text:
BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN)  -- Colombian officials are blaming the FARC guerrilla group for a car bombing late Sunday at a police station in Cali that killed two people and wounded at least 14.

Residents check out a destroyed police building after a car bombing Sunday night in Cali, Colombia.

It was the second bombing in Colombia attributed to the Marxist guerrilla group in less than a week. An explosion at a Blockbuster video rental store in an upscale Bogota neighborhood Tuesday killed two and wounded more than 20.

The suspect in Sunday night's attack was killed in a shootout with police after the explosion, Cali Mayor Jorge Ivan Ospina said Monday, hours after convening a special security meeting in the middle of the night.

"Although the explosive device only had moderate impact," Ospina said on the Cali government Web site, "we should not forget we are at war and the FARC has been committing terrorist acts in Bogota, Neiva, Cali and other cities in the country. That's why we cannot let our guard down, since they take advantage of Sundays and city centers, where control is more difficult."

The explosion came just hours after the rebel group released four hostages in what many interpreted as a gesture to reach a peace accord with the government. Two officials also are slated to be released this week.

FARC, which is the Spanish acronym for Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, is the largest and oldest revolutionary group in the nation and has been at war with the government for more than 40 years.

According to Ospina, a blue and red Renault 12 Break pickup crashed into the police headquarters in Cali at 10:38 p.m. and then exploded. The driver tried to flee but was felled by two shots from uniformed police and died a few hours later at a hospital, the mayor said.

The explosion caused damage in a two-block area, the Cali news Web site Semana.com said.

Five of the 14 wounded were minors, Ospina said, citing emergency director Laureano Quintero. The injured are suffering from fractures and other wounds not considered life-threatening, he said.

Cali's health minister, Alejandro Varela, said earlier 32 were wounded, including a pregnant woman who was in good condition. Others complained of hearing problems.

The mayor's office said the previous higher tally could be a result of people not wounded in the bombing but seeking medical attention to receive government help.

Three police were wounded, including a major with a broken arm and an officer who had to have three fingers amputated on his left hand, said the police chief, Gustavo Adolfo Ricaurte Tapia.

The bombing caused a temporary power outage, which made security more difficult for officials, said the news Web site Burladero.com.

It was the fourth bombing in Cali in less than 42 months, Semana.com said.

The latest bombing took place about five blocks from the Palace of Justice, which was blasted by a car bomb in August, killing four and wounding 26. Police buildings were bombed in April 2007 and August 2006. The earlier blast killed five and wounded 17, Semana.com said.

Security analysts say FARC has about 9,000 to 12,000 armed guerillas and several thousand supporters, mostly in rural areas. The guerrilla group was established in 1964 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party.

The guerrillas operate mostly in Colombia but have carried out extortion, kidnappings and other activities in Venezuela, Panama and Ecuador, according to the Federation of American Scientists Intelligence Resource Program.

Authorities said Sunday night's bomb contained 90 kilograms (198 pounds) of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and fuel, a commonly used explosive, Semana.com said.

By comparison, the bomb that Timothy McVeigh used in the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, contained more than 2,800 kilos (6,200 pounds) of ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel.

text: BOGOTA

text: Colombia

text: CNN

text: Colombian

text: officials

text: are

text: blaming

text: the

text: FARC

text: guerrilla

text: group

text: for

text: a

text: car

text: bombing

text: late

text: Sunday

text: at

text: a

text: police

text: station

text: in

text: Cali

text: that

text: killed

text: two

text: people

text: and

text: wounded

text: at

text: least

text: Residents

text: check

text: out

text: a

text: destroyed

text: police

text: building

text: after

text: a

text: car

text: bombing

text: Sunday

text: night

text: in

text: Cali

text: Colombia

text: It

text: was

text: the

text: second

text: bombing

text: in

text: Colombia

text: attributed

text: to

text: the

text: Marxist

text: guerrilla

text: group

text: in

text: less

text: than

text: a

text: week

text: An

text: explosion

text: at

text: a

text: Blockbuster

text: video

text: rental

text: store

text: in

text: an

text: upscale

text: Bogota

text: neighborhood

text: Tuesday

text: killed

text: two

text: and

text: wounded

text: more

text: than

text: The

text: suspect

text: in

text: Sunday

text: night

text: 's

text: attack

text: was

text: killed

text: in

text: a

text: shootout

text: with

text: police

text: after

text: the

text: explosion

text: Cali

text: Mayor

text: Jorge

text: Ivan

text: Ospina

text: said

text: Monday

text: hours

text: after

text: convening

text: a

text: special

text: security

text: meeting

text: in

text: the

text: middle

text: of

text: the

text: night

text: Although

text: the

text: explosive

text: device

text: only

text: had

text: moderate

text: impact

text: Ospina

text: said

text: on

text: the

text: Cali

text: government

text: Web

text: site

text: we

text: should

text: not

text: forget

text: we

text: are

text: at

text: war

text: and

text: the

text: FARC

text: has

text: been

text: committing

text: terrorist

text: acts

text: in

text: Bogota

text: Neiva

text: Cali

text: and

text: other

text: cities

text: in

text: the

text: country

text: That

text: 's

text: why

text: we

text: can

text: not

text: let

text: our

text: guard

text: down

text: since

text: they

text: take

text: advantage

text: of

text: Sundays

text: and

text: city

text: centers

text: where

text: control

text: is

text: more

text: difficult

text: The

text: explosion

text: came

text: just

text: hours

text: after

text: the

text: rebel

text: group

text: released

text: four

text: hostages

text: in

text: what

text: many

text: interpreted

text: as

text: a

text: gesture

text: to

text: reach

text: a

text: peace

text: accord

text: with

text: the

text: government

text: Two

text: officials

text: also

text: are

text: slated

text: to

text: be

text: released

text: this

text: week

text: FARC

text: which

text: is

text: the

text: Spanish

text: acronym

text: for

text: Revolutionary

text: Armed

text: Forces

text: of

text: Colombia

text: is

text: the

text: largest

text: and

text: oldest

text: revolutionary

text: group

text: in

text: the

text: nation

text: and

text: has

text: been

text: at

text: war

text: with

text: the

text: government

text: for

text: more

text: than

text: years

text: According

text: to

text: Ospina

text: a

text: blue

text: and

text: red

text: Renault

text: Break

text: pickup

text: crashed

text: into

text: the

text: police

text: headquarters

text: in

text: Cali

text: at

text: p.m.

text: and

text: then

text: exploded

text: The

text: driver

text: tried

text: to

text: flee

text: but

text: was

text: felled

text: by

text: two

text: shots

text: from

text: uniformed

text: police

text: and

text: died

text: a

text: few

text: hours

text: later

text: at

text: a

text: hospital

text: the

text: mayor

text: said

text: The

text: explosion

text: caused

text: damage

text: in

text: a

text: two

text: block

text: area

text: the

text: Cali

text: news

text: Web

text: site

text: Semana.com

text: said

text: Five

text: of

text: the

text: wounded

text: were

text: minors

text: Ospina

text: said

text: citing

text: emergency

text: director

text: Laureano

text: Quintero

text: The

text: injured

text: are

text: suffering

text: from

text: fractures

text: and

text: other

text: wounds

text: not

text: considered

text: life

text: threatening

text: he

text: said

text: Cali

text: 's

text: health

text: minister

text: Alejandro

text: Varela

text: said

text: earlier

text: were

text: wounded

text: including

text: a

text: pregnant

text: woman

text: who

text: was

text: in

text: good

text: condition

text: Others

text: complained

text: of

text: hearing

text: problems

text: The

text: mayor

text: 's

text: office

text: said

text: the

text: previous

text: higher

text: tally

text: could

text: be

text: a

text: result

text: of

text: people

text: not

text: wounded

text: in

text: the

text: bombing

text: but

text: seeking

text: medical

text: attention

text: to

text: receive

text: government

text: help

text: Three

text: police

text: were

text: wounded

text: including

text: a

text: major

text: with

text: a

text: broken

text: arm

text: and

text: an

text: officer

text: who

text: had

text: to

text: have

text: three

text: fingers

text: amputated

text: on

text: his

text: left

text: hand

text: said

text: the

text: police

text: chief

text: Gustavo

text: Adolfo

text: Ricaurte

text: Tapia

text: The

text: bombing

text: caused

text: a

text: temporary

text: power

text: outage

text: which

text: made

text: security

text: more

text: difficult

text: for

text: officials

text: said

text: the

text: news

text: Web

text: site

text: Burladero.com

text: It

text: was

text: the

text: fourth

text: bombing

text: in

text: Cali

text: in

text: less

text: than

text: months

text: Semana.com

text: said

text: The

text: latest

text: bombing

text: took

text: place

text: about

text: five

text: blocks

text: from

text: the

text: Palace

text: of

text: Justice

text: which

text: was

text: blasted

text: by

text: a

text: car

text: bomb

text: in

text: August

text: killing

text: four

text: and

text: wounding

text: Police

text: buildings

text: were

text: bombed

text: in

text: April

text: and

text: August

text: The

text: earlier

text: blast

text: killed

text: five

text: and

text: wounded

text: Semana.com

text: said

text: Security

text: analysts

text: say

text: FARC

text: has

text: about

text: to

text: armed

text: guerillas

text: and

text: several

text: thousand

text: supporters

text: mostly

text: in

text: rural

text: areas

text: The

text: guerrilla

text: group

text: was

text: established

text: in

text: as

text: the

text: military

text: wing

text: of

text: the

text: Colombian

text: Communist

text: Party

text: The

text: guerrillas

text: operate

text: mostly

text: in

text: Colombia

text: but

text: have

text: carried

text: out

text: extortion

text: kidnappings

text: and

text: other

text: activities

text: in

text: Venezuela

text: Panama

text: and

text: Ecuador

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: Federation

text: of

text: American

text: Scientists

text: Intelligence

text: Resource

text: Program

text: Authorities

text: said

text: Sunday

text: night

text: 's

text: bomb

text: contained

text: kilograms

text: pounds

text: of

text: ammonium

text: nitrate

text: fertilizer

text: and

text: fuel

text: a

text: commonly

text: used

text: explosive

text: Semana.com

text: said

text: By

text: comparison

text: the

text: bomb

text: that

text: Timothy

text: McVeigh

text: used

text: in

text: the

text: bombing

text: in

text: Oklahoma

text: City

text: Oklahoma

text: contained

text: more

text: than

text: kilos

text: pounds

text: of

text: ammonium

text: nitrate

text: and

text: diesel

text: fuel

question: How many hostages did FARC release?

answer: four

text: four

question: Where was the video rental store that was attacked?

answer: an upscale Bogota neighborhood

text: an upscale Bogota neighborhood

question: What happened in Colombia?

answer: car bombing

text: car bombing

question: How many were killed in the car bombing?

answer: two people

text: two people

question: Who was blamed for bombing?

answer: the FARC guerrilla

text: the FARC guerrilla

question: Which rebels were blamed?

answer: the FARC guerrilla group

text: the FARC guerrilla group

question: Who is the mayor of Cali?

answer: Jorge Ivan Ospina

text: Jorge Ivan Ospina

question: How many were wounded in the bombing?

answer: at least 14.

text: at least 14.

question: Who died in the attack?

answer: two people

text: two people


text:
WASHINGTON (CNN)  -- There is an increasing threat of homegrown terror stemming from segments of a deeply isolated and alienated Somali-American community, a U.S. Senate committee hearing concluded Wednesday.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman says a number of Somali-Americans support terrorist groups.

The hearing, conducted by the Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee, focused on the attempted recruitment of young Somali-American men by al-Shabaab, "a violent and brutal extremist (Somali) group" with significant ties to al Qaeda, according to the U.S. State Department.

"Over the last two years, individuals from the Somali community in the United States, including American citizens, have left for Somalia to support and in some cases fight on behalf of al-Shabaab," noted the committee's chairman, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Connecticut.

Al-Shabaab -- also known as the Mujahedeen Youth Movement -- was officially designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government in March 2008.

The hearing highlighted the case of Shirwa Ahmed, a 27-year-old Somali-American who had been radicalized by al-Shabaab in his adopted home state of Minnesota before traveling to Somalia and blowing up himself and 29 others in October.

The idea that Ahmed was radicalized in the United States raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community. The incident -- the first suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen -- was the "most significant case of homegrown American terrorism recruiting based on violent Islamist ideology," Lieberman said.

"The dangers brought to light by these revelations is clear: radicalized individuals trained in terrorist tactics and in possession of American passports can clearly pose a threat to the security of our country," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Segments of the Somali-American community have been made vulnerable to recruitment by al-Shabaab because of a particularly tumultuous adjustment to American life, noted Andrew Liepman, deputy director for intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center.

"Despite significant efforts to facilitate their settlement into American communities, many Somali immigrants face isolation," Liepman said.

"The (tough) adjustment to American society has reinforced their greater insularity compared to other more integrated recent immigrant communities and has aggravated the challenges of assimilation for their children," he said.

Somalis began arriving in the United States in significant numbers following the U.S. intervention in Somalia's humanitarian crisis in 1992, Liepman said. The Somali-American population is now concentrated in clusters primarily in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Columbus, Ohio; Seattle, Washington; and San Diego, California.

The potential recruitment of young Somali-American men has been made possible by "a number of factors that come together when a dynamic, influential and extremist leader gains access to a despondent and disenfranchised group of young men," Liepman said.

Many refugees, he said, "lack structure and definition in their lives" and are "torn between their parents' traditional tribal and clan identities and the new cultures and traditions offered by American society."

Liepman pointed out that there was no evidence of a radicalization of the entire Somali-American community, now believed to number between 70,000 and 200,000 people.

In fact, he said, the Somali-American community has been victimized by a "small group of extremists who are essentially terrorizing their own community, who are recruiting and radicalizing young people within that community."

"We don't have radicalized communities. We have radicalized clusters of (young) people," emphasized Philip Mudd, a director of the FBI's national security branch.

The potential terrorist indoctrination and recruitment was a consequence of these clusters, Liepman said, and is the product of "the refugee experience of fleeing a war-torn country combined with isolation, perceived discrimination, marginalization and frustrated expectations.

"Local criminal familial and clan dynamics make some members of this community more susceptible to (this) sort of extremist influence" of groups such as al-Shabaab, he said.

Liepman said there is a serious concern about individuals being indoctrinated by al Qaeda and al-Shabaab while in Somalia and then returning to the United States "with the intention to conduct attacks."

text: WASHINGTON

text: CNN

text: There

text: is

text: an

text: increasing

text: threat

text: of

text: homegrown

text: terror

text: stemming

text: from

text: segments

text: of

text: a

text: deeply

text: isolated

text: and

text: alienated

text: Somali

text: American

text: community

text: a

text: U.S.

text: Senate

text: committee

text: hearing

text: concluded

text: Wednesday

text: Sen.

text: Joseph

text: Lieberman

text: says

text: a

text: number

text: of

text: Somali

text: Americans

text: support

text: terrorist

text: groups

text: The

text: hearing

text: conducted

text: by

text: the

text: Senate

text: Homeland

text: and

text: Governmental

text: Affairs

text: Committee

text: focused

text: on

text: the

text: attempted

text: recruitment

text: of

text: young

text: Somali

text: American

text: men

text: by

text: al

text: Shabaab

text: a

text: violent

text: and

text: brutal

text: extremist

text: Somali

text: group

text: with

text: significant

text: ties

text: to

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: U.S.

text: State

text: Department

text: Over

text: the

text: last

text: two

text: years

text: individuals

text: from

text: the

text: Somali

text: community

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: including

text: American

text: citizens

text: have

text: left

text: for

text: Somalia

text: to

text: support

text: and

text: in

text: some

text: cases

text: fight

text: on

text: behalf

text: of

text: al

text: Shabaab

text: noted

text: the

text: committee

text: 's

text: chairman

text: Sen.

text: Joseph

text: Lieberman

text: I

text: Connecticut

text: Al

text: Shabaab

text: also

text: known

text: as

text: the

text: Mujahedeen

text: Youth

text: Movement

text: was

text: officially

text: designated

text: as

text: a

text: terrorist

text: organization

text: by

text: the

text: U.S.

text: government

text: in

text: March

text: The

text: hearing

text: highlighted

text: the

text: case

text: of

text: Shirwa

text: Ahmed

text: a

text: old

text: Somali

text: American

text: who

text: had

text: been

text: radicalized

text: by

text: al

text: Shabaab

text: in

text: his

text: adopted

text: home

text: state

text: of

text: Minnesota

text: before

text: traveling

text: to

text: Somalia

text: and

text: blowing

text: up

text: himself

text: and

text: others

text: in

text: October

text: The

text: idea

text: that

text: Ahmed

text: was

text: radicalized

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: raised

text: red

text: flags

text: throughout

text: the

text: U.S.

text: intelligence

text: community

text: The

text: incident

text: the

text: first

text: suicide

text: bombing

text: by

text: a

text: naturalized

text: U.S.

text: citizen

text: was

text: the

text: most

text: significant

text: case

text: of

text: homegrown

text: American

text: terrorism

text: recruiting

text: based

text: on

text: violent

text: Islamist

text: ideology

text: Lieberman

text: said

text: The

text: dangers

text: brought

text: to

text: light

text: by

text: these

text: revelations

text: is

text: clear

text: radicalized

text: individuals

text: trained

text: in

text: terrorist

text: tactics

text: and

text: in

text: possession

text: of

text: American

text: passports

text: can

text: clearly

text: pose

text: a

text: threat

text: to

text: the

text: security

text: of

text: our

text: country

text: said

text: Sen.

text: Susan

text: Collins

text: R

text: Maine

text: Segments

text: of

text: the

text: Somali

text: American

text: community

text: have

text: been

text: made

text: vulnerable

text: to

text: recruitment

text: by

text: al

text: Shabaab

text: because

text: of

text: a

text: particularly

text: tumultuous

text: adjustment

text: to

text: American

text: life

text: noted

text: Andrew

text: Liepman

text: deputy

text: director

text: for

text: intelligence

text: at

text: the

text: National

text: Counterterrorism

text: Center

text: Despite

text: significant

text: efforts

text: to

text: facilitate

text: their

text: settlement

text: into

text: American

text: communities

text: many

text: Somali

text: immigrants

text: face

text: isolation

text: Liepman

text: said

text: The

text: tough

text: adjustment

text: to

text: American

text: society

text: has

text: reinforced

text: their

text: greater

text: insularity

text: compared

text: to

text: other

text: more

text: integrated

text: recent

text: immigrant

text: communities

text: and

text: has

text: aggravated

text: the

text: challenges

text: of

text: assimilation

text: for

text: their

text: children

text: he

text: said

text: Somalis

text: began

text: arriving

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: in

text: significant

text: numbers

text: following

text: the

text: U.S.

text: intervention

text: in

text: Somalia

text: 's

text: humanitarian

text: crisis

text: in

text: Liepman

text: said

text: The

text: Somali

text: American

text: population

text: is

text: now

text: concentrated

text: in

text: clusters

text: primarily

text: in

text: Minneapolis

text: Minnesota

text: Columbus

text: Ohio

text: Seattle

text: Washington

text: and

text: San

text: Diego

text: California

text: The

text: potential

text: recruitment

text: of

text: young

text: Somali

text: American

text: men

text: has

text: been

text: made

text: possible

text: by

text: a

text: number

text: of

text: factors

text: that

text: come

text: together

text: when

text: a

text: dynamic

text: influential

text: and

text: extremist

text: leader

text: gains

text: access

text: to

text: a

text: despondent

text: and

text: disenfranchised

text: group

text: of

text: young

text: men

text: Liepman

text: said

text: Many

text: refugees

text: he

text: said

text: lack

text: structure

text: and

text: definition

text: in

text: their

text: lives

text: and

text: are

text: torn

text: between

text: their

text: parents

text: traditional

text: tribal

text: and

text: clan

text: identities

text: and

text: the

text: new

text: cultures

text: and

text: traditions

text: offered

text: by

text: American

text: society

text: Liepman

text: pointed

text: out

text: that

text: there

text: was

text: no

text: evidence

text: of

text: a

text: radicalization

text: of

text: the

text: entire

text: Somali

text: American

text: community

text: now

text: believed

text: to

text: number

text: between

text: and

text: people

text: In

text: fact

text: he

text: said

text: the

text: Somali

text: American

text: community

text: has

text: been

text: victimized

text: by

text: a

text: small

text: group

text: of

text: extremists

text: who

text: are

text: essentially

text: terrorizing

text: their

text: own

text: community

text: who

text: are

text: recruiting

text: and

text: radicalizing

text: young

text: people

text: within

text: that

text: community

text: We

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: radicalized

text: communities

text: We

text: have

text: radicalized

text: clusters

text: of

text: young

text: people

text: emphasized

text: Philip

text: Mudd

text: a

text: director

text: of

text: the

text: FBI

text: 's

text: national

text: security

text: branch

text: The

text: potential

text: terrorist

text: indoctrination

text: and

text: recruitment

text: was

text: a

text: consequence

text: of

text: these

text: clusters

text: Liepman

text: said

text: and

text: is

text: the

text: product

text: of

text: the

text: refugee

text: experience

text: of

text: fleeing

text: a

text: war

text: torn

text: country

text: combined

text: with

text: isolation

text: perceived

text: discrimination

text: marginalization

text: and

text: frustrated

text: expectations

text: Local

text: criminal

text: familial

text: and

text: clan

text: dynamics

text: make

text: some

text: members

text: of

text: this

text: community

text: more

text: susceptible

text: to

text: this

text: sort

text: of

text: extremist

text: influence

text: of

text: groups

text: such

text: as

text: al

text: Shabaab

text: he

text: said

text: Liepman

text: said

text: there

text: is

text: a

text: serious

text: concern

text: about

text: individuals

text: being

text: indoctrinated

text: by

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: and

text: al

text: Shabaab

text: while

text: in

text: Somalia

text: and

text: then

text: returning

text: to

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: with

text: the

text: intention

text: to

text: conduct

text: attacks

question: What did the hearing highlight?

answer: the case of Shirwa Ahmed,

text: the case of Shirwa Ahmed,

question: What is the committee focused on?

answer: the attempted recruitment of young Somali-American men by al-Shabaab,

text: the attempted recruitment of young Somali-American men by al-Shabaab,

question: What did the committee focus on?

answer: the attempted recruitment of young Somali-American men by al-Shabaab,

text: the attempted recruitment of young Somali-American men by al-Shabaab,

question: What ties does the group have?

answer: to al Qaeda,

text: to al Qaeda,

question: What is recruitment a result of?

answer: "a number of factors that come together when a dynamic, influential and extremist leader gains access to a despondent and disenfranchised group of young men,"

text: "a number of factors that come together when a dynamic, influential and extremist leader gains access to a despondent and disenfranchised group of young men,"

question: What is isolation a result of?

answer: potential terrorist indoctrination and recruitment

text: potential terrorist indoctrination and recruitment


text:
(CNN) -- An Air Force nurse has been charged with murdering three terminally ill patients by giving them fatal overdoses, the Air Force said Tuesday.

Capt. Michael Fontana is continuing to work at Wildford Hall Medical Center.

Capt. Michael Fontana, a nurse at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, also was charged Monday with conduct unbecoming an officer for changing a medical document.

"The charges are the result of an Air Force investigation that occurred after irregularities were discovered in Capt. Fontana's administration of medications which may have resulted in the death of an end-of-life patient," hospital spokesman David Smith told reporters.

The nurse was charged with three counts of violating Article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. "It is considered murder," Smith said.

After an Article 32 hearing, akin to a civilian grand jury proceeding, the commander will decide whether the case goes to court-martial.

The three deaths occurred in July, Smith said. He cited the privacy act in refusing to divulge the suspect's age and hometown.

He said he did not know the motive but was confident no other patients were victimized.

"We know that there are no other patients involved in this case," he said.

Fontana, an intensive-care unit nurse who has been working at the hospital since 2006, the year he joined the Air Force, has been released on his own recognizance and is continuing to work at the hospital, though he is no longer involved in patient care, Smith said.

"As far as we can tell, he has been an exemplary nurse," Smith said.

Fontana also served as a nurse at the Air Force Theater Hospital in Balad, Iraq, Smith said. His work there was investigated, "and there was nothing found," he said.

A call to a San Antonio phone number listed as belonging to Michael Fontana got a message that said, "Thank you for calling. Due to the ongoing investigation, I have no comment for you right now, but I do appreciate your call and will talk to you soon."

Relatives of the dead patients have requested privacy, the Air Force said.

Wilford Hall Medical Center is the Air Force's largest medical facility.

text: CNN

text: An

text: Air

text: Force

text: nurse

text: has

text: been

text: charged

text: with

text: murdering

text: three

text: terminally

text: ill

text: patients

text: by

text: giving

text: them

text: fatal

text: overdoses

text: the

text: Air

text: Force

text: said

text: Tuesday

text: Capt

text: Michael

text: Fontana

text: is

text: continuing

text: to

text: work

text: at

text: Wildford

text: Hall

text: Medical

text: Center

text: Capt

text: Michael

text: Fontana

text: a

text: nurse

text: at

text: Wilford

text: Hall

text: Medical

text: Center

text: at

text: Lackland

text: Air

text: Force

text: Base

text: in

text: San

text: Antonio

text: Texas

text: also

text: was

text: charged

text: Monday

text: with

text: conduct

text: unbecoming

text: an

text: officer

text: for

text: changing

text: a

text: medical

text: document

text: The

text: charges

text: are

text: the

text: result

text: of

text: an

text: Air

text: Force

text: investigation

text: that

text: occurred

text: after

text: irregularities

text: were

text: discovered

text: in

text: Capt

text: Fontana

text: 's

text: administration

text: of

text: medications

text: which

text: may

text: have

text: resulted

text: in

text: the

text: death

text: of

text: an

text: end

text: of

text: life

text: patient

text: hospital

text: spokesman

text: David

text: Smith

text: told

text: reporters

text: The

text: nurse

text: was

text: charged

text: with

text: three

text: counts

text: of

text: violating

text: Article

text: of

text: the

text: Uniform

text: Code

text: of

text: Military

text: Justice

text: It

text: is

text: considered

text: murder

text: Smith

text: said

text: After

text: an

text: Article

text: hearing

text: akin

text: to

text: a

text: civilian

text: grand

text: jury

text: proceeding

text: the

text: commander

text: will

text: decide

text: whether

text: the

text: case

text: goes

text: to

text: court

text: martial

text: The

text: three

text: deaths

text: occurred

text: in

text: July

text: Smith

text: said

text: He

text: cited

text: the

text: privacy

text: act

text: in

text: refusing

text: to

text: divulge

text: the

text: suspect

text: 's

text: age

text: and

text: hometown

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: did

text: not

text: know

text: the

text: motive

text: but

text: was

text: confident

text: no

text: other

text: patients

text: were

text: victimized

text: We

text: know

text: that

text: there

text: are

text: no

text: other

text: patients

text: involved

text: in

text: this

text: case

text: he

text: said

text: Fontana

text: an

text: intensive

text: care

text: unit

text: nurse

text: who

text: has

text: been

text: working

text: at

text: the

text: hospital

text: since

text: the

text: year

text: he

text: joined

text: the

text: Air

text: Force

text: has

text: been

text: released

text: on

text: his

text: own

text: recognizance

text: and

text: is

text: continuing

text: to

text: work

text: at

text: the

text: hospital

text: though

text: he

text: is

text: no

text: longer

text: involved

text: in

text: patient

text: care

text: Smith

text: said

text: As

text: far

text: as

text: we

text: can

text: tell

text: he

text: has

text: been

text: an

text: exemplary

text: nurse

text: Smith

text: said

text: Fontana

text: also

text: served

text: as

text: a

text: nurse

text: at

text: the

text: Air

text: Force

text: Theater

text: Hospital

text: in

text: Balad

text: Iraq

text: Smith

text: said

text: His

text: work

text: there

text: was

text: investigated

text: and

text: there

text: was

text: nothing

text: found

text: he

text: said

text: A

text: call

text: to

text: a

text: San

text: Antonio

text: phone

text: number

text: listed

text: as

text: belonging

text: to

text: Michael

text: Fontana

text: got

text: a

text: message

text: that

text: said

text: Thank

text: you

text: for

text: calling

text: Due

text: to

text: the

text: ongoing

text: investigation

text: I

text: have

text: no

text: comment

text: for

text: you

text: right

text: now

text: but

text: I

text: do

text: appreciate

text: your

text: call

text: and

text: will

text: talk

text: to

text: you

text: soon

text: Relatives

text: of

text: the

text: dead

text: patients

text: have

text: requested

text: privacy

text: the

text: Air

text: Force

text: said

text: Wilford

text: Hall

text: Medical

text: Center

text: is

text: the

text: Air

text: Force

text: 's

text: largest

text: medical

text: facility

question: what was he charged with

answer: murdering three terminally ill patients

text: murdering three terminally ill patients

question: Where did he work?

answer: Wildford Hall Medical Center.

text: Wildford Hall Medical Center.

question: Where was the hospital located?

answer: Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio,

text: Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio,

question: What is he being accused of?

answer: murdering three terminally ill patients by giving

text: murdering three terminally ill patients by giving

question: What charges does he face?

answer: with murdering three terminally ill patients

text: with murdering three terminally ill patients

question: who died because of this

answer: three terminally ill patients

text: three terminally ill patients

question: What did the man do?

answer: murdering three terminally ill patients by giving

text: murdering three terminally ill patients by giving


text:
MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina (CNN)  -- After earning a reputation as a killer in Haiti, Tropical Storm Hanna amounted to little more than a windy rainstorm along the Atlantic Coast on Saturday.

Water almost covers the dock at the Marine Corps Air Station marina near the New River in North Carolina.

No states have "expressed any damage that they couldn't handle," said Glenn Cannon, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's assistant administrator for disaster operations.

He said there were some concerns about flooding near rivers and in low-lying areas.

"We're monitoring Hanna, but it seems to be a heavy rain event," he said.

According to the Associated Press, Hanna did cause one death in a traffic accident on Interstate 95 in Maryland.

Many people in Huntington, Virginia, about 8 miles northwest of Virginia Beach, voluntarily evacuated Saturday afternoon because of concerns about flooding, Fairfax County public information officer Merni Fitzgerald said. The area, which has flooded in the past, was receiving heavy rain, she said.

She could not provide an exact number of people who had evacuated.

The storm drenched the Carolinas and Virginia with heavy rain pushed by 55-mph winds as it zipped northward near 30 mph (48 kph), the National Hurricane Center reported at 11 p.m. ET Saturday.

At that hour, the center of the storm was 90 miles (145 kilometers) west-southwest of Long Island, New York, and about 135 miles (220 kilometers) southwest of Providence, Rhode Island. Hanna would travel the coast all the way up to Canada's Maritime Provinces by Sunday night, forecasters said.

Hanna came ashore at 3:20 a.m. ET near the North Carolina-South Carolina state line.

It caused a surge of 1 to 2 feet of water along the shore and was expected to deliver 4 to 6 inches of rain, with some areas getting more.

Flooding, wind damage and power outages were minor across the Carolinas, according to emergency officials.  View a map of Hanna's projected path Â»

"It's actually going fairly well, with some reports of minor flooding," said South Carolina Emergency Management spokesman Derrec Becker.

About 10,000 South Carolina homes were without power Saturday morning, mostly in the Myrtle Beach area, Becker said. He also said 444 South Carolina residents were staying in 15 shelters.

In North Carolina, nearly 12,000 homes had no electricity, mostly in the counties near where Hanna came in, said State Emergency Management spokesman Mark Van Sciver.  See what impact Hanna had on Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina Â»

No deaths were reported, flooding was limited, and no highways were closed, Van Sciver said.

Nearly 1,500 residents sought refuge Saturday in 49 emergency shelters in North Carolina, Van Sciver said.

The storm snarled some travel plans. It triggered delays for arrivals to Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania and departures from Newark International Airport in New Jersey and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Delays at JFK airport averaged about four hours, the FAA said.

Hanna's eye made landfall near Little River Inlet at the South Carolina-North Carolina line, according to CNN meteorologists.  Watch wind whip a South Carolina beach Â»

Pounding waves flattened some sand dunes on the beaches at Oak Island, North Carolina, just east of the storm's landfall.

The island's Ocean Crest pier, rebuilt after Hurricane Floyd destroyed it nine years ago, held up under Hanna, but the American flag flying above it was in tatters and barely attached to its pole by sunrise.

By Saturday afternoon, the hurricane center had discontinued a tropical storm warning southward from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

A tropical storm warning covered much of the East Coast from Cape Hatteras to Merrimack River, Massachusetts, about 31 miles north of Boston.

The warning included all of Chesapeake Bay, Washington, New York Harbor and Long Island Sound, as well as popular vacation islands Martha's Vineyard, Block Island and Nantucket.

The warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours. iReport.com: Are you getting soaked?

Hanna caused severe flooding and killed at least 137 as it lingered for several days over and just off the coast of Haiti.

U.N. relief supplies started arriving in the beleaguered country Friday, even as Hurricane Ike threatens to do even more damage.

Ike will pass near or over the Turks and Caicos Islands, just north of Haiti, and the southeastern Bahamas in the next day, the hurricane center said.

Ike's impact on the United States is less certain, but it could brush South Florida and hit the Gulf Coast as a major hurricane next week. iReport.com: "There's now a pond in my car"

text: MYRTLE

text: BEACH

text: South

text: Carolina

text: CNN

text: After

text: earning

text: a

text: reputation

text: as

text: a

text: killer

text: in

text: Haiti

text: Tropical

text: Storm

text: Hanna

text: amounted

text: to

text: little

text: more

text: than

text: a

text: windy

text: rainstorm

text: along

text: the

text: Atlantic

text: Coast

text: on

text: Saturday

text: Water

text: almost

text: covers

text: the

text: dock

text: at

text: the

text: Marine

text: Corps

text: Air

text: Station

text: marina

text: near

text: the

text: New

text: River

text: in

text: North

text: Carolina

text: No

text: states

text: have

text: expressed

text: any

text: damage

text: that

text: they

text: could

text: n't

text: handle

text: said

text: Glenn

text: Cannon

text: the

text: Federal

text: Emergency

text: Management

text: Agency

text: 's

text: assistant

text: administrator

text: for

text: disaster

text: operations

text: He

text: said

text: there

text: were

text: some

text: concerns

text: about

text: flooding

text: near

text: rivers

text: and

text: in

text: low

text: lying

text: areas

text: We

text: 're

text: monitoring

text: Hanna

text: but

text: it

text: seems

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: heavy

text: rain

text: event

text: he

text: said

text: According

text: to

text: the

text: Associated

text: Press

text: Hanna

text: did

text: cause

text: one

text: death

text: in

text: a

text: traffic

text: accident

text: on

text: Interstate

text: in

text: Maryland

text: Many

text: people

text: in

text: Huntington

text: Virginia

text: about

text: miles

text: northwest

text: of

text: Virginia

text: Beach

text: voluntarily

text: evacuated

text: Saturday

text: afternoon

text: because

text: of

text: concerns

text: about

text: flooding

text: Fairfax

text: County

text: public

text: information

text: officer

text: Merni

text: Fitzgerald

text: said

text: The

text: area

text: which

text: has

text: flooded

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: was

text: receiving

text: heavy

text: rain

text: she

text: said

text: She

text: could

text: not

text: provide

text: an

text: exact

text: number

text: of

text: people

text: who

text: had

text: evacuated

text: The

text: storm

text: drenched

text: the

text: Carolinas

text: and

text: Virginia

text: with

text: heavy

text: rain

text: pushed

text: by

text: winds

text: as

text: it

text: zipped

text: northward

text: near

text: mph

text: kph

text: the

text: National

text: Hurricane

text: Center

text: reported

text: at

text: p.m.

text: ET

text: Saturday

text: At

text: that

text: hour

text: the

text: center

text: of

text: the

text: storm

text: was

text: miles

text: kilometers

text: west

text: southwest

text: of

text: Long

text: Island

text: New

text: York

text: and

text: about

text: miles

text: kilometers

text: southwest

text: of

text: Providence

text: Rhode

text: Island

text: Hanna

text: would

text: travel

text: the

text: coast

text: all

text: the

text: way

text: up

text: to

text: Canada

text: 's

text: Maritime

text: Provinces

text: by

text: Sunday

text: night

text: forecasters

text: said

text: Hanna

text: came

text: ashore

text: at

text: a.m.

text: ET

text: near

text: the

text: North

text: Carolina

text: South

text: Carolina

text: state

text: line

text: It

text: caused

text: a

text: surge

text: of

text: to

text: feet

text: of

text: water

text: along

text: the

text: shore

text: and

text: was

text: expected

text: to

text: deliver

text: to

text: inches

text: of

text: rain

text: with

text: some

text: areas

text: getting

text: more

text: Flooding

text: wind

text: damage

text: and

text: power

text: outages

text: were

text: minor

text: across

text: the

text: Carolinas

text: according

text: to

text: emergency

text: officials

text: View

text: a

text: map

text: of

text: Hanna

text: 's

text: projected

text: path

text: Â

text: It

text: 's

text: actually

text: going

text: fairly

text: well

text: with

text: some

text: reports

text: of

text: minor

text: flooding

text: said

text: South

text: Carolina

text: Emergency

text: Management

text: spokesman

text: Derrec

text: Becker

text: About

text: South

text: Carolina

text: homes

text: were

text: without

text: power

text: Saturday

text: morning

text: mostly

text: in

text: the

text: Myrtle

text: Beach

text: area

text: Becker

text: said

text: He

text: also

text: said

text: South

text: Carolina

text: residents

text: were

text: staying

text: in

text: shelters

text: In

text: North

text: Carolina

text: nearly

text: homes

text: had

text: no

text: electricity

text: mostly

text: in

text: the

text: counties

text: near

text: where

text: Hanna

text: came

text: in

text: said

text: State

text: Emergency

text: Management

text: spokesman

text: Mark

text: Van

text: Sciver

text: See

text: what

text: impact

text: Hanna

text: had

text: on

text: Wrightsville

text: Beach

text: North

text: Carolina

text: Â

text: No

text: deaths

text: were

text: reported

text: flooding

text: was

text: limited

text: and

text: no

text: highways

text: were

text: closed

text: Van

text: Sciver

text: said

text: Nearly

text: residents

text: sought

text: refuge

text: Saturday

text: in

text: emergency

text: shelters

text: in

text: North

text: Carolina

text: Van

text: Sciver

text: said

text: The

text: storm

text: snarled

text: some

text: travel

text: plans

text: It

text: triggered

text: delays

text: for

text: arrivals

text: to

text: Philadelphia

text: International

text: Airport

text: in

text: Pennsylvania

text: and

text: departures

text: from

text: Newark

text: International

text: Airport

text: in

text: New

text: Jersey

text: and

text: John

text: F.

text: Kennedy

text: International

text: Airport

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: the

text: Federal

text: Aviation

text: Administration

text: said

text: Delays

text: at

text: JFK

text: airport

text: averaged

text: about

text: four

text: hours

text: the

text: FAA

text: said

text: Hanna

text: 's

text: eye

text: made

text: landfall

text: near

text: Little

text: River

text: Inlet

text: at

text: the

text: South

text: Carolina

text: North

text: Carolina

text: line

text: according

text: to

text: CNN

text: meteorologists

text: Watch

text: wind

text: whip

text: a

text: South

text: Carolina

text: beach

text: Â

text: Pounding

text: waves

text: flattened

text: some

text: sand

text: dunes

text: on

text: the

text: beaches

text: at

text: Oak

text: Island

text: North

text: Carolina

text: just

text: east

text: of

text: the

text: storm

text: 's

text: landfall

text: The

text: island

text: 's

text: Ocean

text: Crest

text: pier

text: rebuilt

text: after

text: Hurricane

text: Floyd

text: destroyed

text: it

text: nine

text: years

text: ago

text: held

text: up

text: under

text: Hanna

text: but

text: the

text: American

text: flag

text: flying

text: above

text: it

text: was

text: in

text: tatters

text: and

text: barely

text: attached

text: to

text: its

text: pole

text: by

text: sunrise

text: By

text: Saturday

text: afternoon

text: the

text: hurricane

text: center

text: had

text: discontinued

text: a

text: tropical

text: storm

text: warning

text: southward

text: from

text: Cape

text: Hatteras

text: North

text: Carolina

text: A

text: tropical

text: storm

text: warning

text: covered

text: much

text: of

text: the

text: East

text: Coast

text: from

text: Cape

text: Hatteras

text: to

text: Merrimack

text: River

text: Massachusetts

text: about

text: miles

text: north

text: of

text: Boston

text: The

text: warning

text: included

text: all

text: of

text: Chesapeake

text: Bay

text: Washington

text: New

text: York

text: Harbor

text: and

text: Long

text: Island

text: Sound

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: popular

text: vacation

text: islands

text: Martha

text: 's

text: Vineyard

text: Block

text: Island

text: and

text: Nantucket

text: The

text: warning

text: means

text: tropical

text: storm

text: conditions

text: are

text: expected

text: within

text: the

text: warning

text: area

text: within

text: the

text: next

text: hours

text: iReport.com

text: Are

text: you

text: getting

text: soaked

text: Hanna

text: caused

text: severe

text: flooding

text: and

text: killed

text: at

text: least

text: as

text: it

text: lingered

text: for

text: several

text: days

text: over

text: and

text: just

text: off

text: the

text: coast

text: of

text: Haiti

text: U.N.

text: relief

text: supplies

text: started

text: arriving

text: in

text: the

text: beleaguered

text: country

text: Friday

text: even

text: as

text: Hurricane

text: Ike

text: threatens

text: to

text: do

text: even

text: more

text: damage

text: Ike

text: will

text: pass

text: near

text: or

text: over

text: the

text: Turks

text: and

text: Caicos

text: Islands

text: just

text: north

text: of

text: Haiti

text: and

text: the

text: southeastern

text: Bahamas

text: in

text: the

text: next

text: day

text: the

text: hurricane

text: center

text: said

text: Ike

text: 's

text: impact

text: on

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: is

text: less

text: certain

text: but

text: it

text: could

text: brush

text: South

text: Florida

text: and

text: hit

text: the

text: Gulf

text: Coast

text: as

text: a

text: major

text: hurricane

text: next

text: week

text: iReport.com

text: There

text: 's

text: now

text: a

text: pond

text: in

text: my

text: car

question: Where were the residents evacuated voluntarily?

answer: Huntington, Virginia,

text: Huntington, Virginia,

question: Residents of which city evacuated due to flooding?

answer: Huntington,

text: Huntington,

question: What did FEMA say about help?

answer: "We're monitoring Hanna, but it seems to be a heavy rain event,"

text: "We're monitoring Hanna, but it seems to be a heavy rain event,"

question: How many deaths were in Haiti?

answer: ed at least 1

text: ed at least 1

question: How much rain is expected to fall along the Atlantic Coast?

answer: 4

question: How many states did FEMA say requested help?

answer: No

text: No

question: How much rain is expected on the Atlantic Coast?

answer: 4 to 6 inches

text: 4 to 6 inches

question: What caused the residents to be evacuated?

answer: Tropical Storm

text: Tropical Storm


text:
LONDON, England (CNN) -- In these cash-strapped times, you might well wonder why governments around the world continue to pour millions of dollars in to their respective space programs.

Space exploration has produced a host of medical benefits including the ingestible thermometer pill.

But one of the very important by-products of space exploration has been the adaptation and invention of medical equipment and technologies which are making individual lives better and in many cases saving them.

Most people are familiar with temper foam -- perhaps the most famous of NASA's many medical spinoffs -- which started life protecting astronauts' posteriors in the 1960s and is now used in a host of products from mattresses to athletic shoes.

It is surprising to note how many aspects of space exploration have played a part in helping scientists improve the health of nations.

Who would have thought that analysing fluid flow around a Space Shuttle engine would help create a tiny heart pump?

Or that a water purification device for astronauts could help patients suffering from kidney disease. And that the humble hospital thermometer would be transformed by measuring infrared radiation in the stars and planets?

text: LONDON

text: England

text: CNN

text: In

text: these

text: cash

text: strapped

text: times

text: you

text: might

text: well

text: wonder

text: why

text: governments

text: around

text: the

text: world

text: continue

text: to

text: pour

text: millions

text: of

text: dollars

text: in

text: to

text: their

text: respective

text: space

text: programs

text: Space

text: exploration

text: has

text: produced

text: a

text: host

text: of

text: medical

text: benefits

text: including

text: the

text: ingestible

text: thermometer

text: pill

text: But

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: very

text: important

text: by

text: products

text: of

text: space

text: exploration

text: has

text: been

text: the

text: adaptation

text: and

text: invention

text: of

text: medical

text: equipment

text: and

text: technologies

text: which

text: are

text: making

text: individual

text: lives

text: better

text: and

text: in

text: many

text: cases

text: saving

text: them

text: Most

text: people

text: are

text: familiar

text: with

text: temper

text: foam

text: perhaps

text: the

text: most

text: famous

text: of

text: NASA

text: 's

text: many

text: medical

text: spinoffs

text: which

text: started

text: life

text: protecting

text: astronauts

text: posteriors

text: in

text: the

text: and

text: is

text: now

text: used

text: in

text: a

text: host

text: of

text: products

text: from

text: mattresses

text: to

text: athletic

text: shoes

text: It

text: is

text: surprising

text: to

text: note

text: how

text: many

text: aspects

text: of

text: space

text: exploration

text: have

text: played

text: a

text: part

text: in

text: helping

text: scientists

text: improve

text: the

text: health

text: of

text: nations

text: Who

text: would

text: have

text: thought

text: that

text: analysing

text: fluid

text: flow

text: around

text: a

text: Space

text: Shuttle

text: engine

text: would

text: help

text: create

text: a

text: tiny

text: heart

text: pump

text: Or

text: that

text: a

text: water

text: purification

text: device

text: for

text: astronauts

text: could

text: help

text: patients

text: suffering

text: from

text: kidney

text: disease

text: And

text: that

text: the

text: humble

text: hospital

text: thermometer

text: would

text: be

text: transformed

text: by

text: measuring

text: infrared

text: radiation

text: in

text: the

text: stars

text: and

text: planets

question: What kind of benefits has it provided us with?

answer: medical

text: medical

question: what has space exploration done

answer: produced a host of medical benefits including the ingestible thermometer pill.

text: produced a host of medical benefits including the ingestible thermometer pill.

question: what did the space shuttle engines influence

answer: pump?

text: pump?

question: What kind of pump have they influenced?

answer: a tiny heart

text: a tiny heart


text:
(CNN) -- Syria's President Bashar al-Assad looks more isolated with each passing day as his regime continues a bloody eight-month crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

His Arab neighbors signaled their displeasure with him this week by suspending Syria from the Arab League, a stinging blow for a nation that sees itself at the heart of Arab concerns. Jordan's King Abdullah went a step further, telling the BBC he would step down if he were al-Assad, an unusually blunt assessment that followed Western calls for al-Assad to go.

And Turkey, formerly an important ally and trading partner, threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Syria as the European Union moved this week to extend sanctions against more members of al-Assad's circle.

This week, the conflict inside Syria entered a new era when army defectors attacked pro-government targets. That ratcheted up the pressure even more -- the Russian foreign minister was widely quoted as saying attacks on government buildings in Syria resembled "civil war."

So can al-Assad cling to power? Or will he become the fourth leader forced from office in the Arab Spring, following in the footsteps of ousted leaders of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia?

Analysts say that the odds are stacked against Syria's president.

Steven A. Cook, Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said it is hard to predict what might come next for al-Assad -- but the pressure is on.

"The kind of traditional support he had externally is clearly crumbling," Cook said. "His prospects this week are worse than they were last week."

Emile Hokayem, senior fellow for regional security at the Bahrain office of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, thinks it highly unlikely al-Assad will hang on to power.

Three main factors will likely contribute to the downfall of Syria's president after 11 years in power, he said.

One is that he has lost legitimacy in the eyes of his own people. "It's hard to see how he would recover his legitimacy after killing almost 4,000 of his countrymen," said Hokayem. The United Nations puts the toll of deaths at well over 3,500 since protests began.

Second is the economy, as sanctions imposed by the West and Turkey start to bite. This matters, said Hokayem, because al-Assad may struggle to keep the support of the country's urban and business elites in Damascus and Aleppo if the economy is failing.

The third factor is security, despite al-Assad's mobilization of the military. Unlike previous challenges to the al-Assad regime, "this time it's the Syrian people leading it and very clearly regime change is their goal and they are not going to accept anything less," Hokayem said.

Shashank Joshi, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), also doubts al-Assad will survive -- but says it is far from clear what might follow.

The Arab League's decision to suspend Syria, after Damascus failed to abide by a peace deal that had been brokered earlier with the 22-nation league, signals a shift in views that would have looked extremely unlikely even a month ago, he says.

The regime's military is also increasingly over-extended as those fighting against it find footholds in Lebanese and Turkish soil, he said.

Turkey might also choose to intervene more directly, perhaps by creating a buffer zone along its long border with Syria or providing weapons to the rebels, he said.

At this point, descent into civil war could be as likely a scenario as a clean change of regime at the top, he said.

Nonetheless, Joshi cautioned against thinking the 46-year-old's grip on power will be loosened immediately, pointing to the example of Iraq's former dictator, Saddam Hussein.

In 1991, he said, Hussein had just lost a major war, had two no-fly zones, U.N. sanctions and an oil embargo imposed on his country, was facing an enormous Shia uprising in the south, and endured overwhelming diplomatic isolation.

"And yet he survived for 12 years," Joshi said. "Regimes that are used to being isolated, that are used to being under sanctions and under pressure, can be extremely resilient."

Joshi also points out that while al-Assad may well be forced out, that doesn't necessarily mean the regime will fall with him.

Bashar al-Assad is not as well entrenched as was his father, the late President Hafez al-Assad, who ruled with an iron fist for three decades -- and it's possible other members of his ruling Alawite sect might decide to throw their hat in with his brother Maher, an army commander, or parts of the military instead, Joshi said.

"They might even decide to get rid of Bashar al-Assad to save themselves, and portray it as a concession, or compromise," he said.

He cites the example of Egypt, where the Arab Spring uprising may have forced President Hosni Mubarak from power in February but the military leadership has not yet handed over power to a democratically elected government.

Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center, also predicts that al-Assad will eventually go -- but that his regime will cling on for as long as possible, with Syria following the example of Libya rather than that of Tunisia, where ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia.

Shaikh sees "the makings of a very powerful coalition" lined up against al-Assad, uniting the Arab nations, Turkey, the United States and Europe, which could move "quite forcefully" to sanctions.

And al-Assad has few friends to whom he can turn for help.

One key question is how long Syria can still count on the support of Russia, a historic ally and a major arms supplier to Damascus.

Moscow, which sold $3.8 billion of weapons to Syria last year -- 10% of its total arms sales, is "giving a lifeline" to al-Assad at the moment, said Shaikh, largely by delaying international action.

If Moscow opposes efforts to impose U.N. Security Council sanctions on Syria, as anticipated, international efforts to present a unified stance -- as on NATO action to protect civilians in Libya -- will be thwarted.

"The same action can be viewed as a just war or an act of imperial aggression depending on whether Russia allows a U.N. resolution to be passed," Joshi said.

Germany, France and Britain will hand in a draft U.N. resolution Thursday condemning the Syrian government's actions, a German diplomatic spokesman in New York told CNN on Wednesday. Diplomats from Arab countries are considering co-sponsoring the resolution.

An attempt this week by a Syrian opposition group to persuade Russian officials to shift their position and demand al-Assad's resignation appears to have gone nowhere, with Moscow instead reiterating a call for peaceful dialogue to resolve the situation.

China also has a history of opposing U.N action but appears at the moment to be hedging its bets on Syria, probably in the interests of stability in the region, Joshi added.

Iran has in the past few days given a strong statement of support for al-Assad, Shaikh of the Brookings Doha Center said, but Tehran may still in the end be pragmatic and seek to build ties with the Syrian opposition.

Perhaps the biggest danger ahead, the analysts say, is that whether al-Assad goes or not, Syria is teetering on the brink of civil war, as opposition elements such as the Free Syrian army turn to arms to combat pro-government forces.

Such violence lessens the chance of a peaceful resolution to the uprising and smooth shift to democracy -- and will undoubtedly lead to greater loss of life.

"We are entering into a new phase now in the Syrian situation," said Shaikh. "We are seeing a greater militarization.

"I think the window for an orderly transition is over and now it will be a mixture of international pressure and whatever support is given to these protesters and even those fighting against the regime.

"The main game for the foreseeable future will focus on the protection of civilians, and measures to ensure that, as we saw in the Libyan case."

CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.

text: CNN

text: Syria

text: 's

text: President

text: Bashar

text: al

text: Assad

text: looks

text: more

text: isolated

text: with

text: each

text: passing

text: day

text: as

text: his

text: regime

text: continues

text: a

text: bloody

text: eight

text: month

text: crackdown

text: on

text: pro

text: democracy

text: protests

text: His

text: Arab

text: neighbors

text: signaled

text: their

text: displeasure

text: with

text: him

text: this

text: week

text: by

text: suspending

text: Syria

text: from

text: the

text: Arab

text: League

text: a

text: stinging

text: blow

text: for

text: a

text: nation

text: that

text: sees

text: itself

text: at

text: the

text: heart

text: of

text: Arab

text: concerns

text: Jordan

text: 's

text: King

text: Abdullah

text: went

text: a

text: step

text: further

text: telling

text: the

text: BBC

text: he

text: would

text: step

text: down

text: if

text: he

text: were

text: al

text: Assad

text: an

text: unusually

text: blunt

text: assessment

text: that

text: followed

text: Western

text: calls

text: for

text: al

text: Assad

text: to

text: go

text: And

text: Turkey

text: formerly

text: an

text: important

text: ally

text: and

text: trading

text: partner

text: threatened

text: to

text: cut

text: off

text: electricity

text: supplies

text: to

text: Syria

text: as

text: the

text: European

text: Union

text: moved

text: this

text: week

text: to

text: extend

text: sanctions

text: against

text: more

text: members

text: of

text: al

text: Assad

text: 's

text: circle

text: This

text: week

text: the

text: conflict

text: inside

text: Syria

text: entered

text: a

text: new

text: era

text: when

text: army

text: defectors

text: attacked

text: pro

text: government

text: targets

text: That

text: ratcheted

text: up

text: the

text: pressure

text: even

text: more

text: the

text: Russian

text: foreign

text: minister

text: was

text: widely

text: quoted

text: as

text: saying

text: attacks

text: on

text: government

text: buildings

text: in

text: Syria

text: resembled

text: civil

text: war

text: So

text: can

text: al

text: Assad

text: cling

text: to

text: power

text: Or

text: will

text: he

text: become

text: the

text: fourth

text: leader

text: forced

text: from

text: office

text: in

text: the

text: Arab

text: Spring

text: following

text: in

text: the

text: footsteps

text: of

text: ousted

text: leaders

text: of

text: Egypt

text: Libya

text: and

text: Tunisia

text: Analysts

text: say

text: that

text: the

text: odds

text: are

text: stacked

text: against

text: Syria

text: 's

text: president

text: Steven

text: A.

text: Cook

text: Hasib

text: J.

text: Sabbagh

text: senior

text: fellow

text: for

text: Middle

text: Eastern

text: studies

text: at

text: the

text: Council

text: on

text: Foreign

text: Relations

text: said

text: it

text: is

text: hard

text: to

text: predict

text: what

text: might

text: come

text: next

text: for

text: al

text: Assad

text: but

text: the

text: pressure

text: is

text: on

text: The

text: kind

text: of

text: traditional

text: support

text: he

text: had

text: externally

text: is

text: clearly

text: crumbling

text: Cook

text: said

text: His

text: prospects

text: this

text: week

text: are

text: worse

text: than

text: they

text: were

text: last

text: week

text: Emile

text: Hokayem

text: senior

text: fellow

text: for

text: regional

text: security

text: at

text: the

text: Bahrain

text: office

text: of

text: the

text: International

text: Institute

text: for

text: Strategic

text: Studies

text: thinks

text: it

text: highly

text: unlikely

text: al

text: Assad

text: will

text: hang

text: on

text: to

text: power

text: Three

text: main

text: factors

text: will

text: likely

text: contribute

text: to

text: the

text: downfall

text: of

text: Syria

text: 's

text: president

text: after

text: years

text: in

text: power

text: he

text: said

text: One

text: is

text: that

text: he

text: has

text: lost

text: legitimacy

text: in

text: the

text: eyes

text: of

text: his

text: own

text: people

text: It

text: 's

text: hard

text: to

text: see

text: how

text: he

text: would

text: recover

text: his

text: legitimacy

text: after

text: killing

text: almost

text: of

text: his

text: countrymen

text: said

text: Hokayem

text: The

text: United

text: Nations

text: puts

text: the

text: toll

text: of

text: deaths

text: at

text: well

text: over

text: since

text: protests

text: began

text: Second

text: is

text: the

text: economy

text: as

text: sanctions

text: imposed

text: by

text: the

text: West

text: and

text: Turkey

text: start

text: to

text: bite

text: This

text: matters

text: said

text: Hokayem

text: because

text: al

text: Assad

text: may

text: struggle

text: to

text: keep

text: the

text: support

text: of

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: urban

text: and

text: business

text: elites

text: in

text: Damascus

text: and

text: Aleppo

text: if

text: the

text: economy

text: is

text: failing

text: The

text: third

text: factor

text: is

text: security

text: despite

text: al

text: Assad

text: 's

text: mobilization

text: of

text: the

text: military

text: Unlike

text: previous

text: challenges

text: to

text: the

text: al

text: Assad

text: regime

text: this

text: time

text: it

text: 's

text: the

text: Syrian

text: people

text: leading

text: it

text: and

text: very

text: clearly

text: regime

text: change

text: is

text: their

text: goal

text: and

text: they

text: are

text: not

text: going

text: to

text: accept

text: anything

text: less

text: Hokayem

text: said

text: Shashank

text: Joshi

text: an

text: associate

text: fellow

text: at

text: the

text: Royal

text: United

text: Services

text: Institute

text: for

text: Defence

text: and

text: Security

text: Studies

text: RUSI

text: also

text: doubts

text: al

text: Assad

text: will

text: survive

text: but

text: says

text: it

text: is

text: far

text: from

text: clear

text: what

text: might

text: follow

text: The

text: Arab

text: League

text: 's

text: decision

text: to

text: suspend

text: Syria

text: after

text: Damascus

text: failed

text: to

text: abide

text: by

text: a

text: peace

text: deal

text: that

text: had

text: been

text: brokered

text: earlier

text: with

text: the

text: league

text: signals

text: a

text: shift

text: in

text: views

text: that

text: would

text: have

text: looked

text: extremely

text: unlikely

text: even

text: a

text: month

text: ago

text: he

text: says

text: The

text: regime

text: 's

text: military

text: is

text: also

text: increasingly

text: over

text: extended

text: as

text: those

text: fighting

text: against

text: it

text: find

text: footholds

text: in

text: Lebanese

text: and

text: Turkish

text: soil

text: he

text: said

text: Turkey

text: might

text: also

text: choose

text: to

text: intervene

text: more

text: directly

text: perhaps

text: by

text: creating

text: a

text: buffer

text: zone

text: along

text: its

text: long

text: border

text: with

text: Syria

text: or

text: providing

text: weapons

text: to

text: the

text: rebels

text: he

text: said

text: At

text: this

text: point

text: descent

text: into

text: civil

text: war

text: could

text: be

text: as

text: likely

text: a

text: scenario

text: as

text: a

text: clean

text: change

text: of

text: regime

text: at

text: the

text: top

text: he

text: said

text: Nonetheless

text: Joshi

text: cautioned

text: against

text: thinking

text: the

text: old

text: 's

text: grip

text: on

text: power

text: will

text: be

text: loosened

text: immediately

text: pointing

text: to

text: the

text: example

text: of

text: Iraq

text: 's

text: former

text: dictator

text: Saddam

text: Hussein

text: In

text: he

text: said

text: Hussein

text: had

text: just

text: lost

text: a

text: major

text: war

text: had

text: two

text: no

text: fly

text: zones

text: U.N.

text: sanctions

text: and

text: an

text: oil

text: embargo

text: imposed

text: on

text: his

text: country

text: was

text: facing

text: an

text: enormous

text: Shia

text: uprising

text: in

text: the

text: south

text: and

text: endured

text: overwhelming

text: diplomatic

text: isolation

text: And

text: yet

text: he

text: survived

text: for

text: years

text: Joshi

text: said

text: Regimes

text: that

text: are

text: used

text: to

text: being

text: isolated

text: that

text: are

text: used

text: to

text: being

text: under

text: sanctions

text: and

text: under

text: pressure

text: can

text: be

text: extremely

text: resilient

text: Joshi

text: also

text: points

text: out

text: that

text: while

text: al

text: Assad

text: may

text: well

text: be

text: forced

text: out

text: that

text: does

text: n't

text: necessarily

text: mean

text: the

text: regime

text: will

text: fall

text: with

text: him

text: Bashar

text: al

text: Assad

text: is

text: not

text: as

text: well

text: entrenched

text: as

text: was

text: his

text: father

text: the

text: late

text: President

text: Hafez

text: al

text: Assad

text: who

text: ruled

text: with

text: an

text: iron

text: fist

text: for

text: three

text: decades

text: and

text: it

text: 's

text: possible

text: other

text: members

text: of

text: his

text: ruling

text: Alawite

text: sect

text: might

text: decide

text: to

text: throw

text: their

text: hat

text: in

text: with

text: his

text: brother

text: Maher

text: an

text: army

text: commander

text: or

text: parts

text: of

text: the

text: military

text: instead

text: Joshi

text: said

text: They

text: might

text: even

text: decide

text: to

text: get

text: rid

text: of

text: Bashar

text: al

text: Assad

text: to

text: save

text: themselves

text: and

text: portray

text: it

text: as

text: a

text: concession

text: or

text: compromise

text: he

text: said

text: He

text: cites

text: the

text: example

text: of

text: Egypt

text: where

text: the

text: Arab

text: Spring

text: uprising

text: may

text: have

text: forced

text: President

text: Hosni

text: Mubarak

text: from

text: power

text: in

text: February

text: but

text: the

text: military

text: leadership

text: has

text: not

text: yet

text: handed

text: over

text: power

text: to

text: a

text: democratically

text: elected

text: government

text: Salman

text: Shaikh

text: director

text: of

text: the

text: Brookings

text: Doha

text: Center

text: also

text: predicts

text: that

text: al

text: Assad

text: will

text: eventually

text: go

text: but

text: that

text: his

text: regime

text: will

text: cling

text: on

text: for

text: as

text: long

text: as

text: possible

text: with

text: Syria

text: following

text: the

text: example

text: of

text: Libya

text: rather

text: than

text: that

text: of

text: Tunisia

text: where

text: ousted

text: President

text: Zine

text: al

text: Abidine

text: Ben

text: Ali

text: fled

text: to

text: Saudi

text: Arabia

text: Shaikh

text: sees

text: the

text: makings

text: of

text: a

text: very

text: powerful

text: coalition

text: lined

text: up

text: against

text: al

text: Assad

text: uniting

text: the

text: Arab

text: nations

text: Turkey

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: and

text: Europe

text: which

text: could

text: move

text: quite

text: forcefully

text: to

text: sanctions

text: And

text: al

text: Assad

text: has

text: few

text: friends

text: to

text: whom

text: he

text: can

text: turn

text: for

text: help

text: One

text: key

text: question

text: is

text: how

text: long

text: Syria

text: can

text: still

text: count

text: on

text: the

text: support

text: of

text: Russia

text: a

text: historic

text: ally

text: and

text: a

text: major

text: arms

text: supplier

text: to

text: Damascus

text: Moscow

text: which

text: sold

text: billion

text: of

text: weapons

text: to

text: Syria

text: last

text: year

text: of

text: its

text: total

text: arms

text: sales

text: is

text: giving

text: a

text: lifeline

text: to

text: al

text: Assad

text: at

text: the

text: moment

text: said

text: Shaikh

text: largely

text: by

text: delaying

text: international

text: action

text: If

text: Moscow

text: opposes

text: efforts

text: to

text: impose

text: U.N.

text: Security

text: Council

text: sanctions

text: on

text: Syria

text: as

text: anticipated

text: international

text: efforts

text: to

text: present

text: a

text: unified

text: stance

text: as

text: on

text: NATO

text: action

text: to

text: protect

text: civilians

text: in

text: Libya

text: will

text: be

text: thwarted

text: The

text: same

text: action

text: can

text: be

text: viewed

text: as

text: a

text: just

text: war

text: or

text: an

text: act

text: of

text: imperial

text: aggression

text: depending

text: on

text: whether

text: Russia

text: allows

text: a

text: U.N.

text: resolution

text: to

text: be

text: passed

text: Joshi

text: said

text: Germany

text: France

text: and

text: Britain

text: will

text: hand

text: in

text: a

text: draft

text: U.N.

text: resolution

text: Thursday

text: condemning

text: the

text: Syrian

text: government

text: 's

text: actions

text: a

text: German

text: diplomatic

text: spokesman

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: told

text: CNN

text: on

text: Wednesday

text: Diplomats

text: from

text: Arab

text: countries

text: are

text: considering

text: co

text: sponsoring

text: the

text: resolution

text: An

text: attempt

text: this

text: week

text: by

text: a

text: Syrian

text: opposition

text: group

text: to

text: persuade

text: Russian

text: officials

text: to

text: shift

text: their

text: position

text: and

text: demand

text: al

text: Assad

text: 's

text: resignation

text: appears

text: to

text: have

text: gone

text: nowhere

text: with

text: Moscow

text: instead

text: reiterating

text: a

text: call

text: for

text: peaceful

text: dialogue

text: to

text: resolve

text: the

text: situation

text: China

text: also

text: has

text: a

text: history

text: of

text: opposing

text: U.N

text: action

text: but

text: appears

text: at

text: the

text: moment

text: to

text: be

text: hedging

text: its

text: bets

text: on

text: Syria

text: probably

text: in

text: the

text: interests

text: of

text: stability

text: in

text: the

text: region

text: Joshi

text: added

text: Iran

text: has

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: few

text: days

text: given

text: a

text: strong

text: statement

text: of

text: support

text: for

text: al

text: Assad

text: Shaikh

text: of

text: the

text: Brookings

text: Doha

text: Center

text: said

text: but

text: Tehran

text: may

text: still

text: in

text: the

text: end

text: be

text: pragmatic

text: and

text: seek

text: to

text: build

text: ties

text: with

text: the

text: Syrian

text: opposition

text: Perhaps

text: the

text: biggest

text: danger

text: ahead

text: the

text: analysts

text: say

text: is

text: that

text: whether

text: al

text: Assad

text: goes

text: or

text: not

text: Syria

text: is

text: teetering

text: on

text: the

text: brink

text: of

text: civil

text: war

text: as

text: opposition

text: elements

text: such

text: as

text: the

text: Free

text: Syrian

text: army

text: turn

text: to

text: arms

text: to

text: combat

text: pro

text: government

text: forces

text: Such

text: violence

text: lessens

text: the

text: chance

text: of

text: a

text: peaceful

text: resolution

text: to

text: the

text: uprising

text: and

text: smooth

text: shift

text: to

text: democracy

text: and

text: will

text: undoubtedly

text: lead

text: to

text: greater

text: loss

text: of

text: life

text: We

text: are

text: entering

text: into

text: a

text: new

text: phase

text: now

text: in

text: the

text: Syrian

text: situation

text: said

text: Shaikh

text: We

text: are

text: seeing

text: a

text: greater

text: militarization

text: I

text: think

text: the

text: window

text: for

text: an

text: orderly

text: transition

text: is

text: over

text: and

text: now

text: it

text: will

text: be

text: a

text: mixture

text: of

text: international

text: pressure

text: and

text: whatever

text: support

text: is

text: given

text: to

text: these

text: protesters

text: and

text: even

text: those

text: fighting

text: against

text: the

text: regime

text: The

text: main

text: game

text: for

text: the

text: foreseeable

text: future

text: will

text: focus

text: on

text: the

text: protection

text: of

text: civilians

text: and

text: measures

text: to

text: ensure

text: that

text: as

text: we

text: saw

text: in

text: the

text: Libyan

text: case

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Joe

text: Sterling

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Who else is criticizing the Syrian leader?

answer: Jordan's King Abdullah

text: Jordan's King Abdullah

question: Which other leader might be affected by the Arab Spring?

answer: Bashar al-Assad

text: Bashar al-Assad

question: Who was the Arab's neighbor?

answer: Syria

text: Syria

question: How many leaders have been ousted?

answer: fourth

text: fourth

question: Where is there unrest?

answer: Syria

text: Syria

question: What has forced three leaders from power?

answer: Arab Spring,

text: Arab Spring,


text:
BELLEVUE, Nebraska (CNN)  -- If LeRoy Carhart's abortion clinic had a terror alert scale, it would be at Code Red this weekend.

Anti-abortion protesters plan demonstrations this weekend outside Dr. LeRoy Carhart's clinic in Bellevue, Nebraska.

"I feel safer on an airplane than I do in my clinic," Carhart said, sitting at his desk in his windowless office in Bellevue, Nebraska.

"You try to think about every way an attack could happen. You try to do all you can to prevent it, but obviously Dr. [George] Tiller thought he was safe in church."

It's been nearly three months since Tiller, one of the world's most well-known doctors performing abortions, was shot in the head at point-blank range on May 31 as services began at Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas.

Anti-abortion groups, led by Operation Rescue, plan to launch protests outside Carhart's clinic this weekend in Bellevue, just south of Omaha. They will be the first major anti-abortion protests since the Tiller killing.

The demonstrations are set to culminate Saturday with so-called Truth Trucks -- delivery trucks with giant rolling billboards of dismembered fetuses on the sides -- parking outside Carhart's clinic and canvassing area neighborhoods. Protesters carrying anti-abortion signs also are expected.

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman has vowed a peaceful demonstration and said that any hints of possible violence are ginned up by what he calls left-wing groups and the liberal media.

His group scaled down plans to protest at Carhart's facility Friday when it learned women's rights groups, including the National Organization for Women, would be there. Operation Rescue will hold a rally at a church instead Friday.

"Operation Rescue has said Dr. Carhart is the next target ...," said Katherine Spillar, executive vice president with the Feminist Majority Foundation. "We fear that these kinds of activities can eventually erupt in violence, and I urge the community to make sure violence doesn't happen."

Abortion rights supporters were predominant in the 50 to 75 people gathered outside the clinic Friday morning.

"Welcome, welcome, this clinic stays open," some shouted when cars pulled into the clinic's driveway.

Newman said earlier, "I'm not interested in putting our folks in any situation where the other side might flare up. I'm very confident about our side. They're very peaceful moms and dads and families that will be showing up with signs."

He said he abhorred the killing of Tiller.

"Shooting someone in the head in a church," he said, "is not a pro-life act. Sorry, it doesn't qualify."

Scott Roeder, a 51-year-old anti-abortion activist, is charged in Tiller's killing. He has pleaded not guilty.

Newman said he wants Carhart shut down -- through legal means. He said he was confident his organization would have shut down Tiller this summer through a legal battle.

"I vehemently disagreed with what Mr. Tiller did, as well as all abortionists for what they do. But they're still human beings, and they deserve due process," Newman said.

Tiller was one of about a dozen U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortions. In the wake of his death, his family decided to close his clinic permanently.

Carhart was a close friend and understudy of Tiller's. He performed abortions at Tiller's clinic for a week every month, including late-term procedures.

Carhart has vowed to open an office in Kansas and said he'll keep doing abortions as long as he's healthy. He said he's performed more than 60,000 abortions in the past two decades. About 400 of those were after 24 weeks, he said.

Staring across the room at a poster of Tiller, he said, "I don't want his death to be in vain. He spent his whole life trying to ensure better health care for women."

Carhart was performing an abortion in his clinic when Tiller was killed that Sunday morning.

He learned of the news by phone from Tiller's head nurse. "That's when she told me that George had been shot in church and that he was dead."

Carhart is unlike many abortion doctors. He's doesn't parse his words about his profession. The outside of his office has the name of his clinic in bold letters: Abortion & Contraception Clinic of Nebraska. He said he takes pride in the term abortionist.

"I do abortions, and that is what I do," he said.

On Friday, Carhart teared up when talking about the abortion rights supporters outside his clinic.

"It's unbelievable," he said of the support.

Mark Gietzen, the driver of a truck for Operation Rescue, beamed with pride ahead of the protests. He stood outside his truck in Wichita adorned with a poster showing the dismembered hand of a fetus on a quarter. Across the top of the van, it reads, "Abortion is an ObamaNation.com."

He said he knew Tiller "quite well" from the vantage point of a peaceful common enemy over the years and said the killing was a setback for "pro-lifers."

He's only had one encounter with Carhart -- when the doctor drove his car by protesters and "quacked like a duck."

Carhart acknowledges he might've done that.

Gietzen's message to Carhart: "Please respect the life of the babies. Stop the killing, stop committing such a horrible act for money."

Newman, the head of Operation Rescue, said he'll keep praying Carhart "turns back to the healing arts and not taking babies' lives."

Carhart remains unmoved. "When they're ready to accept our position, then we'll sit down. We say choice is right. If you don't want to have an abortion, don't have one."

Here in America's heartland, a battle is being waged and both sides are entrenched. There is no middle ground.

text: BELLEVUE

text: Nebraska

text: CNN

text: If

text: LeRoy

text: Carhart

text: 's

text: abortion

text: clinic

text: had

text: a

text: terror

text: alert

text: scale

text: it

text: would

text: be

text: at

text: Code

text: Red

text: this

text: weekend

text: Anti

text: abortion

text: protesters

text: plan

text: demonstrations

text: this

text: weekend

text: outside

text: Dr.

text: LeRoy

text: Carhart

text: 's

text: clinic

text: in

text: Bellevue

text: Nebraska

text: I

text: feel

text: safer

text: on

text: an

text: airplane

text: than

text: I

text: do

text: in

text: my

text: clinic

text: Carhart

text: said

text: sitting

text: at

text: his

text: desk

text: in

text: his

text: windowless

text: office

text: in

text: Bellevue

text: Nebraska

text: You

text: try

text: to

text: think

text: about

text: every

text: way

text: an

text: attack

text: could

text: happen

text: You

text: try

text: to

text: do

text: all

text: you

text: can

text: to

text: prevent

text: it

text: but

text: obviously

text: Dr.

text: George

text: Tiller

text: thought

text: he

text: was

text: safe

text: in

text: church

text: It

text: 's

text: been

text: nearly

text: three

text: months

text: since

text: Tiller

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: most

text: well

text: known

text: doctors

text: performing

text: abortions

text: was

text: shot

text: in

text: the

text: head

text: at

text: point

text: blank

text: range

text: on

text: May

text: as

text: services

text: began

text: at

text: Reformation

text: Lutheran

text: Church

text: in

text: Wichita

text: Kansas

text: Anti

text: abortion

text: groups

text: led

text: by

text: Operation

text: Rescue

text: plan

text: to

text: launch

text: protests

text: outside

text: Carhart

text: 's

text: clinic

text: this

text: weekend

text: in

text: Bellevue

text: just

text: south

text: of

text: Omaha

text: They

text: will

text: be

text: the

text: first

text: major

text: anti

text: abortion

text: protests

text: since

text: the

text: Tiller

text: killing

text: The

text: demonstrations

text: are

text: set

text: to

text: culminate

text: Saturday

text: with

text: so

text: called

text: Truth

text: Trucks

text: delivery

text: trucks

text: with

text: giant

text: rolling

text: billboards

text: of

text: dismembered

text: fetuses

text: on

text: the

text: sides

text: parking

text: outside

text: Carhart

text: 's

text: clinic

text: and

text: canvassing

text: area

text: neighborhoods

text: Protesters

text: carrying

text: anti

text: abortion

text: signs

text: also

text: are

text: expected

text: Operation

text: Rescue

text: President

text: Troy

text: Newman

text: has

text: vowed

text: a

text: peaceful

text: demonstration

text: and

text: said

text: that

text: any

text: hints

text: of

text: possible

text: violence

text: are

text: ginned

text: up

text: by

text: what

text: he

text: calls

text: left

text: wing

text: groups

text: and

text: the

text: liberal

text: media

text: His

text: group

text: scaled

text: down

text: plans

text: to

text: protest

text: at

text: Carhart

text: 's

text: facility

text: Friday

text: when

text: it

text: learned

text: women

text: 's

text: rights

text: groups

text: including

text: the

text: National

text: Organization

text: for

text: Women

text: would

text: be

text: there

text: Operation

text: Rescue

text: will

text: hold

text: a

text: rally

text: at

text: a

text: church

text: instead

text: Friday

text: Operation

text: Rescue

text: has

text: said

text: Dr.

text: Carhart

text: is

text: the

text: next

text: target

text: said

text: Katherine

text: Spillar

text: executive

text: vice

text: president

text: with

text: the

text: Feminist

text: Majority

text: Foundation

text: We

text: fear

text: that

text: these

text: kinds

text: of

text: activities

text: can

text: eventually

text: erupt

text: in

text: violence

text: and

text: I

text: urge

text: the

text: community

text: to

text: make

text: sure

text: violence

text: does

text: n't

text: happen

text: Abortion

text: rights

text: supporters

text: were

text: predominant

text: in

text: the

text: to

text: people

text: gathered

text: outside

text: the

text: clinic

text: Friday

text: morning

text: Welcome

text: welcome

text: this

text: clinic

text: stays

text: open

text: some

text: shouted

text: when

text: cars

text: pulled

text: into

text: the

text: clinic

text: 's

text: driveway

text: Newman

text: said

text: earlier

text: I

text: 'm

text: not

text: interested

text: in

text: putting

text: our

text: folks

text: in

text: any

text: situation

text: where

text: the

text: other

text: side

text: might

text: flare

text: up

text: I

text: 'm

text: very

text: confident

text: about

text: our

text: side

text: They

text: 're

text: very

text: peaceful

text: moms

text: and

text: dads

text: and

text: families

text: that

text: will

text: be

text: showing

text: up

text: with

text: signs

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: abhorred

text: the

text: killing

text: of

text: Tiller

text: Shooting

text: someone

text: in

text: the

text: head

text: in

text: a

text: church

text: he

text: said

text: is

text: not

text: a

text: pro

text: life

text: act

text: Sorry

text: it

text: does

text: n't

text: qualify

text: Scott

text: Roeder

text: a

text: old

text: anti

text: abortion

text: activist

text: is

text: charged

text: in

text: Tiller

text: 's

text: killing

text: He

text: has

text: pleaded

text: not

text: guilty

text: Newman

text: said

text: he

text: wants

text: Carhart

text: shut

text: down

text: through

text: legal

text: means

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: was

text: confident

text: his

text: organization

text: would

text: have

text: shut

text: down

text: Tiller

text: this

text: summer

text: through

text: a

text: legal

text: battle

text: I

text: vehemently

text: disagreed

text: with

text: what

text: Mr.

text: Tiller

text: did

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: all

text: abortionists

text: for

text: what

text: they

text: do

text: But

text: they

text: 're

text: still

text: human

text: beings

text: and

text: they

text: deserve

text: due

text: process

text: Newman

text: said

text: Tiller

text: was

text: one

text: of

text: about

text: a

text: dozen

text: U.S.

text: doctors

text: who

text: performed

text: late

text: term

text: abortions

text: In

text: the

text: wake

text: of

text: his

text: death

text: his

text: family

text: decided

text: to

text: close

text: his

text: clinic

text: permanently

text: Carhart

text: was

text: a

text: close

text: friend

text: and

text: understudy

text: of

text: Tiller

text: 's

text: He

text: performed

text: abortions

text: at

text: Tiller

text: 's

text: clinic

text: for

text: a

text: week

text: every

text: month

text: including

text: late

text: term

text: procedures

text: Carhart

text: has

text: vowed

text: to

text: open

text: an

text: office

text: in

text: Kansas

text: and

text: said

text: he

text: 'll

text: keep

text: doing

text: abortions

text: as

text: long

text: as

text: he

text: 's

text: healthy

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: 's

text: performed

text: more

text: than

text: abortions

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: two

text: decades

text: About

text: of

text: those

text: were

text: after

text: weeks

text: he

text: said

text: Staring

text: across

text: the

text: room

text: at

text: a

text: poster

text: of

text: Tiller

text: he

text: said

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: want

text: his

text: death

text: to

text: be

text: in

text: vain

text: He

text: spent

text: his

text: whole

text: life

text: trying

text: to

text: ensure

text: better

text: health

text: care

text: for

text: women

text: Carhart

text: was

text: performing

text: an

text: abortion

text: in

text: his

text: clinic

text: when

text: Tiller

text: was

text: killed

text: that

text: Sunday

text: morning

text: He

text: learned

text: of

text: the

text: news

text: by

text: phone

text: from

text: Tiller

text: 's

text: head

text: nurse

text: That

text: 's

text: when

text: she

text: told

text: me

text: that

text: George

text: had

text: been

text: shot

text: in

text: church

text: and

text: that

text: he

text: was

text: dead

text: Carhart

text: is

text: unlike

text: many

text: abortion

text: doctors

text: He

text: 's

text: does

text: n't

text: parse

text: his

text: words

text: about

text: his

text: profession

text: The

text: outside

text: of

text: his

text: office

text: has

text: the

text: name

text: of

text: his

text: clinic

text: in

text: bold

text: letters

text: Abortion

text: Contraception

text: Clinic

text: of

text: Nebraska

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: takes

text: pride

text: in

text: the

text: term

text: abortionist

text: I

text: do

text: abortions

text: and

text: that

text: is

text: what

text: I

text: do

text: he

text: said

text: On

text: Friday

text: Carhart

text: teared

text: up

text: when

text: talking

text: about

text: the

text: abortion

text: rights

text: supporters

text: outside

text: his

text: clinic

text: It

text: 's

text: unbelievable

text: he

text: said

text: of

text: the

text: support

text: Mark

text: Gietzen

text: the

text: driver

text: of

text: a

text: truck

text: for

text: Operation

text: Rescue

text: beamed

text: with

text: pride

text: ahead

text: of

text: the

text: protests

text: He

text: stood

text: outside

text: his

text: truck

text: in

text: Wichita

text: adorned

text: with

text: a

text: poster

text: showing

text: the

text: dismembered

text: hand

text: of

text: a

text: fetus

text: on

text: a

text: quarter

text: Across

text: the

text: top

text: of

text: the

text: van

text: it

text: reads

text: Abortion

text: is

text: an

text: ObamaNation.com

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: knew

text: Tiller

text: quite

text: well

text: from

text: the

text: vantage

text: point

text: of

text: a

text: peaceful

text: common

text: enemy

text: over

text: the

text: years

text: and

text: said

text: the

text: killing

text: was

text: a

text: setback

text: for

text: pro

text: lifers

text: He

text: 's

text: only

text: had

text: one

text: encounter

text: with

text: Carhart

text: when

text: the

text: doctor

text: drove

text: his

text: car

text: by

text: protesters

text: and

text: quacked

text: like

text: a

text: duck

text: Carhart

text: acknowledges

text: he

text: might

text: 've

text: done

text: that

text: Gietzen

text: 's

text: message

text: to

text: Carhart

text: Please

text: respect

text: the

text: life

text: of

text: the

text: babies

text: Stop

text: the

text: killing

text: stop

text: committing

text: such

text: a

text: horrible

text: act

text: for

text: money

text: Newman

text: the

text: head

text: of

text: Operation

text: Rescue

text: said

text: he

text: 'll

text: keep

text: praying

text: Carhart

text: turns

text: back

text: to

text: the

text: healing

text: arts

text: and

text: not

text: taking

text: babies

text: lives

text: Carhart

text: remains

text: unmoved

text: When

text: they

text: 're

text: ready

text: to

text: accept

text: our

text: position

text: then

text: we

text: 'll

text: sit

text: down

text: We

text: say

text: choice

text: is

text: right

text: If

text: you

text: do

text: n't

text: want

text: to

text: have

text: an

text: abortion

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: one

text: Here

text: in

text: America

text: 's

text: heartland

text: a

text: battle

text: is

text: being

text: waged

text: and

text: both

text: sides

text: are

text: entrenched

text: There

text: is

text: no

text: middle

text: ground

question: What happened in Nebraska?

answer: Anti-abortion protesters plan demonstrations

text: Anti-abortion protesters plan demonstrations

question: First major abortion protests set since killing of who?

answer: Dr. [George] Tiller

text: Dr. [George] Tiller

question: George Tiller is who?

answer: one of the world's most well-known doctors performing abortions,

text: one of the world's most well-known doctors performing abortions,

question: Who was the understudy of TIllers?

answer: Carhart

text: Carhart