text:
(CNN)  -- The Tennis Channel has canceled plans to broadcast a tournament in Dubai because an Israeli player was banned.

Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer was denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates.

Shahar Peer, the 45th-ranked women's player according to the World Tennis Association, qualified to compete in this week's Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships but was denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the UAE.

The cable network had planned to air parts of the tournament this weekend.

"Tennis Channel recognizes that this exclusion has been made by state authorities and neither the tour nor tournament directors themselves," said a statement posted on the channel's Web site Wednesday. "However we also honor the role and proud tradition that tennis has always played as a driving force for inclusion both on and off the courts.

"Preventing an otherwise qualified athlete from competing on the basis of anything other than merit has no place in tennis or any other sport, and has the unfortunate result of undermining the credibility of the very nature of competition itself."

The announcement comes the same day The Wall Street Journal Europe announced it is dropping its sponsorship of the tournament.

"The Wall Street Journal's editorial philosophy is free markets and free people, and this action runs counter to the Journal's editorial direction," the Journal said in a written statement.

The paper also said it plans to cancel a special tennis-themed advertising section scheduled for Monday and its backing of a men's tournament in Dubai scheduled for next week.

After days of international criticism, including the WTA saying it would review whether the UAE should be allowed to host future tournaments, the event's organizers said Peer was barred from the tournament for her own protection, apparently alluding to Israel's recent military offensive in Gaza.

"We do not wish to politicize sports, but we have to be sensitive to recent events in the region and not alienate or put at risk the players and the many tennis fans of different nationalities that we have here," organizers said in a written statement.

The statement cited anti-Israel protests before one of Peer's matches at a recent tournament in New Zealand.

But this is not the first time the UAE has barred Israeli tennis players. Last year, an Israeli men's doubles team was denied entry. The emirate also cited security concerns then.

In a statement posted on the Tennis Channel's site, Peer thanked the cable channel for its decision.

"I was very moved and excited to hear about your decision not to broadcast the Dubai tournament following their denial to allow me to participate in the event," she wrote. "You at Tennis Channel were the first ones to add action to the words and this is leading the way to other organizations as well.

"All I want is to play tennis and do well. I believe you are helping me to do exactly this."

text: CNN

text: The

text: Tennis

text: Channel

text: has

text: canceled

text: plans

text: to

text: broadcast

text: a

text: tournament

text: in

text: Dubai

text: because

text: an

text: Israeli

text: player

text: was

text: banned

text: Israeli

text: tennis

text: player

text: Shahar

text: Peer

text: was

text: denied

text: a

text: visa

text: by

text: the

text: United

text: Arab

text: Emirates

text: Shahar

text: Peer

text: the

text: ranked

text: women

text: 's

text: player

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: World

text: Tennis

text: Association

text: qualified

text: to

text: compete

text: in

text: this

text: week

text: 's

text: Barclays

text: Dubai

text: Tennis

text: Championships

text: but

text: was

text: denied

text: a

text: visa

text: by

text: the

text: United

text: Arab

text: Emirates

text: Dubai

text: is

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: seven

text: emirates

text: of

text: the

text: UAE

text: The

text: cable

text: network

text: had

text: planned

text: to

text: air

text: parts

text: of

text: the

text: tournament

text: this

text: weekend

text: Tennis

text: Channel

text: recognizes

text: that

text: this

text: exclusion

text: has

text: been

text: made

text: by

text: state

text: authorities

text: and

text: neither

text: the

text: tour

text: nor

text: tournament

text: directors

text: themselves

text: said

text: a

text: statement

text: posted

text: on

text: the

text: channel

text: 's

text: Web

text: site

text: Wednesday

text: However

text: we

text: also

text: honor

text: the

text: role

text: and

text: proud

text: tradition

text: that

text: tennis

text: has

text: always

text: played

text: as

text: a

text: driving

text: force

text: for

text: inclusion

text: both

text: on

text: and

text: off

text: the

text: courts

text: Preventing

text: an

text: otherwise

text: qualified

text: athlete

text: from

text: competing

text: on

text: the

text: basis

text: of

text: anything

text: other

text: than

text: merit

text: has

text: no

text: place

text: in

text: tennis

text: or

text: any

text: other

text: sport

text: and

text: has

text: the

text: unfortunate

text: result

text: of

text: undermining

text: the

text: credibility

text: of

text: the

text: very

text: nature

text: of

text: competition

text: itself

text: The

text: announcement

text: comes

text: the

text: same

text: day

text: The

text: Wall

text: Street

text: Journal

text: Europe

text: announced

text: it

text: is

text: dropping

text: its

text: sponsorship

text: of

text: the

text: tournament

text: The

text: Wall

text: Street

text: Journal

text: 's

text: editorial

text: philosophy

text: is

text: free

text: markets

text: and

text: free

text: people

text: and

text: this

text: action

text: runs

text: counter

text: to

text: the

text: Journal

text: 's

text: editorial

text: direction

text: the

text: Journal

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: written

text: statement

text: The

text: paper

text: also

text: said

text: it

text: plans

text: to

text: cancel

text: a

text: special

text: tennis

text: themed

text: advertising

text: section

text: scheduled

text: for

text: Monday

text: and

text: its

text: backing

text: of

text: a

text: men

text: 's

text: tournament

text: in

text: Dubai

text: scheduled

text: for

text: next

text: week

text: After

text: days

text: of

text: international

text: criticism

text: including

text: the

text: WTA

text: saying

text: it

text: would

text: review

text: whether

text: the

text: UAE

text: should

text: be

text: allowed

text: to

text: host

text: future

text: tournaments

text: the

text: event

text: 's

text: organizers

text: said

text: Peer

text: was

text: barred

text: from

text: the

text: tournament

text: for

text: her

text: own

text: protection

text: apparently

text: alluding

text: to

text: Israel

text: 's

text: recent

text: military

text: offensive

text: in

text: Gaza

text: We

text: do

text: not

text: wish

text: to

text: politicize

text: sports

text: but

text: we

text: have

text: to

text: be

text: sensitive

text: to

text: recent

text: events

text: in

text: the

text: region

text: and

text: not

text: alienate

text: or

text: put

text: at

text: risk

text: the

text: players

text: and

text: the

text: many

text: tennis

text: fans

text: of

text: different

text: nationalities

text: that

text: we

text: have

text: here

text: organizers

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: written

text: statement

text: The

text: statement

text: cited

text: anti

text: Israel

text: protests

text: before

text: one

text: of

text: Peer

text: 's

text: matches

text: at

text: a

text: recent

text: tournament

text: in

text: New

text: Zealand

text: But

text: this

text: is

text: not

text: the

text: first

text: time

text: the

text: UAE

text: has

text: barred

text: Israeli

text: tennis

text: players

text: Last

text: year

text: an

text: Israeli

text: men

text: 's

text: doubles

text: team

text: was

text: denied

text: entry

text: The

text: emirate

text: also

text: cited

text: security

text: concerns

text: then

text: In

text: a

text: statement

text: posted

text: on

text: the

text: Tennis

text: Channel

text: 's

text: site

text: Peer

text: thanked

text: the

text: cable

text: channel

text: for

text: its

text: decision

text: I

text: was

text: very

text: moved

text: and

text: excited

text: to

text: hear

text: about

text: your

text: decision

text: not

text: to

text: broadcast

text: the

text: Dubai

text: tournament

text: following

text: their

text: denial

text: to

text: allow

text: me

text: to

text: participate

text: in

text: the

text: event

text: she

text: wrote

text: You

text: at

text: Tennis

text: Channel

text: were

text: the

text: first

text: ones

text: to

text: add

text: action

text: to

text: the

text: words

text: and

text: this

text: is

text: leading

text: the

text: way

text: to

text: other

text: organizations

text: as

text: well

text: All

text: I

text: want

text: is

text: to

text: play

text: tennis

text: and

text: do

text: well

text: I

text: believe

text: you

text: are

text: helping

text: me

text: to

text: do

text: exactly

text: this

question: Who did UAE deny visa to?

answer: Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer

text: Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer

question: What company is no longer sponsoring the tournament?

answer: The Wall Street Journal Europe

text: The Wall Street Journal Europe

question: What is the sport the player is active in?

answer: tennis

text: tennis

question: what sport did he play

answer: tennis

text: tennis

question: where did this happen

answer: Dubai

text: Dubai


text:
NEW YORK (CNN)  -- A top Baha'i official has criticized Iran's claim that the six imprisoned leaders of the religious minority were held for security reasons and not because of their faith.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government has been accused of trying to eliminate the Baha'i community.

Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations, called Iran's assertion "utterly baseless."

"The allegations are not new, and the Iranian government knows well that they are untrue," Dugal said on Wednesday, quoted in a news release issued by the Baha'i movement.

"The documented plan of the Iranian government has always been to destroy the Baha'i community, and these latest arrests represent an intensification of this plan."

Iranian government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham said the people were detained for "security issues" and not their faith, Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency said.

Elham said on Tuesday that the Baha'is were members of a group working together "against national interest."

"The group is an organized establishment linked to foreigners, the Zionists in particular," he said.

The arrests of the six last week and another Baha'i leader in March sparked sharp condemnation by the Baha'is, the United States, Canada, the European Union and humanitarian groups.

The Baha'is say the latest arrests are part of a pattern of religious persecution since 1979, when the monarchy of the Shah of Iran was toppled and an Islamic republic was created in the predominantly Shiite nation.

The Baha'is say they have been killed, jailed and "otherwise oppressed" only because of their religion.

"The best proof of this is the fact that, time and again, Baha'is have been offered their freedom if they recant their Baha'i beliefs and convert to Islam, an option few have taken," Dugal said.

Dugal said Iran's practice of connecting the group to Zionism, the underlying political philosophy of the Jewish state, was a "distortion" and an attempt to "stir animosity" among the Iranian public.

The Baha'i World Center, which the movement refers to as its "spiritual and administrative heart," is in the Acre/Haifa area in northern Israel -- a location that predates the founding of the state of Israel since it was formed during the Ottoman Empire's rule of Palestine.

The Baha'is explain that their founder, Baha'u'llah, "after a series of successive banishments from his native Persia, was exiled, with members of his family and a small band of his followers, to the Turkish penal colony of Acre in 1868."

Dugal said the Iranian actions were the "most recent iteration in a long history of attempts to foment hatred by casting the Baha'is as agents of foreign powers, whether of Russia, the United Kingdom, or the United States and now Israel all of which are completely baseless."

Dugal said the government's philosophies are based largely on the idea that there can be "no prophet following Mohammed" and that the faith "poses a theological challenge to this belief."

They say Baha'u'llah is regarded by Baha'is as "the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Christ and Mohammed."

The Baha'is-- regarded as the largest non-Muslim religious minority in Iran -- say they have 5 million members across the globe, and about 300,000 in Iran.

text: NEW

text: YORK

text: CNN

text: A

text: top

text: Baha'i

text: official

text: has

text: criticized

text: Iran

text: 's

text: claim

text: that

text: the

text: six

text: imprisoned

text: leaders

text: of

text: the

text: religious

text: minority

text: were

text: held

text: for

text: security

text: reasons

text: and

text: not

text: because

text: of

text: their

text: faith

text: President

text: Mahmoud

text: Ahmadinejad

text: 's

text: government

text: has

text: been

text: accused

text: of

text: trying

text: to

text: eliminate

text: the

text: Baha'i

text: community

text: Bani

text: Dugal

text: the

text: principal

text: representative

text: of

text: the

text: Baha'i

text: International

text: Community

text: to

text: the

text: United

text: Nations

text: called

text: Iran

text: 's

text: assertion

text: utterly

text: baseless

text: The

text: allegations

text: are

text: not

text: new

text: and

text: the

text: Iranian

text: government

text: knows

text: well

text: that

text: they

text: are

text: untrue

text: Dugal

text: said

text: on

text: Wednesday

text: quoted

text: in

text: a

text: news

text: release

text: issued

text: by

text: the

text: Baha'i

text: movement

text: The

text: documented

text: plan

text: of

text: the

text: Iranian

text: government

text: has

text: always

text: been

text: to

text: destroy

text: the

text: Baha'i

text: community

text: and

text: these

text: latest

text: arrests

text: represent

text: an

text: intensification

text: of

text: this

text: plan

text: Iranian

text: government

text: spokesman

text: Gholam

text: Hossein

text: Elham

text: said

text: the

text: people

text: were

text: detained

text: for

text: security

text: issues

text: and

text: not

text: their

text: faith

text: Iran

text: 's

text: Islamic

text: Republic

text: News

text: Agency

text: said

text: Elham

text: said

text: on

text: Tuesday

text: that

text: the

text: Baha'is

text: were

text: members

text: of

text: a

text: group

text: working

text: together

text: against

text: national

text: interest

text: The

text: group

text: is

text: an

text: organized

text: establishment

text: linked

text: to

text: foreigners

text: the

text: Zionists

text: in

text: particular

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: arrests

text: of

text: the

text: six

text: last

text: week

text: and

text: another

text: Baha'i

text: leader

text: in

text: March

text: sparked

text: sharp

text: condemnation

text: by

text: the

text: Baha'is

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: Canada

text: the

text: European

text: Union

text: and

text: humanitarian

text: groups

text: The

text: Baha'is

text: say

text: the

text: latest

text: arrests

text: are

text: part

text: of

text: a

text: pattern

text: of

text: religious

text: persecution

text: since

text: when

text: the

text: monarchy

text: of

text: the

text: Shah

text: of

text: Iran

text: was

text: toppled

text: and

text: an

text: Islamic

text: republic

text: was

text: created

text: in

text: the

text: predominantly

text: Shiite

text: nation

text: The

text: Baha'is

text: say

text: they

text: have

text: been

text: killed

text: jailed

text: and

text: otherwise

text: oppressed

text: only

text: because

text: of

text: their

text: religion

text: The

text: best

text: proof

text: of

text: this

text: is

text: the

text: fact

text: that

text: time

text: and

text: again

text: Baha'is

text: have

text: been

text: offered

text: their

text: freedom

text: if

text: they

text: recant

text: their

text: Baha'i

text: beliefs

text: and

text: convert

text: to

text: Islam

text: an

text: option

text: few

text: have

text: taken

text: Dugal

text: said

text: Dugal

text: said

text: Iran

text: 's

text: practice

text: of

text: connecting

text: the

text: group

text: to

text: Zionism

text: the

text: underlying

text: political

text: philosophy

text: of

text: the

text: Jewish

text: state

text: was

text: a

text: distortion

text: and

text: an

text: attempt

text: to

text: stir

text: animosity

text: among

text: the

text: Iranian

text: public

text: The

text: Baha'i

text: World

text: Center

text: which

text: the

text: movement

text: refers

text: to

text: as

text: its

text: spiritual

text: and

text: administrative

text: heart

text: is

text: in

text: the

text: Acre

text: Haifa

text: area

text: in

text: northern

text: Israel

text: a

text: location

text: that

text: predates

text: the

text: founding

text: of

text: the

text: state

text: of

text: Israel

text: since

text: it

text: was

text: formed

text: during

text: the

text: Ottoman

text: Empire

text: 's

text: rule

text: of

text: Palestine

text: The

text: Baha'is

text: explain

text: that

text: their

text: founder

text: Baha'u'llah

text: after

text: a

text: series

text: of

text: successive

text: banishments

text: from

text: his

text: native

text: Persia

text: was

text: exiled

text: with

text: members

text: of

text: his

text: family

text: and

text: a

text: small

text: band

text: of

text: his

text: followers

text: to

text: the

text: Turkish

text: penal

text: colony

text: of

text: Acre

text: in

text: Dugal

text: said

text: the

text: Iranian

text: actions

text: were

text: the

text: most

text: recent

text: iteration

text: in

text: a

text: long

text: history

text: of

text: attempts

text: to

text: foment

text: hatred

text: by

text: casting

text: the

text: Baha'is

text: as

text: agents

text: of

text: foreign

text: powers

text: whether

text: of

text: Russia

text: the

text: United

text: Kingdom

text: or

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: and

text: now

text: Israel

text: all

text: of

text: which

text: are

text: completely

text: baseless

text: Dugal

text: said

text: the

text: government

text: 's

text: philosophies

text: are

text: based

text: largely

text: on

text: the

text: idea

text: that

text: there

text: can

text: be

text: no

text: prophet

text: following

text: Mohammed

text: and

text: that

text: the

text: faith

text: poses

text: a

text: theological

text: challenge

text: to

text: this

text: belief

text: They

text: say

text: Baha'u'llah

text: is

text: regarded

text: by

text: Baha'is

text: as

text: the

text: most

text: recent

text: in

text: the

text: line

text: of

text: Messengers

text: of

text: God

text: that

text: stretches

text: back

text: beyond

text: recorded

text: time

text: and

text: that

text: includes

text: Abraham

text: Moses

text: Buddha

text: Krishna

text: Zoroaster

text: Christ

text: and

text: Mohammed

text: The

text: Baha'is--

text: regarded

text: as

text: the

text: largest

text: non

text: Muslim

text: religious

text: minority

text: in

text: Iran

text: say

text: they

text: have

text: million

text: members

text: across

text: the

text: globe

text: and

text: about

text: in

text: Iran

question: who was arrested?

answer: of the religious minority

text: of the religious minority

question: What did Bani Dugal say?

answer: "The allegations are not new, and the Iranian government knows well that they are untrue,"

text: "The allegations are not new, and the Iranian government knows well that they are untrue,"

question: The representative said the claim was what?

answer: "utterly baseless."

text: "utterly baseless."

question: Bani Dugal said the government is trying to destroy who?

answer: the Baha'i community,

text: the Baha'i community,

question: Where were the minority leaders arrested?

answer: Iran's

text: Iran's

question: What did Baha'i officials deny?

answer: held for security reasons and not because of their faith.

text: held for security reasons and not because of their faith.

question: How many leaders were held for security reasons?

answer: six

text: six

question: who is trying to destroy the community?

answer: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government

text: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government


text:
(CNN) -- Three members of a U.S. Navy helicopter crew were killed after their helicopter went down in the waters off San Diego, California, a Navy spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Rescuers are still searching for the two remaining crew members from the helicopter, which went down late Tuesday night, U.S. Navy spokeswoman Karin Burzynski said.

No further details concerning the deaths were immediately available.

Burzynski said the helicopter was operating from the USS Nimitz. The Navy received word that the helicopter went down around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, she said.

It crashed about 20 miles off the Mexican coast, the Navy said.

Coast Guard spokesman Henry Dunphy told CNN earlier that Coast Guard helicopters and boats, as well as vessels from other agencies, were helping in the search.

text: CNN

text: Three

text: members

text: of

text: a

text: U.S.

text: Navy

text: helicopter

text: crew

text: were

text: killed

text: after

text: their

text: helicopter

text: went

text: down

text: in

text: the

text: waters

text: off

text: San

text: Diego

text: California

text: a

text: Navy

text: spokeswoman

text: said

text: Wednesday

text: Rescuers

text: are

text: still

text: searching

text: for

text: the

text: two

text: remaining

text: crew

text: members

text: from

text: the

text: helicopter

text: which

text: went

text: down

text: late

text: Tuesday

text: night

text: U.S.

text: Navy

text: spokeswoman

text: Karin

text: Burzynski

text: said

text: No

text: further

text: details

text: concerning

text: the

text: deaths

text: were

text: immediately

text: available

text: Burzynski

text: said

text: the

text: helicopter

text: was

text: operating

text: from

text: the

text: USS

text: Nimitz

text: The

text: Navy

text: received

text: word

text: that

text: the

text: helicopter

text: went

text: down

text: around

text: p.m.

text: Tuesday

text: she

text: said

text: It

text: crashed

text: about

text: miles

text: off

text: the

text: Mexican

text: coast

text: the

text: Navy

text: said

text: Coast

text: Guard

text: spokesman

text: Henry

text: Dunphy

text: told

text: CNN

text: earlier

text: that

text: Coast

text: Guard

text: helicopters

text: and

text: boats

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: vessels

text: from

text: other

text: agencies

text: were

text: helping

text: in

text: the

text: search

question: Who did the Coast Guard search for?

answer: the two remaining crew members

text: the two remaining crew members

question: Where did the crash occur?

answer: the waters off San Diego, California,

text: the waters off San Diego, California,

question: How many people are missing after the crash?

answer: two

text: two

question: What are the Coast Guard using to search?

answer: helicopters and boats, as well as vessels from other agencies,

text: helicopters and boats, as well as vessels from other agencies,

question: Where did the copter crash?

answer: It crashed about 20 miles off the Mexican coast,

text: It crashed about 20 miles off the Mexican coast,

question: How many people are still missing?

answer: two remaining crew members

text: two remaining crew members

question: Who is using helicopters?

answer: U.S. Navy

text: U.S. Navy

question: What day did the crash occur?

answer: 11:30 p.m. Tuesday,

text: 11:30 p.m. Tuesday,


text:
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Perhaps Ryan Seacrest said it best at the top of the "American Idol" Tuesday night when describing Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, the show's final two contestants.

In this corner: Kris Allen, the guy next door.

"It is the battle of the acoustic rocker versus the glam rocker. Conway (Arkansas) versus California. The guy next door versus the guy-liner."

After three performances apiece and plenty of judge feedback, it seems that the Southern California glam-rocker Adam Lambert has the edge -- but it didn't look that way early in Tuesday's show.

In the first round, where the contestants chose a song from a favorite past performance this season, Simon Cowell declared Kris Allen the winner after his rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine" on piano.  Watch Allen and Lambert talk after the show Â»

Lambert chose to sing "Mad World" while wearing a long black coat and walking around a stage filled with white smoke, all of which Cowell found "over-theatrical."

"I think 'Mad World' is kind of symbolic," Lambert told reporters after the show. "It talks about people who don't feel like they fit in."

Round two featured a tune hand-picked by "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller, where Lambert ditched the black overcoat and belted out Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" while sporting a shiny silver suit. Paula Abdul told Lambert "it was the best I've ever heard you sing, ever!"

Allen's feedback after singing Marvin Gaye's classic "What's Goin' On" in the second round was much less flattering.  See the best and worst performances from season eight Â»

"I thought it was too laid back for a night like this," said Cowell. He then gave round two to Lambert.

Round three featured a bit of a twist -- both contestants had to sing a song co-written by judge Kara DioGuardi called "No Boundaries."

Lambert went first and had little difficulty with the ballad. Cowell told the 27-year-old afterward that "you have been one of the best, most original contestants we've ever had on the show."

Allen, however, struggled to stay in tune during the entire performance ... but the judges were less harsh this time.

"You have thoroughly, thoroughly deserved to be standing on that stage tonight, congratulations," said Cowell.  Watch anchors debate "Idol" finalists Â»

After the show, Lambert told reporters that they did not have a lot of time to work on "No Boundaries" and it was kind of a "rush job."

"There was a lot of lyric, and it was a big song," said Lambert. "But it's a beautiful song."

It almost seems appropriate that these two are facing off in the finale. According to Allen, he and Lambert were once roommates during the competition. They even critique each other's rehearsals.

"He's always giving me stuff to change about mine ... to make it better," Allen told reporters. iReport.com: Who should win: Kris or Adam?

A little over an hour before the show began, a magnitude 4.0 quake aftershock hit 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Tuesday night's telecast was held at the Nokia Theater, which is in downtown Los Angeles. A 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck the area shortly before 8:40 p.m. Sunday.

But, to Allen's disappointment, neither of the contestants felt the jolt Tuesday.

"I was totally upset, too, because I've never been to California (except for 'American Idol'), and I was like, 'I want to feel an earthquake.' "

Allen and Lambert will return to the stage Wednesday night and find out, along with the rest of the world, who will be crowned the next "American Idol" at the two-hour finale.

text: LOS

text: ANGELES

text: California

text: CNN

text: Perhaps

text: Ryan

text: Seacrest

text: said

text: it

text: best

text: at

text: the

text: top

text: of

text: the

text: American

text: Idol

text: Tuesday

text: night

text: when

text: describing

text: Adam

text: Lambert

text: and

text: Kris

text: Allen

text: the

text: show

text: 's

text: final

text: two

text: contestants

text: In

text: this

text: corner

text: Kris

text: Allen

text: the

text: guy

text: next

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text: is

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text: battle

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text: versus

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text: rocker

text: Conway

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text: versus

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text: guy

text: next

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text: guy

text: liner

text: After

text: three

text: performances

text: apiece

text: and

text: plenty

text: of

text: judge

text: feedback

text: it

text: seems

text: that

text: the

text: Southern

text: California

text: glam

text: rocker

text: Adam

text: Lambert

text: has

text: the

text: edge

text: but

text: it

text: did

text: n't

text: look

text: that

text: way

text: early

text: in

text: Tuesday

text: 's

text: show

text: In

text: the

text: first

text: round

text: where

text: the

text: contestants

text: chose

text: a

text: song

text: from

text: a

text: favorite

text: past

text: performance

text: this

text: season

text: Simon

text: Cowell

text: declared

text: Kris

text: Allen

text: the

text: winner

text: after

text: his

text: rendition

text: of

text: Ai

text: n't

text: No

text: Sunshine

text: on

text: piano

text: Watch

text: Allen

text: and

text: Lambert

text: talk

text: after

text: the

text: show

text: Â

text: Lambert

text: chose

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text: Mad

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text: think

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text: Lambert

text: told

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text: the

text: show

text: It

text: talks

text: about

text: people

text: who

text: do

text: n't

text: feel

text: like

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text: fit

text: in

text: Round

text: two

text: featured

text: a

text: tune

text: hand

text: picked

text: by

text: American

text: Idol

text: creator

text: Simon

text: Fuller

text: where

text: Lambert

text: ditched

text: the

text: black

text: overcoat

text: and

text: belted

text: out

text: Sam

text: Cooke

text: 's

text: A

text: Change

text: Is

text: Gon

text: Come

text: while

text: sporting

text: a

text: shiny

text: silver

text: suit

text: Paula

text: Abdul

text: told

text: Lambert

text: it

text: was

text: the

text: best

text: I

text: 've

text: ever

text: heard

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text: sing

text: ever

text: Allen

text: 's

text: feedback

text: after

text: singing

text: Marvin

text: Gaye

text: 's

text: classic

text: What

text: 's

text: Goin'

text: On

text: in

text: the

text: second

text: round

text: was

text: much

text: less

text: flattering

text: See

text: the

text: best

text: and

text: worst

text: performances

text: from

text: season

text: eight

text: Â

text: I

text: thought

text: it

text: was

text: too

text: laid

text: back

text: for

text: a

text: night

text: like

text: this

text: said

text: Cowell

text: He

text: then

text: gave

text: round

text: two

text: to

text: Lambert

text: Round

text: three

text: featured

text: a

text: bit

text: of

text: a

text: twist

text: both

text: contestants

text: had

text: to

text: sing

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text: song

text: co

text: written

text: by

text: judge

text: Kara

text: DioGuardi

text: called

text: No

text: Boundaries

text: Lambert

text: went

text: first

text: and

text: had

text: little

text: difficulty

text: with

text: the

text: ballad

text: Cowell

text: told

text: the

text: old

text: afterward

text: that

text: you

text: have

text: been

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: best

text: most

text: original

text: contestants

text: we

text: 've

text: ever

text: had

text: on

text: the

text: show

text: Allen

text: however

text: struggled

text: to

text: stay

text: in

text: tune

text: during

text: the

text: entire

text: performance

text: but

text: the

text: judges

text: were

text: less

text: harsh

text: this

text: time

text: You

text: have

text: thoroughly

text: thoroughly

text: deserved

text: to

text: be

text: standing

text: on

text: that

text: stage

text: tonight

text: congratulations

text: said

text: Cowell

text: Watch

text: anchors

text: debate

text: Idol

text: finalists

text: Â

text: After

text: the

text: show

text: Lambert

text: told

text: reporters

text: that

text: they

text: did

text: not

text: have

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: time

text: to

text: work

text: on

text: No

text: Boundaries

text: and

text: it

text: was

text: kind

text: of

text: a

text: rush

text: job

text: There

text: was

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: lyric

text: and

text: it

text: was

text: a

text: big

text: song

text: said

text: Lambert

text: But

text: it

text: 's

text: a

text: beautiful

text: song

text: It

text: almost

text: seems

text: appropriate

text: that

text: these

text: two

text: are

text: facing

text: off

text: in

text: the

text: finale

text: According

text: to

text: Allen

text: he

text: and

text: Lambert

text: were

text: once

text: roommates

text: during

text: the

text: competition

text: They

text: even

text: critique

text: each

text: other

text: 's

text: rehearsals

text: He

text: 's

text: always

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text: me

text: stuff

text: to

text: change

text: about

text: mine

text: to

text: make

text: it

text: better

text: Allen

text: told

text: reporters

text: iReport.com

text: Who

text: should

text: win

text: Kris

text: or

text: Adam

text: A

text: little

text: over

text: an

text: hour

text: before

text: the

text: show

text: began

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text: magnitude

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text: aftershock

text: hit

text: miles

text: southeast

text: of

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text: Los

text: Angeles

text: Tuesday

text: night

text: 's

text: telecast

text: was

text: held

text: at

text: the

text: Nokia

text: Theater

text: which

text: is

text: in

text: downtown

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: A

text: earthquake

text: struck

text: the

text: area

text: shortly

text: before

text: p.m.

text: Sunday

text: But

text: to

text: Allen

text: 's

text: disappointment

text: neither

text: of

text: the

text: contestants

text: felt

text: the

text: jolt

text: Tuesday

text: I

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text: too

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text: 've

text: never

text: been

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text: California

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text: Lambert

text: will

text: return

text: to

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text: stage

text: Wednesday

text: night

text: and

text: find

text: out

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text: with

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text: rest

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text: world

text: who

text: will

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text: crowned

text: the

text: next

text: American

text: Idol

text: at

text: the

text: two

text: hour

text: finale

question: how many finals are in American Idol?

answer: two contestants.

text: two contestants.

question: Where is Adam Lambert from?

answer: Southern California

text: Southern California

question: Who developed a glam-rock persona?

answer: Adam Lambert

text: Adam Lambert

question: Who has guy-next-door appeal?

answer: Kris Allen,

text: Kris Allen,

question: When is the American Idol results show?

answer: ge Wednesday nig

text: ge Wednesday nig

question: Who are the final two contestants?

answer: Adam Lambert and Kris Allen,

text: Adam Lambert and Kris Allen,

question: who resident in Arkansas?

answer: Kris Allen,

text: Kris Allen,


text:
KILLEEN, Texas (CNN)  -- Spc. Logan Burnette arrived at Fort Hood, Texas, a week ago Wednesday to prepare for an upcoming tour of Iraq. The following day, he, like all deploying soldiers, reported to the "ready room" on post to fill out final paperwork.

However, what was to be another day of the mundane erupted into hell on Earth.

Burnette heard shots, though that's a sound to which soldiers grow accustomed. He had been hearing blanks for many months of training.

But on November 5 at Fort Hood, he quickly understood that something was terribly wrong when he saw the blood -- crimson everywhere.

"Seeing bullet wounds in the back of a friend's head, seeing friends grabbing their arms, and blood just everywhere. It's a pretty hard thing to see," Burnette recalled.

"And not having any way to defend yourself."

The gunman had been in the room for a while and had perfectly blended in with his Army combat uniform, his gold major rank emblazoned on his chest. No one had reason to pay him heed, Burnette said.

When the madness began, the gunman popped up like a target at a shooting range. He just stood up and started firing methodically and with precision.

He reloaded. And fired. Reloaded. And fired again.

"He was very swift, very tactical," said Burnette, sitting in a wheelchair at the Metroplex Adventist Hospital near Fort Hood, his left arm and hand bandaged.

The mass shooting last week was the deadliest ever on a U.S. military base. Twelve soldiers and one civilian were killed; more than 40 others were wounded.

Fifteen soldiers remained hospitalized on Wednesday, four in intensive care, according to Fort Hood spokesman Col. James Rossi.

They were victims of a soldier who turned on his own, authorities say.

Burnette saw the laser sights on the gunman's weapon. The shooter looked serious, intent. He screamed at the top of his lungs, "Allahu akbar," which means 'God is great' in Arabic.

Burnette dropped to the floor, hugging the ground for dear life. His mind was spinning. What insanity was this?

"Once I saw the blood, I realized I had to move," he said. "I had to get out of there."

Burnette began to stand up and noticed the gunman was pointing in his direction. He picked up a folding table next to him -- it was the heaviest object he could see -- and hurled it toward the shooter. He knew it would draw the gunman's attention and divert his line of sight from others.

Burnette said he wasn't trying to play a hero.

"There are guys overseas doing more than what I did," he said. "I just happened to be at a certain place at a certain time in the world and hopefully I made a difference."

But that's when he got hit. He took a round that pierced his hip on the left side and tore through his abdomen.

"After the hit, I fell down, not even realizing I had been hit," he said. "As I tried to get back up, I was shot in the elbow on the left arm and ... the knuckle on the left pinky finger."

He was like a wounded animal desperate to escape the hunter's aim.

"He wanted to kill all of us," Burnette said. "We were all unarmed."

Burnette's gut felt like a knife slicing through it. He couldn't feel his leg. His left arm was numb, too. He stared at it and thought of those dummy arms that people buy at Halloween.

"Oh my God," he thought. "This guy shot me."

Burnette began moving with every ounce of strength he could muster and hid in a nearby cubicle. The gunman had started moving to the other side of the building, reloading and shooting. Reloading and shooting.

Burnette knew he had to get out of that building.

"As I started to run, I fell again, not realizing I couldn't use my left leg."

After falling, Burnette said, he "threw all of my body weight ... towards that door as hard and as fast as possible."

"Once I hit that front door, I began to low crawl, about five meters up a hill just, you know, pushing my body forward with everything I had," he said.

A staff sergeant grabbed him by his uniform collar and dragged him into an office and locked the door.

"Everything is going to be all right," the sergeant told him, as he began administering first aid. Burnette said he doesn't know the sergeant's name, but he will recognize him instantly if their paths ever cross again.

"Our Father who art in heaven ... hallowed be thy name."

Burnette, a practicing Catholic, lie on the ground, repeating the prayer over and over again. He didn't know whether he would see his wife again.

A week later, Burnette has undergone two operations and still has a bullet lodged in his right hip. On Wednesday, he was making his way to the Army's Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, for further treatment.

He knows that's where Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the accused shooter, is also being treated.

"I can't really think about it," Burnette said. "I have a lot of faith in our military, our judicial system -- and God."

Soldiers are taught from day one that you help the wounded, even when they are enemies in combat, even the guy who shot you.

"Don't get me wrong," he said, "Everything in your heart wants to [unleash] anger at this person, but we have to trust that our system works somehow.

"By no means am I happy that he is in better shape than a lot of my comrades," Burnette said about the suspect. "But I'm not here to play God, either."

Ultimately, Burnette said, he is sorry for a man who feels the need to execute unarmed personnel, his comrades, in the name of God.

Does he pity the Fort Hood shooter? "Yeah," he said, pausing. "To an extent."

CNN's Sanjay Gupta and Danielle Dellorto contributed to this report.

text: KILLEEN

text: Texas

text: CNN

text: Spc

text: Logan

text: Burnette

text: arrived

text: at

text: Fort

text: Hood

text: Texas

text: a

text: week

text: ago

text: Wednesday

text: to

text: prepare

text: for

text: an

text: upcoming

text: tour

text: of

text: Iraq

text: The

text: following

text: day

text: he

text: like

text: all

text: deploying

text: soldiers

text: reported

text: to

text: the

text: ready

text: room

text: on

text: post

text: to

text: fill

text: out

text: final

text: paperwork

text: However

text: what

text: was

text: to

text: be

text: another

text: day

text: of

text: the

text: mundane

text: erupted

text: into

text: hell

text: on

text: Earth

text: Burnette

text: heard

text: shots

text: though

text: that

text: 's

text: a

text: sound

text: to

text: which

text: soldiers

text: grow

text: accustomed

text: He

text: had

text: been

text: hearing

text: blanks

text: for

text: many

text: months

text: of

text: training

text: But

text: on

text: November

text: at

text: Fort

text: Hood

text: he

text: quickly

text: understood

text: that

text: something

text: was

text: terribly

text: wrong

text: when

text: he

text: saw

text: the

text: blood

text: crimson

text: everywhere

text: Seeing

text: bullet

text: wounds

text: in

text: the

text: back

text: of

text: a

text: friend

text: 's

text: head

text: seeing

text: friends

text: grabbing

text: their

text: arms

text: and

text: blood

text: just

text: everywhere

text: It

text: 's

text: a

text: pretty

text: hard

text: thing

text: to

text: see

text: Burnette

text: recalled

text: And

text: not

text: having

text: any

text: way

text: to

text: defend

text: yourself

text: The

text: gunman

text: had

text: been

text: in

text: the

text: room

text: for

text: a

text: while

text: and

text: had

text: perfectly

text: blended

text: in

text: with

text: his

text: Army

text: combat

text: uniform

text: his

text: gold

text: major

text: rank

text: emblazoned

text: on

text: his

text: chest

text: No

text: one

text: had

text: reason

text: to

text: pay

text: him

text: heed

text: Burnette

text: said

text: When

text: the

text: madness

text: began

text: the

text: gunman

text: popped

text: up

text: like

text: a

text: target

text: at

text: a

text: shooting

text: range

text: He

text: just

text: stood

text: up

text: and

text: started

text: firing

text: methodically

text: and

text: with

text: precision

text: He

text: reloaded

text: And

text: fired

text: Reloaded

text: And

text: fired

text: again

text: He

text: was

text: very

text: swift

text: very

text: tactical

text: said

text: Burnette

text: sitting

text: in

text: a

text: wheelchair

text: at

text: the

text: Metroplex

text: Adventist

text: Hospital

text: near

text: Fort

text: Hood

text: his

text: left

text: arm

text: and

text: hand

text: bandaged

text: The

text: mass

text: shooting

text: last

text: week

text: was

text: the

text: deadliest

text: ever

text: on

text: a

text: U.S.

text: military

text: base

text: Twelve

text: soldiers

text: and

text: one

text: civilian

text: were

text: killed

text: more

text: than

text: others

text: were

text: wounded

text: Fifteen

text: soldiers

text: remained

text: hospitalized

text: on

text: Wednesday

text: four

text: in

text: intensive

text: care

text: according

text: to

text: Fort

text: Hood

text: spokesman

text: Col

text: James

text: Rossi

text: They

text: were

text: victims

text: of

text: a

text: soldier

text: who

text: turned

text: on

text: his

text: own

text: authorities

text: say

text: Burnette

text: saw

text: the

text: laser

text: sights

text: on

text: the

text: gunman

text: 's

text: weapon

text: The

text: shooter

text: looked

text: serious

text: intent

text: He

text: screamed

text: at

text: the

text: top

text: of

text: his

text: lungs

text: Allahu

text: akbar

text: which

text: means

text: God

text: is

text: great

text: in

text: Arabic

text: Burnette

text: dropped

text: to

text: the

text: floor

text: hugging

text: the

text: ground

text: for

text: dear

text: life

text: His

text: mind

text: was

text: spinning

text: What

text: insanity

text: was

text: this

text: Once

text: I

text: saw

text: the

text: blood

text: I

text: realized

text: I

text: had

text: to

text: move

text: he

text: said

text: I

text: had

text: to

text: get

text: out

text: of

text: there

text: Burnette

text: began

text: to

text: stand

text: up

text: and

text: noticed

text: the

text: gunman

text: was

text: pointing

text: in

text: his

text: direction

text: He

text: picked

text: up

text: a

text: folding

text: table

text: next

text: to

text: him

text: it

text: was

text: the

text: heaviest

text: object

text: he

text: could

text: see

text: and

text: hurled

text: it

text: toward

text: the

text: shooter

text: He

text: knew

text: it

text: would

text: draw

text: the

text: gunman

text: 's

text: attention

text: and

text: divert

text: his

text: line

text: of

text: sight

text: from

text: others

text: Burnette

text: said

text: he

text: was

text: n't

text: trying

text: to

text: play

text: a

text: hero

text: There

text: are

text: guys

text: overseas

text: doing

text: more

text: than

text: what

text: I

text: did

text: he

text: said

text: I

text: just

text: happened

text: to

text: be

text: at

text: a

text: certain

text: place

text: at

text: a

text: certain

text: time

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: and

text: hopefully

text: I

text: made

text: a

text: difference

text: But

text: that

text: 's

text: when

text: he

text: got

text: hit

text: He

text: took

text: a

text: round

text: that

text: pierced

text: his

text: hip

text: on

text: the

text: left

text: side

text: and

text: tore

text: through

text: his

text: abdomen

text: After

text: the

text: hit

text: I

text: fell

text: down

text: not

text: even

text: realizing

text: I

text: had

text: been

text: hit

text: he

text: said

text: As

text: I

text: tried

text: to

text: get

text: back

text: up

text: I

text: was

text: shot

text: in

text: the

text: elbow

text: on

text: the

text: left

text: arm

text: and

text: the

text: knuckle

text: on

text: the

text: left

text: pinky

text: finger

text: He

text: was

text: like

text: a

text: wounded

text: animal

text: desperate

text: to

text: escape

text: the

text: hunter

text: 's

text: aim

text: He

text: wanted

text: to

text: kill

text: all

text: of

text: us

text: Burnette

text: said

text: We

text: were

text: all

text: unarmed

text: Burnette

text: 's

text: gut

text: felt

text: like

text: a

text: knife

text: slicing

text: through

text: it

text: He

text: could

text: n't

text: feel

text: his

text: leg

text: His

text: left

text: arm

text: was

text: numb

text: too

text: He

text: stared

text: at

text: it

text: and

text: thought

text: of

text: those

text: dummy

text: arms

text: that

text: people

text: buy

text: at

text: Halloween

text: Oh

text: my

text: God

text: he

text: thought

text: This

text: guy

text: shot

text: me

text: Burnette

text: began

text: moving

text: with

text: every

text: ounce

text: of

text: strength

text: he

text: could

text: muster

text: and

text: hid

text: in

text: a

text: nearby

text: cubicle

text: The

text: gunman

text: had

text: started

text: moving

text: to

text: the

text: other

text: side

text: of

text: the

text: building

text: reloading

text: and

text: shooting

text: Reloading

text: and

text: shooting

text: Burnette

text: knew

text: he

text: had

text: to

text: get

text: out

text: of

text: that

text: building

text: As

text: I

text: started

text: to

text: run

text: I

text: fell

text: again

text: not

text: realizing

text: I

text: could

text: n't

text: use

text: my

text: left

text: leg

text: After

text: falling

text: Burnette

text: said

text: he

text: threw

text: all

text: of

text: my

text: body

text: weight

text: towards

text: that

text: door

text: as

text: hard

text: and

text: as

text: fast

text: as

text: possible

text: Once

text: I

text: hit

text: that

text: front

text: door

text: I

text: began

text: to

text: low

text: crawl

text: about

text: five

text: meters

text: up

text: a

text: hill

text: just

text: you

text: know

text: pushing

text: my

text: body

text: forward

text: with

text: everything

text: I

text: had

text: he

text: said

text: A

text: staff

text: sergeant

text: grabbed

text: him

text: by

text: his

text: uniform

text: collar

text: and

text: dragged

text: him

text: into

text: an

text: office

text: and

text: locked

text: the

text: door

text: Everything

text: is

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: all

text: right

text: the

text: sergeant

text: told

text: him

text: as

text: he

text: began

text: administering

text: first

text: aid

text: Burnette

text: said

text: he

text: does

text: n't

text: know

text: the

text: sergeant

text: 's

text: name

text: but

text: he

text: will

text: recognize

text: him

text: instantly

text: if

text: their

text: paths

text: ever

text: cross

text: again

text: Our

text: Father

text: who

text: art

text: in

text: heaven

text: hallowed

text: be

text: thy

text: name

text: Burnette

text: a

text: practicing

text: Catholic

text: lie

text: on

text: the

text: ground

text: repeating

text: the

text: prayer

text: over

text: and

text: over

text: again

text: He

text: did

text: n't

text: know

text: whether

text: he

text: would

text: see

text: his

text: wife

text: again

text: A

text: week

text: later

text: Burnette

text: has

text: undergone

text: two

text: operations

text: and

text: still

text: has

text: a

text: bullet

text: lodged

text: in

text: his

text: right

text: hip

text: On

text: Wednesday

text: he

text: was

text: making

text: his

text: way

text: to

text: the

text: Army

text: 's

text: Brooke

text: Army

text: Medical

text: Center

text: in

text: San

text: Antonio

text: Texas

text: for

text: further

text: treatment

text: He

text: knows

text: that

text: 's

text: where

text: Maj

text: Nidal

text: Malik

text: Hasan

text: the

text: accused

text: shooter

text: is

text: also

text: being

text: treated

text: I

text: ca

text: n't

text: really

text: think

text: about

text: it

text: Burnette

text: said

text: I

text: have

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: faith

text: in

text: our

text: military

text: our

text: judicial

text: system

text: and

text: God

text: Soldiers

text: are

text: taught

text: from

text: day

text: one

text: that

text: you

text: help

text: the

text: wounded

text: even

text: when

text: they

text: are

text: enemies

text: in

text: combat

text: even

text: the

text: guy

text: who

text: shot

text: you

text: Do

text: n't

text: get

text: me

text: wrong

text: he

text: said

text: Everything

text: in

text: your

text: heart

text: wants

text: to

text: unleash

text: anger

text: at

text: this

text: person

text: but

text: we

text: have

text: to

text: trust

text: that

text: our

text: system

text: works

text: somehow

text: By

text: no

text: means

text: am

text: I

text: happy

text: that

text: he

text: is

text: in

text: better

text: shape

text: than

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: my

text: comrades

text: Burnette

text: said

text: about

text: the

text: suspect

text: But

text: I

text: 'm

text: not

text: here

text: to

text: play

text: God

text: either

text: Ultimately

text: Burnette

text: said

text: he

text: is

text: sorry

text: for

text: a

text: man

text: who

text: feels

text: the

text: need

text: to

text: execute

text: unarmed

text: personnel

text: his

text: comrades

text: in

text: the

text: name

text: of

text: God

text: Does

text: he

text: pity

text: the

text: Fort

text: Hood

text: shooter

text: Yeah

text: he

text: said

text: pausing

text: To

text: an

text: extent

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Sanjay

text: Gupta

text: and

text: Danielle

text: Dellorto

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: What did Burnette say he threw at the shotter?

answer: folding table

text: folding table

question: Who was the accused shooter?

answer: Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan,

text: Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan,

question: Where is Burnette being housed?

answer: Fort Hood, Texas,

text: Fort Hood, Texas,

question: What hospital now houses both Burnette and Hasan?

answer: Army's Brooke Army Medical Center

text: Army's Brooke Army Medical Center

question: Where did the nightmare day take place?

answer: Fort Hood,

text: Fort Hood,

question: Who is Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan?

answer: the accused shooter,

text: the accused shooter,

question: How many people were shot on Spc. Logan Burnette's original day at Fort Hood?

answer: Twelve soldiers and one civilian

text: Twelve soldiers and one civilian

question: Where did the shooting take place?

answer: Fort Hood

text: Fort Hood


text:
(CNN) -- A family friend of a U.S. soldier captured by the Taliban said his friends and family want Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl to "stand tall, stand firm."

Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl in a video made by his captors, members of the Taliban.

"Bowe, if you see this, know that we love you and we are praying fervently for you and prayers are going up for you from all over the world," Tim Baker told CNN affiliate KTVB-TV in the soldier's hometown of Ketchum, Idaho.

"To all of our valiant men and women, know that the American people believe in you, support you and are 100 percent behind you, and we thank God every day that you have our back."

In a video released Sunday, apparently made by his captors, Bergdahl spoke of being "scared I won't be able to go home."

"It breaks our heart," Baker said. "It's like having one of our own kids in this situation."  Watch friend's comments about Taliban captive Â»

The Bergdahl family is not speaking with media, but Baker said prayer is helping. "Prayer means that we are extremely powerful because God is not limited by where we are when we pray. He is there with Bowe, and so we know that he is protecting him and is with him, so we don't feel powerless against these people," Baker said. "We feel very empowered."

Bergdahl, 23, was captured June 30 from Paktika province in southeastern Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.

The Taliban has threatened to kill Bergdahl if foreign troops continue targeting civilians in the name of search operations in Ghazni and Paktika provinces, Taliban commander Mulvi Sangeen said by telephone Friday after being contacted by CNN at an undisclosed location.

NATO-led forces in Afghanistan and the U.S. military have repeatedly denied targeting civilians.

U.S. forces in Afghanistan are doing everything possible to free Bergdahl, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday.

Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news conference they were disgusted at the video that Bergdahl's captors released.

"My personal reaction was one of disgust at the exploitation of this young soldier," Gates said.

In the 28-minute video, Bergdahl becomes emotional when he speaks of his family -- his parents, siblings, nieces and nephew -- and the girlfriend he hopes to marry.

"I have a very, very good family that I love back home in America, and I miss them every day that I'm gone," he says. "I miss them, and I'm afraid I might never see them again and that I'll never be able to tell them I love them again. I'll never be able to hug them.

"I'm scared I won't be able to go home. It is very unnerving to be a prisoner," he said. However, his captors are treating him "like a guest," he said.

Asked by his captors if he had any message for Americans, the soldier said, "To my fellow Americans who have loved ones over here, who know what it's like to miss them, you have the power to make our government bring them home. Please, please bring us home so we can be back where we belong and not over here."

It was not clear whether some or all of Bergdahl's remarks were scripted by his captors.  Watch excerpt from the video Â»

The last few minutes of the video show him eating a meal.

The Bergdahl family expressed how they are feeling to Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling. "We've been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support and concern towards Bowe and our family. As you know, the situation is extremely difficult for everyone involved. We'd like to remind all of you our sole focus is seeing our beloved son Bowe safely home.

"Please continue to keep Bowe in your thoughts and prayers, and we ask for your continued acceptance of our need for privacy in this difficult situation. Thank you."

A reporter asked Femling if the military has restricted anything he has said and he answered that it has not.

The Taliban earlier claimed responsibility for Bergdahl's kidnapping, the military said. Last week, the U.S. military distributed pamphlets in eastern Afghanistan in an effort to locate him.

"As you can see, the American soldier is in good shape and good health, and he is being treated well based on the guidelines of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan regarding war prisoners," said a statement on Islamist Web sites accompanying the video. "Any decision regarding the American soldier will be the specialty of the high order of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, may God protect him."

The U.S. military said it believed Bergdahl may have been moved to various locations. In the video, Bergdahl's captor makes reference to his being moved from Paktika to Khandahar, saying the move was accomplished "very easily." The claim could not be independently verified. Asked the date by his captor, Bergdahl says it is July 14.

Two versions of the pamphlets were distributed in Afghanistan, written in the Pashto language. They were made available to CNN by U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

One shows the image of an American soldier shaking hands with a group of kids with the message, "One of our American guests is missing. Return the guest to his home. Call us at" -- and lists a phone number.

The other shows a U.S. soldier kicking down a door, and then an outstretched hand with the superimposed image of a soldier, his head and arms drooping, and the words, "If you do not release the U.S. soldier then ... you will be hunted."

The goal of the pamphlets was to balance the effort to get Bergdahl back with how U.S. forces interact with the local population, Gates and Mullen said Monday. Mullen said the message of the second pamphlet was "not threatening, but to express that we will do what we have to do to find this individual."

Days after Bergdahl went missing, a senior U.S. military official said Bergdahl was captured by low-level militants and then quickly "sold" to the clan and network led by warlord Siraj Haqqani, who is believed to be deeply involved in the action.

The Haqqani clan operates on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border and is well known to the U.S. military.

Bergdahl apparently left his small outpost on his own on June 30 with no apparent means of defending himself, the official said. Taliban commander Mulvi Sangeen said he visited a military post in the Yousaf Khel district in the Paktika province, got drunk and was ambushed while returning to his car.

Sangeen said the soldier was taken to a safe place. CNN could not independently verify Sangeen's claims.

A source with the U.S. military denied the claim that Bergdahl was drunk. "The Taliban are known for lying and what they are claiming [is] not true," the source said.

In the video, Bergdahl says he was captured as he was lagging behind a patrol.

Bergdahl is not a National Guardsman, according to the Idaho National Guard statement, but the organization said it was coordinating with the Department of Defense to provide public affairs duties and other assistance to the Bergdahl family. The family has requested privacy, the statement said.

On Monday, four U.S. troops with the International Security Assistance Force were killed in eastern Afghanistan, according to a senior U.S. official there. The deaths would raise the total of U.S. military fatalities in Afghanistan to 30 in July, the highest monthly toll since the war began in October 2001. According to the security force, the four were killed in a roadside bombing.

CNN's Barbara Starr and journalist Janullah Hashimzada contributed to this report.

text: CNN

text: A

text: family

text: friend

text: of

text: a

text: U.S.

text: soldier

text: captured

text: by

text: the

text: Taliban

text: said

text: his

text: friends

text: and

text: family

text: want

text: Pfc

text: Bowe

text: Bergdahl

text: to

text: stand

text: tall

text: stand

text: firm

text: Pfc

text: Bowe

text: Bergdahl

text: in

text: a

text: video

text: made

text: by

text: his

text: captors

text: members

text: of

text: the

text: Taliban

text: Bowe

text: if

text: you

text: see

text: this

text: know

text: that

text: we

text: love

text: you

text: and

text: we

text: are

text: praying

text: fervently

text: for

text: you

text: and

text: prayers

text: are

text: going

text: up

text: for

text: you

text: from

text: all

text: over

text: the

text: world

text: Tim

text: Baker

text: told

text: CNN

text: affiliate

text: KTVB

text: TV

text: in

text: the

text: soldier

text: 's

text: hometown

text: of

text: Ketchum

text: Idaho

text: To

text: all

text: of

text: our

text: valiant

text: men

text: and

text: women

text: know

text: that

text: the

text: American

text: people

text: believe

text: in

text: you

text: support

text: you

text: and

text: are

text: percent

text: behind

text: you

text: and

text: we

text: thank

text: God

text: every

text: day

text: that

text: you

text: have

text: our

text: back

text: In

text: a

text: video

text: released

text: Sunday

text: apparently

text: made

text: by

text: his

text: captors

text: Bergdahl

text: spoke

text: of

text: being

text: scared

text: I

text: wo

text: n't

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: go

text: home

text: It

text: breaks

text: our

text: heart

text: Baker

text: said

text: It

text: 's

text: like

text: having

text: one

text: of

text: our

text: own

text: kids

text: in

text: this

text: situation

text: Watch

text: friend

text: 's

text: comments

text: about

text: Taliban

text: captive

text: Â

text: The

text: Bergdahl

text: family

text: is

text: not

text: speaking

text: with

text: media

text: but

text: Baker

text: said

text: prayer

text: is

text: helping

text: Prayer

text: means

text: that

text: we

text: are

text: extremely

text: powerful

text: because

text: God

text: is

text: not

text: limited

text: by

text: where

text: we

text: are

text: when

text: we

text: pray

text: He

text: is

text: there

text: with

text: Bowe

text: and

text: so

text: we

text: know

text: that

text: he

text: is

text: protecting

text: him

text: and

text: is

text: with

text: him

text: so

text: we

text: do

text: n't

text: feel

text: powerless

text: against

text: these

text: people

text: Baker

text: said

text: We

text: feel

text: very

text: empowered

text: Bergdahl

text: was

text: captured

text: June

text: from

text: Paktika

text: province

text: in

text: southeastern

text: Afghanistan

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: Department

text: of

text: Defense

text: The

text: Taliban

text: has

text: threatened

text: to

text: kill

text: Bergdahl

text: if

text: foreign

text: troops

text: continue

text: targeting

text: civilians

text: in

text: the

text: name

text: of

text: search

text: operations

text: in

text: Ghazni

text: and

text: Paktika

text: provinces

text: Taliban

text: commander

text: Mulvi

text: Sangeen

text: said

text: by

text: telephone

text: Friday

text: after

text: being

text: contacted

text: by

text: CNN

text: at

text: an

text: undisclosed

text: location

text: NATO

text: led

text: forces

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: and

text: the

text: U.S.

text: military

text: have

text: repeatedly

text: denied

text: targeting

text: civilians

text: U.S.

text: forces

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: are

text: doing

text: everything

text: possible

text: to

text: free

text: Bergdahl

text: Defense

text: Secretary

text: Robert

text: Gates

text: said

text: Monday

text: Gates

text: and

text: Adm.

text: Mike

text: Mullen

text: the

text: chairman

text: of

text: the

text: Joint

text: Chiefs

text: of

text: Staff

text: told

text: a

text: news

text: conference

text: they

text: were

text: disgusted

text: at

text: the

text: video

text: that

text: Bergdahl

text: 's

text: captors

text: released

text: My

text: personal

text: reaction

text: was

text: one

text: of

text: disgust

text: at

text: the

text: exploitation

text: of

text: this

text: young

text: soldier

text: Gates

text: said

text: In

text: the

text: video

text: Bergdahl

text: becomes

text: emotional

text: when

text: he

text: speaks

text: of

text: his

text: family

text: his

text: parents

text: siblings

text: nieces

text: and

text: nephew

text: and

text: the

text: girlfriend

text: he

text: hopes

text: to

text: marry

text: I

text: have

text: a

text: very

text: very

text: good

text: family

text: that

text: I

text: love

text: back

text: home

text: in

text: America

text: and

text: I

text: miss

text: them

text: every

text: day

text: that

text: I

text: 'm

text: gone

text: he

text: says

text: I

text: miss

text: them

text: and

text: I

text: 'm

text: afraid

text: I

text: might

text: never

text: see

text: them

text: again

text: and

text: that

text: I

text: 'll

text: never

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: tell

text: them

text: I

text: love

text: them

text: again

text: I

text: 'll

text: never

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: hug

text: them

text: I

text: 'm

text: scared

text: I

text: wo

text: n't

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: go

text: home

text: It

text: is

text: very

text: unnerving

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: prisoner

text: he

text: said

text: However

text: his

text: captors

text: are

text: treating

text: him

text: like

text: a

text: guest

text: he

text: said

text: Asked

text: by

text: his

text: captors

text: if

text: he

text: had

text: any

text: message

text: for

text: Americans

text: the

text: soldier

text: said

text: To

text: my

text: fellow

text: Americans

text: who

text: have

text: loved

text: ones

text: over

text: here

text: who

text: know

text: what

text: it

text: 's

text: like

text: to

text: miss

text: them

text: you

text: have

text: the

text: power

text: to

text: make

text: our

text: government

text: bring

text: them

text: home

text: Please

text: please

text: bring

text: us

text: home

text: so

text: we

text: can

text: be

text: back

text: where

text: we

text: belong

text: and

text: not

text: over

text: here

text: It

text: was

text: not

text: clear

text: whether

text: some

text: or

text: all

text: of

text: Bergdahl

text: 's

text: remarks

text: were

text: scripted

text: by

text: his

text: captors

text: Watch

text: excerpt

text: from

text: the

text: video

text: Â

text: The

text: last

text: few

text: minutes

text: of

text: the

text: video

text: show

text: him

text: eating

text: a

text: meal

text: The

text: Bergdahl

text: family

text: expressed

text: how

text: they

text: are

text: feeling

text: to

text: Blaine

text: County

text: Sheriff

text: Walt

text: Femling

text: We

text: 've

text: been

text: overwhelmed

text: with

text: the

text: outpouring

text: of

text: support

text: and

text: concern

text: towards

text: Bowe

text: and

text: our

text: family

text: As

text: you

text: know

text: the

text: situation

text: is

text: extremely

text: difficult

text: for

text: everyone

text: involved

text: We

text: 'd

text: like

text: to

text: remind

text: all

text: of

text: you

text: our

text: sole

text: focus

text: is

text: seeing

text: our

text: beloved

text: son

text: Bowe

text: safely

text: home

text: Please

text: continue

text: to

text: keep

text: Bowe

text: in

text: your

text: thoughts

text: and

text: prayers

text: and

text: we

text: ask

text: for

text: your

text: continued

text: acceptance

text: of

text: our

text: need

text: for

text: privacy

text: in

text: this

text: difficult

text: situation

text: Thank

text: you

text: A

text: reporter

text: asked

text: Femling

text: if

text: the

text: military

text: has

text: restricted

text: anything

text: he

text: has

text: said

text: and

text: he

text: answered

text: that

text: it

text: has

text: not

text: The

text: Taliban

text: earlier

text: claimed

text: responsibility

text: for

text: Bergdahl

text: 's

text: kidnapping

text: the

text: military

text: said

text: Last

text: week

text: the

text: U.S.

text: military

text: distributed

text: pamphlets

text: in

text: eastern

text: Afghanistan

text: in

text: an

text: effort

text: to

text: locate

text: him

text: As

text: you

text: can

text: see

text: the

text: American

text: soldier

text: is

text: in

text: good

text: shape

text: and

text: good

text: health

text: and

text: he

text: is

text: being

text: treated

text: well

text: based

text: on

text: the

text: guidelines

text: of

text: the

text: Islamic

text: Emirate

text: of

text: Afghanistan

text: regarding

text: war

text: prisoners

text: said

text: a

text: statement

text: on

text: Islamist

text: Web

text: sites

text: accompanying

text: the

text: video

text: Any

text: decision

text: regarding

text: the

text: American

text: soldier

text: will

text: be

text: the

text: specialty

text: of

text: the

text: high

text: order

text: of

text: the

text: Islamic

text: Emirate

text: of

text: Afghanistan

text: may

text: God

text: protect

text: him

text: The

text: U.S.

text: military

text: said

text: it

text: believed

text: Bergdahl

text: may

text: have

text: been

text: moved

text: to

text: various

text: locations

text: In

text: the

text: video

text: Bergdahl

text: 's

text: captor

text: makes

text: reference

text: to

text: his

text: being

text: moved

text: from

text: Paktika

text: to

text: Khandahar

text: saying

text: the

text: move

text: was

text: accomplished

text: very

text: easily

text: The

text: claim

text: could

text: not

text: be

text: independently

text: verified

text: Asked

text: the

text: date

text: by

text: his

text: captor

text: Bergdahl

text: says

text: it

text: is

text: July

text: Two

text: versions

text: of

text: the

text: pamphlets

text: were

text: distributed

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: written

text: in

text: the

text: Pashto

text: language

text: They

text: were

text: made

text: available

text: to

text: CNN

text: by

text: U.S.

text: forces

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: One

text: shows

text: the

text: image

text: of

text: an

text: American

text: soldier

text: shaking

text: hands

text: with

text: a

text: group

text: of

text: kids

text: with

text: the

text: message

text: One

text: of

text: our

text: American

text: guests

text: is

text: missing

text: Return

text: the

text: guest

text: to

text: his

text: home

text: Call

text: us

text: at

text: and

text: lists

text: a

text: phone

text: number

text: The

text: other

text: shows

text: a

text: U.S.

text: soldier

text: kicking

text: down

text: a

text: door

text: and

text: then

text: an

text: outstretched

text: hand

text: with

text: the

text: superimposed

text: image

text: of

text: a

text: soldier

text: his

text: head

text: and

text: arms

text: drooping

text: and

text: the

text: words

text: If

text: you

text: do

text: not

text: release

text: the

text: U.S.

text: soldier

text: then

text: you

text: will

text: be

text: hunted

text: The

text: goal

text: of

text: the

text: pamphlets

text: was

text: to

text: balance

text: the

text: effort

text: to

text: get

text: Bergdahl

text: back

text: with

text: how

text: U.S.

text: forces

text: interact

text: with

text: the

text: local

text: population

text: Gates

text: and

text: Mullen

text: said

text: Monday

text: Mullen

text: said

text: the

text: message

text: of

text: the

text: second

text: pamphlet

text: was

text: not

text: threatening

text: but

text: to

text: express

text: that

text: we

text: will

text: do

text: what

text: we

text: have

text: to

text: do

text: to

text: find

text: this

text: individual

text: Days

text: after

text: Bergdahl

text: went

text: missing

text: a

text: senior

text: U.S.

text: military

text: official

text: said

text: Bergdahl

text: was

text: captured

text: by

text: low

text: level

text: militants

text: and

text: then

text: quickly

text: sold

text: to

text: the

text: clan

text: and

text: network

text: led

text: by

text: warlord

text: Siraj

text: Haqqani

text: who

text: is

text: believed

text: to

text: be

text: deeply

text: involved

text: in

text: the

text: action

text: The

text: Haqqani

text: clan

text: operates

text: on

text: both

text: sides

text: of

text: the

text: Afghan

text: Pakistani

text: border

text: and

text: is

text: well

text: known

text: to

text: the

text: U.S.

text: military

text: Bergdahl

text: apparently

text: left

text: his

text: small

text: outpost

text: on

text: his

text: own

text: on

text: June

text: with

text: no

text: apparent

text: means

text: of

text: defending

text: himself

text: the

text: official

text: said

text: Taliban

text: commander

text: Mulvi

text: Sangeen

text: said

text: he

text: visited

text: a

text: military

text: post

text: in

text: the

text: Yousaf

text: Khel

text: district

text: in

text: the

text: Paktika

text: province

text: got

text: drunk

text: and

text: was

text: ambushed

text: while

text: returning

text: to

text: his

text: car

text: Sangeen

text: said

text: the

text: soldier

text: was

text: taken

text: to

text: a

text: safe

text: place

text: CNN

text: could

text: not

text: independently

text: verify

text: Sangeen

text: 's

text: claims

text: A

text: source

text: with

text: the

text: U.S.

text: military

text: denied

text: the

text: claim

text: that

text: Bergdahl

text: was

text: drunk

text: The

text: Taliban

text: are

text: known

text: for

text: lying

text: and

text: what

text: they

text: are

text: claiming

text: is

text: not

text: true

text: the

text: source

text: said

text: In

text: the

text: video

text: Bergdahl

text: says

text: he

text: was

text: captured

text: as

text: he

text: was

text: lagging

text: behind

text: a

text: patrol

text: Bergdahl

text: is

text: not

text: a

text: National

text: Guardsman

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: Idaho

text: National

text: Guard

text: statement

text: but

text: the

text: organization

text: said

text: it

text: was

text: coordinating

text: with

text: the

text: Department

text: of

text: Defense

text: to

text: provide

text: public

text: affairs

text: duties

text: and

text: other

text: assistance

text: to

text: the

text: Bergdahl

text: family

text: The

text: family

text: has

text: requested

text: privacy

text: the

text: statement

text: said

text: On

text: Monday

text: four

text: U.S.

text: troops

text: with

text: the

text: International

text: Security

text: Assistance

text: Force

text: were

text: killed

text: in

text: eastern

text: Afghanistan

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: senior

text: U.S.

text: official

text: there

text: The

text: deaths

text: would

text: raise

text: the

text: total

text: of

text: U.S.

text: military

text: fatalities

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: to

text: in

text: July

text: the

text: highest

text: monthly

text: toll

text: since

text: the

text: war

text: began

text: in

text: October

text: According

text: to

text: the

text: security

text: force

text: the

text: four

text: were

text: killed

text: in

text: a

text: roadside

text: bombing

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Barbara

text: Starr

text: and

text: journalist

text: Janullah

text: Hashimzada

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: What did the Defense Secretary report?

answer: U.S. forces in Afghanistan are doing everything possible to free Bergdahl,

text: U.S. forces in Afghanistan are doing everything possible to free Bergdahl,

question: What captured soldier said about his future?

answer: might never see them again

text: might never see them again

question: What U.S. Defence Secretary said about finding Bergdahl?

answer: forces in Afghanistan are doing everything possible to free

text: forces in Afghanistan are doing everything possible to free

question: What friend to soldier said?

answer: "stand tall, stand firm."

text: "stand tall, stand firm."

question: What is one soldier from Idaho afraid of?

answer: I might never see them again and that I'll never be able to tell them I love them again. I'll never be able to hug them.

text: I might never see them again and that I'll never be able to tell them I love them again. I'll never be able to hug them.

question: Who was captured?

answer: U.S. soldier

text: U.S. soldier

question: Where is the soldier from?

answer: Ketchum, Idaho.

text: Ketchum, Idaho.


text:
Editor's note: William Jelani Cobb is Associate Professor of History at Spelman College, and author of the forthcoming "Change Has Come: Barack Obama and the Meaning of Progress." He blogs at http://americanexception.com/

William Jelani Cobb says Somalia's piracy problem was fueled by environmental and political events.

(CNN) -- The drama of an American ship captain held hostage by Somali pirates led last Sunday's talk shows.

Just hours before Maersk Alabama Capt. Richard Phillips was rescued, the piracy incident was discussed as one of the "tests" of President Obama that Joe Biden warned about during the campaign.

Others wondered whether wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched our military resources too thin to respond effectively to these kinds of provocations. Many expressed outrage at the brand of naval gangsterism that by some estimates generated as much as $80 million in 2008.

Clearly this escalating pattern of pirate attacks may soon constitute an international crisis. But what this situation actually reveals is how little we've learned in the nearly eight years since George W. Bush declared war on terror.

Somalia is like Afghanistan in that we had a great deal of interest in the place during the Cold War and more or less forgot about it afterward. The United States supported the government of Said Barre during the 1980s primarily for the same reason we began funneling aid to the Afghan rebels: anticommunism.

Barre was a regional counterpoint to the Marxist regime next door in Ethiopia and strategically important enough for his human rights abuses to be tolerated. And like Afghanistan, Somalia quickly fell into disarray after the Cold War ended and the United States cut off support.

During the early post-Cold War era, the United States developed a more narrowly defined set of interests and it was common to hear American foreign policy circles express disdain for "nation-building" projects. But two decades later we continue to deal with the consequences of our abrupt exit from both countries.

Our fleeting humanitarian concern with Somalia ended with the downing of two Blackhawk helicopters in 1993. But that incident actually served as a kind of foreshadowing and highlighted yet another link to Afghanistan: The forces that attacked American troops in Mogadishu were reportedly linked to al Qaeda.

The 9/11 attacks and Afghanistan's role in sheltering al Qaeda should have given us reason to re-examine other regions where similar blowback might take place. In short, we might well have looked at what was going on in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, and seen trouble on the horizon elsewhere.

The Somali situation was further complicated by a series of economic and ecological problems that have struck the region in the past decade. In the wake of the government collapse, the Somali coast became a target of illegal commercial fishing. This is a problem across East and Southern Africa but rampant in Somalia. According to one report, some 700 vessels were illegally operating in the region and fishing the local stock to near depletion.

As recently as 2006 Somali fishermen complained to the U.N. that illegal fishing was driving them to the brink of economic collapse. To add to the burden, the coast also became a favorite locale for nuclear waste dumping.

In 2005, U.N. officials confirmed that barrels containing illegally dumped nuclear waste had cracked open during the tsunami that year and begun washing ashore. The situation was widely reported by international news outlets with virtually no consequences.

No matter what we think of their current methods, it's impossible to solve the piracy problem without addressing the illegal fishing issue. Somalia lacks a functioning navy -- or government. Similarly, we were not talking about the over-fishing and nuclear waste issues -- to the extent we do talk about them now -- before the Somalis began to respond in kind.

These environmental violations will undoubtedly cost lives and the West has more or less ignored Somali pleas. Our intense and highly selective outrage began when the Somalis started targeting commercial vehicles.

Faced with this response it's hard to avoid the conclusion that the Western consumer products, carried by these ships are more valuable than Somali lives.

Given the recent history of unstable states like Afghanistan and Iraq, piracy is actually one of the milder problems we could have expected from the region. In a worst-case scenario, the region could become an incubator for terrorist cells or a depot for training international jihadists -- if it hasn't already.

Resolving this problem will likely involve precisely the kind of nation-building the United States once disdained and are now engaged in with Afghanistan. They amount to the back-end costs of the Cold War.

These pirates are not romantic heroes and their actions have generated an entirely different set of problems in Somalia, but they have our attention. In light of this incident we should recognize there are two sets of victims here: innocent workers taken hostage by pirates and those people living along the poisoned and depleted Somali coast who may well see these pirates as heroes.

We should also know that part of combating terrorism means addressing the conditions in which it flourishes. Extortion and kidnapping on the high seas is certainly wrong, but by ignoring the dumping of nuclear waste and the threats to the regional food supply, we effectively created a niche for these pirates. And Capt. Phillips' ordeal is a clear signal that humanitarian concerns are not the soft aspects of foreign policy, but rather the key to protecting our national interests abroad.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of William Jelani Cobb.

text: Editor

text: 's

text: note

text: William

text: Jelani

text: Cobb

text: is

text: Associate

text: Professor

text: of

text: History

text: at

text: Spelman

text: College

text: and

text: author

text: of

text: the

text: forthcoming

text: Change

text: Has

text: Come

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: and

text: the

text: Meaning

text: of

text: Progress

text: He

text: blogs

text: at

text: William

text: Jelani

text: Cobb

text: says

text: Somalia

text: 's

text: piracy

text: problem

text: was

text: fueled

text: by

text: environmental

text: and

text: political

text: events

text: CNN

text: The

text: drama

text: of

text: an

text: American

text: ship

text: captain

text: held

text: hostage

text: by

text: Somali

text: pirates

text: led

text: last

text: Sunday

text: 's

text: talk

text: shows

text: Just

text: hours

text: before

text: Maersk

text: Alabama

text: Capt

text: Richard

text: Phillips

text: was

text: rescued

text: the

text: piracy

text: incident

text: was

text: discussed

text: as

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: tests

text: of

text: President

text: Obama

text: that

text: Joe

text: Biden

text: warned

text: about

text: during

text: the

text: campaign

text: Others

text: wondered

text: whether

text: wars

text: in

text: Iraq

text: and

text: Afghanistan

text: have

text: stretched

text: our

text: military

text: resources

text: too

text: thin

text: to

text: respond

text: effectively

text: to

text: these

text: kinds

text: of

text: provocations

text: Many

text: expressed

text: outrage

text: at

text: the

text: brand

text: of

text: naval

text: gangsterism

text: that

text: by

text: some

text: estimates

text: generated

text: as

text: much

text: as

text: million

text: in

text: Clearly

text: this

text: escalating

text: pattern

text: of

text: pirate

text: attacks

text: may

text: soon

text: constitute

text: an

text: international

text: crisis

text: But

text: what

text: this

text: situation

text: actually

text: reveals

text: is

text: how

text: little

text: we

text: 've

text: learned

text: in

text: the

text: nearly

text: eight

text: years

text: since

text: George

text: W.

text: Bush

text: declared

text: war

text: on

text: terror

text: Somalia

text: is

text: like

text: Afghanistan

text: in

text: that

text: we

text: had

text: a

text: great

text: deal

text: of

text: interest

text: in

text: the

text: place

text: during

text: the

text: Cold

text: War

text: and

text: more

text: or

text: less

text: forgot

text: about

text: it

text: afterward

text: The

text: United

text: States

text: supported

text: the

text: government

text: of

text: Said

text: Barre

text: during

text: the

text: primarily

text: for

text: the

text: same

text: reason

text: we

text: began

text: funneling

text: aid

text: to

text: the

text: Afghan

text: rebels

text: anticommunism

text: Barre

text: was

text: a

text: regional

text: counterpoint

text: to

text: the

text: Marxist

text: regime

text: next

text: door

text: in

text: Ethiopia

text: and

text: strategically

text: important

text: enough

text: for

text: his

text: human

text: rights

text: abuses

text: to

text: be

text: tolerated

text: And

text: like

text: Afghanistan

text: Somalia

text: quickly

text: fell

text: into

text: disarray

text: after

text: the

text: Cold

text: War

text: ended

text: and

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: cut

text: off

text: support

text: During

text: the

text: early

text: post

text: Cold

text: War

text: era

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: developed

text: a

text: more

text: narrowly

text: defined

text: set

text: of

text: interests

text: and

text: it

text: was

text: common

text: to

text: hear

text: American

text: foreign

text: policy

text: circles

text: express

text: disdain

text: for

text: nation

text: building

text: projects

text: But

text: two

text: decades

text: later

text: we

text: continue

text: to

text: deal

text: with

text: the

text: consequences

text: of

text: our

text: abrupt

text: exit

text: from

text: both

text: countries

text: Our

text: fleeting

text: humanitarian

text: concern

text: with

text: Somalia

text: ended

text: with

text: the

text: downing

text: of

text: two

text: Blackhawk

text: helicopters

text: in

text: But

text: that

text: incident

text: actually

text: served

text: as

text: a

text: kind

text: of

text: foreshadowing

text: and

text: highlighted

text: yet

text: another

text: link

text: to

text: Afghanistan

text: The

text: forces

text: that

text: attacked

text: American

text: troops

text: in

text: Mogadishu

text: were

text: reportedly

text: linked

text: to

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: The

text: attacks

text: and

text: Afghanistan

text: 's

text: role

text: in

text: sheltering

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: should

text: have

text: given

text: us

text: reason

text: to

text: re

text: examine

text: other

text: regions

text: where

text: similar

text: blowback

text: might

text: take

text: place

text: In

text: short

text: we

text: might

text: well

text: have

text: looked

text: at

text: what

text: was

text: going

text: on

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: after

text: September

text: and

text: seen

text: trouble

text: on

text: the

text: horizon

text: elsewhere

text: The

text: Somali

text: situation

text: was

text: further

text: complicated

text: by

text: a

text: series

text: of

text: economic

text: and

text: ecological

text: problems

text: that

text: have

text: struck

text: the

text: region

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: decade

text: In

text: the

text: wake

text: of

text: the

text: government

text: collapse

text: the

text: Somali

text: coast

text: became

text: a

text: target

text: of

text: illegal

text: commercial

text: fishing

text: This

text: is

text: a

text: problem

text: across

text: East

text: and

text: Southern

text: Africa

text: but

text: rampant

text: in

text: Somalia

text: According

text: to

text: one

text: report

text: some

text: vessels

text: were

text: illegally

text: operating

text: in

text: the

text: region

text: and

text: fishing

text: the

text: local

text: stock

text: to

text: near

text: depletion

text: As

text: recently

text: as

text: Somali

text: fishermen

text: complained

text: to

text: the

text: U.N.

text: that

text: illegal

text: fishing

text: was

text: driving

text: them

text: to

text: the

text: brink

text: of

text: economic

text: collapse

text: To

text: add

text: to

text: the

text: burden

text: the

text: coast

text: also

text: became

text: a

text: favorite

text: locale

text: for

text: nuclear

text: waste

text: dumping

text: In

text: U.N.

text: officials

text: confirmed

text: that

text: barrels

text: containing

text: illegally

text: dumped

text: nuclear

text: waste

text: had

text: cracked

text: open

text: during

text: the

text: tsunami

text: that

text: year

text: and

text: begun

text: washing

text: ashore

text: The

text: situation

text: was

text: widely

text: reported

text: by

text: international

text: news

text: outlets

text: with

text: virtually

text: no

text: consequences

text: No

text: matter

text: what

text: we

text: think

text: of

text: their

text: current

text: methods

text: it

text: 's

text: impossible

text: to

text: solve

text: the

text: piracy

text: problem

text: without

text: addressing

text: the

text: illegal

text: fishing

text: issue

text: Somalia

text: lacks

text: a

text: functioning

text: navy

text: or

text: government

text: Similarly

text: we

text: were

text: not

text: talking

text: about

text: the

text: over

text: fishing

text: and

text: nuclear

text: waste

text: issues

text: to

text: the

text: extent

text: we

text: do

text: talk

text: about

text: them

text: now

text: before

text: the

text: Somalis

text: began

text: to

text: respond

text: in

text: kind

text: These

text: environmental

text: violations

text: will

text: undoubtedly

text: cost

text: lives

text: and

text: the

text: West

text: has

text: more

text: or

text: less

text: ignored

text: Somali

text: pleas

text: Our

text: intense

text: and

text: highly

text: selective

text: outrage

text: began

text: when

text: the

text: Somalis

text: started

text: targeting

text: commercial

text: vehicles

text: Faced

text: with

text: this

text: response

text: it

text: 's

text: hard

text: to

text: avoid

text: the

text: conclusion

text: that

text: the

text: Western

text: consumer

text: products

text: carried

text: by

text: these

text: ships

text: are

text: more

text: valuable

text: than

text: Somali

text: lives

text: Given

text: the

text: recent

text: history

text: of

text: unstable

text: states

text: like

text: Afghanistan

text: and

text: Iraq

text: piracy

text: is

text: actually

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: milder

text: problems

text: we

text: could

text: have

text: expected

text: from

text: the

text: region

text: In

text: a

text: worst

text: case

text: scenario

text: the

text: region

text: could

text: become

text: an

text: incubator

text: for

text: terrorist

text: cells

text: or

text: a

text: depot

text: for

text: training

text: international

text: jihadists

text: if

text: it

text: has

text: n't

text: already

text: Resolving

text: this

text: problem

text: will

text: likely

text: involve

text: precisely

text: the

text: kind

text: of

text: nation

text: building

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: once

text: disdained

text: and

text: are

text: now

text: engaged

text: in

text: with

text: Afghanistan

text: They

text: amount

text: to

text: the

text: back

text: end

text: costs

text: of

text: the

text: Cold

text: War

text: These

text: pirates

text: are

text: not

text: romantic

text: heroes

text: and

text: their

text: actions

text: have

text: generated

text: an

text: entirely

text: different

text: set

text: of

text: problems

text: in

text: Somalia

text: but

text: they

text: have

text: our

text: attention

text: In

text: light

text: of

text: this

text: incident

text: we

text: should

text: recognize

text: there

text: are

text: two

text: sets

text: of

text: victims

text: here

text: innocent

text: workers

text: taken

text: hostage

text: by

text: pirates

text: and

text: those

text: people

text: living

text: along

text: the

text: poisoned

text: and

text: depleted

text: Somali

text: coast

text: who

text: may

text: well

text: see

text: these

text: pirates

text: as

text: heroes

text: We

text: should

text: also

text: know

text: that

text: part

text: of

text: combating

text: terrorism

text: means

text: addressing

text: the

text: conditions

text: in

text: which

text: it

text: flourishes

text: Extortion

text: and

text: kidnapping

text: on

text: the

text: high

text: seas

text: is

text: certainly

text: wrong

text: but

text: by

text: ignoring

text: the

text: dumping

text: of

text: nuclear

text: waste

text: and

text: the

text: threats

text: to

text: the

text: regional

text: food

text: supply

text: we

text: effectively

text: created

text: a

text: niche

text: for

text: these

text: pirates

text: And

text: Capt

text: Phillips

text: ordeal

text: is

text: a

text: clear

text: signal

text: that

text: humanitarian

text: concerns

text: are

text: not

text: the

text: soft

text: aspects

text: of

text: foreign

text: policy

text: but

text: rather

text: the

text: key

text: to

text: protecting

text: our

text: national

text: interests

text: abroad

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: commentary

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: William

text: Jelani

text: Cobb

question: What is a test of obamas policy?

answer: the piracy incident

text: the piracy incident

question: Who cared about Somalia?

answer: William Jelani Cobb

text: William Jelani Cobb

question: What did Cobb say?

answer: Somalia's piracy problem was fueled by environmental and political events.

text: Somalia's piracy problem was fueled by environmental and political events.

question: What is said to have caused piracy?

answer: environmental and political events.

text: environmental and political events.