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Bhutto’s husband haunted by a past of corruption allegations

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Benazir Bhutto’s husband, who took effective control of his slain wife’s party Sunday, is a former Cabinet minister who spent eight years in prison on corruption accusations and is known as Mr. 10 Percent for allegedly taking kickbacks.

In her will, read Sunday, Bhutto named Asif Ali Zardari her successor as head of the Pakistan Peoples Party in case of her death.

But Zardari, who is viewed with suspicion by many Pakistanis, appointed his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, as official chairman of the party that the 19-year-old’s grandfather founded in 1967.

While the elder Zardari is a prominent figure in Pakistani politics, earning a checkered reputation because of allegations that he made big money during Bhutto’s government, his son is a suave, English speaking, Oxford student who has spent much of his life abroad.

He said at a news conference Sunday that his father will take care of the party while he completes his education.

Asif Ali Zardari, 54, who comes from a feudal family, shot to fame after his arranged marriage to Bhutto. She became prime minister for the first time in 1988, less than three months after giving birth to her son. Bhutto’s husband is generally blamed for many of her political misfortunes, with her twice being forced out of the prime minister’s office over allegations of corruption and misrule.

Zardari was jailed for the first time in 1990 on charges ranging from murder to bank fraud when Bhutto’s first government was dismissed. He was released in 1993 and acquitted of the charges, including the accusation that he tried to extort several million dollars from a British businessman by attaching a bomb to his leg. Zardari and his supporters said the charges were politically motivated.

Zardari became investment minister in Bhutto’s second government. He was nicknamed Mr. 10 Percent for allegedly skimming off commissions on government contracts. He was also accused of spending state money on ponies and the apples to feed them at the prime minister’s residence, while the poor lacked bread to eat.

He was jailed a second time in 1996 over corruption allegations and alleged involvement in an attack on Bhutto’s brother, Murtaza, who died in a shootout near his home in Karachi.

After years in prison, facing marathon trials in different courts in the country, Zardari was freed in December 2004 and left Pakistan to live with his family in the United Arab Emirates.

Zardari is suffering from various ailments, including a heart problem and back pain that his aides say he developed because of prolonged imprisonment.

Little is known about his son, Bilawal, who has spent most of the past eight years living with his family in the UAE.

He closely resembles his mother, with a long face, sharp nose, dark, keen eyes and thick eyebrows.

While his father addressed the media in the local Urdu language Sunday, Bilawal spoke only in English, raising questions about his facility with Pakistan’s national language. Bhutto herself spent much of her youth abroad and initially struggled with Urdu in her early years in politics.

In his brief remarks, the younger Zardari vowed to continue the party’s long and historic struggle for democracy … with renewed vigor.

My mother always said democracy is the best revenge, he said.

Bilawal is believed to share some of his father’s feudal pastimes, a love for horses and horse riding, target shooting and taekwondo, in which he is a black belt.
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Goss plans historic Aussie voyage

LONDON, England — Pete Goss has announced a new epic project that is centuries apart from his previous voyages.

The adventurer, who in 2000 launched the futuristic $8 million Team Philips catamaran in an unsuccessful bid to sail non-stop around the world, now hopes to replicate a boat and a journey undertaken 153 years ago.

Goss said he aims to build a boat to follow in the wake of the Mystery, a 37ft open Mounts Bay Lugger crewed by seven Cornishmen who left the small fishing port of Newlyn to sail to Australia for the Gold Rush in 1854.

They covered about 11,800 nautical miles in 116 days before arriving in Melbourne on March 14, 1855.

It is understood the only break in the voyage was a week in Cape Town for repairs and to take on supplies before heading into the Southern Ocean.

Goss is building Spirit Of Mystery to celebrate their amazing achievement. The vessel will be as true to the original Mystery as possible and, although there will be concessions to safety, there will be no engine, toilet or modern electrical and navigational systems.

The sailor said that he is enjoying building the boat and is looking forward to navigating by the stars.

I have always wanted to build a wooden boat and relish the challenge and adventure of sailing such a small vessel to Australia, he said.

Here we are on the brink of another exciting adventure that has the added element of history, which I find I am really enjoying.

Life is for living and this, for me, is life at its best. Spirit of Mystery is due to be launched on Saturday June 21 and to set sail in mid-October. E-mail to a friend

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Vick case breeds push for tougher dog laws

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) — Animal advocates around the nation hope that public outrage over dogfighting and puppy mill scandals in Virginia will force state and federal lawmakers to pass tougher animal abuse laws.

Some sportsmen, however, warn that the emotionally charged debate could result in laws affecting legitimate owners, especially of hunting dogs, along with the intended targets.

The legislative moves stem from the arrest of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and friends on charges they were operating a dogfighting ring at his 15-acre country estate in southeastern Virginia.

That case, in which Vick was sentenced to 23 months behind bars, was followed by a study showing that the majority of puppies sold in Virginia come from puppy mills run by unlicensed breeders who churn out pets like livestock.

The Humane Society of the United States expects legislators in about 25 states will consider strengthening dogfighting laws in 2008, said Michael Markarian, the organization’s executive vice president. It and other animal advocacy groups also hope to see changes in federal laws to make it easier to prosecute dogfighters.

In Virginia, for example, legislation has been filed that would add dogfighting as a qualifying offense under the state’s racketeering law, which means dogfighters could receive longer sentences and their assets could be seized.

But it’s not just harsher penalties that are needed, said Randall Lockwood, senior vice president for animal cruelty initiatives for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Those are the sort of sounds-good-and-feels-good laws. What’s harder to push for is the nuts and bolts that deal with the economics of actually enforcing animal cruelty laws, Lockwood said. Frankly if law enforcement has no place to put the dogs they might seize in a dogfighting raid, that raid is not going to take place.

In Vick’s case, a federal judge ordered him to pay more than $920,000 to provide long-term care for the nearly 50 pit bulls that survived his operation.

Dogfighting is a felony in every state except Wyoming and Idaho, but legislators there have promised to resurrect bills to end the distinction. Markarian said the Humane Society would work to strengthen those laws and others that allow people who attend fights and own the dogs to go virtually unpunished.

Attending a dogfight is a misdemeanor in 26 states, and legal in Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho and Montana.

Those are really the elements that help this underground criminal industry thrive, Markarian said. People don’t walk into a bar on Main Street and stumble across a dogfight accidentally. They have to know where to go.

Laws attacking puppy mills are in the works in several states. Advocates of the regulations argue the mass-breeding kennels often produce unhealthy pets that end up either dying soon after purchase or placed in shelters because of skittish, antisocial behavior. Federal law requires breeders who sell puppies wholesale or for research to obtain a federal license, but the Humane Society study found many ignore the requirement. Only about half of states require licensing or regulation of dog-breeding operations.

The Humane Society hopes to get a bill introduced in Virginia that would limit the number of puppies bred and sold by breeders each year.

It wouldn’t stop people from breeding dogs or selling puppies, Markarian said. But there would be some cap that would say you just can’t turn this into a factory farm.

However, that is the sort of legislation that worries Bob Kane, president of the Virginia Hunting Dog Owners’ Association.

Many houndsmen have numerous dogs, and Kane said he fears they will be swept up in the rush to pass laws aimed at unscrupulous puppy millers.

I don’t think there’s much question there’s going to be a lot of pressure, he said.

His biggest concern is that Virginia and other states will pass legislation mirrored after a provision thrown out of a federal farm bill that would have allowed inspectors from nonprofit organizations such as the Humane Society to go onto private property to evaluate the conditions in which animals are kept.

If they’re not taking care of their dogs, regardless of how many there are whether it’s a couple or 22, if they’re neglecting their dogs then I’ve got no use for them, Kane said. I don’t think private citizens ought to be the ones deciding this kind of thing.

The heightened awareness of the issue and momentum do not mean legislation is a certainty, and Markarian is only cautiously optimistic about Virginia’s prospects.

It’s a short legislative session and lawmakers have to deal with a lot of important subjects, and unfortunately they often consider animal welfare not to be at the top of their radar screen, he said.
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Liverpool frustrated in stalemate

LONDON, England — Liverpool lost ground in the Premier League title race as they were held to a goalless draw at Manchester City on Sunday.

Sven-Goran Eriksson’s City could have leapfrogged Liverpool into fourth with victory at Eastlands but showed little ambition as the visitors dominated possession and missed a series of chances in the second half.

The draw left Liverpool ten points adrift of leaders Arsenal but having played a game less. City are in fifth, a point behind having played a game more, but maintaining their unbeaten home record.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez could not fault the effort of his players but said he would be trying to make signings in the January transfer window to pep up their title bid.

We have some players, have some targets and we will try to sign the players we need.

Maybe one, maybe two, if everyone is fit you never know. We are working hard and are very close, he said.

A sterile first half saw City nearly go ahead through a glancing header by Richard Dunne, while Harry Kewell had a half chance for Liverpool near the interval.

After the break man of the match Dunne had to be at his defensive best as Liverpool stepped up the pace.

After prodding one shot straight at Joe Hart, striker Fernando Torres then found himself charging onto a Steven Gerrard pass.

The young City keeper advanced quickly but was powerless to prevent Torres nudging the ball past.

For one awful moment, it looked as though Micah Richards and Dunne would get in each other’s way as they raced back to clear before they both realized the effort was not going in and ushered it wide.

Then, Gerrard curled a free-kick narrowly beyond Hart’s left-hand post after Richards had fouled Torres.

Hart tipped over from Yossi Benayoun and Gerrard fired wide as Liverpool maintained their early offensive, with City barely able to get out of their own half.

City hoped that introduction of Italian striker Rolando Bianchi would pep up their attack, but it made little difference as Yossi Benayoun and Gerrard had further efforts for the visitors.

But the home side, and Dunne in particular, would not yield. The Irishman was on hand to clear after Hart had denied Dirk Kuyt and when he slid in to block Benayoun’s goalbound effort at the death, few would deny the defender deserved a share of the spoils.

Eriksson defended his tactics and said his team were tired after the Christmas program.

It was a good game with not a lot of chances for either team. I’m happy with one point and an clean sheet is good against a team like Liverpool, he told Sky Sports.

New Derby County manager Paul Jewell was less than pleased with his team after their 2-1 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers in Sunday’s other match.

We were not good enough as simple as that, said an angry Jewell, whose side are ten points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Derby, who have only one Premier League win all season, went ahead at Pride Park through Matt Oakley’s 27th minute goal.

But the course of the match was changed by a frantic few minutes before half-time where Derby’s Steve Howard saw his penalty-kick saved by Brad Friedel before goals from Rovers duo Roque Santa Cruz and David Bentley gave them victory. E-mail to a friend

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U.S. troops target al Qaeda suspects, killing six

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — U.S. troops killed six suspected al Qaeda terrorists and captured 14 others in operations Saturday and Sunday in central and northern Iraq, the U.S. military said.

One of those captured west of Mahmudiya on Saturday was believed to be responsible for opening a center to train women to be suicide bombers in Yusufiya, the military said. He was also wanted for coordinating attacks against coalition forces, the military said.

Coalition troops, targeting al Qaeda’s network in the northeast Diyala River valley, killed four terrorists in a firefight Saturday. After the battle near Muqdadiya, they found machine guns, roadside bombs, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and rounds, the military said.

When coalition forces returned to the Muqdadiya area Sunday to follow up, they engaged insurgents in a battle that ended with two terrorists killed and seven captured, the military said. One of those killed was wearing a suicide bomb vest, the military said. They also found two weapons caches, including rifles, grenades and ammunition.

Coalition forces targeting al Qaeda in Mosul detained six suspected terrorists Sunday, the military said.

Other developments

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced Sunday that the government will compensate each Iraqi family displaced by the fighting along the Turkish border with $800. Between 300 and 350 families have been displaced in the region since the Turkish airstrikes against rebels from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, began four months ago, according to Iraqi Kurdish regional security forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Jabbar Yawar. The PKK, which the United States considers a terrorist organization, launches attacks into Turkey from northern Iraq.

The results of medical tests Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki underwent Sunday in a London hospital were good, his office said in a statement. It was possible that al-Maliki would undergo additional testing Monday, the statement said. Al-Maliki’s office did not elaborate on the type of medical testing doctors conducted.
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