text:
(CNN) -- After his infamous "brain freeze" that drew laughter and ridicule from his detractors, Texas Gov. Rick Perry poked fun at himself Thursday night while delivering the "Top Ten" list on CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman."

Perry sauntered on stage smiling, clapped his hands and saluted the crowd before rattling off the "Top Ten Rick Perry Excuses." Among them:

No. 6: "You try concentrating with Mitt Romney smiling at you. That is one handsome dude!"

No. 5: "Uh, El Nino?"

No. 4: "I had a 5-hour Energy drink six hours before the debate."

No. 2: "I wanted to help take the heat off my buddy Herman Cain."

No. 1: "I just learned Justin Bieber is my father."

Perry made sure he was in control of the jokes after Wednesday's GOP debate in Rochester, Michigan, when he said he would eliminate three federal agencies if elected president -- but could name only two of them.

That produced a painful period of more than 50 seconds during which Perry tried in vain to remember the third federal agency. It ended only after Perry conceded that he could not remember it -- even after appearing to consult his notes.

"Oops," he said.

Perry has a chance to redeem himself on the debate front Saturday, when he is scheduled face off with other Republican presidential hopefuls at the CBS News-National Journal debate in South Carolina.

The morning after the debacle, Perry said his "brain freeze" showed he is not "the slickest politician" among the field of Republican presidential hopefuls.

His campaign, meanwhile, sought to raise funds off the gaffe, encouraging supporters to send $5 for every government agency they "would like to forget."

Operatives from the left and the right slammed the moment as a potential sign of Perry's campaign imploding. The New York Times quoted Mark McKinnon, an aide to former President George W. Bush, as calling the moment the "human equivalent of shuttle Challenger."

Speaking to CNN's Christine Romans on Thursday, Perry said, "we need substance more than we need style" and tried to turn the incident into an attack on President Barack Obama.

When Romans said that the president has to be "debater in chief," Perry responded, "We've got a debater in chief right now. And you've got to ask yourself: How's that working out for America?"

His campaign sent out a note to supporters saying, "We've all had human moments."

The note from "Team Perry" points out that Obama, at a campaign stop during the 2008 election, referred to having visited "57 states."

"Ronald Reagan got lost somewhere on the Pacific Highway in an answer to a debate question," the note adds. "Gerald Ford ate a tamale without removing the husk. And tonight Rick Perry forgot the third agency he wants to eliminate. Just goes to show there are too damn many federal agencies."

In a 1984 debate against Walter Mondale, then-President Reagan delivered a closing statement that was widely viewed as rambling. He began by describing a day he had driven down the California coast. Reagan had to be cut off by the moderator. Ford, in 1976, was meeting voters in Texas when he bit into a tamale. Unaware of how to eat it, he did not first remove the husk.

At Wednesday's debate, Perry was facing Texas Rep. Ron Paul when he started to answer the question.

"I will tell you, it is three agencies of government when I get there that are gone," Perry said. "Commerce, Education, and the -- what's the third one there? Let's see. OK. Commerce, Education, and the ... "

"EPA?" Mitt Romney offered.

"EPA, there you go," Perry said.

When pressed by moderator John Harwood if the Environmental Protection Agency was indeed the third agency he proposes shuttering, Perry admitted that it wasn't. He then attempted again to remember the details from his plan.

"The third agency of government I would -- I would do away with Education, the Commerce, and, let's see. I can't. The third one, I can't. Sorry. Oops."

Several minutes later, Perry clarified that the agency he was trying to remember was the Department of Energy.

Perry was already saddled with a series of lackluster debate performances and is down in the polls.

On Twitter, reaction was swift.

"Perry collapses. Cannot remember a list of three federal government departments he wants to abolish past the first two. Seriously. And then he says 'oops.' He has all but disappeared inside his suit in this debate and is now basically done," conservative blogger Andrew Sullivan tweeted.

Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Roland Martin exclaimed, "Damn, he actually forgot the third federal agency he would get rid of! That is THE MOST EMBARRASSING moment of any debate I've seen!"

Appearing in the spin room after the debate, Perry tried to make light of the gaffe.

"I'm sure glad I had my boots on," he said, "because I sure stepped in it out there."

CNN's Kevin Liptak, Josh Levs and Peter Hamby contributed to this report.

text: CNN

text: After

text: his

text: infamous

text: brain

text: freeze

text: that

text: drew

text: laughter

text: and

text: ridicule

text: from

text: his

text: detractors

text: Texas

text: Gov.

text: Rick

text: Perry

text: poked

text: fun

text: at

text: himself

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text: night

text: while

text: delivering

text: the

text: Top

text: Ten

text: list

text: on

text: CBS

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text: Late

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text: with

text: David

text: Letterman

text: Perry

text: sauntered

text: on

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text: smiling

text: clapped

text: his

text: hands

text: and

text: saluted

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text: crowd

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text: rattling

text: off

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text: Top

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text: No

text: You

text: try

text: concentrating

text: with

text: Mitt

text: Romney

text: smiling

text: at

text: you

text: That

text: is

text: one

text: handsome

text: dude

text: No

text: Uh

text: El

text: Nino

text: No

text: I

text: had

text: a

text: Energy

text: drink

text: six

text: hours

text: before

text: the

text: debate

text: No

text: I

text: wanted

text: to

text: help

text: take

text: the

text: heat

text: off

text: my

text: buddy

text: Herman

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text: No

text: I

text: just

text: learned

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text: Bieber

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text: Perry

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text: was

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text: control

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text: jokes

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text: would

text: eliminate

text: three

text: federal

text: agencies

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text: elected

text: president

text: but

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text: only

text: two

text: of

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text: ended

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text: chance

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text: debate

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text: he

text: is

text: scheduled

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text: other

text: Republican

text: presidential

text: hopefuls

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text: the

text: CBS

text: News

text: National

text: Journal

text: debate

text: in

text: South

text: Carolina

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text: morning

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text: debacle

text: Perry

text: said

text: his

text: brain

text: freeze

text: showed

text: he

text: is

text: not

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text: slickest

text: politician

text: among

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text: field

text: of

text: Republican

text: presidential

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text: campaign

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text: gaffe

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text: left

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text: right

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text: moment

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text: potential

text: sign

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text: Perry

text: 's

text: campaign

text: imploding

text: The

text: New

text: York

text: Times

text: quoted

text: Mark

text: McKinnon

text: an

text: aide

text: to

text: former

text: President

text: George

text: W.

text: Bush

text: as

text: calling

text: the

text: moment

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text: human

text: equivalent

text: of

text: shuttle

text: Challenger

text: Speaking

text: to

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Christine

text: Romans

text: on

text: Thursday

text: Perry

text: said

text: we

text: need

text: substance

text: more

text: than

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text: need

text: style

text: and

text: tried

text: to

text: turn

text: the

text: incident

text: into

text: an

text: attack

text: on

text: President

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: When

text: Romans

text: said

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text: president

text: has

text: to

text: be

text: debater

text: in

text: chief

text: Perry

text: responded

text: We

text: 've

text: got

text: a

text: debater

text: in

text: chief

text: right

text: now

text: And

text: you

text: 've

text: got

text: to

text: ask

text: yourself

text: How

text: 's

text: that

text: working

text: out

text: for

text: America

text: His

text: campaign

text: sent

text: out

text: a

text: note

text: to

text: supporters

text: saying

text: We

text: 've

text: all

text: had

text: human

text: moments

text: The

text: note

text: from

text: Team

text: Perry

text: points

text: out

text: that

text: Obama

text: at

text: a

text: campaign

text: stop

text: during

text: the

text: election

text: referred

text: to

text: having

text: visited

text: states

text: Ronald

text: Reagan

text: got

text: lost

text: somewhere

text: on

text: the

text: Pacific

text: Highway

text: in

text: an

text: answer

text: to

text: a

text: debate

text: question

text: the

text: note

text: adds

text: Gerald

text: Ford

text: ate

text: a

text: tamale

text: without

text: removing

text: the

text: husk

text: And

text: tonight

text: Rick

text: Perry

text: forgot

text: the

text: third

text: agency

text: he

text: wants

text: to

text: eliminate

text: Just

text: goes

text: to

text: show

text: there

text: are

text: too

text: damn

text: many

text: federal

text: agencies

text: In

text: a

text: debate

text: against

text: Walter

text: Mondale

text: then

text: President

text: Reagan

text: delivered

text: a

text: closing

text: statement

text: that

text: was

text: widely

text: viewed

text: as

text: rambling

text: He

text: began

text: by

text: describing

text: a

text: day

text: he

text: had

text: driven

text: down

text: the

text: California

text: coast

text: Reagan

text: had

text: to

text: be

text: cut

text: off

text: by

text: the

text: moderator

text: Ford

text: in

text: was

text: meeting

text: voters

text: in

text: Texas

text: when

text: he

text: bit

text: into

text: a

text: tamale

text: Unaware

text: of

text: how

text: to

text: eat

text: it

text: he

text: did

text: not

text: first

text: remove

text: the

text: husk

text: At

text: Wednesday

text: 's

text: debate

text: Perry

text: was

text: facing

text: Texas

text: Rep.

text: Ron

text: Paul

text: when

text: he

text: started

text: to

text: answer

text: the

text: question

text: I

text: will

text: tell

text: you

text: it

text: is

text: three

text: agencies

text: of

text: government

text: when

text: I

text: get

text: there

text: that

text: are

text: gone

text: Perry

text: said

text: Commerce

text: Education

text: and

text: the

text: what

text: 's

text: the

text: third

text: one

text: there

text: Let

text: 's

text: see

text: OK

text: Commerce

text: Education

text: and

text: the

text: EPA

text: Mitt

text: Romney

text: offered

text: EPA

text: there

text: you

text: go

text: Perry

text: said

text: When

text: pressed

text: by

text: moderator

text: John

text: Harwood

text: if

text: the

text: Environmental

text: Protection

text: Agency

text: was

text: indeed

text: the

text: third

text: agency

text: he

text: proposes

text: shuttering

text: Perry

text: admitted

text: that

text: it

text: was

text: n't

text: He

text: then

text: attempted

text: again

text: to

text: remember

text: the

text: details

text: from

text: his

text: plan

text: The

text: third

text: agency

text: of

text: government

text: I

text: would

text: I

text: would

text: do

text: away

text: with

text: Education

text: the

text: Commerce

text: and

text: let

text: 's

text: see

text: I

text: ca

text: n't

text: The

text: third

text: one

text: I

text: ca

text: n't

text: Sorry

text: Oops

text: Several

text: minutes

text: later

text: Perry

text: clarified

text: that

text: the

text: agency

text: he

text: was

text: trying

text: to

text: remember

text: was

text: the

text: Department

text: of

text: Energy

text: Perry

text: was

text: already

text: saddled

text: with

text: a

text: series

text: of

text: lackluster

text: debate

text: performances

text: and

text: is

text: down

text: in

text: the

text: polls

text: On

text: Twitter

text: reaction

text: was

text: swift

text: Perry

text: collapses

text: Can

text: not

text: remember

text: a

text: list

text: of

text: three

text: federal

text: government

text: departments

text: he

text: wants

text: to

text: abolish

text: past

text: the

text: first

text: two

text: Seriously

text: And

text: then

text: he

text: says

text: oops

text: He

text: has

text: all

text: but

text: disappeared

text: inside

text: his

text: suit

text: in

text: this

text: debate

text: and

text: is

text: now

text: basically

text: done

text: conservative

text: blogger

text: Andrew

text: Sullivan

text: tweeted

text: Democratic

text: strategist

text: and

text: CNN

text: contributor

text: Roland

text: Martin

text: exclaimed

text: Damn

text: he

text: actually

text: forgot

text: the

text: third

text: federal

text: agency

text: he

text: would

text: get

text: rid

text: of

text: That

text: is

text: THE

text: MOST

text: EMBARRASSING

text: moment

text: of

text: any

text: debate

text: I

text: 've

text: seen

text: Appearing

text: in

text: the

text: spin

text: room

text: after

text: the

text: debate

text: Perry

text: tried

text: to

text: make

text: light

text: of

text: the

text: gaffe

text: I

text: 'm

text: sure

text: glad

text: I

text: had

text: my

text: boots

text: on

text: he

text: said

text: because

text: I

text: sure

text: stepped

text: in

text: it

text: out

text: there

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Kevin

text: Liptak

text: Josh

text: Levs

text: and

text: Peter

text: Hamby

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Who is scheduled to participate in a debate Saturday?

answer: Perry

text: Perry

question: Who is scheduled to participate in another debate Saturday?

answer: Perry

text: Perry

question: How many agencies was Perry able to name?

answer: two

text: two

question: At At Wednesday's debate, Perry could name how many agencies he would eliminate?

answer: only two of them.

text: only two of them.


text:
(CNN) -- President Obama's decision to grant some benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees is seen by some as his attempt to extend an olive branch to the gay and lesbian community, but critics say it's "too little, too late."

Some critics say President Obama has let the gay community down.

"It seems to me at least to be a nice gesture, but a disappointment," said Richard Kim, a senior editor at The Nation magazine.

The memorandum Obama signed Wednesday is not expected to grant health and retirement benefits to same-sex partners, as that is prohibited under the Defense of Marriage Act.

"It will absolutely be seen as something good -- but I think, for example, it not including full health insurance -- that is going to put a real microscope on that question. You know, why not?" Kim said, adding that the memo applies only to federal employees, so most people will not be affected by it.

Charles Moran, the spokesman for the Log Cabin Republicans, said the lack of full benefits in Thursday's memorandum shows a lack of commitment to the gay community.

"That's the part that just shows that the Obama administration really isn't serious about their promises to the gay and lesbian community. Things like the health benefits, things like retirement benefits and coverage for spouses. These are the core issues," Moran said.

"Why start the marathon if you're not serious about ending the race?" he added.

White House officials involved in discussions with gay-rights advocates say that Obama favors extending full health care benefits to same-sex couples but that will take legislation to accomplish.

Moran said Obama has had multiple opportunities to fulfill his promises to the gay and lesbian community -- including by repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and standing against the Justice Department motion filed last week in support of the Defense of Marriage Act.

"Here we are, several months after he's been inaugurated, and we've gotten basically nothing. So it is too little, too late," Moran said.

White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama will keep his word.

"[Extending benefits to same-sex couples] is a matter of fairness. The president is committed to ensuring that fairness as well as working on and fulfilling other promises that he has made in the campaign around things like 'don't ask, don't tell,' " Gibbs said.

The president has faced sharp criticism over the Justice Department's filing in support of the Defense of Marriage Act, which opposes same-sex marriage. The act used the government's interest in opposing incestuous marriages to support its position against same-sex marriage.

Openly gay Rep. Barney Frank said the Obama administration made a "big mistake" and is calling on the president to clearly explain his views on the matter.

"The wording they used was inappropriate," the Massachusetts Democrat told the Boston Herald in an interview published in the paper's Wednesday edition.

Many gay activists have called on Frank and other gay members of Congress to speak out against the recent Department of Justice brief.

The rancor threatens to disrupt a big Democratic National Committee gay fundraiser in Washington next week.

Vice President Biden is the guest at next Thursday's DNC's LBGT Leadership Council 10th Annual Dinner in Washington. Critics are calling for Frank and other gay congressional leaders to boycott the dinner, for which tickets go for $1,000 to $30,000 a plate.

Activist David Mixner and blogger Andy Towle, two well-known gay rights advocates, announced that they were pulling out, citing disappointment with the Defense of Marriage Act brief. iReport.com: Share your thoughts on Obama and same-sex marriage

The president also rankled gay advocates before his inauguration when he named megachurch pastor the Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his swearing-in. Warren, in an interview with Belief.net, likened homosexuality to bestiality and incest. He also supported California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in that state.

During the Warren controversy, Obama -- who frequently spoke in favor of gay and lesbian rights during the campaign but has said he opposes same-sex marriage -- declared himself "a fierce advocate for gay and lesbian Americans."

Given the support Obama received from the gay community during the campaign season, Kim said so far, the Obama administration has let gay and lesbian rights activists down.

Obama got 70 percent of the vote from those who identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual, according to CNN exit polls.

"I think there is an overwhelming feeling that he has not lived up to expectations on these matters," he said.

But, he added, "there's some sympathy for him -- there's the worst recession since the Great Depression, troops are in two different countries in the Middle East -- so there's a lot on his plate."

Kim said Obama's full agenda, however, shouldn't be used as an excuse to delay action on gay rights issues. If the administration waits until there is a news hole, then the issues will be subject to a lot of debate, he said.

"In the middle of the health care debate, saying we're going to do health care, we're going to fix the economy and then this other [gay rights] stuff -- of course it's right. It doesn't require a national debate," he said. "This is stuff that's been debated forever. America does not need a huge national debate on some of these issues," Kim said.

Kim said while Obama has disappointed the gay community, he still has some time to make good on his campaign promises.

"I think people will wait through the first two legislative sessions, but then after that some of this stuff does need to move to the front," he said.

text: CNN

text: President

text: Obama

text: 's

text: decision

text: to

text: grant

text: some

text: benefits

text: to

text: the

text: same

text: sex

text: partners

text: of

text: federal

text: employees

text: is

text: seen

text: by

text: some

text: as

text: his

text: attempt

text: to

text: extend

text: an

text: olive

text: branch

text: to

text: the

text: gay

text: and

text: lesbian

text: community

text: but

text: critics

text: say

text: it

text: 's

text: too

text: little

text: too

text: late

text: Some

text: critics

text: say

text: President

text: Obama

text: has

text: let

text: the

text: gay

text: community

text: down

text: It

text: seems

text: to

text: me

text: at

text: least

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: nice

text: gesture

text: but

text: a

text: disappointment

text: said

text: Richard

text: Kim

text: a

text: senior

text: editor

text: at

text: The

text: Nation

text: magazine

text: The

text: memorandum

text: Obama

text: signed

text: Wednesday

text: is

text: not

text: expected

text: to

text: grant

text: health

text: and

text: retirement

text: benefits

text: to

text: same

text: sex

text: partners

text: as

text: that

text: is

text: prohibited

text: under

text: the

text: Defense

text: of

text: Marriage

text: Act

text: It

text: will

text: absolutely

text: be

text: seen

text: as

text: something

text: good

text: but

text: I

text: think

text: for

text: example

text: it

text: not

text: including

text: full

text: health

text: insurance

text: that

text: is

text: going

text: to

text: put

text: a

text: real

text: microscope

text: on

text: that

text: question

text: You

text: know

text: why

text: not

text: Kim

text: said

text: adding

text: that

text: the

text: memo

text: applies

text: only

text: to

text: federal

text: employees

text: so

text: most

text: people

text: will

text: not

text: be

text: affected

text: by

text: it

text: Charles

text: Moran

text: the

text: spokesman

text: for

text: the

text: Log

text: Cabin

text: Republicans

text: said

text: the

text: lack

text: of

text: full

text: benefits

text: in

text: Thursday

text: 's

text: memorandum

text: shows

text: a

text: lack

text: of

text: commitment

text: to

text: the

text: gay

text: community

text: That

text: 's

text: the

text: part

text: that

text: just

text: shows

text: that

text: the

text: Obama

text: administration

text: really

text: is

text: n't

text: serious

text: about

text: their

text: promises

text: to

text: the

text: gay

text: and

text: lesbian

text: community

text: Things

text: like

text: the

text: health

text: benefits

text: things

text: like

text: retirement

text: benefits

text: and

text: coverage

text: for

text: spouses

text: These

text: are

text: the

text: core

text: issues

text: Moran

text: said

text: Why

text: start

text: the

text: marathon

text: if

text: you

text: 're

text: not

text: serious

text: about

text: ending

text: the

text: race

text: he

text: added

text: White

text: House

text: officials

text: involved

text: in

text: discussions

text: with

text: gay

text: rights

text: advocates

text: say

text: that

text: Obama

text: favors

text: extending

text: full

text: health

text: care

text: benefits

text: to

text: same

text: sex

text: couples

text: but

text: that

text: will

text: take

text: legislation

text: to

text: accomplish

text: Moran

text: said

text: Obama

text: has

text: had

text: multiple

text: opportunities

text: to

text: fulfill

text: his

text: promises

text: to

text: the

text: gay

text: and

text: lesbian

text: community

text: including

text: by

text: repealing

text: the

text: military

text: 's

text: do

text: n't

text: ask

text: do

text: n't

text: tell

text: policy

text: and

text: standing

text: against

text: the

text: Justice

text: Department

text: motion

text: filed

text: last

text: week

text: in

text: support

text: of

text: the

text: Defense

text: of

text: Marriage

text: Act

text: Here

text: we

text: are

text: several

text: months

text: after

text: he

text: 's

text: been

text: inaugurated

text: and

text: we

text: 've

text: gotten

text: basically

text: nothing

text: So

text: it

text: is

text: too

text: little

text: too

text: late

text: Moran

text: said

text: White

text: House

text: Spokesman

text: Robert

text: Gibbs

text: said

text: Obama

text: will

text: keep

text: his

text: word

text: Extending

text: benefits

text: to

text: same

text: sex

text: couples

text: is

text: a

text: matter

text: of

text: fairness

text: The

text: president

text: is

text: committed

text: to

text: ensuring

text: that

text: fairness

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: working

text: on

text: and

text: fulfilling

text: other

text: promises

text: that

text: he

text: has

text: made

text: in

text: the

text: campaign

text: around

text: things

text: like

text: do

text: n't

text: ask

text: do

text: n't

text: tell

text: Gibbs

text: said

text: The

text: president

text: has

text: faced

text: sharp

text: criticism

text: over

text: the

text: Justice

text: Department

text: 's

text: filing

text: in

text: support

text: of

text: the

text: Defense

text: of

text: Marriage

text: Act

text: which

text: opposes

text: same

text: sex

text: marriage

text: The

text: act

text: used

text: the

text: government

text: 's

text: interest

text: in

text: opposing

text: incestuous

text: marriages

text: to

text: support

text: its

text: position

text: against

text: same

text: sex

text: marriage

text: Openly

text: gay

text: Rep.

text: Barney

text: Frank

text: said

text: the

text: Obama

text: administration

text: made

text: a

text: big

text: mistake

text: and

text: is

text: calling

text: on

text: the

text: president

text: to

text: clearly

text: explain

text: his

text: views

text: on

text: the

text: matter

text: The

text: wording

text: they

text: used

text: was

text: inappropriate

text: the

text: Massachusetts

text: Democrat

text: told

text: the

text: Boston

text: Herald

text: in

text: an

text: interview

text: published

text: in

text: the

text: paper

text: 's

text: Wednesday

text: edition

text: Many

text: gay

text: activists

text: have

text: called

text: on

text: Frank

text: and

text: other

text: gay

text: members

text: of

text: Congress

text: to

text: speak

text: out

text: against

text: the

text: recent

text: Department

text: of

text: Justice

text: brief

text: The

text: rancor

text: threatens

text: to

text: disrupt

text: a

text: big

text: Democratic

text: National

text: Committee

text: gay

text: fundraiser

text: in

text: Washington

text: next

text: week

text: Vice

text: President

text: Biden

text: is

text: the

text: guest

text: at

text: next

text: Thursday

text: 's

text: DNC

text: 's

text: LBGT

text: Leadership

text: Council

text: Annual

text: Dinner

text: in

text: Washington

text: Critics

text: are

text: calling

text: for

text: Frank

text: and

text: other

text: gay

text: congressional

text: leaders

text: to

text: boycott

text: the

text: dinner

text: for

text: which

text: tickets

text: go

text: for

text: to

text: a

text: plate

text: Activist

text: David

text: Mixner

text: and

text: blogger

text: Andy

text: Towle

text: two

text: well

text: known

text: gay

text: rights

text: advocates

text: announced

text: that

text: they

text: were

text: pulling

text: out

text: citing

text: disappointment

text: with

text: the

text: Defense

text: of

text: Marriage

text: Act

text: brief

text: iReport.com

text: Share

text: your

text: thoughts

text: on

text: Obama

text: and

text: same

text: sex

text: marriage

text: The

text: president

text: also

text: rankled

text: gay

text: advocates

text: before

text: his

text: inauguration

text: when

text: he

text: named

text: megachurch

text: pastor

text: the

text: Rev.

text: Rick

text: Warren

text: to

text: deliver

text: the

text: invocation

text: at

text: his

text: swearing

text: in

text: Warren

text: in

text: an

text: interview

text: with

text: Belief.net

text: likened

text: homosexuality

text: to

text: bestiality

text: and

text: incest

text: He

text: also

text: supported

text: California

text: 's

text: Proposition

text: which

text: banned

text: same

text: sex

text: marriage

text: in

text: that

text: state

text: During

text: the

text: Warren

text: controversy

text: Obama

text: who

text: frequently

text: spoke

text: in

text: favor

text: of

text: gay

text: and

text: lesbian

text: rights

text: during

text: the

text: campaign

text: but

text: has

text: said

text: he

text: opposes

text: same

text: sex

text: marriage

text: declared

text: himself

text: a

text: fierce

text: advocate

text: for

text: gay

text: and

text: lesbian

text: Americans

text: Given

text: the

text: support

text: Obama

text: received

text: from

text: the

text: gay

text: community

text: during

text: the

text: campaign

text: season

text: Kim

text: said

text: so

text: far

text: the

text: Obama

text: administration

text: has

text: let

text: gay

text: and

text: lesbian

text: rights

text: activists

text: down

text: Obama

text: got

text: percent

text: of

text: the

text: vote

text: from

text: those

text: who

text: identified

text: themselves

text: as

text: gay

text: lesbian

text: or

text: bisexual

text: according

text: to

text: CNN

text: exit

text: polls

text: I

text: think

text: there

text: is

text: an

text: overwhelming

text: feeling

text: that

text: he

text: has

text: not

text: lived

text: up

text: to

text: expectations

text: on

text: these

text: matters

text: he

text: said

text: But

text: he

text: added

text: there

text: 's

text: some

text: sympathy

text: for

text: him

text: there

text: 's

text: the

text: worst

text: recession

text: since

text: the

text: Great

text: Depression

text: troops

text: are

text: in

text: two

text: different

text: countries

text: in

text: the

text: Middle

text: East

text: so

text: there

text: 's

text: a

text: lot

text: on

text: his

text: plate

text: Kim

text: said

text: Obama

text: 's

text: full

text: agenda

text: however

text: should

text: n't

text: be

text: used

text: as

text: an

text: excuse

text: to

text: delay

text: action

text: on

text: gay

text: rights

text: issues

text: If

text: the

text: administration

text: waits

text: until

text: there

text: is

text: a

text: news

text: hole

text: then

text: the

text: issues

text: will

text: be

text: subject

text: to

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: debate

text: he

text: said

text: In

text: the

text: middle

text: of

text: the

text: health

text: care

text: debate

text: saying

text: we

text: 're

text: going

text: to

text: do

text: health

text: care

text: we

text: 're

text: going

text: to

text: fix

text: the

text: economy

text: and

text: then

text: this

text: other

text: gay

text: rights

text: stuff

text: of

text: course

text: it

text: 's

text: right

text: It

text: does

text: n't

text: require

text: a

text: national

text: debate

text: he

text: said

text: This

text: is

text: stuff

text: that

text: 's

text: been

text: debated

text: forever

text: America

text: does

text: not

text: need

text: a

text: huge

text: national

text: debate

text: on

text: some

text: of

text: these

text: issues

text: Kim

text: said

text: Kim

text: said

text: while

text: Obama

text: has

text: disappointed

text: the

text: gay

text: community

text: he

text: still

text: has

text: some

text: time

text: to

text: make

text: good

text: on

text: his

text: campaign

text: promises

text: I

text: think

text: people

text: will

text: wait

text: through

text: the

text: first

text: two

text: legislative

text: sessions

text: but

text: then

text: after

text: that

text: some

text: of

text: this

text: stuff

text: does

text: need

text: to

text: move

text: to

text: the

text: front

text: he

text: said

question: Which benefits where not extended to same sex partners

answer: health and retirement

text: health and retirement

question: What does Obama favour?

answer: extending full health care benefits to same-sex couples

text: extending full health care benefits to same-sex couples

question: What does Kim say?

answer: "It seems to me at least to be a nice gesture, but a disappointment,"

text: "It seems to me at least to be a nice gesture, but a disappointment,"

question: Is legislation needed?

answer: that will take

text: that will take

question: what does white house offical say Obama favours

answer: extending full health care benefits to same-sex couples

text: extending full health care benefits to same-sex couples

question: The editor of the Nations said what

answer: "It seems to me at least to be a nice gesture, but a disappointment,"

text: "It seems to me at least to be a nice gesture, but a disappointment,"


text:
(CNN) -- Officials are searching for the driver of a white truck seen on Santiago Canyon Road on Sunday, near the time the Santiago fire started, Orange County authorities said Friday.

Chief Chip Prather holds a photo of a white truck similar to the one seen on Santiago Canyon Road.

"These people are not suspects at this time," Orange County Fire Authority Chief Chip Prather said. "They are persons of interest who were seen near the fire in a vehicle like this."

The vehicle is a white, 1998 to 2004 Ford F150 pickup with chrome tubular running boards.

Prather said the information came from a lead called into the investigation's tip line.

A $250,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the blaze.  Watch how residents feel about arsonist Â»

The Santiago fire, now 27,000 acres and still burning, was deliberately set, officials said Thursday.

Several mandatory evacuations remain in place for the Santiago fire, which has destroyed 14 homes and various other structures. Late Friday afternoon, the blaze moved into Silverado Canyon, authorities said. Sheriff's deputies were evacuating residents in the fire's path.  Watch the Santiago flames rage Â»

Authorities also suspect arson in the Rosa fire in San Diego County, which burned more than 400 acres before being fully contained. There was no information on the investigation.

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed arson charges Friday against a 41-year-old Sun Valley man who witnesses said set a fire in the West Hills neighborhood and walked away.

Catalino Pineda is one of five people who have been arrested in arson investigations this week, but none of them has been linked to the major wildfires raging across Southern California.

Pineda was arrested Wednesday after witnesses said they saw him lighting a fire on a hillside, police said. The fire was quickly extinguished. The witnesses followed Pineda to a nearby restaurant and called police, who arrested him.

Pineda was expected to be arraigned in Van Nuys Superior Court Friday, Deputy District Attorney Steven Frankland said. He is charged with one count of arson of a structure or forest.

Pineda is being held on $75,000 bail and faces up to six years in prison if convicted.

In San Bernardino, east of Los Angeles, John Rund, of Hesperia, was arrested Wednesday on arson charges after a witness reported seeing him in brush near the starting point of a fire Tuesday, the sheriff's department said. That fire was quickly put out by passers-by.

Investigators are trying to determine if Rund, 48, may have ties to other wildfires. He is being held on $750,000 bail.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office on Thursday filed arson charges against Anthony Riperti, 47, of Redlands. A statement from the office did not say when or where Riperti is accused of setting a fire. He is being held on $250,000 bail.

In San Diego County, the sheriff's department this week arrested an adult and a juvenile allegedly seen by an anonymous tipster starting a fire in Vista in the northern part of the county. In a written statement, the sheriff's department identified the adult as Gorgonio Nava. The Vista fire Department extinguished the blaze before it grew out of control, the statement said.

Investigators have determined that the Grass Valley fire in San Bernardino County was not caused by arson, and a preliminary investigation into the cause of the 11,675-acre Slide fire seems to indicate arson was not a factor, sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Beaver said.

More than 1,600 homes have been destroyed in the past week by Southern California wildfires. E-mail to a friend

text: CNN

text: Officials

text: are

text: searching

text: for

text: the

text: driver

text: of

text: a

text: white

text: truck

text: seen

text: on

text: Santiago

text: Canyon

text: Road

text: on

text: Sunday

text: near

text: the

text: time

text: the

text: Santiago

text: fire

text: started

text: Orange

text: County

text: authorities

text: said

text: Friday

text: Chief

text: Chip

text: Prather

text: holds

text: a

text: photo

text: of

text: a

text: white

text: truck

text: similar

text: to

text: the

text: one

text: seen

text: on

text: Santiago

text: Canyon

text: Road

text: These

text: people

text: are

text: not

text: suspects

text: at

text: this

text: time

text: Orange

text: County

text: Fire

text: Authority

text: Chief

text: Chip

text: Prather

text: said

text: They

text: are

text: persons

text: of

text: interest

text: who

text: were

text: seen

text: near

text: the

text: fire

text: in

text: a

text: vehicle

text: like

text: this

text: The

text: vehicle

text: is

text: a

text: white

text: to

text: Ford

text: pickup

text: with

text: chrome

text: tubular

text: running

text: boards

text: Prather

text: said

text: the

text: information

text: came

text: from

text: a

text: lead

text: called

text: into

text: the

text: investigation

text: 's

text: tip

text: line

text: A

text: reward

text: has

text: been

text: offered

text: for

text: information

text: leading

text: to

text: the

text: arrest

text: of

text: the

text: person

text: or

text: persons

text: responsible

text: for

text: the

text: blaze

text: Watch

text: how

text: residents

text: feel

text: about

text: arsonist

text: Â

text: The

text: Santiago

text: fire

text: now

text: acres

text: and

text: still

text: burning

text: was

text: deliberately

text: set

text: officials

text: said

text: Thursday

text: Several

text: mandatory

text: evacuations

text: remain

text: in

text: place

text: for

text: the

text: Santiago

text: fire

text: which

text: has

text: destroyed

text: homes

text: and

text: various

text: other

text: structures

text: Late

text: Friday

text: afternoon

text: the

text: blaze

text: moved

text: into

text: Silverado

text: Canyon

text: authorities

text: said

text: Sheriff

text: 's

text: deputies

text: were

text: evacuating

text: residents

text: in

text: the

text: fire

text: 's

text: path

text: Watch

text: the

text: Santiago

text: flames

text: rage

text: Â

text: Authorities

text: also

text: suspect

text: arson

text: in

text: the

text: Rosa

text: fire

text: in

text: San

text: Diego

text: County

text: which

text: burned

text: more

text: than

text: acres

text: before

text: being

text: fully

text: contained

text: There

text: was

text: no

text: information

text: on

text: the

text: investigation

text: Elsewhere

text: the

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: County

text: District

text: Attorney

text: 's

text: Office

text: filed

text: arson

text: charges

text: Friday

text: against

text: a

text: old

text: Sun

text: Valley

text: man

text: who

text: witnesses

text: said

text: set

text: a

text: fire

text: in

text: the

text: West

text: Hills

text: neighborhood

text: and

text: walked

text: away

text: Catalino

text: Pineda

text: is

text: one

text: of

text: five

text: people

text: who

text: have

text: been

text: arrested

text: in

text: arson

text: investigations

text: this

text: week

text: but

text: of

text: them

text: has

text: been

text: linked

text: to

text: the

text: major

text: wildfires

text: raging

text: across

text: Southern

text: California

text: Pineda

text: was

text: arrested

text: Wednesday

text: after

text: witnesses

text: said

text: they

text: saw

text: him

text: lighting

text: a

text: fire

text: on

text: a

text: hillside

text: police

text: said

text: The

text: fire

text: was

text: quickly

text: extinguished

text: The

text: witnesses

text: followed

text: Pineda

text: to

text: a

text: nearby

text: restaurant

text: and

text: called

text: police

text: who

text: arrested

text: him

text: Pineda

text: was

text: expected

text: to

text: be

text: arraigned

text: in

text: Van

text: Nuys

text: Superior

text: Court

text: Friday

text: Deputy

text: District

text: Attorney

text: Steven

text: Frankland

text: said

text: He

text: is

text: charged

text: with

text: one

text: count

text: of

text: arson

text: of

text: a

text: structure

text: or

text: forest

text: Pineda

text: is

text: being

text: held

text: on

text: bail

text: and

text: faces

text: up

text: to

text: six

text: years

text: in

text: prison

text: if

text: convicted

text: In

text: San

text: Bernardino

text: east

text: of

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: John

text: Rund

text: of

text: Hesperia

text: was

text: arrested

text: Wednesday

text: on

text: arson

text: charges

text: after

text: a

text: witness

text: reported

text: seeing

text: him

text: in

text: brush

text: near

text: the

text: starting

text: point

text: of

text: a

text: fire

text: Tuesday

text: the

text: sheriff

text: 's

text: department

text: said

text: That

text: fire

text: was

text: quickly

text: put

text: out

text: by

text: passers

text: by

text: Investigators

text: are

text: trying

text: to

text: determine

text: if

text: Rund

text: may

text: have

text: ties

text: to

text: other

text: wildfires

text: He

text: is

text: being

text: held

text: on

text: bail

text: The

text: San

text: Bernardino

text: County

text: District

text: Attorney

text: 's

text: Office

text: on

text: Thursday

text: filed

text: arson

text: charges

text: against

text: Anthony

text: Riperti

text: of

text: Redlands

text: A

text: statement

text: from

text: the

text: office

text: did

text: not

text: say

text: when

text: or

text: where

text: Riperti

text: is

text: accused

text: of

text: setting

text: a

text: fire

text: He

text: is

text: being

text: held

text: on

text: bail

text: In

text: San

text: Diego

text: County

text: the

text: sheriff

text: 's

text: department

text: this

text: week

text: arrested

text: an

text: adult

text: and

text: a

text: juvenile

text: allegedly

text: seen

text: by

text: an

text: anonymous

text: tipster

text: starting

text: a

text: fire

text: in

text: Vista

text: in

text: the

text: northern

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: county

text: In

text: a

text: written

text: statement

text: the

text: sheriff

text: 's

text: department

text: identified

text: the

text: adult

text: as

text: Gorgonio

text: Nava

text: The

text: Vista

text: fire

text: Department

text: extinguished

text: the

text: blaze

text: before

text: it

text: grew

text: out

text: of

text: control

text: the

text: statement

text: said

text: Investigators

text: have

text: determined

text: that

text: the

text: Grass

text: Valley

text: fire

text: in

text: San

text: Bernardino

text: County

text: was

text: not

text: caused

text: by

text: arson

text: and

text: a

text: preliminary

text: investigation

text: into

text: the

text: cause

text: of

text: the

text: Slide

text: fire

text: seems

text: to

text: indicate

text: arson

text: was

text: not

text: a

text: factor

text: sheriff

text: 's

text: spokeswoman

text: Cindy

text: Beaver

text: said

text: More

text: than

text: homes

text: have

text: been

text: destroyed

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: week

text: by

text: Southern

text: California

text: wildfires

text: E

text: mail

text: to

text: a

text: friend

question: What color was the truck?

answer: white

text: white

question: Is the fire out yet?

answer: still burning,

text: still burning,

question: What investigations continue in California?

answer: n arso

text: n arso

question: What was the man charged with?

answer: h one count of arson o

text: h one count of arson o

question: where is the truck?

answer: on Santiago Canyon Road

text: on Santiago Canyon Road

question: Which man has been charged?

answer: Catalino Pined

text: Catalino Pined

question: Where was the truck seen?

answer: Santiago Canyon Road

text: Santiago Canyon Road

question: What colour truck was seen?

answer: white

text: white

question: What was seen near time fire started?

answer: driver of a white truck

text: driver of a white truck

question: Where did the fire start?

answer: Santiago

text: Santiago

question: What did the charged man allegedly do?

answer: n arso

text: n arso

question: What is being investigated?

answer: person or persons responsible for the blaze.

text: person or persons responsible for the blaze.

question: Where are arson investigations continuing?

answer: n San Bernardino Count

text: n San Bernardino Count

question: Who started the fire?

answer: Catalino Pined

text: Catalino Pined

question: What colour was the truck?

answer: white

text: white

question: What color was the truck seen?

answer: white

text: white

question: Who was arrested?

answer: Catalino Pined

text: Catalino Pined

question: What road was the truck seen on?

answer: Santiago Canyon

text: Santiago Canyon


text:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal agents have determined New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer used a high-priced call-girl ring at least eight times in recent months, and agents had him under surveillance twice this year, sources familiar with the investigation said Wednesday.

Sources say New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer used a call-girl service eight times in recent months.

Spitzer announced his resignation Wednesday, two days after reports of his connection to the Emperors Club VIP became public.

He has not been charged with a crime.

He told reporters Wednesday, "I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work."

The resignation will take effect Monday.  Watch Spitzer say he will resign Â»

The sources said the investigation began when New York's North Fork Bank notified the Treasury Department about suspicious transfers of money from Spitzer's bank accounts. That investigation led agents to the alleged organizers of the prostitution ring, four of whom were charged in a criminal complaint last week, the sources said.

A grand jury in New York is likely to hear evidence in the case soon, said Kathleen Mullin, an attorney who said she represents one of the ring's employees. Mullin would not identify her client, but said she was not the woman identified only as "Kristen" linked to Spitzer in court papers.

She said her client and other women who worked for the Emperors Club have been asked to testify before the grand jury.

Asked if her client had any encounters with Spitzer, Mullin said, "We have no information regarding the governor."

Wiretaps on suspected members of the ring, authorized in January, yielded more than 5,000 telephone calls and text messages and another 6,000-plus e-mails, according to court papers. In those intercepts, the organizers told clients how to arrange and pay for their trysts, a federal agent's affidavit states.

The affidavit identified clients by number, with Spitzer designated "Client 9," a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN this week. Sources familiar with the investigation said federal authorities Wednesday were trying to clamp down on leaks of the investigation's details.  See a timeline of the investigation Â»

The affidavit states "Client 9" paid $4,300 for 2Â½ hours with a call girl he arranged to meet at Washington's Mayflower Hotel, with some of that a deposit on a future session. Court papers state he also paid for train tickets, cab fare, mini-bar and room service charges for Kristen -- a 5-foot-5, 105-pound brunette he arranged to meet the night of February 13.

Kristen is a 22-year-old would-be singer from New Jersey, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The newspaper said Ashley Youmans -- now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre -- was identified in court documents as Kristen.

Dupre has not been charged with a crime. She made a brief appearance Monday in U.S. Magistrate Court as a witness against four people charged with operating the Emperor's Club, the Times said.

In an entry on her MySpace page, Dupre says she left "a broken family" and "abuse" in 2004, eventually settling in Manhattan "to pursue my music career."

"I am all about my music, and my music is all about me," she writes on her MySpace page. "It flows from what I've been through, what I've seen and how I feel."

Dupre's mother, Carolyn Capalbo, told the Times she and her daughter were close, adding that "she obviously got involved in something much larger than her."

Spitzer, whose squeaky-clean image as a corporate corruption-buster made him a rising Democratic star, testified to the House Financial Services Committee the next day about the effect of the mortgage meltdown. He took a state plane from Buffalo, New York, to Washington and back to New York, his office confirmed Tuesday.

Sources told CNN that FBI agents had Spitzer under surveillance at the Mayflower that night -- and on an earlier occasion, on January 26, when no prostitute showed up.

His resignation is unlikely to affect decisions about whether he will face prosecution, the sources said. His attorneys were negotiating Wednesday with the U.S. attorney's office in New York in an effort to avoid criminal charges, a source told CNN.

But in a statement issued after the governor's resignation, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said no agreement had been reached between his office and the governor "relating to his resignation or any other matter."

The resignation could be a factor in the U.S. presidential race. Spitzer was a superdelegate, one of nearly 800 party leaders and officials who cast their votes at the Democratic National Convention. They are free to vote for any candidate they wish.

Spitzer was a political ally of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is currently in a tight race with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama to win the Democratic nomination.

A candidate must get 2,024 delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination. With the race so close, superdelegates could play a larger role in determining the Democratic presidential candidate than in past elections.

According to two sources who spoke Tuesday with CNN, Spitzer hit the federal radar when a bank reported to the Internal Revenue Service that a significant amount of money had been suspiciously transferred from one account to another.

Late last year, upon investigating the movement of money that the bank initially reported, the IRS found that the accounts were connected to Spitzer, the sources said.

The IRS contacted the FBI, which joined the case to investigate the possibility of government corruption.

Federal law requires a banking institution to file a suspicious activity report when the institution suspects a transaction is linked to a federal crime. More specifically, banks are required to report to the IRS any transactions totaling $5,000 or more if the transactions "involve potential money laundering or a violation of the Bank Secrecy Act."

The act requires businesses to keep documents that are useful for identifying and investigating money laundering.

After receiving the IRS report last year, the FBI Corruption Squad linked the account transfers to a prostitution ring, according to sources. The FBI criminal division joined the probe to look into the prostitution ring, while the federal corruption team continued its investigation into Spitzer.

Legal experts not involved in the case have said Spitzer could face some type of money-laundering charge, such as structuring a financial transaction to evade federal bank reporting requirements by breaking up a large transaction into smaller ones.

Sources tell CNN that prosecutors have considered pursuing a structuring charge, but have run into some difficulty. And Richard Smith, a former Justice Department official, said structuring charges are "fairly difficult to prove."

"You are going to have to prove that he withdrew sums of money with the intent to evade the reporting requirements, to conceal the fact that he is withdrawing the money," said Smith, the former deputy chief of the Justice Department's fraud section.

"Because if the money was withdrawn, it appears if his lawyers are correct, in a manner that he didn't conceal anything, it begs the question whether or not they can prove the reckless intent that he withdrew this money in small sums to avoid the reporting requirement."

Spitzer also could face charges related to the Mann Act, which makes it a federal offense to transport someone across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. But sources tell CNN that the government is less interested in pursuing charges for prostitution than on following the money. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Kevin Bohn contributed to this report.

text: WASHINGTON

text: CNN

text: Federal

text: agents

text: have

text: determined

text: New

text: York

text: Gov.

text: Eliot

text: Spitzer

text: used

text: a

text: high

text: priced

text: call

text: girl

text: ring

text: at

text: least

text: eight

text: times

text: in

text: recent

text: months

text: and

text: agents

text: had

text: him

text: under

text: surveillance

text: twice

text: this

text: year

text: sources

text: familiar

text: with

text: the

text: investigation

text: said

text: Wednesday

text: Sources

text: say

text: New

text: York

text: Gov.

text: Eliot

text: Spitzer

text: used

text: a

text: call

text: girl

text: service

text: eight

text: times

text: in

text: recent

text: months

text: Spitzer

text: announced

text: his

text: resignation

text: Wednesday

text: two

text: days

text: after

text: reports

text: of

text: his

text: connection

text: to

text: the

text: Emperors

text: Club

text: VIP

text: became

text: public

text: He

text: has

text: not

text: been

text: charged

text: with

text: a

text: crime

text: He

text: told

text: reporters

text: Wednesday

text: I

text: can

text: not

text: allow

text: my

text: private

text: failings

text: to

text: disrupt

text: the

text: people

text: 's

text: work

text: The

text: resignation

text: will

text: take

text: effect

text: Monday

text: Watch

text: Spitzer

text: say

text: he

text: will

text: resign

text: Â

text: The

text: sources

text: said

text: the

text: investigation

text: began

text: when

text: New

text: York

text: 's

text: North

text: Fork

text: Bank

text: notified

text: the

text: Treasury

text: Department

text: about

text: suspicious

text: transfers

text: of

text: money

text: from

text: Spitzer

text: 's

text: bank

text: accounts

text: That

text: investigation

text: led

text: agents

text: to

text: the

text: alleged

text: organizers

text: of

text: the

text: prostitution

text: ring

text: four

text: of

text: whom

text: were

text: charged

text: in

text: a

text: criminal

text: complaint

text: last

text: week

text: the

text: sources

text: said

text: A

text: grand

text: jury

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: is

text: likely

text: to

text: hear

text: evidence

text: in

text: the

text: case

text: soon

text: said

text: Kathleen

text: Mullin

text: an

text: attorney

text: who

text: said

text: she

text: represents

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: ring

text: 's

text: employees

text: Mullin

text: would

text: not

text: identify

text: her

text: client

text: but

text: said

text: she

text: was

text: not

text: the

text: woman

text: identified

text: only

text: as

text: Kristen

text: linked

text: to

text: Spitzer

text: in

text: court

text: papers

text: She

text: said

text: her

text: client

text: and

text: other

text: women

text: who

text: worked

text: for

text: the

text: Emperors

text: Club

text: have

text: been

text: asked

text: to

text: testify

text: before

text: the

text: grand

text: jury

text: Asked

text: if

text: her

text: client

text: had

text: any

text: encounters

text: with

text: Spitzer

text: Mullin

text: said

text: We

text: have

text: no

text: information

text: regarding

text: the

text: governor

text: Wiretaps

text: on

text: suspected

text: members

text: of

text: the

text: ring

text: authorized

text: in

text: January

text: yielded

text: more

text: than

text: telephone

text: calls

text: and

text: text

text: messages

text: and

text: another

text: e

text: mails

text: according

text: to

text: court

text: papers

text: In

text: those

text: intercepts

text: the

text: organizers

text: told

text: clients

text: how

text: to

text: arrange

text: and

text: pay

text: for

text: their

text: trysts

text: a

text: federal

text: agent

text: 's

text: affidavit

text: states

text: The

text: affidavit

text: identified

text: clients

text: by

text: number

text: with

text: Spitzer

text: designated

text: Client

text: a

text: source

text: with

text: knowledge

text: of

text: the

text: investigation

text: told

text: CNN

text: this

text: week

text: Sources

text: familiar

text: with

text: the

text: investigation

text: said

text: federal

text: authorities

text: Wednesday

text: were

text: trying

text: to

text: clamp

text: down

text: on

text: leaks

text: of

text: the

text: investigation

text: 's

text: details

text: See

text: a

text: timeline

text: of

text: the

text: investigation

text: Â

text: The

text: affidavit

text: states

text: Client

text: paid

text: for

text: 2Â½

text: hours

text: with

text: a

text: call

text: girl

text: he

text: arranged

text: to

text: meet

text: at

text: Washington

text: 's

text: Mayflower

text: Hotel

text: with

text: some

text: of

text: that

text: a

text: deposit

text: on

text: a

text: future

text: session

text: Court

text: papers

text: state

text: he

text: also

text: paid

text: for

text: train

text: tickets

text: cab

text: fare

text: mini

text: bar

text: and

text: room

text: service

text: charges

text: for

text: Kristen

text: a

text: brunette

text: he

text: arranged

text: to

text: meet

text: the

text: night

text: of

text: February

text: Kristen

text: is

text: a

text: old

text: would

text: be

text: singer

text: from

text: New

text: Jersey

text: The

text: New

text: York

text: Times

text: reported

text: Wednesday

text: The

text: newspaper

text: said

text: Ashley

text: Youmans

text: now

text: known

text: as

text: Ashley

text: Alexandra

text: Dupre

text: was

text: identified

text: in

text: court

text: documents

text: as

text: Kristen

text: Dupre

text: has

text: not

text: been

text: charged

text: with

text: a

text: crime

text: She

text: made

text: a

text: brief

text: appearance

text: Monday

text: in

text: U.S.

text: Magistrate

text: Court

text: as

text: a

text: witness

text: against

text: four

text: people

text: charged

text: with

text: operating

text: the

text: Emperor

text: 's

text: Club

text: the

text: Times

text: said

text: In

text: an

text: entry

text: on

text: her

text: MySpace

text: page

text: Dupre

text: says

text: she

text: left

text: a

text: broken

text: family

text: and

text: abuse

text: in

text: eventually

text: settling

text: in

text: Manhattan

text: to

text: pursue

text: my

text: music

text: career

text: I

text: am

text: all

text: about

text: my

text: music

text: and

text: my

text: music

text: is

text: all

text: about

text: me

text: she

text: writes

text: on

text: her

text: MySpace

text: page

text: It

text: flows

text: from

text: what

text: I

text: 've

text: been

text: through

text: what

text: I

text: 've

text: seen

text: and

text: how

text: I

text: feel

text: Dupre

text: 's

text: mother

text: Carolyn

text: Capalbo

text: told

text: the

text: Times

text: she

text: and

text: her

text: daughter

text: were

text: close

text: adding

text: that

text: she

text: obviously

text: got

text: involved

text: in

text: something

text: much

text: larger

text: than

text: her

text: Spitzer

text: whose

text: squeaky

text: clean

text: image

text: as

text: a

text: corporate

text: corruption

text: buster

text: made

text: him

text: a

text: rising

text: Democratic

text: star

text: testified

text: to

text: the

text: House

text: Financial

text: Services

text: Committee

text: the

text: next

text: day

text: about

text: the

text: effect

text: of

text: the

text: mortgage

text: meltdown

text: He

text: took

text: a

text: state

text: plane

text: from

text: Buffalo

text: New

text: York

text: to

text: Washington

text: and

text: back

text: to

text: New

text: York

text: his

text: office

text: confirmed

text: Tuesday

text: Sources

text: told

text: CNN

text: that

text: FBI

text: agents

text: had

text: Spitzer

text: under

text: surveillance

text: at

text: the

text: Mayflower

text: that

text: night

text: and

text: on

text: an

text: earlier

text: occasion

text: on

text: January

text: when

text: no

text: prostitute

text: showed

text: up

text: His

text: resignation

text: is

text: unlikely

text: to

text: affect

text: decisions

text: about

text: whether

text: he

text: will

text: face

text: prosecution

text: the

text: sources

text: said

text: His

text: attorneys

text: were

text: negotiating

text: Wednesday

text: with

text: the

text: U.S.

text: attorney

text: 's

text: office

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: in

text: an

text: effort

text: to

text: avoid

text: criminal

text: charges

text: a

text: source

text: told

text: CNN

text: But

text: in

text: a

text: statement

text: issued

text: after

text: the

text: governor

text: 's

text: resignation

text: U.S.

text: Attorney

text: Michael

text: Garcia

text: said

text: no

text: agreement

text: had

text: been

text: reached

text: between

text: his

text: office

text: and

text: the

text: governor

text: relating

text: to

text: his

text: resignation

text: or

text: any

text: other

text: matter

text: The

text: resignation

text: could

text: be

text: a

text: factor

text: in

text: the

text: U.S.

text: presidential

text: race

text: Spitzer

text: was

text: a

text: superdelegate

text: one

text: of

text: nearly

text: party

text: leaders

text: and

text: officials

text: who

text: cast

text: their

text: votes

text: at

text: the

text: Democratic

text: National

text: Convention

text: They

text: are

text: free

text: to

text: vote

text: for

text: any

text: candidate

text: they

text: wish

text: Spitzer

text: was

text: a

text: political

text: ally

text: of

text: New

text: York

text: Sen.

text: Hillary

text: Clinton

text: who

text: is

text: currently

text: in

text: a

text: tight

text: race

text: with

text: Illinois

text: Sen.

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: to

text: win

text: the

text: Democratic

text: nomination

text: A

text: candidate

text: must

text: get

text: delegates

text: to

text: clinch

text: the

text: Democratic

text: nomination

text: With

text: the

text: race

text: so

text: close

text: superdelegates

text: could

text: play

text: a

text: larger

text: role

text: in

text: determining

text: the

text: Democratic

text: presidential

text: candidate

text: than

text: in

text: past

text: elections

text: According

text: to

text: two

text: sources

text: who

text: spoke

text: Tuesday

text: with

text: CNN

text: Spitzer

text: hit

text: the

text: federal

text: radar

text: when

text: a

text: bank

text: reported

text: to

text: the

text: Internal

text: Revenue

text: Service

text: that

text: a

text: significant

text: amount

text: of

text: money

text: had

text: been

text: suspiciously

text: transferred

text: from

text: one

text: account

text: to

text: another

text: Late

text: last

text: year

text: upon

text: investigating

text: the

text: movement

text: of

text: money

text: that

text: the

text: bank

text: initially

text: reported

text: the

text: IRS

text: found

text: that

text: the

text: accounts

text: were

text: connected

text: to

text: Spitzer

text: the

text: sources

text: said

text: The

text: IRS

text: contacted

text: the

text: FBI

text: which

text: joined

text: the

text: case

text: to

text: investigate

text: the

text: possibility

text: of

text: government

text: corruption

text: Federal

text: law

text: requires

text: a

text: banking

text: institution

text: to

text: file

text: a

text: suspicious

text: activity

text: report

text: when

text: the

text: institution

text: suspects

text: a

text: transaction

text: is

text: linked

text: to

text: a

text: federal

text: crime

text: More

text: specifically

text: banks

text: are

text: required

text: to

text: report

text: to

text: the

text: IRS

text: any

text: transactions

text: totaling

text: or

text: more

text: if

text: the

text: transactions

text: involve

text: potential

text: money

text: laundering

text: or

text: a

text: violation

text: of

text: the

text: Bank

text: Secrecy

text: Act

text: The

text: act

text: requires

text: businesses

text: to

text: keep

text: documents

text: that

text: are

text: useful

text: for

text: identifying

text: and

text: investigating

text: money

text: laundering

text: After

text: receiving

text: the

text: IRS

text: report

text: last

text: year

text: the

text: FBI

text: Corruption

text: Squad

text: linked

text: the

text: account

text: transfers

text: to

text: a

text: prostitution

text: ring

text: according

text: to

text: sources

text: The

text: FBI

text: criminal

text: division

text: joined

text: the

text: probe

text: to

text: look

text: into

text: the

text: prostitution

text: ring

text: while

text: the

text: federal

text: corruption

text: team

text: continued

text: its

text: investigation

text: into

text: Spitzer

text: Legal

text: experts

text: not

text: involved

text: in

text: the

text: case

text: have

text: said

text: Spitzer

text: could

text: face

text: some

text: type

text: of

text: money

text: laundering

text: charge

text: such

text: as

text: structuring

text: a

text: financial

text: transaction

text: to

text: evade

text: federal

text: bank

text: reporting

text: requirements

text: by

text: breaking

text: up

text: a

text: large

text: transaction

text: into

text: smaller

text: ones

text: Sources

text: tell

text: CNN

text: that

text: prosecutors

text: have

text: considered

text: pursuing

text: a

text: structuring

text: charge

text: but

text: have

text: run

text: into

text: some

text: difficulty

text: And

text: Richard

text: Smith

text: a

text: former

text: Justice

text: Department

text: official

text: said

text: structuring

text: charges

text: are

text: fairly

text: difficult

text: to

text: prove

text: You

text: are

text: going

text: to

text: have

text: to

text: prove

text: that

text: he

text: withdrew

text: sums

text: of

text: money

text: with

text: the

text: intent

text: to

text: evade

text: the

text: reporting

text: requirements

text: to

text: conceal

text: the

text: fact

text: that

text: he

text: is

text: withdrawing

text: the

text: money

text: said

text: Smith

text: the

text: former

text: deputy

text: chief

text: of

text: the

text: Justice

text: Department

text: 's

text: fraud

text: section

text: Because

text: if

text: the

text: money

text: was

text: withdrawn

text: it

text: appears

text: if

text: his

text: lawyers

text: are

text: correct

text: in

text: a

text: manner

text: that

text: he

text: did

text: n't

text: conceal

text: anything

text: it

text: begs

text: the

text: question

text: whether

text: or

text: not

text: they

text: can

text: prove

text: the

text: reckless

text: intent

text: that

text: he

text: withdrew

text: this

text: money

text: in

text: small

text: sums

text: to

text: avoid

text: the

text: reporting

text: requirement

text: Spitzer

text: also

text: could

text: face

text: charges

text: related

text: to

text: the

text: Mann

text: Act

text: which

text: makes

text: it

text: a

text: federal

text: offense

text: to

text: transport

text: someone

text: across

text: state

text: lines

text: for

text: the

text: purpose

text: of

text: prostitution

text: But

text: sources

text: tell

text: CNN

text: that

text: the

text: government

text: is

text: less

text: interested

text: in

text: pursuing

text: charges

text: for

text: prostitution

text: than

text: on

text: following

text: the

text: money

text: E

text: mail

text: to

text: a

text: friend

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Kevin

text: Bohn

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: what about spitzer

answer: used a call-girl service eight times in recent months.

text: used a call-girl service eight times in recent months.

question: what about the bank

answer: North Fork Bank notified the Treasury Department about suspicious transfers of money from Spitzer's bank accounts.

text: North Fork Bank notified the Treasury Department about suspicious transfers of money from Spitzer's bank accounts.

question: What kind of transfers were suspicious?

answer: money from Spitzer's bank accounts.

text: money from Spitzer's bank accounts.

question: What kind of ring was Spritzer linked to?

answer: high-priced call-girl

text: high-priced call-girl

question: What charges could Spritzer face?

answer: ce some type of money-launderi

text: ce some type of money-launderi

question: After being linked to a call girl ring, who resigned?

answer: New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer

text: New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer

question: The bank notified whom of the suspicious transfers of money?

answer: Treasury Department

text: Treasury Department


text:
BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Bedraggled, hungry and dazed, the refugees arrived on the shores of Thailand after fleeing one of the most repressive governments in the world -- the hard-line military regime in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

This picture provided to CNN is said to show refugees being towed out to sea by the Thai army.

But a CNN investigation has uncovered evidence that for hundreds of Rohingya refugees -- members of a Muslim minority group -- abuse and abandonment at sea were what awaited them in Thailand, at the hands of Thai authorities.

Extraordinary photos obtained by CNN from someone directly involved in the Thai operation show refugees on their rickety boats being towed out to sea, cut loose and abandoned.

One photo shows the Thai army towing a boatload of some 190 refugees far out to sea.  Watch the backstory on the investigation Â»

For days, accusations have been carried in several regional papers that the Thai army has been systematically towing boat-loads of Rohingya refugees far out to sea and setting them adrift.

The army denied it, and the Thai government has launched an inquiry.

CNN's investigation -- based on accounts from tourists, sources in Thailand and a Rohingya refugee who said he was on a boat towed back out to sea -- helps to piece together a picture of survival thwarted by an organized effort not just to repel arriving refugees, but to hold them prisoner on shore, drag them in flimsy boats far out to sea and then abandon them.  Watch CNN's investigation into reports of refugees being set adrift Â»

Three tourists recently voiced concern to CNN over what they had seen -- and in some cases photographed -- near Thailand's tourist areas.

One tourist provided CNN with photos last week of refugees detained by Thai authorities on a beach near a tourist site, with the refugees prone on the sun-bleached sand while guards stood nearby.

"Whenever someone raised their head or moved, they [guards] would strike them with a whip," said Australian tourist Andrew Catton.

A CNN crew traveled to a remote stretch of the Thai coast four hours north of the tourist island of Phuket to investigate the growing reports that the Thai military was secretly detaining Rohingya refugees before towing them out to sea and setting them adrift.

In an isolated beach area, debris including sandals and campfire remnants indicated that large numbers of people had been there but were nowhere to be seen.

The crew then traveled to a nearby island, where residents reported that refugees who had escaped were living in the jungle.

In one hamlet, villagers had captured a Rohingya man they believed had been living in the jungle for days.

The refugee, who identified himself as Iqbal Hussain, told CNN he was on one of six boats in a makeshift refugee fleet that arrived in Thailand in December.

He said all six boats with their refugee cargo were towed back out to sea in January, and five of the six boats sank. His boat made it back to shore, and he hid in the jungle for days until nearby villagers captured him.

In broken English and using sign language and drawings, he described what happened to the other men on the boats:

"All men dead," he said, putting the number of dead at several hundred.

The Rohingya, a persecuted minority in Myanmar, have been fleeing their country in rickety boats for years, in search of a better life.

In Thailand, many instead have found deprivation and the possibility of desertion far off shore, according to the CNN investigation.

The source who provided CNN with photos of refugees in a boat being towed out to sea stressed that the Thai army had given the refugees food and water, but he also confirmed that the boats had been pulled for more than two days into international waters before they were set adrift.

His account directly contradicts briefings by senior Thai army sources who denied any such operation was undertaken.

A source in the Thai military, after extensive questioning, did confirm to CNN that the Thai army was operating a dump-at-sea policy. But the source defended it, insisting that each boatload of refugees was always given sufficient supplies of food and water.

That source claimed local villagers had become afraid of the hundreds of Rohingya arriving each month, and that they were accusing the refugees of stealing their property and threatening them.

CNN asked the government for comment and was told that an investigation was being launched and that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has plans to call an emergency meeting once the country's foreign minister returns from Cambodia.

Panitan Wattanayagorn, a government spokesman, gave no timeline for the foreign minister's return or the emergency meeting. He did say the government is taking the matter very seriously.

text: BANGKOK

text: Thailand

text: CNN

text: Bedraggled

text: hungry

text: and

text: dazed

text: the

text: refugees

text: arrived

text: on

text: the

text: shores

text: of

text: Thailand

text: after

text: fleeing

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: repressive

text: governments

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: the

text: hard

text: line

text: military

text: regime

text: in

text: Myanmar

text: also

text: known

text: as

text: Burma

text: This

text: picture

text: provided

text: to

text: CNN

text: is

text: said

text: to

text: show

text: refugees

text: being

text: towed

text: out

text: to

text: sea

text: by

text: the

text: Thai

text: army

text: But

text: a

text: CNN

text: investigation

text: has

text: uncovered

text: evidence

text: that

text: for

text: hundreds

text: of

text: Rohingya

text: refugees

text: members

text: of

text: a

text: Muslim

text: minority

text: group

text: abuse

text: and

text: abandonment

text: at

text: sea

text: were

text: what

text: awaited

text: them

text: in

text: Thailand

text: at

text: the

text: hands

text: of

text: Thai

text: authorities

text: Extraordinary

text: photos

text: obtained

text: by

text: CNN

text: from

text: someone

text: directly

text: involved

text: in

text: the

text: Thai

text: operation

text: show

text: refugees

text: on

text: their

text: rickety

text: boats

text: being

text: towed

text: out

text: to

text: sea

text: cut

text: loose

text: and

text: abandoned

text: One

text: photo

text: shows

text: the

text: Thai

text: army

text: towing

text: a

text: boatload

text: of

text: some

text: refugees

text: far

text: out

text: to

text: sea

text: Watch

text: the

text: backstory

text: on

text: the

text: investigation

text: Â

text: For

text: days

text: accusations

text: have

text: been

text: carried

text: in

text: several

text: regional

text: papers

text: that

text: the

text: Thai

text: army

text: has

text: been

text: systematically

text: towing

text: boat

text: loads

text: of

text: Rohingya

text: refugees

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text: out

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text: and

text: setting

text: them

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text: The

text: army

text: denied

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text: and

text: the

text: Thai

text: government

text: has

text: launched

text: an

text: inquiry

text: CNN

text: 's

text: investigation

text: based

text: on

text: accounts

text: from

text: tourists

text: sources

text: in

text: Thailand

text: and

text: a

text: Rohingya

text: refugee

text: who

text: said

text: he

text: was

text: on

text: a

text: boat

text: towed

text: back

text: out

text: to

text: sea

text: helps

text: to

text: piece

text: together

text: a

text: picture

text: of

text: survival

text: thwarted

text: by

text: an

text: organized

text: effort

text: not

text: just

text: to

text: repel

text: arriving

text: refugees

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text: to

text: hold

text: them

text: prisoner

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text: shore

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text: flimsy

text: boats

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text: out

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text: sea

text: and

text: then

text: abandon

text: them

text: Watch

text: CNN

text: 's

text: investigation

text: into

text: reports

text: of

text: refugees

text: being

text: set

text: adrift

text: Â

text: Three

text: tourists

text: recently

text: voiced

text: concern

text: to

text: CNN

text: over

text: what

text: they

text: had

text: seen

text: and

text: in

text: some

text: cases

text: photographed

text: near

text: Thailand

text: 's

text: tourist

text: areas

text: One

text: tourist

text: provided

text: CNN

text: with

text: photos

text: last

text: week

text: of

text: refugees

text: detained

text: by

text: Thai

text: authorities

text: on

text: a

text: beach

text: near

text: a

text: tourist

text: site

text: with

text: the

text: refugees

text: prone

text: on

text: the

text: sun

text: bleached

text: sand

text: while

text: guards

text: stood

text: nearby

text: Whenever

text: someone

text: raised

text: their

text: head

text: or

text: moved

text: they

text: guards

text: would

text: strike

text: them

text: with

text: a

text: whip

text: said

text: Australian

text: tourist

text: Andrew

text: Catton

text: A

text: CNN

text: crew

text: traveled

text: to

text: a

text: remote

text: stretch

text: of

text: the

text: Thai

text: coast

text: four

text: hours

text: north

text: of

text: the

text: tourist

text: island

text: of

text: Phuket

text: to

text: investigate

text: the

text: growing

text: reports

text: that

text: the

text: Thai

text: military

text: was

text: secretly

text: detaining

text: Rohingya

text: refugees

text: before

text: towing

text: them

text: out

text: to

text: sea

text: and

text: setting

text: them

text: adrift

text: In

text: an

text: isolated

text: beach

text: area

text: debris

text: including

text: sandals

text: and

text: campfire

text: remnants

text: indicated

text: that

text: large

text: numbers

text: of

text: people

text: had

text: been

text: there

text: but

text: were

text: nowhere

text: to

text: be

text: seen

text: The

text: crew

text: then

text: traveled

text: to

text: a

text: nearby

text: island

text: where

text: residents

text: reported

text: that

text: refugees

text: who

text: had

text: escaped

text: were

text: living

text: in

text: the

text: jungle

text: In

text: one

text: hamlet

text: villagers

text: had

text: captured

text: a

text: Rohingya

text: man

text: they

text: believed

text: had

text: been

text: living

text: in

text: the

text: jungle

text: for

text: days

text: The

text: refugee

text: who

text: identified

text: himself

text: as

text: Iqbal

text: Hussain

text: told

text: CNN

text: he

text: was

text: on

text: one

text: of

text: six

text: boats

text: in

text: a

text: makeshift

text: refugee

text: fleet

text: that

text: arrived

text: in

text: Thailand

text: in

text: December

text: He

text: said

text: all

text: six

text: boats

text: with

text: their

text: refugee

text: cargo

text: were

text: towed

text: back

text: out

text: to

text: sea

text: in

text: January

text: and

text: five

text: of

text: the

text: six

text: boats

text: sank

text: His

text: boat

text: made

text: it

text: back

text: to

text: shore

text: and

text: he

text: hid

text: in

text: the

text: jungle

text: for

text: days

text: until

text: nearby

text: villagers

text: captured

text: him

text: In

text: broken

text: English

text: and

text: using

text: sign

text: language

text: and

text: drawings

text: he

text: described

text: what

text: happened

text: to

text: the

text: other

text: men

text: on

text: the

text: boats

text: All

text: men

text: dead

text: he

text: said

text: putting

text: the

text: number

text: of

text: dead

text: at

text: several

text: hundred

text: The

text: Rohingya

text: a

text: persecuted

text: minority

text: in

text: Myanmar

text: have

text: been

text: fleeing

text: their

text: country

text: in

text: rickety

text: boats

text: for

text: years

text: in

text: search

text: of

text: a

text: better

text: life

text: In

text: Thailand

text: many

text: instead

text: have

text: found

text: deprivation

text: and

text: the

text: possibility

text: of

text: desertion

text: far

text: off

text: shore

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: CNN

text: investigation

text: The

text: source

text: who

text: provided

text: CNN

text: with

text: photos

text: of

text: refugees

text: in

text: a

text: boat

text: being

text: towed

text: out

text: to

text: sea

text: stressed

text: that

text: the

text: Thai

text: army

text: had

text: given

text: the

text: refugees

text: food

text: and

text: water

text: but

text: he

text: also

text: confirmed

text: that

text: the

text: boats

text: had

text: been

text: pulled

text: for

text: more

text: than

text: two

text: days

text: into

text: international

text: waters

text: before

text: they

text: were

text: set

text: adrift

text: His

text: account

text: directly

text: contradicts

text: briefings

text: by

text: senior

text: Thai

text: army

text: sources

text: who

text: denied

text: any

text: such

text: operation

text: was

text: undertaken

text: A

text: source

text: in

text: the

text: Thai

text: military

text: after

text: extensive

text: questioning

text: did

text: confirm

text: to

text: CNN

text: that

text: the

text: Thai

text: army

text: was

text: operating

text: a

text: dump

text: at

text: sea

text: policy

text: But

text: the

text: source

text: defended

text: it

text: insisting

text: that

text: each

text: boatload

text: of

text: refugees

text: was

text: always

text: given

text: sufficient

text: supplies

text: of

text: food

text: and

text: water

text: That

text: source

text: claimed

text: local

text: villagers

text: had

text: become

text: afraid

text: of

text: the

text: hundreds

text: of

text: Rohingya

text: arriving

text: each

text: month

text: and

text: that

text: they

text: were

text: accusing

text: the

text: refugees

text: of

text: stealing

text: their

text: property

text: and

text: threatening

text: them

text: CNN

text: asked

text: the

text: government

text: for

text: comment

text: and

text: was

text: told

text: that

text: an

text: investigation

text: was

text: being

text: launched

text: and

text: that

text: Prime

text: Minister

text: Abhisit

text: Vejjajiva

text: has

text: plans

text: to

text: call

text: an

text: emergency

text: meeting

text: once

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: foreign

text: minister

text: returns

text: from

text: Cambodia

text: Panitan

text: Wattanayagorn

text: a

text: government

text: spokesman

text: gave

text: no

text: timeline

text: for

text: the

text: foreign

text: minister

text: 's

text: return

text: or

text: the

text: emergency

text: meeting

text: He

text: did

text: say

text: the

text: government

text: is

text: taking

text: the

text: matter

text: very

text: seriously

question: What does the evidence suggest the Thai army has been doing?

answer: s secretly detaining Rohingya refugees before towing them out to se

text: s secretly detaining Rohingya refugees before towing them out to se

question: What has CNN found evidence of?

answer: hundreds of Rohingya refugees -- members of a Muslim minority group -- abuse and abandonment at sea were

text: hundreds of Rohingya refugees -- members of a Muslim minority group -- abuse and abandonment at sea were

question: What do photos show?

answer: refugees on their rickety boats being towed out to sea, cut loose and abandoned.

text: refugees on their rickety boats being towed out to sea, cut loose and abandoned.

question: Which countries government has launched an inquiry?

answer: Thai

text: Thai

question: What does the army deny?

answer: towing a boatload of some 190 refugees far out to sea.

text: towing a boatload of some 190 refugees far out to sea.

question: What ethnicity are the refugees?

answer: Rohingya

text: Rohingya


text:
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN)  -- The Iraqi government says it has banned all organized visits to Saddam Hussein's grave amid concern over support for the late dictator's former party.

An Iraqi poet, left, gives a recital while children carry pictures of Saddam Hussein over his grave.

A Cabinet statement on Monday said it had directed authorities in Salaheddin province and the Education Ministry to "take all necessary measures" to prevent such outings.

The former dictator, along with his two sons and other relatives, is buried in his hometown of al-Ouja near Tikrit in Salaheddin north of Baghdad. And, Hussein supporters and schoolchildren have made visits there on the late dictator's birthday and hanging date.

There have been videos on sites such as YouTube of people at the site.

One video shows schoolchildren at the grave in December; they carried banners at Hussein's grave that said "We won't forget you father" and they read pro-Hussein poetry.

The government move was made after a recent visit by schoolchildren to the grave, but no reason was given for the decision.

However, the move reflects the concern of Iraq's government over the presence of the Baath Party in Iraq, Saddam Hussein's political movement.

The party and its symbols have been banned in Iraq.

On Saturday, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told reporters that while there can be government reconciliation with individual Baathists who have not committed crimes such as killing Iraqis, there can never be national reconciliation with the party itself.

Salaheddin Gov. Mutasher Hussein Alaiwi, said he had not received any official directives yet, but said he would implement Cabinet orders when he receives them.

The governor said that would apply to organized group visits, but they would not stop individual ones.

A resident of al-Ouja told CNN the government had no right to stop visitors from going to their former president's tomb.

"Even if they put police and army outside the door, they will not stop us from visiting our president, our leader and our father," said Mohammed al- Nasiri.

Hussein was executed in 2006 after an Iraqi court sentenced him to death for crimes against humanity.

text: BAGHDAD

text: Iraq

text: CNN

text: The

text: Iraqi

text: government

text: says

text: it

text: has

text: banned

text: all

text: organized

text: visits

text: to

text: Saddam

text: Hussein

text: 's

text: grave

text: amid

text: concern

text: over

text: support

text: for

text: the

text: late

text: dictator

text: 's

text: former

text: party

text: An

text: Iraqi

text: poet

text: left

text: gives

text: a

text: recital

text: while

text: children

text: carry

text: pictures

text: of

text: Saddam

text: Hussein

text: over

text: his

text: grave

text: A

text: Cabinet

text: statement

text: on

text: Monday

text: said

text: it

text: had

text: directed

text: authorities

text: in

text: Salaheddin

text: province

text: and

text: the

text: Education

text: Ministry

text: to

text: take

text: all

text: necessary

text: measures

text: to

text: prevent

text: such

text: outings

text: The

text: former

text: dictator

text: along

text: with

text: his

text: two

text: sons

text: and

text: other

text: relatives

text: is

text: buried

text: in

text: his

text: hometown

text: of

text: al

text: Ouja

text: near

text: Tikrit

text: in

text: Salaheddin

text: north

text: of

text: Baghdad

text: And

text: Hussein

text: supporters

text: and

text: schoolchildren

text: have

text: made

text: visits

text: there

text: on

text: the

text: late

text: dictator

text: 's

text: birthday

text: and

text: hanging

text: date

text: There

text: have

text: been

text: videos

text: on

text: sites

text: such

text: as

text: YouTube

text: of

text: people

text: at

text: the

text: site

text: One

text: video

text: shows

text: schoolchildren

text: at

text: the

text: grave

text: in

text: December

text: they

text: carried

text: banners

text: at

text: Hussein

text: 's

text: grave

text: that

text: said

text: We

text: wo

text: n't

text: forget

text: you

text: father

text: and

text: they

text: read

text: pro

text: Hussein

text: poetry

text: The

text: government

text: move

text: was

text: made

text: after

text: a

text: recent

text: visit

text: by

text: schoolchildren

text: to

text: the

text: grave

text: but

text: no

text: reason

text: was

text: given

text: for

text: the

text: decision

text: However

text: the

text: move

text: reflects

text: the

text: concern

text: of

text: Iraq

text: 's

text: government

text: over

text: the

text: presence

text: of

text: the

text: Baath

text: Party

text: in

text: Iraq

text: Saddam

text: Hussein

text: 's

text: political

text: movement

text: The

text: party

text: and

text: its

text: symbols

text: have

text: been

text: banned

text: in

text: Iraq

text: On

text: Saturday

text: government

text: spokesman

text: Ali

text: al

text: Dabbagh

text: told

text: reporters

text: that

text: while

text: there

text: can

text: be

text: government

text: reconciliation

text: with

text: individual

text: Baathists

text: who

text: have

text: not

text: committed

text: crimes

text: such

text: as

text: killing

text: Iraqis

text: there

text: can

text: never

text: be

text: national

text: reconciliation

text: with

text: the

text: party

text: itself

text: Salaheddin

text: Gov.

text: Mutasher

text: Hussein

text: Alaiwi

text: said

text: he

text: had

text: not

text: received

text: any

text: official

text: directives

text: yet

text: but

text: said

text: he

text: would

text: implement

text: Cabinet

text: orders

text: when

text: he

text: receives

text: them

text: The

text: governor

text: said

text: that

text: would

text: apply

text: to

text: organized

text: group

text: visits

text: but

text: they

text: would

text: not

text: stop

text: individual

text: ones

text: A

text: resident

text: of

text: al

text: Ouja

text: told

text: CNN

text: the

text: government

text: had

text: no

text: right

text: to

text: stop

text: visitors

text: from

text: going

text: to

text: their

text: former

text: president

text: 's

text: tomb

text: Even

text: if

text: they

text: put

text: police

text: and

text: army

text: outside

text: the

text: door

text: they

text: will

text: not

text: stop

text: us

text: from

text: visiting

text: our

text: president

text: our

text: leader

text: and

text: our

text: father

text: said

text: Mohammed

text: al-

text: Nasiri

text: Hussein

text: was

text: executed

text: in

text: after

text: an

text: Iraqi

text: court

text: sentenced

text: him

text: to

text: death

text: for

text: crimes

text: against

text: humanity

question: what did iraqi government ban

answer: all organized visits to Saddam Hussein's

text: all organized visits to Saddam Hussein's

question: Where is Saddam Hussein's home town?

answer: al-Ouja

text: al-Ouja

question: What is the Baath party?

answer: Saddam Hussein's political movement.

text: Saddam Hussein's political movement.

question: What is the reason for the Government for banning organized visits to Saddam Hussein's grave?

answer: concern over support

text: concern over support

question: where was the former dictator buried

answer: in his hometown of al-Ouja near Tikrit in Salaheddin north of Baghdad.

text: in his hometown of al-Ouja near Tikrit in Salaheddin north of Baghdad.

question: What concerns to the Iraqi Government have about the Baath Party?

answer: been banned in Iraq.

text: been banned in Iraq.

question: for what reason did the Iraqi government make this decision?

answer: amid concern over support

text: amid concern over support