KABUL, Afghanistan The Taliban have issued a new code of conduct ordering fighters to protect civilians as long as they dont side with the Afghan government or NATO coalition. If they do, the punishment is death.
The Taliban must treat civilians according to Islamic norms and morality to win over the hearts and minds of the people, says the 69-page directive, which the insurgents began distributing about a week ago.
On the other hand, the code makes clear that civilians who work with foreign troops or the Afghan government are fair game. They are supporters of the infidels and can be killed, the code says.
The code updates a similar directive released a year ago that limited the use of suicide bombers and mandated that prisoners cannot be harmed or ransomed without the approval of a Taliban regional commander. NATO and Afghan officials criticized last years code as propaganda and insisted it does not reflect how the Taliban really fight.
The U.N. has reported that about 70 percent of civilian casualties in Afghanistan are because of the Taliban, mostly people being killed or wounded in suicide attacks and roadside bombs.
Britain: Meat from cloned cows calves in food chain
Meat from the offspring of a cloned cow in the United States entered the British food chain without official authorization, the UKs Food Standards Agency said Tuesday. The agency carried out its investigation after media reports said milk from a cow produced from a cloned parent was sold in Britain. Products from cloned animals and their offspring are considered novel foods in Britain and cannot be marketed unless authorized by the agency.
Haiti: Singer expected to announce run for president
Singer Wyclef Jean is about to announce his candidacy for president of earthquake-ravaged Haiti, the former head of the countrys Chamber of Deputies said Tuesday. Jean spokeswoman Cindy Tanenbaum declined to confirm the report. She said the singer planned to make an announcement Thursday night in Haiti but declined to say what it would be.
Mexico: Drug violence kills 28,000 people since 2006
President Felipe Calderon said he would consider a debate on legalizing drugs Tuesday as his government announced that more than 28,000 people have been killed in drug violence since he launched a crackdown against cartels in 2006. Three former presidents Cesar Gaviria of Colombia, Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico and Fernando Cardoso of Brazil urged Latin American countries last year to consider legalizing marijuana to undermine a major source of income for cartels.
D.C.: Ban sought on lead ammunition, fishing tackle
Five environmental groups urged the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday to ban lead in ammunition and fishing tackle, arguing that millions of animals are dying from eating lead-shot pellets or carcasses contaminated by lead. The petition says species such as bald and golden eagles and endangered California condors are often killed or sickened by lead poisoning by scavenging meat with lead fragments from ammunition. The EPA has 90 days to grant or deny the petition.
California: Ruling expected in gay marriage case today
A federal judge in San Francisco has reached a decision in a landmark case on whether Californias same-sex marriage ban violates the constitutional rights of gay men and women. Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker will issue his ruling today, a court spokeswoman said.
Florida: Space station repair put off until Friday
NASA has put off a major repair job at the International Space Station until Friday, the agency announced Tuesday from Cape Canaveral. NASA says it needs more time to prepare before sending two astronauts on a spacewalk to replace a broken pump on the stations cooling system. The pump failed over the weekend and knocked out half the space stations cooling system, which keeps electronic equipment from overheating. Managers had been hoping to do the first spacewalk on Thursday but decided workers on the ground needed more time to work on the repair plan.
From Herald news services
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