'Whitey' Bulger wants public defender, FBI leaks stopped

Boston (CNN) -- An attorney for James "Whitey'' Bulger has petitioned a U.S. District judge to combine two pending racketeering charges against the reputed mobster, rather than allow prosecutors to drop the less severe charge against him, according to court documents acquired Thursday.

The move, prosecutors say, is meant to complicate the case against Bulger for racketeering and 19 murder charges he faces.

U.S. District judge Judge Mark Wolf is expected to decide whether the two indictments should be merged at the first of two hearings at Thursday afternoon in Boston.

Defense attorney Peter Krupp has accused federal prosecutors of dropping the less serious charge in order to "game the system" and allow a different judge to hear the case. "Having encountered difficult questions from this court in lengthy hearings in the late 1990s, the government chose to have the newest allegations returned in a separate indictment, so that it might be assigned a different docket and drawn to different judge," said Krupp.

The racketeering indictment, filed in 1995, was assigned to Wolf. The murder charges are part of a case brought in 2000 and assigned to a different judge.

"The government's apparent forum shopping is contrary to the public interest and undermines public confidence in the judicial process," Krupp argued. "The government's actions, choosing to pursue a new indictment, rather than a superseding indictment before this Court, reflect a manipulation of the case ..."

The racketeering charges would slow down their murder case, government prosecutors said.

Wolf is also expected to consider who should pick up Bulger's legal tab and how leaks from federal agents in the case can be stopped.

Bulger's attorneys have argued that the leaks about the case endanger the former fugitive's right to a fair trial on murder charges.

"If it is now possible -- and Mr. Bulger seriously questions whether it will be possible -- for Mr. Bulger to receive a fair trial, law enforcement leaks of non-public information must end, with disclosures of information limited to the judicial process," Krupp wrote.

Prosecutors say the 81-year-old Bulger was the boss of South Boston's Irish mob before he fled an impending racketeering indictment in 1995. At the same time, he was an FBI informant whose handler tipped him off about the charges -- a tale that became the basis for the Oscar-winning crime drama "The Departed."

Bulger was arrested last week in California, along with his longtime girlfriend, 60-year-old Catherine Elizabeth Greig. She has been charged with harboring a fugitive.

He has asked for a public defender, but prosecutors -- who said FBI agents seized more than $822,000 in cash from Bulger's Santa Monica apartment -- say he should pick up his own legal tab.

"He has every incentive to lie and stick the taxpayers with the bill for his defense," prosecutors wrote in court papers filed Tuesday. They said Bulger has admitted to stashing more money away with "people he trusted" but would not name, and suggested that Bulger's brother William could pay for a lawyer.

William Bulger is a former president of the University of Massachusetts and a state Senate leader. He was forced to step down from his university job after then-Gov. Mitt Romney, now a Republican presidential candidate, accused him of being evasive during congressional testimony about "Whitey's" whereabouts.

Prosecutors asked Wolf to require both William Bulger and a third Bulger brother, John Bulger, to submit affidavits before a decision is made.

Whitey Bulger also asked the judge to order federal agents to turn over notes of their interviews with him following his capture, arguing the documents are needed to defend himself against charges that he has hidden assets and will assist his defense.

Bulger lived "a relatively comfortable lifestyle" for the 16 years he was a fugitive, taking numerous gambling trips to Las Vegas, according to a government document filed in his case. Prosecutors say Bulger waived his Miranda rights after his arrest and told agents who were taking him back to Boston that he had been "a frequent traveler as a fugitive," according to the government.

"Bulger acknowledged visiting Las Vegas on numerous occasions to play the slots and claimed he won more than he lost," the filing said. "Bulger also admitted traveling to San Diego and then crossing over into Tijuana to purchase medicines."

Bulger also told the feds that he traveled back to Boston "on several occasions while 'armed to the teeth' because he 'had to take care of some unfinished business,'" the document said. Bulger refused to tell the agents any details of his Boston visits, it said.

CNN's Sheila Steffen and Jason Kessler contributed to this report.

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U.S. wants China's help in stopping counterfeit electronic parts

U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), left, and ranking member Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) speak to the media during a news conference June 14.Senate panel wants staff to investigate in Guangdong, but China won't grant visasFake parts are in crucial U.S. weapons, study showsNearly 40% of the Pentagon's parts supply chain touched by problem of counterfeit parts, report says

Washington (CNN) -- For months, the U.S. has said it's aware that counterfeit electronic parts, usually from China, posed a serious and growing problem for the U.S. military. Now the Senate Armed Services Committee is investigating the counterfeit parts problem and wants China's help, two leading senators said Tuesday.

The committee has staffers in Hong Kong trying to get into Shenzen, in Guangdong province China, where the committee believes most of the counterfeiting allegedly occurred. But the Chinese are refusing to grant the Americans visas to visit Guangdong, the senators said.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the top Republican on the committee, said China should want to help with the investigation. "It should be in Chinese interest not to have counterfeiting of these electronic parts going on because it would harm legitimate Chinese companies as well," McCain said at a Capitol Hill news conference Tuesday.

But even if the Chinese grant the visas, they don't want to make the investigation easy, the senators said. "The Chinese have said, 'Well, even if this could be arranged, there would have to be a Chinese official present during the interviews.' That is a nonstarter," Sen. Carl Levin. D-Michigan, said. "We do not have somebody looking at our staff while they're interviewing people who are relevant to an investigation."

Levin, the committee chairman, said these counterfeit parts are making it into some of America's most crucial weapons systems, "including counterfeit microprocessors that were purchased by the Air Force for use on the F-15 operational flight control computers." Counterfeit microcircuits have been found on Missile Defense Agency hardware, he said.

The 2010 study by the Commerce Department found the problem of counterfeit parts touched nearly 40% of the Pentagon's parts supply chain, and was getting worse, "rising from 3,868 incidents in 2005 to 9,356 incidents in 2008," the study said.

The study also found that part of the problem is the way the government buys parts. "The rise of counterfeit parts in the supply chain is exacerbated by demonstrated weaknesses in inventory management, procurement procedures, record keeping, reporting practices, inspection and testing protocols, and communication within and across all industry and government organizations," the report said.

One example of the problem parts mentioned in the Commerce study was microcircuits. Over the span of the four years studied, the most common abuse was selling used microcircuits that were relabeled as higher-grade products.

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HP Wants To License webOS To 'Special' Partners (NewsFactor)

As Hewlett-Packard works to capitalize on its inherited webOS by installing it on more products, the technology giant will also seek out select hardware partners to license the operating system.

Two company executives indicated Wednesday that they believe webOS, which became HP's property when it bought the foundering Palm last year, can still generate interest in a PC market dominated by Microsoft's Windows and a mobile market dominated by Google's Android and Apple's iOS.

Outstanding System

"I happen to believe that webOS is a uniquely outstanding operating system," HP CEO Leo Apotheker said Wednesday at The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. "It's not correct to believe that it should only be on HP devices. There are all kinds of other people who want to make whatever kind of hardware they make and would like to connect them to the Internet. We'll make it available to enterprises and to SMBs. It will run on lots of HP devices."

Apotheker's comments about webOS, published in an online transcript by the Journal, came in a discussion with the paper's Walt Mossberg and in response to questions from an audience member.

The CEO, who took charge of HP last September, said he regretted the company did not try to market webOS sooner, saying, "It would have made life easier."

Speaking on the same day at a different conference, the top HP executive in charge of webOS, Jon Rubinstein, said "HP is more than willing to partner with one or two special companies," but ruled out making it open source for anyone who wants it.

At Qualcomm's Uplinq conference, Rubinstein, a former Apple vice president, said "if someone wants to put a real focus on contributing and building the webOS ecosystem, that would be something we're interested in," PC World reported.

HP plans to install webOS on its high-end printers as well as on computers -- initially working in conjunction with Windows -- and on the company's TouchPad tablet due this summer. It also runs on a selection of smartphones, including the Pri, Pixi and Plus.

A Long Shot

But HP may face a tough road in boosting interest from manufacturers, app developers, and customers.

According to the latest U.S. smartphone data from Nielsen Mobile Insights, webOS commands just a four percent share of the market, tied with Nokia's Symbian and trailing market leader Android (36 percent), Apple (26 percent), and Research In Motion's BlackBerry (23 percent).

"If they do have a shot, it's a long one," said Charles King, principal analyst for Pund-IT. "The smart money seems to be on Android and Apple, with entrepreneurial mobile vendors embracing Google, and Microsoft coming up from behind via Windows 8."

The idea of licensing webOS to others, King said, "is intriguing, but for that to be compelling, HP will first have to drive market interest/momentum with products of its own."

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Germany wants nuclear exit by 2022 at latest (Reuters)

BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition declared on Monday it would shut all nuclear reactors by 2022, in a policy u-turn drawn up in a rush after the Fukushima disaster in Japan.

The coalition, sensitive to accusations it may increase dependence on highly polluting brown coal, said it planned to cut power use by 10 percent by 2020. But Merkel may be hard pressed to present the plan as anything but a political defeat at the hands of Social Democrat and resurgent Green rivals.

The proposal may be even more ambitious than the nuclear exit planned when the Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens were in power in 2000. It takes eight of 17 nuclear plants offline now and six by 2021.

But it could still face opposition from utilities.

Only nine months ago Merkel announced an extension of the lifespan of unpopular nuclear plants by an average 12 years. In March, after Japan's earthquake and tsunami, she reversed that and put Germany's entire energy strategy under urgent review.

"Our energy system has to be fundamentally changed and can be fundamentally changed. We want the electricity of the future to be safer and, at the same time, reliable and economical," Merkel told reporters on Monday.

To accompany the nuclear exit, Germany plans to cut electricity usage by 10 percent by 2020 and double the share of renewable energy sources to 35 percent over the same period, according to a government paper seen by Reuters.

Merkel did not outline further details of the plan but the government paper said Germany's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2020 remained in place.

Most voters in Germany oppose atomic energy, which provided 23 percent of overall power before the seven oldest stations were shut down in March.

A disputed 2.3 billion euro a year tax on spent fuel rods will not be scrapped even as the coalition plans to go ahead with the shutdown, Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said early on Monday after late-night talks in the chancellor's office between leaders of the center-right coalition.

"(It's) definite: the latest end for the last three nuclear power plants is 2022," Roettgen said after the meeting and before leaving on his bicycle.

Merkel's about-turn has done little to gain her support, but has drawn scorn from the opposition and within her own party ranks. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated against nuclear energy at the weekend all across Germany.

Nuclear policy is heavily disputed in Germany and the issue has helped boost the Greens, which won control of one of the CDU's stronghold states, Baden-Wuerttemberg, in a March vote.

Merkel's majority in the Bundesrat upper house, where the states are represented, vanished last year after the CDU failed to hold onto the populous North Rhine-Westphalia state. Losing Baden-Wuerttemberg, a vote held in the shadow of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, dealt another blow to Merkel's authority.

Germany's largest power provider RWE, which had suggested ending nuclear power in 2025, signaled its opposition to the deal. A spokesman for the company said the firm would keep "all legal options open."

"The end (of nuclear power in Germany) by 2022 is not the date we had hoped for," the spokesman said, declining to comment on the effect of the decision on the company's earnings.

The decision could still face opposition from RWE's peers E.ON, Vattenfall and EnBW, the other three utility companies that run the 17 plants.

German baseload power in the wholesale market on Monday rose 70 cents from Friday to 60.20 euros a megawatt hour.

"Prices must go up to account for permanently lower capacity. Neighboring Europe will have to price in the potential absence of German power in case of unfavorable supply situations," one trader said.

Shares in utilities E.ON and RWE fell 2.2 and 2.4 percent respectively at the open.

NO WAY BACK

Some politicians had wanted a clause allowing for revision of the agreement in future. The Free Democrats, junior partners in Merkel's center-right coalition, wanted no firm date but a flexible window for exit, plus the option of bringing back at least one of the seven oldest nuclear reactors in an emergency.

"There will be no clause for revision," Roettgen said.

The coalition agreed to keep one of the older reactors as a "cold reserve" for 2013, if the transition to renewable energies cannot meet winter demand and if fossil fuels do not suffice to make up for a potential shortfall.

A massive earthquake and tsunami in March crippled Japan's Fukushima plant, causing releases of radioactivity, sparking calls for tougher global safety measures and prompting some governments to reconsider their nuclear energy strategy.

The German decision still needs to go through parliament and leaders of the opposition Social Democrats and the Greens were present at parts of the meeting to enable a broad consensus.

The coalition wants to keep a nuclear tax, which was expected to raise 2.3 billion euros ($3.29 billion) a year from this year, but so far has not been levied. With the immediate exit of eight plants it will raise less than envisaged.

It had mulled dropping the tax in return for the utilities supporting and not suing the government over an early exit.

(Reporting by Annika Breidthardt, Andreas Rinke and Hans-Edzard Busemann; additional reporting by Vera Eckert, Peter Dinkloh, Josie Cox and Jonathan Gould in Frankfurt, editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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Ouattara wants I. Coast crime probe

Human Rights Watch said forces loyal to both Ouattara and his opponent commited atrocities during the election standoff.President Alassane Ouattara urges an "independent and impartial" probeHe has been in power since the April arrest of strongman Laurent GbagboForces loyal to both leaders killed hundreds during election standoff, rights group say

(CNN) -- The president of the Ivory Coast is urging the International Criminal Court to investigate major crimes committed in his country after a disputed November election sparked a political standoff that left hundreds dead.

In a letter posted on the court's website Wednesday, President Alassane Ouattara asked for an "independent and impartial investigations into the most serious crimes committed" after the presidential poll.

Ouattara has been in power since the April arrest of incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo, who defied international calls to step down after he lost the election. Hundreds died in the ensuing standoff, according to rights groups.

Human rights investigators said this month that they have found a total of 10 mass graves near the commercial capital of Abidjan.

Human Rights Watch has said forces loyal to both leaders killed or raped citizens, burned homes and kidnapped civilians during the standoff.

The president asked the international court to ensure those with the "greatest criminal responsibility" for the crimes are brought to justice. He made the request in a letter to Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo this month, the court said.

Perpetrators will be brought to justice, according to the international court based in The Hague, Netherlands.

"Since the upsurge of violence following the second-round of the presidential election ... the office of the prosecutor has carefully examined all crime allegations and repeatedly reminded the political and military leaders of Cote d'Ivoire that the most serious crimes falling under the court's jurisdiction will not remain unpunished," the court said in a statement.

On Monday, the criminal court sought the arrest of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and two relatives, linking them to "widespread and systematic" attacks on civilians as they struggle to hold power in the North African nation.

And the court has accused two prominent Kenyan politicians -- Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and member of Parliament William Ruto -- and four others of multiple counts of crimes against humanity for the bloody post-election violence that wracked Kenya in late 2007 and early 2008.

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T-Mobile wants to buy your old phone (Yahoo! News)

Many of us have outdated cell phones lying around in drawers and cluttering up shelves in our offices, but never get around to properly recycling them like we should. T-Mobile is hoping that by helping with that problem, and giving you a few bucks in the process, that you'll join the ranks of the T-Mobile faithful — before the company gets swallowed up by AT&T.

With a new incentive program, T-Mobile will give you credit for your old phone which can then be used towards a brand new device from the carrier's lineup. The company will shell out as much as $300 for your handset, but most phones ring up at significantly less than that. Of course, any funds you receive can only be used towards a new T-Mobile handset, so don't go planning a night on the town with your newfound dough. The carrier launched a website to help interested customers figure out how much of a bonus they can expect if they decide to take the leap.

After browsing through many of the devices on the list — which doesn't discriminate by carrier or brand — it's apparent that unless you're willing to trade in a newer-model smartphone, you shouldn't expect much for your device. But fret not, the program is being run with help from The Wireless Source, a green-minded phone refurbishing group that safely recycles models no longer fit for service. So either way, you can clean the relics out of your handset collection, and maybe even score a few bucks towards a new phone while you're at it.

T-Mobile via Business Insider

[Image Credit: Dave Center]

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France wants $3.5 billion for its 4G frequencies (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters) – France hopes to get at least 2.5 billion euros ($3.53 billion) for the fourth-generation (4G) wireless frequencies it plans to grant to telecom operators in an upcoming auction, Industry minister Eric Besson told Le Figaro.

France is in the final stages of setting terms for the auction of fourth-generation mobile spectrum, which will shape the competitive landscape of Europe's third-largest telecom market for years to come.

The government had previously said it wanted to receive at least 2 billion euros from the auction but Besson said the new higher amount matched those of similar auctions the United States, Sweden and Germany.

"France must not sell its frequencies at cut-price levels," Besson said in the interview published on Monday.

Besson added the auction would be split into several lots in order to prevent deep-pocketed bidders such as France Telecom from buying the majority of frequencies and gaining a major advantage over smaller players like Bouygues and new mobile entrant Iliad.

The 4G frequencies being sold are of two types. There are four lots up for grabs in the 800 megahertz band, which is more sought after for its ability to carry massive debits over long distances. Besson said the minimum price the government would accept for the lots in the 800 band will be 1.8 billion euros.

Then there is the 2.6 gigahertz band where there is more frequencies available, but given their lower quality will be sold for a lower price. Besson said the government had set a minimum price of 700 million euros for these frequencies.

Asked about the timeframe of the auction, Besson said the government would launch the official bidding process in June, then bids would be submitted in September.

The decisions on the bids would be made in October for the 2.6 gigahertz band, and November for the 800 megahertz band.

($1=.7083 euros)

(Reporting by Matthias Blamont and Leila Abboud; Editing by Mike Nesbit)

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U.S. says it wants access to bin Laden widows

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United States wants access to Osama bin Laden's three widows and any intelligence material its commandos left behind at the al-Qaida leader's compound, a top American official said in comments broadcast Sunday that could add a fresh sticking point in already frayed ties with Pakistan.

Local residents gather to view the house of former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on Sunday.

Information from the women, who remained in the house after the commandos killed bin Laden, might answer questions about whether Pakistan harbored the al-Qaida chief as many American officials are speculating. It could also reveal details about the day-to-day life of bin Laden, his actions since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the inner workings of al-Qaida.

The women, along with several children also picked up from the house, are believed to be in Pakistani army custody. A Pakistani army official declined to comment Sunday on the request, which U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon revealed on NBC's "Meet the Press."

The CIA and Pakistan's spy agency, known by the acronym ISI, have worked uneasily together in the past on counterterrorism, but the unilateral U.S. raid — done without Pakistan's advance knowledge — has exposed the deep mistrust that scars a complicated if vital partnership for both nations.

Even before the May 1 raid, the ISI said it was cutting cooperation with CIA to protest drone strikes close to the Afghan border, among other things. In the current environment, Pakistan could use the fact it has something Washington wants — bin Laden's widows — as leverage to reduce some of the pressure it is under.

Bin Laden was found in a large house close to a military academy in the army town of Abbottabad where he had been living for up to six years. His location raised U.S. suspicions that he had help from some Pakistani authorities, possibly elements of the powerful army and intelligence services.

Donilon said Washington had seen no evidence that the Pakistani government had been colluding with bin Laden — the public line taken by most U.S. officials since the raid, including President Barack Obama in comments also broadcast Sunday.

"But they need to investigate that," Donilon said. "And they need to provide us with intelligence, by the way, from the compound that they've gathered, including access to Osama bin Laden's three wives, whom they have in ? custody."

Donilon also said Pakistani authorities had collected other evidence from the house which the United States wanted to "work with them on assessing." U.S. commandos managed to seize a large and valuable intelligence haul that included videos, telephone numbers and documents, along with the body of bin Laden, before flying back to Afghanistan, according to U.S. officials.

The Pakistani government has strongly denied it knew of bin Laden's whereabouts, but Western governments have long regarded Islamabad with suspicion. Its armed forces have historical — some say ongoing — links with Islamist militants, which they used as proxies in Afghanistan and India.

The allegations of Pakistani collusion pose an acute problem for the Obama administration because few can see any alternative but to continue engaging with the country. Unstable and nuclear-armed, it remains integral to the fight against al-Qaida as well as to American hopes for beginning to draw down troops in Afghanistan later this year.

"We need to act in our national interest," Donilon said. "We have had difficulty with Pakistan, as I said. But we've also had to work very closely with Pakistan in our counter-terror efforts."

The American commandos killed bin Laden and up to four other people, including one of his sons, at the compound.

Pakistani officials have given little information, some of it conflicting, about the identities of the women and children left behind, including exactly how many there are and what they allegedly have been saying.

One of the wives is Yemeni, Pakistani officials have said. A copy of her passport, leaked to the local media, identifies her as Amal Ahmed Abdullfattah. She has allegedly told Pakistani investigators that she moved to the home in 2006 and never left the upper floors of the three-story compound, where bin Laden was living.

She is from the southern Yemeni province of Ibb, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) south of the capital, Sanaa. A family member there has sought a meeting with Pakistan's ambassador to Yemen to ask about her fate and whether she is to return to Yemen. The relative, a cousin named Walid al-Sada, said the ambassador did not know and promised to get back to the family.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tahmina Janjua said no countries have asked for the return of bin Laden's relatives. The Foreign Ministry in a statement last week said they were being well looked after and will be returned to their countries of origin.

When the Navy SEALs raided bin Laden's compound, they collected computer equipment and videos, including one that showed bin Laden huddled in a blanket and wearing a knit cap while seated on the floor watching television — an image that contrasts with the bin Laden seen in propaganda videos released over the years, which depicted him as a charismatic religious figure unaffected by the world's scorn.

But many Pakistanis, who are routinely misled by their government and live in a country where television and newspapers report conspiracy theories about the malign intentions of the United States uncritically, don't believe bin Laden has died.

"I think Osama did not die," said Mohammad Khan at a newspaper kiosk in Rawalpindi city. "I don't believe even 1 percent that he was martyred in Abbottabad. The making of a video is not a big thing for America. They can do what they want because they have the latest technology. They can make impossible things seem possible."

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Japan wants 3 reactors closed while seawall built

TOKYO (AP) — Officials at a Japanese power company were finalizing a decision Saturday following a government request that it suspend all three reactors at a coastal nuclear plant while steps are taken to prevent a major earthquake or tsunami from causing another radiation crisis.

A woman strolls in a deserted street in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan on Friday.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Friday that he had asked Chubu Electric Power Co. to halt its three reactors at Hamaoka nuclear power plant in central Japan until the operator can improve safety measures.Though not legally binding, the request is a virtual order.

The government is wrapping up a safety review of Japan's 54 atomic reactors after a March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. The disaster left more than 25,000 people dead or missing on the northeast coast.

The Hamaoka nuclear plant just off the Pacific coast in central Japan is the only one so far where the government has asked that operations be halted over safety reasons.

Chubu Electric president Akihisa Mizuno said in a statement that the company would "swiftly consider" the government's request.

He was expected to hold a news conference later Saturday to announce a decision.

"It was a decision made after thoroughly considering people's safety," Kan said Friday, citing experts' forecast of a 90 percent probability of a quake with magnitude of 8.0 or higher striking central Japan within 30 years.

The government asked Chubu Electric to suspend two running reactors and a third currently shut for a regular inspection at the plant in Shizuoka, which is around 124 miles (200 kilometers) west of Tokyo. Two other reactors are currently being decommissioned.

"If an accident occurs at Hamaoka, it could create serious consequences," Kan said.

Since the March 11 disasters, Chubu Electric has drawn up safety measures that include building a 40-foot-high (12-meter-high) seawall nearly a mile (1.5 kilometers) long over the next two to three years, company official Takanobu Yamada said. The company also promised to install additional emergency backup generators and other equipment and improve water-tightness of the reactor building.

Chubu also plans to erect concrete walls along 18 water pumps at the plant, to protect them from tsunami or quake damage. It will also install additional backup generators and other emergency equipment to secure cooling capacity, and improve water-tightness of reactor buildings. It will take two to three years to complete the sea wall, Yamada said.

The plant does not have a concrete sea barrier now. Sandhills between the ocean and the plant are about 32 to 50 feet (10 to 15 meters) high, the company said.

Chubu Electric has estimated a tsunami reaching around 26 feet (8 meters).

The company recently said it was considering restarting the third reactor in July, triggering harsh local opposition.

Trade Minister Banri Kaieda said Chubu's safety measures were insufficient. "Until the company completes safety steps, it is inevitable that it should stop operating nuclear reactors," he said.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the stricken Fukushima plant, has said the waves that wrecked critical power and cooling systems there were at least 46 feet (14 meters) high.

Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu called the government's request "a wise decision" and vowed to secure alternative sources of energy.

Residents in Shizuoka have long demanded suspension of the Hamaoka reactors. About 79,800 people live within a 6-mile (10-kilometer) radius of the plant. Some residents have filed a request to a regional court to suspend the Hamaoka plant.

The Hamaoka plant provides power to around 16 million people in central Japan, including Aichi, home to Toyota Motor Corp.'s headquarters and an auto plant. Faced with a possible power crunch due to the shutdown, Kan sought public understanding.

Automakers and other industries have had troubles with interrupted supply lines, parts shortages and damage to manufacturing plants since the March 11 disasters.

The Fukushima Dai-ichi plant lost its power and cooling systems in the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami, triggering fires, explosions and radiation leaks in the world's second-worst nuclear accident.

Radiation leaks have forced 80,000 people living within a 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius of the plant to leave their homes.

Since the Fukushima crisis unfolded, nuclear safety officials have acknowledged that tsunami safety measures at Japanese nuclear power plants were insufficient.

In 2001, TEPCO told Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency that waves would not exceed 18 feet (5.7 meters) at the Dai-ichi plant, based on an anticipation of a magnitude-8.6 quake. It assumed the backup power generators, which were stored in basement areas, would stay dry in a tsunami triggered by a magnitude-9.0 quake.

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Pakistan wants U.S. military cuts

Pakistanis assailed the United States' military presence in their country Thursday amid a furor over a secret raid by U.S. Special Forces that killed Osama bin Laden.

Pakistani army troops guard the perimeter of the walled compound where Osama bin Laden was caught and killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

"The clash of East and West will deepen if America and the rest of the world cannot respect boundaries," said Sehrish Khan of Lahore. "Pakistan is a nuclear state; no country should damn well feel it can carry out a military operation in one of its cities."

Some Pakistanis have criticized the Pakistani army and the government for the raid on the compound of the al-Qaeda leader, who was shot dead early Monday by U.S. Navy SEALs. Many Pakistanis have said they are angry over the violation of the country's sovereignty and doubt government claims that it was not aware of the raid.

"There shall not be any doubt that any repetition of such an act will have disastrous consequences," Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said.

Bashir declined to say whether the American raid was illegal and said relations between Pakistan and the United States remained on course.

In protesting the raid, Pakistan's army called for cuts in the number of U.S. military personnel inside the country. The statement was the first since Monday's raid. The army admitted intelligence "shortcomings" in not finding bin Laden, who was living in Abbottabad, about a two-hour drive from the capital, Islamabad.

Pakistan's army chief of staff, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, told his colleagues that a decision had been made to reduce the number of U.S. military personnel to the "minimum essential" levels. The statement gave no details.

The United States has about 275 declared military personnel in Pakistan at any one time, and some of them help train the Pakistani army.

U.S. officials were not immediately available for comment.

The Pakistani army also warned that it would review its military and intelligence cooperation with Washington if the United States carries out similar raids.

The army said the Inter-Services Intelligence agency had given initial information to the CIA about bin Laden, but claimed the "CIA did not share further development of intelligence on the case with the ISI, contrary to the existing practice between the two services."

"It is not always an easy relationship," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday in Rome. "But on the other hand, it is a productive one for both of our countries, and we are going to continue to cooperate between our governments, our militaries, our law enforcement agencies."

Khan and other Pakistanis said they are pleased that bin Laden was killed, but the operation should have been done with Pakistan's cooperation.

"Intelligence sharing would have remained a better solution," Khan said.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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