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Thursday, 16 October 2014

'I Didn't Think of Iraqis as Humans,' Says U.S. Soldier Who Raped 14-year-old Girl Before Killing Her and Her Family



By Daily Mail
An Iraq War veteran serving five life terms for raping and killing  a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and killing her parents and sister says he didn't think of Iraqi civilians as humans after being exposed to extreme warzone violence.
Steven Green, a former 101st Airborne soldier, in his first interview since the 2006 killings, claimed that his crimes were fuelled in part by experiences in Iraq's violent 'Triangle of Death' where two of his sergeants were gunned down.
He also cited a lack of leadership and help from the Army.
'I was crazy,' Green said in the exclusive telephone interview from federal prison in Tucson, Arizona. 'I was just all the way out there. I didn't think I was going to live.'
Green talked about what led up to the March 12, 2006, attack on a family near Mahmoudiya, Iraq, that left him serving five consecutive life sentences.
The former soldier, who apologised at sentencing for his crimes, said he wasn't seeking sympathy nor trying to justify his actions - killings prosecutors described at trial in 2009 as one of the worst crimes of the Iraq war.
But Green said people should know his actions were a consequence of his circumstances in a war zone.
'If I hadn't ever been in Iraq, I wouldn't be in the kind of trouble I'm in now,' Green said. 'I'm not happy about that.'
Green was discharged with a 'personality disorder' before federal charges were brought against him.
  Prosecutors sought a death sentence, but a federal jury in Paducah, Kentucky, opted for five life sentences on charges including the rape and murder of 14-year-old Abeer Qassim Al-Janabi and the shooting deaths of her mother, father and younger sister.
Four other soldiers were convicted in military court for various roles in the attack. Three remain in military prison.
Green is challenging the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, which allows the federal government to charge an American in civilian court for alleged crimes committed overseas. He was the first former soldier convicted under the statute. The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has scheduled arguments for January 21.
Green is challenging the constitutionality of that law, saying it gives the executive branch too much leeway over whom to prosecute. Prosecutors say the law should be upheld.
'I've got some hope, but I'm not delusional about it,' said Green, now 25. 'I hope it works. But, whenever they give you multiple life sentences, they're not planning on letting you out.'
Green didn't testify at trial. During sentencing, he apologized and said he expects to face 'God's justice' when he dies.
Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, Green's 14-year-old victim, whose parents and sister were also murdered 
in the attack. Green said deaths of two of his colleagues had 'messed him up real bad'

A 19-year-old high school dropout from Midland, Texas, Green joined the Army after obtaining his high school equivalency diploma from a correspondence school.
  He said signing up was easy, born of a sense of duty to defend his country and the opportunities that offered.
'I thought I'd be neglecting my duty if I didn't,' Green said. 'You've got a career, you've got a job. It gives you opportunities to do things with your life.'
The military placed Green with the Fort Campbell-based 101st Airborne. Upon arriving in Iraq, Green said, his training to kill, the rampant violence and derogatory comments by other soldiers against Iraqis served to dehumanise that country's civilian population.
A turning point came on December 10, 2005, Green said, when a previously friendly Iraqi approached a traffic checkpoint and opened fire.
The shots killed Staff Sgt. Travis L. Nelson, 41, instantly. Sgt. Kenith Casica, 32, was hit in the throat. Casica died as soldiers raced him aboard a Humvee to a field hospital. Green said those deaths 'messed me up real bad.'
 The deaths intensified Green's feelings toward all Iraqis, whom soldiers often called by a derogatory term. 'There's not a word that would describe how much I hated these people,' Green said. 'I wasn't thinking these people were humans.'
Neighbour Hussein Mohammed points to the charred and blood-splattered 
crime scene where the killings took place in Mahmoudiya, Iraq

Over the next four months, Green sought help from a military stress counsellor, obtaining small doses of a mood-regulating drug - and a directive to get some sleep before returning to his checkpoint south of Baghdad.
In the interview, Green described alcohol and drugs being prevalent at the checkpoint. Green said soldiers there frequently felt abandoned by the Army and were given little support after the deaths of Casica and Nelson.
Spc. James P. Barker of Fresno, California, testified that he pitched the idea of going to the al-Janabi family's home to Sgt. Paul E. Cortez of Barstow, California, who was in charge of the traffic checkpoint. 
Scene of the attack in Al Mahmoudiya on the outsikirts of Baghdad

Green, who talked frequently of wanting to kill Iraqis, was brought along.
Cortez testified that Barker and Green had the idea of having sex with the girl and that he didn't know the family would be killed.
Green, then a private,saidhe had 'an altered state of mind' at the time. 'I wasn't thinking about more than 10 minutes into the future at any given time,' Green said. 'I didn't care.'
At the Iraqi home, Barker and Cortez pulled Abeer into one room, while Green held the mother, father and youngest daughter in another.
Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, stood guard in the hall. As Barker and Cortez raped the teen, Green shot the three family members, killing them.
 He then went into the next room and raped Abeer, before shooting her in the head. The soldiers lit her remains on fire before leaving. Another soldier stood watch a few miles away at the checkpoint.
Since his sentencing on September 4, 2009, Green has been attacked at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, and was then transferred to Arizona.
 In prison, Green converted to Catholicism and has corresponded with a nun in Louisville about his faith.
Green described prison life as a 'lonely existence' and said other inmates consider those convicted of sex offenses among the lowest, making life 'hazardous' among the general prison population.
For Green, each day is just a matter of getting through 24 hours so he can do it all again the next day. Meanwhile, he lives with memories of the attack that took away the Iraqi family.
'If I thought that was an OK thing now, I wouldn't be much of a human being,' Green said.

Camtel goes solar

Cameroonian Telecommunications (Camtel), Cameroon’s public telecom company, is set to shell out 987 million FCFA for solar panels to supply its 31 sites across the country. Managing Director of Camtel, David Nkotto Emane, indicated that the company’s 800 sites will all be lit-up with solar energy.
This comes out of the partnership agreement signed on September 10, 2014 in Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital, between the telecom public provider and the Living Energy Cameroon company directed by Kenneth Mungu.
The Camtel managing director goes on to say that, with this gradual shift to solar energy, the company hopes to reduce its production costs and therefore lower telecommunications and internet costs for its customers.

Words of Inspiration

1. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely. 2. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to because as you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other. 3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want. 4. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it. 5. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye. 6. Believe in love at first sight. 7. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much. 8. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. 9. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling. 10. Don't judge people by their relatives. 11. Talk slowly but think quickly. 12. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?' 13. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 14. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. 15. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions. 16. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. 17. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 18. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice 19. Spend some time alone. 20. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart. 21. Learn to forgive totally for you receive many blessings as a result. 22. The bigger you are hurt the bigger your blessings. The value of persistent prayer is not that God will hear us but that we will eventually hear God’s Voice. Because of your faith in Christ, be brave and take the risk of losing the admiration of people. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your won understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your parts. (Proverbs 3; 5-6)

The Scenery Bamenda III Council



By Coni T. Tawong
B'da III town hall
Bamenda III Council has the best equipped technical education establishments in the whole of North West Region. The famous GTHS Bamenda commonly known as Canada, GTC Nkwen transformed to GTHS Nkwen and GTC Nkeung Mile 4. The National Polytechnic Bamenda (NPB) is second to none in the whole of Anglophone Cameroon.
B'da III town hall
Bamenda III also has many secondary general education schools viz; GBHS Atiela, GBHS Bayelle, Starlight College Nkwen, Fobison Bilingual Secondary School Nkwen, The Apostolic Secondary School Nkwen, St. Paul's Comprehensive College Nkwen, GTTC Bamenda, St. Andrew Teacher Training College Nkwen, St. Michael Academy of Arts and Science, Christ the King Comprehensive High School Nkwen, PSS Nkwen, Top Grade Secondary School Nkwen, Holy Trinity Secondary School Nkwen, Full Gospel Secondary School Nkwen.
The new GTC Nkeung Mile 4 towards the hill above the council
At the higher education level, there is NPB, Fonab Polytechnic, Bamenda University of Science and Technology.
The vicinity of GTC Nkeung Mile 4
With the construction of the industrial zone in Nkwen, Bamenda III council having the best equipped technical secondary and high schools with two great polytechnics, Nkwen will in the future be the industrial headquarters of Cameroon.

Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Dreamforce is here

Dreamforce - October 13-16, 2014 Dreamforce - October 13-16, 2014

We're broadcasting live
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Get a front row seat with Salesforce LIVE.

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View the full 4-day broadcast schedule.

Watch all four days, featuring top sessions, inspiring keynotes, and exclusive studio interviews with Dreamforce innovators.
Monday 10/13
Tony Prophet
Tony Prophet

Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Windows Marketing
Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins

Entrepreneur, Author & Peak Performance Strategist
Reid Hoffman
Reid Hoffman

Entrepreneur, Product ​Strategist, Investor
Jeremy Stoppelman
Jeremy Stoppelman

CEO, Yelp, Inc
Max Levchin
Max Levchin

CEO, Affirm

Tuesday 10/14
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton

Former Secretary of State and Former U.S. Senator from New York
Marc Benioff
Marc Benioff

Chairman & CEO, salesforce.com
Klaus Schwab
Klaus Schwab

Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum
Parker Harris
Parker Harris

Co-Founder, Salesforce
Marc Benioff


Wednesday 10/15
Marc Andreesen
Marc Andreesen

Co-founder and Partner, Andreessen Horowitz
Hadi Partovi
Hadi Partovi

Entrepreneur, Investor, Co-founder, Code.org
will.i.am
will.i.am

Musician, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
9 All-New Product Keynotes
9 All-New Product Keynotes
Saasy


Thursday 10/16
Al Gore
Al Gore

45th Vice President of the United States
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington

Chair, President, Editor-In-Chief, Huffington Post Media Group
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle

Author
Neil Young
Neil Young

Musician
crowd
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The Ten Chinese and Cameroonians Hostages Kidnapped by Boko Haram 十大中國和喀麥隆人質被博科聖地綁架






The Head of State His Excellency Paul BIYA received the group of Chinese and Cameroonians who were recently released after being taken hostages from Waza and Fotokol by terrorist insurgents. During the brief but touching ceremony at unity Palace on Monday 13 October 2014, President Paul BIYA vowed to fight
against the terrorist group Boko Haram until it is totally eradicated.
The ten Chinese hostages and several Cameroon men, women and children kidnapped from Fotokol, amongst whom was Madam Ali and the Lamido of Fotokol, filed into Unity Palace at mid-day to meet with the Head of State. President Paul BIYA greeted all the former hostages and the Chinese officials who were accompanying them.
The President of the Republic then made his remarks on the occasion, thanking the hostages for their patience and confidence while they were in captivity. He lauded China – Cameroon cooperation and assured our partners that the government of Cameroon will continue the fight so as to guarantee the peace and stability of the country.
The Chinese Ambassador to Cameroon took the floor to thank the Presidents of China and Cameroon for their tireless efforts which have ended with the liberation of the hostages.
The Vice Prime Minister AHMADOU ALI, the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic Ferdinand NGOH NGOH and the Assistant Director of the Civil Cabinet Joseph LE, were present at the ceremony.

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