text:
(AOL Autos) -- A directive recently handed down by a Detroit-area suburban mayor has ignited the latest round of a seemingly endless debate -- one that always burns with more intensity in the home of the Big Three than anywhere else.

Many residents in the Detroit, Michigan area are auto workers. Thousands have been laid off recently.

It's the debate that relates to cars and goes something like this: "Buy American!" vs. "I'll buy what I want!"

That debate sometimes, but not always, begins as a civil conversation. But the Detroit area has been hit hard in the last five years by the ongoing, sometimes enormous financial losses posted by the Big Three. The Big Three's financial woes have had a direct impact on the Michigan economy with hundreds of thousands of layoffs and/or buyouts.

Given that so many of the state's workers have lost their jobs -- and in some cases, their homes - it sometimes doesn't take long before the car debate escalates into an emotional one.

That can lead to angry name-calling and insults - like many of the reader comments that flooded the online edition of the Detroit newspaper that first reported a controversial story. AOL Autos: Best new car deals this month

This latest round of the discussion was inspired by a decision made by Jim Fouts, the mayor of Warren, Michigan, a large Detroit suburb and Michigan's third-largest city, and where a good portion of the residents are (or were) autoworkers.

In mid-August, Fouts told his department heads, which amount to 40 or 50 of the city's more than 700 employees that he "expects" the next car they buy will be an American model.

More to the point, he expects them to drive General Motors or Chrysler vehicles, since both companies have various manufacturing or assembly plants in Warren -- not to mention GM's sprawling Tech Center -- and therefore are the city's two highest taxpayers.

Fouts, who drives a 2001 Chrysler Concorde himself, isn't being draconian about it. That is, he hasn't ordered his appointees to run right out and dump their Hondas, Toyotas, Saabs or Audis immediately.

"But I strongly suggested that the next car they buy should be an American one, and that I had an equally strong expectation that they will do so," Fouts said. "Legally, since they are 'at-will' employees, I have the right to mandate, and an expectation that they will meet that mandate." AOL Autos: Best hybrid SUVs

Some have accused Fouts of over-stepping his authority by "butting in" to his employees' private lives, while others have given the policy a hearty "thumbs up."

"Some of them are not enthusiastic about it," Fouts said, noting that one department head currently drives a Mercedes-Benz vehicle. "But many of these department heads make more than $100,000 a year, and I told them that they might not be able to enjoy the economic comforts they currently enjoy if it were not for the amount of taxes that GM and Chrysler pay to the city. AOL Autos: Luxury cars with the best MPG

"I think of it as 'economic patriotism.'"

Fouts said he did not know how many of his department heads currently drive imports, although one of his appointees, Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer, guessed that about 90 percent of the appointees already drive American-made cars.

"But the ones who are not happy about this -- well, they won't talk to [reporters] about that, because they know how I feel about it," said Fouts.

Dwyer, who drives a Jeep Cherokee, supports the mayor's "buy American" expectation. "I believe that, the way the economy is that Americans should be buying American cars. And, as department heads, I think it's important for us to be setting an example for the other city workers." AOL Autos: Safest cars

One of the reasons usually cited for the U.S. automakers' loss of market share are consumer perceptions that imports are higher in quality -- although several recent surveys by various research groups have revealed that Detroit carmakers have closed the "quality gap" in recent years to the point that it is almost negligible.

And the handful of Detroit-area residents/natives we talked to about the "Buy American" debate had no complaints about the quality of their American-made cars - or their foreign-made ones, for that matter. One is Tracy Balazy of Dearborn, Michigan - the Detroit suburb that is home to the Ford Motor Company's world headquarters. AOL Autos: Most popular crossover vehicles

"I drive a 2000 Saturn, because it was cheaper than a Honda," Balazy said. "And other than brakes and the usual things, I've had no problems with it, and it now has 101,000 miles on it."

Balazy has an interesting take on the topic of whether we should feel compelled to "buy American," when it comes to cars, however - and whether we should be instructed to do so.

"The average American probably spends a lot more on other things - clothes, household goods, you name it - than on cars. I think it's hypocritical for someone to tell everyone to 'buy American' as it pertains to cars, but then take advantage of the great prices on imported goods at say, Wal-Mart," Balazy said. "I've passed up many good deals, and have abstained from buying a lot of consumer goods I've wanted over the past year, just to avoid buying foreign-made products."

Ken Reibel, a Michigan native who's lived in Milwaukee for more than 20 years, drives a 2002 Mazda ProtÃ©gÃ©, while his wife motors around in a 2001 Toyota Corolla. "We bought both of them used, from neighbors," he says. "They've both been good runners. No serious problems. The ProtÃ©gÃ© is a sweet ride.

"But I'm not even sure what it means to 'Buy American' anymore," says Reibel. "Ford has a huge stake in Mazda, and Japanese automakers build most of their cars for the American market right here in the U.S., with American labor. It's easier to 'Buy American' if you're purchasing a shirt or case of beer. But cars are different. I'm sure if you disassembled a Chevrolet Malibu or a Ford Windstar you would find an appalling number of foreign-made components and assemblies."

Gary Galusky is a Detroit-area native/resident who gives high marks to quality of his American-made vehicle. For the last couple of years, Galusky has actually maintained two residences: one in Dearborn and one in Sutton's Bay, in Northern Michigan - a five-hour drive.

"I make that commute regularly, about every three weeks, in a 2005 Ford Escape that I bought new. It now has 103,000 miles on it, and it's never required anything other than ordinary maintenance," says Galusky.

Conrad Sutter grew up in Harper Woods, a Detroit suburb just a few miles from Warren, and now lives in Richland, in western Michigan. Sutter says he agrees with the "Buy American" sentiment.

"I believe what the mayor of Warren is doing is okay," says Sutter. "I wouldn't suppose there are a lot of Apple Computers being purchased in Redmond, Washington (home of Microsoft Corp.), either.

"Nothing wrong with that."

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text: 've

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text: ProtÃ

text: gÃ

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text: even

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text: an

text: appalling

text: number

text: of

text: foreign

text: made

text: components

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text: Gary

text: Galusky

text: is

text: a

text: Detroit

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text: who

text: gives

text: high

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text: to

text: quality

text: of

text: his

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text: vehicle

text: For

text: the

text: last

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text: of

text: years

text: Galusky

text: has

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text: maintained

text: two

text: residences

text: one

text: in

text: Dearborn

text: and

text: one

text: in

text: Sutton

text: 's

text: Bay

text: in

text: Northern

text: Michigan

text: a

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text: hour

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text: I

text: make

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text: about

text: every

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text: in

text: a

text: Ford

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text: that

text: I

text: bought

text: new

text: It

text: now

text: has

text: miles

text: on

text: it

text: and

text: it

text: 's

text: never

text: required

text: anything

text: other

text: than

text: ordinary

text: maintenance

text: says

text: Galusky

text: Conrad

text: Sutter

text: grew

text: up

text: in

text: Harper

text: Woods

text: a

text: Detroit

text: suburb

text: just

text: a

text: few

text: miles

text: from

text: Warren

text: and

text: now

text: lives

text: in

text: Richland

text: in

text: western

text: Michigan

text: Sutter

text: says

text: he

text: agrees

text: with

text: the

text: Buy

text: American

text: sentiment

text: I

text: believe

text: what

text: the

text: mayor

text: of

text: Warren

text: is

text: doing

text: is

text: okay

text: says

text: Sutter

text: I

text: would

text: n't

text: suppose

text: there

text: are

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: Apple

text: Computers

text: being

text: purchased

text: in

text: Redmond

text: Washington

text: home

text: of

text: Microsoft

text: Corp.

text: either

text: Nothing

text: wrong

text: with

text: that

question: What has an impact of Michigan economy?

answer: The Big Three's financial woes

text: The Big Three's financial woes

question: What is hypocritical?

answer: for someone to tell everyone to 'buy American' as it pertains to cars, but then take advantage of the great prices on imported goods at say, Wal-Mart,"

text: for someone to tell everyone to 'buy American' as it pertains to cars, but then take advantage of the great prices on imported goods at say, Wal-Mart,"

question: What did a customer say is hypocritical?

answer: for someone to tell everyone to 'buy American' as it pertains to cars, but then take advantage of the great prices on imported goods at

text: for someone to tell everyone to 'buy American' as it pertains to cars, but then take advantage of the great prices on imported goods at

question: What had an impact on the Michigan economy?

answer: The Big Three's financial woes

text: The Big Three's financial woes

question: What did the mayor spark?

answer: round of a seemingly endless debate

text: round of a seemingly endless debate

question: Who sparks a debate after telling employees to buy American cars?

answer: Detroit-area suburban mayor

text: Detroit-area suburban mayor


text:
(CNN) -- Thomas the Tank Engine, whose television adventures on the fictional island of Sodor have delighted children around the world for years, is now on a real-life mission to help kids with autism.

Thomas the Tank Engine is part of a new online game to help  autistic children recognize different emotions.

The steam locomotive and his friends are the stars of a new game in Australia, designed to help autistic children recognize emotions.

Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), a nonprofit that provides services to people diagnosed with the developmental disorder, unveiled the game on its Web site Tuesday.

The game asks players to recognize which engine has a sad face, or which is happy or angry.

Children with autism often have a difficult time distinguishing different facial expressions.

Each time a child plays the game, he/she is presented with a different sequence of emotions. In doing so, the game takes advantage of the single-mindedness of autistic children to assist in their development.

"It's a great way to help develop social and communication skills," said Anthony Warren of Aspect.

A study conducted in the United Kingdom found that autistic children were far more fascinated by the television series, "Thomas and Friends," than they were with other fictional characters.

The study, by the National Autistic Society, summarized that the show held such appeal because of the clear facial expressions of the characters, the pacing of the program and the easy-to-follow story lines.

"We got those results down here, and we thought, how could we leverage that strength and give a little back to the community?" said Tom Punch with Haven Licensing, the company that handles licensing for the characters in Australia.

Warren said one of the reasons Thomas is particularly stimulating and motivating for children with autism is that it's very predictable.

"Children can understand the clear visual messages -- the big smile on the front of the engine," he said. "The messages it communicates are very concrete, not abstract. And the emotions are primary emotions. It's uncomplicated."

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects physical, social and language skills. It usually appears before age 3, though the earliest signs are subtle.

More doctors and researchers are referring to "autism" as "autisms," because each child's case is different, as are the causes, helpful therapies and potential treatments.

The Australian nonprofit unveiled the game this month to coincide with Autism Awareness Month in that country.

After all, as the show's theme song attests: "Red and green and brown and blue; They're the really useful crew."

text: CNN

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question: Which cartoon character do autistic children like more than other fictional characters, according to a UK study?

answer: Thomas

text: Thomas

question: What do autistic children have difficulty distinguishing?

answer: different facial expressions.

text: different facial expressions.

question: What does an online Thomas the Tank Engine game teach autistic children?

answer: recognize different emotions.

text: recognize different emotions.

question: What fictional character are more autistic kids fascinated by?

answer: "Thomas and Friends,"

text: "Thomas and Friends,"

question: What are the online game used for ?

answer: to help

text: to help

question: What do autistic children have trouble distinguishing?

answer: different facial expressions.

text: different facial expressions.

question: What kind of difficulty do the autistics kids encounter ?

answer: difficult time distinguishing different facial expressions.

text: difficult time distinguishing different facial expressions.


text:
(CNN) -- Veteran goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt has received his first international call-up since 2003 as Germany coach Joachim Low named seven players from Bayern Munich in a preliminary 27-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa.

The 35-year-old Butt will be competing for a starting place with Schalke's Manuel Neuer and Werder Bremen's Tim Wiese as Bayer Leverkusen's Rene Adler has been ruled out with a rib injury.

Captain Michael Ballack, who plays for English club Chelsea, is the only man selected who does not feature in the German Bundesliga.

Stuttgart's Brazil-born forward Cacau is included, but his former clubmate Thomas Hitzlsperger misses out despite the absence of injured Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes as he has not been playing regularly for his Italian club Lazio.

"This was a very difficult decision for me," Low told reporters on Thursday. "Thomas has never disappointed us and made a key contribution in helping us qualify.

"He is a reliable player, but he barely played in the last few months before he left Stuttgart and has also played very little at Lazio."

Low will reduce the squad to 23 by the June 1 deadline for submission ahead of the tournament's kick-off 10 days later.

Butt, who has won three caps, will not be able to feature in next Thursday's friendly against Malta as he will be needed by Bayern in the German Cup final against Bremen in Berlin on May 15.

His clubmates Holger Badstuber, Mario Gomez, Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger will also sit out the Malta game in Aachen along with Bremen's Wiese, Per Mertesacker, Marko Marin and Mesut Ozil.

The 21-year-old Badstuber has yet to win a cap for Germany and made his senior debut for Bayern in the first game of this season, covering at left-back despite being a central defender.

Attacking midfielder Muller, 20, will seek to add to his sole cap after also impressing this season, scoring the first hat-trick of his career in the 3-1 win over Bochum last weekend which effectively gave Bayern the league title.

Ballack will also be away playing for Chelsea in the FA Cup final on May 15, before joining the squad in Sicily with the Werder quartet, while the Bayern players will not be in camp until after the Champions League final on May 22.

Bayern, who had eight players in the squad that finished third on home soil four years ago, can complete the first leg of a potential treble by clinching the Bundesliga title this weekend, when Louis Van Gaal's side face bottom club Hertha Berlin.

Germany will face Hungary in Budapest on May 29 and then Bosnia-Herzegovina in Frankfurt on June 3 before heading to South Africa.

Germany squad:

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen), Hans-Jorg Butt (Bayern Munich). Defenders: Dennis Aogo (Hamburg) Jerome Boateng (Hamburg), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), Serdar Tasci (VfB Stuttgart), Holger Badstuber (Bayern Munich), Heiko Westermann (Schalke 04), Andreas Beck (Hoffenheim). Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Marko Marin, Mesut Ozil (both Werder Bremen), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg), Sami Khedira, Christian Traesch (both VfB Stuttgart), Toni Kroos (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich). Forwards: Cacau (VfB Stuttgart), Mario Gomez, Miroslav Klose, Thomas Mueller (all Bayern Munich), Stefan Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen), Lukas Podolski (Cologne).

text: CNN

text: Veteran

text: goalkeeper

text: Hans

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text: Mario

text: Gomez

text: Miroslav

text: Klose

text: Thomas

text: Mueller

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text: Munich

text: Stefan

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text: Bayer

text: Leverkusen

text: Lukas

text: Podolski

text: Cologne

question: Where will the team go?

answer: South Africa.

text: South Africa.

question: When did Butt play in Germany?

answer: May 15.

text: May 15.

question: What is the coach's name?

answer: Joachim Low

text: Joachim Low

question: What is Hans-Jorg Butt's job?

answer: goalkeeper

text: goalkeeper

question: How many Bayern players were named to the squad?

answer: seven

text: seven

question: How many men are in Low's squad?

answer: 27-man

question: When did Butt last play for Germany?

answer: 2003

question: Who is Joachim Low a  coach for?

answer: Germany

text: Germany

question: Who is Bayern Munich keeper?

answer: Hans-Jorg Butt

text: Hans-Jorg Butt


text:
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Nearly 130 people were killed and more than 400 wounded early Tuesday when a string of five suicide car bombings hit government buildings, a neighborhood and a commercial district in Baghdad, Iraqi authorities said.

Iraq's Finance and Labor ministries and a courthouse were the targets of three of the terror attacks, which shattered a two-month period of relative calm in the capital. By evening, Interior Ministry officials put the toll at 127 dead and 448 wounded, the worst since twin car bombings killed and wounded hundreds of people in late October.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said the attacks were aimed at undermining Iraq's upcoming elections, now set for March after a lengthy impasse in the country's parliament.

"The timing of these cowardly terrorist attacks in Baghdad today, after the success of Iraqi Parliament in overcoming the last obstacle in the election procedures, shows that the enemies of Iraq and its people are aiming to create chaos in the country and prevent any progress in the political process and to disrupt the procedures of the coming elections," he said.

The first of the vehicles blew up in southern Baghdad's Dora district at about 10 a.m. (2 a.m. ET), followed by four more car bombs about half an hour later. Three of the explosions struck at the heart of the Iraqi capital, detonating a few minutes apart.

One hit the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, while another hit the new site of the Ministry of Finance near al-Qashla Square. The ministry's former building was destroyed in a bombing in August.

Another bomb exploded in the busy commercial district of Nahdha, and the fifth bomb blew up outside the Karkh Civil Court in western Baghdad's Mansour district. The sounds of sporadic gunfire and emergency sirens could be heard immediately following the attacks, and smoke from the blasts billowed into the morning sky.

Suicide bombers carried out the five attacks, Brig. Gen. Qassim Atta, a spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command, told CNN.

At the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attacks and offered his "heartfelt condolences" to the families of those killed, according to a statement from his office.

"The Secretary-General appeals to the people of Iraq to remain steadfast in the face of these attacks and to continue their determined efforts to achieve national reconciliation," the statement said. "The United Nations remains committed to supporting them."

And the human rights group Amnesty International said there was "absolutely no justification" for the bombings, noting that indiscriminate attacks on civilians are war crimes under international law.

Suicide bombers were also blamed for the two bombings October 25 in Baghdad, which killed 160 people and wounded 540. Those bombs detonated in quick succession at mid-morning on a Sunday, the first day of the workweek in Iraq, in the Salhiya district of central Baghdad. The location was close to the Foreign Ministry.

Government officials, including Baghdad's governor, questioned how the bombers were able to penetrate the area's security, which was supposed to have been improved in the months leading up to the attacks. Authorities subsequently detained more than 60 people responsible for security in the district where the bombings took place.

And Tuesday's attacks sparked debate among Iraqi lawmakers about the capability of the country's security forces. Noor Aldeen al-Haiali, a member of Iraq's parliament from the country's largest Sunni Arab party, said al-Maliki's government "failed in taking the measures to protect the targeted Iraqi citizens, who are shocked and getting slaughtered on a daily basis."

Ali al-Adeeb, a senior member of the prime minister's Dawa party, said security has improved in recent years. But Kurdish lawmaker Mahmood Othman told CNN that more attacks could be possible "because the people against the political process, against the elections and against stability in Iraq" will try to disrupt the elections. And he said stepped-up security measures won't be enough to deter them.

"There should be some political stability, political reform, reconciliation," he said. "These are also very, very important to provide security."

CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

text: Baghdad

text: Iraq

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text: Iraqi

text: authorities

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text: ministries

text: and

text: a

text: courthouse

text: were

text: the

text: targets

text: of

text: three

text: of

text: the

text: terror

text: attacks

text: which

text: shattered

text: a

text: two

text: month

text: period

text: of

text: relative

text: calm

text: in

text: the

text: capital

text: By

text: evening

text: Interior

text: Ministry

text: officials

text: put

text: the

text: toll

text: at

text: dead

text: and

text: wounded

text: the

text: worst

text: since

text: twin

text: car

text: bombings

text: killed

text: and

text: wounded

text: hundreds

text: of

text: people

text: in

text: late

text: October

text: Iraqi

text: Prime

text: Minister

text: Nuri

text: al

text: Maliki

text: said

text: the

text: attacks

text: were

text: aimed

text: at

text: undermining

text: Iraq

text: 's

text: upcoming

text: elections

text: now

text: set

text: for

text: March

text: after

text: a

text: lengthy

text: impasse

text: in

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: parliament

text: The

text: timing

text: of

text: these

text: cowardly

text: terrorist

text: attacks

text: in

text: Baghdad

text: today

text: after

text: the

text: success

text: of

text: Iraqi

text: Parliament

text: in

text: overcoming

text: the

text: last

text: obstacle

text: in

text: the

text: election

text: procedures

text: shows

text: that

text: the

text: enemies

text: of

text: Iraq

text: and

text: its

text: people

text: are

text: aiming

text: to

text: create

text: chaos

text: in

text: the

text: country

text: and

text: prevent

text: any

text: progress

text: in

text: the

text: political

text: process

text: and

text: to

text: disrupt

text: the

text: procedures

text: of

text: the

text: coming

text: elections

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: first

text: of

text: the

text: vehicles

text: blew

text: up

text: in

text: southern

text: Baghdad

text: 's

text: Dora

text: district

text: at

text: about

text: a.m.

text: a.m.

text: ET

text: followed

text: by

text: four

text: more

text: car

text: bombs

text: about

text: half

text: an

text: hour

text: later

text: Three

text: of

text: the

text: explosions

text: struck

text: at

text: the

text: heart

text: of

text: the

text: Iraqi

text: capital

text: detonating

text: a

text: few

text: minutes

text: apart

text: One

text: hit

text: the

text: Ministry

text: of

text: Labor

text: and

text: Social

text: Affairs

text: while

text: another

text: hit

text: the

text: new

text: site

text: of

text: the

text: Ministry

text: of

text: Finance

text: near

text: al

text: Qashla

text: Square

text: The

text: ministry

text: 's

text: former

text: building

text: was

text: destroyed

text: in

text: a

text: bombing

text: in

text: August

text: Another

text: bomb

text: exploded

text: in

text: the

text: busy

text: commercial

text: district

text: of

text: Nahdha

text: and

text: the

text: fifth

text: bomb

text: blew

text: up

text: outside

text: the

text: Karkh

text: Civil

text: Court

text: in

text: western

text: Baghdad

text: 's

text: Mansour

text: district

text: The

text: sounds

text: of

text: sporadic

text: gunfire

text: and

text: emergency

text: sirens

text: could

text: be

text: heard

text: immediately

text: following

text: the

text: attacks

text: and

text: smoke

text: from

text: the

text: blasts

text: billowed

text: into

text: the

text: morning

text: sky

text: Suicide

text: bombers

text: carried

text: out

text: the

text: five

text: attacks

text: Brig

text: Gen.

text: Qassim

text: Atta

text: a

text: spokesman

text: for

text: the

text: Baghdad

text: Operations

text: Command

text: told

text: CNN

text: At

text: the

text: United

text: Nations

text: Secretary

text: General

text: Ban

text: Ki

text: moon

text: condemned

text: the

text: attacks

text: and

text: offered

text: his

text: heartfelt

text: condolences

text: to

text: the

text: families

text: of

text: those

text: killed

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: statement

text: from

text: his

text: office

text: The

text: Secretary

text: General

text: appeals

text: to

text: the

text: people

text: of

text: Iraq

text: to

text: remain

text: steadfast

text: in

text: the

text: face

text: of

text: these

text: attacks

text: and

text: to

text: continue

text: their

text: determined

text: efforts

text: to

text: achieve

text: national

text: reconciliation

text: the

text: statement

text: said

text: The

text: United

text: Nations

text: remains

text: committed

text: to

text: supporting

text: them

text: And

text: the

text: human

text: rights

text: group

text: Amnesty

text: International

text: said

text: there

text: was

text: absolutely

text: no

text: justification

text: for

text: the

text: bombings

text: noting

text: that

text: indiscriminate

text: attacks

text: on

text: civilians

text: are

text: war

text: crimes

text: under

text: international

text: law

text: Suicide

text: bombers

text: were

text: also

text: blamed

text: for

text: the

text: two

text: bombings

text: October

text: in

text: Baghdad

text: which

text: killed

text: people

text: and

text: wounded

text: Those

text: bombs

text: detonated

text: in

text: quick

text: succession

text: at

text: mid

text: morning

text: on

text: a

text: Sunday

text: the

text: first

text: day

text: of

text: the

text: workweek

text: in

text: Iraq

text: in

text: the

text: Salhiya

text: district

text: of

text: central

text: Baghdad

text: The

text: location

text: was

text: close

text: to

text: the

text: Foreign

text: Ministry

text: Government

text: officials

text: including

text: Baghdad

text: 's

text: governor

text: questioned

text: how

text: the

text: bombers

text: were

text: able

text: to

text: penetrate

text: the

text: area

text: 's

text: security

text: which

text: was

text: supposed

text: to

text: have

text: been

text: improved

text: in

text: the

text: months

text: leading

text: up

text: to

text: the

text: attacks

text: Authorities

text: subsequently

text: detained

text: more

text: than

text: people

text: responsible

text: for

text: security

text: in

text: the

text: district

text: where

text: the

text: bombings

text: took

text: place

text: And

text: Tuesday

text: 's

text: attacks

text: sparked

text: debate

text: among

text: Iraqi

text: lawmakers

text: about

text: the

text: capability

text: of

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: security

text: forces

text: Noor

text: Aldeen

text: al

text: Haiali

text: a

text: member

text: of

text: Iraq

text: 's

text: parliament

text: from

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: largest

text: Sunni

text: Arab

text: party

text: said

text: al

text: Maliki

text: 's

text: government

text: failed

text: in

text: taking

text: the

text: measures

text: to

text: protect

text: the

text: targeted

text: Iraqi

text: citizens

text: who

text: are

text: shocked

text: and

text: getting

text: slaughtered

text: on

text: a

text: daily

text: basis

text: Ali

text: al

text: Adeeb

text: a

text: senior

text: member

text: of

text: the

text: prime

text: minister

text: 's

text: Dawa

text: party

text: said

text: security

text: has

text: improved

text: in

text: recent

text: years

text: But

text: Kurdish

text: lawmaker

text: Mahmood

text: Othman

text: told

text: CNN

text: that

text: more

text: attacks

text: could

text: be

text: possible

text: because

text: the

text: people

text: against

text: the

text: political

text: process

text: against

text: the

text: elections

text: and

text: against

text: stability

text: in

text: Iraq

text: will

text: try

text: to

text: disrupt

text: the

text: elections

text: And

text: he

text: said

text: stepped

text: up

text: security

text: measures

text: wo

text: n't

text: be

text: enough

text: to

text: deter

text: them

text: There

text: should

text: be

text: some

text: political

text: stability

text: political

text: reform

text: reconciliation

text: he

text: said

text: These

text: are

text: also

text: very

text: very

text: important

text: to

text: provide

text: security

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Mohammed

text: Tawfeeq

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Where was the fifth bomb detonated?

answer: outside the Karkh Civil Court in western Baghdad's Mansour district.

text: outside the Karkh Civil Court in western Baghdad's Mansour district.

question: Where did the fifth bomb blow up?

answer: outside the Karkh Civil Court in western Baghdad's Mansour district.

text: outside the Karkh Civil Court in western Baghdad's Mansour district.

question: How many car bombs exploded in central Baghdad?

answer: five

text: five

question: when did this happen

answer: early Tuesday

text: early Tuesday

question: How many were killed in Baghdad?

answer: Nearly 130

text: Nearly 130

question: Where did the vehicles blow up?

answer: Baghdad,

text: Baghdad,

question: Where was the first car bombed?

answer: southern Baghdad's Dora district

text: southern Baghdad's Dora district


text:
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (CNN)  -- An elementary school teacher was arrested for punching an 8-year-old student in the face this month, Fort Lauderdale police said Tuesday.

David Adam Grant is accused of striking an 8-year-old student at a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, school.

David Adam Grant, 36, an art teacher at Sunland Elementary School, turned himself in to police Tuesday in connection with the November 5 incident, authorities said in a written statement.

Police responded to a report of battery at the school, and "preliminary investigations revealed that an 8-year-old student ... had been battered."

Authorities allege that Grant "hit the 8-year-old student around his left eye with a loosely closed fist, causing a bruise over his right eye," according to the police statement.

Grant surrendered to police after detectives contacted him, the statement said. He faces child abuse charges. The incident remains under investigation, authorities said.

CNN's Rich Phillips contributed to this report.

text: FORT

text: LAUDERDALE

text: Florida

text: CNN

text: An

text: elementary

text: school

text: teacher

text: was

text: arrested

text: for

text: punching

text: an

text: old

text: student

text: in

text: the

text: face

text: this

text: month

text: Fort

text: Lauderdale

text: police

text: said

text: Tuesday

text: David

text: Adam

text: Grant

text: is

text: accused

text: of

text: striking

text: an

text: old

text: student

text: at

text: a

text: Fort

text: Lauderdale

text: Florida

text: school

text: David

text: Adam

text: Grant

text: an

text: art

text: teacher

text: at

text: Sunland

text: Elementary

text: School

text: turned

text: himself

text: in

text: to

text: police

text: Tuesday

text: in

text: connection

text: with

text: the

text: November

text: incident

text: authorities

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: written

text: statement

text: Police

text: responded

text: to

text: a

text: report

text: of

text: battery

text: at

text: the

text: school

text: and

text: preliminary

text: investigations

text: revealed

text: that

text: an

text: old

text: student

text: had

text: been

text: battered

text: Authorities

text: allege

text: that

text: Grant

text: hit

text: the

text: old

text: student

text: around

text: his

text: left

text: eye

text: with

text: a

text: loosely

text: closed

text: fist

text: causing

text: a

text: bruise

text: over

text: his

text: right

text: eye

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: police

text: statement

text: Grant

text: surrendered

text: to

text: police

text: after

text: detectives

text: contacted

text: him

text: the

text: statement

text: said

text: He

text: faces

text: child

text: abuse

text: charges

text: The

text: incident

text: remains

text: under

text: investigation

text: authorities

text: said

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Rich

text: Phillips

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Who struck an 8-year old?

answer: David Adam Grant

text: David Adam Grant

question: What charges does he face

answer: child abuse

text: child abuse

question: What city is the  teacher from?

answer: Fort Lauderdale,

text: Fort Lauderdale,

question: What day did the man turn himself in to police?

answer: Tuesday

text: Tuesday

question: What age was the child struck by the teacher

answer: 8-year-old

question: Who is said to strike 8 year old in face?

answer: An elementary school teacher

text: An elementary school teacher

question: What charges does the teacher face?

answer: child abuse

text: child abuse

question: From where is the teacher?

answer: Fort Lauderdale,

text: Fort Lauderdale,


text:
(CNN) -- A 14-year-old girl stoops and screams above the body of a Kent State University student killed in 1970 by an Ohio National Guardsman.

John Filo's 1970 photo at Kent State University became a symbol of the anti-war movement at the time.

A police chief aims his gun at a Vietcong prisoner's head in 1968, while executing him on a Saigon, Vietnam, street.

And in 1989, an unarmed man in Beijing, China, stands defiantly in front of a column of tanks as they rolled into Tiananmen Square.

These are iconic images, the kinds of shots that changed the way people viewed history as it unfolded. They put human faces on conflicts and became rallying cries for movements, inspiring those who demanded change.

But while these photographs -- chronicling a single, silent moment -- were taken by seasoned photographers, two of whom won Pulitzer Prizes, this time amateur cell phone video is grabbing worldwide attention. It captures the death of a young woman named Neda Agha-Soltan, galvanizing protesters in Iran and shaping perceptions of a land and people few Westerners know.  See how images have inspired change Â»

"Every revolution needs icons and symbols -- an image that embodies a sense of universality of blight and at the same time innocence," said Roya Hakakian of Connecticut, a writer, poet and journalist who was born and raised in Iran. "The image of Neda does both."

The graphic video of Neda's death, caused by a gunshot fired during a  protest in Tehran, Iran, records her final moments: Her eyes turn toward the camera, people scream and struggle to revive her while blood streams across her face.  Watch how Neda's proven to be a tipping point Â»

Having gone viral with the help of social networking sites such as Twitter, the video of Neda's death has earned her the highly revered status of martyr. The woman who by all counts was an innocent bystander is now known as the "Angel of Iran" and is inspiring poetry. She is mourned publicly despite Revolutionary Guard threats, and her likeness graces posters.

For Hakakian, who left Iran about 25 years ago, the significance of Neda's image runs deep. She said it's part of a larger picture of current protests being propelled by women, and a reflection of the Iran and the Iranians she knows.

What outsiders have seen over the past three decades, she said, are fist-pumping men decrying America, images of hostages and "the burning of Uncle Sam effigies." Americans, she continued, have gotten to know little beyond the talk of Hezbollah and Hamas support, discussions of nuclear bombs and the rants of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calling for, among other things, the destruction of Israel.

"We come from different corners of the world, but we see the same thing," Hakakian said of the video of Neda's death. "You don't need to be Iranian. You don't need to be her neighbor. You don't need to know her name. ... Anyone can watch this and come away with the sense of injustice and what's taking place, and I think that's why it's catching on."

Graphic images have long played a role in driving social awareness and change, said Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma.

The skeletal figures of concentration camp victims drove home the horrors of the Holocaust. And the brutalized body of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy killed in 1955 for allegedly flirting with a white woman, was shown at the insistence of his mother at his funeral, galvanizing the civil rights movement, Shapiro said.

In more recent years, amateur video was credited with capturing the 1991 beating by Los Angeles police of Rodney King. And the first images out of Virginia Tech during the 2007 campus shooting were taken by students before professionals could hit the scene, added Nora Paul, founding director of the Institute for New Media Studies at the University of Minnesota.

The challenge today, in a time when anyone can post images, is making sure graphic photos or videos are put in context and used by news organizations in a way that moves stories forward, both Paul and Shapiro agreed.

While news outlets may blur faces, offer warnings to viewers or not even use some images, the vastness of the Internet means that once they are out there -- no matter how horrifying or inappropriate for viewers -- it's next to impossible to stop them from being circulated.

"Even if you try to control access, the dam is already broken," Paul said.

As for the impact on viewers, the effect of disturbing and violent images is hard to measure, said Elana Newman, who teaches psychology at the University of Tulsa and is a specialist in psychological trauma.

An image often can communicate "the depths of pain" in a way that words alone cannot, Newman said. But she added scholars often debate whether such images turn people away from news, desensitize them or bolster a story's credibility. And there is also the challenge to consider of "balancing the privacy of the victim with the importance of telling the story."

Her own opinion?

"These images are helpful when these events are far away," she said, because they can bring home a story. They, however, are "not helpful to people when they're in their own backyard."

And the impact on the person who captures the image is often untold.

John Filo was a senior photography student at Kent State when he snapped the photo that became a symbol of the shootings on campus and helped propel the anti-war movement at the time.

He doesn't remember going through six rolls of film that day, but he remembers being shot at and is all too aware that a mere feet -- even inches -- separated him from life or death. In 13 seconds, four students were killed and nine were wounded.

It took "a good nine years" for him to sort through the experience, he told CNN. His relationships suffered, as did his confidence as a photographer. He grappled with survivor's guilt, the images he saw but didn't share and the anxiety about how his work affected other people's lives.

"Everyone that was there that day was affected," said Filo, now director of photography for CBS media relations. "At least I had something to do that day. There were people who felt totally helpless -- people who tried to hide behind a four-inch street curb."

When no one could believe what was happening around them, he had the power to show it.

"You sit there as a journalist and say, 'If it was my brother or my mother, would I have taken this picture?' " he reflected out loud. It's "your purpose of being there. So yes, if it was my brother, if it was my mother, I'd still shoot the picture."

text: CNN

text: A

text: old

text: girl

text: stoops

text: and

text: screams

text: above

text: the

text: body

text: of

text: a

text: Kent

text: State

text: University

text: student

text: killed

text: in

text: by

text: an

text: Ohio

text: National

text: Guardsman

text: John

text: Filo

text: 's

text: photo

text: at

text: Kent

text: State

text: University

text: became

text: a

text: symbol

text: of

text: the

text: anti

text: war

text: movement

text: at

text: the

text: time

text: A

text: police

text: chief

text: aims

text: his

text: gun

text: at

text: a

text: Vietcong

text: prisoner

text: 's

text: head

text: in

text: while

text: executing

text: him

text: on

text: a

text: Saigon

text: Vietnam

text: street

text: And

text: in

text: an

text: unarmed

text: man

text: in

text: Beijing

text: China

text: stands

text: defiantly

text: in

text: front

text: of

text: a

text: column

text: of

text: tanks

text: as

text: they

text: rolled

text: into

text: Tiananmen

text: Square

text: These

text: are

text: iconic

text: images

text: the

text: kinds

text: of

text: shots

text: that

text: changed

text: the

text: way

text: people

text: viewed

text: history

text: as

text: it

text: unfolded

text: They

text: put

text: human

text: faces

text: on

text: conflicts

text: and

text: became

text: rallying

text: cries

text: for

text: movements

text: inspiring

text: those

text: who

text: demanded

text: change

text: But

text: while

text: these

text: photographs

text: chronicling

text: a

text: single

text: silent

text: moment

text: were

text: taken

text: by

text: seasoned

text: photographers

text: two

text: of

text: whom

text: won

text: Pulitzer

text: Prizes

text: this

text: time

text: amateur

text: cell

text: phone

text: video

text: is

text: grabbing

text: worldwide

text: attention

text: It

text: captures

text: the

text: death

text: of

text: a

text: young

text: woman

text: named

text: Neda

text: Agha

text: Soltan

text: galvanizing

text: protesters

text: in

text: Iran

text: and

text: shaping

text: perceptions

text: of

text: a

text: land

text: and

text: people

text: few

text: Westerners

text: know

text: See

text: how

text: images

text: have

text: inspired

text: change

text: Â

text: Every

text: revolution

text: needs

text: icons

text: and

text: symbols

text: an

text: image

text: that

text: embodies

text: a

text: sense

text: of

text: universality

text: of

text: blight

text: and

text: at

text: the

text: same

text: time

text: innocence

text: said

text: Roya

text: Hakakian

text: of

text: Connecticut

text: a

text: writer

text: poet

text: and

text: journalist

text: who

text: was

text: born

text: and

text: raised

text: in

text: Iran

text: The

text: image

text: of

text: Neda

text: does

text: both

text: The

text: graphic

text: video

text: of

text: Neda

text: 's

text: death

text: caused

text: by

text: a

text: gunshot

text: fired

text: during

text: a

text: protest

text: in

text: Tehran

text: Iran

text: records

text: her

text: final

text: moments

text: Her

text: eyes

text: turn

text: toward

text: the

text: camera

text: people

text: scream

text: and

text: struggle

text: to

text: revive

text: her

text: while

text: blood

text: streams

text: across

text: her

text: face

text: Watch

text: how

text: Neda

text: 's

text: proven

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: tipping

text: point

text: Â

text: Having

text: gone

text: viral

text: with

text: the

text: help

text: of

text: social

text: networking

text: sites

text: such

text: as

text: Twitter

text: the

text: video

text: of

text: Neda

text: 's

text: death

text: has

text: earned

text: her

text: the

text: highly

text: revered

text: status

text: of

text: martyr

text: The

text: woman

text: who

text: by

text: all

text: counts

text: was

text: an

text: innocent

text: bystander

text: is

text: now

text: known

text: as

text: the

text: Angel

text: of

text: Iran

text: and

text: is

text: inspiring

text: poetry

text: She

text: is

text: mourned

text: publicly

text: despite

text: Revolutionary

text: Guard

text: threats

text: and

text: her

text: likeness

text: graces

text: posters

text: For

text: Hakakian

text: who

text: left

text: Iran

text: about

text: years

text: ago

text: the

text: significance

text: of

text: Neda

text: 's

text: image

text: runs

text: deep

text: She

text: said

text: it

text: 's

text: part

text: of

text: a

text: larger

text: picture

text: of

text: current

text: protests

text: being

text: propelled

text: by

text: women

text: and

text: a

text: reflection

text: of

text: the

text: Iran

text: and

text: the

text: Iranians

text: she

text: knows

text: What

text: outsiders

text: have

text: seen

text: over

text: the

text: past

text: three

text: decades

text: she

text: said

text: are

text: fist

text: pumping

text: men

text: decrying

text: America

text: images

text: of

text: hostages

text: and

text: the

text: burning

text: of

text: Uncle

text: Sam

text: effigies

text: Americans

text: she

text: continued

text: have

text: gotten

text: to

text: know

text: little

text: beyond

text: the

text: talk

text: of

text: Hezbollah

text: and

text: Hamas

text: support

text: discussions

text: of

text: nuclear

text: bombs

text: and

text: the

text: rants

text: of

text: President

text: Mahmoud

text: Ahmadinejad

text: calling

text: for

text: among

text: other

text: things

text: the

text: destruction

text: of

text: Israel

text: We

text: come

text: from

text: different

text: corners

text: of

text: the

text: world

text: but

text: we

text: see

text: the

text: same

text: thing

text: Hakakian

text: said

text: of

text: the

text: video

text: of

text: Neda

text: 's

text: death

text: You

text: do

text: n't

text: need

text: to

text: be

text: Iranian

text: You

text: do

text: n't

text: need

text: to

text: be

text: her

text: neighbor

text: You

text: do

text: n't

text: need

text: to

text: know

text: her

text: name

text: Anyone

text: can

text: watch

text: this

text: and

text: come

text: away

text: with

text: the

text: sense

text: of

text: injustice

text: and

text: what

text: 's

text: taking

text: place

text: and

text: I

text: think

text: that

text: 's

text: why

text: it

text: 's

text: catching

text: on

text: Graphic

text: images

text: have

text: long

text: played

text: a

text: role

text: in

text: driving

text: social

text: awareness

text: and

text: change

text: said

text: Bruce

text: Shapiro

text: executive

text: director

text: of

text: the

text: Dart

text: Center

text: for

text: Journalism

text: and

text: Trauma

text: The

text: skeletal

text: figures

text: of

text: concentration

text: camp

text: victims

text: drove

text: home

text: the

text: horrors

text: of

text: the

text: Holocaust

text: And

text: the

text: brutalized

text: body

text: of

text: Emmett

text: Till

text: a

text: old

text: black

text: boy

text: killed

text: in

text: for

text: allegedly

text: flirting

text: with

text: a

text: white

text: woman

text: was

text: shown

text: at

text: the

text: insistence

text: of

text: his

text: mother

text: at

text: his

text: funeral

text: galvanizing

text: the

text: civil

text: rights

text: movement

text: Shapiro

text: said

text: In

text: more

text: recent

text: years

text: amateur

text: video

text: was

text: credited

text: with

text: capturing

text: the

text: beating

text: by

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: police

text: of

text: Rodney

text: King

text: And

text: the

text: first

text: images

text: out

text: of

text: Virginia

text: Tech

text: during

text: the

text: campus

text: shooting

text: were

text: taken

text: by

text: students

text: before

text: professionals

text: could

text: hit

text: the

text: scene

text: added

text: Nora

text: Paul

text: founding

text: director

text: of

text: the

text: Institute

text: for

text: New

text: Media

text: Studies

text: at

text: the

text: University

text: of

text: Minnesota

text: The

text: challenge

text: today

text: in

text: a

text: time

text: when

text: anyone

text: can

text: post

text: images

text: is

text: making

text: sure

text: graphic

text: photos

text: or

text: videos

text: are

text: put

text: in

text: context

text: and

text: used

text: by

text: news

text: organizations

text: in

text: a

text: way

text: that

text: moves

text: stories

text: forward

text: both

text: Paul

text: and

text: Shapiro

text: agreed

text: While

text: news

text: outlets

text: may

text: blur

text: faces

text: offer

text: warnings

text: to

text: viewers

text: or

text: not

text: even

text: use

text: some

text: images

text: the

text: vastness

text: of

text: the

text: Internet

text: means

text: that

text: once

text: they

text: are

text: out

text: there

text: no

text: matter

text: how

text: horrifying

text: or

text: inappropriate

text: for

text: viewers

text: it

text: 's

text: next

text: to

text: impossible

text: to

text: stop

text: them

text: from

text: being

text: circulated

text: Even

text: if

text: you

text: try

text: to

text: control

text: access

text: the

text: dam

text: is

text: already

text: broken

text: Paul

text: said

text: As

text: for

text: the

text: impact

text: on

text: viewers

text: the

text: effect

text: of

text: disturbing

text: and

text: violent

text: images

text: is

text: hard

text: to

text: measure

text: said

text: Elana

text: Newman

text: who

text: teaches

text: psychology

text: at

text: the

text: University

text: of

text: Tulsa

text: and

text: is

text: a

text: specialist

text: in

text: psychological

text: trauma

text: An

text: image

text: often

text: can

text: communicate

text: the

text: depths

text: of

text: pain

text: in

text: a

text: way

text: that

text: words

text: alone

text: can

text: not

text: Newman

text: said

text: But

text: she

text: added

text: scholars

text: often

text: debate

text: whether

text: such

text: images

text: turn

text: people

text: away

text: from

text: news

text: desensitize

text: them

text: or

text: bolster

text: a

text: story

text: 's

text: credibility

text: And

text: there

text: is

text: also

text: the

text: challenge

text: to

text: consider

text: of

text: balancing

text: the

text: privacy

text: of

text: the

text: victim

text: with

text: the

text: importance

text: of

text: telling

text: the

text: story

text: Her

text: own

text: opinion

text: These

text: images

text: are

text: helpful

text: when

text: these

text: events

text: are

text: far

text: away

text: she

text: said

text: because

text: they

text: can

text: bring

text: home

text: a

text: story

text: They

text: however

text: are

text: not

text: helpful

text: to

text: people

text: when

text: they

text: 're

text: in

text: their

text: own

text: backyard

text: And

text: the

text: impact

text: on

text: the

text: person

text: who

text: captures

text: the

text: image

text: is

text: often

text: untold

text: John

text: Filo

text: was

text: a

text: senior

text: photography

text: student

text: at

text: Kent

text: State

text: when

text: he

text: snapped

text: the

text: photo

text: that

text: became

text: a

text: symbol

text: of

text: the

text: shootings

text: on

text: campus

text: and

text: helped

text: propel

text: the

text: anti

text: war

text: movement

text: at

text: the

text: time

text: He

text: does

text: n't

text: remember

text: going

text: through

text: six

text: rolls

text: of

text: film

text: that

text: day

text: but

text: he

text: remembers

text: being

text: shot

text: at

text: and

text: is

text: all

text: too

text: aware

text: that

text: a

text: mere

text: feet

text: even

text: inches

text: separated

text: him

text: from

text: life

text: or

text: death

text: In

text: seconds

text: four

text: students

text: were

text: killed

text: and

text: nine

text: were

text: wounded

text: It

text: took

text: a

text: good

text: nine

text: years

text: for

text: him

text: to

text: sort

text: through

text: the

text: experience

text: he

text: told

text: CNN

text: His

text: relationships

text: suffered

text: as

text: did

text: his

text: confidence

text: as

text: a

text: photographer

text: He

text: grappled

text: with

text: survivor

text: 's

text: guilt

text: the

text: images

text: he

text: saw

text: but

text: did

text: n't

text: share

text: and

text: the

text: anxiety

text: about

text: how

text: his

text: work

text: affected

text: other

text: people

text: 's

text: lives

text: Everyone

text: that

text: was

text: there

text: that

text: day

text: was

text: affected

text: said

text: Filo

text: now

text: director

text: of

text: photography

text: for

text: CBS

text: media

text: relations

text: At

text: least

text: I

text: had

text: something

text: to

text: do

text: that

text: day

text: There

text: were

text: people

text: who

text: felt

text: totally

text: helpless

text: people

text: who

text: tried

text: to

text: hide

text: behind

text: a

text: four

text: inch

text: street

text: curb

text: When

text: no

text: one

text: could

text: believe

text: what

text: was

text: happening

text: around

text: them

text: he

text: had

text: the

text: power

text: to

text: show

text: it

text: You

text: sit

text: there

text: as

text: a

text: journalist

text: and

text: say

text: If

text: it

text: was

text: my

text: brother

text: or

text: my

text: mother

text: would

text: I

text: have

text: taken

text: this

text: picture

text: he

text: reflected

text: out

text: loud

text: It

text: 's

text: your

text: purpose

text: of

text: being

text: there

text: So

text: yes

text: if

text: it

text: was

text: my

text: brother

text: if

text: it

text: was

text: my

text: mother

text: I

text: 'd

text: still

text: shoot

text: the

text: picture

question: What was the cause of Neda Agha-Soltan's death?

answer: gunshot

text: gunshot

question: what did the cell phone video show

answer: captures the death of a young woman named Neda Agha-Soltan,

text: captures the death of a young woman named Neda Agha-Soltan,

question: What was the viral cell phone video about?

answer: captures the death of a young woman named Neda Agha-Soltan,

text: captures the death of a young woman named Neda Agha-Soltan,

question: What has gone viral?

answer: , the video of Neda's deat

text: , the video of Neda's deat

question: Where are the photos from?

answer: Kent State University

text: Kent State University


text:
Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Sri Lanka's former army chief appeared before a military court Tuesday, on charges that he says are designed to remove him from politics.

Retired Army Gen. Sarath Fonseka faced a panel of three military judges, who are to decide whether he is guilty of participating in politics while still in uniform.

Fonseka's spokesman Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the former military commander's lawyers raised two objections: that the judges are biased and that a military court can no longer rule on Fonseka's case, because he left the army more than six months ago.

The court will reconvene on April 6 to rule on the objections, according to government spokesman Maj. Gen. Prasad Samarasinghe.

However, Fonseka must return to court Wednesday to face separate charges of violating military procurement procedures.

Fonseka says the charges against him are false and politically motivated.

The man credited with the military campaign that defeated a quarter-century-long insurgency by the Tamil Tiger rebel movement was arrested last month. He was dragged from his office by armed military police during a meeting with his supporters, they said.

He has since been detained at naval headquarters in Colombo, where the military tribunal is convening.

Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapaksa were allies and heroes of last year's battle against the Tigers, but they drifted apart.

Fonseka's supporters say the former general was seen as a threat to the government and his arrest was ordered to prevent his participation in parliamentary elections April 8.

The former military commander challenged Rajapaksa in January's presidential elections, but lost by a wide margin and accused the government of election fraud.

The Fonseka family has challenged his arrest in Sri Lanka's supreme court. Those arguments are to be heard April 26.

His wife, Anoma Fonseka, called the legal proceedings against her husband a joke.

Journalist Amal Jayasinghe contributed to this report.

text: Colombo

text: Sri

text: Lanka

text: CNN

text: Sri

text: Lanka

text: 's

text: former

text: army

text: chief

text: appeared

text: before

text: a

text: military

text: court

text: Tuesday

text: on

text: charges

text: that

text: he

text: says

text: are

text: designed

text: to

text: remove

text: him

text: from

text: politics

text: Retired

text: Army

text: Gen.

text: Sarath

text: Fonseka

text: faced

text: a

text: panel

text: of

text: three

text: military

text: judges

text: who

text: are

text: to

text: decide

text: whether

text: he

text: is

text: guilty

text: of

text: participating

text: in

text: politics

text: while

text: still

text: in

text: uniform

text: Fonseka

text: 's

text: spokesman

text: Anura

text: Kumara

text: Dissanayake

text: said

text: the

text: former

text: military

text: commander

text: 's

text: lawyers

text: raised

text: two

text: objections

text: that

text: the

text: judges

text: are

text: biased

text: and

text: that

text: a

text: military

text: court

text: can

text: no

text: longer

text: rule

text: on

text: Fonseka

text: 's

text: case

text: because

text: he

text: left

text: the

text: army

text: more

text: than

text: six

text: months

text: ago

text: The

text: court

text: will

text: reconvene

text: on

text: April

text: to

text: rule

text: on

text: the

text: objections

text: according

text: to

text: government

text: spokesman

text: Maj

text: Gen.

text: Prasad

text: Samarasinghe

text: However

text: Fonseka

text: must

text: return

text: to

text: court

text: Wednesday

text: to

text: face

text: separate

text: charges

text: of

text: violating

text: military

text: procurement

text: procedures

text: Fonseka

text: says

text: the

text: charges

text: against

text: him

text: are

text: false

text: and

text: politically

text: motivated

text: The

text: man

text: credited

text: with

text: the

text: military

text: campaign

text: that

text: defeated

text: a

text: quarter

text: century

text: long

text: insurgency

text: by

text: the

text: Tamil

text: Tiger

text: rebel

text: movement

text: was

text: arrested

text: last

text: month

text: He

text: was

text: dragged

text: from

text: his

text: office

text: by

text: armed

text: military

text: police

text: during

text: a

text: meeting

text: with

text: his

text: supporters

text: they

text: said

text: He

text: has

text: since

text: been

text: detained

text: at

text: naval

text: headquarters

text: in

text: Colombo

text: where

text: the

text: military

text: tribunal

text: is

text: convening

text: Fonseka

text: and

text: President

text: Mahinda

text: Rajapaksa

text: were

text: allies

text: and

text: heroes

text: of

text: last

text: year

text: 's

text: battle

text: against

text: the

text: Tigers

text: but

text: they

text: drifted

text: apart

text: Fonseka

text: 's

text: supporters

text: say

text: the

text: former

text: general

text: was

text: seen

text: as

text: a

text: threat

text: to

text: the

text: government

text: and

text: his

text: arrest

text: was

text: ordered

text: to

text: prevent

text: his

text: participation

text: in

text: parliamentary

text: elections

text: April

text: The

text: former

text: military

text: commander

text: challenged

text: Rajapaksa

text: in

text: January

text: 's

text: presidential

text: elections

text: but

text: lost

text: by

text: a

text: wide

text: margin

text: and

text: accused

text: the

text: government

text: of

text: election

text: fraud

text: The

text: Fonseka

text: family

text: has

text: challenged

text: his

text: arrest

text: in

text: Sri

text: Lanka

text: 's

text: supreme

text: court

text: Those

text: arguments

text: are

text: to

text: be

text: heard

text: April

text: His

text: wife

text: Anoma

text: Fonseka

text: called

text: the

text: legal

text: proceedings

text: against

text: her

text: husband

text: a

text: joke

text: Journalist

text: Amal

text: Jayasinghe

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Who is to decide whether he's guilty of participating in politics while in uniform?

answer: a panel of three military judges,

text: a panel of three military judges,

question: What must the military judges decide?

answer: whether he is guilty of participating in politics while still in uniform.

text: whether he is guilty of participating in politics while still in uniform.

question: What do supporters say about Fonseka and his role with the government?

answer: Fonseka's supporters say the former general was seen as a threat to the government and his arrest was ordered to prevent his participation in parliamentary elections April 8.

text: Fonseka's supporters say the former general was seen as a threat to the government and his arrest was ordered to prevent his participation in parliamentary elections April 8.

question: Who is credited with the campaign that defeated Tamil Tiger rebels?

answer: Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapaksa

text: Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapaksa

question: Who says the charges against him are false?

answer: Retired Army Gen. Sarath Fonseka

text: Retired Army Gen. Sarath Fonseka

question: who says charges against him are false and politically motivated?

answer: Retired Army Gen. Sarath Fonseka

text: Retired Army Gen. Sarath Fonseka