.

"An American president that supports a two-state solution represents the Israeli interest and is not anti-Israeli," Livni said. "President Obama's call to start negotiations represents Israel's interests."

Also, the group known as the Middle East Quartet -- which includes the United Nations, Russia, the European Union and the United States -- issued a statement Friday offering its "strong support" for Obama's "vision of Israeli-Palestinian peace."

The White House has been heavily focused on Middle East issues this week. Obama met with Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday and will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an influential pro-Israel lobbying group, on Sunday.

CNN's Elise Labott, Kevin Flower and Tom Cohen contributed to this report.

CNN

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Netanyahu: No return to 1967 lines

Washington (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday firmly rejected President Barack Obama's call for an approximate return to the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, telling the U.S. leader that such a move is impossible in light of current security concerns and demographic realities.

The two leaders pledged to work together, however, in the pursuit of a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

"Israel wants peace. I want peace," Netanyahu said while meeting with Obama at the White House. But "a peace based on illusions will crash eventually on the rocks of Middle Eastern reality," he said.

"Obviously there are some differences between us in the precise formulations and language, and that's going to happen between friends," Obama said.

"But what we are in complete accord about is that a true peace can only occur if the ultimate resolution allows Israel to defend itself against threats, and that Israel's security will remain paramount in U.S. evaluations of any prospective peace deal."

Both men stressed that the presence of the militant group Hamas in a Palestinian government would be extremely problematic for future peace talks. The United States and Israel consider Hamas a terrorist group.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas "has to decide if he negotiates or keeps his pact with Hamas, or makes peace with Israel," Netanyahu said. "I hope he makes the choice -- the right choice -- in choosing peace with Israel."

But Abbas' spokesman said it was Netanyahu who was derailing the peace process.

"These statements are an official declaration that he is not ready for true peace based on justice and international resolutions," presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh told the WAFA news agency.

Abu Rudeineh said the Palestinian government independent and has "nothing to do with Fatah or Hamas. What Netanyahu is saying are excuses to avoid sitting at the negotiating table," he said.

Obama's call Thursday for an approximate return to the 1967 borders, which made official a long-held but rarely stated U.S. position, has increased tension between the two longstanding allies at a moment of turbulent change in the Arab world.

Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula during the 1967 war. The Sinai has since been returned to Egypt. Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, a move not recognized by the international community and condemned by Syria, which still claims the land.

Hamas now controls Gaza, while the more moderate Palestinian group Fatah administers the West Bank, site of a growing number of Israeli settlements. Ultimately, the Palestinians are aiming to unite Gaza and the West Bank under the authority of a new state.

The Israeli government has repeatedly said, among other things, that peace talks with the Palestinians cannot seriously proceed without firmer security guarantees and a clear recognition of the Jewish state's right to exist.

Obama said Thursday that the borders of Israel and a Palestinian state "should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states."

His position largely agreed with the Palestinian negotiating stance on border issues in the staggering peace process, now stalled by disputes over Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the role of Hamas in the Palestinian leadership.

At the same time, Obama reiterated unwavering U.S. support for Israel's security Thursday, and he endorsed certain negotiating positions of Netanyahu's government, including an incremental handover of security responsibilities by Israel when conditions on the ground allow it.

He also said a future Palestinian state would have to remain "nonmilitarized."

Obama sought to undercut momentum for a declaration of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations in September, warning that "symbolic actions to isolate Israel (at the U.N.) won't create an independent state."

The president said he recognizes that two "wrenching and emotional issues" remain unresolved: the future status of Jerusalem, which is claimed by both sides, and the fate of Palestinian refugees who claim Israel as their homeland.

Netanyahu, considered hawkish on security matters, reacted coolly to the president's speech. He has argued that the 1967 borders are now "indefensible" for Israel, and noted that major population centers are located beyond those lines.

Hamas also rejected the terms outlined in the speech, calling them "empty of concrete significance."

Israel, meanwhile, announced the approval Thursday of new projects to build 1,500 housing units in Har Homa and Pisgat Zeev, which are outside the 1967 borders. The projects had previously received initial approval, said Roye Lackmanovich, an Interior Ministry spokesman.

Israeli officials said before Friday's meeting that Netanyahu intended to use the occasion not only to stress his opposition to a restoration of the 1967 lines, but also to seek specifics on the type of security guarantees envisioned by the president, including the assertion that a Palestinian state would remain nonmilitarized.

Netanyahu also wanted Obama to clarify his stance on both Hamas and the so-called "right of return" for Palestinian families who left Israel after the state's founding in 1948. Israel has repeatedly warned that it cannot allow those families to return without sacrificing its identity as a Jewish state.

Netanyahu made clear after Friday's meeting that the families of the 1948 refugees cannot settle within Israel's borders.

While Netanyahu and other conservative members of the Israeli government have been critical of Obama in the wake of Thursday's speech, the president also has defenders within the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Tzipi Livni, an opposition leader and former foreign minister, applauded Obama's call for a two-state solution.

"An American president that supports a two-state solution represents the Israeli interest and is not anti-Israeli," Livni said. "President Obama's call to start negotiations represents Israel's interests."

Also, the group known as the Middle East Quartet -- which includes the United Nations, Russia, the European Union and the United States -- issued a statement Friday offering its "strong support" for Obama's "vision of Israeli-Palestinian peace."

The White House has been heavily focused on Middle East issues this week. Obama met with Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday and will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an influential pro-Israel lobbying group, on Sunday.

CNN's Elise Labott, Kevin Flower and Tom Cohen contributed to this report.

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Kerry: Pakistan to return tail of chopper

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan on Tuesday will return the tail of a U.S. helicopter that was damaged during the raid that killed terror leader Osama bin Laden, a move that is part of a process to improve cooperation between the two nations, Sen. John Kerry said.

The helicopter crashed during the raid of the al Qaeda leader's compound on May 1.

"I can tell you, an example, tomorrow the tail of the helicopter will be returned to America and we'll take possession of that in a coordinated operation that will take place with them," Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, told reporters Monday during a visit to Islamabad. "That's step number one. And there are other steps that will take place immediately."

The one major problem for the Navy SEALs who killed bin Laden was the crash of the helicopter.

In photos of what was left after the SEAL team tried to destroy the craft, numerous aviation experts say they saw several telltale signs of stealth technology.

"Had this particular helicopter not crashed, we still would have no idea of its existence," said Gareth Jennings, the aviation desk editor for Jane's Defence Weekly.

The helicopter was left on the ground at the al Qaeda leader's compound during the raid.

The SEALs were able to destroy much of the main body when it became clear it couldn't fly.

But the tail rotor assembly came down on the other side of the compound wall and was left largely intact when the SEALs finished their mission.

Pakistani troops were seen hauling the wreckage away on trucks covered with tarps.

In his remarks Monday, Kerry said the United States need not apologize to Pakistan for the successful raid that killed bin Laden. But, he said, it is important that the countries find a way to mend their frayed relationship in the wake of the attack.

Obama to spell out Middle East policy after 'Arab Spring'

Kerry said his goal in visiting was to begin a process that would leave the United States and Pakistan in a position where "isolated episodes, no matter how profound, do not jeopardize the relationships between our countries."

But he said Pakistan must choose between being a haven for extremists or a tolerant democracy and that the United States is willing to help the country.

Zakaria: Pakistan's chance to become a normal country

"Our progress in the days ahead will be measured by actions, not words," he said.

Although many in Pakistan have accused the United States of violating Pakistani sovereignty by launching a unilateral military attack inside the country, Kerry said Pakistanis should direct their ire at bin Laden and his legion of foreign fighters, who he said were responsible for thousands of deaths inside Pakistan.

The Pakistani parliament recently condemned the raid, adopting a resolution calling for a review of its counter-terrorism cooperation agreement with the United States. The resolution also ordered the immediate end of drone attacks in a tribal region of Pakistan near the Afghan border.

Kerry said he was pleased Pakistan officials have committed to finding new ways to work on the terror threat and increased cooperation on joint operations and intelligence sharing, but did not elaborate on the steps to be taken.

He said two senior administration officials would soon visit the country to expand on the work. That visit would be followed by another featuring U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Kerry said.

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Opposition leader's return to Uganda met with renewed violence (The Christian Science Monitor)

Kampala, Uganda – Ronald Ssenkumbi was among the crowd who thronged Uganda's airport to greet Kizza Besigye, the opposition leader who many Ugandans consider the country's true president after February's contested polls.

“The people along this road here represent the real Uganda. We have come here spontaneously to greet Besigye and to show we want change,” says Mr. Ssenkumbi.

Mr. Besigye flew in from Nairobi on Thursday after spending almost two weeks there receiving medical treatment. He was injured when Ugandan security services arrested him as he led opposition protests against spiraling living costs.

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On the road to the airport, where Besigye supporters gathered in jubilant celebration, Ugandan police and military fired on the crowd with tear gas, live ammunition, and struck many with batons. At lease one person was reportedly killed in the violence.

Coming after weeks of unrest and a wave of opposition protests over rising prices, analysts say the unrest could be a sign of things to come as divisions between the opposition and government appear to be deepening.

Besigye's arrival came the same day that Ugandaa€™s veteran president, Yoweri Museveni, was sworn in for a fourth term in office that could extending his rule in Uganda to more than 30 years.

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Decked out in the bright yellow of the president’s ruling National Resistance Movement, Mr. Museveni's supporters gathered in downtown Kampala to listen as he pledged to make Uganda a middle-income country in the next five years and explained how his resounding victory in February elections proved the country was now more united than ever.

“We won an overwhelming victory in all regions,” Museveni said. “Since creation, this is the first time that Ugandans have coalesced into such consensus.”

In theory, Museveni has a lot to be optimistic about. With Ugandan troops in Somalia, he has managed to maintain good relations with the West. What's more, in the next few years, Uganda should start pumping the first of an estimated 2.5 billion barrels of oil believed to be in reserves along the country’s border with Democratic Republic of Congo.

But Museveni's quarter-century rule of Uganda could become one of his biggest problems as the opposition movement appears to be growing.

“In the end you undermine your own legitimacy and destroy any achievements that you’ve made,” says Levi Ochieng, an independent analyst. “The end is always destructive."

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Game on! Parts of Sony PlayStation Network to return this week

PlayStation 3 owners haven't been able to use their systems to play online or download games since April 20.The PlayStation Network allows users to play games with friends worldwideIt also allows users to download movies and games over the InternetIt went offline on April 20 after a hacker stole personal information from its 77 million users

(CNN) -- Sony announced Sunday that parts of the PlayStation Network will be back online this week and gamers will receive compensation for not being able to log on.

The PlayStation Network -- which allows users to play games with friends around the world and download movies and games over the Internet -- went offline on April 20 after officials learned days before a hacker stole personal information from its 77 million users.

Sony officials did not disclose the breach until April 22.

Sony executives apologized for the breach at a news conference in Tokyo on Sunday, saying they are conducting a thorough and ongoing investigation into the matter.

"This criminal act against our network had a significant impact not only on our consumers, but our entire industry. These illegal attacks obviously highlight the widespread problem with cyber security," said Kazuo Hirai, executive deputy president of Sony Corp.

"We take the security of our consumers' information very seriously and are committed to helping our consumers protect their personal data."

Officials said they will restore online gameplay for both the PlayStation 3 and PSP later this week, in addition to PlayStation Home, friends list and chat functionality.

Once the PlayStation Network is restored online, users will have to change their account passwords before being able to log into the service. The update will require users to change their passwords on the PS3 on which the account was activated, or through e-mail validation.

To thank customers for their patience and loyalty, Sony announced it would offer PlayStation Network users 30 days free membership in the PlayStation Plus service, which provides access to exclusive games and beta trials for games.

Current subscribers to the PlayStation Plus service will receive an additional 30 days for free.

CNN

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Game on! Parts of Sony PlayStation Network to return this week

PlayStation 3 owners haven't been able to use their systems to play online or download games since April 20.The PlayStation Network allows users to play games with friends worldwideIt also allows users to download movies and games over the InternetIt went offline on April 20 after a hacker stole personal information from its 77 million users

(CNN) -- Sony announced Sunday that parts of the PlayStation Network will be back online this week and gamers will receive compensation for not being able to log on.

The PlayStation Network -- which allows users to play games with friends around the world and download movies and games over the Internet -- went offline on April 20 after officials learned days before a hacker stole personal information from its 77 million users.

Sony officials did not disclose the breach until April 22.

Sony executives apologized for the breach at a news conference in Tokyo on Sunday, saying they are conducting a thorough and ongoing investigation into the matter.

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"This criminal act against our network had a significant impact not only on our consumers, but our entire industry. These illegal attacks obviously highlight the widespread problem with cyber security," said Kazuo Hirai, executive deputy president of Sony Corp.

"We take the security of our consumers' information very seriously and are committed to helping our consumers protect their personal data."

Officials said they will restore online gameplay for both the PlayStation 3 and PSP later this week, in addition to PlayStation Home, friends list and chat functionality.

Once the PlayStation Network is restored online, users will have to change their account passwords before being able to log into the service. The update will require users to change their passwords on the PS3 on which the account was activated, or through e-mail validation.

To thank customers for their patience and loyalty, Sony announced it would offer PlayStation Network users 30 days free membership in the PlayStation Plus service, which provides access to exclusive games and beta trials for games.

Current subscribers to the PlayStation Plus service will receive an additional 30 days for free.

CNN

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Utah Governor Vetoes Return to 5-Day Workweek

AP

FILE: Utah Governor Gary Herbert

Congress may want to relocate to Utah. 

Though the U.S. Legislature never really adopted a five-day workweek despite pledges from both parties, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has made sure it doesn't become a reality for state workers. 

Citing budgetary issues, Herbert on Wednesday vetoed a bill that would have upended the status quo in state government by keeping the lights on for five days instead of four each week.

Herbert told Fox 13 in Salt Lake City that a five-day workweek -- proposed in legislation aimed at providing more state services to consumers -- would have given Utahans "a little more flexibility." But it came without funding, making the bill too costly.

His administration estimated that returning to a five-day workweek would cost nearly $800,000.

But Herbert sought a compromise by issuing an executive order requiring all state agencies to ensure by October that all critical services will be available on Fridays either in person, online or via telephone.

Republican Rep. Mike Noel, the sponsor of the vetoed bill, took a wait-and-see approach.

"I'm going to take him at his word and see what happens this year," he told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Business functions five days a week, and when we take 20 percent of the workweek out ... the people aren't served appropriately."

Noel told the newspaper that judges in rural Utah were upset that the state Division of Child and Family Services couldn't be reached. He also expressed concern about residents not being able to get food stamps on Fridays.

Under Noel's bill, each agency would have been required to have at least once office open Friday but all workers didn't have to return to a five-day week.

In a statement, Herbert said the bill represented an "unwarranted intrusion" on his power as governor and was therefore unconstitutional.

He added that Utah residents have grown accustomed to the state's 10-hour workdays, which would have to be abandoned because of a lack of funding.

"Surveys have shown the public, as well as state employees, overwhelmingly support extended hours," he said. "It would be too disruptive, and simply bad policy, to change them now."

Noel told the Salt Lake Tribune that lawmakers didn't buy the $800,000 estimate since they didn't see much savings when the four-day workweek took effect under then-Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. in August 2008.

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