text:
NORFOLK, Virginia (CNN) -- Negotiators aboard a U.S. Navy warship are trying to secure the release of an American freighter captain who is being held by pirates on a lifeboat off the coast of Somalia, according to Maersk Line Ltd.

Capt. Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama is being held by pirates on a lifeboat off Somalia.

The crew aboard the destroyer USS Bainbridge could see the lifeboat where pirates have been holding Capt. Richard Phillips since Wednesday, the company said in a written statement issued at 5 p.m. ET.

Phillips has not been hurt, the statement said.

Phillips, who has received provisions and batteries for his radio, has been in touch with the crews of the Alabama and the Bainbridge, the statement said.

The pirates are the same four men who hijacked Phillips' vessel, the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama, early Wednesday hundreds of miles off the Horn of Africa.

The Alabama's 20-person crew later regained control of the ship, which is owned and operated by the Norfolk-based Maersk Line Ltd.

In a written statement, Maersk spokesman Kevin Speers noted that "there have been many questions about how the crew re-captured the ship and how the captain came to leave the ship."

But he would not clarify the matter.

"Our immediate focus has been to bring the current situation to a safe resolution," he said. "There will be time for due diligence and retrospective review once we have the safe return of all parties and the opportunity for a full de-briefing."

The U.S. Navy, which is in charge of the situation, requested the help of the FBI. FBI negotiators in the United States are in touch with the crew of the Bainbridge, which arrived on the scene earlier Thursday to assist, a senior U.S. defense official said.

According to Maersk's last communication with the Navy, the 28-foot lifeboat was disabled and "dead in the water," Speers said Thursday morning.

"We are encouraged that most of the crew is safe. They have been resilient and courageous throughout this crisis," Speers said. "But we will remain on watch, staffing our situation room and our family hot line until this situation is resolved and the captain is safely returned."

On Thursday, the Maersk Alabama resumed its journey to Mombasa, Kenya, with an 18-person armed security detail on board, according to Joseph Murphy, the father of the ship's first officer. Maersk and U.S. military officials confirmed the cargo ship had left the area on Thursday, but would not say where it was heading, citing security concerns.  See how pirate attacks have increased Â»

Gen. David Petraeus, chief of U.S. Central Command, said Thursday that the Bainbridge would be getting backup shortly.

"I can tell you, there are definitely going to be more ships in that area in the next 24 or 48 hours, because there are two more sailing to it right now," he said.

"Needless to say, we want to ensure we have all the capacity that may be needed over the course of the coming days."

Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, told CNN's Barbara Starr in Bahrain that, "We have been moving forces in that direction."

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said President Obama had been staying apprised of the situation.

"Obviously, his main concern is for the safety of the captain and the rest of the crew on the ship, and he will continue to receive those updates," he said.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said an international coalition of countries is working to address the piracy threat, but the area in question is immense.

"I think the ocean area we're referring to is three times the size of Texas," she told reporters. iReport.com: 'Stop the pirates, Obama!'

Referring to continuing problems with piracy in those waters, she said instability in Somalia has contributed to the flourishing of "an old scourge."

The Alabama was loaded with food aid when the pirates hijacked it Wednesday, 350 miles off Somalia's coast -- a distance that used to be considered safe from pirate attacks.

It was the first time in recent history that pirates targeted an American ship.  Watch how pirates work off Somalia Â»

The pirates were armed with AK-47 assault rifles while the ship's crew carried no weapons, according to Ken Quinn, the second officer of the ship.

Crew members managed to take one of the four pirates hostage, Quinn said. The crew -- apparently minus the captain -- locked themselves in the compartment that contains the ship's steering gear, where they remained for about 12 hours with their captive, whom Quinn said they had tied up.  Watch Quinn describe the hijacking to CNN Â»

The pirates reneged on their agreement to exchange Phillips for one pirate whom the crew had captured. The pirate was released unharmed, according to Quinn, who spoke to CNN on Wednesday via a satellite call.

The pirates had scuttled the small boat they used to reach the ship, Quinn said, so Phillips offered them the Alabama's 28-foot lifeboat and some money.

"We returned him, but they didn't return the captain," Quinn said.

The U.S. Navy issued a warning several days ago to ships in the area that pirates were operating farther offshore.  Watch former Navy captain discuss options Â»

There are emergency rations to last 10 days on the lifeboat, but the conditions are most likely "uncomfortable," according to Murphy.

"There's no toilet facilities or anything like that," he said. "The captain has a VHF radio, and I'm sure that he's in voice communication with the ship itself. The problem is, of course, that ... the [radio's] battery is going to die, and I'm not really sure how they're going to continue communication after that." iReport.com: How should the U.S. respond?

It is common for crews of merchant vessels to travel through the area unarmed despite the risk of pirate attacks, experts said. An armed crew could provoke a firefight that would endanger the crew's lives or its cargo, which often contains flammable or explosive material.

John Reinhart, chief executive and president of Maersk Line Ltd., said the crew can try to outrun the pirate boats or turn fire hoses on anyone trying to board the ship, "but we do not carry arms."  Watch company spokesman say how captain is held Â»

The vessel was carrying relief supplies for USAID, the U.N. World Food Program and the Christian charities WorldVision and Catholic Relief Services. The U.N. agency said its portion of the cargo included nearly 4,100 metric tons of corn-soya blend bound for Somalia and Uganda, and another 990 metric tons of vegetable oil for refugees in Kenya.

CNN's Jason Carroll contributed to this report.

text: NORFOLK

text: Virginia

text: CNN

text: Negotiators

text: aboard

text: a

text: U.S.

text: Navy

text: warship

text: are

text: trying

text: to

text: secure

text: the

text: release

text: of

text: an

text: American

text: freighter

text: captain

text: who

text: is

text: being

text: held

text: by

text: pirates

text: on

text: a

text: lifeboat

text: off

text: the

text: coast

text: of

text: Somalia

text: according

text: to

text: Maersk

text: Line

text: Ltd.

text: Capt

text: Richard

text: Phillips

text: of

text: the

text: Maersk

text: Alabama

text: is

text: being

text: held

text: by

text: pirates

text: on

text: a

text: lifeboat

text: off

text: Somalia

text: The

text: crew

text: aboard

text: the

text: destroyer

text: USS

text: Bainbridge

text: could

text: see

text: the

text: lifeboat

text: where

text: pirates

text: have

text: been

text: holding

text: Capt

text: Richard

text: Phillips

text: since

text: Wednesday

text: the

text: company

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: written

text: statement

text: issued

text: at

text: p.m.

text: ET

text: Phillips

text: has

text: not

text: been

text: hurt

text: the

text: statement

text: said

text: Phillips

text: who

text: has

text: received

text: provisions

text: and

text: batteries

text: for

text: his

text: radio

text: has

text: been

text: in

text: touch

text: with

text: the

text: crews

text: of

text: the

text: Alabama

text: and

text: the

text: Bainbridge

text: the

text: statement

text: said

text: The

text: pirates

text: are

text: the

text: same

text: four

text: men

text: who

text: hijacked

text: Phillips

text: vessel

text: the

text: U.S

text: flagged

text: Maersk

text: Alabama

text: early

text: Wednesday

text: hundreds

text: of

text: miles

text: off

text: the

text: Horn

text: of

text: Africa

text: The

text: Alabama

text: 's

text: crew

text: later

text: regained

text: control

text: of

text: the

text: ship

text: which

text: is

text: owned

text: and

text: operated

text: by

text: the

text: Norfolk

text: based

text: Maersk

text: Line

text: Ltd.

text: In

text: a

text: written

text: statement

text: Maersk

text: spokesman

text: Kevin

text: Speers

text: noted

text: that

text: there

text: have

text: been

text: many

text: questions

text: about

text: how

text: the

text: crew

text: re

text: captured

text: the

text: ship

text: and

text: how

text: the

text: captain

text: came

text: to

text: leave

text: the

text: ship

text: But

text: he

text: would

text: not

text: clarify

text: the

text: matter

text: Our

text: immediate

text: focus

text: has

text: been

text: to

text: bring

text: the

text: current

text: situation

text: to

text: a

text: safe

text: resolution

text: he

text: said

text: There

text: will

text: be

text: time

text: for

text: due

text: diligence

text: and

text: retrospective

text: review

text: once

text: we

text: have

text: the

text: safe

text: return

text: of

text: all

text: parties

text: and

text: the

text: opportunity

text: for

text: a

text: full

text: de

text: briefing

text: The

text: U.S.

text: Navy

text: which

text: is

text: in

text: charge

text: of

text: the

text: situation

text: requested

text: the

text: help

text: of

text: the

text: FBI

text: FBI

text: negotiators

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: are

text: in

text: touch

text: with

text: the

text: crew

text: of

text: the

text: Bainbridge

text: which

text: arrived

text: on

text: the

text: scene

text: earlier

text: Thursday

text: to

text: assist

text: a

text: senior

text: U.S.

text: defense

text: official

text: said

text: According

text: to

text: Maersk

text: 's

text: last

text: communication

text: with

text: the

text: Navy

text: the

text: lifeboat

text: was

text: disabled

text: and

text: dead

text: in

text: the

text: water

text: Speers

text: said

text: Thursday

text: morning

text: We

text: are

text: encouraged

text: that

text: most

text: of

text: the

text: crew

text: is

text: safe

text: They

text: have

text: been

text: resilient

text: and

text: courageous

text: throughout

text: this

text: crisis

text: Speers

text: said

text: But

text: we

text: will

text: remain

text: on

text: watch

text: staffing

text: our

text: situation

text: room

text: and

text: our

text: family

text: hot

text: line

text: until

text: this

text: situation

text: is

text: resolved

text: and

text: the

text: captain

text: is

text: safely

text: returned

text: On

text: Thursday

text: the

text: Maersk

text: Alabama

text: resumed

text: its

text: journey

text: to

text: Mombasa

text: Kenya

text: with

text: an

text: armed

text: security

text: detail

text: on

text: board

text: according

text: to

text: Joseph

text: Murphy

text: the

text: father

text: of

text: the

text: ship

text: 's

text: first

text: officer

text: Maersk

text: and

text: U.S.

text: military

text: officials

text: confirmed

text: the

text: cargo

text: ship

text: had

text: left

text: the

text: area

text: on

text: Thursday

text: but

text: would

text: not

text: say

text: where

text: it

text: was

text: heading

text: citing

text: security

text: concerns

text: See

text: how

text: pirate

text: attacks

text: have

text: increased

text: Â

text: Gen.

text: David

text: Petraeus

text: chief

text: of

text: U.S.

text: Central

text: Command

text: said

text: Thursday

text: that

text: the

text: Bainbridge

text: would

text: be

text: getting

text: backup

text: shortly

text: I

text: can

text: tell

text: you

text: there

text: are

text: definitely

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: more

text: ships

text: in

text: that

text: area

text: in

text: the

text: next

text: or

text: hours

text: because

text: there

text: are

text: two

text: more

text: sailing

text: to

text: it

text: right

text: now

text: he

text: said

text: Needless

text: to

text: say

text: we

text: want

text: to

text: ensure

text: we

text: have

text: all

text: the

text: capacity

text: that

text: may

text: be

text: needed

text: over

text: the

text: course

text: of

text: the

text: coming

text: days

text: Vice

text: Adm.

text: William

text: E.

text: Gortney

text: commander

text: of

text: U.S.

text: Naval

text: Forces

text: Central

text: Command

text: told

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Barbara

text: Starr

text: in

text: Bahrain

text: that

text: We

text: have

text: been

text: moving

text: forces

text: in

text: that

text: direction

text: White

text: House

text: Press

text: Secretary

text: Robert

text: Gibbs

text: said

text: President

text: Obama

text: had

text: been

text: staying

text: apprised

text: of

text: the

text: situation

text: Obviously

text: his

text: main

text: concern

text: is

text: for

text: the

text: safety

text: of

text: the

text: captain

text: and

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: the

text: crew

text: on

text: the

text: ship

text: and

text: he

text: will

text: continue

text: to

text: receive

text: those

text: updates

text: he

text: said

text: Secretary

text: of

text: State

text: Hillary

text: Clinton

text: said

text: an

text: international

text: coalition

text: of

text: countries

text: is

text: working

text: to

text: address

text: the

text: piracy

text: threat

text: but

text: the

text: area

text: in

text: question

text: is

text: immense

text: I

text: think

text: the

text: ocean

text: area

text: we

text: 're

text: referring

text: to

text: is

text: three

text: times

text: the

text: size

text: of

text: Texas

text: she

text: told

text: reporters

text: iReport.com

text: Stop

text: the

text: pirates

text: Obama

text: Referring

text: to

text: continuing

text: problems

text: with

text: piracy

text: in

text: those

text: waters

text: she

text: said

text: instability

text: in

text: Somalia

text: has

text: contributed

text: to

text: the

text: flourishing

text: of

text: an

text: old

text: scourge

text: The

text: Alabama

text: was

text: loaded

text: with

text: food

text: aid

text: when

text: the

text: pirates

text: hijacked

text: it

text: Wednesday

text: miles

text: off

text: Somalia

text: 's

text: coast

text: a

text: distance

text: that

text: used

text: to

text: be

text: considered

text: safe

text: from

text: pirate

text: attacks

text: It

text: was

text: the

text: first

text: time

text: in

text: recent

text: history

text: that

text: pirates

text: targeted

text: an

text: American

text: ship

text: Watch

text: how

text: pirates

text: work

text: off

text: Somalia

text: Â

text: The

text: pirates

text: were

text: armed

text: with

text: assault

text: rifles

text: while

text: the

text: ship

text: 's

text: crew

text: carried

text: no

text: weapons

text: according

text: to

text: Ken

text: Quinn

text: the

text: second

text: officer

text: of

text: the

text: ship

text: Crew

text: members

text: managed

text: to

text: take

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: four

text: pirates

text: hostage

text: Quinn

text: said

text: The

text: crew

text: apparently

text: minus

text: the

text: captain

text: locked

text: themselves

text: in

text: the

text: compartment

text: that

text: contains

text: the

text: ship

text: 's

text: steering

text: gear

text: where

text: they

text: remained

text: for

text: about

text: hours

text: with

text: their

text: captive

text: whom

text: Quinn

text: said

text: they

text: had

text: tied

text: up

text: Watch

text: Quinn

text: describe

text: the

text: hijacking

text: to

text: CNN

text: Â

text: The

text: pirates

text: reneged

text: on

text: their

text: agreement

text: to

text: exchange

text: Phillips

text: for

text: one

text: pirate

text: whom

text: the

text: crew

text: had

text: captured

text: The

text: pirate

text: was

text: released

text: unharmed

text: according

text: to

text: Quinn

text: who

text: spoke

text: to

text: CNN

text: on

text: Wednesday

text: via

text: a

text: satellite

text: call

text: The

text: pirates

text: had

text: scuttled

text: the

text: small

text: boat

text: they

text: used

text: to

text: reach

text: the

text: ship

text: Quinn

text: said

text: so

text: Phillips

text: offered

text: them

text: the

text: Alabama

text: 's

text: lifeboat

text: and

text: some

text: money

text: We

text: returned

text: him

text: but

text: they

text: did

text: n't

text: return

text: the

text: captain

text: Quinn

text: said

text: The

text: U.S.

text: Navy

text: issued

text: a

text: warning

text: several

text: days

text: ago

text: to

text: ships

text: in

text: the

text: area

text: that

text: pirates

text: were

text: operating

text: farther

text: offshore

text: Watch

text: former

text: Navy

text: captain

text: discuss

text: options

text: Â

text: There

text: are

text: emergency

text: rations

text: to

text: last

text: days

text: on

text: the

text: lifeboat

text: but

text: the

text: conditions

text: are

text: most

text: likely

text: uncomfortable

text: according

text: to

text: Murphy

text: There

text: 's

text: no

text: toilet

text: facilities

text: or

text: anything

text: like

text: that

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: captain

text: has

text: a

text: VHF

text: radio

text: and

text: I

text: 'm

text: sure

text: that

text: he

text: 's

text: in

text: voice

text: communication

text: with

text: the

text: ship

text: itself

text: The

text: problem

text: is

text: of

text: course

text: that

text: the

text: radio

text: 's

text: battery

text: is

text: going

text: to

text: die

text: and

text: I

text: 'm

text: not

text: really

text: sure

text: how

text: they

text: 're

text: going

text: to

text: continue

text: communication

text: after

text: that

text: iReport.com

text: How

text: should

text: the

text: U.S.

text: respond

text: It

text: is

text: common

text: for

text: crews

text: of

text: merchant

text: vessels

text: to

text: travel

text: through

text: the

text: area

text: unarmed

text: despite

text: the

text: risk

text: of

text: pirate

text: attacks

text: experts

text: said

text: An

text: armed

text: crew

text: could

text: provoke

text: a

text: firefight

text: that

text: would

text: endanger

text: the

text: crew

text: 's

text: lives

text: or

text: its

text: cargo

text: which

text: often

text: contains

text: flammable

text: or

text: explosive

text: material

text: John

text: Reinhart

text: chief

text: executive

text: and

text: president

text: of

text: Maersk

text: Line

text: Ltd.

text: said

text: the

text: crew

text: can

text: try

text: to

text: outrun

text: the

text: pirate

text: boats

text: or

text: turn

text: fire

text: hoses

text: on

text: anyone

text: trying

text: to

text: board

text: the

text: ship

text: but

text: we

text: do

text: not

text: carry

text: arms

text: Watch

text: company

text: spokesman

text: say

text: how

text: captain

text: is

text: held

text: Â

text: The

text: vessel

text: was

text: carrying

text: relief

text: supplies

text: for

text: USAID

text: the

text: U.N.

text: World

text: Food

text: Program

text: and

text: the

text: Christian

text: charities

text: WorldVision

text: and

text: Catholic

text: Relief

text: Services

text: The

text: U.N.

text: agency

text: said

text: its

text: portion

text: of

text: the

text: cargo

text: included

text: nearly

text: metric

text: tons

text: of

text: corn

text: soya

text: blend

text: bound

text: for

text: Somalia

text: and

text: Uganda

text: and

text: another

text: metric

text: tons

text: of

text: vegetable

text: oil

text: for

text: refugees

text: in

text: Kenya

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Jason

text: Carroll

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: What is the name of the ship?

answer: USS Bainbridge

text: USS Bainbridge

question: Where is Philips being held?

answer: on a lifeboat off Somalia.

text: on a lifeboat off Somalia.

question: What are the pirates doing?

answer: holding Capt. Richard Phillips

text: holding Capt. Richard Phillips

question: who leaves scene with armed detail?

answer: the Maersk Alabama

text: the Maersk Alabama

question: Who is Petraeus?

answer: chief of U.S. Central Command,

text: chief of U.S. Central Command,

question: What crew member is being held hostage?

answer: Capt. Richard Phillips

text: Capt. Richard Phillips

question: who assists in negotiations with pirates?

answer: FBI negotiators

text: FBI negotiators

question: who are heading to scene of standoff?

answer: he U.S. Na

text: he U.S. Na

question: Who is holding Phillips?

answer: pirates

text: pirates


text:
(CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that a new Middle East -- one "without Zionists and without colonialists" -- was quickly emerging as regional bonds grow stronger by the day.

The hard-line leader made the comments after a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Thursday.

"The whole world should know that Iran will stand behind the Syrian nation to the end," Ahmadinejad said in remarks aired on Iran's state-run Press TV. "Regional bonds are very strong."

His comments came during a two-day visit to Damascus that follows efforts by the United States to weaken ties between Iran and Syria.

President Obama recently nominated veteran diplomat Robert Ford to be the new ambassador in Damascus, ending a five-year diplomatic hiatus there and sparking talk of a renewed relationship. But Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has tempered the thawing of relations by saying that Washington remains concerned with Syria's close ties to Iran.

"No one has enlightened her to comment on regional issues," Ahmadinejad said, slamming Clinton's statements as interfering. "The whole U.S. government has no impact whatsoever on regional relations."

Tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen over Iran's nuclear program, which Iran insists is intended for civilian use but the United States believes is intended for developing weapons.

Assad voiced strong support for Iran and brushed off U.S. sentiment.

"I find it strange how they talk about Middle East stability and at the same time talk about dividing two countries," he said.

The meeting between Assad and Ahmadinejad sparked a harsh reaction from Israeli President Shimon Peres.

"The time has come to speak the truth," he said in a written statement. "The problem in the Middle East is not the Palestinians. The Palestinian problem will be resolved through the peace process in Israel. The central problem in the Middle East is Iran's attempt to reach hegemony over the Arab lands."

"The source of the problem is Ahmadinejad's megalomania. Assad must choose what he wants -- to join the Iranian camp of evil and terror or to make peace with Israel," he said.

He called on Assad to sit down with Israel to reach a peace agreement.

text: CNN

text: Iranian

text: President

text: Mahmoud

text: Ahmadinejad

text: said

text: Thursday

text: that

text: a

text: new

text: Middle

text: East

text: one

text: without

text: Zionists

text: and

text: without

text: colonialists

text: was

text: quickly

text: emerging

text: as

text: regional

text: bonds

text: grow

text: stronger

text: by

text: the

text: day

text: The

text: hard

text: line

text: leader

text: made

text: the

text: comments

text: after

text: a

text: meeting

text: with

text: Syrian

text: President

text: Bashar

text: al

text: Assad

text: in

text: Damascus

text: on

text: Thursday

text: The

text: whole

text: world

text: should

text: know

text: that

text: Iran

text: will

text: stand

text: behind

text: the

text: Syrian

text: nation

text: to

text: the

text: end

text: Ahmadinejad

text: said

text: in

text: remarks

text: aired

text: on

text: Iran

text: 's

text: state

text: run

text: Press

text: TV

text: Regional

text: bonds

text: are

text: very

text: strong

text: His

text: comments

text: came

text: during

text: a

text: two

text: day

text: visit

text: to

text: Damascus

text: that

text: follows

text: efforts

text: by

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: to

text: weaken

text: ties

text: between

text: Iran

text: and

text: Syria

text: President

text: Obama

text: recently

text: nominated

text: veteran

text: diplomat

text: Robert

text: Ford

text: to

text: be

text: the

text: new

text: ambassador

text: in

text: Damascus

text: ending

text: a

text: five

text: year

text: diplomatic

text: hiatus

text: there

text: and

text: sparking

text: talk

text: of

text: a

text: renewed

text: relationship

text: But

text: Secretary

text: of

text: State

text: Hillary

text: Clinton

text: has

text: tempered

text: the

text: thawing

text: of

text: relations

text: by

text: saying

text: that

text: Washington

text: remains

text: concerned

text: with

text: Syria

text: 's

text: close

text: ties

text: to

text: Iran

text: No

text: one

text: has

text: enlightened

text: her

text: to

text: comment

text: on

text: regional

text: issues

text: Ahmadinejad

text: said

text: slamming

text: Clinton

text: 's

text: statements

text: as

text: interfering

text: The

text: whole

text: U.S.

text: government

text: has

text: no

text: impact

text: whatsoever

text: on

text: regional

text: relations

text: Tensions

text: between

text: Washington

text: and

text: Tehran

text: have

text: risen

text: over

text: Iran

text: 's

text: nuclear

text: program

text: which

text: Iran

text: insists

text: is

text: intended

text: for

text: civilian

text: use

text: but

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: believes

text: is

text: intended

text: for

text: developing

text: weapons

text: Assad

text: voiced

text: strong

text: support

text: for

text: Iran

text: and

text: brushed

text: off

text: U.S.

text: sentiment

text: I

text: find

text: it

text: strange

text: how

text: they

text: talk

text: about

text: Middle

text: East

text: stability

text: and

text: at

text: the

text: same

text: time

text: talk

text: about

text: dividing

text: two

text: countries

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: meeting

text: between

text: Assad

text: and

text: Ahmadinejad

text: sparked

text: a

text: harsh

text: reaction

text: from

text: Israeli

text: President

text: Shimon

text: Peres

text: The

text: time

text: has

text: come

text: to

text: speak

text: the

text: truth

text: he

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: written

text: statement

text: The

text: problem

text: in

text: the

text: Middle

text: East

text: is

text: not

text: the

text: Palestinians

text: The

text: Palestinian

text: problem

text: will

text: be

text: resolved

text: through

text: the

text: peace

text: process

text: in

text: Israel

text: The

text: central

text: problem

text: in

text: the

text: Middle

text: East

text: is

text: Iran

text: 's

text: attempt

text: to

text: reach

text: hegemony

text: over

text: the

text: Arab

text: lands

text: The

text: source

text: of

text: the

text: problem

text: is

text: Ahmadinejad

text: 's

text: megalomania

text: Assad

text: must

text: choose

text: what

text: he

text: wants

text: to

text: join

text: the

text: Iranian

text: camp

text: of

text: evil

text: and

text: terror

text: or

text: to

text: make

text: peace

text: with

text: Israel

text: he

text: said

text: He

text: called

text: on

text: Assad

text: to

text: sit

text: down

text: with

text: Israel

text: to

text: reach

text: a

text: peace

text: agreement

question: Who is interferring?

answer: Hillary Clinton

text: Hillary Clinton

question: What did Clinton do?

answer: tempered the thawing of relations by saying that Washington remains concerned with Syria's close ties to Iran.

text: tempered the thawing of relations by saying that Washington remains concerned with Syria's close ties to Iran.

question: Who has pledged support?

answer: Assad

text: Assad

question: Where did U.S. recently send ambassadors?

answer: Damascus,

text: Damascus,

question: What does Assad say about U.S. policy?

answer: Middle East stability and at the same time talk

text: Middle East stability and at the same time talk

question: Where did the US send its ambassador?

answer: Damascus,

text: Damascus,


text:
(CNN) -- The highest-level talks between the United States and North Korea since President Barack Obama took office unfolded Wednesday in Pyongyang, with a virtual lock-down on information.

The top U.S. envoy for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, is on a three-day visit for meetings to determine whether North Korea will return to six-party talks on its nuclear program.

The veteran diplomat is the first senior official from the Obama administration to hold direct talks with Pyongyang.

The White House offered no new details about the talks, and North Koreanstate media only acknowledged Bosworth's arrival in a one-line report.

North Korea abandoned the six-party talks last April, declaring them "dead," in anger over international criticism of its nuclear and missile tests. But the North also sent signals that it wanted to pursue bilateral talks with the United States instead of a multilateral dialogue.

Meanwhile, the North also has cooled its tough rhetoric against the United States.

Many are wondering what's behind the North's latest moves.

"The visit gives North Korea a lot of 'face,' a sense of importance," said Wenran Jiang, political science professor at the University of Alberta in Canada.

Some analysts say North Korea might just be trying to buy time. Earlier reports in Seoul claimed that North Korea is in the final stages of restoring its Yongbyon nuclear plant, which Pyongyang had begun to disable before walking away from the six-party talks in April. Given the secrecy of the North, those reports could not be verified.

Analysts say North Korea is also desperate to break out of its diplomatic isolation and ease its economic pain, especially after the U.N. Security Council imposed tougher sanctions on the communist country in response to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests earlier this year.

Another reason for Pyongyang's moves, analysts say, is neighboring China.

When Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Pyongyang in October, China pledged much-needed economic, trade and military aid to its communist ally.

During the three-day visit, President Kim Jong Il indicated that North Korea was willing to return to the stalled six-party talks -- on condition that there would be progress in direct talks between North Korea and the United States.

China has hosted several rounds of the six-party talks, which bring together the United States, North and South Korea, Japan, Russia and China. The talks aim to negotiate a deal for North Korea to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and aid.

In the end, Pyongyang wants direct talks with Washington that will eventually lead to diplomatic ties, a peace treaty and economic and trade relations.

"China can only act as a go-between, but in the end, the U.S. and North Korea will have to resolve critical issues between themselves," Jiang said.

A U.S. State Department official said Bosworth would not carry any new proposals or new initiatives on his visit.

"Our goal here is, of course, the resumption of the six-party talks and to secure North Korea's reaffirmation of the September 2005 joint agreement," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said a few days before Bosworth's trip.

He added: "The complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula ... will be the focus of Ambassador Bosworth's trip to Pyongyang."

Some observers point to a wide difference in the United States and North Korea's negotiating positions.

Selig Harrison, an expert on North Korea who has visited the North many times said, "the U.S. side always says we don't want to buy the same horse twice. Defense Secretary (Robert) Gates actually said that several months ago, meaning that we keep giving North Korea things to get results which we don't get and we feel that we've been cheated and we're making the same deal over and over again. But actually the North Koreans feel that they're the ones who don't get what we have promised."

Bridging their differences, observers say, will not be easy.

"If Bosworth can persuade the North Koreans to return to the six-party talks, all the better," said Zha Daojiong, a professor at Peking University in China.

"On the other hand, it will be understandable if he does not. In terms of negotiations, just about all the cards have been put on the table," he said. "It is critically important to be patient with both North Korea and the United States."

Some see the potential for progress.

Koh Yu-hwan, an expert on North Korea at Dongguk University in Seoul, South Korea, said there might be options when it comes to North Korea's nuclear weapons.

"It's not that clear-cut," he said. "The Korean War ended with an armistice. Technically the war is not yet over. The North wants nuclear weapons as a deterrent against the U.S. So, if the U.S. offers a security guarantee, pledges that it wouldn't try a 'regime change' and sign a peace treaty with North Korea, the goal of denuclearization is still possible."

Bosworth's visit comes after meeting with U.S. allies. He stopped in Seoul on Monday to brief South Korean officials on his trip to the North.

Bonnie Glaser, a North Korea analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, noted that even the North's renewed indication that it might return to the stalled six-party talks is not enough and there still is a long way to go to accomplish the denuclearization goal.

After his visit to the North, Bosworth is expected to consult with the other six-party countries before returning to Washington.

CNN's Jaime FlorCruz contributed to this report.

text: CNN

text: The

text: highest

text: level

text: talks

text: between

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: and

text: North

text: Korea

text: since

text: President

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: took

text: office

text: unfolded

text: Wednesday

text: in

text: Pyongyang

text: with

text: a

text: virtual

text: lock

text: down

text: on

text: information

text: The

text: top

text: U.S.

text: envoy

text: for

text: North

text: Korea

text: Stephen

text: Bosworth

text: is

text: on

text: a

text: three

text: day

text: visit

text: for

text: meetings

text: to

text: determine

text: whether

text: North

text: Korea

text: will

text: return

text: to

text: six

text: party

text: talks

text: on

text: its

text: nuclear

text: program

text: The

text: veteran

text: diplomat

text: is

text: the

text: first

text: senior

text: official

text: from

text: the

text: Obama

text: administration

text: to

text: hold

text: direct

text: talks

text: with

text: Pyongyang

text: The

text: White

text: House

text: offered

text: no

text: new

text: details

text: about

text: the

text: talks

text: and

text: North

text: Koreanstate

text: media

text: only

text: acknowledged

text: Bosworth

text: 's

text: arrival

text: in

text: a

text: one

text: line

text: report

text: North

text: Korea

text: abandoned

text: the

text: six

text: party

text: talks

text: last

text: April

text: declaring

text: them

text: dead

text: in

text: anger

text: over

text: international

text: criticism

text: of

text: its

text: nuclear

text: and

text: missile

text: tests

text: But

text: the

text: North

text: also

text: sent

text: signals

text: that

text: it

text: wanted

text: to

text: pursue

text: bilateral

text: talks

text: with

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: instead

text: of

text: a

text: multilateral

text: dialogue

text: Meanwhile

text: the

text: North

text: also

text: has

text: cooled

text: its

text: tough

text: rhetoric

text: against

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: Many

text: are

text: wondering

text: what

text: 's

text: behind

text: the

text: North

text: 's

text: latest

text: moves

text: The

text: visit

text: gives

text: North

text: Korea

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: face

text: a

text: sense

text: of

text: importance

text: said

text: Wenran

text: Jiang

text: political

text: science

text: professor

text: at

text: the

text: University

text: of

text: Alberta

text: in

text: Canada

text: Some

text: analysts

text: say

text: North

text: Korea

text: might

text: just

text: be

text: trying

text: to

text: buy

text: time

text: Earlier

text: reports

text: in

text: Seoul

text: claimed

text: that

text: North

text: Korea

text: is

text: in

text: the

text: final

text: stages

text: of

text: restoring

text: its

text: Yongbyon

text: nuclear

text: plant

text: which

text: Pyongyang

text: had

text: begun

text: to

text: disable

text: before

text: walking

text: away

text: from

text: the

text: six

text: party

text: talks

text: in

text: April

text: Given

text: the

text: secrecy

text: of

text: the

text: North

text: those

text: reports

text: could

text: not

text: be

text: verified

text: Analysts

text: say

text: North

text: Korea

text: is

text: also

text: desperate

text: to

text: break

text: out

text: of

text: its

text: diplomatic

text: isolation

text: and

text: ease

text: its

text: economic

text: pain

text: especially

text: after

text: the

text: U.N.

text: Security

text: Council

text: imposed

text: tougher

text: sanctions

text: on

text: the

text: communist

text: country

text: in

text: response

text: to

text: Pyongyang

text: 's

text: nuclear

text: and

text: missile

text: tests

text: earlier

text: this

text: year

text: Another

text: reason

text: for

text: Pyongyang

text: 's

text: moves

text: analysts

text: say

text: is

text: neighboring

text: China

text: When

text: Chinese

text: Premier

text: Wen

text: Jiabao

text: visited

text: Pyongyang

text: in

text: October

text: China

text: pledged

text: much

text: needed

text: economic

text: trade

text: and

text: military

text: aid

text: to

text: its

text: communist

text: ally

text: During

text: the

text: three

text: day

text: visit

text: President

text: Kim

text: Jong

text: Il

text: indicated

text: that

text: North

text: Korea

text: was

text: willing

text: to

text: return

text: to

text: the

text: stalled

text: six

text: party

text: talks

text: on

text: condition

text: that

text: there

text: would

text: be

text: progress

text: in

text: direct

text: talks

text: between

text: North

text: Korea

text: and

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: China

text: has

text: hosted

text: several

text: rounds

text: of

text: the

text: six

text: party

text: talks

text: which

text: bring

text: together

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: North

text: and

text: South

text: Korea

text: Japan

text: Russia

text: and

text: China

text: The

text: talks

text: aim

text: to

text: negotiate

text: a

text: deal

text: for

text: North

text: Korea

text: to

text: abandon

text: its

text: nuclear

text: program

text: in

text: exchange

text: for

text: security

text: guarantees

text: and

text: aid

text: In

text: the

text: end

text: Pyongyang

text: wants

text: direct

text: talks

text: with

text: Washington

text: that

text: will

text: eventually

text: lead

text: to

text: diplomatic

text: ties

text: a

text: peace

text: treaty

text: and

text: economic

text: and

text: trade

text: relations

text: China

text: can

text: only

text: act

text: as

text: a

text: go

text: between

text: but

text: in

text: the

text: end

text: the

text: U.S.

text: and

text: North

text: Korea

text: will

text: have

text: to

text: resolve

text: critical

text: issues

text: between

text: themselves

text: Jiang

text: said

text: A

text: U.S.

text: State

text: Department

text: official

text: said

text: Bosworth

text: would

text: not

text: carry

text: any

text: new

text: proposals

text: or

text: new

text: initiatives

text: on

text: his

text: visit

text: Our

text: goal

text: here

text: is

text: of

text: course

text: the

text: resumption

text: of

text: the

text: six

text: party

text: talks

text: and

text: to

text: secure

text: North

text: Korea

text: 's

text: reaffirmation

text: of

text: the

text: September

text: joint

text: agreement

text: State

text: Department

text: spokesman

text: Ian

text: Kelly

text: said

text: a

text: few

text: days

text: before

text: Bosworth

text: 's

text: trip

text: He

text: added

text: The

text: complete

text: and

text: verifiable

text: denuclearization

text: of

text: the

text: Korean

text: Peninsula

text: will

text: be

text: the

text: focus

text: of

text: Ambassador

text: Bosworth

text: 's

text: trip

text: to

text: Pyongyang

text: Some

text: observers

text: point

text: to

text: a

text: wide

text: difference

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: and

text: North

text: Korea

text: 's

text: negotiating

text: positions

text: Selig

text: Harrison

text: an

text: expert

text: on

text: North

text: Korea

text: who

text: has

text: visited

text: the

text: North

text: many

text: times

text: said

text: the

text: U.S.

text: side

text: always

text: says

text: we

text: do

text: n't

text: want

text: to

text: buy

text: the

text: same

text: horse

text: twice

text: Defense

text: Secretary

text: Robert

text: Gates

text: actually

text: said

text: that

text: several

text: months

text: ago

text: meaning

text: that

text: we

text: keep

text: giving

text: North

text: Korea

text: things

text: to

text: get

text: results

text: which

text: we

text: do

text: n't

text: get

text: and

text: we

text: feel

text: that

text: we

text: 've

text: been

text: cheated

text: and

text: we

text: 're

text: making

text: the

text: same

text: deal

text: over

text: and

text: over

text: again

text: But

text: actually

text: the

text: North

text: Koreans

text: feel

text: that

text: they

text: 're

text: the

text: ones

text: who

text: do

text: n't

text: get

text: what

text: we

text: have

text: promised

text: Bridging

text: their

text: differences

text: observers

text: say

text: will

text: not

text: be

text: easy

text: If

text: Bosworth

text: can

text: persuade

text: the

text: North

text: Koreans

text: to

text: return

text: to

text: the

text: six

text: party

text: talks

text: all

text: the

text: better

text: said

text: Zha

text: Daojiong

text: a

text: professor

text: at

text: Peking

text: University

text: in

text: China

text: On

text: the

text: other

text: hand

text: it

text: will

text: be

text: understandable

text: if

text: he

text: does

text: not

text: In

text: terms

text: of

text: negotiations

text: just

text: about

text: all

text: the

text: cards

text: have

text: been

text: put

text: on

text: the

text: table

text: he

text: said

text: It

text: is

text: critically

text: important

text: to

text: be

text: patient

text: with

text: both

text: North

text: Korea

text: and

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: Some

text: see

text: the

text: potential

text: for

text: progress

text: Koh

text: Yu

text: hwan

text: an

text: expert

text: on

text: North

text: Korea

text: at

text: Dongguk

text: University

text: in

text: Seoul

text: South

text: Korea

text: said

text: there

text: might

text: be

text: options

text: when

text: it

text: comes

text: to

text: North

text: Korea

text: 's

text: nuclear

text: weapons

text: It

text: 's

text: not

text: that

text: clear

text: cut

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: Korean

text: War

text: ended

text: with

text: an

text: armistice

text: Technically

text: the

text: war

text: is

text: not

text: yet

text: over

text: The

text: North

text: wants

text: nuclear

text: weapons

text: as

text: a

text: deterrent

text: against

text: the

text: U.S.

text: So

text: if

text: the

text: U.S.

text: offers

text: a

text: security

text: guarantee

text: pledges

text: that

text: it

text: would

text: n't

text: try

text: a

text: regime

text: change

text: and

text: sign

text: a

text: peace

text: treaty

text: with

text: North

text: Korea

text: the

text: goal

text: of

text: denuclearization

text: is

text: still

text: possible

text: Bosworth

text: 's

text: visit

text: comes

text: after

text: meeting

text: with

text: U.S.

text: allies

text: He

text: stopped

text: in

text: Seoul

text: on

text: Monday

text: to

text: brief

text: South

text: Korean

text: officials

text: on

text: his

text: trip

text: to

text: the

text: North

text: Bonnie

text: Glaser

text: a

text: North

text: Korea

text: analyst

text: at

text: the

text: Center

text: for

text: Strategic

text: and

text: International

text: Studies

text: in

text: Washington

text: noted

text: that

text: even

text: the

text: North

text: 's

text: renewed

text: indication

text: that

text: it

text: might

text: return

text: to

text: the

text: stalled

text: six

text: party

text: talks

text: is

text: not

text: enough

text: and

text: there

text: still

text: is

text: a

text: long

text: way

text: to

text: go

text: to

text: accomplish

text: the

text: denuclearization

text: goal

text: After

text: his

text: visit

text: to

text: the

text: North

text: Bosworth

text: is

text: expected

text: to

text: consult

text: with

text: the

text: other

text: six

text: party

text: countries

text: before

text: returning

text: to

text: Washington

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Jaime

text: FlorCruz

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Where are the high-level talks taking place?

answer: Pyongyang,

text: Pyongyang,

question: Who condemned North Korea's missile launches and nuke test?

answer: Stephen Bosworth,

text: Stephen Bosworth,

question: What is the name of the U.S. envoy?

answer: Stephen Bosworth,

text: Stephen Bosworth,

question: When did North Korea test nukes?

answer: earlier this year.

text: earlier this year.

question: Who is the US envoy?

answer: Stephen Bosworth,

text: Stephen Bosworth,

question: Where are the talks being held?

answer: Pyongyang,

text: Pyongyang,


text:
(CNN) -- Genetic screening techniques that allow parents to choose their children's gender are now more accurate than ever and are becoming increasingly mainstream, but experts are divided over whether the technology should be used in this way.

A technique called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) was originally developed two decades ago to allow embryos to be tested for genetic disease. It requires parents to use in vitro fertilization, where eggs are fertilized outside the womb.

With PGD, the embryos are tested for genetic disorders and only those that are free of disease are transferred to the mother's uterus. It means that parents who carry genetic defects can ensure they don't pass on a genetic illness to their children.

But PGD also can also be used to allow people undergoing in-vitro fertilization to select the gender of the embryo implanted in the mother's uterus.

Click on the flags above to watch people around the world answer the question, "Would you choose your child's gender?"

Using PGD for gender selection is banned in most countries, but it is legal in the U.S., where the procedure costs around $18,000, including in-vitro fertilization.

Los Angeles fertility expert Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg uses PGD for gender selection. He told CNN's Vital Signs program that many of his American clients already have children of one gender and are trying to achieve "family balancing."

He added that 70 percent of his patients are from countries where the procedure is banned.

Critics question the ethics of gender selection, and some argue that it could lead to a gender imbalance, particularly in societies with a traditional preference for boys.

"If anything, there's a slight preponderance for females, and this is contrary to everything that is publicized, and clearly it varies by country," said Steinberg.

"China is strongly in favor of boys, as we would suspect. India, strongly in favor of boys. But when you look at the world in general, it's 50-50"

Dr. Mark Hughes, who pioneered PGD, he has concerns about its use for non-medical purposes. He told CNN, "It definitely is an expanded reproductive choice. The question is, is it medicine? Is it something that doctors should be involved in?"

But Steinberg argues that it's wrong to limit scientific capabilities. "I say to critics that the last thing in the world that you want to do is put the handcuffs on science.

"We've been giving women expanded reproductive choices for 50 years. This is another choice."

Although the technology for gender selection is becoming more widespread, it remains controversial. Some feel that it's "playing God," while others welcome having more choice in family planning.

Would you choose your child's gender? Sound Off below.

text: CNN

text: Genetic

text: screening

text: techniques

text: that

text: allow

text: parents

text: to

text: choose

text: their

text: children

text: 's

text: gender

text: are

text: now

text: more

text: accurate

text: than

text: ever

text: and

text: are

text: becoming

text: increasingly

text: mainstream

text: but

text: experts

text: are

text: divided

text: over

text: whether

text: the

text: technology

text: should

text: be

text: used

text: in

text: this

text: way

text: A

text: technique

text: called

text: pre

text: implantation

text: genetic

text: diagnosis

text: PGD

text: was

text: originally

text: developed

text: two

text: decades

text: ago

text: to

text: allow

text: embryos

text: to

text: be

text: tested

text: for

text: genetic

text: disease

text: It

text: requires

text: parents

text: to

text: use

text: in

text: vitro

text: fertilization

text: where

text: eggs

text: are

text: fertilized

text: outside

text: the

text: womb

text: With

text: PGD

text: the

text: embryos

text: are

text: tested

text: for

text: genetic

text: disorders

text: and

text: only

text: those

text: that

text: are

text: free

text: of

text: disease

text: are

text: transferred

text: to

text: the

text: mother

text: 's

text: uterus

text: It

text: means

text: that

text: parents

text: who

text: carry

text: genetic

text: defects

text: can

text: ensure

text: they

text: do

text: n't

text: pass

text: on

text: a

text: genetic

text: illness

text: to

text: their

text: children

text: But

text: PGD

text: also

text: can

text: also

text: be

text: used

text: to

text: allow

text: people

text: undergoing

text: in

text: vitro

text: fertilization

text: to

text: select

text: the

text: gender

text: of

text: the

text: embryo

text: implanted

text: in

text: the

text: mother

text: 's

text: uterus

text: Click

text: on

text: the

text: flags

text: above

text: to

text: watch

text: people

text: around

text: the

text: world

text: answer

text: the

text: question

text: Would

text: you

text: choose

text: your

text: child

text: 's

text: gender

text: Using

text: PGD

text: for

text: gender

text: selection

text: is

text: banned

text: in

text: most

text: countries

text: but

text: it

text: is

text: legal

text: in

text: the

text: U.S.

text: where

text: the

text: procedure

text: costs

text: around

text: including

text: in

text: vitro

text: fertilization

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: fertility

text: expert

text: Dr.

text: Jeffrey

text: Steinberg

text: uses

text: PGD

text: for

text: gender

text: selection

text: He

text: told

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Vital

text: Signs

text: program

text: that

text: many

text: of

text: his

text: American

text: clients

text: already

text: have

text: children

text: of

text: one

text: gender

text: and

text: are

text: trying

text: to

text: achieve

text: family

text: balancing

text: He

text: added

text: that

text: percent

text: of

text: his

text: patients

text: are

text: from

text: countries

text: where

text: the

text: procedure

text: is

text: banned

text: Critics

text: question

text: the

text: ethics

text: of

text: gender

text: selection

text: and

text: some

text: argue

text: that

text: it

text: could

text: lead

text: to

text: a

text: gender

text: imbalance

text: particularly

text: in

text: societies

text: with

text: a

text: traditional

text: preference

text: for

text: boys

text: If

text: anything

text: there

text: 's

text: a

text: slight

text: preponderance

text: for

text: females

text: and

text: this

text: is

text: contrary

text: to

text: everything

text: that

text: is

text: publicized

text: and

text: clearly

text: it

text: varies

text: by

text: country

text: said

text: Steinberg

text: China

text: is

text: strongly

text: in

text: favor

text: of

text: boys

text: as

text: we

text: would

text: suspect

text: India

text: strongly

text: in

text: favor

text: of

text: boys

text: But

text: when

text: you

text: look

text: at

text: the

text: world

text: in

text: general

text: it

text: 's

text: Dr.

text: Mark

text: Hughes

text: who

text: pioneered

text: PGD

text: he

text: has

text: concerns

text: about

text: its

text: use

text: for

text: non

text: medical

text: purposes

text: He

text: told

text: CNN

text: It

text: definitely

text: is

text: an

text: expanded

text: reproductive

text: choice

text: The

text: question

text: is

text: is

text: it

text: medicine

text: Is

text: it

text: something

text: that

text: doctors

text: should

text: be

text: involved

text: in

text: But

text: Steinberg

text: argues

text: that

text: it

text: 's

text: wrong

text: to

text: limit

text: scientific

text: capabilities

text: I

text: say

text: to

text: critics

text: that

text: the

text: last

text: thing

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: that

text: you

text: want

text: to

text: do

text: is

text: put

text: the

text: handcuffs

text: on

text: science

text: We

text: 've

text: been

text: giving

text: women

text: expanded

text: reproductive

text: choices

text: for

text: years

text: This

text: is

text: another

text: choice

text: Although

text: the

text: technology

text: for

text: gender

text: selection

text: is

text: becoming

text: more

text: widespread

text: it

text: remains

text: controversial

text: Some

text: feel

text: that

text: it

text: 's

text: playing

text: God

text: while

text: others

text: welcome

text: having

text: more

text: choice

text: in

text: family

text: planning

text: Would

text: you

text: choose

text: your

text: child

text: 's

text: gender

text: Sound

text: Off

text: below

question: whats Technology that lets parents choose their children's gender is becoming more mainstream

answer: Genetic

text: Genetic


text:
(CNN) -- If you're looking for love and not having much luck, maybe you could increase your success by getting a bit more passionate -- about helping others.

Dave Chung and Kim Benty share a love of volunteer work in New Orleans.

When singles write to advice columnists complaining about being lonely, they are often urged to volunteer.

Duane Bates, the public relations director for Habitat for Humanity, says it's not unusual for their volunteers to meet on a building site and "end up together."

Victor Fasolino was living in New Jersey and his future wife, Lora, was living in Seattle, Washington, when the two met in Hungary in 1996 while volunteering on a Jimmy Carter Work Project for Habitat.

"I thought she was an attractive young lady," recalls Victor Fasolino, adding that they were working 10-12 hour days so it wasn't until the project was almost complete that they got to spend much time together.

Both were committed volunteers and had signed up for a Habitat fundraising bike ride of 500 miles two weeks after they returned to the United States. They got to know each other while pedaling from Kentucky to Atlanta, Georgia.

The two got married one year later atop a house they helped build during another project in Pikesville, Kentucky. Other volunteers had cleaned and scraped a ladder so the bride wouldn't get her wedding gown dirty climbing to the roof. The groom wore a tuxedo, a local minister officiated and a fiddler joined them on the roof to provide the music.

This year, Victor, 56, and Lora Fasolino, 46, will again work on former President Carter's 2009 Habitat work project, building houses in five countries: Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and China -- along the Mekong River in southeast Asia.

In 2007, Dave Chung and Kim Benty found each other while helping Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Chung had been a pro golfer playing mini-tours in California and living half the year in Toronto, Ontario, when he got the urge to drive down to New Orleans to volunteer.

"I really liked the place, and the people," says Chung. "The original plan was to come down here for two months and go to a friend's wedding, but I ended up staying."

At first the 30-something golfer worked for Habitat for Humanity, learning plumbing and wiring. Then he went to work with Liz McCartney, 2008 CNN Hero of the Year, at the St. Bernard Project.

Meanwhile, Kim Benty, 36, an interpreter for the deaf in the western New York town of Batavia, began a series of trips in July 2007 to work with volunteers in the same area.

Benty was smitten after meeting Chung on her first trip, but he merely smiled and went back to work.

"He was doing a little of everything, a runner, bringing supplies, our construction manager," Benty remembers. "I thought, you know, I am just another volunteer to him."

There were several more trips, a few chance meetings -- but no sparks. But something changed when they met yet again in December 2008 at a friend's Christmas party. "We just hit it off that night," Chung says.

Chung says he was attracted to her for a million little reasons: "She's attractive, fun to be around and both of us are kind of easygoing."

But then it was time for Benty to go back to New York and for Chung to make the long drive to Canada to see his relatives.

Chung's New Year's Eve plans fell though, so he asked Benty about coming down. They hung out for a few days and Chung was set to drive by himself back to New Orleans.

"She hopped in the car with me, and came down. It really surprised the people who knew her," Chung says, "because she is the kind of person who likes to plan everything."

"Ha, it did surprise people," Benty admits. "I am very conservative, a planner, it was out of context for me."

They both admit they are at a crossroads of sorts.

Psychologist Diana Kirschner, author of the book, "Love in 90 Days," says the couple's relationship could go either way.

"I've seen couples come together in some kind of mission or some kind of movement, and they work together really well when they're within the mission. There's a sense of a bond because of their joint commitment to the mission," says Kirschner. "But then when the mission ends, or if it ends, they just look at each other and find they have nothing in common."

"However, I've also seen it where couples come together like this and basically decide to stay on the mission the rest of their lives. And they marry and they stay on the mission. Their marriage is all about being together and helping each other fulfill their purpose in this mission," Kirschner says.

That's what happened to Carol and John Coonrod, who met in 1985 while working for several weeks in Washington on a book promotion for the The Hunger Project, an organization dedicated to ending hunger and poverty in the world.

"The last night when we all went out for a drink, we kind of looked at each other and noticed who we'd been working with all that time -- and we've been together ever since," said Carol Coonrod, 62, adding that her husband, 57, always says, "We're living happily ever after."

The couple, who have no children, are both on staff at the organization.

"We've had a relationship that was formed within The Hunger Project and that has always been our senior mission, part of a senior commitment," said Carol Coonrod. "And within that we've created a partnership and a marriage."

Their shared passion for their work has driven them during their more than two-decade marriage.

"As we've gotten older, we've sort of rediscovered the rest of life and we've continued to be partners, not only in work, but also in our leisure and the rest of our life. We're wonderfully compatible and enjoy vacation and nonwork time as much as working together," says the veteran volunteer.

The younger volunteer couple is still pondering their relationship.

"We're not trying to put pressure on ourselves, we are trying to have a good time," Chung says.

But they are certain about one thing.

"Our passion is to be down here with the St. Bernard Project," says Benty.

"You know, that is how life works," Chung said. "It works in strange ways. Stuff you don't plan on is the stuff you remember."

text: CNN

text: If

text: you

text: 're

text: looking

text: for

text: love

text: and

text: not

text: having

text: much

text: luck

text: maybe

text: you

text: could

text: increase

text: your

text: success

text: by

text: getting

text: a

text: bit

text: more

text: passionate

text: about

text: helping

text: others

text: Dave

text: Chung

text: and

text: Kim

text: Benty

text: share

text: a

text: love

text: of

text: volunteer

text: work

text: in

text: New

text: Orleans

text: When

text: singles

text: write

text: to

text: advice

text: columnists

text: complaining

text: about

text: being

text: lonely

text: they

text: are

text: often

text: urged

text: to

text: volunteer

text: Duane

text: Bates

text: the

text: public

text: relations

text: director

text: for

text: Habitat

text: for

text: Humanity

text: says

text: it

text: 's

text: not

text: unusual

text: for

text: their

text: volunteers

text: to

text: meet

text: on

text: a

text: building

text: site

text: and

text: end

text: up

text: together

text: Victor

text: Fasolino

text: was

text: living

text: in

text: New

text: Jersey

text: and

text: his

text: future

text: wife

text: Lora

text: was

text: living

text: in

text: Seattle

text: Washington

text: when

text: the

text: two

text: met

text: in

text: Hungary

text: in

text: while

text: volunteering

text: on

text: a

text: Jimmy

text: Carter

text: Work

text: Project

text: for

text: Habitat

text: I

text: thought

text: she

text: was

text: an

text: attractive

text: young

text: lady

text: recalls

text: Victor

text: Fasolino

text: adding

text: that

text: they

text: were

text: working

text: hour

text: days

text: so

text: it

text: was

text: n't

text: until

text: the

text: project

text: was

text: almost

text: complete

text: that

text: they

text: got

text: to

text: spend

text: much

text: time

text: together

text: Both

text: were

text: committed

text: volunteers

text: and

text: had

text: signed

text: up

text: for

text: a

text: Habitat

text: fundraising

text: bike

text: ride

text: of

text: miles

text: two

text: weeks

text: after

text: they

text: returned

text: to

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: They

text: got

text: to

text: know

text: each

text: other

text: while

text: pedaling

text: from

text: Kentucky

text: to

text: Atlanta

text: Georgia

text: The

text: two

text: got

text: married

text: one

text: year

text: later

text: atop

text: a

text: house

text: they

text: helped

text: build

text: during

text: another

text: project

text: in

text: Pikesville

text: Kentucky

text: Other

text: volunteers

text: had

text: cleaned

text: and

text: scraped

text: a

text: ladder

text: so

text: the

text: bride

text: would

text: n't

text: get

text: her

text: wedding

text: gown

text: dirty

text: climbing

text: to

text: the

text: roof

text: The

text: groom

text: wore

text: a

text: tuxedo

text: a

text: local

text: minister

text: officiated

text: and

text: a

text: fiddler

text: joined

text: them

text: on

text: the

text: roof

text: to

text: provide

text: the

text: music

text: This

text: year

text: Victor

text: and

text: Lora

text: Fasolino

text: will

text: again

text: work

text: on

text: former

text: President

text: Carter

text: 's

text: Habitat

text: work

text: project

text: building

text: houses

text: in

text: five

text: countries

text: Vietnam

text: Cambodia

text: Thailand

text: Laos

text: and

text: China

text: along

text: the

text: Mekong

text: River

text: in

text: southeast

text: Asia

text: In

text: Dave

text: Chung

text: and

text: Kim

text: Benty

text: found

text: each

text: other

text: while

text: helping

text: Hurricane

text: Katrina

text: victims

text: in

text: New

text: Orleans

text: Louisiana

text: Chung

text: had

text: been

text: a

text: pro

text: golfer

text: playing

text: mini

text: tours

text: in

text: California

text: and

text: living

text: half

text: the

text: year

text: in

text: Toronto

text: Ontario

text: when

text: he

text: got

text: the

text: urge

text: to

text: drive

text: down

text: to

text: New

text: Orleans

text: to

text: volunteer

text: I

text: really

text: liked

text: the

text: place

text: and

text: the

text: people

text: says

text: Chung

text: The

text: original

text: plan

text: was

text: to

text: come

text: down

text: here

text: for

text: two

text: months

text: and

text: go

text: to

text: a

text: friend

text: 's

text: wedding

text: but

text: I

text: ended

text: up

text: staying

text: At

text: first

text: the

text: golfer

text: worked

text: for

text: Habitat

text: for

text: Humanity

text: learning

text: plumbing

text: and

text: wiring

text: Then

text: he

text: went

text: to

text: work

text: with

text: Liz

text: McCartney

text: CNN

text: Hero

text: of

text: the

text: Year

text: at

text: the

text: St.

text: Bernard

text: Project

text: Meanwhile

text: Kim

text: Benty

text: an

text: interpreter

text: for

text: the

text: deaf

text: in

text: the

text: western

text: New

text: York

text: town

text: of

text: Batavia

text: began

text: a

text: series

text: of

text: trips

text: in

text: July

text: to

text: work

text: with

text: volunteers

text: in

text: the

text: same

text: area

text: Benty

text: was

text: smitten

text: after

text: meeting

text: Chung

text: on

text: her

text: first

text: trip

text: but

text: he

text: merely

text: smiled

text: and

text: went

text: back

text: to

text: work

text: He

text: was

text: doing

text: a

text: little

text: of

text: everything

text: a

text: runner

text: bringing

text: supplies

text: our

text: construction

text: manager

text: Benty

text: remembers

text: I

text: thought

text: you

text: know

text: I

text: am

text: just

text: another

text: volunteer

text: to

text: him

text: There

text: were

text: several

text: more

text: trips

text: a

text: few

text: chance

text: meetings

text: but

text: no

text: sparks

text: But

text: something

text: changed

text: when

text: they

text: met

text: yet

text: again

text: in

text: December

text: at

text: a

text: friend

text: 's

text: Christmas

text: party

text: We

text: just

text: hit

text: it

text: off

text: that

text: night

text: Chung

text: says

text: Chung

text: says

text: he

text: was

text: attracted

text: to

text: her

text: for

text: a

text: million

text: little

text: reasons

text: She

text: 's

text: attractive

text: fun

text: to

text: be

text: around

text: and

text: both

text: of

text: us

text: are

text: kind

text: of

text: easygoing

text: But

text: then

text: it

text: was

text: time

text: for

text: Benty

text: to

text: go

text: back

text: to

text: New

text: York

text: and

text: for

text: Chung

text: to

text: make

text: the

text: long

text: drive

text: to

text: Canada

text: to

text: see

text: his

text: relatives

text: Chung

text: 's

text: New

text: Year

text: 's

text: Eve

text: plans

text: fell

text: though

text: so

text: he

text: asked

text: Benty

text: about

text: coming

text: down

text: They

text: hung

text: out

text: for

text: a

text: few

text: days

text: and

text: Chung

text: was

text: set

text: to

text: drive

text: by

text: himself

text: back

text: to

text: New

text: Orleans

text: She

text: hopped

text: in

text: the

text: car

text: with

text: me

text: and

text: came

text: down

text: It

text: really

text: surprised

text: the

text: people

text: who

text: knew

text: her

text: Chung

text: says

text: because

text: she

text: is

text: the

text: kind

text: of

text: person

text: who

text: likes

text: to

text: plan

text: everything

text: Ha

text: it

text: did

text: surprise

text: people

text: Benty

text: admits

text: I

text: am

text: very

text: conservative

text: a

text: planner

text: it

text: was

text: out

text: of

text: context

text: for

text: me

text: They

text: both

text: admit

text: they

text: are

text: at

text: a

text: crossroads

text: of

text: sorts

text: Psychologist

text: Diana

text: Kirschner

text: author

text: of

text: the

text: book

text: Love

text: in

text: Days

text: says

text: the

text: couple

text: 's

text: relationship

text: could

text: go

text: either

text: way

text: I

text: 've

text: seen

text: couples

text: come

text: together

text: in

text: some

text: kind

text: of

text: mission

text: or

text: some

text: kind

text: of

text: movement

text: and

text: they

text: work

text: together

text: really

text: well

text: when

text: they

text: 're

text: within

text: the

text: mission

text: There

text: 's

text: a

text: sense

text: of

text: a

text: bond

text: because

text: of

text: their

text: joint

text: commitment

text: to

text: the

text: mission

text: says

text: Kirschner

text: But

text: then

text: when

text: the

text: mission

text: ends

text: or

text: if

text: it

text: ends

text: they

text: just

text: look

text: at

text: each

text: other

text: and

text: find

text: they

text: have

text: nothing

text: in

text: common

text: However

text: I

text: 've

text: also

text: seen

text: it

text: where

text: couples

text: come

text: together

text: like

text: this

text: and

text: basically

text: decide

text: to

text: stay

text: on

text: the

text: mission

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: their

text: lives

text: And

text: they

text: marry

text: and

text: they

text: stay

text: on

text: the

text: mission

text: Their

text: marriage

text: is

text: all

text: about

text: being

text: together

text: and

text: helping

text: each

text: other

text: fulfill

text: their

text: purpose

text: in

text: this

text: mission

text: Kirschner

text: says

text: That

text: 's

text: what

text: happened

text: to

text: Carol

text: and

text: John

text: Coonrod

text: who

text: met

text: in

text: while

text: working

text: for

text: several

text: weeks

text: in

text: Washington

text: on

text: a

text: book

text: promotion

text: for

text: the

text: The

text: Hunger

text: Project

text: an

text: organization

text: dedicated

text: to

text: ending

text: hunger

text: and

text: poverty

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: The

text: last

text: night

text: when

text: we

text: all

text: went

text: out

text: for

text: a

text: drink

text: we

text: kind

text: of

text: looked

text: at

text: each

text: other

text: and

text: noticed

text: who

text: we

text: 'd

text: been

text: working

text: with

text: all

text: that

text: time

text: and

text: we

text: 've

text: been

text: together

text: ever

text: since

text: said

text: Carol

text: Coonrod

text: adding

text: that

text: her

text: husband

text: always

text: says

text: We

text: 're

text: living

text: happily

text: ever

text: after

text: The

text: couple

text: who

text: have

text: no

text: children

text: are

text: both

text: on

text: staff

text: at

text: the

text: organization

text: We

text: 've

text: had

text: a

text: relationship

text: that

text: was

text: formed

text: within

text: The

text: Hunger

text: Project

text: and

text: that

text: has

text: always

text: been

text: our

text: senior

text: mission

text: part

text: of

text: a

text: senior

text: commitment

text: said

text: Carol

text: Coonrod

text: And

text: within

text: that

text: we

text: 've

text: created

text: a

text: partnership

text: and

text: a

text: marriage

text: Their

text: shared

text: passion

text: for

text: their

text: work

text: has

text: driven

text: them

text: during

text: their

text: more

text: than

text: two

text: decade

text: marriage

text: As

text: we

text: 've

text: gotten

text: older

text: we

text: 've

text: sort

text: of

text: rediscovered

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: life

text: and

text: we

text: 've

text: continued

text: to

text: be

text: partners

text: not

text: only

text: in

text: work

text: but

text: also

text: in

text: our

text: leisure

text: and

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: our

text: life

text: We

text: 're

text: wonderfully

text: compatible

text: and

text: enjoy

text: vacation

text: and

text: nonwork

text: time

text: as

text: much

text: as

text: working

text: together

text: says

text: the

text: veteran

text: volunteer

text: The

text: younger

text: volunteer

text: couple

text: is

text: still

text: pondering

text: their

text: relationship

text: We

text: 're

text: not

text: trying

text: to

text: put

text: pressure

text: on

text: ourselves

text: we

text: are

text: trying

text: to

text: have

text: a

text: good

text: time

text: Chung

text: says

text: But

text: they

text: are

text: certain

text: about

text: one

text: thing

text: Our

text: passion

text: is

text: to

text: be

text: down

text: here

text: with

text: the

text: St.

text: Bernard

text: Project

text: says

text: Benty

text: You

text: know

text: that

text: is

text: how

text: life

text: works

text: Chung

text: said

text: It

text: works

text: in

text: strange

text: ways

text: Stuff

text: you

text: do

text: n't

text: plan

text: on

text: is

text: the

text: stuff

text: you

text: remember

question: Who got married?

answer: Victor Fasolino

text: Victor Fasolino

question: Who was brought together by their passion to end world hunger?

answer: John Coonrod,

text: John Coonrod,

question: Where did the couple work?

answer: New Orleans.

text: New Orleans.

question: What organization did the couple volunteer for?

answer: Habitat

text: Habitat

question: Where did the couple get married at?

answer: atop a house they helped build

text: atop a house they helped build

question: Where did couple get married?

answer: Pikesville, Kentucky.

text: Pikesville, Kentucky.

question: What did the organization spokesperson say?

answer: it's not unusual for their volunteers to meet on a building site and "end up together."

text: it's not unusual for their volunteers to meet on a building site and "end up together."

question: What passion brought Carol and John Coonrod together?

answer: a love of volunteer work

text: a love of volunteer work

question: What organization were the couple working for when they met?

answer: Jimmy Carter Work Project

text: Jimmy Carter Work Project


text:
(CNN)  -- Within the last month, our country has witnessed two senseless, high-profile acts of criminal violence that would have been labeled terrorism if brown-skinned Arab Muslim men with foreign-sounding names had committed them.

Because two white men committed these acts of violence, however, our political and media chattering class never used the word "terrorism" in its discussions.

Most recently, John Patrick Bedell, a 36-year-old man from California, walked up to two security guards outside the Pentagon Metro station in suburban Washington and started shooting. He was then shot and killed. According to The Christian Science Monitor, Bedell appeared "to have been a right-wing extremist with virulent anti-government feelings" and also battled mental illness before his shooting rampage.

A few weeks ago, on February 18, another white anti-government extremist named Joseph Stack flew his small airplane into an Internal Revenue Service building in Austin, Texas,  killing two people and injuring 13 others.

According to media reports, Stack had left behind a disjointed suicide letter in which he expressed his hatred of our American government and outlined grievances with the IRS, chillingly stating that "violence not only is the answer; it is the only answer."

Both the Pentagon Metro and IRS attacks come at a time of "explosive growth in [domestic] extremist-group activism across the United States," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

A recently released law center report showed so-called patriot groups -- steeped in anti-government conspiracy theories -- grew from 149 in 2008 to 512 in 2009 -- a 244 percent increase that the Southern Poverty Law Center report judged to be an "astonishing" rise in the one-year period since President Obama took the oath of office. The number of these groups that are domestic extremist paramilitary militias grew from 42 in 2008 to 127 in 2009, the report said.

Even so, for any reasonable observer who is still skeptical about labeling the recent Pentagon area shooting and IRS attack terrorism, keep one thing in mind:

Let us imagine that these Pentagon and IRS attacks had been committed by an olive-skinned Arab Muslim man named Ali Muhammad.

Our national media and political commentators would have wasted little time in calling both of these acts terrorism, and some might have also called for the closings of other IRS and federal government office buildings around the country as a necessary counter-terrorism safety precaution.

Instead, shortly after the IRS plane attack, some prominent media commentators immediately asked why people -- especially conservatives on the right -- were not calling the IRS attacker a terrorist.

"If this had been done by a brownish-looking Muslim guy whose suicide note paralleled Islamist political themes," wrote media commentator Matthew Yglesias, then right-wingers would "demand that anyone who refused to label the attack 'terrorism' be put up on treason charges."

In a recent piece, Robert Wright, of the New America Foundation, wrote: "In common usage, a 'terrorist' is someone who attacks in the name of a political cause and aims to spread terror -- to foster fear that such attacks will be repeated until grievances are addressed." Following suit, the IRS attacker's suicide manifesto  before his aerial kamikaze attack reads in part: "I know there have been countless before me and there are sure to be as many after ... I can only hope that the numbers quickly get too big to be whitewashed and ignored" -- at which point, God willing, -- "the American zombies wake up and revolt."

If this same above-mentioned suicide letter had been instead written by an Arab Muslim man named Ali Muhammad right before crashing his airplane into an IRS building, most of the right-wing blogosphere would instantaneously erupt with screaming headlines of another act of Muslim terrorism.

Because Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber; Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh; Atlanta, Georgia,  Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph; the Pentagon shooter and IRS attacker were all white men motivated by their respective ideologies, surprisingly, the term "terrorism" has never seemed to stick to any of them. To prove my point even further, the recently indicted American woman Colleen LaRose, who called herself "Jihad Jane," can rightfully be termed a wanna-be terrorist. But why does this not apply to other white extremists?

If our nation is truly conducting a ''war on terror'' and not a "war on Islam," it is our duty as Americans of all colors, political persuasions and nationalities to condemn and distance ourselves from all acts of terrorism, regardless of the race or religion of those who commit violent acts in the name of extreme ideology. Simply put, terrorism is terrorism, whether it is committed by a white, black or brown person anywhere in the world.

If we as a nation fail to adequately condemn all acts of terrorism equally, the only clear message that we will be sending to the rest of the world is that the word "terrorist" applies only to those with olive skin and foreign-sounding last names.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Arsalan Iftikhar.

text: CNN

text: Within

text: the

text: last

text: month

text: our

text: country

text: has

text: witnessed

text: two

text: senseless

text: high

text: profile

text: acts

text: of

text: criminal

text: violence

text: that

text: would

text: have

text: been

text: labeled

text: terrorism

text: if

text: brown

text: skinned

text: Arab

text: Muslim

text: men

text: with

text: foreign

text: sounding

text: names

text: had

text: committed

text: them

text: Because

text: two

text: white

text: men

text: committed

text: these

text: acts

text: of

text: violence

text: however

text: our

text: political

text: and

text: media

text: chattering

text: class

text: never

text: used

text: the

text: word

text: terrorism

text: in

text: its

text: discussions

text: Most

text: recently

text: John

text: Patrick

text: Bedell

text: a

text: old

text: man

text: from

text: California

text: walked

text: up

text: to

text: two

text: security

text: guards

text: outside

text: the

text: Pentagon

text: Metro

text: station

text: in

text: suburban

text: Washington

text: and

text: started

text: shooting

text: He

text: was

text: then

text: shot

text: and

text: killed

text: According

text: to

text: The

text: Christian

text: Science

text: Monitor

text: Bedell

text: appeared

text: to

text: have

text: been

text: a

text: right

text: wing

text: extremist

text: with

text: virulent

text: anti

text: government

text: feelings

text: and

text: also

text: battled

text: mental

text: illness

text: before

text: his

text: shooting

text: rampage

text: A

text: few

text: weeks

text: ago

text: on

text: February

text: another

text: white

text: anti

text: government

text: extremist

text: named

text: Joseph

text: Stack

text: flew

text: his

text: small

text: airplane

text: into

text: an

text: Internal

text: Revenue

text: Service

text: building

text: in

text: Austin

text: Texas

text: killing

text: two

text: people

text: and

text: injuring

text: others

text: According

text: to

text: media

text: reports

text: Stack

text: had

text: left

text: behind

text: a

text: disjointed

text: suicide

text: letter

text: in

text: which

text: he

text: expressed

text: his

text: hatred

text: of

text: our

text: American

text: government

text: and

text: outlined

text: grievances

text: with

text: the

text: IRS

text: chillingly

text: stating

text: that

text: violence

text: not

text: only

text: is

text: the

text: answer

text: it

text: is

text: the

text: only

text: answer

text: Both

text: the

text: Pentagon

text: Metro

text: and

text: IRS

text: attacks

text: come

text: at

text: a

text: time

text: of

text: explosive

text: growth

text: in

text: domestic

text: extremist

text: group

text: activism

text: across

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: Southern

text: Poverty

text: Law

text: Center

text: A

text: recently

text: released

text: law

text: center

text: report

text: showed

text: so

text: called

text: patriot

text: groups

text: steeped

text: in

text: anti

text: government

text: conspiracy

text: theories

text: grew

text: from

text: in

text: to

text: in

text: a

text: percent

text: increase

text: that

text: the

text: Southern

text: Poverty

text: Law

text: Center

text: report

text: judged

text: to

text: be

text: an

text: astonishing

text: rise

text: in

text: the

text: one

text: year

text: period

text: since

text: President

text: Obama

text: took

text: the

text: oath

text: of

text: office

text: The

text: number

text: of

text: these

text: groups

text: that

text: are

text: domestic

text: extremist

text: paramilitary

text: militias

text: grew

text: from

text: in

text: to

text: in

text: the

text: report

text: said

text: Even

text: so

text: for

text: any

text: reasonable

text: observer

text: who

text: is

text: still

text: skeptical

text: about

text: labeling

text: the

text: recent

text: Pentagon

text: area

text: shooting

text: and

text: IRS

text: attack

text: terrorism

text: keep

text: one

text: thing

text: in

text: mind

text: Let

text: us

text: imagine

text: that

text: these

text: Pentagon

text: and

text: IRS

text: attacks

text: had

text: been

text: committed

text: by

text: an

text: olive

text: skinned

text: Arab

text: Muslim

text: man

text: named

text: Ali

text: Muhammad

text: Our

text: national

text: media

text: and

text: political

text: commentators

text: would

text: have

text: wasted

text: little

text: time

text: in

text: calling

text: both

text: of

text: these

text: acts

text: terrorism

text: and

text: some

text: might

text: have

text: also

text: called

text: for

text: the

text: closings

text: of

text: other

text: IRS

text: and

text: federal

text: government

text: office

text: buildings

text: around

text: the

text: country

text: as

text: a

text: necessary

text: counter

text: terrorism

text: safety

text: precaution

text: Instead

text: shortly

text: after

text: the

text: IRS

text: plane

text: attack

text: some

text: prominent

text: media

text: commentators

text: immediately

text: asked

text: why

text: people

text: especially

text: conservatives

text: on

text: the

text: right

text: were

text: not

text: calling

text: the

text: IRS

text: attacker

text: a

text: terrorist

text: If

text: this

text: had

text: been

text: done

text: by

text: a

text: brownish

text: looking

text: Muslim

text: guy

text: whose

text: suicide

text: note

text: paralleled

text: Islamist

text: political

text: themes

text: wrote

text: media

text: commentator

text: Matthew

text: Yglesias

text: then

text: right

text: wingers

text: would

text: demand

text: that

text: anyone

text: who

text: refused

text: to

text: label

text: the

text: attack

text: terrorism

text: be

text: put

text: up

text: on

text: treason

text: charges

text: In

text: a

text: recent

text: piece

text: Robert

text: Wright

text: of

text: the

text: New

text: America

text: Foundation

text: wrote

text: In

text: common

text: usage

text: a

text: terrorist

text: is

text: someone

text: who

text: attacks

text: in

text: the

text: name

text: of

text: a

text: political

text: cause

text: and

text: aims

text: to

text: spread

text: terror

text: to

text: foster

text: fear

text: that

text: such

text: attacks

text: will

text: be

text: repeated

text: until

text: grievances

text: are

text: addressed

text: Following

text: suit

text: the

text: IRS

text: attacker

text: 's

text: suicide

text: manifesto

text: before

text: his

text: aerial

text: kamikaze

text: attack

text: reads

text: in

text: part

text: I

text: know

text: there

text: have

text: been

text: countless

text: before

text: me

text: and

text: there

text: are

text: sure

text: to

text: be

text: as

text: many

text: after

text: I

text: can

text: only

text: hope

text: that

text: the

text: numbers

text: quickly

text: get

text: too

text: big

text: to

text: be

text: whitewashed

text: and

text: ignored

text: at

text: which

text: point

text: God

text: willing

text: the

text: American

text: zombies

text: wake

text: up

text: and

text: revolt

text: If

text: this

text: same

text: above

text: mentioned

text: suicide

text: letter

text: had

text: been

text: instead

text: written

text: by

text: an

text: Arab

text: Muslim

text: man

text: named

text: Ali

text: Muhammad

text: right

text: before

text: crashing

text: his

text: airplane

text: into

text: an

text: IRS

text: building

text: most

text: of

text: the

text: right

text: wing

text: blogosphere

text: would

text: instantaneously

text: erupt

text: with

text: screaming

text: headlines

text: of

text: another

text: act

text: of

text: Muslim

text: terrorism

text: Because

text: Theodore

text: Kaczynski

text: the

text: Unabomber

text: Oklahoma

text: City

text: bomber

text: Timothy

text: McVeigh

text: Atlanta

text: Georgia

text: Olympic

text: bomber

text: Eric

text: Rudolph

text: the

text: Pentagon

text: shooter

text: and

text: IRS

text: attacker

text: were

text: all

text: white

text: men

text: motivated

text: by

text: their

text: respective

text: ideologies

text: surprisingly

text: the

text: term

text: terrorism

text: has

text: never

text: seemed

text: to

text: stick

text: to

text: any

text: of

text: them

text: To

text: prove

text: my

text: point

text: even

text: further

text: the

text: recently

text: indicted

text: American

text: woman

text: Colleen

text: LaRose

text: who

text: called

text: herself

text: Jihad

text: Jane

text: can

text: rightfully

text: be

text: termed

text: a

text: wanna

text: be

text: terrorist

text: But

text: why

text: does

text: this

text: not

text: apply

text: to

text: other

text: white

text: extremists

text: If

text: our

text: nation

text: is

text: truly

text: conducting

text: a

text: war

text: on

text: terror

text: and

text: not

text: a

text: war

text: on

text: Islam

text: it

text: is

text: our

text: duty

text: as

text: Americans

text: of

text: all

text: colors

text: political

text: persuasions

text: and

text: nationalities

text: to

text: condemn

text: and

text: distance

text: ourselves

text: from

text: all

text: acts

text: of

text: terrorism

text: regardless

text: of

text: the

text: race

text: or

text: religion

text: of

text: those

text: who

text: commit

text: violent

text: acts

text: in

text: the

text: name

text: of

text: extreme

text: ideology

text: Simply

text: put

text: terrorism

text: is

text: terrorism

text: whether

text: it

text: is

text: committed

text: by

text: a

text: white

text: black

text: or

text: brown

text: person

text: anywhere

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: If

text: we

text: as

text: a

text: nation

text: fail

text: to

text: adequately

text: condemn

text: all

text: acts

text: of

text: terrorism

text: equally

text: the

text: only

text: clear

text: message

text: that

text: we

text: will

text: be

text: sending

text: to

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: the

text: world

text: is

text: that

text: the

text: word

text: terrorist

text: applies

text: only

text: to

text: those

text: with

text: olive

text: skin

text: and

text: foreign

text: sounding

text: last

text: names

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: commentary

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: Arsalan

text: Iftikhar

question: Imagine if recent acts were committed by whom?

answer: brown-skinned Arab Muslim men with foreign-sounding names

text: brown-skinned Arab Muslim men with foreign-sounding names

question: What did they say about terrorism?

answer: equally, the only clear message that we will be sending to the rest of the world is that the word "terrorist" applies only to those with olive skin and foreign-sounding last names.

text: equally, the only clear message that we will be sending to the rest of the world is that the word "terrorist" applies only to those with olive skin and foreign-sounding last names.

question: Where did Joseph stack fly his plane into?

answer: Internal Revenue Service building in Austin, Texas,

text: Internal Revenue Service building in Austin, Texas,

question: What did stack do?

answer: flew his small airplane into an Internal Revenue Service building in Austin, Texas,

text: flew his small airplane into an Internal Revenue Service building in Austin, Texas,

question: What building did the plane hit?

answer: Internal Revenue Service

text: Internal Revenue Service

question: What did Arsalan Iftikhar say?

answer: nation fail to adequately condemn all acts of terrorism equally, the only clear message that we will be sending to the rest of the world

text: nation fail to adequately condemn all acts of terrorism equally, the only clear message that we will be sending to the rest of the world