MOSCOW – Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up Monday

MOSCOW – Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up Monday in twin attacks on Moscow subway stations jam-packed with rush-hour passengers, killing at least 37 people and wounding 65, officials said. They blamed the carnage on rebels from the Caucasus region.

The blasts come six years after Caucasus Islamic separatists carried out a pair of deadly Moscow subway strikes and raise concerns that the war has once again come to Russia's capital, amid militants' warnings of a renewed determination to push their fight.

Chechen rebels claimed responsibility for a deadly bombing late last year on a passenger train en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Last month, Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov warned in an interview on a rebel-affiliated Web site that "the zone of military operations will be extended to the territory of Russia ... the war is coming to their cities."

The first explosion took place just before 8 a.m. at the Lubyanka station in central Moscow. The station is underneath the building that houses the main offices of the Federal Security Service, the KGB's main successor agency.

About 45 minutes later, a second explosion hit the Park Kultury station, which is near the renowned Gorky Park.

"I heard a bang, turned my head and smoke was everywhere. People ran for the exits screaming," said 24-year-old Alexander Vakulov, who said he was on a train on the platform opposite the targeted train at Park Kultury.

"I saw a dead person for the first time in my life," said 19-year-old Valentin Popov, who had just arrived at the station from the opposite direction.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who built much of his political capital by directing a fierce war with Chechen separatists a decade ago, vowed Monday that "terrorists will be destroyed."

The iconic Moscow subway system is one of the world's busiest, carrying around 7 million passengers on an average workday, and is a key element in running the sprawling and traffic-choked city.

Russian TV showed amateur video from inside the Lubyanka station of wounded and possibly dead victims sitting and lying on the floor. The train platform was filled with smoke.

Outside both stations, passengers flooded out, many of them crying and making frantic calls on their cell phones. The wounded were loaded into ambulances and helicopters, some with their heads wrapped in bloody bandages, as sirens wailed.

The last confirmed terrorist attack in Moscow was in August 2004, when a suicide bomber blew herself up outside a city subway station, killing 10 people. Responsibility for that blast was claimed by Chechen rebels.

Russian police have killed several Islamic militant leaders in the North Caucasus recently, including one last week in the Kabardino-Balkariya region. The killing of Anzor Astemirov was mourned by contributors to two al-Qaida-affiliated Web sites.

The killings have raised fears of retaliatory strikes by the militants.

Emergency Minister Sergei Shoigu said the toll was 37 killed and 102 injured, but he did not give a breakdown of casualties at each station.

In a televised meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev, Federal Security Service head Alexander Bortnikov said body fragments of the two bombers pointed to a Caucasus connection. He did not elaborate.

"We will continue the fight against terrorism unswervingly and to the end," Medvedev said.

Neither he nor Putin, who was on an official trip in Siberia, announced specific measures and it was not clear if Russia has new strategies to unleash in the Caucasus, where violent separatism has spread from Chechnya into neighboring republics.

Although the Russian army battered Chechen rebels in massive assaults a decade ago, the separatists continue to move through the region's mountains and forests with comparative ease and launch frequent small attacks.

New York's transit system beefed up security as a precaution following the Moscow bombings. A spokesman for New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Kevin Ortiz, said the agency has a "heightened security presence," but declined further comment.

The agency is in charge of New York City buses and subways, as well as suburban trains, and bridges and tunnels.

The Moscow blasts practically paralyzed movement in the city center as emergency vehicles sped to the stations.

In the Park Kultury blast, the bomber was wearing a belt packed with plastic explosive and set it off as the train's doors opened, said Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for Russia's top investigative body. The woman has not been identified, he told reporters.

A woman who sells newspapers outside the Lubyanka station, Ludmila Famokatova, said there appeared to be no panic, but that many of the people who streamed out were distraught.

"One man was weeping, crossing himself, saying 'thank God I survived'," she said.

___

Associated Press Writers Jim Heintz, Lynn Berry and Mansur Mirovalev in Moscow contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS casualty total.)

Tea Party you mean, Trailer Trash Party

Tea Party, you mean Trailer Trash Party.
story by Panama Jack
Sara Palin leeds her trailer trash party traveling under the name Tea Party to Nevada, the new name for her followers is now trailer trash, these are people who allready have free medical insurance and are just trying to stop any other American from having the same equil rights.
What is really going to happen in the November Elections is the American People are going to open their eyes and ears to the fact who these people really are and vote anyone out of office who supports them.
Sara Palin the so called American Mom is a fake see is just trying make more money off the back of Americans. Here in America we need an American party, one who is not owned by big money. It must be nice Sara you have found out how to get a free ticket from the people of this country. Sara Palin enjoys free everything. Hotels, Cars, Airline tickets and food.
Please vote anyone who supports Sara Palin out of office.
story by Panama Jack born in the United States of America

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez No More Freedom of the Press

By GONZALO SOLANO, Associated Press
QUITO, Ecuador – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday defended the arrest of a major TV channel owner, calling him a criminal and denying the government is carrying out an assault on press freedom.

The back-to-back arrests this week of two government opponents — including the owner of Venezuela's only remaining anti-Chavez TV channel — have drawn accusations that Chavez is growing increasingly intolerant and authoritarian as his popular support has slipped.

Opposition leaders and human rights groups condemned Thursday's arrest of Globovision's owner Guillermo Zuloaga, who was detained at an airport and released hours later after a judge issued an order barring him from leaving the country.

Zuloaga is accused of spreading false information and insulting the president at an Inter American Press Association meeting in Aruba last weekend, Attorney General Luisa Ortega said.

"A Venezuelan judge comes along and orders the detention of a criminal in Venezuela who owns a media outlet," Chavez said during a visit to Ecuador. "And then they attack the government of Venezuela ... for attacking press freedom, for attacking journalists and the news media — what cynicism. It's the cynicism of the (U.S.) empire."

Chavez also took a verbal jab at U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, accusing her of being out of touch and saying she seems more and more like her predecessor, Condoleezza Rice.

"She still considers herself the imperial lady. She is behind the times," Chavez said. "She still thinks the United States is the owner of this continent."

His complaints were echoed by Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, who said his government would prepare its own report on human rights in the United States.

The State Department has said harassment and intimidation of the opposition and the media are on the rise in Venezuela.

Clinton said earlier this month during a Latin American tour that Chavez's government is limiting freedom and should restore "full democracy," and State Department spokesman Mark Toner has expressed concern about Monday's arrest of opposition politician Oswaldo Alvarez Paz.

Alvarez Paz was charged with conspiracy, spreading false information and publicly inciting crime after remarking that Venezuela has turned into a haven for drug traffickers, among other accusations.

U.S. criticism of Alvarez Paz's arrest prompted a diplomatic protest by Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, who met with U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy, the state-run Bolivarian News Agency said Thursday.

The two arrests were similar in that both men made remarks that authorities deemed false and offensive.

The Inter American Press Association said Zuloaga spoke in response to a group of pro-Chavez journalists who accused him of backing a failed coup against Chavez in 2002. He denied the charge and recounted his version of events, according to a transcript of the appearance.

"We are also against what happened back then because if it had been done right perhaps we would have a different Venezuela today," Zuloaga said.

He accused Chavez of ordering security forces to open fire on a protest march that was headed toward the presidential palace. Chavez maintains opponents were behind the bloodshed that preceded the short-lived coup.

Zuloaga also accused the government of limiting free speech, saying: "You cannot talk about true freedom of expression when a government uses its power to repress media, to shut down media."

Globovision has been the only stridently anti-Chavez channel on the air since another opposition channel, RCTV, was forced off cable and satellite TV in January.

___

Associated Press Writer Ian James in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

The Peice of Muslim Pig Shit Osama Bin Laden

CAIRO – Osama bin Laden threatened in a new message released Thursday to kill any Americans al-Qaida captures if the U.S. executes the self-professed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks or other al-Qaida suspects.

In the 74-second audiotape aired on Al-Jazeera television, the al-Qaida leader explicitly mentions Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who was captured in Pakistan in 2003. He is the most senior al-Qaida operative in U.S. custody and is currently detained at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In 2008, the U.S. charged Mohammed with murder and war crimes in connection with the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S. Pentagon officials have said they will seek the death penalty for him. Four of his fellow plotters are also in custody.

"The White House has expressed its desire to execute them. The day America makes that decision will be the day it has issued a death sentence for any one of you that is taken captive," Bin Laden said, addressing Americans.

After his March 2003 capture in Pakistan, Mohammed described himself as the architect of numerous terrorism plots and even claimed that "with my blessed right hand," he had decapitated Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Pearl was found beheaded in Pakistan in 2002.

Mohammed, appearing in June 2008 for the first time since his capture five years earlier, said he would welcome becoming a "martyr" after a judge warned him that he faces the death penalty for his confessed role as mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks.

"Yes, this is what I wish, to be a martyr for a long time," he declared.

The U.S. is still considering whether to put Mohammed and the four fellow plotters on military tribunal. The Obama administration is also looking into recommendations for civilian trials, and is expected to announce a decision soon.

Al-Qaida is not known to be holding any Americans captive now. But the Haqqani group — the Pakistan-based Taliban faction closest to al-Qaida — is holding American soldier Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl who was captured in eastern Afghanistan in June 2009. It released a video of him in December.

Bin Laden also said President Barack Obama is following in the footsteps of his predecessor George W. Bush by escalating the war in Afghanistan, being "unjust" to al-Qaida prisoners and supporting Israel in its occupation of Palestinian land.

"The politicians of the White House were and still are wronging us, especially by supporting Israel and occupying our land in Palestine. They think that America, behind oceans, is safe from the wrath of the oppressed, until the reaction was loud and strong in your homeland," he said of the Sept. 11 attacks. "Equal treatment is only fair. War is a back-and-forth."

Bin Laden is believed to be hiding somewhere in the rugged, lawless border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The prospect of giving Mohammed and the four fellow plotters a civilian trial in New York City has led to protests by residents and relatives of Sept. 11 victims who fear that such a move could again make the city a terrorism target and that they should instead face a military trial.

Earlier this month, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said that if Obama agrees to try the five in military tribunals, he will press fellow Republicans to vote to close the Guantanamo Bay prison.

Graham told CBS television's "Face the Nation" March 7 that reversing Attorney General Eric Holder's plan to try the suspected terrorists in a civilian court in New York City would be seen as an act of leadership by the public. The White House is reviewing Holder's plan and no new recommendation has been presented to the president. A decision is not expected for several weeks.

Chavez has TV Station Owner Arrested

CARACAS, Venezuela – The owner of Venezuela's only remaining TV channel that takes a critical line against President Hugo Chavez was arrested Thursday, raising concerns the government is pursuing a widening crackdown to silence opponents.

Guillermo Zuloaga, owner of Globovision, was detained on a warrant charging him with making remarks "offensive" to the president, Attorney General Luisa Ortega said. Zuloaga was later released, but the judge issued an order preventing from leaving the country while prosecutors proceed with their investigation.

Zuloaga said military intelligence agents detained him at an airport in the northwestern state of Falcon as he was preparing to fly on his private plane with his wife to the Caribbean island of Bonaire, where they planned to vacation.

The arrest could be a decisive development in Chavez's drive to rein in a channel that he has accused of trying to undermine his government. Globovision has been the only stridently anti-Chavez channel on the air since another opposition-aligned channel, RCTV, was forced off cable and satellite TV in January. RCTV was booted off the open airwaves in 2007.

Ortega said prosecutors are investigating Zuloaga for remarks he made during a recent Inter American Press Association meeting on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba, where he joined other media executives in criticizing Chavez's government for limiting free speech and cracking down on critics.

Pro-Chavez lawmaker Manuel Villalba urged prosecutors on Wednesday to investigate Zuloaga for allegedly saying that Venezuela's government is cracking down on its critics and purportedly commenting that it was a shame a short-lived 2002 coup against Chavez failed.

"He must assume his responsibility," Villalba told state-run Radio Nacional.

Following his release, Zuloaga appeared at Globovision's studios, where employees cheered and applauded. He called the accusations against him "ridiculous," saying all citizens have the constitutional right to express their opinions regarding public figures such as presidents.

Zuloaga denied he was planning to flee the country, saying: "I'm staying here."

Earlier, TV footage showed him being led through the airport while some people chanted "Freedom!" He later was escorted into a Caracas courthouse.

Arresting Zuloaga shows Chavez's government is "acting like a totalitarian government, like Cuba," said Alejandro Aguirre, president of the Inter American Press Association, which is based in Miami and has clashed with Chavez for years on free-speech issues.

The Attorney General's Office said in a statement that prosecutors are investigating Zuloaga for allegedly violating a law prohibiting Venezuelans from spreading "false information through any medium," including newspapers, radio, television, e-mails or leaflets, "that cause public panic."

Zuloaga, Globovision's majority shareholder, could face a five-year prison sentence if convicted, the statement said.

He has previously been singled out by authorities. Last May, prosecutors began investigating him for a suspected "environmental crime" related to wild animals he had hunted and mounted in his Caracas home. The following month, prosecutors charged Zuloaga with usury, alleging unlawful markups at two Toyota dealerships that he jointly owns after authorities seized 24 vehicles being stored at a home he owns.

Zuloaga's arrest also came three days after opposition politician Oswaldo Alvarez Paz was detained for remarks made on a Globovision talk show March 8.

Alvarez Paz has been charged with conspiracy, spreading false information and publicly inciting crime after remarking that Venezuela has turned into a haven for drug traffickers. He also said he backed allegations by a Spanish judge that Venezuela's government has cooperated with the Basque separatist group ETA and Colombian rebels.

Chavez has dismissed those accusations as lies. Alvarez Paz stands by his words and denies breaking the law.

Miguel Henrique Otero, editor of the Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional, said Zuloaga's arrest shows Chavez's government is growing more authoritarian and starting to "look more like a traditional dictatorship."

"That's what dictatorships do: arrest and take people away, jail them and convict them for crimes of opinion," Otero said. He said he thinks the government is acting now because Chavez has been losing popularity and "they're nervous."

"They want to create so much fear hanging over people that it silences opponents," he said.

Chavez remains the country's most popular politician, but his support has dipped as the economy contracts and as Venezuelans cope with inflation, rampant crime and rolling blackouts in parts of the country.

Chavez's popularity slipped below 50 percent in polls late last year, and has hovered between 40 percent and 50 percent in recent months, said pollster Luis Vicente Leon of the Caracas-based firm Datanalisis.

Carlos Correa, director of the rights group Espacio Publico, condemned Zuloaga's arrest. "These types of actions against freedom of expression, and against the right that all Venezuelans have to listen to plurality, distinct visions, must be rejected," he said.

Organization of American States Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza urged Venezuelan authorities to release Zuloaga. He added that if Zuloaga is tried, "it be done with respect for the presumption of innocence and with all the guarantees offered to him by the law."

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, an arm of the OAS, said Zuloaga's detention shows "the lack of independence of the judicial branch and the use of the criminal justice system to punish critical statements."

The U.S. government has raised similar concerns in the past, saying in a State Department human rights assessment this month that "harassment and intimidation of the political opposition and the media" have intensified in Venezuela in the past year.

Panama Crocodile Attacks Swimmer in Herrera

Crocodile captured in Herrera
An enormous crocodile was captured this afternoon in the waters of the Parita River in Herrera after it attacked a swimmer there.

César Nieto, who was attacked by the crocodile, said he suffered wounds in his head which caused him to lose almost a pint of blood.

After the attack, he sought medical care in Chitré, and then returned to the river with several friends to catch the crocodile.

The group was able to capture the animal, which was transported to the Zoológico Eco Aventuras Los Ríos. If the animal can't be kept at that facility, it will be turned over to officials from the national environmental authority ANAM.

Panama Ricardo Martinelli President receives new ambassadors

President receives new ambassadors
President Ricardo Martinelli Wednesday received the new ambassadors to the country from France and South Korea.

Doo Jung-soo, the ambassador from Korea, and Hugues Goisbault, from France, both met with the president to present their credentials.

Both diplomats expressed their interest in strengthening bilateral relations between their respective countries and Panama.

Martinelli received the credentials along with Vice President Juan Carlos Varela.

U.S. expresses its concern over arrest in Venezuela

U.S. expresses its concern
over arrest in Venezuela


By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services


The United States Wednesday expressed serious concern over the arrest of an opposition political figure in Venezuela who had accused President Hugo Chávez's government of ties to regional subversive groups. The man, former Venezuelan state governor Oswaldo Alvarez Paz, could face as long as 16 years in prison on conspiracy and other charges.

The State Department has joined human rights groups in criticizing the arrest of Alvarez, a former presidential candidate. He was arrested Monday after a television interview earlier this month in which he accused the Chávez government of, among other things, helping drug cartels.

A long-time member of the opposition COPEI party who sought the presidency in 1993, Alvarez joins a growing list of prominent Chávez critics who are now in jail, exile, or facing prosecution.

Authorities opened an inquiry into Alvarez after he gave an interview to the pro-opposition TV network Globovision March 8 in which he said the Caracas government has cooperating with the leftwing Colombian rebel group, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, and facilitated the work of drug traffickers.

President Chávez dismissed the allegation as lies, and a court ordered Alvarez arrested for conspiracy, spreading false information and inciting hate.

A coalition of Venezuelan opposition groups said Alvarez had been arrested for a crime of opinion.

At a news briefing, State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner also said he was being prosecuted for expressing political views.

"We are seriously concerned about the arrest of former governor Oswaldo Alvarez Paz for simply expressing his views on a TV talk show," said Toner. "It is unfortunately the latest example of the government's continuing assault on freedom of expression. We urge the Venezuelan government to honor its commitment under the Inter-American Democratic Charter to uphold the principle that respect for human rights, including freedom of expression, is essential for representative democracies," he added.

Spokesman Toner noted that Human Rights Watch has also called the arrest a major setback for freedom of expression in Venezuela.

The Latin American Affairs Director for Human Rights Watch, Jose Miguel Vivanco, accused Chávez of trying to intimidate critics with allegations of conspiracies and coup-mongering, and said jailing someone for criticizing the government is a clear abuse of power.

Alvarez faces between two and 16 years in prison if convicted on one or more of the charges.

Vivanco said Alvarez' plight is all the more difficult given what he said was the Chávez government's takeover of the country's supreme court.

Venezuelan judicial officials deny Alvarez is being prosecuted for political reasons, saying he has committed real crimes for which he should answer in court.

Lawyers for the former governor of oil-rich Zulia state say they are trying the secure his release pending a trial.

Comment by Panama Jack
Chavez and his other oil dictators think that they can rule the world.
I think the U.S. should just shoot them out of the air and keep their mouths shut about it.

Laura Kay I was born in the former Panamá Canal Zone in 1968

Laura Kay
I was born in the former Panamá Canal Zone in 1968. Since being born in Panamá, I've been on a great journey, which eventually led me back to Panamá, a beautiful country in which I feel most at home. After Panamá, I was raised for the most part in the Washington, D.C. area, and received my Bachelor of Science degree from Radford University, Radford, Virginia.

I decided to leave the East Coast for the warmer and more laid-back environs of Tucson, Arizona, where I lived for eight years before moving permanently to Bocas del Toro in 2007. It was in Tucson that I became a professional photographer. Surrounded by beautiful women and a beautiful environment, it only seemed natural to combine the two and capture that in photos, feeding my creativity and giving the women something to feel good about themselves at the same time.

Now that I'm living in Bocas del Toro, I have the pleasure to pursue my two passions in life - photography and yoga. As a certified yoga instructor I am having a yoga studio custom-built on 4th Street, Bocas Town, Isla Colón, opening in May, 2008. The yoga studio will also serve as a photography studio, when we're having rainy days in Bocas.

I love to travel and experience different cultures. To view my travel photography please click here. No matter how much I travel, it's always good to get home to Bocas del Toro and the people here! I'm proud to say this is my home. Won't you join me?

http://www.bocasyoga.com/Photography/PhotograhyByLauraKay.html

Panama Authorities seize cocaine

Authorities seize cocaine
Panamanian authorities seized 60 kilograms of cocaine during an anti-narcotics operation in Pacora Tuesday.

Police captured four suspects, including two Colombian citizens and two Panamanians.

The drugs were found in apartments rented by the people who were arrested. Police think the drugs were smuggled into the country through the Darién by Colombian drug cartels, and were being stored in Pacora until they could be shipped abroad.

Arrest in Venezuela raises free speech concerns

Arrest in Venezuela raises free speech concerns
Associated Press Writer Fabiola Sanchez, Associated Press Writer – Tue
CARACAS, Venezuela – The arrest of an outspoken government opponent for his critical remarks on a TV talk show drew condemnation on Tuesday from opposition parties and human rights activists who said the case shows freedoms are being eroded in Venezuela.

Opposition politician Oswaldo Alvarez Paz was detained by police on Monday and has been charged with conspiracy, spreading false information and publicly inciting violation.

A coalition of more than a dozen parties opposed to President Hugo Chavez said in a statement that Alvarez Paz was arrested for a "crime of opinion" in an attempt to silence criticism and encourage a climate of self-censorship. Opposition leaders called the 67-year-old former Zulia state governor a political prisoner.

Human Rights Watch also condemned the arrest.

"This is a major setback for freedom of expression in Venezuela," said Jose Miguel Vivanco, the group's executive director for the Americas.

"For years Chavez has sought to intimidate his critics with unfounded allegations of conspiracies and coup-mongering. Throwing someone in prison for criticizing the government is a clear abuse of power, and all the more so in a country where it is very difficult to expect a fair trial given the government's political takeover of the supreme court," Vivanco said.

The government denied that Alvarez Paz is being prosecuted for political reasons, saying he has committed legitimate crimes and should answer in court.

"Someone cannot stand up to defame, to lie, to manipulate in the media here and not have anything happen," Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami told reporters.

Alejandro Castillo of the Attorney General's Office told state television that Alvarez Paz has been summoned to appear before a judge on Wednesday.

He denied that prosecutors targeted Alvarez Paz for political reasons, saying, "We are not talking about political persecution. We are talking about a citizen who broke the law."

The politician's lawyer, Omar Estacio, said he would ask the judge to allow Alvarez Paz to be released while he awaits trial. Estacio called the charges baseless.

Alvarez Paz has said he did nothing wrong and stands by his remarks from the March 8 broadcast of "Hello Citizen."

Among several strong criticisms, Alvarez Paz said on the show that Venezuela has turned into "a center of operations that facilitates the business of drug trafficking." He also said Chavez's government is facing serious evidence presented by a Spanish judge that it has cooperated with the Basque separatist group ETA and the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

Chavez has dismissed those accusations as lies. He insists his government is not turning a blind eye to drug traffickers and says opponents and the U.S. government criticize Venezuela's counter-drug efforts for political reasons.

The program was broadcast on Globovision, the last remaining TV channel on Venezuela's airwaves that takes a hard anti-Chavez line. Globovision already faces multiple investigations by regulators for alleged violations of broadcast rules, and Chavez regularly accuses the channel of trying to foment instability.

Prosecutors began an investigation into Alvarez's remarks at the request of two pro-Chavez lawmakers who accused him of inciting "hatred against the institutions" of the country.

Days later, Chavez also called for action, saying without naming Alvarez Paz that one panelist "has the nerve to say that Chavez, the president of this country, supports drug trafficking, and also has the nerve to say there is evidence that here in Venezuela ... a bunch of courses have been given to terrorists from ETA and the FARC."

"That's very serious. That can't be permitted," Chavez said.

Prosecutors say Alvarez Paz — who ran unsuccessfully for president in 1993 — could face two to 16 years in prison if convicted of any of the three charges.

___

Drug trafficking in Panama has increased "alarmingly"

Story by don Winner
Drug trafficking in Panama has increased "alarmingly" - as have the number of murders, said US Ambassador to Panama Barbara Stephenson. "We have seen an alarming increase in the amount of cocaine and other drugs transiting the seas and Panamanian soil, leaving a trail of death and corruption," said the diplomat at a forum on organized crime. In Panama the number of homicides has increased from 363 in 2006, to 808 in 2009, which "we think is directly linked to an equally dramatic increase in drug trafficking through Panama," she added. Stephenson made a call to the US and Panamanian law enforcement offices to join efforts in the areas of logistics and information sharing. The diplomat also invited Panamanians to replicate US programs to reduce crime rates. "With a good plan, Panama still has a chance to proactively change the dynamics of security by keeping drug traffickers away from the coasts and outside of the sovereign territory, while seeking improvements in police and judicial institutions, and by embarking on effective prevention programs," she said. In 2009, Panamanian authorities seized 56 tons of drugs, of which 50 tons were cocaine. (Source - Telemetro)
Editor's Comment: If you would like to fully understand what has been happening to Panama in the past three to four years, please read this outstanding report. Here's an excerpt: "...there is no guarantee that Central America will continue to escape the wrath of Mexican drug traffickers. On the contrary, there is reason for concern that the region will increasingly become a battleground in the Mexican cartel war. For one thing, the Merida Initiative, a U.S. anti-drug aid program that will put some $300 million into Mexico and about $100 million into Central America over the next year, could be perceived as a meaningful threat to drug-trafficking operations. If Central American governments choose to step up counternarcotics operations, either at the request of the United States or in order to qualify for more Merida money, they risk disrupting existing smuggling operations to the extent that cartels begin to retaliate. Deaths related to drug trafficking in Panama jumped from 363 in 2006 to 808 last year because the Mexican drug cartels have taken over responsibility for moving the product North, once it leaves Colombia. Thus far these organized crime elements have remained focused only on their own people and problems. If they ever turn their wrath against the government of Panama, and start to do things like attack and kill government officials, then it will be a whole new ballgame. And, the amount of drugs transiting Panama has increased because traffickers have switched to a slower but safer land route strategy in recent years, mostly because sea and air routes have been effectively shut down or mitigated. They changed their strategy, and we are seeing the results on the ground.

Chavez wants to block internet in Venezuela like Iran and China

(Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, who is criticized by media freedom groups, called on Saturday for regulation of the Internet and singled out a website that he said falsely reported the murder of one of his ministers.

Media

"The Internet cannot be something open where anything is said and done. Every country has to apply its own rules and norms," Chavez said. He cited German Chancellor Angel Merkel as having expressed a similar sentiment recently.

Chavez is angry with Venezuelan political opinion and gossip website Noticierodigital, which he said had falsely written that Diosdado Cabello, a senior minister and close aide, had been assassinated. The president said the story remained on the site for two days.

"We have to act. We are going to ask the attorney general for help, because this is a crime. I have information that this page periodically publishes stories calling for a coup d'etat. That cannot be permitted."

Social networking web sites like Twitter and Facebook are very popular among Venezuela's opposition movements to organize protests against the government. Chavez has complained that people use such sites to spread unfounded rumors.

Many opponents fear Chavez plans to emulate the government oversight of the Web used by allies Cuba, China and Iran, but the socialist leader has not given any sign that he is planning such a move.

In 2007 Chavez refused to renew the license for television station RCTV, which is now battling to survive as a cable-only operator.

The government has also put pressure on opposition TV network Globovision to soften its editorial line and last year closed dozens of radio stations for administrative breaches.

PANAMA Noriega Loses Appeal

Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned away the imprisoned former leader of Panama in his effort to fight pending extradition to France to face money-laundering charges.

The justices were Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega's last legal hope, and their refusal to intervene likely clears the way for his overseas transfer.

The onetime dictator of the Central American nation remains behind bars in a federal prison in Miami, Florida. He had been scheduled for release two years ago after his 1992 conviction on cocaine trafficking, racketeering and money-laundering charges, but France also has sought to try him on similar charges in that country.

Noriega's attorneys argued that under international law, his status as a prisoner of war should mean he can immediately return home to Panama or another country.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia dissented from the court's decision to stay out of the Noriega case.

A federal appeals court in Atlanta, Georgia, six months ago refused his petition for habeas corpus, noting a 2006 federal law does not allow Noriega to invoke the Geneva Conventions "as a source of rights" to demand his release from custody. Those treaties deal in part with repatriation of POWs after hostilities end.

Representing the 73-year-old Noriega, attorneys Frank Rubino and Jonathan May said that lower court ruling "undermines protections that apply not only to prisoners of war in the United States but to our own men and women who find themselves prisoners of war of other nations."

U.S. forces removed the ex-dictator from office during Operation Nifty Package, the 1989 invasion of Panama. Noriega had fled his offices and tried to seek sanctuary in the Vatican Embassy in Panama City. U.S. troops set up large speakers around the compound, blaring music at all hours, a psychological ploy to rattle the general. He eventually surrendered on January 3, 1990, and was quickly escorted to the United States for civilian trial.

After his drug conviction, Noriega was given POW status. His federal sentence, originally for 30 years, ended in September 2007 after time off for good behavior. But months earlier, the United States agreed to send Noriega to France. The Justice Department had ordered him held pending the resolution of his appeals.

The Military Commissions Act of 2006 prohibits anyone -- including U.S. citizens -- from going to federal courts and using treaties to secure their release or to block an extradition.

The final decision on when Noriega leaves the United States will rest with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Panama also has sought their former leader's extradition, but the United States has not honored that request.

Panama Martinelli approval rating remains high

Martinelli approval rating remains high
President Ricardo Martinelli has maintained a strong approval rating according to the results of a poll commissioned by La Prensa.

The poll found that 66.8 percent of Panamanians found that Martinelli's management is "good," and another 9.1 percent described it as "excellent." The poll found that 20.2 percent of those asked considered his management to be "bad" or "very poor."

The survey, which took place between March 12 and 14, also asked whether or not they agreed with the president's management style. The poll found that 61.6 percent of those asked agreed with his style, while 33 percent said they disagreed.

The poll found that 69.5 percent of those asked would vote for Martinelli if the election were held today, and 10 percent regretted voting for him. About 20 percent of those asked decline to answer.

When asked if they considered the government to have a clear agenda, 50.2 percent agreed, while 37.4 percent said that the government "was not ready and is improvising."

The survey polled 1,219 people throughout the country in face-to-face interviews that lasted an average of 25 minutes.

Panama Boarder with Costa Rica Two policemen face allegations of enaging in human trafficking at border

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff


Two Fuerza Pública officers are facing allegations that they helped smuggle Colombian women into the country.

The arrest of one policeman identified as Montoya Gómez was made by fellow officers at a control station in la Unión de Sabalito, said the Poder Judicial. Montoya was off duty but usually works at the control station himself, said the Ministerio de Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública.

The ministry said Montoya was in a vehicle heading north from the border with Panamá when he was pulled over. He and the two women passengers fled into the brush but were captured, officers said.
Later, the Poder Judicial said that a second officer, identified by the last names of Mora Otoya was detained with the allegation that he was the one who actually helped the two women cross the border. The woman carried passports that did not have the appropriate entry stamps, said the Poder Judicial.

Two women also were detained. They were identified by the last names of Muñoz González and Fonseca Moya. They are facing allegations of assisting in the trafficking of persons.

The two Colombian women were identified by the last names of Vargas Olarte and Vásquez Zapata, said the ministry.

Costa Rica Postal officials honoring those who died in Holocaust

Postal officials honoring
those who died in Holocaust

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Holocaust is not a myth in Costa Rica. The postal service has come out with a commemorative stamp honoring the millions who died under the Nazi yoke.

The stamp was issued on the International Day of the Victims of the Holocaust. The emission was done in conjunction with the Costa Rican Jewish community and the Yad VaShem Hebrew Holocaust martyrs organization.

The stamp is a simple Star of David outlined in barbed wire, evoking memories of the concentration camps where Jews and others were herded. The design is by Cristian Ramírez Vargas. The duotone background of the stamp contains stripes of the same colors of the uniforms worn by the concentration camp inmates.

Face value is 500 colons, about 92 cents.

The emission is a bold move by the Correos de Costa Rica because the executive branch is trying to repair relations with Muslim states, and some of the Muslim leaders deny that the Holocaust took place.

Hookers being recruited as intelligence operatives

Hookers being recruited as intelligence operatives
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The statement may seem very obvious, but customers of prostitutes should not provide a lot of personal information.

Some of San José's more expensive call girls report that they have been approached by individuals they think are Mexican with offers to purchase information regarding their customers.

In México, officials have discovered that the Zeta narco military force has made offers of from $400 to $800 to working women and men for information that may be useful in a crime. The narcos are interested in infiltrating public institutions, finding out which potential kidnap victim has ready money and a whole list of personal information on large groups of persons.

Costa Rican prostitutes say that similar efforts to obtain personal information have been made here.

Mostly unknown to the sex tourists who visit some of the local hotels is another tier of prostitutes who are involved with the movers and shakers of Costa Rican society. It is at this level that attempts have been made to obtain information
No one has admitted accepting the offers, and one individual said that $400 to $800 is not enough to destroy her business. She is one of those women who works from noon until 8 p.m. in places where the average expat cannot go. Patrons are mostly top businessmen, diplomats, judges and politicians. Discretion is the rule.

Sought are a whole list of information ranging from locations of bank accounts to the names of minor children. The questioners also are interested in the names of corporations in which the individual may have an interest. In addition to pillow talk, the questioners most certainly have taken advantage of the country's public record system that lists corporate ownership, vehicle titles, deeds and family relationships.

Some of the women who have been approached said that the volume of information that they receive is incredible because frequently their customers either simply want to talk or seek to feed their ego.

One woman said that she believed similar offers are being made to domestic employees who are situated much better to provide floor plans of homes and hourly schedules.