Thursday, February 12, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/alleged-north-carolina-shooter-had-prior-armed-run-ins-with-neighbors/

Alleged N.C. shooter had prior armed run-ins with neighbors
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS/AP 
February 12, 2015

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The man accused of killing three students in a dispute over parking spaces had earlier run-ins with his neighbors, sometimes while wearing a handgun on his hip.

"I have seen and heard him be very unfriendly to a lot of people in this community," neighbor Samantha Maness told the Raleigh News and Observer. She said that accused killer Craig Hicks had "equal opportunity anger."

And yet, he allegedly aimed that anger at three Muslim neighbors.

Police were still trying to determine whether religious hatred played any role in the shootings, which shocked the bucolic college town of Chapel Hill and left many residents grappling to make sense of the crime.

Charged with three counts of first-degree murder is Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, who has described himself as a "gun toting" atheist. Neighbors said Wednesday that he always seemed angry and confrontational. His ex-wife said he was obsessed with the shooting-rampage movie "Falling Down" and showed "no compassion at all" for other people.

His current wife, Karen Hicks, said that her husband "champions the rights of others" and that the killings "had nothing do with religion or the victims' faith." She then issued another brief statement through her lawyer, saying she's divorcing him.

Officers were summoned by a neighbor who called 911 Tuesday evening to report hearing multiple gunshots and people screaming.

Found dead at the scene were Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; his wife, Yusor Mohammad, 21; and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19. In a brief court appearance Wednesday, Hicks, who lived in the same apartment building as the victims, pleaded indigence and was appointed a public defender.

The women's father, Mohammad Abu-Salha, said police told him each was shot in the head in the couple's apartment and that he, for one, is convinced it was a hate crime.

"The media here bombards the American citizen with Islamic, Islamic, Islamic terrorism and makes people here scared of us and hate us and want us out. So if somebody has any conflict with you, and they already hate you, you get a bullet in the head," said Abu-Salha, who is a psychiatrist.

The killings are fueling outrage among people who blame anti-Muslim rhetoric for hate crimes. A Muslim advocacy organization pressed authorities to investigate possible religious bias. Many posted social media updates with the hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter.

"We understand the concerns about the possibility that this was hate-motivated, and we will exhaust every lead to determine if that is the case," Chapel Hill police Chief Chris Blue said in an email.

Chapel Hill Police asked the FBI for help in their probe, and Ripley Rand, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, said his office was monitoring the investigation. But Rand said the crime "appears at this point to have been an isolated incident."

About 2,000 people attended a candlelight vigil for the victims in the heart of UNC's campus Wednesday evening. Several people who knew them spoke about their selflessness as friends recounted kindnesses they had extended to others through the years.

Barakat and Mohammad were newlyweds who helped the homeless and raised money to help Syrian refugees in Turkey. They met while helping to run the Muslim Student Association at N.C. State before he began pursuing an advanced degree in dentistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mohammad, who graduated in December, planned to join her husband in dentistry school in the fall.

Abu-Salha was visiting them Tuesday from Raleigh, where she was majoring in design at N.C. State.

"This was like the power couple of our community," said Ali Sajjad, 21, the N.C. State association's current president.

Many of the condominiums in the complex are rented or owned by students and recent graduates at UNC, whose campus is about 3 miles away.

Hicks had less success: Unemployed and driving a 15-year-old car, his wife said he had been studying to become a paralegal.

A Second Amendment rights advocate with a concealed weapons permit, Hicks often complained about both Christians and Muslims on his Facebook page. "Some call me a gun toting Liberal, others call me an open-minded Conservative," Hicks wrote.

Imad Ahmad, who lived in the condo where his friends were killed until Barakat and Mohammed were married in December, said Hicks complained about once a month that the two men were parking in a visitor's space as well as their assigned spot.

"He would come over to the door, knock on the door and then have a gun on his hip saying, 'You guys need to not park here,'" said Ahmad, a graduate student in chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill. "He did it again after they got married."

Both Hicks and his neighbors complained to the property managers, who apparently didn't intervene. "They told us to call the police if the guy came and harassed us again," Ahmad said.

"This man was frustrated day in and day out about not being able to park where he wanted to," said Karen Hicks' attorney, Robert Maitland.

The killings were "related to long-standing parking disputes my husband had with various neighbors regardless of their race, religion or creed," Karen Hicks said.

Police have not said how Hicks got inside the condominium, but on Wednesday afternoon there were no visible signs of damage to the couple's door, which was affixed with orange stickers warning of biohazardous material inside. A wooden placard bearing Arabic script that translates to "Thanks to God" hung over their doorbell.

A woman who lives near the scene described Hicks as short-tempered.

"Anytime that I saw him or saw interaction with him or friends or anyone in the parking lot or myself, he was angry," Samantha Maness said of Hicks. "He was very angry, anytime I saw him."

Hicks' ex-wife, Cynthia Hurley, said that before they divorced about 17 years ago, his favorite movie was "Falling Down," the 1993 Michael Douglas film about a divorced unemployed engineer who goes on a shooting rampage.

"That always freaked me out," Hurley said. "He watched it incessantly. He thought it was hilarious. He had no compassion at all," she said.

A probable cause hearing is scheduled for March 4.

Police said Hicks was cooperating.




“The man accused of killing three students in a dispute over parking spaces had earlier run-ins with his neighbors, sometimes while wearing a handgun on his hip. "I have seen and heard him be very unfriendly to a lot of people in this community," neighbor Samantha Maness told the Raleigh News and Observer. She said that accused killer Craig Hicks had "equal opportunity anger." And yet, he allegedly aimed that anger at three Muslim neighbors. Police were still trying to determine whether religious hatred played any role in the shootings, which shocked the bucolic college town of Chapel Hill and left many residents grappling to make sense of the crime.... Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, who has described himself as a "gun toting" atheist. Neighbors said Wednesday that he always seemed angry and confrontational. His ex-wife said he was obsessed with the shooting-rampage movie "Falling Down" and showed "no compassion at all" for other people. His current wife, Karen Hicks, said that her husband "champions the rights of others" and that the killings "had nothing do with religion or the victims' faith." She then issued another brief statement through her lawyer, saying she's divorcing him.... The women's father, Mohammad Abu-Salha, said police told him each was shot in the head in the couple's apartment and that he, for one, is convinced it was a hate crime. "The media here bombards the American citizen with Islamic, Islamic, Islamic terrorism and makes people here scared of us and hate us and want us out. So if somebody has any conflict with you, and they already hate you, you get a bullet in the head," said Abu-Salha, who is a psychiatrist. The killings are fueling outrage among people who blame anti-Muslim rhetoric for hate crimes. A Muslim advocacy organization pressed authorities to investigate possible religious bias.... Ripley Rand, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, said his office was monitoring the investigation. But Rand said the crime "appears at this point to have been an isolated incident.".... Hicks had less success: Unemployed and driving a 15-year-old car, his wife said he had been studying to become a paralegal. A Second Amendment rights advocate with a concealed weapons permit, Hicks often complained about both Christians and Muslims on his Facebook page. "Some call me a gun toting Liberal, others call me an open-minded Conservative," Hicks wrote. Imad Ahmad, who lived in the condo where his friends were killed until Barakat and Mohammed were married in December, said Hicks complained about once a month that the two men were parking in a visitor's space as well as their assigned spot.... A woman who lives near the scene described Hicks as short-tempered. "Anytime that I saw him or saw interaction with him or friends or anyone in the parking lot or myself, he was angry," Samantha Maness said of Hicks. "He was very angry, anytime I saw him."

"That always freaked me out," Hurley said. "He watched it incessantly. He thought it was hilarious. He had no compassion at all," she said. Having no compassion and no conscience are the character traits that I have heard used to describe a sociopath or psychopath. They aren't considered “insane” by psychiatrists, however. There is a distinction that courts sometimes use when refusing to allow the insanity defense. This man is described as being constantly angry. It's unfortunate that none of these neighbors called the police on him before, as he was harassing people over the parking spaces. I do hope he gets life in prison at least. Killing three people for no reason is a really severe crime, whether or not he hated them because they were Muslim. It's interesting that he was an atheist – usually they are philosophical in their view point, but he had no flexibility to his personality, apparently.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-director-james-comey-dives-into-debate-over-race-criminal-justice/

FBI Director James Comey dives into debate over race, criminal justice
By JAKE MILLER CBS NEWS
February 12, 2015

WASHINGTON -- FBI Director James Comey used speech at Georgetown University on Thursday to comment on the contentious debate over race and criminal justice in America - a debate that has intensified in recent months following the killings of unarmed black men by police officers in Ferguson, Mo.and New York City, and the subsequent killing of two NYPD officers.

Comey said the United States is at a crossroads in how it approaches policing and race relations. He suggested both minority communities and law enforcement officials have to confront a series of "hard truths" to make progress in repairing the frayed bonds of trust between cops and the communities they serve.

He highlighted research showing that people in a majority-white society react differently to black people on a subconscious level.

"If we can't help our latent biases, we can help our behavior in response to those instinctive reactions, which is why we work to design system and processes to overcome that very human part of us all," he explained. "Although the research may be unsettling it is what we do next that matters most."

He suggested that, in areas where a majority of crime is committed by non-white residents, police officers can be conditioned to more closely scrutinize members of minority communities - a tactic some would label racial profiling. Comey described the practice as a "mental shortcut."

"The two young black men on one side of the street look like so many others the officer has locked up," Comey said. "Two young white men on the other side of the street - even in the same clothes - do not. The officer does not make the same sinister association about the two white guys, whether that officer is white or black."

"Those of us in law enforcement must double down on fixing biases," he added. "We must resist shortcuts and laziness."

He also offered a defense of law enforcement officers, though, saying most of them are not racists, and that they entered the police force to help the community, regardless of race.

"Racial bias isn't epidemic in law enforcement any more than it's epidemic in academia or the arts," he said. "In fact, I believe law enforcement overwhelmingly attracts people who want to do good for a living - people who risk their lives because they want to help other people."

"They don't sign up to be cops in New York or Chicago or [Los Angeles] to help white people or black people or Hispanic people or Asian people," he said. "They sign up because they want to help all people, and they do some of the hardest, most dangerous policing to protect communities of color."

His comments marked the first time the FBI's top leader has opined so publicly and candidly on the subject of race and law enforcement.

Several other top law enforcement officials have also waded into that debate in recent months, but their efforts, more often than not, have engendered controversy. Both Attorney General Eric Holder and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio commented on the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York City, but critics said their input unfairly maligned the law enforcement community.




“Comey said the United States is at a crossroads in how it approaches policing and race relations. He suggested both minority communities and law enforcement officials have to confront a series of "hard truths" to make progress in repairing the frayed bonds of trust between cops and the communities they serve. He highlighted research showing that people in a majority-white society react differently to black people on a subconscious level. "If we can't help our latent biases, we can help our behavior in response to those instinctive reactions, which is why we work to design system and processes to overcome that very human part of us all," he explained. "Although the research may be unsettling it is what we do next that matters most."... Comey described the practice as a "mental shortcut." "The two young black men on one side of the street look like so many others the officer has locked up," Comey said. "Two young white men on the other side of the street - even in the same clothes - do not. The officer does not make the same sinister association about the two white guys, whether that officer is white or black."... "Those of us in law enforcement must double down on fixing biases," he added. "We must resist shortcuts and laziness.".... His comments marked the first time the FBI's top leader has opined so publicly and candidly on the subject of race and law enforcement. Several other top law enforcement officials have also waded into that debate in recent months, but their efforts, more often than not, have engendered controversy. Both Attorney General Eric Holder and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio commented on the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York City, but critics said their input unfairly maligned the law enforcement community.”

No matter what he says, racial bias is one of the primary causes of the persistent problem of police brutality, which he did not address in his speech, or at any rate of its higher occurrence in minority communities. He calls it “laziness” and a “shortcut” to suspect blacks when they don't suspect whites. I think it may be a lack of intelligence. That's exactly what happened when Professor Gates, Obama's friend and a well known scholar on blacks in our culture, was arrested on his own front porch after showing his drivers license to prove his identity. That officer had no grounds to arrest him. Okay, the insistence that he show his ID was understandable, but when it proved who he was there should have been no further problem. Besides, Gates said to the news reporter that the police knew very well who lived in the house. When he got his proof of identity he should have first, apologized, and then said goodnight. That officer was pushing his authoritarianism button and didn't want the black man to get his proper amount of respect. I do hate a bully.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/happy-mad-your-dog-can-tell-just-by-looking-at-you/

Happy? Mad? Your dog can tell just by looking at you
By MICHAEL CASEY CBS NEWS
February 12, 2015

Potty training dogs has a lot to do with raising your voice and pointing fingers. But maybe a smile or a frown is the way to go.

Until now, that might seem like something only Cesar Millan of "Dog Whisperer" fame would advise. But now a study in Current Biology has put some hard science behind it, finding that dogs can tell the difference between happy and angry faces.

"Our study demonstrates that dogs can distinguish angry and happy expressions in humans, they can tell that these two expressions have different meanings, and they can do this not only for people they know well, but even for faces they have never seen before," says Ludwig Huber, senior author and head of the group at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna's Messerli Research Institute.

This is the first study to show that an animal other than humans can discriminate between emotional expressions of another species. Not only did the dogs make the right choices but the scientists said they were also able to transfer what they learned in learning new cues.

The researchers brought in dogs and trained them to discriminate between images of the same person making happy and angry faces which were exhibited mostly in their mouths and eyes. Then, 11 were brought in front of a screen and shown an entirely new set of pictures. They tapped the image of the test expression - happy or angry - with their snout and were rewarded with a treat when made the right choice. (The video above shows the experiment in action.)

The dogs were able to choose the angry and happy faces of white women - chosen because their owners were white women - more often than if they did it by chance, though they did better with the happy ones.

Müller said the dogs might have been slower to respond to the angry faces because they already understand that messing with an angry human is best avoided.

"I would not say that they were better at identifying happy than angry faces. Rather, they learned the discrimination task quicker if they were rewarded for touching the happy half-face than if they were rewarded for touching the angry half-face," Müller said, referring to the fact that images showed only portions of the faces. "This gives a hint that the dogs may not only have discriminated the two facial expressions, they may to some extent also have recognized what they mean."

Dogs made a good test case because there is a wealth of data showing they respond to human cues and can differentiate between a familiar person and a stranger. But until now, tests demonstrating their being able to differentiate between different emotions had not been "completely convincing."

The findings come at a time when emotions in animals have become a hot topic in biology circles, with many saying that being able to understand their feelings is crucial to ensuring animals - especially those in captivity like zoos or being raised on farms - are given proper care.

But whether this could apply to other species remains an open question. The success of the dogs, the researchers acknowledged, might be due to the fact that Fido has this unique bond with humans going back at least 15,000 years.

"At this point we do not know whether the impressive performance of some dogs in our study is purely due to their extensive experience in interaction with humans, or whether domestication played a role as well, or whether maybe social species in general are attentive to emotional expressions of others, and learn to discriminate different expressions in others," said Corsin Müller, another co-author at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.

"These questions can be addressed by testing other species with the task we presented to the dog," she told CBS News by email. "For example, other domesticated species and other animals that have a lot of exposure to humans. Particularly interesting will be testing the hand-raised wolves ... Also, I would expect that some great apes (at least enculturated individuals) will be able to solve the task as well."

In the future, the scientists plan to study how dogs themselves express emotions and how their emotions are influenced by the emotions of their owners or other humans.

"We expect to gain important insights into the extraordinary bond between humans and one of their favorite pets, and into the emotional lives of animals in general," Müller said.




“But now a study in Current Biology has put some hard science behind it, finding that dogs can tell the difference between happy and angry faces. "Our study demonstrates that dogs can distinguish angry and happy expressions in humans, they can tell that these two expressions have different meanings, and they can do this not only for people they know well, but even for faces they have never seen before,"... The dogs were able to choose the angry and happy faces of white women - chosen because their owners were white women - more often than if they did it by chance, though they did better with the happy ones. Müller said the dogs might have been slower to respond to the angry faces because they already understand that messing with an angry human is best avoided.... But until now, tests demonstrating their being able to differentiate between different emotions had not been "completely convincing." The findings come at a time when emotions in animals have become a hot topic in biology circles, with many saying that being able to understand their feelings is crucial to ensuring animals - especially those in captivity like zoos or being raised on farms - are given proper care.... "These questions can be addressed by testing other species with the task we presented to the dog," she told CBS News by email. "For example, other domesticated species and other animals that have a lot of exposure to humans. Particularly interesting will be testing the hand-raised wolves ... Also, I would expect that some great apes (at least enculturated individuals) will be able to solve the task as well."

Thirty years ago when I first took my psychology course, the scientists were hesitant to apply the term “emotion” to an animal. As one who had spent my whole life with cats and dogs, I knew better. There were even questions as to whether animals could “feel pain” in the same way humans do, which made them feel better I suspect about the sometimes cruel experiments that they used on animals. Thank goodness some of the things that used to be done to laboratory animals are not done anymore, partly because they have developed some better techniques and partly because of the animal rights activity that has ensued. I have always known that a dog which is usually gentle will bark and growl at a human who fears him. I think fear is read as dislike, perhaps correctly. The housebreaker who encounters a dog inside will show fear and the dog will fiercely attack. I've always heard that dogs “know” when someone is not to be trusted. That's part of the thousands year old bond with dogs – protection of the home. That's why I would rather have a medium sized dog than a gun.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/control-what-happens-to-your-facebook-after-you-die/

Control what happens to your Facebook after you die

By AMANDA SCHUPAK CBS NEWS
February 12, 2015

Digital life is still a new concept. Digital death is even newer. When it comes to dealing with what a person leaves behind online after he passes, there is no precedent. There is no will. We've been making it up as we go along, learning the hard way.

Like the parents of a Virginia teen who couldn't get access to their son's Facebook account after he committed suicide. Their struggle led to a new state law ensuring parents would be granted access after the death of a child.

To try to smooth out a difficult and thorny process of mourning and memorializing a person online while protecting his or her digital assets, Facebook introduced "legacy contacts" Thursday.

The company has a record of awkward post-death situations. In January, they had to apologize when the Year in Review feature showed one user photos of his dead daughter in a celebratory slideshow of the preceding year.

In its announcement of the new feature, Facebook wrote: "Until now, when someone passed away, we offered a basic memorialized account which was viewable, but could not be managed by anyone. By talking to people who have experienced loss, we realized there is more we can do to support those who are grieving and those who want a say in what happens to their account after death."

Within their security settings, users can select a legacy contact who will be able to write a post to display at the top of their timeline, update the profile and cover photos, and accept new friend requests. Legacy contacts can't delete anything from your page, but can have the entire account deleted.

"This is a baby step," said CNET's Bridget Carey. "Maybe in the future they'll have more rights you can give to someone else."

Google launched a similar feature in 2013. Its "Inactive Account Manager" tool applies to Gmail, Drive, Google+ and YouTube.




“Like the parents of a Virginia teen who couldn't get access to their son's Facebook account after he committed suicide. Their struggle led to a new state law ensuring parents would be granted access after the death of a child.... Facebook introduced "legacy contacts" Thursday. The company has a record of awkward post-death situations. In January, they had to apologize when the Year in Review feature showed one user photos of his dead daughter in a celebratory slideshow of the preceding year. In its announcement of the new feature, Facebook wrote: "Until now, when someone passed away, we offered a basic memorialized account which was viewable, but could not be managed by anyone. By talking to people who have experienced loss, we realized there is more we can do to support those who are grieving and those who want a say in what happens to their account after death.".... Legacy contacts can't delete anything from your page, but can have the entire account deleted. "This is a baby step," said CNET's Bridget Carey. "Maybe in the future they'll have more rights you can give to someone else." Google launched a similar feature in 2013. Its "Inactive Account Manager" tool applies to Gmail, Drive, Google+ and YouTube.”

This is something I have thought about now that I'm going to be 70 years old in a few months. I'll line up someone to take care of mine if I die. It's an interesting legal issue. Some people's blogs bring in income, so that would have to be distributed. It's one more thing to think about.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-record-number-of-americans-are-renouncing-citizenship/

Record number renouncing American citizenship
By AIMEE PICCHI MONEYWATCH
February 12, 2015

Last year was a banner one for Americans giving up their passports.

The number of U.S. citizens who revoked their status reached an all-time high of 3,415 people, a jump of 14 percent from 2013, according to deVere Group, a financial advisory firm.

Avoiding Uncle Sam appeared to be a prime motivator, after a new U.S. tax law was enacted that makes it harder to hide assets from authorities. A survey from deVere last year found that almost four out of five of its clients, who are primarily American expatriates, said they would consider handing in their passports because of the law, which is called the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FACTA.

"Treasury Department data show that a steadily growing number of individuals have been giving up their U.S. citizenship over the last few years," said deVere Group founder Nigel Green in a statement. "It can be reasonably assumed that this trend is in direct response to complying with the onerous, expensive and privacy-infringing FATCA, which finally came into effect on July 1 last year."

While the numbers picked up sharply last year, the trend for Americans handing in their passports has been rising since 2010, the group noted, when FACTA was originally enacted by Congress. The law, which went into full effect last year, requires foreign financial institutions to report the financial holdings of U.S. clients, or else face a 30 percent withholding tax on a range of payments from the U.S.

The five highest annual totals of Americans giving up their passports have been recorded since 2010, when the law was enacted, the deVere Group noted. Even though the numbers have been rising, it's still a small fraction of the 7.6 million Americans who reside outside U.S. Borders.

While the law was targeted to track down tax evaders, critics say it has ended up hurting middle-class Americans who live outside the country and infringes on their privacy.

Still, for many the decision to give up their citizenship is a last resort, deVere Group noted. "For most Americans the very idea of giving up their citizenship because of the hassle and expense of complying with a controversial new tax law is unpalatable, to say the least," Green said.

Aside from FACTA, America's tax laws on expatriates have caused controversy and an outcry over what some say is unfair taxation. The U.S. is the only country that taxes its citizens on worldwide income, instead of where they earn the money. That means that an American who lives in Australia, for instance, has to file taxes in both countries, although they are exempt from paying U.S. taxes on their first $97,600 of earnings.

The surge in passport-swapping Americans may slow as citizens grow comfortable with the new regulations, the deVere Group noted.

It's not a step to take lightly: once an American gives up their passport, the move is not reversible. The U.S. State Department cautions those considering the move to think it through carefully, calling the step "serious and irrevocable."




“Avoiding Uncle Sam appeared to be a prime motivator, after a new U.S. tax law was enacted that makes it harder to hide assets from authorities. A survey from deVere last year found that almost four out of five of its clients, who are primarily American expatriates, said they would consider handing in their passports because of the law, which is called the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FACTA.... While the numbers picked up sharply last year, the trend for Americans handing in their passports has been rising since 2010, the group noted, when FACTA was originally enacted by Congress. The law, which went into full effect last year, requires foreign financial institutions to report the financial holdings of U.S. clients, or else face a 30 percent withholding tax on a range of payments from the U.S.... While the law was targeted to track down tax evaders, critics say it has ended up hurting middle-class Americans who live outside the country and infringes on their privacy..... Aside from FACTA, America's tax laws on expatriates have caused controversy and an outcry over what some say is unfair taxation. The U.S. is the only country that taxes its citizens on worldwide income, instead of where they earn the money. That means that an American who lives in Australia, for instance, has to file taxes in both countries, although they are exempt from paying U.S. taxes on their first $97,600 of earnings.... It's not a step to take lightly: once an American gives up their passport, the move is not reversible. The U.S. State Department cautions those considering the move to think it through carefully, calling the step "serious and irrevocable."

When you have lots of money you do have at least a few extra problems, it seems. People have been keeping their secret Swiss bank accounts for years, which doesn't seem fair to me. As a result I don't see this law as an invasion of privacy, but a way of keeping them from cheating. Maybe when I win the Power Ball, I'll change my viewpoint, of course.





http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/12/385692785/ukraine-cease-fire-is-reached-along-with-40-billion-aid-deal

Ukraine Cease-Fire Is Reached, Along With $40 Billion Aid Deal
Bill Chappell
FEBRUARY 12, 2015

A new cease-fire is set to begin Sunday in eastern Ukraine, in a deal after 16 hours of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. The leaders of France and Germany helped broker the deal, which calls for a buffer zone free of heavy weapons. News of the temporary peace emerged along with a new international aid plan for Ukraine.

As has been the case in Ukraine's nearly yearlong conflict with separatists, the new arrangement established by Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko leaves some important issues unresolved.

NPR's Corey Flintoff brings us these details that emerged from the talks in Minsk:

"The immediate issues in these talks were stopping the fighting, establishing a security zone between the two sides, and pulling their heavy weapons out of each other's range. The long-term issues are whether Ukraine will officially recognize the areas where separatists have declared independence, and give those regions power in the central government."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande acknowledged that more work remains to be done, even as they celebrated the temporary peace deal.

"This is a relief for Europe and a fine example of what France and Germany can do for peace," Hollande said.

"We have now a glimmer of hope," Merkel said, adding, "I have no illusions, we have no illusions."

The cease-fire, which would begin after midnight Saturday night, does not resolve the status of a transport hub called Debaltseve, which sits between two cities controlled by the separatists.

After a recent burst of fighting, insurgents — and Russia — are calling for the Ukrainian troops in the city to surrender, saying they're surrounded. Ukraine doesn't see it that way.

The apparent breakthrough comes as Ukraine, faced with a Russian-backed insurgency and a deep recession, has agreed to preliminary terms on an aid package that would bring some $40 billion to bolster its economy. That effort was led by the International Monetary Fund, which will contribute nearly half of the money in what would be a four-year deal.




“A new cease-fire is set to begin Sunday in eastern Ukraine, in a deal after 16 hours of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. The leaders of France and Germany helped broker the deal, which calls for a buffer zone free of heavy weapons. News of the temporary peace emerged along with a new international aid plan for Ukraine.... The long-term issues are whether Ukraine will officially recognize the areas where separatists have declared independence, and give those regions power in the central government." … The cease-fire, which would begin after midnight Saturday night, does not resolve the status of a transport hub called Debaltseve, which sits between two cities controlled by the separatists. After a recent burst of fighting, insurgents — and Russia — are calling for the Ukrainian troops in the city to surrender, saying they're surrounded. Ukraine doesn't see it that way.... The apparent breakthrough comes as Ukraine, faced with a Russian-backed insurgency and a deep recession, has agreed to preliminary terms on an aid package that would bring some $40 billion to bolster its economy. That effort was led by the International Monetary Fund, which will contribute nearly half of the money in what would be a four-year deal.”

I do hope this works out, but the 6:30 news tonight said that Russia brought in a large number of other arms just today. That doesn't sound like peaceful action to me. It sounds like taking this period of time before the cease fire takes effect to bolster the Russian position as well as possible.