text:
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (CNN) -- Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia's interior minister, has been named the new crown prince of the key oil-producing nation, ascending at a time of regional turmoil amid the populist Arab Spring movement and simmering international issues involving Iran and other neighbors.

The news, following a royal decree signed by King Abdullah, was announced early Friday on state-run Saudi Television. The official Saudi Press Agency reported that the decree was issued the previous evening.

Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the king's half-brother, died in a New York hospital on Saturday after being ill for some time. His funeral was held three days later in Riyadh.

As was the case with his predecessor, the move makes Nayef bin Abdulaziz the heir to the Saudi throne.

He will assume his new post at a tension-filled time in the Arab world.

The longtime leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have fallen in recent months during the so-called Arab Spring, while those in Yemen, Syria and elsewhere are holding on to power despite continuing popular unrest.

Violence remains a problem in neighboring Iraq, as well as Afghanistan. Iran, a longtime rival of the Saudi royal family's, is still at odds with much of the international community over its nuclear program, among other issues.

Before the announcement, Nayef had been considered a likely successor to his brother as crown prince. He was named in 2009 as second deputy prime minister, a post held by the second in line to the throne.

Nayef has served as the Saudi interior minister since 1975, having overseen the kingdom's counterterrorism efforts.

Saudi Arabia is one of the only countries that has truly dismantled a domestic al Qaeda network, said Christopher Boucek, a Saudi expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"Nayef is widely seen as a hard-line conservative who, at best, is lukewarm to King Abdullah's reform initiatives," read a classified U.S. Embassy cable leaked by the website WikiLeaks.

In addition to his new title, Nayef will remain interior minister, according to Friday's announcement. The Saudi Press Agency noted that he also has been appointed deputy premier, meaning he will officially hold three positions in the Saudi government.

He and others met Thursday with a U.S. delegation that included Vice President Joe Biden, CIA Director David Petraeus and Sen. John McCain.

Ascension to the Saudi throne is kept within the royal family, though it does not pass from father to son. Instead, it's a complex process, and decisions in the conservative kingdom are often cloaked in secrecy.

Nayef's appointment follows the first-ever convening of the Allegiance Council, which the king established in 2006 to discuss and allow for more transparency on succession issues.

The king made his decision after receiving their input. Afterward, Abdullah instructed Nayef's fellow princes to pledge allegiance to him as the new crown prince.

CNN's Rima Maktabi contributed to this report.

text: Riyadh

text: Saudi

text: Arabia

text: CNN

text: Nayef

text: bin

text: Abdulaziz

text: Saudi

text: Arabia

text: 's

text: interior

text: minister

text: has

text: been

text: named

text: the

text: new

text: crown

text: prince

text: of

text: the

text: key

text: oil

text: producing

text: nation

text: ascending

text: at

text: a

text: time

text: of

text: regional

text: turmoil

text: amid

text: the

text: populist

text: Arab

text: Spring

text: movement

text: and

text: simmering

text: international

text: issues

text: involving

text: Iran

text: and

text: other

text: neighbors

text: The

text: news

text: following

text: a

text: royal

text: decree

text: signed

text: by

text: King

text: Abdullah

text: was

text: announced

text: early

text: Friday

text: on

text: state

text: run

text: Saudi

text: Television

text: The

text: official

text: Saudi

text: Press

text: Agency

text: reported

text: that

text: the

text: decree

text: was

text: issued

text: the

text: previous

text: evening

text: Crown

text: Prince

text: Sultan

text: bin

text: Abdulaziz

text: Al

text: Saud

text: the

text: king

text: 's

text: half

text: brother

text: died

text: in

text: a

text: New

text: York

text: hospital

text: on

text: Saturday

text: after

text: being

text: ill

text: for

text: some

text: time

text: His

text: funeral

text: was

text: held

text: three

text: days

text: later

text: in

text: Riyadh

text: As

text: was

text: the

text: case

text: with

text: his

text: predecessor

text: the

text: move

text: makes

text: Nayef

text: bin

text: Abdulaziz

text: the

text: heir

text: to

text: the

text: Saudi

text: throne

text: He

text: will

text: assume

text: his

text: new

text: post

text: at

text: a

text: tension

text: filled

text: time

text: in

text: the

text: Arab

text: world

text: The

text: longtime

text: leaders

text: of

text: Tunisia

text: Egypt

text: and

text: Libya

text: have

text: fallen

text: in

text: recent

text: months

text: during

text: the

text: so

text: called

text: Arab

text: Spring

text: while

text: those

text: in

text: Yemen

text: Syria

text: and

text: elsewhere

text: are

text: holding

text: on

text: to

text: power

text: despite

text: continuing

text: popular

text: unrest

text: Violence

text: remains

text: a

text: problem

text: in

text: neighboring

text: Iraq

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: Afghanistan

text: Iran

text: a

text: longtime

text: rival

text: of

text: the

text: Saudi

text: royal

text: family

text: 's

text: is

text: still

text: at

text: odds

text: with

text: much

text: of

text: the

text: international

text: community

text: over

text: its

text: nuclear

text: program

text: among

text: other

text: issues

text: Before

text: the

text: announcement

text: Nayef

text: had

text: been

text: considered

text: a

text: likely

text: successor

text: to

text: his

text: brother

text: as

text: crown

text: prince

text: He

text: was

text: named

text: in

text: as

text: second

text: deputy

text: prime

text: minister

text: a

text: post

text: held

text: by

text: the

text: second

text: in

text: line

text: to

text: the

text: throne

text: Nayef

text: has

text: served

text: as

text: the

text: Saudi

text: interior

text: minister

text: since

text: having

text: overseen

text: the

text: kingdom

text: 's

text: counterterrorism

text: efforts

text: Saudi

text: Arabia

text: is

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: only

text: countries

text: that

text: has

text: truly

text: dismantled

text: a

text: domestic

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: network

text: said

text: Christopher

text: Boucek

text: a

text: Saudi

text: expert

text: at

text: the

text: Carnegie

text: Endowment

text: for

text: International

text: Peace

text: Nayef

text: is

text: widely

text: seen

text: as

text: a

text: hard

text: line

text: conservative

text: who

text: at

text: best

text: is

text: lukewarm

text: to

text: King

text: Abdullah

text: 's

text: reform

text: initiatives

text: read

text: a

text: classified

text: U.S.

text: Embassy

text: cable

text: leaked

text: by

text: the

text: website

text: WikiLeaks

text: In

text: addition

text: to

text: his

text: new

text: title

text: Nayef

text: will

text: remain

text: interior

text: minister

text: according

text: to

text: Friday

text: 's

text: announcement

text: The

text: Saudi

text: Press

text: Agency

text: noted

text: that

text: he

text: also

text: has

text: been

text: appointed

text: deputy

text: premier

text: meaning

text: he

text: will

text: officially

text: hold

text: three

text: positions

text: in

text: the

text: Saudi

text: government

text: He

text: and

text: others

text: met

text: Thursday

text: with

text: a

text: U.S.

text: delegation

text: that

text: included

text: Vice

text: President

text: Joe

text: Biden

text: CIA

text: Director

text: David

text: Petraeus

text: and

text: Sen.

text: John

text: McCain

text: Ascension

text: to

text: the

text: Saudi

text: throne

text: is

text: kept

text: within

text: the

text: royal

text: family

text: though

text: it

text: does

text: not

text: pass

text: from

text: father

text: to

text: son

text: Instead

text: it

text: 's

text: a

text: complex

text: process

text: and

text: decisions

text: in

text: the

text: conservative

text: kingdom

text: are

text: often

text: cloaked

text: in

text: secrecy

text: Nayef

text: 's

text: appointment

text: follows

text: the

text: first

text: ever

text: convening

text: of

text: the

text: Allegiance

text: Council

text: which

text: the

text: king

text: established

text: in

text: to

text: discuss

text: and

text: allow

text: for

text: more

text: transparency

text: on

text: succession

text: issues

text: The

text: king

text: made

text: his

text: decision

text: after

text: receiving

text: their

text: input

text: Afterward

text: Abdullah

text: instructed

text: Nayef

text: 's

text: fellow

text: princes

text: to

text: pledge

text: allegiance

text: to

text: him

text: as

text: the

text: new

text: crown

text: prince

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Rima

text: Maktabi

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Who died Sunday?

answer: Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud,

text: Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud,

question: Who will be the deputy premier?

answer: Nayef bin Abdulaziz

text: Nayef bin Abdulaziz

question: What did the king tell the princes?

answer: pledge allegiance to him

text: pledge allegiance to him

question: What were the princes told

answer: "Nayef is widely seen as a hard-line conservative who, at best, is lukewarm to King Abdullah's reform initiatives,"

text: "Nayef is widely seen as a hard-line conservative who, at best, is lukewarm to King Abdullah's reform initiatives,"

question: What was leaked?

answer: a classified U.S. Embassy cable

text: a classified U.S. Embassy cable

question: Who is the hard-line conservative?

answer: "Nayef

text: "Nayef

question: What leaked the cable?

answer: WikiLeaks.

text: WikiLeaks.

question: Who is the interior minister?

answer: Nayef bin Abdulaziz,

text: Nayef bin Abdulaziz,

question: When did the crown prince died?

answer: Saturday

text: Saturday


text:
(CNN) -- To hear some Guatemalans tell it, three coordinated attacks that killed four prison officials in five hours Monday hardly raised anyone's pulse.

Police arrests two suspects in one of the three attacks.

They're used to this level of violence, said Fernando Carrera Castro, director of the Central American Institute for Fiscal Studies in Guatemala City. Although what happened is normal in Guatemala, Carrera said, that's not to say that citizens are not concerned.

"We're as scared as ever," he said Tuesday.

Heather Berkman, a Central America analyst with the Eurasia Group consulting firm, also has come to expect the violence.

"What else is new?" she said when asked about the killings.

Samuel Logan, an expert on Latin American gangs, said all of Central America is under attack from organized crime cartels because the region is pinched between Colombia and Mexico, the two biggest sources of drugs in the area. U.S. interdiction efforts that have targeted the flow of drugs through the Caribbean Sea also have forced cartels to travel through the Central American isthmus, Logan said.

Within Central America, he said, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have the worst problems. Among those three nations, Guatemala stands out.

"When you talk about a country being hollowed out by organized crime, Guatemala is at the top of the list," Logan said.

There are two main reasons, he said: geography and an incompetent and corrupt government.

"Guatemala bunches right up against Mexico," Logan said. "Any spillover effect is almost certainly going south."

Said Berkman, "The narcos are coming down from Mexico."

In addition, Logan said, the federal government is not able to control large segments of the country. For example, Peten state in northern Guatemala, bordered on two sides by Mexico, is lawless, he said.

Berkman made the same point.

"The narcos control about 40 percent of the territory down there, which is pretty amazing," she said.

Berkman also pointed out that the government has reduced anti-crime spending in the 2010 budget because of the nation's dire economic situation.

"If you don't have resources, you can't pay for troops and supplies and intelligence," she said.

Logan, who just wrote a book on the Mara Salvatrucha gang of Central America, said there are two main criminal elements in Guatemala: drug cartels that deal in large-scale exportation and street gangs that sell drugs at the retail level and are involved in other crimes, such as robbery and extortion. In some cases, they work together.

When those criminals get arrested, they continue their activities on the inside.

"The prisons, in general, are centers of corruption," Carrera said. "From inside prison, they direct kidnappings, extortion, drug trafficking."

Monday's attacks on the prison officials resulted from efforts to weed out corruption in the nation's prisons, Carrera said.

Officials have been clamping down on what goods inmates can receive and the use of cell phones within prison walls. They also are transferring some top-level criminals to high-security prisons.

"What happened is a reaction from gangs who want control of the prisons," Carrera said. "They're trying to show strength through force. To generate fear."

Interior Minister Raul Velasquez was quoted in several newspapers Tuesday as saying the attacks were in retaliation for the recent transfer of several gang leaders to high-security prisons.

Two arrests have been made in Monday's shootings and the investigation continues, said Rudy Esquivel, spokesman for the Guatemalan prison system.

"This was a very structured job; very well-defined," Esquivel said from Guatemala City, the nation's capital.

Killed were a prison assistant director, a warden and two guards. One guard and a shooting suspect were wounded, as were three citizens. One of the wounded was a woman in the eighth month of pregnancy, news accounts said.

According to published reports in the Prensa Libre, La Hora, El Periodico de Guatemala and Siglo 21 newspapers, this is what happened:

The first attack occurred around 7 a.m. Monday in Guatemala City when two gunmen on a motorcycle fired an AK-47 assault rifle at three guards who were transporting a prisoner. One of the guards was killed and another wounded. A national civil police unit driving in front of the prison detail gave chase and captured the suspects, one of whom suffered a serious leg injury.

The second attack happened 10 minutes later, when the warden at the prison in the city of Guastatoya, in central Guatemala, was gunned down while he ate in front of the Hospital General San Juan de Dios. The warden, Felix Gabriel Garcia Reyes, was at the hospital to pick up the body of a prisoner who had died after surgery. Two men and a pregnant 19-year-old woman were wounded in the attack.

Witnesses told police four men in a green vehicle fired and fled. Authorities found an abandoned Mitsubishi nearby that matched the description. Inside, they found a 9 mm pistol and ammunition for other weapons.

The third attack occurred around noon on the Inter-American Highway near the city of Chimaltenango, where Javier Bac Tzul, 40, was the prison's assistant director. He and his 31-year-old driver were killed as they returned to the prison after a trip to Guatemala City. Authorities said they found AK-47 shells at the scene.

Chimaltenango Gov. Hector Lopez said a prison director and two assistant directors already have been killed in the state, Prensa Libre reported.

Analyst Berkman sees little hope.

"It's a lose-lose situation, no matter how you look at it," she said.

text: CNN

text: To

text: hear

text: some

text: Guatemalans

text: tell

text: it

text: three

text: coordinated

text: attacks

text: that

text: killed

text: four

text: prison

text: officials

text: in

text: five

text: hours

text: Monday

text: hardly

text: raised

text: anyone

text: 's

text: pulse

text: Police

text: arrests

text: two

text: suspects

text: in

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: three

text: attacks

text: They

text: 're

text: used

text: to

text: this

text: level

text: of

text: violence

text: said

text: Fernando

text: Carrera

text: Castro

text: director

text: of

text: the

text: Central

text: American

text: Institute

text: for

text: Fiscal

text: Studies

text: in

text: Guatemala

text: City

text: Although

text: what

text: happened

text: is

text: normal

text: in

text: Guatemala

text: Carrera

text: said

text: that

text: 's

text: not

text: to

text: say

text: that

text: citizens

text: are

text: not

text: concerned

text: We

text: 're

text: as

text: scared

text: as

text: ever

text: he

text: said

text: Tuesday

text: Heather

text: Berkman

text: a

text: Central

text: America

text: analyst

text: with

text: the

text: Eurasia

text: Group

text: consulting

text: firm

text: also

text: has

text: come

text: to

text: expect

text: the

text: violence

text: What

text: else

text: is

text: new

text: she

text: said

text: when

text: asked

text: about

text: the

text: killings

text: Samuel

text: Logan

text: an

text: expert

text: on

text: Latin

text: American

text: gangs

text: said

text: all

text: of

text: Central

text: America

text: is

text: under

text: attack

text: from

text: organized

text: crime

text: cartels

text: because

text: the

text: region

text: is

text: pinched

text: between

text: Colombia

text: and

text: Mexico

text: the

text: two

text: biggest

text: sources

text: of

text: drugs

text: in

text: the

text: area

text: U.S.

text: interdiction

text: efforts

text: that

text: have

text: targeted

text: the

text: flow

text: of

text: drugs

text: through

text: the

text: Caribbean

text: Sea

text: also

text: have

text: forced

text: cartels

text: to

text: travel

text: through

text: the

text: Central

text: American

text: isthmus

text: Logan

text: said

text: Within

text: Central

text: America

text: he

text: said

text: Guatemala

text: Honduras

text: and

text: El

text: Salvador

text: have

text: the

text: worst

text: problems

text: Among

text: those

text: three

text: nations

text: Guatemala

text: stands

text: out

text: When

text: you

text: talk

text: about

text: a

text: country

text: being

text: hollowed

text: out

text: by

text: organized

text: crime

text: Guatemala

text: is

text: at

text: the

text: top

text: of

text: the

text: list

text: Logan

text: said

text: There

text: are

text: two

text: main

text: reasons

text: he

text: said

text: geography

text: and

text: an

text: incompetent

text: and

text: corrupt

text: government

text: Guatemala

text: bunches

text: right

text: up

text: against

text: Mexico

text: Logan

text: said

text: Any

text: spillover

text: effect

text: is

text: almost

text: certainly

text: going

text: south

text: Said

text: Berkman

text: The

text: narcos

text: are

text: coming

text: down

text: from

text: Mexico

text: In

text: addition

text: Logan

text: said

text: the

text: federal

text: government

text: is

text: not

text: able

text: to

text: control

text: large

text: segments

text: of

text: the

text: country

text: For

text: example

text: Peten

text: state

text: in

text: northern

text: Guatemala

text: bordered

text: on

text: two

text: sides

text: by

text: Mexico

text: is

text: lawless

text: he

text: said

text: Berkman

text: made

text: the

text: same

text: point

text: The

text: narcos

text: control

text: about

text: percent

text: of

text: the

text: territory

text: down

text: there

text: which

text: is

text: pretty

text: amazing

text: she

text: said

text: Berkman

text: also

text: pointed

text: out

text: that

text: the

text: government

text: has

text: reduced

text: anti

text: crime

text: spending

text: in

text: the

text: budget

text: because

text: of

text: the

text: nation

text: 's

text: dire

text: economic

text: situation

text: If

text: you

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: resources

text: you

text: ca

text: n't

text: pay

text: for

text: troops

text: and

text: supplies

text: and

text: intelligence

text: she

text: said

text: Logan

text: who

text: just

text: wrote

text: a

text: book

text: on

text: the

text: Mara

text: Salvatrucha

text: gang

text: of

text: Central

text: America

text: said

text: there

text: are

text: two

text: main

text: criminal

text: elements

text: in

text: Guatemala

text: drug

text: cartels

text: that

text: deal

text: in

text: large

text: scale

text: exportation

text: and

text: street

text: gangs

text: that

text: sell

text: drugs

text: at

text: the

text: retail

text: level

text: and

text: are

text: involved

text: in

text: other

text: crimes

text: such

text: as

text: robbery

text: and

text: extortion

text: In

text: some

text: cases

text: they

text: work

text: together

text: When

text: those

text: criminals

text: get

text: arrested

text: they

text: continue

text: their

text: activities

text: on

text: the

text: inside

text: The

text: prisons

text: in

text: general

text: are

text: centers

text: of

text: corruption

text: Carrera

text: said

text: From

text: inside

text: prison

text: they

text: direct

text: kidnappings

text: extortion

text: drug

text: trafficking

text: Monday

text: 's

text: attacks

text: on

text: the

text: prison

text: officials

text: resulted

text: from

text: efforts

text: to

text: weed

text: out

text: corruption

text: in

text: the

text: nation

text: 's

text: prisons

text: Carrera

text: said

text: Officials

text: have

text: been

text: clamping

text: down

text: on

text: what

text: goods

text: inmates

text: can

text: receive

text: and

text: the

text: use

text: of

text: cell

text: phones

text: within

text: prison

text: walls

text: They

text: also

text: are

text: transferring

text: some

text: top

text: level

text: criminals

text: to

text: high

text: security

text: prisons

text: What

text: happened

text: is

text: a

text: reaction

text: from

text: gangs

text: who

text: want

text: control

text: of

text: the

text: prisons

text: Carrera

text: said

text: They

text: 're

text: trying

text: to

text: show

text: strength

text: through

text: force

text: To

text: generate

text: fear

text: Interior

text: Minister

text: Raul

text: Velasquez

text: was

text: quoted

text: in

text: several

text: newspapers

text: Tuesday

text: as

text: saying

text: the

text: attacks

text: were

text: in

text: retaliation

text: for

text: the

text: recent

text: transfer

text: of

text: several

text: gang

text: leaders

text: to

text: high

text: security

text: prisons

text: Two

text: arrests

text: have

text: been

text: made

text: in

text: Monday

text: 's

text: shootings

text: and

text: the

text: investigation

text: continues

text: said

text: Rudy

text: Esquivel

text: spokesman

text: for

text: the

text: Guatemalan

text: prison

text: system

text: This

text: was

text: a

text: very

text: structured

text: job

text: very

text: well

text: defined

text: Esquivel

text: said

text: from

text: Guatemala

text: City

text: the

text: nation

text: 's

text: capital

text: Killed

text: were

text: a

text: prison

text: assistant

text: director

text: a

text: warden

text: and

text: two

text: guards

text: One

text: guard

text: and

text: a

text: shooting

text: suspect

text: were

text: wounded

text: as

text: were

text: three

text: citizens

text: One

text: of

text: the

text: wounded

text: was

text: a

text: woman

text: in

text: the

text: eighth

text: month

text: of

text: pregnancy

text: news

text: accounts

text: said

text: According

text: to

text: published

text: reports

text: in

text: the

text: Prensa

text: Libre

text: La

text: Hora

text: El

text: Periodico

text: de

text: Guatemala

text: and

text: Siglo

text: newspapers

text: this

text: is

text: what

text: happened

text: The

text: first

text: attack

text: occurred

text: around

text: a.m.

text: Monday

text: in

text: Guatemala

text: City

text: when

text: two

text: gunmen

text: on

text: a

text: motorcycle

text: fired

text: an

text: assault

text: rifle

text: at

text: three

text: guards

text: who

text: were

text: transporting

text: a

text: prisoner

text: One

text: of

text: the

text: guards

text: was

text: killed

text: and

text: another

text: wounded

text: A

text: national

text: civil

text: police

text: unit

text: driving

text: in

text: front

text: of

text: the

text: prison

text: detail

text: gave

text: chase

text: and

text: captured

text: the

text: suspects

text: one

text: of

text: whom

text: suffered

text: a

text: serious

text: leg

text: injury

text: The

text: second

text: attack

text: happened

text: minutes

text: later

text: when

text: the

text: warden

text: at

text: the

text: prison

text: in

text: the

text: city

text: of

text: Guastatoya

text: in

text: central

text: Guatemala

text: was

text: gunned

text: down

text: while

text: he

text: ate

text: in

text: front

text: of

text: the

text: Hospital

text: General

text: San

text: Juan

text: de

text: Dios

text: The

text: warden

text: Felix

text: Gabriel

text: Garcia

text: Reyes

text: was

text: at

text: the

text: hospital

text: to

text: pick

text: up

text: the

text: body

text: of

text: a

text: prisoner

text: who

text: had

text: died

text: after

text: surgery

text: Two

text: men

text: and

text: a

text: pregnant

text: old

text: woman

text: were

text: wounded

text: in

text: the

text: attack

text: Witnesses

text: told

text: police

text: four

text: men

text: in

text: a

text: green

text: vehicle

text: fired

text: and

text: fled

text: Authorities

text: found

text: an

text: abandoned

text: Mitsubishi

text: nearby

text: that

text: matched

text: the

text: description

text: Inside

text: they

text: found

text: a

text: mm

text: pistol

text: and

text: ammunition

text: for

text: other

text: weapons

text: The

text: third

text: attack

text: occurred

text: around

text: noon

text: on

text: the

text: Inter

text: American

text: Highway

text: near

text: the

text: city

text: of

text: Chimaltenango

text: where

text: Javier

text: Bac

text: Tzul

text: was

text: the

text: prison

text: 's

text: assistant

text: director

text: He

text: and

text: his

text: old

text: driver

text: were

text: killed

text: as

text: they

text: returned

text: to

text: the

text: prison

text: after

text: a

text: trip

text: to

text: Guatemala

text: City

text: Authorities

text: said

text: they

text: found

text: shells

text: at

text: the

text: scene

text: Chimaltenango

text: Gov.

text: Hector

text: Lopez

text: said

text: a

text: prison

text: director

text: and

text: two

text: assistant

text: directors

text: already

text: have

text: been

text: killed

text: in

text: the

text: state

text: Prensa

text: Libre

text: reported

text: Analyst

text: Berkman

text: sees

text: little

text: hope

text: It

text: 's

text: a

text: lose

text: lose

text: situation

text: no

text: matter

text: how

text: you

text: look

text: at

text: it

text: she

text: said

question: How many people were killed in the attacks?

answer: four

text: four

question: who starred attacks

answer: Fernando Carrera Castro,

text: Fernando Carrera Castro,

question: What are two big sources for drugs?

answer: Colombia and Mexico,

text: Colombia and Mexico,

question: How many attacks took place?

answer: three

text: three

question: What did the newspaper say?

answer: saying the attacks were in retaliation for the recent transfer of several gang leaders to high-security prisons.

text: saying the attacks were in retaliation for the recent transfer of several gang leaders to high-security prisons.

question: Who got the blame for the attacks?

answer: organized crime cartels

text: organized crime cartels


text:
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Antiviolence protesters stretched out 16,000 coconuts on Brazil's world-famous Copacabana beach Saturday, each one representing a victim of urban violence.

Protesters used dummies to represent victims of violence on Brazil's Copacabana beach this week.

Activists from ONG Rio de Paz led a protest march Saturday morning that included residents and tourists who usually can be found on the beach on weekends.

The protesters strung up a sign on the sand that said "Shame" in Spanish, Portuguese, English and French.

They finished with a minute of silence for the victims of violence.

Rio de Paz said the coconuts represent victims of violence, homicides, dead police officers and those who have been shot in gunfights between authorities and gangs of narcotics traffickers.

The figure itself was obtained from official information from the Rio de Janeiro governmental Institute of Public Security.

It was the second protest staged this week on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach by the group Rio de Paz.

On Tuesday, the group created a mock cemetery in the sand with mannequins representing 9,000 people who Rio de Paz says have been slain and secretly buried since January 2007.

Rio de Paz President Antonio Carlos Costa said he believes that about 6,000 of the missing people were killed, many by drug traffickers fighting for territory in Rio's slums and poor neighborhoods. Others, he said, were killed by hit squads and police acting on their own.

"In general, they are assassinated by police -- police acting outside of their regular work hours," Costa said Tuesday.

"They are also assassinated by narcotraffickers. The bodies are disposed of in secret cemeteries in the metropolitan Rio de Janeiro area or incinerated alive by narcotraffickers in what they call 'microwaves.' "

To illustrate the point, demonstrators also constructed facsimiles of the "microwaves" that narcotics traffickers and death squads reportedly use to cremate remains of those they have abducted.

CNN's Fabiana Frayssinet contributed to this report.

text: RIO

text: DE

text: JANEIRO

text: Brazil

text: CNN

text: Antiviolence

text: protesters

text: stretched

text: out

text: coconuts

text: on

text: Brazil

text: 's

text: world

text: famous

text: Copacabana

text: beach

text: Saturday

text: each

text: one

text: representing

text: a

text: victim

text: of

text: urban

text: violence

text: Protesters

text: used

text: dummies

text: to

text: represent

text: victims

text: of

text: violence

text: on

text: Brazil

text: 's

text: Copacabana

text: beach

text: this

text: week

text: Activists

text: from

text: ONG

text: Rio

text: de

text: Paz

text: led

text: a

text: protest

text: march

text: Saturday

text: morning

text: that

text: included

text: residents

text: and

text: tourists

text: who

text: usually

text: can

text: be

text: found

text: on

text: the

text: beach

text: on

text: weekends

text: The

text: protesters

text: strung

text: up

text: a

text: sign

text: on

text: the

text: sand

text: that

text: said

text: Shame

text: in

text: Spanish

text: Portuguese

text: English

text: and

text: French

text: They

text: finished

text: with

text: a

text: minute

text: of

text: silence

text: for

text: the

text: victims

text: of

text: violence

text: Rio

text: de

text: Paz

text: said

text: the

text: coconuts

text: represent

text: victims

text: of

text: violence

text: homicides

text: dead

text: police

text: officers

text: and

text: those

text: who

text: have

text: been

text: shot

text: in

text: gunfights

text: between

text: authorities

text: and

text: gangs

text: of

text: narcotics

text: traffickers

text: The

text: figure

text: itself

text: was

text: obtained

text: from

text: official

text: information

text: from

text: the

text: Rio

text: de

text: Janeiro

text: governmental

text: Institute

text: of

text: Public

text: Security

text: It

text: was

text: the

text: second

text: protest

text: staged

text: this

text: week

text: on

text: Rio

text: de

text: Janeiro

text: 's

text: Copacabana

text: beach

text: by

text: the

text: group

text: Rio

text: de

text: Paz

text: On

text: Tuesday

text: the

text: group

text: created

text: a

text: mock

text: cemetery

text: in

text: the

text: sand

text: with

text: mannequins

text: representing

text: people

text: who

text: Rio

text: de

text: Paz

text: says

text: have

text: been

text: slain

text: and

text: secretly

text: buried

text: since

text: January

text: Rio

text: de

text: Paz

text: President

text: Antonio

text: Carlos

text: Costa

text: said

text: he

text: believes

text: that

text: about

text: of

text: the

text: missing

text: people

text: were

text: killed

text: many

text: by

text: drug

text: traffickers

text: fighting

text: for

text: territory

text: in

text: Rio

text: 's

text: slums

text: and

text: poor

text: neighborhoods

text: Others

text: he

text: said

text: were

text: killed

text: by

text: hit

text: squads

text: and

text: police

text: acting

text: on

text: their

text: own

text: In

text: general

text: they

text: are

text: assassinated

text: by

text: police

text: police

text: acting

text: outside

text: of

text: their

text: regular

text: work

text: hours

text: Costa

text: said

text: Tuesday

text: They

text: are

text: also

text: assassinated

text: by

text: narcotraffickers

text: The

text: bodies

text: are

text: disposed

text: of

text: in

text: secret

text: cemeteries

text: in

text: the

text: metropolitan

text: Rio

text: de

text: Janeiro

text: area

text: or

text: incinerated

text: alive

text: by

text: narcotraffickers

text: in

text: what

text: they

text: call

text: microwaves

text: To

text: illustrate

text: the

text: point

text: demonstrators

text: also

text: constructed

text: facsimiles

text: of

text: the

text: microwaves

text: that

text: narcotics

text: traffickers

text: and

text: death

text: squads

text: reportedly

text: use

text: to

text: cremate

text: remains

text: of

text: those

text: they

text: have

text: abducted

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Fabiana

text: Frayssinet

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: What did the coconuts represent?

answer: a victim of urban violence.

text: a victim of urban violence.

question: What was lined up along Brazil's Copacabana beach?

answer: Antiviolence protesters

text: Antiviolence protesters

question: What does protesters say in four languages?

answer: "Shame"

text: "Shame"

question: What do the coconuts represent

answer: victims of violence,

text: victims of violence,

question: On which beach were the coconuts lined up

answer: Copacabana

text: Copacabana

question: What did the signs that were put up read?

answer: "Shame" in Spanish, Portuguese, English and French.

text: "Shame" in Spanish, Portuguese, English and French.

question: What word was written in four languages

answer: "Shame"

text: "Shame"


text:
London, England (CNN) -- British Airways was able to get three out of four planes to their destination this weekend despite the ongoing strike by cabin crew, the airline's CEO, Willie Walsh, said Sunday.

Walsh told CNN he was "clearly disappointed for customers who have had disrupted travel plans but I'm really pleased that we have been able to do so much and we are determined to keep this going.

"We have had high numbers of cabin crew turning up for work. We wouldn't have been able to fly such a significant operation if we didn't have cabin crew supporting us," he said.

But the assistant general secretary of the Unite union, which represents the cabin crew, said BA was losing money and shifting customers onto other airlines in a "con trick."

Are you worried about the strike?

"BA is claiming that it can function but it is doing so by throwing away millions of pounds every day as it dumps its passengers on other carriers," Unite's Len McClusky said in a statement.

"Passengers who turn up expecting to fly BA, a brand they trust and have paid a premium for, will now be shipped onto carriers they've never heard of."

British Airways and Unite have been at odds for more than a year over changes the airline wants to make to cabin crew pay and work practices.

BA says the changes will save the company more than 60 million pounds ($90 million) a year. Unite has said the plans, which call for longer work hours and less staffing, will damage customer service and the BA brand.

At least 51 British Airways flights leaving Heathrow Sunday were listed as canceled on the airport's Web site, and at least 79 arrivals were listed as canceled, as of 10:30 local time (5:30 a.m. ET).

Destinations in the UK, United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle East were directly affected by the cancellation of BA flights. And other airlines such as American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Iberia were showing flight cancellations because of code-sharing.

The union claimed half of British Airways flights were canceled on Sunday. BA in the past has said it is legally bound as a publicly traded company to provide accurate information, while the union is under no such obligations.

The latest strike, which began Saturday, meant American student Brittany Smith and her family were being rerouted from London's Heathrow to Atlanta, Georgia, on their way home to Denver, Colorado.

She has already e-mailed her professors to explain that she will not make class. "It is frustrating, but if you let it frustrate you, you're just going to ruin your travel plans even more," she told CNN.

"So you are just going to have to take it with a grain of salt, and realize that everyone is doing the best they can and to make it easier on everyone to stay positive."

The four-day strike is the union's second one in a month over pay and working conditions. It staged a three-day walkout last weekend

BA said its operations got off to a good start Saturday despite the strike by thousands of its cabin crew members.

The airline said it was able to operate flights as normal at two London airports, Gatwick and City, and that the number of crew members reporting for work at Heathrow was enough to operate BA's planned schedule.

It said enough staff had crossed the picket lines that it was able to fly more than 75 percent of customers scheduled to travel during the strike. Another 18 percent of passengers are booked to fly on other carriers or have changed their travel dates to avoid the strike, the airline said.

Advice for passengers

The Unite union, which represents 95 percent of BA's 15,000 cabin crew, said it was too early say how many crew members worked despite the strike.

The airline said it will be able to run a full operation from London's Gatwick and City airports.

At London's Heathrow Airport, BA will be able to run up to 55 percent of its short-haul flights and up to 70 percent of its long-haul flights, the airline said. Gatwick-based cabin crew work under different conditions, which is why the strike affects one airport more than the other.

BA handed a statement to passengers on some long-haul flights, reassuring them the airline's own staff was working on board.

"British Airways pilots will be flying your aircraft and you will be cared for in the cabin by British Airways staff," the statement read. "Some of these staff in the cabin may be additional pilots who have volunteered to look after you, and as such will be wearing their pilot uniforms."

Pauline Doyle, a spokeswoman for Unite, said having pilots standing in as flight attendants "undermines" the relationship between cabin crew and pilots.

Pauline Doyle, a spokeswoman for Unite, said having pilots standing in as flight attendants "undermines" the relationship between cabin crew and pilots.

Other carriers are offering to accommodate BA passengers affected by the strike. British carrier BMI, which flies to Europe and the Middle East, said Friday it had added 4,500 seats to its normal Heathrow flight schedule and Ryanair offered special fares to BA passengers.

CNN's Erin McLaughlin contributed to this report.

text: London

text: England

text: CNN

text: British

text: Airways

text: was

text: able

text: to

text: get

text: three

text: out

text: of

text: four

text: planes

text: to

text: their

text: destination

text: this

text: weekend

text: despite

text: the

text: ongoing

text: strike

text: by

text: cabin

text: crew

text: the

text: airline

text: 's

text: CEO

text: Willie

text: Walsh

text: said

text: Sunday

text: Walsh

text: told

text: CNN

text: he

text: was

text: clearly

text: disappointed

text: for

text: customers

text: who

text: have

text: had

text: disrupted

text: travel

text: plans

text: but

text: I

text: 'm

text: really

text: pleased

text: that

text: we

text: have

text: been

text: able

text: to

text: do

text: so

text: much

text: and

text: we

text: are

text: determined

text: to

text: keep

text: this

text: going

text: We

text: have

text: had

text: high

text: numbers

text: of

text: cabin

text: crew

text: turning

text: up

text: for

text: work

text: We

text: would

text: n't

text: have

text: been

text: able

text: to

text: fly

text: such

text: a

text: significant

text: operation

text: if

text: we

text: did

text: n't

text: have

text: cabin

text: crew

text: supporting

text: us

text: he

text: said

text: But

text: the

text: assistant

text: general

text: secretary

text: of

text: the

text: Unite

text: union

text: which

text: represents

text: the

text: cabin

text: crew

text: said

text: BA

text: was

text: losing

text: money

text: and

text: shifting

text: customers

text: onto

text: other

text: airlines

text: in

text: a

text: con

text: trick

text: Are

text: you

text: worried

text: about

text: the

text: strike

text: BA

text: is

text: claiming

text: that

text: it

text: can

text: function

text: but

text: it

text: is

text: doing

text: so

text: by

text: throwing

text: away

text: millions

text: of

text: pounds

text: every

text: day

text: as

text: it

text: dumps

text: its

text: passengers

text: on

text: other

text: carriers

text: Unite

text: 's

text: Len

text: McClusky

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: statement

text: Passengers

text: who

text: turn

text: up

text: expecting

text: to

text: fly

text: BA

text: a

text: brand

text: they

text: trust

text: and

text: have

text: paid

text: a

text: premium

text: for

text: will

text: now

text: be

text: shipped

text: onto

text: carriers

text: they

text: 've

text: never

text: heard

text: of

text: British

text: Airways

text: and

text: Unite

text: have

text: been

text: at

text: odds

text: for

text: more

text: than

text: a

text: year

text: over

text: changes

text: the

text: airline

text: wants

text: to

text: make

text: to

text: cabin

text: crew

text: pay

text: and

text: work

text: practices

text: BA

text: says

text: the

text: changes

text: will

text: save

text: the

text: company

text: more

text: than

text: million

text: pounds

text: million

text: a

text: year

text: Unite

text: has

text: said

text: the

text: plans

text: which

text: call

text: for

text: longer

text: work

text: hours

text: and

text: less

text: staffing

text: will

text: damage

text: customer

text: service

text: and

text: the

text: BA

text: brand

text: At

text: least

text: British

text: Airways

text: flights

text: leaving

text: Heathrow

text: Sunday

text: were

text: listed

text: as

text: canceled

text: on

text: the

text: airport

text: 's

text: Web

text: site

text: and

text: at

text: least

text: arrivals

text: were

text: listed

text: as

text: canceled

text: as

text: of

text: local

text: time

text: a.m.

text: ET

text: Destinations

text: in

text: the

text: UK

text: United

text: States

text: Europe

text: Africa

text: and

text: the

text: Middle

text: East

text: were

text: directly

text: affected

text: by

text: the

text: cancellation

text: of

text: BA

text: flights

text: And

text: other

text: airlines

text: such

text: as

text: American

text: Airlines

text: Cathay

text: Pacific

text: and

text: Iberia

text: were

text: showing

text: flight

text: cancellations

text: because

text: of

text: code

text: sharing

text: The

text: union

text: claimed

text: half

text: of

text: British

text: Airways

text: flights

text: were

text: canceled

text: on

text: Sunday

text: BA

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: has

text: said

text: it

text: is

text: legally

text: bound

text: as

text: a

text: publicly

text: traded

text: company

text: to

text: provide

text: accurate

text: information

text: while

text: the

text: union

text: is

text: under

text: no

text: such

text: obligations

text: The

text: latest

text: strike

text: which

text: began

text: Saturday

text: meant

text: American

text: student

text: Brittany

text: Smith

text: and

text: her

text: family

text: were

text: being

text: rerouted

text: from

text: London

text: 's

text: Heathrow

text: to

text: Atlanta

text: Georgia

text: on

text: their

text: way

text: home

text: to

text: Denver

text: Colorado

text: She

text: has

text: already

text: e

text: mailed

text: her

text: professors

text: to

text: explain

text: that

text: she

text: will

text: not

text: make

text: class

text: It

text: is

text: frustrating

text: but

text: if

text: you

text: let

text: it

text: frustrate

text: you

text: you

text: 're

text: just

text: going

text: to

text: ruin

text: your

text: travel

text: plans

text: even

text: more

text: she

text: told

text: CNN

text: So

text: you

text: are

text: just

text: going

text: to

text: have

text: to

text: take

text: it

text: with

text: a

text: grain

text: of

text: salt

text: and

text: realize

text: that

text: everyone

text: is

text: doing

text: the

text: best

text: they

text: can

text: and

text: to

text: make

text: it

text: easier

text: on

text: everyone

text: to

text: stay

text: positive

text: The

text: four

text: day

text: strike

text: is

text: the

text: union

text: 's

text: second

text: one

text: in

text: a

text: month

text: over

text: pay

text: and

text: working

text: conditions

text: It

text: staged

text: a

text: three

text: day

text: walkout

text: last

text: weekend

text: BA

text: said

text: its

text: operations

text: got

text: off

text: to

text: a

text: good

text: start

text: Saturday

text: despite

text: the

text: strike

text: by

text: thousands

text: of

text: its

text: cabin

text: crew

text: members

text: The

text: airline

text: said

text: it

text: was

text: able

text: to

text: operate

text: flights

text: as

text: normal

text: at

text: two

text: London

text: airports

text: Gatwick

text: and

text: City

text: and

text: that

text: the

text: number

text: of

text: crew

text: members

text: reporting

text: for

text: work

text: at

text: Heathrow

text: was

text: enough

text: to

text: operate

text: BA

text: 's

text: planned

text: schedule

text: It

text: said

text: enough

text: staff

text: had

text: crossed

text: the

text: picket

text: lines

text: that

text: it

text: was

text: able

text: to

text: fly

text: more

text: than

text: percent

text: of

text: customers

text: scheduled

text: to

text: travel

text: during

text: the

text: strike

text: Another

text: percent

text: of

text: passengers

text: are

text: booked

text: to

text: fly

text: on

text: other

text: carriers

text: or

text: have

text: changed

text: their

text: travel

text: dates

text: to

text: avoid

text: the

text: strike

text: the

text: airline

text: said

text: Advice

text: for

text: passengers

text: The

text: Unite

text: union

text: which

text: represents

text: percent

text: of

text: BA

text: 's

text: cabin

text: crew

text: said

text: it

text: was

text: too

text: early

text: say

text: how

text: many

text: crew

text: members

text: worked

text: despite

text: the

text: strike

text: The

text: airline

text: said

text: it

text: will

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: run

text: a

text: full

text: operation

text: from

text: London

text: 's

text: Gatwick

text: and

text: City

text: airports

text: At

text: London

text: 's

text: Heathrow

text: Airport

text: BA

text: will

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: run

text: up

text: to

text: percent

text: of

text: its

text: short

text: haul

text: flights

text: and

text: up

text: to

text: percent

text: of

text: its

text: long

text: haul

text: flights

text: the

text: airline

text: said

text: Gatwick

text: based

text: cabin

text: crew

text: work

text: under

text: different

text: conditions

text: which

text: is

text: why

text: the

text: strike

text: affects

text: one

text: airport

text: more

text: than

text: the

text: other

text: BA

text: handed

text: a

text: statement

text: to

text: passengers

text: on

text: some

text: long

text: haul

text: flights

text: reassuring

text: them

text: the

text: airline

text: 's

text: own

text: staff

text: was

text: working

text: on

text: board

text: British

text: Airways

text: pilots

text: will

text: be

text: flying

text: your

text: aircraft

text: and

text: you

text: will

text: be

text: cared

text: for

text: in

text: the

text: cabin

text: by

text: British

text: Airways

text: staff

text: the

text: statement

text: read

text: Some

text: of

text: these

text: staff

text: in

text: the

text: cabin

text: may

text: be

text: additional

text: pilots

text: who

text: have

text: volunteered

text: to

text: look

text: after

text: you

text: and

text: as

text: such

text: will

text: be

text: wearing

text: their

text: pilot

text: uniforms

text: Pauline

text: Doyle

text: a

text: spokeswoman

text: for

text: Unite

text: said

text: having

text: pilots

text: standing

text: in

text: as

text: flight

text: attendants

text: undermines

text: the

text: relationship

text: between

text: cabin

text: crew

text: and

text: pilots

text: Pauline

text: Doyle

text: a

text: spokeswoman

text: for

text: Unite

text: said

text: having

text: pilots

text: standing

text: in

text: as

text: flight

text: attendants

text: undermines

text: the

text: relationship

text: between

text: cabin

text: crew

text: and

text: pilots

text: Other

text: carriers

text: are

text: offering

text: to

text: accommodate

text: BA

text: passengers

text: affected

text: by

text: the

text: strike

text: British

text: carrier

text: BMI

text: which

text: flies

text: to

text: Europe

text: and

text: the

text: Middle

text: East

text: said

text: Friday

text: it

text: had

text: added

text: seats

text: to

text: its

text: normal

text: Heathrow

text: flight

text: schedule

text: and

text: Ryanair

text: offered

text: special

text: fares

text: to

text: BA

text: passengers

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Erin

text: McLaughlin

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Who's been fighting?

answer: British Airways and Unite

text: British Airways and Unite

question: What is the labor dispute over?

answer: changes the airline wants to make to cabin crew pay and work practices.

text: changes the airline wants to make to cabin crew pay and work practices.

question: What was canceled?

answer: half of British Airways flights

text: half of British Airways flights

question: What's the percentage of flyers?

answer: 75 percent

text: 75 percent

question: What did British Airways say?

answer: "clearly disappointed for customers who have had disrupted travel plans

text: "clearly disappointed for customers who have had disrupted travel plans


text:
LONDON, England (CNN) -- French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's declaration that France had to prepare for the possibility of war against Iran over its nuclear program was not conventional diplomatic behavior. But then Kouchner was never expected to be a soft-soaper on the diplomatic scene.

French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner has a reputation for challenging convention and authority.

A surprise appointment from the Socialist ranks to Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative government, the founder of Medicins Sans Frontiers has always challenged convention and authority.

The former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali once called Kouchner 'an unguided missile' and the man himself has been known to declare: "To change the law you sometimes have to break the law". He was in his youth one of the leaders of the students revolt in France in May 1968.

Kouchner is a humanitarian as well as a patriot, with a strong commitment to human rights. Unusually for a man of the Left, he supported the US-led intervention in Iraq (while criticizing the aftermath). But he did so on the grounds of Saddam Hussein's denial of human rights, not his possible possession of weapons of mass destruction. His and President Sarkozy's concern for human rights lies behind their eagerness to join Gordon Brown's Britain in a new push for action in Darfur.

Bernard Kouchner did not come to his position with any of former President Chirac's instinctive distrust of the United States. Washington, which has been critical of some European states for their weakness in confronting Teheran, will have been delighted by his 'get serious' warning to Teheran. But the plain-speaking Kouchner is unlikely to be deterred by fears of upsetting the White House when he has criticisms to make of US policy.

How much should be made of his words on Iran remains unclear at this stage. They were scarcely on the same scale as President Chirac's threat when he was still in office to retaliate with nuclear strikes against any state found to be responsible for a large-scale terrorist attack on France. But they are all of a piece with France's new high-profile style under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy.

Mr Kouchner, for example, became the first French Foreign Minister to visit Iraq since 1988, insisting that there could only be a political solution to the country's problems, not a military one, and offering France's services as a mediator and 'honest broker' between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.

On Iran he is, in a way, merely echoing the words of his President who declared in a speech last month that a nuclear-armed Iran would be 'unacceptable' and describing the stand-off over its nuclear program as 'undoubtedly the most serious crisis before us today'. Certainly Mr Kouchner is making clear that France no longer takes the view once expressed by President Chirac that a nuclear-armed Iran might be inevitable

In continuing to ratchet up the rhetoric over that threat and to underline the West's resolution on Iran's nuclear enrichment program Mr Kouchner is supplementing his president's warnings. Neither is saying that military intervention against Iran is imminent or inevitable. Neither has yet confirmed that France would be part of any such military action. But both are stressing the risks which are piling up as a result of Teheran's brinkmanship.

Perhaps the strongest lesson though from Mr Kouchner's intervention is his underlining that the new administration in France is not a knee-jerk anti-American one -- and that France is in the business of reclaiming a role at the top diplomatic tables. E-mail to a friend

text: LONDON

text: England

text: CNN

text: French

text: Foreign

text: Minister

text: Bernard

text: Kouchner

text: 's

text: declaration

text: that

text: France

text: had

text: to

text: prepare

text: for

text: the

text: possibility

text: of

text: war

text: against

text: Iran

text: over

text: its

text: nuclear

text: program

text: was

text: not

text: conventional

text: diplomatic

text: behavior

text: But

text: then

text: Kouchner

text: was

text: never

text: expected

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: soft

text: soaper

text: on

text: the

text: diplomatic

text: scene

text: French

text: foreign

text: minister

text: Bernard

text: Kouchner

text: has

text: a

text: reputation

text: for

text: challenging

text: convention

text: and

text: authority

text: A

text: surprise

text: appointment

text: from

text: the

text: Socialist

text: ranks

text: to

text: Nicolas

text: Sarkozy

text: 's

text: conservative

text: government

text: the

text: founder

text: of

text: Medicins

text: Sans

text: Frontiers

text: has

text: always

text: challenged

text: convention

text: and

text: authority

text: The

text: former

text: UN

text: Secretary

text: General

text: Boutros

text: Boutros

text: Ghali

text: once

text: called

text: Kouchner

text: an

text: unguided

text: missile

text: and

text: the

text: man

text: himself

text: has

text: been

text: known

text: to

text: declare

text: To

text: change

text: the

text: law

text: you

text: sometimes

text: have

text: to

text: break

text: the

text: law

text: He

text: was

text: in

text: his

text: youth

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: leaders

text: of

text: the

text: students

text: revolt

text: in

text: France

text: in

text: May

text: Kouchner

text: is

text: a

text: humanitarian

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: a

text: patriot

text: with

text: a

text: strong

text: commitment

text: to

text: human

text: rights

text: Unusually

text: for

text: a

text: man

text: of

text: the

text: Left

text: he

text: supported

text: the

text: US

text: led

text: intervention

text: in

text: Iraq

text: while

text: criticizing

text: the

text: aftermath

text: But

text: he

text: did

text: so

text: on

text: the

text: grounds

text: of

text: Saddam

text: Hussein

text: 's

text: denial

text: of

text: human

text: rights

text: not

text: his

text: possible

text: possession

text: of

text: weapons

text: of

text: mass

text: destruction

text: His

text: and

text: President

text: Sarkozy

text: 's

text: concern

text: for

text: human

text: rights

text: lies

text: behind

text: their

text: eagerness

text: to

text: join

text: Gordon

text: Brown

text: 's

text: Britain

text: in

text: a

text: new

text: push

text: for

text: action

text: in

text: Darfur

text: Bernard

text: Kouchner

text: did

text: not

text: come

text: to

text: his

text: position

text: with

text: any

text: of

text: former

text: President

text: Chirac

text: 's

text: instinctive

text: distrust

text: of

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: Washington

text: which

text: has

text: been

text: critical

text: of

text: some

text: European

text: states

text: for

text: their

text: weakness

text: in

text: confronting

text: Teheran

text: will

text: have

text: been

text: delighted

text: by

text: his

text: get

text: serious

text: warning

text: to

text: Teheran

text: But

text: the

text: plain

text: speaking

text: Kouchner

text: is

text: unlikely

text: to

text: be

text: deterred

text: by

text: fears

text: of

text: upsetting

text: the

text: White

text: House

text: when

text: he

text: has

text: criticisms

text: to

text: make

text: of

text: US

text: policy

text: How

text: much

text: should

text: be

text: made

text: of

text: his

text: words

text: on

text: Iran

text: remains

text: unclear

text: at

text: this

text: stage

text: They

text: were

text: scarcely

text: on

text: the

text: same

text: scale

text: as

text: President

text: Chirac

text: 's

text: threat

text: when

text: he

text: was

text: still

text: in

text: office

text: to

text: retaliate

text: with

text: nuclear

text: strikes

text: against

text: any

text: state

text: found

text: to

text: be

text: responsible

text: for

text: a

text: large

text: scale

text: terrorist

text: attack

text: on

text: France

text: But

text: they

text: are

text: all

text: of

text: a

text: piece

text: with

text: France

text: 's

text: new

text: high

text: profile

text: style

text: under

text: the

text: presidency

text: of

text: Nicolas

text: Sarkozy

text: Mr

text: Kouchner

text: for

text: example

text: became

text: the

text: first

text: French

text: Foreign

text: Minister

text: to

text: visit

text: Iraq

text: since

text: insisting

text: that

text: there

text: could

text: only

text: be

text: a

text: political

text: solution

text: to

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: problems

text: not

text: a

text: military

text: one

text: and

text: offering

text: France

text: 's

text: services

text: as

text: a

text: mediator

text: and

text: honest

text: broker

text: between

text: Sunnis

text: Shiites

text: and

text: Kurds

text: On

text: Iran

text: he

text: is

text: in

text: a

text: way

text: merely

text: echoing

text: the

text: words

text: of

text: his

text: President

text: who

text: declared

text: in

text: a

text: speech

text: last

text: month

text: that

text: a

text: nuclear

text: armed

text: Iran

text: would

text: be

text: unacceptable

text: and

text: describing

text: the

text: stand

text: off

text: over

text: its

text: nuclear

text: program

text: as

text: undoubtedly

text: the

text: most

text: serious

text: crisis

text: before

text: us

text: today

text: Certainly

text: Mr

text: Kouchner

text: is

text: making

text: clear

text: that

text: France

text: no

text: longer

text: takes

text: the

text: view

text: once

text: expressed

text: by

text: President

text: Chirac

text: that

text: a

text: nuclear

text: armed

text: Iran

text: might

text: be

text: inevitable

text: In

text: continuing

text: to

text: ratchet

text: up

text: the

text: rhetoric

text: over

text: that

text: threat

text: and

text: to

text: underline

text: the

text: West

text: 's

text: resolution

text: on

text: Iran

text: 's

text: nuclear

text: enrichment

text: program

text: Mr

text: Kouchner

text: is

text: supplementing

text: his

text: president

text: 's

text: warnings

text: Neither

text: is

text: saying

text: that

text: military

text: intervention

text: against

text: Iran

text: is

text: imminent

text: or

text: inevitable

text: Neither

text: has

text: yet

text: confirmed

text: that

text: France

text: would

text: be

text: part

text: of

text: any

text: such

text: military

text: action

text: But

text: both

text: are

text: stressing

text: the

text: risks

text: which

text: are

text: piling

text: up

text: as

text: a

text: result

text: of

text: Teheran

text: 's

text: brinkmanship

text: Perhaps

text: the

text: strongest

text: lesson

text: though

text: from

text: Mr

text: Kouchner

text: 's

text: intervention

text: is

text: his

text: underlining

text: that

text: the

text: new

text: administration

text: in

text: France

text: is

text: not

text: a

text: knee

text: jerk

text: anti

text: American

text: one

text: and

text: that

text: France

text: is

text: in

text: the

text: business

text: of

text: reclaiming

text: a

text: role

text: at

text: the

text: top

text: diplomatic

text: tables

text: E

text: mail

text: to

text: a

text: friend

question: who was a surprise appointment to government?

answer: Bernard Kouchner

text: Bernard Kouchner

question: Who is the surprise appointment to the government?

answer: Bernard Kouchner

text: Bernard Kouchner

question: When did a French Foreign Minister last visit Iraq?

answer: since 1988,

text: since 1988,

question: What is going to cause a war between France and Iran?

answer: nuclear program was not conventional diplomatic behavior.

text: nuclear program was not conventional diplomatic behavior.

question: what has Kouchner told France to prepare for?

answer: the possibility of war against Iran over its nuclear program

text: the possibility of war against Iran over its nuclear program

question: Who appointed French FM Kouchner?

answer: Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative government,

text: Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative government,

question: Who is the war with?

answer: Iran

text: Iran

question: When did the last French Foreign Minister visit Iraq?

answer: 1988,

question: what the french fm said?

answer: for the possibility of war against Iran over its nuclear program

text: for the possibility of war against Iran over its nuclear program

question: What foreign minister is going to visit Iraq?

answer: Bernard Kouchner's

text: Bernard Kouchner's

question: What appointment was made to Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative government?

answer: Bernard Kouchner

text: Bernard Kouchner

question: when did the first french foreign minister visit iraq?

answer: 1988,


text:
Editor's note: Rudy Ruiz founded RedBrownandBlue.com, a site featuring multicultural political commentary, hosts a nationally syndicated Spanish-language radio show; and wrote a guide to success for immigrants ("Â¡Adelante!" published by Random House). He is co-founder and president of Interlex, an advocacy marketing agency based in San Antonio, Texas.

Rudy Ruiz says people hold on to their views despite the evidence for fear of being labeled a flip-flopper.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (CNN) -- As people shout over each other and tune out diverging views in town hall meetings, the health care debate is proving to be symptomatic of a major ailment threatening our nation:

A contagious culture of closed-mindedness threatens to suffocate our progress as a society.

Why has it become so difficult to even consider changing our minds about important issues?

Here's my diagnosis.

Increasingly, the willingness to change one's position on political issues has been misread as a mark of weakness rather than a product of attentive listening and careful deliberation.

During the 2004 Presidential campaign, the successful branding of John Kerry as a flip-flopper doomed his bid. Fear of "flip-flopper syndrome" is apparently catching like the flu, because today politicians are not alone in their determination to adhere to partisan positions despite the changing needs of our nation.

Nearly everyone's so reluctant to appear wishy-washy that they stand firm even when the evidence is against their views.

Three factors exacerbate this paralysis by lack of analysis: labels, lifestyles and listening.

First, the labels ascribed to many potential policy tools render sensible options taboo, loading what could be rational, economic or social measures with moral baggage. This narrows our choices, hemming in policy makers.

Any proposal including the words "government-run" elicits cries of "socialism" and "communism." Any argument invoking the words "God" or "moral" sparks accusations of "right-wing extremism," "fascism," or "Bible-thumping." Instead of listening to each other's ideas, we spot the warning label and run the other way.

Second, our lifestyles favor knee-jerk reactions. The way we think, work and live in the Digital Age demands we quickly categorize information without investing time into rich interaction, research and understanding.

We're hesitant to ask questions because we don't have time to listen to the long, complicated answers that might follow. And we lack the time to fact-check competing claims. In our haste, it's easier to echo our party's position than drill down, questioning whether party leaders are motivated by our best interests or the best interests of their biggest contributors.

Third, we tend to listen only to like-minded opinions as media fragmentation encourages us to filter out varying perspectives. If you're a liberal, you avoid FOX News. If you're a conservative you revile MSNBC. The dynamic is even more pronounced online, where a niche media source can be found for any outlook.

This silences the opportunity for meaningful dialogue and deliberation that might lead to reformulating positions, forging sustainable compromises, and developing consensus crucial to moving our nation forward on complex issues.

So how can we overcome this challenge, starting with the health care debate? How do we open our minds to the possibility that we could actually learn from somebody else? Here's my prescription.

For starters, we should eschew the notion that changing our minds is a character flaw. To the contrary, experts believe it's a manifestation of higher intelligence. Renowned psychologist Stuart Sutherland wrote in "Irrationality," his seminal 1992 book: "The willingness to change one's mind in the light of new evidence is a sign of rationality not weakness."

To further free our minds, we should aggressively treat the three Ls:

Let's lose the labels: from "flip-flopper" to "commie," from "fear-monger" to "right-wing nut job." Trash the diatribe; mull the ideas.

Let's engage in some constructive lifestyle management, slowing down to ponder -- and make independent decisions -- as enlightened people. We cannot allow the technological evolution to rob us of the intellectual strides of the American Revolution.

We must value the art of listening, reflection, comparative analysis, and civil discourse if we're to make the most of our democracy. In the process, we should signal to leaders that we're willing to expand our horizons beyond party lines. Maybe they'll get in front of our parade, collaborating for a change.

Let's request a second opinion and listen to each other. Switch channels. Visit different Web sites. Read a newspaper, while we can still find one. How about stepping into a town hall with an open mind, prepared to converse with people hailing from diverse circumstances? A range of perspectives enriches our viewpoint, empowering us to craft nuanced responses to complex situations.

Ultimately, we must stop thinking that the only thing to think is what we've thought all along. As we learn more about multifaceted matters, our positions should evolve accordingly. Let's accept that it's OK to change your minds.

In the end, opening our minds can only enhance the prognosis for our most cherished patient: America.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rudy Ruiz.

text: Editor

text: 's

text: note

text: Rudy

text: Ruiz

text: founded

text: RedBrownandBlue.com

text: a

text: site

text: featuring

text: multicultural

text: political

text: commentary

text: hosts

text: a

text: nationally

text: syndicated

text: Spanish

text: language

text: radio

text: show

text: and

text: wrote

text: a

text: guide

text: to

text: success

text: for

text: immigrants

text: Â¡Adelante

text: published

text: by

text: Random

text: House

text: He

text: is

text: co

text: founder

text: and

text: president

text: of

text: Interlex

text: an

text: advocacy

text: marketing

text: agency

text: based

text: in

text: San

text: Antonio

text: Texas

text: Rudy

text: Ruiz

text: says

text: people

text: hold

text: on

text: to

text: their

text: views

text: despite

text: the

text: evidence

text: for

text: fear

text: of

text: being

text: labeled

text: a

text: flip

text: flopper

text: SAN

text: ANTONIO

text: Texas

text: CNN

text: As

text: people

text: shout

text: over

text: each

text: other

text: and

text: tune

text: out

text: diverging

text: views

text: in

text: town

text: hall

text: meetings

text: the

text: health

text: care

text: debate

text: is

text: proving

text: to

text: be

text: symptomatic

text: of

text: a

text: major

text: ailment

text: threatening

text: our

text: nation

text: A

text: contagious

text: culture

text: of

text: closed

text: mindedness

text: threatens

text: to

text: suffocate

text: our

text: progress

text: as

text: a

text: society

text: Why

text: has

text: it

text: become

text: so

text: difficult

text: to

text: even

text: consider

text: changing

text: our

text: minds

text: about

text: important

text: issues

text: Here

text: 's

text: my

text: diagnosis

text: Increasingly

text: the

text: willingness

text: to

text: change

text: one

text: 's

text: position

text: on

text: political

text: issues

text: has

text: been

text: misread

text: as

text: a

text: mark

text: of

text: weakness

text: rather

text: than

text: a

text: product

text: of

text: attentive

text: listening

text: and

text: careful

text: deliberation

text: During

text: the

text: Presidential

text: campaign

text: the

text: successful

text: branding

text: of

text: John

text: Kerry

text: as

text: a

text: flip

text: flopper

text: doomed

text: his

text: bid

text: Fear

text: of

text: flip

text: flopper

text: syndrome

text: is

text: apparently

text: catching

text: like

text: the

text: flu

text: because

text: today

text: politicians

text: are

text: not

text: alone

text: in

text: their

text: determination

text: to

text: adhere

text: to

text: partisan

text: positions

text: despite

text: the

text: changing

text: needs

text: of

text: our

text: nation

text: Nearly

text: everyone

text: 's

text: so

text: reluctant

text: to

text: appear

text: wishy

text: washy

text: that

text: they

text: stand

text: firm

text: even

text: when

text: the

text: evidence

text: is

text: against

text: their

text: views

text: Three

text: factors

text: exacerbate

text: this

text: paralysis

text: by

text: lack

text: of

text: analysis

text: labels

text: lifestyles

text: and

text: listening

text: First

text: the

text: labels

text: ascribed

text: to

text: many

text: potential

text: policy

text: tools

text: render

text: sensible

text: options

text: taboo

text: loading

text: what

text: could

text: be

text: rational

text: economic

text: or

text: social

text: measures

text: with

text: moral

text: baggage

text: This

text: narrows

text: our

text: choices

text: hemming

text: in

text: policy

text: makers

text: Any

text: proposal

text: including

text: the

text: words

text: government

text: run

text: elicits

text: cries

text: of

text: socialism

text: and

text: communism

text: Any

text: argument

text: invoking

text: the

text: words

text: God

text: or

text: moral

text: sparks

text: accusations

text: of

text: right

text: wing

text: extremism

text: fascism

text: or

text: Bible

text: thumping

text: Instead

text: of

text: listening

text: to

text: each

text: other

text: 's

text: ideas

text: we

text: spot

text: the

text: warning

text: label

text: and

text: run

text: the

text: other

text: way

text: Second

text: our

text: lifestyles

text: favor

text: knee

text: jerk

text: reactions

text: The

text: way

text: we

text: think

text: work

text: and

text: live

text: in

text: the

text: Digital

text: Age

text: demands

text: we

text: quickly

text: categorize

text: information

text: without

text: investing

text: time

text: into

text: rich

text: interaction

text: research

text: and

text: understanding

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text: 're

text: hesitant

text: to

text: ask

text: questions

text: because

text: we

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: time

text: to

text: listen

text: to

text: the

text: long

text: complicated

text: answers

text: that

text: might

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text: And

text: we

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text: the

text: time

text: to

text: fact

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text: competing

text: claims

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text: our

text: haste

text: it

text: 's

text: easier

text: to

text: echo

text: our

text: party

text: 's

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text: than

text: drill

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text: questioning

text: whether

text: party

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text: are

text: motivated

text: by

text: our

text: best

text: interests

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text: the

text: best

text: interests

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text: their

text: biggest

text: contributors

text: Third

text: we

text: tend

text: to

text: listen

text: only

text: to

text: like

text: minded

text: opinions

text: as

text: media

text: fragmentation

text: encourages

text: us

text: to

text: filter

text: out

text: varying

text: perspectives

text: If

text: you

text: 're

text: a

text: liberal

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text: FOX

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text: conservative

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text: MSNBC

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text: dynamic

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text: any

text: outlook

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text: silences

text: the

text: opportunity

text: for

text: meaningful

text: dialogue

text: and

text: deliberation

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text: might

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text: reformulating

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text: forging

text: sustainable

text: compromises

text: and

text: developing

text: consensus

text: crucial

text: to

text: moving

text: our

text: nation

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text: complex

text: issues

text: So

text: how

text: can

text: we

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text: this

text: challenge

text: starting

text: with

text: the

text: health

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text: How

text: do

text: we

text: open

text: our

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text: the

text: possibility

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text: learn

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text: my

text: prescription

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text: starters

text: we

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text: notion

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text: higher

text: intelligence

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text: psychologist

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text: Sutherland

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text: in

text: Irrationality

text: his

text: seminal

text: book

text: The

text: willingness

text: to

text: change

text: one

text: 's

text: mind

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text: the

text: light

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text: new

text: evidence

text: is

text: a

text: sign

text: of

text: rationality

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text: weakness

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text: minds

text: we

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text: aggressively

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text: the

text: three

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text: Let

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text: the

text: labels

text: from

text: flip

text: flopper

text: to

text: commie

text: from

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text: right

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text: job

text: Trash

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text: mull

text: the

text: ideas

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text: 's

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text: constructive

text: lifestyle

text: management

text: slowing

text: down

text: to

text: ponder

text: and

text: make

text: independent

text: decisions

text: as

text: enlightened

text: people

text: We

text: can

text: not

text: allow

text: the

text: technological

text: evolution

text: to

text: rob

text: us

text: of

text: the

text: intellectual

text: strides

text: of

text: the

text: American

text: Revolution

text: We

text: must

text: value

text: the

text: art

text: of

text: listening

text: reflection

text: comparative

text: analysis

text: and

text: civil

text: discourse

text: if

text: we

text: 're

text: to

text: make

text: the

text: most

text: of

text: our

text: democracy

text: In

text: the

text: process

text: we

text: should

text: signal

text: to

text: leaders

text: that

text: we

text: 're

text: willing

text: to

text: expand

text: our

text: horizons

text: beyond

text: party

text: lines

text: Maybe

text: they

text: 'll

text: get

text: in

text: front

text: of

text: our

text: parade

text: collaborating

text: for

text: a

text: change

text: Let

text: 's

text: request

text: a

text: second

text: opinion

text: and

text: listen

text: to

text: each

text: other

text: Switch

text: channels

text: Visit

text: different

text: Web

text: sites

text: Read

text: a

text: newspaper

text: while

text: we

text: can

text: still

text: find

text: one

text: How

text: about

text: stepping

text: into

text: a

text: town

text: hall

text: with

text: an

text: open

text: mind

text: prepared

text: to

text: converse

text: with

text: people

text: hailing

text: from

text: diverse

text: circumstances

text: A

text: range

text: of

text: perspectives

text: enriches

text: our

text: viewpoint

text: empowering

text: us

text: to

text: craft

text: nuanced

text: responses

text: to

text: complex

text: situations

text: Ultimately

text: we

text: must

text: stop

text: thinking

text: that

text: the

text: only

text: thing

text: to

text: think

text: is

text: what

text: we

text: 've

text: thought

text: all

text: along

text: As

text: we

text: learn

text: more

text: about

text: multifaceted

text: matters

text: our

text: positions

text: should

text: evolve

text: accordingly

text: Let

text: 's

text: accept

text: that

text: it

text: 's

text: OK

text: to

text: change

text: your

text: minds

text: In

text: the

text: end

text: opening

text: our

text: minds

text: can

text: only

text: enhance

text: the

text: prognosis

text: for

text: our

text: most

text: cherished

text: patient

text: America

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: commentary

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: Rudy

text: Ruiz

question: Labels like what obscure the real choices?

answer: ascribed to many potential policy tools render sensible options taboo,

text: ascribed to many potential policy tools render sensible options taboo,

question: Who says, "Let's listen to each other and take into consideration wider range of viewpoints?

answer: Rudy Ruiz

text: Rudy Ruiz

question: What has become unfashionable?

answer: to appear wishy-washy

text: to appear wishy-washy

question: What is a sign of rationality?

answer: "The willingness to change one's mind in the light of new evidence

text: "The willingness to change one's mind in the light of new evidence

question: Who says "let's listen to each other..."?

answer: Rudy Ruiz

text: Rudy Ruiz

question: Who said "It's become unfashionable to have an open mind about issues?"

answer: Rudy Ruiz

text: Rudy Ruiz

question: What does he say is a sign of rationality?

answer: willingness to change one's mind in the light of new evidence

text: willingness to change one's mind in the light of new evidence

question: What says Rudy Ruiz?

answer: people hold on to their views despite the evidence for fear of being labeled a flip-flopper.

text: people hold on to their views despite the evidence for fear of being labeled a flip-flopper.