Highlightsfrom the Print Newspaper edition - Issue No. 358
Updated as of |Tuesday, 25 March 2003| 4:00PM
Up Front
Editorial
Letter to the Editor
Overseas News
Overseas Feature
News
News Analysis
Cayman Net News DailyComics
U.S. Immigration korner
Health News
Sports
Sports Summary
Despite the lack of apublic safety service prevalent elsewhere on the island, the objectionsof some local residents have led to
Beach Payphones Foiled
Efforts to install public pay telephonesin the parking lot across from the popular Smith's Cove PublicBeach continue to meet stiff opposition by many residents of thearea.
Mr. Alee Fa'amoe
If installed, these telephones could providea method for getting emergency assistance for injured or otherwisedistressed residents or tourists.
Late last year, numerous written objections to the Central PlanningAuthority (CPA) regarding the application by Cable & Wirelessfor permission to install the public phones led to rejection ofthe request. A similar application made several years ago metthe same fate.
Mr. Alee Fa'amoe, Head of Sales for Cable& Wireless, says he's been told directly by one of the peoplecoordinating the opposition that area residents will continueto object to any such application made to the CPA.
Even so, Mr. Fa'amoe says his company stillwants to install the telephones at the Smith's Cove location,primarily for safety reasons. He says a recent drowning deathof the daughter of an employee of Cable & Wireless drove homethe importance of having telephones in certain places. "Webelieve pay phones should be placed wherever significant numbersof people access the water," he says, "That includesboat-launching facilities as well as beaches."
Mr. Fa'amoe points out that public telephonesare already installed at many public beaches, including the oneon West Bay Road. Permission has also been granted to installa pay phone at the public beach in Cayman Kai, but technologicaldifficulties with the location have delayed installation there.
While potential water-accident locationsare "well covered" with pay phones according to Mr.Fa'amoe, Smith's Cove remains a glaring exception. Because ofits remoteness to commercial development, having public telephonesthere is even more important. "There have been many casesat Smith's Cove where people looking for emergency assistancehad to run from house to house looking for a telephone to callfor help."
The primary basis for the objections ofresidents is concern over the "element of people" whowould not only use telephones, but who would also habitually loiterin the area. The amount of littering that occurs at some payphonelocations is another concern.
"Public telephone locations are usedas social gathering points," said one prominent area residentwho admitted vehemently opposing the Cable & Wireless proposal,"you should see the garbage that accumulates at some of thepayphone locations bottles, cans, old phone cards, fastfood wrappers who's supposed to clean that up?"
Mr. Fa'amoe concedes that litter is a problemat some payphone locations, but says "it's not prevalentat every location." He points out that there are ways ofovercoming the problem. "In the past, we have seen that wastecontainers were placed at the sites and we've worked with theDepartment of Public Health to ensure regular disposal of thetrash. We will also work with area land and business owners toresolve these issues."
Area residents say they don't need the telephonesthere in the first place. "Cable & Wireless told us thatthe phones are for people in the neighborhood," says onearea resident, "Well, everyone in the neighborhood alreadyhas a phone."
Regardless of the nature of objections,Mr. Fa'amoe says Cable & Wireless will continue to push forthe installation of the telephones. "In my mind, and in theminds of my company, public telephones are a necessary safetyfeature at Smith's Cove," he says, "We feel we'd beremiss as citizens if we didn't pursue this. None of the objectionswe've heard are important enough to override the safety of lifeissue."
While some South Church Street area residentssee the telephones as "just a moneymaking endeavor for Cable& Wireless," Mr. Fa'amoe says this is simply not true."This is not a revenue concern," he says, "payphones do not generate huge amounts of revenue. Plus, they areexpensive to install, and expensive to maintain."
One compromise that area residents suggestedwas the installation of a telephone at the site that would onlydial 911. This would provide emergency service to people in needwithout the attending problems.
"An emergency telephone is one optionwe can pursue, but that is something that would have to be workedout with Government," says Mr. Fa'amoe, "The numberof possible crank or accidental calls from such a phone is a realconcern for the 911 people."
Not every local resident objects to theinstallation of public phones at Smith's Cove. "Pay phonesare everywhere else on the island," said another prominentarea resident, "Why shouldn't they be at Smith's Cove, too?"
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Mr. Earl Huntley
United Nations (UN) AmbassadorMr. Earl Huntley will visit the Cayman Islands on 7, 8 and 9 Aprilas part of the Chamber's International Speakers Series. Mr. Huntley,a native of St. Lucia, is the chairman of the UN Special Committeeon Decolonization.
The Chamber has invited Mr. Huntley to examinethe issue of decolonization and self-government in the CaymanIslands. He will provide an overview of the objectives of theUN committee and how it has changed since the last visit to theCayman Islands in the 1970s.
He will be asked to explain the inalienableright of self-determination among non self-governing states andwhat assistance, if any, the UN can offer the Cayman Islands.He will be asked to explain the attempt of the United Kingdomto have the Overseas Territories de-listed from non-self governingstates and whether the Cayman Islands can participate in the Junemeeting of the committee.
It is understood that the meeting is opento any Government member, non-government organization or individualto make a short presentation directly to the committee and tosubmit position papers. Further details of Mr. Huntley's visitwill be posted on the Chamber web site ww.caymanchamber.ky oncethey are confirmed.
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His Excellency, the Governor,Mr. Bruce Dinwiddy's attention is caught by the details of theplan for the completion of the Quincentennial Wall of History,as Mrs. Angela Martins, Executive Director of the QuincentennialCelebrations Office takes time to explain the project. At leftis artist John Broad, and at right, Mr. Ezzard Miller, Chairmanof the National Quincentennial Committee.
His Excellency, the GovernorMr. Bruce Dinwiddy, has expressed his delight at the work beingdone on the Quincentennial Wall of History, when he visited theworkshop at Grand Harbour on Monday (17 March).
"This is very exciting,and an original approach which is shaping up in a promising way,"the Governor noted, as he inspected the Wall along with artistJohn Broad, Quincentennial Executive Director, Mrs. Angela Martins,Chairman of the National Quincentennial Committee, Mr. EzzardMiller and Director of the National Gallery, Ms. Leslie Bigelman.
The Wall of History, whichwill depict milestones in the 500-year history of the Cayman Islands,is made up of five panels. The first represents historically importantevents. The next three sections, which are being rendered by artistJohn Broad, will also portray historic scenes and people on 500tiles numbered from 1503 to 2003.
Mr. Broad is using ceramictiles that have been heat-treated in a furnace, and a varietyof media, to create a colourful wall with a variety of historicCaymanian scenes and people. He is assisted by Grace Wright whopaints the years on each tile, and Hermes Solomon-Hydes, who firesthe tiles in the kiln.
The fifth section will bearthe names of members of the public who have purchased tiles insupport of the project. Tiles are now on sale through the QuincentennialOffice.
The Wall of History "willbe a marvelous representation of Cayman's history for all Caymaniansand visitors to enjoy. I am pleased to see that it has come tofruition so successfully," Mr. Dinwiddy stated.
The Wall of History, whichwill be part of Quincentennial Square in the heart of George Town,will be unveiled on 10 May, during the royal visit of Britain'sPrince Edward.
The project is sponsoredby Cayman National and is being overseen by the National Gallery.
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Tourism Pioneer in Hospital
Mrs. SuzySoto
Mrs. Suzy Soto,the beloved icon of Cayman Islands tourism, is in hospital inMiami following emergency heart surgery last week. Our prayersextend to Suzy and her entire family, and we wish her a speedyrecovery.
Day6: World News Briefs on the war against Iraq
Secret "discussions"under way with Iraqi leaders
US Assistant Secretaryof Defense for Public Affairs, Victoria Clarke.
WASHINGTON (AFP) The Pentagon saidSaturday that secret "discussions" were under way withmembers of the Iraqi leadership and there was still time for them"to do the right thing."
Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke wouldnot elaborate on the contacts except to say that the United Stateshas been holding "a variety of conversations and discussions"in a variety of ways with Iraqi leaders.
"We've been communicating with theleadership, saying, 'End this now. Save your lives, save the Iraqipeople's lives,'" she said
"I'm not going to characterize individualconversations, but discussions are ongoing. And there is stillan opportunity for some people to do the right thing," shesaid.
Most Britonsnow support Iraq war: poll
LONDON (AFP) British public opinionhas rallied in support of the war against Iraq, according to apoll published last Saturday.
A YouGov survey for The Sunday Times carriedout after British forces went into action found that 56 percentof Britons thought US President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair,his closest ally in the crisis, were right to go to war. Thirty-sixpercent were opposed.
The figures are almost the exact reverseof a similar poll taken before the outbreak of hostilities lastThursday, when 36 percent backed military action with 57 percentagainst.
Winds of War Reach Cayman?
With the many and varied nationalities residingin the Cayman Islands we should know more than most how to getalong with people from a wide variety of geographical locations,personal interests and ethnic backgrounds.
And lets not forget that this year we arecelebrating the 500th anniversary of the arrival in this regionof the New World's first European explorer.
Caymanians are by their very nature peaceable people. The firstsettlers who arrived on our beautiful shores were soon welcomingthose of good character that followed them.
Since those times we have been willing toassimilate all sorts of ideas and influences into our cultureand to offer something of ourselves to visitors to these islands.
We are a very small country and in truthwe really do not have need of a 'foreign policy' that isnot to say that we do not have views nor that we do not respectthe views of others but we do not seek to persuade or imposeour ideas on other nations about how the rest of the world shouldbe run.
Most pertinent perhaps we do not have alarge standing army/navy/airforce to back up our beliefs.
Instead we try to keep a wise counsel onworld affairs and express ourselves through our industry and business,by educating our people young and old and by protecting our traditions,in fact all things Caymanian.
Today, we devote editorial space to threeletter-writers from among a number of correspondents based inthe United States who obviously share real affection for theseislands but who did not agree with our editorial on "An UnnecessaryWar". Apart from reinforcing the fact that our web-basednews service (www.caymannetnews.com) does have international reachit allows these people to make good points about the US positionas regards Iraq and international terrorism perhaps we havebeen too hard on the US President for not being able to link thetwo more directly before he embarked upon his course of actionagainst Iraq.
Distanced as Cayman is from world affairsby the nature and needs of our local government and democracy,we realize of course that we cannot exist in a vacuum and that'murderous thugs' need to be dealt with by the world communityas a whole.
And that of course is the problem the consensus which led to the international alliance that expelledIraq from Kuwait in 1991 is missing this time around.
The correspondents clearly believe thatremoving Saddam Hussein and his sons from the picture will notonly bring about a sudden and miraculous transformation of thatcountry but also that the region as a whole will thank the USand the UK for their military muscle and for the lives of thefighting men who have died already and the many more who willsurely die in the coming days and weeks. The sad truth is thatalthough the region has much to gain from the end of the currentregime in Iraq, this action on its own will not solve any otherproblems in this region and may add to them.
Perhaps we should recall that the spreadof 'international communism' was the reason behind US involvementin Vietnam. In the end it was reasoned argument and a politicalcoup instigated by Mikhail Gorbachev and fostered by Boris Yeltsinwhich spelt the end for the Iron Curtain and that particular 'evilempire'. If we substitute 'radical Moslems' for 'internationalcommunism' then perhaps we should start brushing up our arguments.
Now the war has started and the sooner itis over the better; but we must get back to the UN as soon aspossible and prepare instead to do battle with words. And as thatlate, great, former British Prime Minister, Winston S. Churchill,who we so admire once said, it is far better to "Jaw, jaw,jaw rather than war, war, war."
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One mile from Ground Zeroand Cayman looks fine from here
Dear Sir,
I read with dismay your editorial on the"Unnecessary War." Living in the US I can tell you thatwith the continued uncertainty of what was going to happen inIraq, which has kept both the economy and stock market depressed,that doing nothing is what would hurt Cayman's economy more. Yourstatement that small democracies have to worry about the US attackingthem is ludicrous. Do you think the people of Iraq want Saddamin power? He held an "election" last year and got 98%of the vote. Is that because he is popular? No, it's because hewould kill anyone who even thought of running against him. Hundredsof thousands of Iraqi people have been killed by this man, evenmore have been tortured. Why can't people see this for what itis? The US is liberating the Iraqi people, they will bring thesame democracy the Cayman Islands and the US enjoy. An ancillarybenefit will be to get rid of one of the most brutal regimes sinceHitler, a supporter of terrorism, and a producer of weapons ofmass destruction.
I love the Cayman Islands and wish I was there now. Instead Iam sitting in my office in New York about a mile from Ground Zero.Every day I fear coming to work and going home as I have to usePenn Station, which is a prime terrorist target. I watched withmy own two eyes as the second jet hit the World Trade Center.I was in the World Trade Center on the day before the attack.I guess as a New Yorker I was the target of a terrorist attack.
George Bush is not a "cowboy." He is the President ofthe United States and is doing the job he was sworn to do. I willfeel safer once the thousands of weapons of mass destruction willbe out of the hands of future terrorists. History will show thatthis war was justified not only to combat terror, but by freeingmillions of present and future Iraqi's.
John Murphy
USA
Dear Sir,
As an American who visits the Cayman Islandsannually I disagree and protest your recent editorial about an"unnecessary" war.
Perhaps if a bunch of radical Moslems had flown airplanes intosome hotels along Seven Mile Beach you would feel differently.
This nation has never fought a war to gain additional territory.When forced to defend herself she has always re-built the countryshe had defeated and given it its freedom. That will also happenin Iraq. There is no incentive for us to fight an unnecessarywar. Some claim the war is over oil, but if we needed more oilit would be considerably easier, in terms of money and human lives,to simply lift the embargo on Iraq and buy it.
May I remind you the British, upon whomyou depend, notwithstanding your current disagreements, not onlysupport us but would be under German control if it were not forAmerican involvement in world peace.
One of the reasons we visit your islandsis its idyllic nature and the fact that the world's problems seemso far away. Though very modern, to the visitor it seems isolatedfrom the rest of the world and reality. I suggest living in thisenvironment, which you are fortunate to do, makes it more difficultto see what is really happening in the world.
Jim Tice
Sylvan Ridge, Indianapolis
Dear Sir,
In response to your editorial of 20 March,on titled "An Unnecessary War." Your editorial positioncouldn't have been more off-point. You proclaim that the economicuncertainties and political instability will hurt the tourismtrade in the Caymans. However, you fail to grasp the significancethat global terrorism, sponsored by countries such as Iraq, willforever negatively impact global economies. Many of the economiesthat will suffer long-term are the wealthier Western economiesfrom which your tourists originate.
The impact of September 11, 2001 on theAmerican economy has been enormous. Airlines are foundering, businessesare reeling, spendable income in the US is down. Not to mentionthe impact pure fear is having on people who would be inclinedto fly or vacation on cruise lines. Eliminate that fear and individualswill return to the stock markets, business will grow and the cycleof prosperity, and tourism, will return.
Allow murderous thugs like Saddam Husseinto remain in power and provide weapons of mass destruction toterrorist organizations with the objective of threatening peaceand stability throughout Western nations and you can say goodbyeto tourism.
Of course, as a member of the internationalcommunity, your alternative would be to allow these murderousthugs to continue to deceive weapons inspectors. However, anyperson with enough common sense and objectivity would understandthose weapons would never be found by inspectors. Allowing inspectionsto continue would only incentivize Saddam to off-load those weaponsto other murderous thugs who don't have countries of their own,aren't part of any international regulatory body like the UN anddon't really care about anything other than their fanatical religiousbeliefs.
I have been to Grand Cayman on many occasions.In fact, I own a time share on the island. If the attitude ofyour editorial board is anything like the attitude of the lawenforcement agencies, then the Cayman Islands may be a more dangerousplace than I thought. I guess I'll just stay home for my nextvacation.
Idiocy is a self-fulfilling prophecy!
Kevin Libby
Oakton, Virginia
Tourism thriving despitewar - for now
By LES KJOS
MIAMI (UPI) - Despite the war in Iraq, it'sso far so good for March in Florida where the month is traditionallyone of the biggest for the tourist industry.
Elsewhere, the industry is nervous aboutthe summer season, but there are pockets of optimism.
"We know there is going to be an immediateimpact from the war because we've already been feeling the impactof the uncertainty of war," said Cynthia Keefe, spokeswomanfor the Travel Industry Association of America.
"The booking cycles are shorter andshorter. People are putting off making reservations until thelast minute," she said. "The good news is that the industryis accommodating the travelling public with lower fares and relaxingcancellation policies."
She said if the history of the Sept. 11,2001, terrorist attacks repeats itself, the industry will be backon track once the outcome of the war is certain.
In Florida, not much is off the track yet.Theme parks in the Orlando area were jammed and lines were longthis week, as tourists didn't want to lose all the money theyalready have invested in their vacations.
"We were standing in line (at WaltDisney World), and we were having a conversation about biochemicalwarfare," said Maria Muscente of Ithaca, N.Y.
"That's what the world has come do,"said her husband, Paul Muscente.
In Miami, cruise lines are making a slightcomeback.
"We're seeing a slight up-tick in businesson the cruise side. We're still selling cruises for the shortterm," said Keith St. Clair of TraveLeaders Group, a CoralGables, Fla., travel agency.
"I think there's an honest feelinglife has to go on."
The hotel industry in south Florida is alsostable, and there are few reports of cancellations.
Orlando Velasquez, general manager for HolidayInn South Beach, said he is on schedule for a sold-out March.
Christopher Pollock, president of the GreaterFort Lauderdale Lodging Association, said he has heard of no cancellationsrelated to the war. He said occupancy levels at small hotels remainedhigh.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authorityhas temporarily suspended television advertising because of thewar.
"Any ads we had scheduled to run theweek of the 19th have been pushed back until the week of the 26th,"said Sophie Poulter of the R&R Partners agency.
"Television is going to be overrunwith war coverage, and that's not necessarily the best venue forus to be getting our message out," said authority spokeswomanErika Brandvik.
By Frederick M. Winship
File photoof Portrait of American pop artist and filmaker Andy Warhol ashe signs copies of his book 'From A t B and back again'
A visitor taking a closelook at American artist Keith Haring's 'Heaven and Hell' at theMuseum of Modern Art in Karlsruhe.
NEW YORK (UPI) -- A new musical based onthe brief career of pop artist Keith Haring, who died of AIDSat 30 in 1990, is told in episodic snippets that move back andforth in time at a dizzying pace and never pauses to reflect onthe character of the man whose childlike imagery had universalappeal.
"Radiant Baby," the title of theshow at the Off-Broadway Public Theater, refers to one of Haring'smost popular graffiti-inspired figures, an infant conceived asan energy source exuding beams of light. It also refers to theprodigal energy of a young artist bent on outstripping death bythrowing himself into a prodigious number of commissions fromNew York to Tokyo in the last two years of his life.
Daniel Reichard, a versatile graduate ofthe "Forbidden Broadway" series, is cast as Haring andplays the role at such a high-key pitch from the opening sceneonward that the show lacks a sense of emotional evolution.
This is partly the fault of librettist StuartRoss, whose dramatization was inspired by John Gruen's biographyof Haring, and director George C. Wolfe, the Public Theater'sproducer, but Reichard could give his character more outline andless blur.
This lack of focus is endemic in the developmentof other characters vital to the Haring story, all lacking indramatic dimension. The audience never learns just why Haring'sboyfriend, Carlos, walks out on him, or just what role in Haring'ssuccess is played by his faithful friend, photographer Tseng KwongChi.
Haring's office assistant, Amanda, seemsto have a split personality, and his mother appears to be a dimwit.
The character who comes off best is AndyWarhol, amusingly played in a platinum fright wig by Julee Cruise,who doubles as the mother. Warhol is given all the best linesas he plies Haring with practical career advice in a ghostly post-morteminterview. The cynical old master of Pop art knows what sellsand how an artist must sell it if he wants his name rememberedbeyond the proverbial 15 minutes of fame.
Musically, "Radiant Baby," hasits charms without making this an aggressively singing show. DebraBarsha's score orchestrated by Zane Mark reflects Haring's definingstate of anxiety as well as the turned-on sensibilities of thedisco era in a scene set at the Paradise Club. Two vocalists listedas Diva Woman (Angela Robinson) and Diva Man (Billy Porter) makeup the show's equivalent of a Greek chorus.
Barsha, Ira Gasman, and Stuart Ross arecredited with writing the lyrics, which are hip and occasionallyclever, and Kimberly Grigsby is the orchestral conductor. FatimaRobinson has choreographed a range of disco dances and break dancesfor the large cast that add to the authenticity of the staging.
The action is played out against RiccardoHernandez' gleaming white set whose movable parts serve as surfaceson which paintings by Haring are projected. Haring also paintshis maze-like designs on male members of the cast known as BathBoys, one of the most amazing attractions of a show that is aconstant visual delight in a full range of Crayola colors.
We see Haring as the outsider in his highschools years in Kutztown, Pa., as a naïve newcomer to thegay Manhattan scene, as a street and subway graffiti artist whosetalent is gradually recognized by commercial art promoters. Withhim we visit the downtown clubs and baths, the avant-garde artgalleries peopled by effete art aficionados and self-importantcritics, and an HIV clinic.
These episodes are shuffled like a deckof cards, so that the time continuum between 1963 and 1990 ishopelessly fractured. This never really works in the theater,even for Stephen Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along,"which rolled backward. A chronological re-arrangement of the showmight improve it mightily.
Three children open the show and turn upin several scenes, pointing up Haring's affinity for childrenand the appeal his art had for them. They are delightfully playedby Anny Jules, Gabriel Varez, and Remy Zaken.
Kate Jennings Grant makes an honest effortto bring Amanda, the overworked office assistant, to life, andAaron Lohr does the same for the thankless role of Carlos. KeongSim is outstanding as Haring's photographer-friend.
Iraqadmits US-British capture Faw
By Ghassan Al-Kadi
Iraqi Defence MinisterSultan Hashem Ahmad stands before Iraqi military officers on thegrounds of the
Ministry of Defence in Baghdad.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (UPI) Iraq admittedlast Saturday that US and British forces managed to crawl intothe city of Faw in the southern tip of Iraq, but insisted thatIraqi artillery inflicted great losses on the allied forces.
An Iraqi military statement issued in Baghdad,said US forces tried to parachute into the al-Waleed base, nearthe border with Jordan, in the Nakheeb area of the Western desert.
The statement added that Iraqi marines launched"fierce strikes against the invading forces in Kuwait,"adding that these forces "tried to pull the Iraqi army intoside battles as it was benefiting from air superiority and fromthe open desert ground. But these attempts failed."
The statement also said that Iraqi forceson Friday launched al-Sumoud, al-Tareq and Fateh missiles at USand British troops in Kuwait.
Meanwhile, Iraq's Defense Minister, General Sultan Hashem Ahmad,said in a news conference in Baghdad on Friday night that US forcesmanaged to enter the Port of Um Qasr overlooking the Persian Gulf.
He said as cruise missiles were poundingon Baghdad that US Marine helicopters also carried out surveillanceflights over al-Rutba, an area close to the western borders withSyria and Jordan.
He said these patrols were in the area tolook for any movements of missile launchers aimed towards Israel.
The minister added that in the south, "invadingforces moved west of Safwan towards the Rumailah (oil) fields,which are being defended by the Iraqi 704 Unit, which is consideredone of the best."
Baghdad on Friday night witnessed one ofthe fiercest cruise missile attacks since the US launched thewar on Iraq in the early hours of Thursday.
Information Minister Mohammad Saeed al-Sahhafappeared on state-owned Iraq Television on Friday night speakingabout al-Salam Palace, a palace reserved for visiting officials,which was bombarded during Friday night's air strikes.
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Prince Andrew, the Duke of York
LONDON (AFP) Prince Andrew, a formerRoyal Navy pilot, led tributes Saturday for six British servicemenkilled when two Sea King helicopters collided and crashed on daythree of the Iraq war.
One US serviceman also died in what hasbeen called a "tragic accident" in the northern endof the Gulf, eight kilometers (five miles) from the Royal Navyaircraft carrier Ark Royal.
"The Duke of York is shocked and deeplysaddened," a spokesman at Buckingham Palace said.
"As a helicopter pilot with combatexperience (in the 1982 Falklands war), the duke wishes to sendhis prayers and thoughts to the families of the bereaved."
Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen ElizabethII, flew various combat missions as a sub-lieutenant in the Falklandswar, and helped in casualty evacuation, transport, and searchand air rescue.
He also flew decoy missions to lure awayExocet ship-to-ship missiles fired by Argentine forces in theirfailed attempt to hold onto the Falkland Islands, a British possession.
In Cornwall, in the west of England, flowerswere laid and flags set a half mast at Royal Navy Air StationCuldrose, where the servicemen were based as part of 849 SquadronAirborne Surveillance and Control.
"The Fleet Air Arm is a close community.As you can imagine we are all saddened by the situation. Obviouslyour thoughts are with the families at this time and they are ourmain concern," a navy spokeswoman said.
Around 300 servicemen from Culdrose weredeployed to the Gulf in mid-January, as part of a British navaltask force of more than 17 ships led by the Ark Royal.
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By Claude Salhani
Donald Rumsfeld 
LONDON (UPI) The inner circle of extremelyinfluential people within the upper echelons of the Bush administration,known as "the Neocons", are by now back-slapping oneanother and congratulating themselves that the war on Iraq hasfinally become a reality.
This tightly knit group of neo-conservativesincludes, among others, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld,his deputy Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Pearle, the highly influentialChairman of the Defense Policy Board. You can rest assured thatthis same group is now actively planning "Phase Two"of their multi-layered and far-reaching Middle East strategy.
Indeed, their Machiavellian stratagem callsfor nothing short of redrawing the current map of the Levant andthe re-shaping of its current borders.
Their belief is that the time has come to re-think global policies,to re-visit the entire geo-political situation and to be brazenand courageous enough so as to "address troublesome states"in ways never imagined before. As the popular saying in the Americanboardroom goes, it's time to think outside the box.
Under that heading, of course, comes Iraq,which is presently being addressed in the form of an American-ledinvasion meant to enforce regime change. The "Coalition ofthe Willing," as President George W. Bush calls his 35-nationalliance, is meant to remove Saddam Hussein and his ruling BaathParty from power, and to find and neutralize potential weaponsof mass destruction. That plan is now well underway.
But Iraq is far from figuring alone in thatleague of potentially "rogue states." It is only thefirst of many steps. Remember the "axis of evil" speechgiven by Bush in his State of the Union address shortly afterthe September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks? Well, this is what thisis all about.
While the president's short list comprisedonly three nations Iraq, Iran and North Korea theNeocons' list of potentially troublesome countries is a much moreambitious one. Syria, and even Saudi Arabia figure prominentlyon the list of nations requiring "special attention."
In recent months there has been much talkin Washington of going as far as "breaking up" SaudiArabia into several smaller, and thus more manageable entities.But these discussions passed by almost unnoticed while the mainfocus centered around the political debate raging over the Iraqissue.
Far-fetched? Hardly. Their view of the MiddleEast is, in fact, quite simple. It revolves around the beliefthat the region is so unstable, that unless the United Statesactively and aggressively takes matters into its own hands, theregion will continue to stew in political and economic instabilityfor decades to come. As a result, unless the problem is addressed,it will likely drag the rest of the world into socio-economicchaos along with it, ultimately resulting in more catastrophicSeptember 11s.
As Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair toldhis nation on the day British troops entered into battle againstIraq, "to deal with future threats peacefully is to dealwith present threats with resolve."
They cite as examples the post 9/11 financialdownturn in global economies and the devastating impact it hadon world markets; massive loss of revenue calculated in the trillionsof dollars, tens of thousands of lost jobs and scores of bankruptcies.
In today's "village economy",what transpires in one part of the world has direct economic impactin other parts of the globe. As the sole remaining super- power,the United States wants to ensure economic stability, if for noother reason than to guarantee its own economic well-being andstability.
Furthermore, the current Islamist threatsposed by the likes of Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda networkare believed to be the direct result of continuing political,religious, ethnic and economic instability plaguing the MiddleEast.
That is compounded by the unwillingnessof the current crop of Mideast leaders to address their own burningissues. A good example is the deteriorating socio-economic situationin the Desert Kingdom, from where 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackersoriginated, and Saudi Arabia's continued refusal to address thosesocial issues and enact much needed changes.
The cataclysm of the Sept. 11, 2001 attackson New York and the Pentagon acted as a rude wake-up call to America.The attacks by 19 Arab terrorists pushed home the belief thatimmediate action was paramount in order to insure that such attackson America and its allies were not repeated in the future. Thisoffered the Neocons all the more incentive to pursue their plans.
That thinking partially explains PresidentBush's obsession in eliminating Iraq as a potential threat toAmerica's security, an America still economically staggering fromthe drastic economic repercussions of 9/11.
This policy of pre-emptively eliminatingpotential threats was made clear by the president in histelevised Oval Office address to the world the night hostilitiesby the US-led coalition against Iraq commenced in the early hoursof 20 March. Said a somber-looking Bush: "We will meet thatthreat now with our Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines,so that we do not have to meet it later with armies of fire-fightersand police and doctors on the streets of our cities."
Blair's statement closely mirrored PresidentBush's. It was not possible to make a clearer statement and aclearer warning to the rest of the region that the time for changehas now come.
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Palestinian Minister ofInformation and Culture Yasser Abed Rabbo.
GAZA (UPI) Leaders ofPalestinian Hamas militants urged Iraqis to unleash hundreds ofsuicide bombers onto US and British troops to stem the invasionof their country.
Abdel Aziz Ranteesi, a Hamas spokesman,told United Press International in Gaza that what is happeningin Iraq is not a war: "It is an aggression on an Arab andIslamic country, and the Iraqi people should know how to confrontthis aggression."
He continued, "Therefore, I believethat the Iraqi people should prepare an army of suicide bombersto hit the Americans everywhere on their lands until they wouldbe able to defend their country and defeat the aggression."
Members of Hamas the Arabic word for"courage" as well as an acronym for Islamic resistancemovement have carried out dozens of suicide bomb attacksin buses, markets and malls in Israel. Hundreds have died andthousands wounded as a result of the blasts.
The Hamas spokesman described the US-led war on Iraq as the newcrusader campaign on Iraq, and one "not only against an Arabcountry (but) against Islam itself."
He also criticized the leaders of Arab countries,saying, "They were not able to protect the Muslims or defendtheir countries. Thus I believe it is time for the nations tomove to resist America and hit it by all means until it stopsits aggression."
The comments came on the same day as hundredsof Palestinians demonstrated in several parts of the Gaza Stripin support of Iraq and its people, waving Iraqi flags and holdingposters of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
The Palestinian Authority explained in anofficial statement published by the Palestinian news agency WafaThursday that Palestinians "are following the war againstIraq and the Iraqi people with anxiety," and fear Israelcould take advantage of the war to "carry out widespreadmilitary operations against the Palestinians in the West Bankand Gaza."
The Palestinian Authority called up theUN Security Council to work for the immediate end the militaryoperations and the return of international weapons inspectors.
"The international community is responsiblefor achieving peace and security in our region as well as endingthe Israeli military occupation of the Arab and Palestinian territories,"said the statement.
Palestinian Information Minister YasserAbed Rabbo added to reporters in the West Bank town of Ramallahthat the Palestinians are calling for the international communityto intervene because they believe the US-led war "will leadto results that would badly affect the whole region."
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MONTREAL (AFP) The Cuban governmentis taking advantage of the US-led war on Iraq to unleash an unprecedentedwave of repression on dissidents, a group defending freedom ofexpression said last Friday.
Reporters Without Borders noted especiallythe arrest last Thursday of a leader of the Cuban independentpress, writer and poet Raul Rivero, director of the independentagency Cuba Press.
Rivero's arrest "has taken the currentwave of repression beyond another threshold," Reporters WithoutBorders Secretary General Robert Menard said.
"The Cuban authorities are clearlytaking advantage of the war in Iraq to crack down while the worldlooks elsewhere."
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An anti-warprotester marches followed by Washington police officers duringa demonstration in Washington DC on 22 March 2003. Anti-Iraq wardemonstrations were held around the world.
AFP PHOTO/NicholasRoberts
United States begins detainingIraqis
By Michael KirklandAnd
Shaun Waterman
US AttorneyGeneral John Ashcroft
WASHINGTON (UPI) -- U.S. authorities saidlast Thursday they had begun detaining Iraqi nationals in thecountry who might pose a security threat.
"The Iraqis targeted ... were identifiedusing a range of intelligence criteria and all are in the countryillegally," said a statement from the new Bureau of Immigrationand Customs Enforcement, a division of the Department of HomelandSecurity.
The BICE said its agents and agents of theFBI carried out the joint initiative as part of Operation LibertyShield. The FBI was given the authority to conduct immigrationdetentions by Attorney General John Ashcroft in February.
The BICE also said because the operationis ongoing, "we are unable to release further details atthis time."
However, an FBI official earlier this weeksaid that agents for some time have been "operating as wedid after 9/11," working with immigration officials to detainillegal immigrants as FBI agents conducted voluntary interviewswith tens of thousands of Iraqi exiles in this country.
The overwhelming majority of Iraqis in thiscountry are profoundly anti-Saddam, and have been giving officialstips on possibly dangerous illegal immigrants.
Also Thursday, the FBI put out an alertfor an individual known as Adnan G. El Shukrijumah. Agents wantto "question him in connection with possible threats againstthe United States. El Shukrijumah is possibly involved with al-Qaidaterrorist activities," the alert said, "and, if thisis the case, he may pose a serious threat to U.S. citizens andinterests worldwide."
El Shukrijumah, 27, was born in Saudi Arabia."He is approximately 132 pounds (but may be heavier today),5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 5 inches tall, has a Mediterranean complexion,black hair, black eyes, and occasionally wears a beard."His photograph is available on the FBI's website at fbi.gov.
El Shukrijumah carries a Guyana passport,the FBI said, but may attempt to enter the U.S. with a Saudi,Canadian or Trinidad passport under an alias.
Earlier last Thursday, FBI Director RobertMueller said his agents "are running down every lead, respondingto every threat" to protect Americans from terrorism duringthe war with Iraq.
Mueller issued a statement to reassure thepublic that the FBI is doing everything it can to prevent terrorattacks in the United States.
Meanwhile, a U.S. Islamic organization complained that anti-Muslimthreats are continuing.
The Washington-based Council on Islamic-AmericanRelations said that Muslims were recently threatened or discriminatedagainst in separate incidents in California, Michigan and Illinois.
In the Illinois incident, a Glendale HeightsIslamic center received a telephoned bomb threat and was burglarizedSaturday, CAIR reported. "Local FBI agents are working withthe center on the case," the organization said.
In Washington, an FBI spokesman said Thursdaythe bureau has more than enough resources to investigate anti-Muslimthreats and conduct sweeping counter-terror operations at thesame time.
Spokesman Bill Carter said there has notbeen an increase in reports of anti-Muslim threats to the FBI,but that could change once U.S. troops suffer casualties in Iraq.
In his statement Thursday, Mueller saidthe FBI was participating in Operation Liberty Shield to protectthe American people.
"While our armed forces are leadingthe fight overseas, the FBI is ready to defend Americans fromretaliatory attacks here at home," Mueller said. "Weare bringing to bear the full weight of our resources, expertiseand partnerships. We are running down every lead, responding toevery threat, coordinating with every partner and doing our utmostto keep terrorists from striking back."
The FBI chief said the bureau has restructureditself "from top-to-bottom" since the Sept. 11, 2001,terror attacks "to strengthen its ability to predict andprevent acts of terror."
Mueller said the bureau has taken a numberof steps with the onset of war with Iraq. They include:
Activating the huge Strategic Informationand Operations Center, or SIOC, at FBI headquarters "to serveas the 24/7 national command post."
Setting up special command posts ineach of the FBI's 56 field offices to work with Joint TerrorismTask Forces in gathering intelligence and responding quickly topotential threats and reports of suspicious activity.
Sending special agents to interviewa number of Iraqi-born individuals and others in the United States"to assure them of the FBI's responsibility to protect themfrom hate crimes and to elicit information on any potential operationsof Iraqi agents or sympathizers." FBI officials have refusedto say how many of the interviews will be conducted, saying theoperation is open ended.
Investigating others in the UnitedStates who allegedly have links to terrorism.
Mueller said more than a thousand additionalspecial agents have been permanently assigned to counter-terrorisminvestigations, and the bureau is trying to coordinate more closelywith the U.S. intelligence community and law enforcement at everylevel, including the international law enforcement community.
Dixie Chicks should performfor their penance, lawmakers say
The Dixie Chicks performtheir hit song 'Landslide' during the 45th Annual Grammy Awardsat Madison Square Garden, in New York. AFP PHOTO/Timothy A. CLARY
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The chart-topping DixieChicks should lay on a free concert for US troops in South Carolinaas part of their penance for "unpatriotic" remarks aboutUS President George W. Bush.
That's according to a resolution passedWednesday by the South Carolina legislature in the latest twistover some off-the-cuff remarks by the band's lead singer, NatalieMaines.
Maines had said during a recent concertin London that she was "ashamed" that both she and Bushhailed from the state of Texas, triggering a backlash at home,with dozens of irate listeners demanding country and western radiostations boycott their music.
Last Friday, the frontwoman for the country-basedpop group sought to pacify her critics, issuing a statement apologisingto Bush for her "disrespectful" remark, she said.
"I feel that whoever holds that officeshould be treated with the utmost respect," she said.
"While war may remain a viable option,as a mother, I just want to see every possible alternative exhaustedbefore children and American soldiers' lives are lost."
That did not cut it with Catherine Ceips,a Republican lawmaker from Beaufort, South Carolina, who tabledthe resolution.
"You don't denigrate your commander-in-chiefon foreign soil when US servicemen and women are in harm's way,"she said Thursday. "I know they've apologised, but I thinkif they're sincere, they'll match actions with words."
Ceips said she's had no word yet from thegroup, which kicks off a US tour to promote their multiplatinumalbum "Home" on May 1 in Greenville, South Carolina.
But the trio, best known for their hits"Wide Open Spaces," "Ready to Run" and "Landslide,"shouldn't expect a warm welcome.
"I don't think they're gonna get a big welcome in Greenville.That's big Bush country."
South Carolina and the neighbouring stateof North Carolina have sent about 40,000 active-duty troops tothe Gulf in recent months.
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Scottish actor Sean Conneryholds a prize for special artistic contribution to world cinemagiven to at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in Prague.AFP PHOTO EPA/CTK/Michal Dolezal
LONDON (AFP) - Most film starsget their pictures in the newspapers. Sean Connery, at 72, isgoing to help run them.
Independent News and Media said the Scottishactor, a household name since the 1960s when he first played JamesBond, would join its United Kingdom board, which oversees theIndependent and Independent on Sunday newspapers.
Speaking from his Bahamas home, Connerysaid he was invited by group executive chairman Tony O'Reillyto join the board, where he looks forward to contributing ideason the Independent's arts, sports and Scotland coverage.
"I admire what he (O'Reilly) is doingwith the title, which stands as a voice of sanity and integrityin an industry whose standards I have had some cause to complainof," the actor said.
The Independent and the Independent on Sundayhave the smallest circulation of Britain's national newspapers,but have set themselves apart in recent weeks by opposing a US-ledwar on Iraq.
Besides the Independent franchises, theUnited Kingdom board of Independent News also overseas NorthernIreland's main newspaper, the Belfast Telegraph.
Beyond Britain, the group -- headquarteredin Dublin -- publishes the Irish Independent, the JohannesburgStar and the New Zealand Herald, among other media properties.
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News
FidelityBank dress down in a crisis
 Mrs. Yolita Parchment, Human Resource Manager for Fidelity Group, presents a cheque, representing staff donations to Mr. Kyle McLean, Treasurer for the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, to help with operational costs. |  NCVO's CEO, Ms. Lisa Boston accepts a cheque from Fidelity Group's Human Resource Manager, Mrs. Yolita Parchment, as staff contribution to the NCVO's Foster Home project. |
Employees of Fidelity Bank and FidelityInsurance Company have pooled together to provide well-neededfunds to the recently opened Cayman Islands Crisis Centre andthe National Council of Voluntary Organizations (NCVO).
The funds are the proceeds of contributionsmade by employees to staff dress down Fridays, a programme whichhas been in place for over six years. Each month, employees contribute$5 to the fund, and at the end of the year make their own selectionof the charities or organizations that should benefit from theprogramme.
The Crisis Centre and NCVO have each received$1,000. For the Crisis Centre, the funds will go towards operationalcosts, treasurer Kyle McLean stated, as he recently accepted thecheque on behalf of the centre.
The new residential foster home projectbeing spearheaded by the NCVO will benefit from the donations.Ms. Lisa Boston, Chief Executive Officer of NCVO noted that thehome is scheduled to be opened by the end of March, and will enablethe organisation to better raise the eight children in its careto early adulthood.
Mrs. Yolita Parchment, Manager for HumanResources at Fidelity Group noted that staff members have beencommitted to supporting community projects, through voluntarycontributions from their salaries.
Other beneficiaries over the years haveincluded the department of Social Services, Cayman Islands CancerSociety, the Hospice Care and various projects carried out byNCVO.
The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI)elected new officers for the organization at the Annual Boardof Directors meeting last week (13 15 March).
The new Board Chairman is the Southern CrossClub and Fishing Resort's (Little Cayman) owner, Mr. Peter Hillenbrand.
Mr. Hillenbrand was seeking an advanceddegree in Marine Biology when in 1995 he had the opportunity topurchase and rebuild Little Cayman's oldest fishing club. Rodale'sScuba Diving Magazine has rated the Southern Cross Club as oneof the top three dive resorts in the Caribbean and Worldwide inthe past three years.
When Mr. Hillenbrand left his studies heknew he would find a way to participate in coral reef educationand research. He has supported the development of the CentralCaribbean Marine Institute for many years by providing a facility,boat support and even research assistance to the organization.
As CCMI has just received planning permissionto build a research and education field station in the CaymanIslands he will lead the board of directors to establishing thispermanent facility.
Mr. James E. O'Neill Jr., Managing Directorof Bank Austria Cayman Islands Ltd (5 years) will be the nexttreasurer for the organization. Mr. O'Neill has been in the Bankingand Finance industry for over 28 years.
During that time he was a Vice Presidentof Finance for Irving Trust Company (14 years), was then CFO forBank Austria's US operation (9 years). He has also been closelyinvolved in the merger process of two large commercial banks.
Additionally, he has worked closely withthe Federal Reserve and the Comptroller of the Currency on variousregulatory
matters pertaining to risk management.
He is currently the Secretary of the CaymanIslands Bankers' Association, Treasurer of the Shores DevelopmentCommunity and is an active member of the
Cayman Islands Rotary Club where he is responsiblefor the meals on wheels program for Grand Cayman. Mr. O'Neillwill oversee the financial aspects of the organization.
Mr. David S. Walker, Caledonian Bank andTrust continues as the Secretary of the organization. David Walkerholds a BA in Political Science from Dalhousie University, HalifaxNova Scotia Canada, an MSc in Marine Resource Management fromHeriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland and an LL.B. Hons.from Liverpool University, Liverpool England.
David was admitted to practice as an attorney-at-lawin the Cayman Islands in February 1997 and worked with a leadingfirm on the island prior to joining Caledonian Bank & TrustLimited where he is presently employed.
David is an advocate for environmentallyresponsible behavior in the Cayman Islands and he is a keen diverand frequent visitor to Little Cayman. David is responsible forsetting up the Cayman corporation for CCMI as a non-profit organization.
Board members re-elected include Mrs. NicoelaMcCoy, Manager, Corporate Communications & Marketing for theCivil Aviation Authority; Mr. Timothy Austin, Assistant Directorof the Cayman Islands Department of Environment; Dr. Jack J. Gelfand,Research Scientist, Princeton University; Dr. Toufic Hakim, DirectorResearch and Sponsored Programs, Kean University; Dr. Jerome Hall,University of San Diego; Dr. Carrie Manfrino, Kean University;Mrs. Pia Hall, Pia Hall Designs, Ltd; and Dr. Roxanne James, AssistantDean, Kean University. Dr. Carrie Manfrino was elected to be thePresident and will continue to oversee the day-to-day operationsof the organization.
The organization also formalized the appointmentsto Special Advisory Board (Special Advisors act as consultantsto the BOD) include architect John Doak, attorney SherriAnn Bodden-Cowan and Cayman Islands Department of Education Headof Science Fred Speirs.
After the Board Meeting the group worked to develop their 5-yearStrategic Plan under the direction of Facilitator, Mr. Terry Lock.
The vision of the organization is that CCMIwill understand, revitalize, and sustain marine biodiversity,with the CCMI Mission being "To conduct and facilitate research,education, and outreach that will sustain marine diversity forfuture generations."
The organization highlighted such valuesas respect (for the environment, education and scholarship), excellence(in education, research and in the facility), integrity (in allaspects of business and in relationships with each other) andin developing imaginative programs and research. The StrategicGoals (57 yrs) for the organization are:
1. To be a premier marine institute providingresearch and education facilities and programs based in the Caribbean.
2. To be a leader in Caribbean community-basedoutreach programs for sustaining coral reef ecosystems by understandingthe existing reef environment.
3. To establish programs through dialogues,strong relationships, and in cooperation with the CI Governmentand community.
4. To develop capital and academic resourcesthat fully fund and support our research and education programs.
5. To develop a research faculty that establishesthe intellectual reputation of the institute.
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Cayman's children are about to have an opportunityto express their writing abilities and win cash, in the SocialService Department's Child Month Essay Competition. The contestfeatures two divisions in essay writing for children between theages of six and twelve, and a theme writing division for teenagersages 13-17.
In the 6-8 year-old category, the outlinefor the essay should follow the heading "Why I Love My Mom/Dad"and be between 100-150 words. The cash prize for that divisionis $50.
Using a similar heading, "Why My Mom/Dad is Special",9-12 year-olds will be asked to submit an essay of 150-200 words,also with $50 as the cash award.
Teenagers aged 13-17 will have a chanceto create the 'official' theme for Child Month, using no morethan 8-10 words, while incorporating the words "father"and make reference to the quincentennial celebrations (i.e. history,500 years, Caymanian culture, etc) as a part of the scheme. Thecash award for that division is $75.
All entries should be submitted to the SocialServices Department, 2nd Floor, Tower Building by Monday, 31 March,2003.
For more information on Child Month, orto submit your event to the Child Month calendar of events, callMaureen Jervis-Brooks (coordinator) at 244-3446, Leanora Wynter(coordinator) at 244-3610 or Flavia Gardner at 244-3629.
Meantime, the Dep-artment of Social Serviceswelcomes all interested persons or organizations to become officialsponsors for this year's Child Month, slated for May 2003.
To make donations, or to volunteer as chaperones or coordinators,call Maureen Jervis-Brooks (coordinator) at 244-3446, LeanoraWynter (coordinator) at 244-3610 or Flavia Gardner at 244-3629.
Coordinators of CUC's scrapmetals recycling programme (standing from left) Manager Line DepartmentJerry McRobb, Manager Materials Ron Parchment and Facilities MaintenanceRepresentative Eddie Johnson have been instrumental is this environmentallyresponsible initiative that the Company implemented recently.Seen here, Carlos Rivers, (driving forklift) of the Materialsdepartment, with the assistance of Burnstin McLaughlin, LowellConnor and Christopher Forbes, all of the Facilities Maintenancedepartment, loads the scrap metals that will be shipped to a recyclingcompany in Tampa, Florida.
The recycling of scrap metals, an initiativeof Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. (CUC), implemented recentlyas part of its Environmental Management System (EMS) enables theCompany to enhance its efforts in protecting Cayman's environment.
The scrap metals, acquired mainly from theCompany's Line Department, are non-reusable copper, aluminium,bronze and brass transmission and distribution materials. Thesematerials are stored at CUC's North Sound Road Power Plant ona 40-foot flat rack and when fully loaded, the rack is shippedto Gulf Coast Metals of Florida, a Tampa-based Company that purchasesthe metals for the purpose of recycling. The empty flat rack isthen shipped back to CUC for the process to begin again.
Ron Parchment, Manager Materials, whosedepartment coordinates the recycling programme along with theLine and Facilities Maintenance departments, commented that throughthis programme, CUC is making great strides in enhancing its environmentalperformance. "Recycling reduces the consumption of raw materialsand solid waste disposal and through this programme CUC contributesto minimising the amount of solid waste disposed of on the island.Due to the success of the programme CUC will continue to havethe materials recycled as necessary." Mr. Parchment remarked.
Mr. Parchment acknowl-edged Thompson Shippingfor giving CUC a special shipping rate for the programme and encouragedother local companies to also study the impact of their operationson the environment and, whenever possible, incorporate environmentalissues in the development of their corporate strategies.
CUC's Environmental Management System, whichis managed by David Watler, Manager Engineering Services, wasimplemented last year and aims to prevent pollution includingair, soil, groundwater, coastal water and noise. In addition toscrap metals, the Company recycles aluminum cans, used motor oils,auto lead batteries, and office paper. Further information onCUC's environmental initiatives can be read on the Company's websiteat www.cuc-cayman.com.
NationalHero heads George Town's Quincentennial Committee
Mrs.Sybil McLaughlin
Miss Sybil (Mrs. Sybil McLaughlin)who was the first speaker of the Legislative Assembly has beenappointed Chairperson of the sub-committee for Culture by theGeorge Town Quincentennial Committee. One of her first prioritiesis to contact as many representatives as possible from all thevarious nationalities represented among Cayman's population andeverybody in this context is invited to speak to her or one ofher committee members.
These nations will be honouredwith flags, music, national dress, dance, culture, crafts andfood at a weekend of celebrations commencing on Friday, 16 Mayand continuing through Seafarers day, which will be a public holidayon Monday 19 May. Fireworks and food (naturally - this is a Caymanevent!) will start the event with a bang on Friday, 16 May. Saturdayis games day and Sunday a special church service and dedicationof the Monument, where the name pavers will be displayed. Monday(19 May) is the big day for Culture, Arts and Crafts and for aseries of events embracing all countries currently being organised.
No matter where your hometown is located, you are very welcome to help and enjoy. WestBayer's and Brackers are considered locals for this event! Weare all proud of our roots - make sure you mark the date and comeand help us celebrate.
Please call Miss Sybil on946-9523 or any of the following committee as listed here withideas and suggestions. Joyann Rollings 947-1198, Wifred Van Dam949-5570, Claude Myles 949-8581, Cheryl Solomon 914-9516, Ed Solomon949-4620, Maureen Berry 946-8145, Ora Hollebon 947-0749, JudyHendriquez 949-9169, Norma Seymour 917-7708, Josette Borde 949-8218,Mabel Soares 945-3136, Elizabeth Gollnick 937-7077.
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Voices of dissent: WhiteHouse vigil
By LOU MARANO
WASHINGTON, 22 March (UPI) - Participantsat a candlelight vigil near the White House Friday night playeddown considerations of Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destructionin expressing their opposition to the war.
"I think that we need to reframe thedebate away from the good- or badness of Saddam Hussein and weaponsof mass destruction," said Harriet Crosby one of about 20war dissenters who gathered at the north edge of Lafayette Park."I think the real issue is the new American foreign policythat's been called Pax Americana that involves global dominationthrough America taking advantage of its power as the sole worldsuperpower, stepping in as the world policeman and putting a militaryoccupation into a strategic location, allowing the control ofMiddle Eastern oil."
She said the real issue is whether thisis a foreign policy the American people are happy with. "It'snot consistent with the noble values of democracy and freedomand respect for the traditions of all people." She said sucha foreign policy is inconsistent with the ideals of the FoundingFathers.
"I think if we had a national debateon these issues, the president would not have the support to goforward with Pax Americana," Crosby said.
All of those interviewed gave their place of residence as Washington.
Most of the women wore pink buttons saying,"Women for Peace," signifying support for an organizationknown as Code Pink.
Crosby, who is with Code Pink, said shewas at the vigil because she is devastated by the "shockand awe" bombing campaign. "There is a visceral painin my gut and in my heart," she said. "I know peoplein Baghdad who might very well be dead. ... I feel it's the bombingof our own brothers and sisters.
"I'm outraged by this president listeningto people who benefit financially (from the war), that there alreadyhave been contracts by Bechtel and Halliburton to put out theoil wells (fires) and to build army barracks over there. I'm outragedthat our vice president (Richard Cheney), who used to be the (chiefexecutive) of Halliburton (Corp.), and Halliburton is one of thecompanies in there bidding. So our military destroys buildings,and the very companies that have put this president into powerare benefiting financially from the rebuilding. And American taxpayers'money is being used to destroy a people and innocent civilians..... I think this is going to lead to the dissolution of the Bushadministration. .... I think the tens of millions of people protestingaround the world are the beginnings of a massive movement thatare really going to question the power of the corporate militaryindustrial complex."
Howard Moreland said he has no fondnessfor Saddam.. "He began his career as an assassin," Morelandsaid, "and if he has in fact been assassinated (by US bombs),there's sort of a poetic justice since he's killed so many ofhis rivals and even close friends. But in Bush's posture towardIraq, I wish he would admit that the CIA put him in power. Wesponsored him. We supported him through eight years of aggressivewar against Iran. And the rage that the Bush family feels towardSaddam Hussein is sort of like their attitude toward Manuel Noriegaof Panama. When you've got a bad guy, and he's on your payroll,and then he start's going into business for himself - trying tostart his own crime family - we just go into a rage and call ahit on him.
"If we're going to try to rule theworld through force, we at least should own up to the mistakesthat we made in the past and admit that Saddam Hussein is wherehe is right now with the help of the United States government.If our policy is going to be to put bad guys in power as dictatorsand then prop them up, we have to realize that there may be consequencesdown the road when we decide that he really was a bad guy andwe don't like him after all. But to act like we are God's exampleof goodness and this guy came out of the woodwork and broughtevil to planet earth for the first time is nonsense."
Moreland also expressed skepticism aboutthe prospects of a democratic Iraq.
"This ignores the fact that when GeorgeBush senior asked the people of Iraq to rise up against SaddamHussein (in 1991), the Shiites in the south and the Kurds in thenorth declared independence from Iraq, and Bush said: 'That'snot what we want. We want a henchman who's going to hold thesewarring groups together in one country and is going to answerto us.' And I'm not sure that's not still what we want. We wantsome dictator to take residence in one of the palaces in Baghdadand suppress the independence movements of the Shiites and theKurds once again.
"And it's going to be pretty weirdif the dictator of Iraq is some US Army general, and US soldiersare going to have to do what Saddam's soldiers did to keep theShiites and the Kurds from separating. If we have a plan, I'dlike to hear what it is." Moreland said he hears of no suchplan from the White House or the Pentagon, but rather "wishfulthinking."
Shira Keyes said Code Pink is an organizedgroup, "but not along a hierarchal or leadership model."
Asked to give her views of the war, Keyescalled it "illegal, immoral, unjust, violative of the normsof international conduct, preemptive and unilateral." Muchof the opposition to the war comes from faith-based groups, whichis evidence of its immorality, she said.
"The pope and religious leaders throughoutthe world have condemned preemptive war, including the bishopof the United Methodist Church, which is George Bush's church,and whom the president has refused to see," Keyes said.
In January it was reported that Bishop MelvinG. Talbert, chief ecumenical officer of the United Methodist Church,decided to make an anti-war television spot after church leadersfailed to get a private meeting with the president.
"This is a tragedy for this country,"Keyes said.
Leslie Aranha explained why she became partof Code Pink. "I realized as an African-American woman Ineeded to stand to represent those young men who went into themilitary to learn to defend the country, not to learn to offendthe world. They're being used to perpetrate the ambitions of anadministration that has destroyed the goodwill that we had inthe world. It has attempted to make the United Nations irrelevantwhen it's probably the most relevant organization in the worldfor keeping the peace - not making an invasion."
David Schroeder said he was at the vigilas a Quaker. Since 1660, Quakers have been called to talk aboutpeace and peaceful solutions, the young man said. "I'm nothere so much to dissent as to advocate peace and talk about peacefuland diplomatic solutions."
Gregg Mosson said he was at the vigil asa person of conscience and as an American taxpayer. "Themass bombing of innocent civilians in Baghdad in this illegalwar is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen as a 28-year-oldperson, and Bush should be held accountable."
Roger Gorham said he had been heading off to the Eastern TromboneWorkshop, but decided to come to the vigil instead. "AfterI saw the carnage on television today, I said there's no way Ican go and do what I would normally do," he said. "Ihave to do something. I have to come out and be present with peoplewho are filled with an overpowering sadness about the carnagethat's going on in Baghdad for no purpose whatsoever other thanthis president and his advisers' political ambitions."
Julie McCall said: "Every night homelesspeople are sleeping right here across the street. Hundreds ofthousands of people can't get health care in this country. Schoolsare being closed. Children are going to bed hungry every night.And this country is arrogant enough to say we're going to showanother country how to run their society? I'm totally outraged.That's not where I want my money going." She quoted PresidentDwight Eisenhower to the effect that money spent on weapons takesfood from the mouths of the hungry.
David Benzaquen said he was present in solidaritywith the children of Iraq. "As I hear the news of the firstbombings and attacks, everybody tells me that now is the timeto support the troops and the president. 'We've done our workto try to stop the war. It's too late.' But to me it's never toolate," he said.
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By Martin Sieff
WASHINGTON (UPI) Memorandum to PresidentGeorge W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense SecretaryDonald Rumsfeld and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz:
"Let us learn our lessons. Never, never,never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyonewho embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricaneshe will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever mustrealize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the masterof policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.Antiquated War Offices, weak, incompetent or arrogant commanders,untrustworthy allies, hostile neutrals, malignant fortune, uglysurprises, awful miscalculations all take their place atthe Council Board on the morrow of a declaration of war. Alwaysremember, however sure you are that you can easily win, that therewould not be a war if the other man did not think he also hada chance."
From: Winston S. Churchill, extracted fromhis autobiography, "My Early Life"
As we write, the first round of shots havealready been fired in the 2003 Gulf War and the initial impressionhas been neither "shock and awe" nor "decapitation"but cautious probing or cat and mouse.
A "shock and awe" bombardmentor a successful "decapitation" operation that couldyet kill Iraqi President Saddam Hussein may well yet take placein the next few days and help bring this war to a rapid, triumphantconclusion. Or it may not. Either way, the outcome will look absurdlyobvious with the benefit of hindsight. Anything, but before ithappened.
Much has been written the wonders of high-techcommand and control in the modern, professional US military. Inrecent campaigns such as the first Gulf War in 1991, Kosovo in1999 and Afghanistan in 2001, forces large and small, massivelyequipped and supposedly easily dispersible alike were isolated,demoralized and scattered. It is certainly the intent of the USwar planners that the same effect be achieved on a more spectacularscale this time around. They may well be right.
But from the perspective of the grunt soldiersactually doing the dirty work as well as their field and theatrecommanders, outcomes comfortably assumed in Wall Street Journaleditorials and think tank position papers thousands of miles awayfrom the battlefield cannot be taken for granted until they areactually won.
For thousands of years, soldiers readingthe Jewish and Christian Bibles have silently nodded sage agreementwith the weary, unimpressed rejoinder of King Ahab of Israel tothe blustering but militarily un-blooded King Ben-hadad of Syriain the 20th chapter of the First Book of Kings, "Let nothim that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that puttethit off." In other words, the time for boasting is when abattle is won, and when the victors can finally take off theirarmour, not before it starts, when they are just putting it on.
Carl Von Clausewitz, the preeminent 19thcentury theoretician of war might well have agreed with that sentiment.Clausewitz, in his masterpiece "Vom Kreig" "OnWar" noted that learning what needs to be done in warsoften is obvious and straightforward. But actually doing it ishard. That is because war is the most dramatic and devastatingexpression in human experience of one of the great physical principlesof existence the Second Law of Thermodynamics: all thingstend towards chaos. It is not just difficult to get things done,it is in practice difficult to even get your commands to do themout to the appropriate units quickly and decisively in time toget the job executed properly. That is why the great modern Britishmilitary historian Sir John Keegan in his book "The Masksof Command" credited the terse, no-nonsense and unadornedliterary style of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant as a major contributionto his commanding role in the US Civil War of 1861-65. Grant,Keegan noted had mastered the electric telegraph, the high-techinformation revolution of its day, more profoundly and thoroughlythan any other military commander North or South. He was thereforeadept at marshalling overwhelming concentrations of force usingthe other new high-tech wonder tool of the time the US railroadsystem to maintain pressure on far smaller Confederate forces,thus negating their own advantages of high quality troops andaggressive, effective tactical leadership. Reporters and mediaanalysts, if they have had any prior experience covering warsbig or small, soon learn the wisdom of humility in the face ofvast uncertainties themselves. At UPI Analysis, we shall be tryingto pick our way through the fog of chaos and uncertainty knowingthat neither we nor anyone else can truly know what is going tohappen next, bad or good, until the whole thing is done.
Let us recall again Churchill's warning,written in 1930. US leaders have already had much cause to complain,in their own eyes about "untrustworthy allies" and "hostileneutrals." Will they remain confidently immune to the lurkingdragons of "malignant fortune, ugly surprises," and"awful miscalculations"?
Even President Bush, who authorized andlaunched this war, soberly noted in his televised address to theAmerican people on Wednesday night, that the battles ahead "couldbe longer and more difficult than some predict."
Indeed.
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FeliciaPersaud
This is a column created especiallyfor immigrants concerned or unsure of issues pertaining to theUS Immigration Law. The column will answer some of our readersfrequently asked questions and provide answers from qualifiedimmigration attorneys and advocates lobbying for the US immigrationcause.
Q: My sister'sboyfriend and his family are migrating to the United States verysoon. The local embassy has notified them to uplift their visathis month. Someone told them they can ask to bring my sisterwith them because the guy wants to marry her and she will be givena visa as long as they get married legally. Is this possible?
A: It wouldhave been helpful to know who exactly petitioned for your sister'sboyfriend since the status of the petitioner (along with the prioritydate) is an important factor in advising you, says Dolly Hassan,attorney at the Liberty Center in Queens. However, we will assumethat you may be referring to a common situation in which a permanentresident parent who petitions for a son or daughter (over 21)becomes a US citizen, enabling that beneficiary to get married.The spouse is then able to immigrate at the same time with theprincipal beneficiary assuming that the priority date is current- (third-preference). If the petitioning parent is not a US citizen,the beneficiary will not be eligible for a visa if he marries.Your sister's boyfriend should contact the US consulate for acase-specific response and guidance since, from your question,it seems that the entire visa packet has apparently been alreadyprepared for the beneficiary as a single person.
Q: I ama US citizen. Is it possible for me to sponsor my fiance who isin the Caribbean and if so, how long will this process take?
A: Yes,you can petition for your fiance by applying for a K-1 visa ora fiance visa, says Florida-based attorney Andre Pierre However,there are some strings attached to that visa. In order to qualifyfor the K-visa, the alien must seek to enter the US solely toconclude a valid marriage with the US citizen within 90 days afteradmission, file for an immediate relative visa petition and awaitthe approval of such a petition in the US Also, note that thealien fiance's minor children can also be admitted to the US witha K-2 visa.
Q: Abouta year and a half ago my parents sponsored me. They are US citizens.I'm at present married and far over the age of 21. My questionis, would myself, my husband and child be able migrate to theUnited States and change our status or do we have to wait on our'first paper?' Also, how long do you think this petition wouldtake to be processed and is there any other way of migrating tothe US and waiting while the papers are being processed?
A: Unfortunately,you will have to wait for your priority date to be current sothat you and your husband and child can come to the US, says Louisiana-basedattorney Sanjay Biswas. If you have a university degree and ajob offer related to that degree here in the US, then you mightqualify for an H1-B visa, which would allow you and your familyto enter.
About the writer: Felicia Persaudis a New York-based journalist and head of Hard Beat Communications.If you or someone you know has an immigration question, then emailFelicia directly at hardbeatinc@aol.com. Individuals can keeptheir anonymity if preferred, since questions will not be answeredpersonally!
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Birth defects linked tomega-progesterone
By Lou Marano
WASHINGTON (UPI) "Test tube"babies are seven times more likely to have a rare set of genitourinarydefects, probably caused by large doses of progesterone givento the mothers early in pregnancy to ensure implantation, a JohnsHopkins researcher believes.
The abnormalities include having the bladderoutside the body. The study's senior author stressed the importanceof prenatal diagnosis by ultrasound so the babies can get correctivesurgery immediately after birth.
The mothers of children conceived throughin vitro fertilization are given large doses of progesterone rightaround the time the genitourinary tract is forming to preservethe implantation of the egg into the wall of the uterus, saidDr. John P. Gearhart, director of pediatric urology at the BaltimoreUniversity's Children's Center.
"I think it's the metabolic effectof the progesterone on the development of the fetus' abdominalwall, bladder and genitalia," he told United Press Internationalin a phone interview.
"This just goes to show that in pregnanciesthat are established by in vitro fertilization, a high level ofultrasound is mandatory for these ladies to make sure we can diagnosethese anomalies prenatally so when these babies are born theycan get to a big center like Hopkins so the child can get thebest of care from the get-go." Surgical intervention is bestin the first 24 to 48 hours of life, he said.
Gearhart was asked to describe the condition,which afflicts five times as many boys as girls. He said a visitorto the hospital would see a baby with no lower abdominal wall.
"Instead of having normal skin fromhis umbilicus to his penis, he would be open," the doctorsaid. "You would see from the dome of the bladder to thetip of the penis and everything in between. The prostate glandis open. All the male sexual ducts inside the urethra are open."The sphincter that closes off the flow of urine is absent.
"They're good-looking, healthy babies,but it's still a big-time birth defect.
"With reconstructive surgery, we canclose abdominal wall defects, reform the pelvic bones, createnormal appearing external genitalia, and help the child gain urinarycontinence. Following surgery, most children go on to live a normallife with normal bladder and reproductive function."
Gearhart said the condition is rare, occurring only once in 40,000or 50,000 live births. But in taking the medical history of themothers of 78 pediatric patients treated at Johns Hopkins overa four-year period, researchers found that four of those children(all boys) were conceived using in vitro fertilization.
Statistician Bruce J. Trock determined thatthis was 7.3 times the normal rate "a phenomenal association,"Gearhart said.
Gearhart asked colleagues in Europe if they had observed anythingsimilar, and one in London had.
Armed with this anecdotal evidence, he hadresearcher Hadley M. Wood do a formal investigation, which confirmedthe association. Although the number of observed children is small,the level of statistical confidence is high. The three reportedtheir findings in the April issue of the Journal of Urology.
All four women also received ovulation stimulantdrugs before pregnancy, and multiple births are historically morevulnerable to birth defects. One of the pregnancies was originallytriplets, "reduced to twins in utero," the article said.
Gearhart stressed that the progesterone link, although stronglysuggestive, is unproven.
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Chelsea boost European dream
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink(L) of Chelsea fires of a shot as Blackburn defenders VratislavGresko (2nd L), Henning Berg (2nd R) and Craig Short scrambleto deflect it from goal during a premier league match at StamfordBridge in West London, 22 February 2003. AFP PHOTO.
LONDON (AFP) Chelsea gave their ChampionsLeague ambitions a huge boost with a 5-0 thrashing of woeful ManchesterCity at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The three points consolidates the Blues'grip on the fourth and final qualifying spot and the quality ofthe performance augurs extremely well for the run-in.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink volleyed a pinpointGianfranco Zola cross to put Chelsea ahead and John Terry headeda second from a Graeme Le Saux corner just three minutes beforethe break.
There was no way back for City in the 59thminute when a Terry flick-on from Hasselbaink's corner gave Stanica tap-in.
Late goals from Frank Lampard and WilliamGallas completed a rout and a miserable afternoon for City wasrounded off when chinese defender Sun Jihai got his marching ordersafter a second yellow card.
Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri had opted toplay three up front with Zola operating behind Eidur Gudjohnsenand Hasselbaink and Marcel Desailly was given more time to recoverfrom a hip injury.
City were boosted by Sylvain Distin's recoveryfrom a flu bug especially as former England defender Steve Howeyhad been left at home having refused to travel merely as a substitute.
Howey has been told he has no future atthe club but manager Kevin Keegan may be tempted to reconsiderthis decision after watching his defence standing off Terry ashe scored the second goal.
City briefly made a match of it early inthe second half after an out-of-sorts Robbie Fowler was replacedby Shaun Goater.
Nicolas Anelka stooped to nod a low ballinto the path of full back Niclas Jensen, who had arrived deepin the Chelsea area, but missed the opportunity when he jabbedthe ball hopelessly wide of the far post with Cudicini's goalat his mercy.
That was to be City's last hurrah as Chelseaultimately ran out comfortable winners.
Rivalfans clash violently at San Siro
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ROME (AFP) Police were forced to usetear gas as rival fans clashed before the crunch Series A clashbetween AC Milan and Juventus last Saturday evening.
Trouble broke out a few hours before kick-offas visiting fans were making their way to the San Siro for thetop-of-the-table clash.
Two cars were set alight by rampaging supporterswho also threw fireworks at police offers trying to keep the twogroups apart.
Order was eventually restored after teargas was fired and the situation was soon under control.
Juventus hold an eight point lead over Milanas the race for the title gathers.
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The No. 4 seeded Federer, who lost to AndreAgassi in his first Tennis Masters Series tournament final lastyear, won a 6-2, 7-5 second round victory over qualifier LuisHorna of Peru.
"Most important is that you win thematch," said Federer, taking the heat and humidity in hisstride. "I was not really scared of going to a third set.Physically, it wouldn't have been a problem (going three sets)."
Women's sixth seed Capriati, who journeyedto the final here the past two years but has never captured thetitle, moved into the third round with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win overlittle known Russian qualifier Anastassia Rodionova.
"I didn't even know what she lookedlike," Capriati said of her opponent. "Then I saw herand I've seen her before but I've never seen her play. I didn'tknow what to expect. That's why you've just got to take the firstfew games easy and kind of feel the opponent out."
Federer has had a busy season playing morematches than any other player on tour for a 22-5 win-loss record.
The Swiss has already won two tournamenttitles this year - Marseille and Dubai.
"I think winning a lot of matches isalways very important for your confidence, it makes you play better,"Federer said. "You feel like you can go for more, you'rebetter on big points. Your whole mental approach to the matchchanges."
After double faulting on his first servicepoint in the match and dropping his serve in that second game,Federer never dropped his serve again in the match.
After dropping the first two games, Federerran off six straight games to win the first set.
Horna led 5-4 on serve in the second setwhen Federer notched the last three games to close out the match.
In a match that featured two brief raindelays, including one in the first set tiebreaker, Capriati initiallystruggled to assert herself against the No. 124 ranked Rodionova.
Capriati went ahead 4-2 and 5-3 but couldnot hold onto the lead to close out the set. At 3-3 in the tiebreaker,she finally won the last four points to finish off the first set.
SpecialOlympics plan to meet athletes' needs
SOCI WorldGames 2003 athletes approach the field with coach Elroy Bryan(in striped shirt) to begin their training at the Truman Boddencomplex.
Come 14 June, ten local athletes and theircoaches will be heading to Dublin, Ireland, to compete againstsportspersons from 166 countries in the Special Olympics WorldGames 2003. Their participation is being organized by SpecialOlympics Cayman Islands (SOCI) and is one of a number of activitiesto which the association has committed itself this year.
Says SOCI Chairman Cindy Scotland: "We'veundertaken a rather intensive programme in our effort to meetthe growing needs of our athletes, all with the aim of ensuringthat each one fulfills his or her potential."
Scotland explained that the plan coversintensive athletic training and competition including the nationalgames and World Games; leadership development in the form of theAthlete Leadership Programme (ALPS), and health promotion throughthe Healthy Athletes Programme, which is already underway, butwill be receiving a big push as part of the family fun day. SOCIis also placing emphasis on increasing parents and guardians'skills to help coach and motivate the young people. At the sametime, the association is trying to raise the profile of SpecialOlympics in Cayman and increase the interaction between the athletesand community.
"Our activities this year reflect thisfocus," says the chairman. "We are conducting a seriesof weekend retreats, which include leadership and parents' workshops.We will be continuing our annual Week of Awareness this April,coinciding with our national games, and we are planning at leastone public reception to allow the community to meet the WorldGames delegation."
Newly appointed National Director ShariBovell has responsibility, together with Head of Delegation forthe Cayman World Games Team and Chairman for the Games OrganizingCommittee Darrel Rankine, for ensuring the athletes are prepared.Bovell says that she looks forward to building a team of strongathletes, not only for the World Games but year-round. "Ourathletes are improving in skill and increasing in number. We thereforehave to put in the kinds of programmes that will keep them goingand motivated."
The Athlete Leadership Programme is gearedtowards promoting the all-round development of the athletes beyondthe sporting arena. Being "Global Messengers" is a rolethat may be assigned to those athletes who demonstrate an abilityto promote the mission of Special Olympics.
Says ALPS Director Antoinette Johnson: "One of the goalsof the programme is to formulate a Cayman Islands Athletes' Congresswhere a council of athletes meets to discuss and make recommendationson issues that affect them. I look forward to the day when wehave an athlete sitting on our board making a meaningful contributionto the administrative business of the association and representinghis or her fellow athletes at the highest level."
In order to participate in the Special Olympics,athletes must be at least eight years old and identified by anagency or professional as having mental retardation, cognitivedelays based on a formal assessment, or significant learning orvocational problems due to cognitive delay that requires or haverequired specially-designed instruction.
There is a volunteer programme, and membersof the public with a heart for such individuals are encouragedto contact the SOCI office to sign-up.
A recent SOCI strategic planning exerciseresulted in some changes for the organization. Scotland pointsout, "Some restructuring was required, acknowledging thegrowing demands on the association, including the need to meetthe Special Olympics International accreditation requirements.We have limited resources here in Cayman and meeting cut-off dates,for example, can sometimes be challenging. We are presently seekinga part-time administrator to work under the direction of our Administrative
Director, Maxine Everson, to man the officeand attend to the overwhelming paperwork that comes in regularlyfrom the overseas office
and local agencies."
Reflecting on both the administrative demandsand the programme as a whole, Scotland concludes, "Keepingon top of things can be demanding, but there is great reward whenyou look in the appreciative eyes of our athletes."
Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Special Olympics is an international programmeof year-round sports training and athletic competition for morethan one million children and adults with mental retardation.The oath is "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be bravein the attempt." Under the leadership of Founder and HonouraryChairman Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Board Chairman Sargeant Shriver,Special Olympics continues to provide an opportunity for all personswith
mental retardation become useful and productivecitizens who are accepted and respected in communities.
The organization, which began in 1968, hasa membership of nearly 150 countries. Benefits to athletes includeimproved physical fitness and motor skills, greater self-confidence,a more positive self-image, friendships and increased family supportbased on the belief that competition among those of equal abilitiesis the best way to test athletes' skills, measure their progressand inspire them to grow.
IanThorpe beats Hackett in ninth-fastest 400m time
Ian Thorpe of Australia
SYDNEY (AFP) Olympic and world championIan Thorpe swam the ninth-fastest 400-metre freestyle time inhistory to beat rival Grant Hackett on the opening night of theAustralian Swimming Championships last Saturday.
Thorpe was under his world record pace up to the 300m mark beforewinning the final in three minutes 42.41 seconds with Hacketthitting the wall at 3:42.94.
Thorpe, who is unbeaten in the event since the 1998 world championshipsin Perth, holds the world record from last year's Manchester CommonwealthGames of 3:40.08.
The extraordinary Australian swimmer now owns the nine fastestlongcourse times in the 400m event, but he said Saturday's racewas an "off swim."
"I was a little bit disappointed with the time, I was happywith the way I swum and how I felt during it, but I thought Iwould have gone a bit faster," Thorpe said.
Bettini wins Milan-San Remoclassic
Italy's Paolo Bettini
Bettiniwins Milan-San Remo classic
ROME (AFP) - Italy's Paolo Bettini won thefirst of the season's cycling World Cup races from Milan to SanRemo on
Saturday.
The defending World Cup champion of theQuick.Step-Davitamon team won an exciting sprint finish aheadof comapatriots Mirko Celestino and Luca Paolini.
Bettini, who won the gruelling 297 kilometrerace in six hours, 44 minutes and 43 seconds, paid tribute toQuick.Step team-mate Paolini for playing a pivotal role in thetriumph.
"It was a tough battle but I reallywanted this victory today and I dedicate it to the team,"Bettini said. "I said to myself before the start of the racethat I would take a few risks and I did."
World Cupwas "too long", admits chief organiser
JOHANNESBURG (AFP) World Cup supremoAli Bacher admitted on Saturday the 44-day tournament was "toolong" even though he supported adding more non-test playingnations to the fold.
"I think there is a scope to add twomore teams, although I personally feel the tournament was toolong," Bacher told Sky Sports ahead of Sunday's final betweenAustralia and India at the Wanderers here.
"Kenya making the semi-finals has signalledthe game is growing in Africa with more black people taking upthe sport.
"When I met former Australian PrimeMinister Bob Hawke during the Sydney Olympics, he asked me howlong the World Cup would be.
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