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U.S. to begin aid airlift to Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar (CNN) — A U.S. military airplane with relief supplies was scheduled to land in Myanmar Monday on a mission that American officials say they hope will build trust.

The United States said it received permission to land the Lockheed C-130 Hercules at 2 p.m. local time (0730 GMT), and hopes to send in two more planes on Tuesday.

The supplies that the C-130 is carrying — wood, buckets, nails, blankets and plastic tarps, among items to help with shelter needs — will be handed to the military junta that rules Myanmar.

But commanding officers hope the mission will help forge a relationship that will allow the United States to send in disaster experts.

The United Nations estimates the death toll from last weekend’s Cyclone Nargis ranges from 63,000 to 100,000, well above the Myanmar government’s estimate of about 22,000. Tens of thousands of people are missing. Watch villagers’ struggle in wake of cyclone

The military junta has said it will accept international aid but insisted it would distribute the supplies itself.

We’re getting, starting to get reports of aid being distributed with the names of military leaders and VIPs plastered all over the aid packages, said Debbie Stothard, head of the Southeast Asian human rights group ALTSEAN-Burma. Watch allegations that Myanmar’s junta is taking credit for aid

There’s people who are very concerned now, that the reason the aid workers are being blocked is so that the military can deliver aid selectively and so that they can appropriate the aid and pretend it was from them in the first place.

The country’s name was changed from Burma to Myanmar in 1989, but many who do not recognize the current government still use its former name.

An American embassy official in Thailand said the aircraft carrier, USS Essex, was also en route to Myanmar with supplies.

A French naval ship is also on its way toward Myanmar, transporting 1,500 tons of medical equipment, food and water.

Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, said French aid will go directly to the victims.

We won’t give aid to Burma’s junta, even if they would accept it. We will use our own channels in the country.

Also Sunday, Australia pledged $25 million in aid to Myanmar.

Half the money will go to international relief agencies and non-governmental organizations. The other half will go to the United Nations, a spokesman with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.

Three planes carrying 14 tons of shelter from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies landed at the Yangon International Airport on Saturday. Two more arrived from the U.N. World Food Program, which temporarily halted flights Friday after the government refused to let their workers pass out the supplies.

Additional flights by the WFP and other U.N. agencies in various countries were expected, said WFP’s chief spokeswoman in North America, Bettina Luescher.

Meanwhile, a Red Cross boat delivering relief supplies to the hard-hit Irrawady Delta region sank Sunday when it hit debris in the river, a spokesman said.

The four relief workers on the double-decker boat were not hurt, said Eric Porterfield with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The boat was carrying rice, water, clothing and other household items.

It’s always risky when you’re trying to deliver aid in areas that have debris, he said.

As aid groups struggled to overcome obstacles slowing their distribution of supplies to cyclone victims, Myanmar TV was broadcasting messages urging citizens to vote yes in a referendum that critics say would strengthen the military rule.

The marketing campaign showed pictures of people voting as a song played with the lyrics, Let’s go to cast vote with sincere thoughts for happy days. Similar notes were posted on ballot boxes.

found here.

Sudan threatens Chad after rebel attacks

EL FASHER, Sudan (CNN) — Sudan cut ties with neighboring Chad and threatened retaliation on Sunday after accusing it of helping train the rebels who attacked a suburb of Khartoum.

These forces came from Chad. They were trained and are supported by Chad, President Omar el-Beshir said.

Therefore we hold the Chadian regime fully responsible for what happened and maintain our right to respond to this crumbling regime which does not represent the will of the Chadian people.

El Beshir said the Sudanese and the Chadians had always considered themselves one nation divided by the colonialists.

But now, he said, we are forced to sever diplomatic relations with this outlaw regime and maintain our right to respond to this regime.

Hundreds of rebels staged an assault in Omdurman, a suburb of Khartoum, on Saturday. The government said Sudanese security forces successfully routed them.

Mitrif Saddique, undersecretary of the Sudanese ministry of foreign affairs, said that some of the arrested rebels confessed to being trained at camps in Chad.

CNN was not able to immediately reach officials in Chad for their reaction to the allegation.

However, The Associated Press reported that Chad has denied supporting the rebels.

The government denies any involvement in this adventure which it condemns without reservation irrespective of whoever is responsible, Communications Minister Mahamat Hissene said late Saturday.

In the past, Sudan has accused the Chadian government of supporting the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) — a Darfur rebel group that aims to overthrow the government of Sudan.

Chad, in turn, has accused Sudan of backing rebels who crossed the border in February in a failed attempt to overthrow the regime of Chadian President Idriss Deby.

In March, Deby and el-Beshir signed a non-aggression agreement, aiming to halt cross-border hostilities between the two African nations.

The latest saber-rattling aggravates an already deteriorating security situation across this politically unstable region of Africa.

Because of the threats of retaliation, residents in West Darfur, a rebel stronghold, braced themselves for aerial attacks.

This time, Sudanese officials referred to the rebels simply as mercenaries, foregoing any reference to JEM in an attempt to apparently deny them publicity.

Saddique, the foreign affairs undersecretary, said more than a thousand armed men staged the assault Tuesday. Troops killed rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim in the fighting, he said.

However, state television said Ibrahim was injured in the attack and was hiding somewhere in Omdurman. It broadcasted pictures of Ibrahim, and urged citizens to call authorities if they spot him.

Meanwhile, the government on Sunday indefinitely extended a curfew in Khartoum. A resident in Omdurman said troops were manning the streets, which were calm. But, he said, he could still hear sporadic gunfire in the distance. Watch a report on the fighting

On Saturday, video footage from outside the capital showed a sky blackened by smoke from burning vehicles as throngs of onlookers crowded the streets.

Mohammed Al-Bily, who lives near Khartoum, said witnesses fleeing the fighting told him it started in a marketplace, and that the fighting destroyed a police station and the electric company.

The U.S. State Department spoke out against JEM on Saturday, condemning the group and calling for an immediate end to the fighting.

These actions undermine the ongoing efforts of the international community to support resolution of the conflicts in Sudan, said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack on Saturday. He said the United States warns both sides against taking retaliatory action based on ethnicity or tribe.

found here.

People person: Charles Holliday

(CNN) — Charles Holliday may not have known what he was getting himself into when he joined DuPont in the summer of 1970 as a mere intern. Little did he know that only a few decades later, he’d be in charge of the world’s second-largest chemical company, boasting some 60,000 employees.

He prides himself on getting the most out of his workers to keep DuPont competitive on the global stage. Holliday speaks to The Boardroom’s Maggie Lake about his international vision, his concerns for the future, and why he’s keeping a close eye on his competitors in China, India and Russia.

Lake: You are one of the few big industrial U.S. companies left. How are you doing it? Are you finding a strain with labor costs with some of the issues that have driven other competitors out of business or off-shore?

Holliday: We think our people are our most valuable asset. We introduced sigma across our entire company, it has been in place now for seven years, where we are trying to use the talent and minds of every employee we have to be more productive and use things more effectively. If you’re aligned with your customers, you can get through anything.

One area of growth for DuPont is bio-science… including bio-engineered crops. That division now has revenues of more than a billion dollars, but it has proved controversial in Europe.

Lake: Europeans are very concerned about genetically modified foods. There has been a lot of resistance there. If you were going to sit down with a European household, what what would you say to convince them that this is safe food to eat?

Holliday: We have done a number of focus groups in Europe, where we bring a group of people in a room and ask them what they understand about the subject, and within about 1 and 15 minutes, we get a majority of the room at least saying this is something that should be considered, if not ready to adopt. So it is just a lack of understanding of the fundamentals behind it.

Lake: What is your greatest strength as CEO?

Holliday: Knowing it is getting it done through people. I have the idea I will never make all the best decisions, but it is my job to assemble a team, create an atmosphere where they can grow and be successful. What I have to do is figure out how do you find the right person for the right job.

Lake: You have spent a lot of time working in Japan. What did your experience there, how did that maybe change how you think about management?

Holliday: I was in Asia for six years, living in Japan, traveling to China from India. So a lot of my mentors and teachers were Asian leaders, not Western leaders, and I found the value of relationship was very important. The credibility that a company has and keeping your word. I found a lot of Asian companies have a longer-term view, and they are out to do the right thing. I found tremendous respect for our company because we are so old, and because of what we do and our values, we are kind of naturally respected in Asia, which is a great feeling.

Lake: What is the biggest challenge you face as CEO?

Holliday: The competitors are not the same as they used to be. When I started with the company, competitors were names I could spell and places I have visited before. Although they were tough and dynamic, you understood them. I find the competitive set today is coming from China, India, Russia, and they are coming in with tactics that we are not as used to.

found here.

People person: Charles Holliday

(CNN) — Charles Holliday may not have known what he was getting himself into when he joined DuPont in the summer of 1970 as a mere intern. Little did he know that only a few decades later, he’d be in charge of the world’s second-largest chemical company, boasting some 60,000 employees.

He prides himself on getting the most out of his workers to keep DuPont competitive on the global stage. Holliday speaks to The Boardroom’s Maggie Lake about his international vision, his concerns for the future, and why he’s keeping a close eye on his competitors in China, India and Russia.

Lake: You are one of the few big industrial U.S. companies left. How are you doing it? Are you finding a strain with labor costs with some of the issues that have driven other competitors out of business or off-shore?

Holliday: We think our people are our most valuable asset. We introduced sigma across our entire company, it has been in place now for seven years, where we are trying to use the talent and minds of every employee we have to be more productive and use things more effectively. If you’re aligned with your customers, you can get through anything.

One area of growth for DuPont is bio-science… including bio-engineered crops. That division now has revenues of more than a billion dollars, but it has proved controversial in Europe.

Lake: Europeans are very concerned about genetically modified foods. There has been a lot of resistance there. If you were going to sit down with a European household, what what would you say to convince them that this is safe food to eat?

Holliday: We have done a number of focus groups in Europe, where we bring a group of people in a room and ask them what they understand about the subject, and within about 1 and 15 minutes, we get a majority of the room at least saying this is something that should be considered, if not ready to adopt. So it is just a lack of understanding of the fundamentals behind it.

Lake: What is your greatest strength as CEO?

Holliday: Knowing it is getting it done through people. I have the idea I will never make all the best decisions, but it is my job to assemble a team, create an atmosphere where they can grow and be successful. What I have to do is figure out how do you find the right person for the right job.

Lake: You have spent a lot of time working in Japan. What did your experience there, how did that maybe change how you think about management?

Holliday: I was in Asia for six years, living in Japan, traveling to China from India. So a lot of my mentors and teachers were Asian leaders, not Western leaders, and I found the value of relationship was very important. The credibility that a company has and keeping your word. I found a lot of Asian companies have a longer-term view, and they are out to do the right thing. I found tremendous respect for our company because we are so old, and because of what we do and our values, we are kind of naturally respected in Asia, which is a great feeling.

Lake: What is the biggest challenge you face as CEO?

Holliday: The competitors are not the same as they used to be. When I started with the company, competitors were names I could spell and places I have visited before. Although they were tough and dynamic, you understood them. I find the competitive set today is coming from China, India, Russia, and they are coming in with tactics that we are not as used to.

found here.