http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,166926,00.html
AP
"Italian Red Cross Hid Iraqi Insurgents in Exchange for Kidnapped Workers"
Thursday, August 25, 2005
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "ROME — Italy's Red Cross (search) treated four Iraqi insurgents with the knowledge of the Italian government last year and hid them from U.S. forces in exchange for the freedom of two kidnapped aid workers, a top Italian Red Cross official said in an interview published Thursday.
Maurizio Scelli, the outgoing chief of the Italian Red Cross, told the Turin newspaper La Stampa that he kept the deal secret from U.S. officials, complying with "a nonnegotiable condition" imposed by Iraqi mediators who helped him secure the release of Italians Simona Pari and Simona Torretta. They were abducted in Baghdad Sept. 7 and freed Sept. 28.
"The mediators asked us to save the lives of four alleged terrorists wanted by the Americans who were wounded in combat," Scelli was quoted as saying. "We hid them and brought them to Red Cross doctors, who operated on them."
They took the wounded insurgents to a Baghdad hospital in a jeep and an ambulance, smuggling them through two U.S. checkpoints under blankets and boxes of medicines, Scelli said."
Note: The following text is an exact quote:
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http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_915.html
Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520
This information is current as of today, Fri Aug 26 2005 02:34:35 GMT-0700.
CôTE D'IVOIRE
August 25, 2005
This Travel Warning is issued to update safety and security concerns in Cote d’Ivoire and to provide new telephone numbers for the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan. The Department of State continues to prohibit minor dependents from accompanying U.S. government employees at the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, and continues to urge Americans to defer non-essential travel to that country. This supersedes the Travel Warning of February 8, 2005.
Since the November 2004 violence, Cote d'Ivoire has been mostly quiet, although there have been episodes of violence, particularly in the western part of the country, and there is a risk of renewed conflict throughout the country. The security situation remains tense and potentially volatile. The airport currently operates normally and handles a number of flights by regional and European carriers that service Abidjan. Land routes to the Ghanaian border are open.
On November 4, 2004, Ivorian government forces launched aerial attacks on cities in northern Cote d'Ivoire controlled by New Forces, resulting in the deaths of Ivorian and non-Ivorian nationals. After an aerial attack caused the deaths of nine French soldiers and one American civilian, the French reacted by destroying most Ivorian air assets and seizing the airport. In response, there were widespread confrontations between Ivorian demonstrators and the French military, resulting in some Ivorian civilian and military deaths. These incidents were accompanied by widespread rioting, looting, and violence in Abidjan and elsewhere, directed against the French, but also against other expatriate and some Ivorian individuals, homes, and businesses. French schools in Abidjan were destroyed and have not reopened.
Embassy employees are asked to limit their travel within Abidjan and to avoid travel at night. Travel to most areas outside of the capital is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Private American citizens are urged to follow the same guidelines. Americans should also ensure that their vehicles are fully fueled and that they have adequate cooking fuel, food and water for several days.
The U.S. Embassy in Abidjan moved in July and has new telephone numbers (see below). The Embassy may close temporarily for general business from time to time in response to security developments. U.S. citizens who remain in, or travel to, Cote d'Ivoire despite this Travel Warning should consult the Department of State's latest Consular Information Sheet for Cote d'Ivoire and the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement at http://travel.state.gov. Americans should register with the U.S. Embassy by completing a registration form on-line at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/home.asp, by calling (225) 2249-4000, or by faxing (225) 2249-4202. Americans in Cote d'Ivoire who need assistance should contact the Embassy at (225) 2249-4000. American citizens may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions in Cote d’Ivoire by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or 1-202-501-4444 from all other countries.
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=24&story_id=23108&name=City+to+pay+woman%27s+finefor+breach+of+burka+ban
"City to pay woman's fine"
for breach of burka ban
25 August 2005
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "BRUSSELS — In the Limburg city of Maaseik the first fine for wearing an Islamic burka has been issued.
Police booked a young woman of Moroccan origin three weeks ago for wearing the all-concealing Islamic veil, newspaper 'De Standaard' reported on Thursday.
The woman will now be required to pay a EUR 125 fine, Maaseik Mayor Jan Creemers said on Wednesday.
Ironically, the city will probably end up paying the fine because the woman is receiving social security payments from the OCMW benefits office."