US camp in Iraq was Qaeda breeding ground, say ex-inmates

BAGHDAD: Iraq's Camp Bucca, the US-run jail where around 100,000 prisoners were kept over six years, was a breeding ground for the Al-Qaeda terror network, according to police and former inmates.

Bucca, located in an isolated desert north of the border with Kuwait, was a school for scores of Takfiris, or Sunni extremists who usually ended up in Al-Qaeda, said Abu Mohammed, freed in 2008 after 26 months behind its bars.

"The illiterate and straight-forward people were the easiest prey for indoctrination," said the 32-year-old resident of Ramadi, the former insurgency stronghold 100 kilometres (62 miles) west of Baghdad.

Opened after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Camp Bucca was the biggest detention centre in Iraq housing up to 22,000 prisoners in 2007.

At its closing on September 17 this year, there were only 8,000 inmates who were transferred to Camp Cropper in Baghdad and Camp Taji, north of the capital.

"The two suicide bombers and the majority of suspects detained after the twin bombings of August 19 against the foreign affairs and finance departments, which killed 95, were released shortly before from Camp Bucca," a senior interior ministry official told sources.

"We reached the same conclusion for the double attack of October 25 which left 153 dead," the official said of the almost simultaneous blasts at the justice and public works ministries, after which 73 people were arrested.

In addition, according to an officer, "the Iraqi police belatedly realised that many terrorists from Al-Qaeda were released because they had been detained in American prisons under false names and were not under our review."

Captain Brad Kimberly, spokesman for the US prisons authority in Iraq, said, "To date, we've not received any evidence suggesting a former detainee may be involved in either attack."

Former inmates beg to differ, however.

Late Moteab goal throws Egypt World Cup lifeline

JOHANNESBURG — Emad Moteab scored five minutes into stoppage time to earn Egypt a 2-0 victory over Algeria Saturday and a 2010 World Cup lifeline.

The result left the bitter North African rivals level on points and goal difference at the top of Group C so they will meet again next Wednesday in Sudan to decide which country goes to South Africa.

Reigning African champions Egypt could not have wished for a better start with Amr Zaki giving them a second-minute lead before a sell-out 75,000 crowd at the Cairo Stadium.

But the 'Pharaohs' failed to build on their early fortune and Algeria missed several good chances to equalise in a clash between two of the fiercest African football rivals.

Moteab replaced Zaki after 65 minutes and when all seemed lost, he rose to head the ball into the far corner of the net past Algerian goalkeeper Lounes Gaouaoui.

The build-up to the match had been marred by hostility between supporters, including stones being thrown at the Algerian team bus as it drove from Cairo airport to their hotel and internet and media wars of words.

Former Wigan striker striker Zaki prodded the ball into the net after a shot from star midfielder Mohamed Aboutrika rebounded off a post as Egypt sought the three-goal victory that would bring a third World Cup appearance.

Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra cleared off the Algerian line amid a wave of early Egyptian attacks before veteran goalkeeper Essam al-Hadary did well to parry a Karim Ziani header at the other end.

However, as the early sting evaporated from the 'Pharaohs' strike force the match became untidy with many players visibly nervous as Algeria sought a World Cup place 23 years after their previous appearance.

Al-Hadary pushed away a Nadir Belhadj free kick and a header from Egypt midfielder Mohamed Homos just missed the target before Antar Yahia came agonisingly close for the 'Desert Foxes' deep in first-half stoppage time.

Algeria wasted a great chance to equalise on 57 minutes when Rafik Saifi burst through only to see his lob parried to safety by Al-Hadary, long rated the best goalkeeper on the continent.

But with Egypt seemingly running out of ideas and Gaouaoui equal to every task, the national stadium erupted as Saudi Arabia-based Moteab set up a play-off in sauna-like Omdurman.

NZ beat Bahrain to World Cup

AFP:  Bahrain suffered World Cup heartbreak when Sayed Adnan's saved penalty denied them a first appearance at the finals – and sent New Zealand through to South Africa 2010.

Rory Fallon scored a first-half header as the All Whites secured a 1-0 win in their Asia/Oceania playoff second leg following a 0-0 draw in Manama last month.

New Zealand, champions of the Oceania zone, had their only previous World Cup appearance in Spain in 1982.

Fallon, whose father Kevin was assistant manager of the 1982 side, sealed their ticket to next year's finals in South Africa when he powered home Leo Bertos' corner in the final minute of the first half at a sold-out Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

Premature celebration

Bahrain needed only a score draw to qualify and were celebrating in front of their small group of vocal fans when Abdulla Omar was brought down in the box by Tony Lochhead for a penalty.

However, Adnan's weak effort was easily saved by Paston to the delight of most of Saturday's 35,194 crowd.

New Zealand's Shane Smeltz had an opportunity to kill the game off in the 70th minute when he was put through by Bertos, but his deft flick went just wide.

Fallon had another chance 10 minutes later as New Zealand caught Bahrain on the break but his shot was blocked by the defence, while substitute Chris Wood and Smeltz also had half chances in injury time.

New Zealand were led superbly by captain Ryan Nelsen in the centre of defence while Jaycee John looked the most dangerous for the visitors, his snap shot from the edge of the box producing a superb save by Paston in the 31st minute.

WFP asks billion people for 1 euro to beat hunger

ROME  - The World Food Programme, facing a major funding shortfall as donor governments are hit by the financial crisis, is to appeal directly to millions of individuals to give small amounts of cash to beat hunger.

Josette Sheeran, head of the U.N. food aid body, said the Internet appeal /1billion, being launched on Saturday, was to get one billion people living in the developed world to give just 1 euro a week to the campaign, which would be enough to end world hunger.

It is the first time the WFP, which is mainly funded by national governments, has launched such an appeal.

"We now have hunger galloping ahead -- over a billion people now for the first time in history -- and because of the financial pressure on governments we think it's really important now to call on the citizens of the world to help solve this problem directly," Sheeran told Reuters in an interview.

Speaking ahead of a World Food Summit which starts on Monday in Rome, Sheeran said the WFP was on track to raise only around half the $6.7 billion it had targeted for this year, with most of it coming from national governments.

While this year's forecast $3.7 billion budget would be WFP's second highest ever, it was still not enough to tackle the humanitarian crises around the globe, she said.

Sheeran said the WFP was facing "a year of tough choices" as a drought in the Horn of Africa, floods in the Philippines and conflict in northern Pakistan stretch its ability to cope with emergencies.

This also came against a backdrop of stubbornly high hood prices in the developing world after the 2007-2008 food crisis, which have forced tens of millions more people into hunger.

"The problem at the moment is that WFP probably has 10 or 12 acute emergencies on its hands, each one complex, each one with its own compelling situation and none that can really afford to be neglected," Sheeran said.

"We are cutting rations, but we would rather send a message to the citizens of the world to help us fill this food cup," said Sheeran, holding a red food cup taken from a WFP programme in Rwanda. "Because it's just not an acceptable choice to not stand with those hungry right now."

Released on China's 'Black Jails' Report

TIME:  China will begin to separate suspects arrested for minor offenses from violent criminals as part of a series of proposed reforms to its detention system announced this week. The system has been under fire for months, following a series of at least 15 suspicious deaths in China's extensive system of prisons and jails this year.

Lawyers and human-rights advocates welcomed the proposed changes, announced Nov. 9, which also state that detainees must be informed of their rights, can't be forced to do labor and can't be forced to pay for their detention costs. If the proposals are instituted, police or judicial officials would have to inform suspects' families within 12 hours of their detention.

In February, after 24-year-old Li Qiaoming was beaten to death by jail inmates in the southern province of Yunnan, officials said his killing was sparked by a game of hide-and-seek. The dubiousness of that explanation prompted an online outcry from concerned citizens and promises from Beijing of a nationwide review.

But experts caution that China still needs a wholesale examination of how its legal system handles detainees. A report released Nov. 12 by New York–based Human Rights Watch describes a system of "black jails" in Beijing and provincial capitals that operate outside the law, though with the implicit approval of police and judicial officials. ...MORE