Obama calls on Iran to give back downed US drone

United State President Obama"Obama said on Monday it has firstly delivered a formal request to Iran for the return of a U.S. surveillance drone captured by Iranian armed forces, but is not hopeful that Iran will comply.
It was Mr. Obama"Obama’s first public comment about the drone, a remote-controlled spying aircraft, in a case that has raised American tensions with Iran.


President Obama"Obama said Monday that the U.S. wants the top-secret aircraft back. "We have asked for it back. We'll see how the Iranians respond," Obama"Obama said during a White House news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Monday.


In an interview broadcast live Monday night on Venezuelan state television, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said nothing to suggest his country would grant the U.S. request.


"The Americans have perhaps decided to give us this spy plane," Ahmadinejad said. "We now have control of this plane."


Speaking through an interpreter, Ahmadinejad said: "There are people here who have been able to control this spy plane, who can surely analyze this plane's system also. … In any case, now we have this spy plane."


Obama"Obama wouldn't comment on what the Iranians might learn from studying the downed aircraft. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said it's difficult to know "just frankly how much they're going to be able to get from having obtained those parts."


Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Panetta said they're not optimistic about getting the drone back because of recent Iranian behavior that Clinton said indicated "that the path that Iran seems to be going down is a dangerous one for themselves and the region."


Obama wouldn't comment on what the Iranians might learn from studying the downed aircraft. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said it's difficult to know "just frankly how much they're going to be able to get from having obtained those parts."


Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Panetta said they're not optimistic about getting the drone back because of recent Iranian behavior that Clinton said indicated "that the path that Iran seems to be going down is a dangerous one for themselves and the region."


"We submitted a formal request for the return of our lost equipment as we would in any situation to any government around the world," Clinton told reporters at a State Department news conference with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.


"Given Iran's behavior to date we do not expect them to comply but we are dealing with all of these provocations and concerning actions taken by Iran in close concert with our closest allies and partners," she said.


Panetta said the request to return the drone was appropriate. "I don't expect that that will happen," he said. "But I think it's important to make that request."


Neither Obama nor Clinton would provide details of the drone request, but diplomatic exchanges between Washington to Tehran are often handled by Switzerland, which represents U.S. interests in Iran. The State Department said Monday that the Swiss ambassador to Iran met with Iranian foreign ministry officials last week but refused to say what they discussed.


Iran TV reported earlier Monday that Iranian experts were in the final stages of recovering data from the RQ-170 Sentinel, which went down in Iran earlier this month. Tehran has cited the capture as a victory for Iran and displayed the nearly intact drone on state TV. U.S. officials say the aircraft malfunctioned and was not brought down by Iran.


Despite the incident, Clinton said the administration and its allies would continue to push Iran to engage over its nuclear program while at the same time increasing pressure on the regime with new, enhanced sanctions.


"We obviously believe strongly in a diplomatic approach. We want to see the Iranians engage and, as you know, we have attempted to bring about that engagement over the course of the last three-plus years. It has not proven effective, but we are not giving up on it," she said.


"We're not giving up on engagement with Iran, but on a number of occasions Iran has behaved in a way in recent weeks and months which has intensified confrontation with the rest of the world," he said. "We have seen an increasing predilection for dangerous and illegal adventures on the part of at least parts of the Iranian regime."


Clinton and Hague referred to the storming of British diplomatic compounds in Tehran, allegations that Iran tried to arrange the assassination of the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Iran's ongoing support for militant groups and its continued defiance of demands to prove its nuclear program is peaceful.

Boxing scene recovers from historic week

WASHINGTON — Lamont Peterson seems to think tonight’s fight for the IBF and WBA portions of the junior welterweight title will be a thinking man’s game. Title holder Amir Khan seems to have a different agenda.


“I don’t like to be amped or crazy going into the ring because I’m a thinker,” the IBF’s No. 1 ranked contender said on the eve of tonight’s HBO televised showdown with Khan at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, just a few blocks from the White House. “I just think about the game plan, go over that a few times and before I know it, they’re raising my hand at the end of the fight. I just keep going over that over and over again until it’s time to go.”


When that time comes, it appears he’ll be going against someone whose approach is at least a tad less cerebral.


“I have all the power and speed on my side to beat Lamont Peterson,” boasted Khan (26-1, 18 KO). “I’ve got a style that people love. When they see me in real life they see the power, the explosive style. It’s going to be explosive in the ring.”


So when one guy is thinking will the other be exploding his plans? That seems to be Khan’s approach since trainer Freddie Roach took over his preparation several years ago. Roach has always favored aggressive punchers and Khan is certainly that. His style is not only to throw punches in bunches but to have them raise bunches of welts on your head until your plan begins to fade from memory.


Peterson, on the other hand, has gotten to this point not by outslugging opponents but by out-thinking them. Whether that will work against someone who brings to the arena more firepower and apparently more inclination to launch it than Peterson remains to be seen because, as Mike Tyson once put it, “Everyone’s got a plan until they get hit.”


Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KO) learned that in a one-sided loss to then-WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley two years ago, and again in a hard-fought draw with future welterweight champion Victor Ortiz last year, when the difference between them was Peterson’s unscheduled trip to the canvas on a night many felt he prevailed.


On that day, writers had to decide whether the Peterson-Khan bout or Johnson’s induction was the biggest story – a quandary we have never had before in local boxing circles. Johnson thrust himself into helping sell the fight with bout-related appearances and interviews while being called the best fighter to come out of the DC area since Sugar Ray Leonard. Reportedly in an interview with a local radio station, Leonard himself disputed that saying that he felt Johnson was the best fighter to come out of the Beltway ever, including himself.


The week briefly turned somber when Joseph Robert, Jr., who used boxing as a vehicle to raise millions of dollars for children’s charities through his creation of the Fight Night charity event, passed away after a brave battle against brain cancer. Robert was honored at the weigh-in and the fights with memorial10-counts.


The bout itself was simply, the best bout I have ever seen in 27 years of covering boxing in the Washington, DC area. Peterson and Khan are truly championship-caliber boxers who put on performances that will be talked about for many years to come. Regardless of what fans think about the outcome, no one can deny that they saw a tremendous and compelling boxing match.


Speaking of the crowd itself, DC has been criticized sometimes for being just an event boxing crowd – meaning that there are a lot of casual fans who come to boxing events just to be seen and they are not hardcore boxing fans. That wasn’t the case on Saturday night. There were many passionate boxing fans who attend the club shows and the amateur boxing events in the area as well as the title fights. The partisan DC crowd was loud and raucous with great assistance from the many Khan fans that were in attendance.


Let’s also clear up a statement that has been said a lot over the past few days. To say that this is DC’s first big fight in 18 years is inaccurate. This is the first time HBO has been in DC in 18 years. The DC-area has had big fights after 1993. It had the knockout of the year in 1994 when Vincent Pettway knocked out Simon Brown to defend his IBF Junior Middleweight titles at the old USAir Arena in nearby Landover, MD in 1994. There was the “Triple Jeopardy” card at MCI (now Verizon) Center in 1999 where Keith Holmes and Mark Johnson won world title belts and Sharmba Mitchell defended his title against fellow local Reggie Green. Another Beltway legend, William Joppy also defended his title against Julio Cesar Green in 2000. And of course, Mike Tyson lost his final bout in DC in 2005. All of those bouts were televised by Showtime. ESPN and USA networks have made numerous trips to the Beltway region in the past 18 years.


To say that all of those televised cards went without controversy would also not be true. This most recent discussion is not the first referee controversy we have had in the DC area. Ray Klingmeyer was roundly criticized for his handling of Pettway-Brown. Malik Waleed, who worked the co-feature bout between Seth Mitchell and Timur Ibragimov on Saturday, was caught in the middle of a controversy on an ESPN bout in DC in 2008 involving a head butt. But most major commissions have had their share of controversies. It’s an occupational hazard in this sport.


For the moment, however, Washington, DC is the talk of the boxing world. The Nation’s Capitol has a brand new world’s champion and a number of other young boxers who are putting themselves in positions to replicate what Lamont Peterson accomplished Saturday night. That is something that all Beltway Boxing fans can be very proud of

DC Brands International, Inc. Announces Recent Trips

DC Brands International, Inc., a publicly reporting company under the ticker symbol , today announced that the starting time for today's shareholder presentation has been pushed back to 1:30 PM (MST) to accommodate the requests of several attending shareholders. Once the meeting has commenced, the office doors will be locked so as to avoid any interruptions to Management's presentation to the attending shareholders.


The presentation can be listened to by calling 712-432-1001, with access code 485478599#.


The call will also be available for playback at 712-432-1011, using access code 485478599#.


All materials that are presented during the session to the attending shareholders will be available for viewing at www.hardnutrition.com


For more information on HARD Nutrition and how to get any one of its functional water systems go to www.hardnutrition.com or www.fatfighterdrink.com


The Focus Group in Los Angeles, as discussed during the shareholder call, that was organized and coordinated by Script to Screen, resulted in minor changes being made to the Fat Fighter infomercial that will improve it, and make it an even better infomercial. The Fat Fighter infomercial is now scheduled to be relaunched on a wider media platform beginning the first of the New Year.
Richard Pearce, President and CEO said, "I am extremely excited and encouraged that we have been successful in putting together the pieces to improve the infomercial and fund the media and product purchases necessary to roll out our Fat Fighter infomercial on an expanded scale. The fact that we have been able to address some of the problematic issues that we experienced during the national launch and media test of the infomercial, and make these changes in such short order, gives me the utmost confidence that we should be able to not only meet, but exceed, the projections of our financial model that we presented and discussed during our recent shareholder open house and conference call."
Pearce continued, "The New York meetings were highly productive, and contributed to our success in putting together the investor groups committed to finance the media and product purchases that are integral to the expanded relaunch of the Fat Fighter infomercial. We are now working at an accelerated pace to diligently process all of the documents necessary to secure this funding that will allow us to meet all of our cash needs as presented during our shareholder open house, and detailed in our 8K filing. We all know that the "New Year Resolution Season" is the prime market for weight loss product sales, and we are poised to take advantage of this business opportunity."

D.C. Council critic Tim Day withdraws from at-large race

District Republicans appear to have settled on their nominee in next year’s race for an at-large seat on the D.C. Council after accountant Tim Day withdrew from the race Monday and endorsed Mary Brooks Beatty.


Beatty, a former Ward 6 advisory neighborhood commissioner, is now the only announced GOP candidate in the race.


She will run in the Nov. 2 General Election, hoping to unseat incumbent Michael Brown (I) for the seat reserved under the city charter for a candidate from a non-majority party. David P. Grosso, a former Democrat who recently switched parties to become an independent, is also a candidate.


Beatty, a Texas native who moved to the District in 1999, announced her candidacy in mid-November. About the same time, Day threw his name into the mix, setting up the first contested GOP primary since 2008.


Day, an accountant, unsuccessfully challenged council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) in 2010. During that campaign, Day first raised questions about whether Thomas was misusing his nonprofit, Team Thomas, for his personal benefit.


In a statement from GOP leaders, Day announced Monday that he is dropping out of the at-large race to focus on Ward 5. If Thomas has to step down because of the ongoing federal investigation into Team Thomas, Day could be well positioned to seek the seat either as a Republican or Independent. But Day, who finished third in his 2010 bid, would face a steep challenge in overwhelmingly Democratic Northeast.


Beatty also faces a tough race in the at-large contest. No Republican has been elected citywide since 2004, when former council member Carol Schwartz was reelected. And with President Obama leading the Democratic ticket this year, Brown remains favored to win reelection.


"Harry Thomas, Michael Brown and many of our city leaders have done very little for District residents except embarrass us," Day said in a statement. "I completely support Mary and her efforts to give voters a clear choice for this November. The quicker we can vote out self serving incumbents like Harry Thomas and Michael Brown, the better our city will be."


Day, who challenged Thomas in his Ward 5 seat reelection bid last fall, is credited with being the first to charge that Team Thomas, a nonprofit run by the councilman to help D.C. youth, was a “slush fund” that was not registered with the IRS. The D.C. Attorney General later found money had been used from the nonprofit to fund personel expenses for Thomas and referred the case to the feds. The councilman reached a $300,000 settlement with the city but did not admit wrongdoing.


Brooks Beatty is a former Ward 6 ANC Commissioner from the H Street neighborhood. During her time on the ANC, she was credited for bringing re-development projects to the up-and-coming corridor.

News anchor suggests a dead Tom Brady is only way to beat Pats

For awhile, it certainly seemed that way. With the Patriots moving the ball with relative ease, and the Redskins getting some solid play from Rex Grossman, it took a defensive stand in the end for New England to take care of its business, beating Washington 34-27 at FedEx Field Sunday.


On Washington’s second possession of the game, scrimmaging from their own four-yard line, NE defensive end Andre Carter knocked the ball loose from quarterback Rex Grossman in the end zone. It was recovered by Vince Wilfork for a touchdown to put the Patriots ahead 7-0 with 12:06 to play in the first quarter. The Redskins, however, bounced back in a big way on their next drive, as Grossman hooked up with Donte Stallworth on a 51 yard reception (burning Devin McCourty along the way), setting up the Skins at the Patriots’ 17. After finding Stallworth again on a 3rd down attempt for a first-and-goal from the two, the NE defense stiffened and forced a 24-yard field goal from Graham Gano and a 7-3 score with 6:42 to play in the opening period.


Still, an 11-play, 75 yard drive against the Pats’ defense had to give Grossman and the Redskins confidence, didn’t it?


Not when Tom Brady is at the helm of the Patriots offense.


Fox 5 D.C. news anchor Maureen Umeh, she was technically correct when she suggested it'd have been easier for the Washington Redskins to defeat the New England Patriots if Tom Brady wasn't on the field. Perhaps she took a bit too far though by offering up Brady's untimely demise as the reason for his absence.


I'm throwing blame at sports director Dave Feldman on this one. It's a cardinal rule of television: Whenever someone else says something stupid, ignore it. Act like it never happened. How do you think Mike Tirico manages to get through three hours a week in a booth with Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden?
Feldman could have let it go. Instead, he magnified the gaffe by continuing to talk about it. If he were a football teammate, he'd be Randy Moss.
By the way, newscast faux pas would be improved if each network employed a sound guy to play a sad trombone sound or a record screeching noise whenever an anchor makes a slip. Those always make everything better.

US Military Mission In Iraq To End By December 31

Brussels: NATO will wrap up its training mission in Iraq by year-end, its secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said Monday.


"Agreement on the extension of this successful programme did not prove possible despite robust negotiations conducted over several weeks," Xinhua quoted Rasmussen as saying.


Rasmussen said after the training mission, which started in 2004, NATO would continue to strengthen partnership and political relationship with Iraq through the existing framework.


NATO has trained over 15,000 Iraqi soldiers and police and provided over 115 million euros (over $150 million) worth of military equipment.


Iraq's National Security Adviser Falah al-Fayadh said Sunday that NATO was poised to end its training mission as Baghdad refused to grant it legal immunity from prosecution.


Meanwhile press conference at the White house with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki by his side, Obama said: "After nearly nine years our war in Iraq ends this month," and American troops are leaving Iraq "with honor and with their heads held high."


"This is a season of homecomings. Military families across America are being reunited for the holidays, the US President declared at the press conference.


Stating that the return of the remaining American troops from Iraq on December 31 would be a "historic moment," Obama said future relations between the two nations would be an "equal partnership based on mutual interest and mutual respect."


Warning other countries not to interfere in Iraq after the US troop withdrawal, Obama said: "Our strong presence in the Middle East endures. And the United States will never waiver in the defense of our allies, our partners and our interests."


"Iraq faces great challenges, but today reflects the impressive progress that Iraqis have made," Obama said, noting that Iraqis were "working" towards building "efficient and independent and transparent" institutions.


Maliki on his part thanked the United States for honoring its commitments in Iraq. Speaking through a translator, Maliki said with US help Iraq had established a democratic political process and created a foreign policy that "does not interfere in the affairs of others and does not allow the others to intervene in its own affairs."


Obama had announced last month that American troops would be pulled out of Iraq by the end of December 2011, signaling an end to nearly nine years of American military presence in Iraq following its 2003 invasion.


The U.S. combat mission in Iraq ended on August 31, 2010, in line with a bilateral security agreement to withdraw all U.S. troops from the country by the end of 2011. It is estimated the war has cost the U.S. more than $800 billion and claimed the lives of about 4,400 American military personnel.


Currently, about 6,000 US soldiers remain in Iraq. At the peak of the conflict, there were more than 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.


Although the Obama administration had earlier planned to leave between 3,000 and 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq even after the year-end deadline, such plans were abandoned over Iraq's refusal to grant a measure of immunity to U.S. troops from Iraqi laws while serving in that country.

Iraq has enduring partner in US: Obama

The withdrawal of almost all U.S. troops from Iraq by December 31 has created uncertainty at a time the region remains roiled by the Arab Spring, and amid fear Syrian instability could spread sectarian strife into neighboring Iraq.


But Obama told a press conference with Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki Washington remains a strong Middle East presence.


"As we end this war and as Iraq faces its future, the Iraqi people must know that you will not stand alone. You have a strong and enduring partner in the United States of America."


Fulfilling a vow to Americans weary of the nearly nine year old war as he campaigns for re-election in 2012, Obama's order for the troops to leave came after a deal to keep thousands of U.S. trainers on the ground failed on the issue of immunity from prosecution in Iraq.


Almost 4,500 U.S. troops have died since President George W. Bush ordered the invasion in 2003, based on claims of weapons of mass destruction and al Qaeda ties that turned out not to exist.


Obama and Maliki later visited Arlington National Cemetery for fallen American service members, and jointly laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns as the U.S. and Iraqi national anthems were played.


Republicans criticize the president for not pushing harder to have some forces stay, amid concern about a power vacuum in the country that may be exploited by Iran, and as violence in neighboring Syria fans fear of regional sectarian strife.


The departure of U.S. troops also raises questions about the ability of Iraqi security forces to keep the peace in a country still scarred by a bitter 2006-2007 civil war in which thousands died in sectarian and ethnic fighting.


"After nearly nine years, our war in Iraq ends this month," Obama told journalists after meeting with Maliki at the White House on Monday.


"In coming days, the last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq with honour, and with their heads held high," the president said.


"We are here to mark the end of this war, to honour the sacrifices of all those who made this day possible and to turn the page," Obama said, adding it was time to "begin a new chapter in the history between our countries. A normal relationship between sovereign nations. An equal partnership based on mutual interests and mutual respect."


Obama also told Maliki, who was accompanied by senior Iraqi leaders, that the United States, which invaded Iraq in 2003, would stand by the country in the coming years.


"As we end this war, and as Iraq faces its future, the Iraqi people must know that you will not stand alone. You have a strong and enduring partner in the United States of America," the US leader said.

Obama, Maliki Chart New Course for US, Iraq:Arlington National Cemetery

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki have placed a wreath by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in honor of the thousands of casualties from the Iraq war.
Obama, with al-Maliki as his side, stood with his hand on his heart as the national anthems of the U.S. and Iraq played. Both men are observing the end of the U.S. military presence in Iraq, with all troops due out Dec. 31.


Service members stood at attention, lining the curving drive past the sea of white tombstones, most decorated with wreaths.


Both leaders carried the wreath to its resting place. They then stood quietly as a bugler played "Taps."


The withdrawal of all American troops on Dec. 31 marks the end of a nearly nine-year war that has been deeply divisive in both the U.S. and Iraq. While Obama and al-Maliki have pledged to maintain strong ties, the contours of the partnership between Washington and Baghdad remain murky, especially with Iran eager to assert influence over neighboring Iraq. And serious questions remain about Iraq's capacity to stabilize both its politics and security.


Yet the end of the war still marks a promise kept for Obama, one the White House is eager to promote. In addition to his meeting with al-Maliki, Obama will mark the milestone Wednesday when he speaks to troops at North Carolina's Fort Bragg. And he thanked service members and their families for their sacrifices when he attended the annual Army-Navy football game Saturday.


Monday's White House talks focused on how the U.S. and Iraq will cooperate without the presence of U.S. forces which are in the final phase of a December 31 withdrawal. The two leaders also discussed issues such as trade, energy, education and U.S. investment in Iraq.
Mr. Obama and Mr. Maliki later laid wreaths at nearby Arlington National Cemetery, where some of the nearly 4,500 U.S. service members killed in Iraq since the war began in 2003 are buried.
On Wednesday, the Iraqi prime minister is expected to accompany Mr. Obama to North Carolina, where the U.S. president to will thank troops returning home from Iraq.
In Brussels Monday, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance will permanently shut down its seven-year training mission in Iraq and withdraw all of its soldiers at the end of the month.
The decision follows Mr. Obama's announcement in October that U.S. troops would return home at year's end after talks to keep thousands of trainers in Iraq fell apart over Baghdad's insistence that all NATO personnel in the country be subject to Iraqi laws and jurisprudence.
U.S. officials had asked for about 3,000 U.S. troops to stay in Iraq, but the Iraqi government was not able to push any agreement on immunity through parliament. The failure to agree on an immunity deal also led to the NATO pullout.
These developments have heightened concern about a power vacuum in the country that could be exploited by neighboring Iran.
Both countries have Shi'ite majorities and many Iraqi politicians spent time in exile in Iran during then-dictator Saddam Hussein's regime. One of Mr. Maliki's main allies – anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr – is believed to have spent most of his time in Iran.
Several thousand U.S. troops remain in Iraq, more than eight years after invading the country to oust Saddam Hussein.

Maliki meets Obama before US full withdrawal from Iraq

WASHINGTON - With the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq in its final days, President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will meet at the White House Monday to discuss the next phase of the relationship between their countries.
They will have plenty to discuss.


The withdrawal of all American troops on Dec. 31 marks the end of a nearly nine-year war that has been deeply divisive in both the U.S. and Iraq. While Obama and al-Maliki have pledged to maintain strong ties, the contours of the partnership between Washington and Baghdad remain murky, especially with Iran eager to assert influence over neighboring Iraq. And serious questions remain about Iraq's capacity to stabilize both its politics and security.


Yet the end of the war still marks a promise kept for Obama, one the White House is eager to promote. In addition to his meeting with al-Maliki, Obama will mark the milestone Wednesday when he speaks to troops at North Carolina's Fort Bragg. And he thanked service members and their families for their sacrifices when he attended the annual Army-Navy football game Saturday.


As of late last week, the number of U.S. troops in Iraq had dwindled to about 8,000, down from 170,000 at the war's peak in 2007.


Monday's meeting between Obama and al-Maliki is expected to focus heavily on how the U.S. and Iraq will continue to cooperate on security issues without the presence of American troops. Iraqi leaders have said they want U.S. military training help for their security forces but have been unable to agree on what type of help they'd like or what protections they would be willing to give American trainers.


The White House said Obama and al-Maliki would also discuss cooperation on energy, trade and education.


Obama and al-Maliki will also hold a joint news conference at the White House, then lay wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery, where some of the nearly 4,500 Americans killed in the Iraq war are buried.


“Maliki will meet, during his visit to Washington, US President Barack Obama to discuss bilateral relations between both countries and the implementation of the Strategic Framework Agreement after full withdrawal from Iraq by end of December,” said a statement of Iraqi Prime Minister’s office, which Alsumarianews received a copy of.


“Maliki and Obama will tackle the US withdrawal from Iraq and the new stage of relations in accordance with the Strategic Framework Agreement between Iraq and the US,” White House’s Press Secretary Jay Carney said.


US press reports announced that Maliki will also convene with US Vice-President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as well as Senate Officials to discuss issues regarding security, energy, education and justice.


Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki left for the US, on Sunday, heading a ministerial delegation including Transportation Minister Hadi Al Amiri, Trade Minister Khairullah Babekir, Culture and Defense Minister Saadoun Al Dulaimi, National Security Advisor Faleh Al Fayad, chairman of National investment commission Sami Raouf Al Araji, in addition to head of the Advisory Board Thamer Abbas Al Ghadban and Media Consultant of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Moussawi.


Maliki’s visit is the third of its kind to the US as Prime Minister. The first visit took place in August 2006, during the year that witnessed mounting violence casting the life of thousands of people. The second visit was carried out in August 2009 after US withdrawal from Iraqi cities.

Obama, Maliki Hail 'New Chapter' For Iraq Without US

Sen. John McCain, on Monday accused President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of failing to meet their responsibilities as leaders.


In a scathing statement released as al-Maliki and Obama held a press conference in Washington, McCain said the two men have “failed in their responsibilities with regard to our shared security interests.”


“The sacrifices of both our peoples in a long and costly war, the continued needs of Iraq’s Security Forces, and the enduring U.S. interest in a stable and democratic Iraq all demanded a continued presence of U.S. troops beyond this year,” McCain said. “But domestic political considerations in each country have been allowed to trump our common security interests.”


“It did not have to be this way, and the fact that it is has everything to do with a failure of vision, commitment, and leadership both in Washington and Baghdad," he said.


Obama and Vice President Biden held a bilateral meeting with Maliki in the Oval office Monday to discuss the removal of U.S. troops.


McCain, the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been sharply critical of President Obama’s decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year. The end of U.S. involvement was negotiated between Iraq and the Bush administration in 2008 and was affirmed by Obama this fall.


Obama and Maliki will later lay wreaths at nearby Arlington National Cemetery, where some of the nearly 4,500 U.S. service members killed in Iraq since the war began in 2003 are buried.


On Wednesday, the Iraqi prime minister is expected to accompany Obama to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where the U.S. president to will thank troops returning home from Iraq.


In Brussels Monday, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance will permanently shut down its seven-year training mission in Iraq and withdraw all of its soldiers at the end of the month.


The decision follows Obama's announcement in October that U.S. troops would return home at year's end after talks to keep thousands of trainers in Iraq fell apart over Baghdad's insistence that all NATO personnel in the country be subject to Iraqi laws and jurisprudence.


U.S. officials had asked for about 3,000 U.S. troops to stay in Iraq, but the Iraqi government was not able to push any agreement on immunity through parliament. The failure to agree on an immunity deal also led to the NATO pullout.


These developments have heightened concern about a power vacuum in the country that could be exploited by neighboring Iran.


Both countries have Shi'ite majorities and many Iraqi politicians spent time in exile in Iran during then-dictator Saddam Hussein's regime. One of Maliki's main allies - anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr - is believed to have spent most of his time in Iran.


Several thousand U.S. troops remain in Iraq, more than eight years after invading the country to oust Saddam Hussein.

Barack Obama: We leave Iraq with "heads held high"

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki arrived to Washington, on Sunday, heading a delegation including a number of ministers and governmental advisers. Maliki is due to meet President Barack Obama and a number of US officials two weeks before full US withdrawal expected by end of 2011.


“Maliki will meet, during his visit to Washington, US President Barack Obama to discuss bilateral relations between both countries and the implementation of the Strategic Framework Agreement after full withdrawal from Iraq by end of December,” said a statement of Iraqi Prime Minister’s office, which Alsumarianews received a copy of.


“Maliki and Obama will tackle the US withdrawal from Iraq and the new stage of relations in accordance with the Strategic Framework Agreement between Iraq and the US,” White House’s Press Secretary Jay Carney said.


US press reports announced that Maliki will also convene with US Vice-President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as well as Senate Officials to discuss issues regarding security, energy, education and justice.


Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki left for the US, on Sunday, heading a ministerial delegation including Transportation Minister Hadi Al Amiri, Trade Minister Khairullah Babekir, Culture and Defense Minister Saadoun Al Dulaimi, National Security Advisor Faleh Al Fayad, chairman of National investment commission Sami Raouf Al Araji, in addition to head of the Advisory Board Thamer Abbas Al Ghadban and Media Consultant of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Moussawi.


r. Obama's decision to end the war - in keeping with a timetable first put in place under former President George W. Bush - has been popular with the American people, with even one in two Republicans saying they approve of his handling of the issue.


Obama and al-Maliki met Monday to discuss the strategic relationship between the countries, which Mr. Obama described as an "equal partnership based on mutual interest and mutual respect." He described Iraq as "sovereign, self-reliant, and Democratic," telling the Iraqi leader, "You have a strong, enduring partner in the United States of America."


Despite the positive rhetoric from Mr. Obama, the U.S. troop withdrawal comes at a time when it is far from clear that Iraq will be able to maintain its security and a health political system - and with Iran seeking to expand its influence in Iraq and in the region as a whole. Both Iran and Iraq are majority Shiite, and there are ties between the two countries' political establishments; it is not clear whether Iraq will become a safe haven for America's enemies once the United States fully leaves the country.


Mr. Obama said Monday that "Iraq faces great challenges, but today reflects the impressive progress that Iraqis have made." He said Iraqis are "working" to build "efficient and independent and transparent" institutions.


He said "our goal is simply to make sure that Iraq succeeds," telling reporters that a successful Iraq - one that unites various ethnic groups under one government - can be a model for the entire region.


Asked if he still agrees with his onetime characterization of the Iraq war as a "dumb war," Mr. Obama responded, "History will judge the original decision to go into Iraq, but what's absolutely clear is that...what we have now achieved is an Iraq that is self-governing, that is inclusive, and that has enormous potential."


"I have no doubt that Iraq can succeed," he said, arguing the United States is leaving Iraq "responsibly."


Al-Maliki, speaking through a translator, said Iraq had established a democratic political process and "is following a foreign policy in which it does not interfere in the affairs of others and does not allow the others to intervene in its own affairs."


Though its troops are leaving the country, the United States has its largest embassy in the world in Baghdad, with more than 15,000 people stationed there - an issue the two leaders were asked about Monday. Al-Maliki said he is in discussions about the size of the U.S. embassy presence, which is a strategic resource for the United States in the region.


"We don't want to create big footprints in Iraq," Mr. Obama said - but he added that the United States wants to maintain a "very active" relationship between the two nations' militaries in terms of training and assistance.


He said the "actual size of our embassy with respect to diplomats is going to be comparable" to similar countries, but that "special security needs inside of Iraq" mean there are a larger number of people stationed at the embassy overall.


"We're only a few years removed from an active war inside of Iraq," he said, before adding of those stationed at the embassy, "I want to make sure that they come home, because they are not soldiers."


According to Businessweek, the United States has 8,000 military personnel and 5,000 contractors remaining in Iraq, all of whom are set to depart. There were approximately 300,000 Americans in the country in 2007, nearly half of whom were contractors.

Liberty Property Trust Announces Acquisition of 1100 17th Street NW in WDC

HERNDON, Virginia. — Liberty Property Trust said Monday that it has acquired a 12-story office building in Washington, D.C., for $50 million.


The building, which was developed in 1963 and renovated in 1998, has 146,472 square feet of space. The transaction price works out to $340 per square foot.


The property is at 1100 17th St. NW, three blocks from the White House. It is 82 percent leased, Liberty said.


The company plans to eventually redevelop the property.


Liberty has an interest in and manages roughly 2.7 million square feet of office space in Washington and Northern Virginia.


Shares fell $1.03, or 3.4 percent, to $28.97 in afternoon trading.


The 12-story property was developed in 1963 and underwent substantial renovation in 1998. It is located in the heart of Washington's central business district, three blocks from the White House, and is in close proximity to multiple Metro stations. It is currently 82% leased.


"Due to its outstanding location, 1100 17th Street NW is a property with enormous untapped potential," said Michael Jones, vice president and city manager for Liberty's Washington/Northern Virginia operation. "In the short term, our plan for this property is to add immediate value through incremental leasing. Our long-term strategy is to undertake redevelopment at some future date to create a Class A property more commensurate with its Class-A location."


Liberty has an interest in and manages approximately 2.7 million square feet of office space in Washington and Northern Virginia. In addition to 1100 17th Street NW, Liberty's holdings in the District of Columbia include The Liberty Building at 1129 20th Street, NW - a LEED Gold office building - and The Republic Building at 1425 New York Avenue, NW. Significant Northern Virginia office park holdings include Pender Business Park and WillowWood Plaza (both in Fairfax), Presidents Park and Republic Park (both in Herndon) and Lakeside I and II at Westfields Corporate Center (in Chantilly.)

Freeze weather warning

Three weeks behind average, and a several days after the wintry towns of Van Nuys, California. and Houston, Texas., Reagan National Airport (DCA) finally hit freezing this weekend! This is only the tenth time in 140 years of daily temperature records that the first freeze at DCA waited until Dec. It’s also the third latest (tied) on record. Only 1980 (12/14) and 2001 (12/22) have seen later freezes, and 2011 ties with 1978 with both first freezes happening on December 10.


While this year’s first freezes along Potomac river banks (at DCA) took their time, that’s not the case elsewhere. Through today, Dulles has now seen 25 lows of freezing or below and Baltimore-Washington Airport has witnessed 18. That compares to DCA’s 3 season-to-date — the 10th snuck one in at 11:59 p.m. (so one night counted for two days).


Historically , a December first freeze is somewhat unusual, even by less forgiving (or, increasingly warm) 1981-2010 standards. As noted in “When should the Washington, D.C. area expect to see its first freeze of the cold season?”, only 20% of these most recent seasons experienced their first freeze in December. However, considering there was only one (post November first freezes) prior to 1975 — far back in 1948 — perhaps we should get used to it being more common.


In 2010, thanks to the earliest final (spring) freeze on record, we nearly reached the record length of time without a freeze at D.C. with 274 days (compared to the leader, 275, in 1980). This year Washington entered the top 10 yet again, finishing tied at 7th with 2009. That seems like quite an unusual accomplishment, except when factoring in a full half of the top 10 freeze free periods have occurred since 2001.


When comparing to the other area climate locations, at Dulles and Baltimore-Washington airports, there are stark differences. This should be expected, at least partly due to DCA’s location on the river with no elevation, and its proximity to the urban concrete jungle.


But, with more than 5 weeks in between the earliest at DCA and at the other locations — October 30 for both — one has to wonder how useful a metric the "official" first Washington D.C. freeze is for the area.


Maybe you can make fun of your friends that see a later freeze than National. Caution: that might instantly label you a weather nerd.


# OF DAYS WITH A FREEZE THRU 12/12


DCA (3): Dec (3); Nov (0); Oct (0) - Earliest: Dec 10 - Lowest: 29 on 12/11 and 12/12


Dulles (25): Dec (9); Nov (14); Oct (2) - Earliest: Oct 30 - Lowest: 19 on 12/12


BWI (18): Dec (9); Nov (7); Oct (2) - Earliest: Oct 30 - Lowest: 22 on 12/12

Eddie Murphy In Line For Mayoral Role

WASHINGTON — Eddie Murphy may soon star in a more serious role, playing former Washington Mayor Marion Barry in a new HBO film project.


Washington journalists Tom Sherwood and Harry Jaffe have optioned the rights for their 1994 book “Dream City: Race, Power and the Decline of Washington, D.C.” Sherwood said Friday that they have a separate contract with HBO to consult on a project if their book is adapted. Sherwood is a reporter for NBC’s Washington affiliate and previously worked for The Washington Post. Jaffe is an editor and writer for Washingtonian magazine.


An HBO spokeswoman said Friday that the network is working with Spike Lee and Murphy on the project, though she said it’s in the early stages of development. Lee would direct the project, and Murphy would play Barry. Lee did not immediately respond to requests for comment.


Nearly 10 years ago, HBO also bought the rights to “Dream City” for a different project, but it was never produced.


The comedian - who recently stepped down from hosting the Oscars - is being attached to the family friendly film about the civil rights activist and politician, in development by Spike Lee.
Democrat part representative Marion served as mayor of Washington D.C. between 1979 and 1991 and became hugely controversial when he was videotaped smoking crack cocaine in 1990, which led to his serving a six month jail term. However, this didn't irreparably damage his career and he was re-elected in 1995 and served as mayor for a second time until 1999.
The script is being written by John Ridley, who previously worked on 'Three Kings' and is helming Steve McQueen's next project 'Twelve Years a Slave'. He, Eddie and Spike will all be executive producers.
Journalists Harry Jaffe and Tom Sherwood have been hired as consultants for the project, and their 1994 book 'Dream City' is being used a source material, as well as 2009 documentary 'The Nine Lives of Marion Barry'.
Sherwood has said of the project: "It wouldn't just be a caricature of Barry. It would be a real serious look at him."
Almost 10 years ago, HBO also bought the rights to 'Dream City' for a different project, which had Jamie Foxx and Chris Rock attached, although it never materialised.
Marion is still involved in politics as a member of the Washington D.C. council, representing one of its poorest wards.

Eddie Murphy

Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy, born April 3, 1961 is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician.
Box office takes from Murphy's films make him the second-highest grossing actor in the United States. He was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984 and has worked as a stand-up comedian. He was ranked #10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.
He has received Golden Globe Award nominations for his performances in 48 Hrs, Beverly Hills Cop series, Trading Places, and The Nutty Professor. In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of soul singer James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls.
Murphy's work as a voice actor includes Thurgood Stubbs in The PJs, Donkey in the Shrek series and the dragon Mushu in Disney's Mulan. In some of his films, he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character, intended as a tribute to one of his idols Peter Sellers, who played multiple roles in Dr. Strangelove and elsewhere. Murphy has played multiple roles in Coming to America, Wes Craven's Vampire In Brooklyn, the Nutty Professor films (where he played the title role in two incarnations, plus his father, brother, mother, and grandmother), Bowfinger, and 2007's Norbit. Murphy will host the 84th Academy Awards in 2012.




Read more........

Vincent C. Gray

Vincent C. Gray, born November 8, 1942 is an American politician who is currently serving as the seventh Mayor of the District of Columbia. Prior to his inauguration as mayor in January 2011, Gray served as Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, and as Councilmember for Ward 7. In the 1990s he also served as director of the DC Department of Human Services.


Gray is a native of Washington, DC, and graduated from Dunbar High School. He earned a B.A. in psychology at George Washington University, where he also took graduate courses. Gray was one of the first African Americans to join the Jewish fraternity, Tau Epsilon Phi. While in the fraternity, he was the first to serve two consecutive terms as President. Other school activities included the Newman Catholic Center, as well as football and basketball intramurals. Gray is also an avid participant in hand dancing, a D.C.-area derivative of Lindy hop.


Gray began his political career with the D.C. Association for Retarded Citizens, where he successfully advocated for innovative public policy initiatives on behalf of people with mental retardation. In 1991, then Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly appointed Gray to the post of Director of the DC Department of Human Services.
Gray became the founding executive director of Covenant House Washington in December 1994. Over a decade, Gray grew the agency from a van outreach program to a multisite agency serving homeless youth in the city's Southeast and Northeast communities.


In the September 2004 primary election, Gray defeated Kevin P. Chavous, the incumbent Ward 7 member of the Council of the District of Columbia, and went on to win the November general election with 91% of the vote. He was sworn in as a member of the council on January 2, 2005, and was a member of the council's Committees on Health; Economic Development; Human Services; and Education, Libraries and Recreation. Chairman Linda W. Cropp also appointed him to chair a Special Committee on Prevention of Youth Violence.
In 2006, when Cropp decided not to run for another term as chairman but to run for mayor instead, Gray ran for chairman. He defeated his council colleague Kathleen Patterson in the Democratic primary, 57% to 43%, and then won the general election unopposed. Gray ran his campaign under the banner "One City" and focused on unity among the disparate racial and economic groups in Washington, D.C.
In 2008, Gray successfully led his Council colleagues in passing the "Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Act of 2008", a program to provide universal pre-kindergarten to every three- and four-year-old in the District of Columbia by 2014, to increase early intervention and enhancement services for student success.


Gray formally entered the race for Mayor of the District of Columbia on March 30, 2010. His campaign adopted the slogan, commonly used during his time as Council Chairman, "One City. Leadership We Need". A Washington Post poll conducted in January 2010 showed Gray leading the incumbent mayor, Adrian Fenty, 38 percent to 31 percent among voters who are "certain" to participate in the September 14th Democratic Primary. The Washington Post noted that the poll's results are an indication of voters' disapproval of Fenty, rather than approval of Gray, because 36 percent of registered Democrats have no opinion of Gray. An August Washington Post poll found Gray with a 17-point advantage among likely voters and a 13-point lead among Democratic voters. It was reported early Wednesday morning on September 15, 2010 that Gray defeated Fenty in the primary election. Gray defeated Fenty by a 54 to 44 percent margin.


In order to save the District $19 million in 2011, Gray proposed to furlough most District employees. including teachers.[20] Workers would not be paid on four holidays, namely President's Day, Emancipation Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day.The District Council voted in favor of the idea as part of a plan to save over $19 million for the District. On Presidents' Day, February 21, 2011, over 200 emergency calls made to 911 went unanswered since dispatchers were furloughed.
In response to a proposal by Congress to restart a school voucher program in the District, Gray said he was against the idea.


Amidst the reports of budget tightening and city employee furloughs in the early weeks of the Gray administration, an expose in The Washington Post revealed that Gray had hired a larger senior staff than his predecessors, and for substantially more money. Among the newly hired top officials was Sulaimon Brown, who had been hired as a special senior assistant in the Department of Health Care Finance for $110,000. Brown was best known as a colorful fringe candidate in the 2010 mayoral election (ultimately receiving just over 200 votes) who, despite being his opponent, encouraged voters to support Gray (if not himself) and denigrated then-incumbent mayor Fenty. The news of the hiring led to charges of cronyism from the local media. However, when the Washington City Paper four days later linked Brown to a 1991 gun charge, a 1995 conviction for unlawful entry, and a 2007 restraining order against a 13-year-old girl,[28] Brown was fired and escorted by security from his office on the morning of February 24.
In response to his termination, Brown made allegations to the Washington Post that he had made a secret agreement with Gray during the 2010 mayoral campaign to remain in the race and continue attacking Fenty in his public appearances, in exchange for a job with Gray's administration if Gray won the election. Brown also claimed to have received cash payments from Gray campaign aides Lorraine Green and Howard Brooks; according to the Post, Brown's cellphone records indicated 29 telephone calls to Brown between June and September 2010 from Gray and Green, and text messages from Gray's phone number seemed to lend credence to Brown's story.
Gray flatly denied Brown's allegations, but acknowledged "missteps" in his administration's job vetting process and called for an investigation by the city attorney general and the DC Council. Brown began meeting with federal officials from the U.S. Attorney’s office, the FBI, and staff of the House Oversight and Government Committee, who said that they were "assessing" his allegations. Meanwhile, allegations of nepotism, poor vetting, and other unethical hiring practices within the Gray administration continued to surface, with reports published that Gray had hired the children of four high-level officials, including Green and Brooks; that Brooks had overcharged the operator of the Georgia Lottery more than $1 million in the late 1990s; and that the salaries of several of Gray's appointees, including his Chief of Staff and City Administrator, were higher than permitted by District law.
On March 10, 2011, District Councilmember Jack Evans, chairman of the Council's Committee on Finance and Revenue, announced that he was postponing "indefinitely" Gray's nomination of Green to chair the Washington Convention and Sports Authority. The same day, Gray announced that he had retained the services of Robert S. Bennett, the attorney who represented President Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal, as his legal counsel. The United States Attorney's Office is investigating, subpoenaing documents, interviewing campaign staff members, and looking into money-order donations possibly in excess of District regulations.


During the April 11, 2011 debates on the 2011 United States federal budget, Mayor Vincent Gray and several other D.C. elected officials joined city residents outside the Hart Senate Office Building to protest budgetary line items that restricted the city's ability to spend its own locally-raised funds. In particular, the budget limits the city's ability to spend money on abortion services and reauthorizes a school voucher program that the city government opposes. U.S. Capitol Police arrested several protesters, including Vincent Gray, for blocking automobile traffic. Speaking to the press before the arrest, Gray said, "This is an absolute travesty. All we want to do is spend our own money... Why should women in the District of Columbia be subjected to a set of rules that no other woman is subjected to?"


Gray has two children, Jonice Gray Tucker and Vincent Carlos Gray, and two grandchildren, Austin Gray Tucker and Jillian Gray Tucker. Gray's wife Loretta died in July 1998. Gray currently lives in the Hillcrest neighborhood of Ward 7. Gray is a Roman Catholic.