The Read International For 2/4/10: The Controversial Case Of Aafia Siddiqui

What a mess:

If you read the article, there is more disturbing suspicion about this verdict. The main accusation on Siddiqui is that she fired bullets form the gun that did not injured the targets she is alleged of shooting at.

However

During the trial, Linda Moreno, Siddiqui's defence lawyer, argued that there was no evidence the rifle Siddiqui was accused of taking had ever been fired, since no bullets, shell casings or bullet debris were recovered and no bullet holes detected.

Moreno also said the testimony of the government's six eyewitnesses contradicted one another.

Not only that, but Siddiqui was said to be a possible terrorist, but sadl enough, she was not accused of being one in the charges.

And rights groups aren't happy with this decision:

Cageprisoners, a UK-based rights group, rejected the verdict, citing the fact that evidence about Siddiqui's whereabouts prior to her arrest had been disallowed from the trial.

"The case of Aafia Siddiqui carries great significance in terms of the ability of the Obama administration to administer justice," Asim Qureshi, a spokesman for the group, said, referring to the administration of Barack Obama, the US president.

Hopefully we will have more on that story as it continues to unfold over time.

More underreported tension between China and the U.S., as the Far East land is not happy with the Obama Administration criticizing its trade surplus with their RMB.

"We expect the United States to take a rational view of bilateral trade issues and to adhere to equality in negotiation. Accusations and pressure will not bring solutions," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said at a regular briefing.

Ma's comments came a day after U.S. President Barack Obama said his administration will "get much tougher about enforcement"of trade rules in its dealing with China. Obama said his administration will put "constant pressure on China" to liberalize its capital account and appreciate the currency.

"Our currency, the RMB, has appreciated more than 20 percent against the U.S. dollar since July 2005, when China moved to a floating exchange rate regime," Ma said. Before 2005, the RMB was pegged to the U.S. dollar at a fixed rate.

"The RMB exchange rate has drawn close to a reasonable and balanced level, given the international balance of payments and the market supply and demand for foreign exchange," Ma said.

This is after China has put sanctions on the US for selling military arms to Taiwan last Friday, including on contractors Boeing, Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. China also suspended military programs and security talks with America based on last week's event.

Test missile shields in Romania for the US? Apparently so.

ICC is still pushing to charged war criminal Hall of Famer Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir.

If you haven't gotten a chance to see New York Times' esteemed columnist Nicholas Kristof pieces on the Congo, please do yourself a favor and do just so.

And Chilean future ex-President, Michelle Bachelet, is looking to help women's groups in Haiti meet their recovery goals.

Your international news for this thread.

Update: Those 10 people in Idaho accused of child trafficking in Haiti have been charged with the crime, as they will go to jail in Port-au-Prince.

Sadly this will sidetrack the media, already a diminishing presence in Haiti, from the other long term issues hurting the diminished country right now.

And the charge is not trafficking, but kidnapping.