KABUL, Afghanistan ? The Taliban must renounce ties to terrorists and endorse peace efforts as a condition for opening a political office in the Gulf state of Qatar, a senior U.S. diplomat said Sunday.
Marc Grossman, the special U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, called for quick work in setting up the office in Qatar, seen as a step to negotiating an end to the decade-long war in Afghanistan between the Taliban and the Western-backed government.
The issue underscores the complexity of efforts to wind down the war ahead of the scheduled departure of NATO combat forces by the end of 2014. Publicly, the Taliban have expressed no interest in reconciliation, and while the U.S. says repeatedly that the peace process must be led by Afghans, Kabul continues to fear it is being left out of the negotiating process.
Grossman spoke to reporters Sunday in Kabul alongside Afghanistan's Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin.
Grossman said Qatar and Afghanistan need to be in direct contact about the office, but "for an office to open, we also need to have a clear statement by the Afghan Taliban against international terrorism and in support of a peace process to end the armed conflict in Afghanistan."
Grossman, speaking at the Afghan Foreign Ministry on a snowy evening in Kabul, noted that the Afghan government would welcome a delegation from Qatar to discuss setting up the office.
Reassuring Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who fears he is being sidelined by U.S. efforts to find a political resolution to the war, Grossman said, "Only Afghans can decide the future of Afghanistan."
Before making his first visit to Afghanistan, Grossman made stops in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and India. He wanted to stop in Pakistan as well, but he said Pakistani officials did not want to meet with him now because they were still revising their policy toward the U.S.
The relationship is badly strained over the U.S. unilateral raid in Pakistan that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and a U.S. airstrike late last year that killed 24 Pakistan soldiers. Pakistan, where many Afghan insurgent leaders are said to be based, has closed overland routes into Afghanistan for U.S. and NATO war supplies.
Both Grossman and Ludin said Pakistan has a crucial role to play in efforts to craft a peace deal with the Taliban.
"There really can't be a comprehensive settlement here ? a peace process ? unless Pakistan is part of it," Grossman said.
Last year Washington opened secret negotiations with the Taliban exploring their willingness to enter into peace talks ahead of the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Talks with the Taliban briefly faltered last summer after Karzai learned of the clandestine negotiations and made them public, temporarily scuttling them. Privately, Karzai has expressed fears that the United States will broker a deal with the Taliban that will be imposed on his government.
U.S. conversations with Taliban representatives have focused on establishing the Taliban office in Qatar and prisoner exchanges. The Taliban are seeking the release of five prisoners from the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including Khairullah Khairkhwa, the former governor of Herat province, and Mullah Mohammed Fasl, a top Taliban commander.
Ludin expressed the Afghan government's support in getting a Taliban political office opened in Qatar and said it also would back an American decision to transfer some Taliban detainees from the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Qatar.
"If the United States decides to transfer these detainees to Qatar, to the extent that that means that these people will be reunited with their families, the Afghan government will support it. ... but you also will have to ascertain the desire of the detainees themselves," Ludin said.
Grossman said no decision has been made about the transferring detainees from Guantanamo Bay.
SAN FRANCISCO ? Tablets and e-readers were a popular gift over the holidays, so much so that the number of people who own them nearly doubled between mid-December and January, a new study finds.
A report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project set to be released Monday found that 29 percent of Americans owned at least one tablet or e-reader as of the beginning of this month. That's up from 18 percent who said the same in December.
The iPad from Apple Inc. is perhaps the best-known example of these gadgets, along with Amazon.com's various Kindle devices and the Nook from Barnes and Noble. The iPad put tablets on the map and the cheaper Kindle Fire and Nook devices helped get them in the hands of more people.
The percentage of people who own a tablet jumped to 19 from 10 between mid-December and early January. E-book reader ownership also rose to 19 percent from 10 percent of U.S. adults.
Men and women were equally likely to own tablets, and the likelihood of tablet ownership was higher for people with higher household incomes, the report found. Those with higher levels of education were also more likely to own tablets than those who completed fewer years of school.
E-readers, meanwhile, were slightly more common among women.
The figures are from ongoing surveys conducted by Pew about tablet and e-reader ownership. They were conducted between November 2011 and January 2012. The first, pre-holiday survey was conducted among 2,986 Americans 16 and older. Two post-holiday surveys were conducted among about 2,000 adults in January.
KANO (Reuters) ? The death toll from gun and bomb attacks in the northern Nigerian city of Kano has risen to at least 178, a doctor in its main hospital said on Sunday, making this by far the deadliest attack claimed by the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram.
"We have 178 people killed in the two main hospitals," the senior doctor in Kano's Murtala Mohammed hospital said following Friday's attacks, citing records from his own and the other main hospital of Nasarawa.
"There could be more, because some bodies have not yet come in and others were collected early."
(Reporting by Mike Oboh; writing by Tim Cocks; editing by David Stamp)
We've heard married people are happier, but that might not be a reason to rush to the altar, according to a new study.
In terms of health, self-esteem, and psychological well-being, marriage offers little benefit over simply living together without wedding rings, the study found.
It's the relationship itself, rather than its official status, that's key to its benefits, said study researcher Kelly Musick, an associate professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell University's College of Human Ecology.
"Being in a romantic relationship, irrespective of the legal form, does provide benefits over remaining single," Musick said.
Moreover, the findings suggest that for some, cohabitation may be the better option than marriage, Musick said. Participants who cohabited in the study were happier and had greater self-esteem than those who were married. This may be because cohabitation offers more room for independence and personal growth, which may be particularly important for some people at certain stages in life, Musick said.
The study is published in the February issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family.
Marriage vs. cohabitation
Many previous studies looking at the benefits of marriage have focused on comparing married couples with single people, or comparing married with cohabiting couples at one point in time.
The new study followed 2,737 single men and women over six years to see what happened when they entered a relationship or got married. The study data were drawn from national surveys given in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Participants rated their overall health and happiness, and were also asked questions to assess their self -esteem, depression and the strength of their ties to friends and family.
Over the study period, close to 900 participants married or began living with a romantic partner.
In general, both marriage and cohabitation came with an uptick in well being. Those who got married or started living with a partner experienced higher levels of happiness, and lower levels of depression, than those who remained single, although these advantages faded with time.
People who married did report better overall health compared with those who cohabited, which may be explained by the entitlements (such as health insurance for spouses) that come with marriage.
However, marriage and cohabitation also reduced contact with family and friends compared to being single, and this effect lasted over time.
The researchers noted it's been about 20 years since the surveys they used were performed, and the relative benefits of marriage versus cohabitation may have changed in recent years.
However, it's not clear whether their findings would be more or less true today, Musick said. On the one hand, the experiences of marriage and cohabitation have become increasingly similar. But on the other hand, marriage may still hold a greater social status than cohabitation in the United States, she said.
Better off married?
The new findings are extremely valuable because they provide a clearer picture of the advantages of marriage, and counter the view that "marriage is the solution to so many of our problems" said Gary Lee, professor and chair department of sociology at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, who was not involved in the study. "I think that?s an incredibly naive view," Lee said.
People who claim marriage brings great benefits to everyone "are kind of cherry-picking the research," Lee said.
In reality, the people who aren't getting married may not be doing so because it won?t make them any better off, Lee said. In today's economic environment, marriage does not bring the same financial benefits as it used it, he said.
The researchers emphasized that "we are certainly not saying that marriage is irrelevant for individual well-being," Musick said. For some, marriage may be a great source of happiness.
Still, the findings call into question the value of using limited resources on campaigns to promote marriage over other family forms, Musick said. ?More research is needed to better inform policy-makers about the advantages, or lack thereof, of such campaigns.
Pass it on: Cohabitation may be just as good as marriage in promoting happiness and well-being.
This story was provided by MyHealthNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily staff writer Rachael Rettner on Twitter @RachaelRettner. Find us on Facebook.
Media invited: Biophysical Society Annual MeetingPublic release date: 19-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Ellen Weiss eweiss@biophysics.org 240-290-5606 American Institute of Physics
Meeting to highlight innovations in medicine, environmental science, physics, interdisciplinary work, and more
Protein assassins; the biophysics of red tide blooms; how so-called "bath salts" produce a high; and a link between cigarettes and atherosclerosis are just some of the intriguing topics that will be presented at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society (BPS).
The conference will take place Feb. 25 - Feb. 29, 2012, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. With more than 4,000 poster presentations, 200 exhibits, 20 symposia, and 6,000 research scientists in attendance each year, the Annual Meeting is the largest meeting of biophysicists in the world.
Credentialed journalists, freelance reporters working on assignment, and public information officers may attend the meeting free of charge. For more information on press registration, see below.
PRELIMINARY MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Microbes Help Lock Away Carbon Dioxide: As carbonate minerals form, they pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, which could be an important mechanism in climate change mitigation. New research reveals the important role that microbes play in the rate of formation of carbonate minerals.
"Tuning microbial surfaces to control carbonate mineralization."
Cigarettes and Atherosclerosis: A missing link: Smoking is a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis, but the exact mechanism connecting the two is unresolved. Research hints that nicotine may trigger a remodeling of the scaffolding of cells comprising blood vessel walls, leading to plaque buildup.
"Cigarette smoke and nicotine-induced remodeling of actin cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix by vascular smooth muscle cells."
Molding the Business End of Neurotoxins: For venomous animals, the active section of a neurotoxin is the area most likely to undergo rapid evolution in response to environmental constraints, scientists find. Understanding these evolutionary forces can help researchers predict which part of unstudied toxins will do damage.
"Molding the business end of neurotoxins by diversifying evolution."
A New Approach to HIV Vaccine Design: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has eluded vaccine-makers, in part due to the virus' ability to mutate rapidly. Researchers have identified collectively evolving sections of HIV that mutate in tandem, suggesting a new strategy for vaccine development.
"Analysis of collective coevolution in HIV proteins suggests strategies for rational vaccine design."
Building Complex Cell Membranes with New Layer-by-layer Technique: A new method of constructing arbitrarily complex and hitherto impossible-to-reproduce cell membranes in the lab may expand the types of cell behavior scientists can study using synthetic models.
"Layer-by-layer assembly of complex membranous cellular structures."
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Crimson Tide: Mechanics of a toxin: Toxic algal blooms known as "red tides" can harm coastal bathers and marine sea life. Researchers are learning how Karenia brevis, an organism responsible for certain types of red tides, stores and releases its harmful neurotoxins.
"Exocytic mechanisms of storage and release of brevotoxin in the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis."
Synthetic Drug Known as "Bath Salts" Packs a Double Punch: New drugs that mimic illegal narcotics pose challenges for law enforcement agents attempting to combat an ever-changing target. Researchers are also attempting to keep pace by studying how these emerging compounds affect the human brain. New studies on the drug known as "bath salts" reveal that it mimics both methamphetamine and cocaine.
"Bath salts: A synthetic cathinone whose two major components act similar to methamphetamine and cocaine on the human dopamine transporter."
Texas Coral Snake's Painful Bite Decoded: The bite of the Texas coral snake produces excruciating pain in its victims, and researchers have identified how: a novel neurotoxin activates a subset of pain-sensitive nerves that normally respond to capsaicin and acid.
"A novel toxin that targets acid-sensing ion channels to produce pain."
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28
Proteins Behaving Badly: Researchers have developed a new way to predict which protein regions are prone to misfolding in different cellular environments. The theory may guide the design of treatments to block misfolding pathways and could help predict the progression of degenerative diseases such as ALS.
"Template-directed protein misfolding in silico and in the cell."
Alcohol Damages Heart Cells' Energy Factories: Mitochondria inside heart cells are one of the victims of alcoholism, becoming dysfunctional from excessive ethanol exposure. Scientists searching for the cause of these mitochondrial impairments studied the possibility that calcium-ion overload in the muscles of ethanol-fed rats are to blame.
"SR-Mitochondrial ultrastructure in the heart of normal and ethanol-fed rats."
Vitamins Gang up on Cancer Cells: Liver cancer is among the most vexing forms of cancer. Laboratory mouse studies reveal that combining vitamins C and K3 creates a much more toxic environment for liver cancer cells than either vitamin alone.
"On the mechanism of synergistic cytotoxicity of vitamins C and K3: Experiments in vitro and quantum-chemical analysis."
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29
Protein Assassin: Scientists find that the unfolded end of a protein can kill selectively, binding to receptor proteins found only in E. coli-like bacteria and causing the bacteria's inner membranes to spring lethal leaks.
"Targeted killing of Escherichia coli by an unfolded protein."
Potential Target for Alzheimer's Therapy: Microglia, the major inflammatory cells of the brain, play a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers propose that microglia may present a novel pharmacological target for curbing the harmful effects of amyloid-beta.
"Microglial KV1.3 channels as a potential target for Alzheimer's disease."
Fighting Fat: The chemical compound ShK-186 may be able to alter muscle metabolism in mice, hinting at potential therapeutic uses in the fight against obesity.
"Anti-obesity effect of SHK-186, a K+ channel blocker."
Fatigue Failure at the Molecular Level: Scientists strive to develop a theory that explains why repeated forces cause materials to fail on the molecular level. The work could help inform the design of molecule-sized machines.
"Fatigue at the molecular scale."
Building a Biological Pacemaker: By adding a protein that helps control gene expression, researchers coaxed mouse embryonic stem cells to preferentially grow into cardiac pacemaker cells. The results may lay the groundwork for future development of biological pacemakers.
"Enhanced embryonic stem cell differentiation to cardiac pacemaker cells by transduction with a single transcription factor."
ABOUT THE 2012 ANNUAL MEETING
Each year, the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting brings together over 6,000 research scientists in the multidisciplinary fields representing biophysics. With more than 4,000 poster presentations, over 200 exhibits, and more than 20 symposia, the Annual Meeting is the largest meeting of biophysicists in the world. Despite its size, the meeting retains its small-meeting flavor through its subgroup meetings, platform sessions, social activities, and committee programs.
The 56th Annual meeting will be held at the San Diego Convention Center (111 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101), located 3 miles from the San Diego International Airport and less than one mile from the Amtrak Station. The San Diego Trolley has two stops directly in front of the Center at Harbor Drive/First Avenue and Harbor Drive/Fifth Avenue.
###
QUICK LINKS
Meeting Home Page:
http://www.biophysics.org/2012meeting/Main/tabid/2386/Default.aspx
Housing and Travel Information: http://www.biophysics.org/2012meeting/AccommodationsTravel/HotelInformation/tabid/2479/Default.aspx
Program Abstracts and Itinerary Planner:
http://www.abstractsonline.com/plan/start.aspx?mkey=%7B5B4BAD87%2D5B6D%2D4994%2D84CE%2DB3B13E2AEAA3%7D
PRESS REGISTRATION
The Biophysical Society invites credentialed journalists, freelance reporters working on assignment, and public information officers to attend its Annual Meeting free of charge. For more information on registering as a member of the press, contact BPS Director of Public Affairs and Communications Ellen Weiss at eweiss@biophysics.org or 240-290-5606, or visit http://www.biophysics.org/2012meeting/Registration/Press/tabid/2477/Default.aspx.
ABOUT BPS
The Biophysical Society (BPS), founded in 1956, is a professional scientific society established to encourage development and dissemination of knowledge in biophysics. The Society promotes growth in this expanding field through its annual meeting, monthly journal, and committee and outreach activities. Its 9000 members are located throughout the U.S. and the world, where they teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, laboratories, government agencies, and industry. For more information on the Society or the 2012 Annual Meeting, visit www.biophysics.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Media invited: Biophysical Society Annual MeetingPublic release date: 19-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Ellen Weiss eweiss@biophysics.org 240-290-5606 American Institute of Physics
Meeting to highlight innovations in medicine, environmental science, physics, interdisciplinary work, and more
Protein assassins; the biophysics of red tide blooms; how so-called "bath salts" produce a high; and a link between cigarettes and atherosclerosis are just some of the intriguing topics that will be presented at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society (BPS).
The conference will take place Feb. 25 - Feb. 29, 2012, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. With more than 4,000 poster presentations, 200 exhibits, 20 symposia, and 6,000 research scientists in attendance each year, the Annual Meeting is the largest meeting of biophysicists in the world.
Credentialed journalists, freelance reporters working on assignment, and public information officers may attend the meeting free of charge. For more information on press registration, see below.
PRELIMINARY MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Microbes Help Lock Away Carbon Dioxide: As carbonate minerals form, they pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, which could be an important mechanism in climate change mitigation. New research reveals the important role that microbes play in the rate of formation of carbonate minerals.
"Tuning microbial surfaces to control carbonate mineralization."
Cigarettes and Atherosclerosis: A missing link: Smoking is a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis, but the exact mechanism connecting the two is unresolved. Research hints that nicotine may trigger a remodeling of the scaffolding of cells comprising blood vessel walls, leading to plaque buildup.
"Cigarette smoke and nicotine-induced remodeling of actin cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix by vascular smooth muscle cells."
Molding the Business End of Neurotoxins: For venomous animals, the active section of a neurotoxin is the area most likely to undergo rapid evolution in response to environmental constraints, scientists find. Understanding these evolutionary forces can help researchers predict which part of unstudied toxins will do damage.
"Molding the business end of neurotoxins by diversifying evolution."
A New Approach to HIV Vaccine Design: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has eluded vaccine-makers, in part due to the virus' ability to mutate rapidly. Researchers have identified collectively evolving sections of HIV that mutate in tandem, suggesting a new strategy for vaccine development.
"Analysis of collective coevolution in HIV proteins suggests strategies for rational vaccine design."
Building Complex Cell Membranes with New Layer-by-layer Technique: A new method of constructing arbitrarily complex and hitherto impossible-to-reproduce cell membranes in the lab may expand the types of cell behavior scientists can study using synthetic models.
"Layer-by-layer assembly of complex membranous cellular structures."
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Crimson Tide: Mechanics of a toxin: Toxic algal blooms known as "red tides" can harm coastal bathers and marine sea life. Researchers are learning how Karenia brevis, an organism responsible for certain types of red tides, stores and releases its harmful neurotoxins.
"Exocytic mechanisms of storage and release of brevotoxin in the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis."
Synthetic Drug Known as "Bath Salts" Packs a Double Punch: New drugs that mimic illegal narcotics pose challenges for law enforcement agents attempting to combat an ever-changing target. Researchers are also attempting to keep pace by studying how these emerging compounds affect the human brain. New studies on the drug known as "bath salts" reveal that it mimics both methamphetamine and cocaine.
"Bath salts: A synthetic cathinone whose two major components act similar to methamphetamine and cocaine on the human dopamine transporter."
Texas Coral Snake's Painful Bite Decoded: The bite of the Texas coral snake produces excruciating pain in its victims, and researchers have identified how: a novel neurotoxin activates a subset of pain-sensitive nerves that normally respond to capsaicin and acid.
"A novel toxin that targets acid-sensing ion channels to produce pain."
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28
Proteins Behaving Badly: Researchers have developed a new way to predict which protein regions are prone to misfolding in different cellular environments. The theory may guide the design of treatments to block misfolding pathways and could help predict the progression of degenerative diseases such as ALS.
"Template-directed protein misfolding in silico and in the cell."
Alcohol Damages Heart Cells' Energy Factories: Mitochondria inside heart cells are one of the victims of alcoholism, becoming dysfunctional from excessive ethanol exposure. Scientists searching for the cause of these mitochondrial impairments studied the possibility that calcium-ion overload in the muscles of ethanol-fed rats are to blame.
"SR-Mitochondrial ultrastructure in the heart of normal and ethanol-fed rats."
Vitamins Gang up on Cancer Cells: Liver cancer is among the most vexing forms of cancer. Laboratory mouse studies reveal that combining vitamins C and K3 creates a much more toxic environment for liver cancer cells than either vitamin alone.
"On the mechanism of synergistic cytotoxicity of vitamins C and K3: Experiments in vitro and quantum-chemical analysis."
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29
Protein Assassin: Scientists find that the unfolded end of a protein can kill selectively, binding to receptor proteins found only in E. coli-like bacteria and causing the bacteria's inner membranes to spring lethal leaks.
"Targeted killing of Escherichia coli by an unfolded protein."
Potential Target for Alzheimer's Therapy: Microglia, the major inflammatory cells of the brain, play a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers propose that microglia may present a novel pharmacological target for curbing the harmful effects of amyloid-beta.
"Microglial KV1.3 channels as a potential target for Alzheimer's disease."
Fighting Fat: The chemical compound ShK-186 may be able to alter muscle metabolism in mice, hinting at potential therapeutic uses in the fight against obesity.
"Anti-obesity effect of SHK-186, a K+ channel blocker."
Fatigue Failure at the Molecular Level: Scientists strive to develop a theory that explains why repeated forces cause materials to fail on the molecular level. The work could help inform the design of molecule-sized machines.
"Fatigue at the molecular scale."
Building a Biological Pacemaker: By adding a protein that helps control gene expression, researchers coaxed mouse embryonic stem cells to preferentially grow into cardiac pacemaker cells. The results may lay the groundwork for future development of biological pacemakers.
"Enhanced embryonic stem cell differentiation to cardiac pacemaker cells by transduction with a single transcription factor."
ABOUT THE 2012 ANNUAL MEETING
Each year, the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting brings together over 6,000 research scientists in the multidisciplinary fields representing biophysics. With more than 4,000 poster presentations, over 200 exhibits, and more than 20 symposia, the Annual Meeting is the largest meeting of biophysicists in the world. Despite its size, the meeting retains its small-meeting flavor through its subgroup meetings, platform sessions, social activities, and committee programs.
The 56th Annual meeting will be held at the San Diego Convention Center (111 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101), located 3 miles from the San Diego International Airport and less than one mile from the Amtrak Station. The San Diego Trolley has two stops directly in front of the Center at Harbor Drive/First Avenue and Harbor Drive/Fifth Avenue.
###
QUICK LINKS
Meeting Home Page:
http://www.biophysics.org/2012meeting/Main/tabid/2386/Default.aspx
Housing and Travel Information: http://www.biophysics.org/2012meeting/AccommodationsTravel/HotelInformation/tabid/2479/Default.aspx
Program Abstracts and Itinerary Planner:
http://www.abstractsonline.com/plan/start.aspx?mkey=%7B5B4BAD87%2D5B6D%2D4994%2D84CE%2DB3B13E2AEAA3%7D
PRESS REGISTRATION
The Biophysical Society invites credentialed journalists, freelance reporters working on assignment, and public information officers to attend its Annual Meeting free of charge. For more information on registering as a member of the press, contact BPS Director of Public Affairs and Communications Ellen Weiss at eweiss@biophysics.org or 240-290-5606, or visit http://www.biophysics.org/2012meeting/Registration/Press/tabid/2477/Default.aspx.
ABOUT BPS
The Biophysical Society (BPS), founded in 1956, is a professional scientific society established to encourage development and dissemination of knowledge in biophysics. The Society promotes growth in this expanding field through its annual meeting, monthly journal, and committee and outreach activities. Its 9000 members are located throughout the U.S. and the world, where they teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, laboratories, government agencies, and industry. For more information on the Society or the 2012 Annual Meeting, visit www.biophysics.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
LONDON ? An extremist cleric described as one of Europe's leading al-Qaida operatives should not be deported to face terrorism charges in Jordan because of the risk evidence obtained through torture would be used against him, Europe's highest court ruled Tuesday.
After a six-year legal battle, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that deporting Abu Qatada from Britain ? where he is in prison custody ? would "give rise to a flagrant denial of justice."
Abu Qatada ? whose real name is Omar Mahmoud Mohammed Othman ? is an extremist Muslim preacher from Jordan who has been described in both Spanish and British courts as a leading al-Qaida figure in Europe.
A Palestinian-Jordanian citizen, Abu Qatada arrived in Britain in 1993 and was detained in 2002 under anti-terrorism laws which at the time allowed suspected terrorists to be held in jail without charge.
Though Abu Qatada was released in 2005, when the unpopular law was overturned, he was kept under surveillance and arrested again within months, to be held pending his deportation to face terrorism charges in Jordan.
He was convicted in his absence in Jordan of terrorist offenses related to two alleged bomb plots in 1999 and 2000, and would face a retrial if deported there from Britain.
Although Abu Qatada has never faced criminal charges in Britain, authorities in the U.K. have accused him of advising militants and raising money for terrorist attacks. He "is a leading spiritual adviser with extensive links to, and influence over, extreme Islamists in the U.K. and overseas," prosecutors told a British court in 2007.
Britain's Home Secretary Theresa May said she was disappointed by the ruling and the government would consider appealing the European court's decision. It has a three-month window in which to make any appeal, the court said.
"This is not the end of the road," May said. She confirmed Abu Qatada would remain held in British prison custody while a decision is made.
May has not specified what Britain would do if it loses any appeal, though it is likely Abu Qatada would be freed from prison and monitored under a surveillance program which requires those suspected of involvement in terrorism, but not charged with any crime, to abide by a curfew and wear an electronic anklet.
Abu Qatada's lawyer, Gareth Peirce, said the European court had sent a clear message that it would be wrong to prosecute a suspect on "evidence emanating from torture."
Peirce said she hoped Britain would not appeal and that the U.K. had been wrong to press to have her client deported since 2005.
"It would indeed be disappointing if the implications of this judgment were not carefully and adequately digested and the United Kingdom were to continue a challenge which flies so directly in the face of internationally accepted standards," she said.
Britain's Special Immigration Appeals Commission has previously been told Abu Qatada also was suspected of links to a bomb plot in Strasbourg, France, and to the raising of funds for terrorism in Chechnya.
In their ruling, the European judges based in Strasbourg said they did not accept Abu Qatada's claims that he would face ill treatment or torture at the hands of Jordanian authorities if sent there for trial, citing recent agreements between Jordan and the U.K.
But the judges warned that evidence in his case had been obtained by torturing his co-accused.
"The court found that torture was widespread in Jordan, as was the use of torture evidence by the Jordanian courts," the ruling said. "In relation to each of the two terrorist conspiracies ... the evidence of his involvement had been obtained by torturing one of his co-defendants."
Judges said evidence obtained through torture is illegal under international law and is also unreliable. The ruling said "there was a high probability that the incriminating evidence would be admitted ... and that it would be of considerable, perhaps decisive, importance."
Britain's highest court had ruled in 2009 that Abu Qatada should be deported to Jordan, despite fears over his potential mistreatment.
Human rights group Liberty urged the British government to make efforts to have Abu Qatada prosecuted in Britain.
"The court found that torture and evidence obtained that way is widespread" in Jordan, Shami Chakrabarti, the group's director, said in a statement. "So it is clear that, if Abu Qatada is to be tried for terrorism, this should happen in a British court without further delay."
British Prime Minister David Cameron will call for reform of the European court in a long-planned speech next week at the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe. He has frequently complained over the human rights court's rulings and said it had made him "physically ill" when Britain was ordered in 2010 to overturn a centuries-old law and allow prisoners to vote in national elections.
"We have been talking for some time about reform for the European Court of Human Rights," Cameron's spokesman Steve Field said following the Abu Qatada ruling. Field said the court's backlog of about 160,000 cases proved "something isn't working quite as it should be."
Cameron believes the court must focus on the most important cases "rather than essentially being a court of appeal for national judgments," the spokesman said.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 19-Jan-2012
Share ] 
