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NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY OF DARBY KANSAN
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》 SEPT. 11
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2006
Global leaders' responses mixed
Kent Gilbert/ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Costa Rican man places a flowers at the Sept. 11 memorial in San Jose; Costa Rica, Monday during a ceremony honoring the victims of the fifth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks.
International figures criticize U.S.reaction to terrorist attacks
BY ELAINE GANLEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS — The nations of the world joined Monday in solemn remembrance of Sept. 11 — but for many, resentment of the United States flowed as readily as tears.
Critics say Americans have squandered the goodwill that prompted France's Le Monde newspaper to proclaim "We are all Americans" that somber day after the attacks, and that the Iraq war and other U.S. policies have made the world less safe in the five years since.
Heads bowed in moments of silence for the 3,000 killed in the attacks on New York and Washington — while the No. 2 al-Qaeda leader issued new warnings in a videotape. And dissident voices said the world had traded in civil liberties and other democratic rights in its war on terror.
In Europe, where Islamic terror has struck twice since 9/11, in the Madrid train bombings and the London transit attacks, the silent tributes were tinged with doubts and recriminations.
Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel — an advocate of repairing ties with Washington that were frayed under her predecessor Gerhard Schroeder — had veiled criticism of the United States, saying: "The ends cannot justify the means."
"In the fight against international terror ... respect for human rights, tolerance and respect for other cultures must be the maxim of our actions, along with decisiveness and international cooperation," she said.
The international landscape has changed irreversibly since terrorists hijacked four airliners in 2001, crashing two into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon and another into a Pennsylvania field.
Adding to the global jitters, a senior al-Qaida leader issued a new warning.
"You gave us every legitimacy and every opportunity to continue fighting you," said Ayman al-Zawahri, addressing the United States. "You should worry about your presence in the (Persian) Gulf and the second place you should worry about is Israel."
Another video posted on the Internet by al-Qaeda showed previously unseen footage of a smiling
Osama bin Laden and other commanders in a mountain camp apparently planning the Sept. 11 attacks.
Allies in the U.S.-led war on terrorism renewed their resolve Monday to fight fanaticism, while skeptics countered that they can no longer follow a superpower they say has relinquished its right to lead.
"Right after Sept. 11 the world was united with Americans. Their moral leadership was unquestioned," Pawel Zalewski, head of the Polish parliament's foreign relations committee, wrote in the Gazeta Wyborcza. "However, this strong moral authority was abused as a result of the Iraq
war."
Exactly five years after its message of solidarity, Le Monde titled its lead editorial "The Mistakes of Bush."
In Caracas, Venezuela, about 200 marchers protested what they called "imperialist terrorism" carried out by the United States since the 9/11 attacks. Demonstrators — many of them supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and some of Arab descent — carried Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian flags. Many criticized the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani
wrote President Bush on behalf of the Iraqi people, expressing condolences to the families of Sept. 11 victims.
"On this sad and memorable day, I would like to reiterate the gratitude of the people of Iraq for the people of America and for your leadership," Talabani wrote. "The people of Iraq will never forget those who helped them in getting rid of the most brutal and terrorist regime of Saddam Hussein."
New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark joined many when she said: "No, we're not more secure since 9/11."
HURRICANE
Monday's storm injures no one from Bermuda
BY ELIZABETH ROBERTS ASSOCIATED PRESS
Some people, however, were unfazed by the latest storm to hit the island chain, which enforces strict building codes to withstand rough weather.
Rowena Smith, an employee at the Reefs, a cliffside resort on the vulnerable south shore, said about 50 guests checked out Saturday but more than 80 stayed to ride out the storm. "They're in high spirits. We have a lot of repeaters in house, and they're having fun," Smith said.
HAMILTON, Bermuda — Hurricane Florence blew out windows, peeled away several roofs and knocked out power to thousands in Bermuda on Monday before churning past the wealthy British island chain.
At least 18,000 homes and businesses were without power late Monday afternoon in the British territory of 65,000 permanent residents, according to Bermuda's electric company. Crews with the territory's utility were trying to fix damaged lines across the island chain.
The center of the storm was about 195 miles north of Bermuda at 8 p.m. EDT, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Florence was moving away from Bermuda to the northeast at 16 mph and was not expected to threaten the U.S., forecasters said.
Authorities said there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths. Tourists remained sheltered inside resort hotels and officials urged all islanders to stay at home until the second hurricane of the Atlantic season no longer posed a danger.
The Category 1 hurricane had maximum sustained winds near 85 mph late Monday, forecasters said. A wind gust of 78 mph was recorded at Bermuda's airport.
However, the storm was causing high surf and strong rip currents along parts of the eastern U.S. coast, about 640 miles west of Bermuda.
Florence was expected to weaken as wind shear increases and ocean temperatures cool, forecasters said. The storm was expected to pass close to or over Newfoundland
later in the week.
Strong bands of wind and rain have hammered the British territory since Sunday.
Bermuda International Airport was closed late Saturday and was expected to remain shuttered until Tuesday morning. All ferry and bus services were halted. Public schools and government offices were ordered closed Monday.
Authorities were keeping a part-time regiment on call to help respond to the hurricane at strategic points, including a causeway linking the main island with St. George's parish.
Part of the causeway, which the government closed to traffic Sunday night until the storm passed, was swept away when Fabian struck.
Bermuda's building codes specify that homes must be built with walls at least 8 inches thick, and be able to withstand 150 mph gusts and sustained winds of 110 mph. Many power and phone lines are underground.
At the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, the hotel distributed a disaster plan which included provisions for evacuation. Other hotels, playing up Bermuda's vaunted ability to withstand a fierce storm, planned "hurricane parties" for their remaining guests in the honeymoon and tax haven.
The last major storm to strike Bermuda was Hurricane Fabian in 2003. The storm — the strongest to hit the territory in 50 years — killed four people, tore the roofs off several homes and left many of the territory's famed golf courses in ruins.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Gordon formed Monday in the open Atlantic and was expected to head in the general direction of Bermuda, forecasters said. At 5 p.m. EDT, Gordon had top sustained winds near 45 mph and was located about 425 miles northeast of the Leeward Islands.
"It's just too early to say about the threat to Bermuda," said National Weather Service hurricane specialist Eric Blake. "Even if (Gordon) were to move in the direction of Bermuda, it would still be a few days away."
The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30.
SCIENCE
High school pre-engineering programs grow in popularity
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Some of Rippe's seniors are designing a turbojet engine. Others are designing a mock space shuttle that can re-enter the atmosphere like an airplane.
OLATHE — For students in Sue Rippe's sophomore chemistry class at Olathe Northwest High School, about 80 percent of their time is spent doing hands-on activities in the lab.
Three years ago, Rippe, a veteran science teacher, came to Olathe Northwest to teach in an aerospace and engineering program that mixes math, science and engineering with hands-on learning.
do we have to learn this?"" said Rippe, who was named 2006 National Teacher of the Year by the Aerospace Education Foundation of the Air Force Association.
Olathe Northwest is one of several high schools that have found hands-on elements of engineering programs help students see why they need math and science after they graduate.
"It's fun. It's relevant. Nobody ever asks me, 'Why
Grandview, Mo., High School implemented the national Project Lead the Way pre-engineering program in 2003, followed by Lee's Summit, Mo., in 2004 and six more districts in the Kansas City area this year. Shawnee Mission introduced its Engineering Technology
Olathe's engineering program is distinctive for its interdisciplinary approach. It's one of the district's five transfer programs in which students study core academic subjects in the context of a career interest.
"A key aspect of all of the programs was to develop student engagement and passion around math and science similar to what they have with arts and sports," said Olathe's superintendent, Pat All.
for Tomorrow last year.
Ted Vernon, Grandview's principal, said his school was putting a career-oriented curriculum in place in 2003 and found a gap in math and science, particularly for students interested in engineering.