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TO THE DOGS?
OPPORTUNITY
BARKS IN CHINA
PAGE 16
|
BUSINESS ASIAWITH
NEW ‘DIE HARD’
A DAD-AND-SON
SHOOT ’EMUP
PAGE 13
|
CULTURE
SUZYMENKES
RIHANNA GETS
INON THE FUN
PAGE 9
|
FASHION LONDON
THE GLOBAL EDITION OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013
GLOBAL.NYTIMES.COM
In the works:
A casino in
every home
SAN FRANCISCO
U.S. plans
ambitious
effort to map
human brain
NEW YORK
Silicon Valley is betting
that its next big success
will be online gambling
Project could help build
tools to fight disease and
aid artificial intelligence
BY DAVID STREITFELD
Look out Las Vegas and Macau, here
comes FarmVille.
Silicon Valley is betting that online
gambling is its next billion-dollar busi-
ness, with developers across the indus-
try turning casual games into occasions
for adults to wager.
At the moment these games are
aimed outside the United States, where
attitudes toward gambling can be more
relaxed and online betting is generally
legal, and extremely lucrative.
But game makers, whether small
teams or Facebook or Zynga, have their
eyes on the ultimate prize: the rich
American market, where most types of
real-money online wagers have been
cleared by the Justice Department.
Two states, Nevada and Delaware,
are already laying the groundwork for
virtual gambling. Within months they
are likely to be joined by New Jersey.
Bills have also been introduced in
California, Iowa, Mississippi and other
states, driven by the realization that on-
line gambling could bring in streams of
tax revenue. In Iowa, online gambling
proponents estimated that 150,000 resi-
dentswere playing poker illegally, out of
a population of three million.
Legislative progress, though, is slow.
Opponents include an influential casino
industry wary of competition and tradi-
tional anti-gambling factions, which op-
pose such activity on moral grounds.
Silicon Valley is hardly discouraged.
Companies there say that online
gambling will soon become as simple as
buying an e-book or streaming a movie
and that the convenience of being able
to bet from your couch, surrounded by
virtual friends, will offset the lack of glit-
tering ambience found in a real-world
casino. Think you can get a field of corn
BY JOHNMARKOFF
Hoping to do for the brain what the Hu-
man Genome Project did for genetics,
President Barack Obama’s administra-
tion is planning an ambitious, decade-
long scientific effort to examine the
workings of the human brain and build a
comprehensive map of its activity.
The project, which the administration
has been hoping to unveil as early as
March, will include U.S. government
agencies, private foundations and
teams of neuroscientists and nano-sci-
entists in a concerted effort to advance
knowledge of the brain’s billions of neu-
rons and to gain greater insights into
perception, actions and, ultimately, con-
sciousness.
Scientists with the highest hopes for
the project also see it as a way to devel-
op the technology essential to under-
standing diseases like Alzheimer’s and
Parkinson’s, as well as finding new ther-
apies for a variety of mental illnesses.
Moreover, the project holds the poten-
tial for paving the way for advances in
artificial intelligence — the implemen-
tation of human capabilities in com-
puters and robots, like vision, speech re-
cognition and synthesis, as well as
decision-making.
The project, which could ultimately
amount to billions of dollars, is expected
to be part of Mr. Obama’s budget pro-
posal inMarch.
The details and the financing are not
final, but four scientists and representa-
tives from institutions involved with the
planning say it has a name: the Brain
ActivityMap.
It is not clear how much government
money will be proposed or approved for
the project in a time of fiscal constraint,
or how far it could advance without sig-
nificant U.S. funding.
A top administration official, Francis
Collins, the director of the National In-
stitutes of Health, may have inadvert-
ently confirmed the existence of the
project when he wrote in a Twitter mes-
sage last week during the president’s
State of the Union speech: ‘‘Obama
mentions the #NIH Brain Activity Map
in #SOTU.’’ A spokesman for the White
House Office of Science and Technology
Policy declined to comment on the proj-
ect.
The initiative, if successful, could
provide a boost for the U.S. economy,
much the way the Human Genome Proj-
ect spawned a multitude of businesses,
in areas fromSiliconValley to Route 128,
the technology corridor in Massachu-
setts.
‘‘The Human Genome Project was on
the order of about $300million a year for
a decade,’’ said George M. Church, a
Harvard University molecular biologist
who helped create the project and who
said hewas helping to plan the BrainAc-
tivity Map. ‘‘If you look at the total
spending in neuroscience and nano-
science that might be relative to this
MUSA FARMAN/EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY
Grief in Pakistan
ShiiteMuslims in Quetta onMonday next to the bodies of victims of a bombing that killed dozens on Saturday in southwestern Pakistan. As thousands
protested for a second day, relatives of the victims were refusing to bury their loved ones until the Pakistani Army took action against the militants targeting Shiites.
PAGE 3
With ex-po
pe in shadows, a puzzler f
or church
VATICAN CITY
BY RACHEL DONADIO
What will he be called? Will he keep his
white robes and trademark red loafers?
And in the last absolutemonarchy in the
West, how does the dramatic resigna-
tion of Benedict XVI, the first pope to
step down willingly in six centuries,
change a role long considered by the Ro-
man Catholic Church to be that of God’s
representative on Earth?
In transforming an office with an aura
of divinity into something far more hu-
man, Benedict’s decision has sent shock
waves through the Vatican hierarchy,
tions of Benedict’s act remain unclear.
‘‘What is the status of an ex-pope?’’
asked Ken Pennington, a professor of
ecclesiastical and legal history at the
Catholic University of America inWash-
ington. ‘‘We have no rules about that at
all. What is his title? What are his
powers? Does he lose infallibility?’’
Some said that the very idea of a re-
tired pope meant that the title had lost
some of its luster. Other monarchies,
like the British crown, have clear rules
about transfer of power. Not so the Vat-
ican. ‘‘It’s fine for the Queen Mother to
be Queen Mother, but you don’t really
feel that Benedict can be the ‘Pope Fa-
ther,’ ’’ said Diarmaid MacCulloch, a
Scholars are asking how
a pope can be infallible one
day and fallible again the next.
NEWS ANALYSIS
who next month will elect his successor.
But it has also puzzled the faithful and
scholars, whowonder howa pope can be
infallible one day and fallible again the
next — and whether that might under-
mine the authority of church teaching.
Benedict stunned the world last week
when he said that he would retire Feb.
28, a decision he said he had made ‘‘in
full liberty and for the good of the
church.’’ Even as the Vatican has tried
to play down the confusion, saying that
Canon Law provides for a clear transfer
of power if a pope resigns, the implica-
professor of the history of the church at
Oxford University.
Although in the popular imagination,
everything a pope says and writes is of-
ten perceived as infallible, papal pro-
nouncements are only considered infal-
lible when a pope speaks ‘‘ex cathedra,’’
in his capacity as leader of the universal
church, on questions of faith and mor-
als. The Vatican spokesman, the Rev.
GAMING, PAGE 17
ONLINE GAMEWITH A HIGHER CALLING
A new game on Facebook next month
aims to raise awareness of a social
cause and generate donations.
PAGE 17
POPE, PAGE 5
It’s like Guantánamo, except it’s for cars
KABUL
Guantánamo.
Behind these walls are thousands of
cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles and
even bicycles, lined up in vehicular pur-
gatory after falling afoul of the Kabul
traffic police. Things that have landed
cars in the slammer: illegal left turns,
parking violations, involvement in fend-
er-benders and, perhaps most egre-
gious, failure to pay a bribe.
‘‘I’ve been waiting two months to get
my van back,’’ said SayedWahid, whose
quest to reclaim it, after it was impoun-
ded for an expired international permit,
propelled him on an exhausting odys-
sey through no fewer than six different
government agencies. ‘‘How do you
think I feel about the government?’’
Mr. Wahid’s experience is far from
isolated. Some Kabul residents describe
efforts spanning many months and big
money to free their vehicles, only to win
back a chassis long since stripped down
for its parts. Keenly aware of the horror
stories, most people here go to great
lengths to avoid any interaction at all
with the traffic police.
Taken as a case study of trust in gov-
ernment, then, Car Guantánamo has
only a grim prognosis to offer.
‘‘Here in this country, there is no rule
of law,’’ said Wadir Safi, director of the
Independent National Legal Training
Center. ‘‘Traffic incidents are the smal-
lest part of it.’’
Bad experiences with the police are,
of course, not specific only to Afghanis-
Impound lot in Kabul
offers a glimpse of graft
and low trust in the state
BY AZAM AHMED
On the northern edge of Kabul, down a
road riddled with mammoth potholes, is
a secure site that bears all the marks of
a prison: high stone walls topped with
concertina wire, police officers barking
into walkie-talkies, forsaken visitors pa-
cing the compound’s edge, waiting for a
sign of hope.
Residents of
BRYAN DENTON FOR THE NEWYORK TIMES
An impound lot in Kabul known as ‘‘Car Guantánamo.’’ Keenly aware of the difficulty of
getting their vehicles released, Kabul residents try to steer clear of the city’s traffic police.
the city call
it Car
AFGHANISTAN, PAGE 3
BRAIN, PAGE 4
WORLDNEWS
Marines put women to the test
The U.S. Marine Corps, the most male
of the services, is assessing female
volunteers in a grueling training course
to see whether women can make it in
the infantry.
PAGE 3
Chávez makes surprise return
President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela
came home to his country early
Monday after more than two months of
medical treatment in Cuba following
cancer surgery.
PAGE 4
Devastating, but random
Residents of Chelyabinsk, Russia, were
left scratching their heads over shock
waves that caused heavy damage in
some homes while leaving other
properties untouched.
PAGE 5
War crimes trial urged for Syria
The U.N. Security Council should refer
Syria to the International Criminal
Court to prosecute those responsible
for war crimes and other abuses, a U.N.
human rights investigator said.
PAGE 8
PAGE TWO
Rebuilding an Irish enclave
After one of the worst residential fires
in New York City, an outpouring of help
came from across the Atlantic in
Ireland to reconnect and try to rebuild
the Irish-American neighborhood.
VIEWS
Roger Cohen
The first-termObamaWhite House
shunned the tough choices of real
diplomacy, often descended into
pettiness, and was controlled by a small
group of unpracticed advisers.
PAGE 7
An ill-advised purge in Libya
Barring anyone associated with the
regime of Muammar el-Qaddafi from
government would repeat a bad Iraqi
error, Ibrahim Sharqieh writes.
PAGE 6
ONLINE
The Beatles’ first frontman
Tony Sheridan, who was the star on
the Beatles’ first commercial recording
— they were the backup band — died
Saturday in Hamburg at 72. During
sessions in Hamburg in 1961 and 1962,
Mr. Sheridan and the Beatles recorded
nine songs together, and one of them, a
rocked-up version of the folk ballad
‘‘My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,’’
proved pivotal to the band’s career.
global.nytimes.com/obituaries
Eliminating trade barriers
The United States and the European
Union hope to eliminate trade barriers.
The talks will be tough, but officials are
convinced that progress can be made,
AlanWheatley writes.
PAGE 20
BUSINESS ASIA
Film taps into online following
Universal’s ‘‘Fast & Furious’’ has more
Facebook ‘‘likes’’ than any active film
series except ‘‘Avatar.’’ That passion is
building anticipation for the next
installment, set to open inMay.
PAGE 16
China tests quasi-gambling
At the Mangrove Tree Resort World on
Hainan Island, guests put up cash but
win only points for purchases. Global
casino operators are watching.
PAGE 17
PATRICK T. FALLON FOR THE NYT
Virtual reality (for real)
The components created for mobile
electronics, coupled with innovations
by a start-up called Oculus VR, could
bring about a virtual reality headset at
consumer prices.
PAGE 16
Cameron asks India to open up
Prime Minister David Cameron of
Britain arrived in India onMonday
asking his hosts to ease restrictions on
foreign investment.
PAGE 16
NEWSSTAND PRICES
France ¤ 3.00
IN THIS ISSUE
No. 40,416
Business 16
Crossword 15
Culture 12
Fashion 9
Sports 14
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2
|
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE
page two
An attempt
to take tools
from tyrants
legal use,’’ Martin J.Muench, Gamma’s
managing director, replied to e-mailed
questions. ‘‘Export licensing forIntru-
sionSoftware is underconstant review
by theexport authorities.’ ’
Mr.Muench, however,would not con-
firm whether Gamma had sold such
equipmenttoBahrain. ‘‘Naming a cli-
ent can prejudice criminal orcounter-
terrorinvestigations and compromise
security of the members of the policeor
securityservicesinvolved,’’ he stated.
Trovicor would not confirm the com-
plaint. ‘‘Trovicor’sproduct and sys-
tems aim to protect and keepnations,
citizens and public infrastructure safe,’’
Birgitt Fischer-Harrow, the company’s
spokeswoman, replied to e-mailed
questions. ‘‘Asasupplier oflawfulin-
terception technology, Trovicorcon-
ductsalegal business and strictly ob-
servesallinternational laws.’ ’
TheO.E.C.D. said therewas a ‘‘rising
trend in the number ofcasesbrought
beforethe National ContactPoints on
the grounds ofhuman rights.’ ’ But
rightsactivistssaytheO.E.C.D.
guidelinesare toothless becausethey
arevoluntary and becausetheO.E.C.D.
doesnot believe in naming and sham-
ing. That is why human rightsactivists
and lawmakers argue that European
governmentsshould tighten their ex-
port legislationfor highly sensitive
equipmentthat canbe adaptedfordual
use, meaning forbothcivilian and mili-
tary purposes.
‘‘The current legislationisnot suffi-
cient,’’ said TomKoenigs, chairman of
the German Parliament’scommittee
forhuman rights. ‘‘The Bahrain case
shows this clearly. German technology
helps to suppress democratic protests
in the country.’ ’
Whenit comes to exporting such
technology and armaments, Chancellor
Angela Merkel’scenter-right govern-
ment is torn betweeninterests and val-
ues.
The recent controversy over plans
by Berlin to sell tanks to Saudi Arabia
provokedanintense debate among
lawmakers over the morality ofselling
weapons to authoritarian regimes that
could usethem against activists. In
2011, Saudi Arabia senttanks and
troops into Bahrain to help the mon-
archy suppress pro-democracy
protests.
Mr. Koenigs, amember of theopposi-
tionGreens, and other oppositionfig-
ures want such exports to be subjectto
more stringent and transparent con-
trols and not decidedinsecrecy.
The German government has in the
past argued that particular military ex-
ports, liketanks,were needed to pro-
tect Saudi Arabia’sborders.Analysts
said Berlin’s primary motivation was
to help the Saudi government maintain
stability. Thatwas the prevailing argu-
ment beforetheArab Spring.
Yet oncethe democracy movement
took off in 2011, European governments
admitted thatthey had discredited
their own valuesbyexporting weapons
to the region’sautocratic governments.
Now, Mr.Muhafdha is asking, are Ber-
lin and otherE.U. governments making
the same mistake again?
Judy Dempsey is editor in chief of Stra-
tegic Europe at Carnegie Europe.
(www.carnegieeurope.eu)
E-MAIL:
jdempsey@iht.com
Judy
Dempsey
LETTER FROM EUROPE
BERLIN
Nabeel Rajab, presidentof the
Bahrain CenterforHuman Rights, has
been in jail since pro-democracy
demonstrations began in Bahrain two
years ago. The center’s vice president,
Said Yousif al-Muhafdha, has also been
imprisoned onseveral occasions.
Mr.Muhafdha continues to fight for
human rights even though the Bahraini
government has clampeddown onany
opposition, intensifying its electronic
surveillance. ‘‘No matterhow Icom-
municate, theyknow,’’ Mr.Muhafdha
said in an interview. ‘‘The regime has
sophisticated electronic surveillance
equipment allowing ittospy on every-
thing we do by social media,e-mail and
phone.’’
In a bid to prevent European compa-
niesfromselling such equipmentto
Bahrain,the Bahrain CenterforHu-
man Rights, Reporters Without Bor-
ders and othernongovernmental or-
ganizations earlier this month took
action. Theyfiledacomplaint against
two companiesattheOrganizationfor
Economic Cooperation and Develop-
ment, which represents the developed
economies.
TheO.E.C.D. has guidelinesfor ‘‘re-
sponsible business conduct,’’ including
human rights. ItsNational Contact
Points officesinthe memberstates try
to encourage businesses to observe the
guidelines and encourage individuals
or organizations to complain about
questionable business practices.
The two companiesinquestionare
the British-German Gamma Interna-
tional and the German Trovicor. Both
make softwarethat allows users to in-
fect computer and phone devices and
intercepte-mails, social media mes-
sages and Skype calls, according to the
complaint. TheO.E.C.D. now has to de-
cidewhetherbothcompanies exported,
and continue to export, surveillance
softwaretothe Bahraini authorities
that is usedforsuppressing human
rights.
If so, these companies would be in
breach of the guidelines. Theycould
also be breaching national export con-
trols that place restrictions on equip-
ment being used to quash dissent.
Gamma International confirmedit
was the subjectofacomplaint atthe
National Contacts Point for Britain.
‘‘Intrusionsoftware isarelatively new
form of technology. Lawsaround the
world are being modified to ensure its
PHOTOGRAPHS BYMICHAEL KIRBY SMITH FOR THE NEWYORK TIMES
Brian Hayes, second from right, an Irish minister of state, viewing damage to the Breezy Point area of New York. ‘‘This isn’t a hard sell at home,’’ he said, referring to aid money.
Reconn
ecting and rebuilding
consul eneral of eland, Noel
Kilkenny, said he and others had made
special efforts to avoid the impression of
‘‘the Irish looking after their own.’ ’
The government has pledgedatotal
of $320,000 in aid to places across the re-
gion thatwere hit by the storm,which
included otherneighborhoods known
for their large concentrations ofpeople
of Irish heritage, like Belle Harborin
Queens, just down the peninsula.
‘‘The Irish connectionisso strong, it’s
totally appropriate,’’ said Brian Hayes,
a minister ofstate in the Irish govern-
ment, while touring burned-out sections
ofBreezy Point in early February. ‘‘This
isn’t a hard sell at home.’’
Mr. Hayes was accompanied that day
by a convoy of only-in-Ireland sports
stars — strapping present and former
players in the country’sbelovedGaelic
games,which include native sports like
hurling, a high-speedprecursor to field
hockey.With themcame a giant cham-
pionship chalice called the Sam
Maguire Cup,which many local resi-
dentsrecognized on sight. The 18 ath-
letesspent several days sawing joistsin
the damagedCatholic Club and sleeping
oncotsinthe Rockaway PointVolun-
teerFire Department’sfirehouse.
Inaceremony heralded by bagpipers
of the Breezy Point Catholic Club Pipes
and Drums in spats and tuftedbeanies
and covered by a gaggleof Irish report-
ers,the area’sathletic center,the St.
Thomas MoreParish Center,which had
beendestroyedbythe storm,was offi-
cially reopened. The basketball court,
paid for in part by a $50,000 gift from the
Irish government, is emblazoned witha
giant shamrock.
‘‘It makesyou feel very wanted,’ ’ said
Tim Devlin, 50, acontractor and former
Gaelic gamesathlete who livedinBreezy
Point and had organized the players’trip.
‘‘We don’t feelso alone after the storm.’ ’
The population of the Republic ofIre-
land and Northern Ireland combinedis
just over sixmillion. In theUnitedStates,
morethan 34 millionpeople assert Irish
ancestry.Andwhilethe nucleus of Amer-
ican Irishness is a tossupbetweenBos-
ton andNewYork,thetowns of theRock-
away Peninsula have long beenseenas
beenasourceofcontroversy. Itwas
once called an ‘‘an apartheid village’’ by
the Rev. Al Sharpton, a well-knowncivil
rightsactivist, during a protest. Steve
Greenberg,the former chairman of the
Breezy Point cooperative’sboard, said
thattohis knowledge, no black family
had everheld a share in the private com-
munity. Eveninthe days after the storm,
volunteerfirefighters in the community
repeatedly told a visitorasshe lefttobe-
wareof the residents ofFarRockaway,
the predominantly black neighborhood
attheother end of the peninsula.
Concerns over the community’s insu-
larityhave been privately broachedby
the Irish coming to the aid ofBreezy
Point.
Participants were conscious of this is-
sue at storm-relief planningmeetings at
the Consulate General ofIreland inNew
York in November, said OwenRodgers,
the secretary of the Emerald Guild Soci-
ety, an organization of Irish and Irish-
American building managers. He said
he felt itwas importantthat any help go
beyond just Breezy Point and into the
widercommunityhit by the storm.Or-
ganizations liketheAisling Irish Com-
munityCenterinYonkers,which was
one recipientof the Irish government’s
donation, have aidedrelief effortsina
variety of places.
Mr. Rodgers comparedittohis own
history growing upinNorthern Ireland,
which weatheredabitter era ofsectari-
an strife. ‘‘I was vocal in saying we have
to help everybody in the community,’ ’
he said. ‘‘I understand the issues of dis-
crimination, because Imyself was dis-
criminated against.’’
Mr. Kilkenny,the consulgeneral, said
the government had also chosengroups
that aideddiverse communities to re-
ceive mostofitsdonation, and the 1,500
volunteers for the ‘‘Irish Days of Ac-
tion’’ after the storm were purposefully
fanned out to areas like Far Rockaway.
‘‘New York has beengood to the Irish,’ ’
said Mr. Kilkenny,explaining the move.
‘‘The Irish are giving back to New
York.’ ’
Evenasthe Irish have respondedin
droves to a crisis they view in many
ways as their own, so, too, have people
withno connectionat all. Thousands
fromNew York and beyond have
showed up to help the gatedcommunity,
which usually has its private security
force keep out strangers.
Somewhere in that outpouring ofsup-
port, said the Rev. MichaelC. Gribbon,
associate pastoratthe Blessed Trinity
Parish in Breezy Point, was a lesson.
‘‘People from every race have helped
out,’’ he said. ‘‘The diversity has beena
blessing.’ ’
NEW YORK
In aftermath of fire,
Irish go all out to aid
an enclave in New York
BY SARAHMASLIN NIR
Forgenerations the residents ofBreezy
Point, aneighborhoodinQueens, abor-
ough ofNew York, have clung to their
emerald roots. The gatedcommunity
theycalled the IrishRiviera—or to those
who prefer the languageof theOld
World, ‘‘cois farraige,’’ Gaelic for‘‘beside
the sea’’ —has remained oneof themost
proudly Irish communitiesintheUnited
States.
SowhenHurricane Sandy tore
through the coastal enclave in October,
setting off oneof the most destructive
residential firesinNew York City’s his-
tory and leaving behind hundreds of
charred orfloodedhouses, all that love
for the homeland was suddenly recip-
rocated, roaring back from across the
Atlantic.
Breezy Point has become something
ofapopular cause in Ireland, its plight
an urgenttopic in newspaperheadlines
and radio dispatchesmorethan three
months after the storm. Gaelic rock
stars threw fund-raisers, Irish compa-
niessent money and otherdonations,
the country’sconsulate bused thou-
sands of volunteers through Breezy
Point’sgatesfor ‘‘Irish Days of Action,’ ’
and popstars made pilgrimages, includ-
ing the Irish Tenors,who serenadedlo-
cal residents over a Christmas lunch
and badethem‘‘the luck of the Irish.’ ’
‘‘It has become ahuge Irish-Ameri-
can issue,’’ said Aine Sheridan, 53,the
executive producer of theAdrian Flan-
nelly show on the Irish Radio Network
USA, which has covered the recovery of
Breezy Point and the city’s Irish non-
stop sinceOctober. ‘‘It’sanothercounty
ofIreland.’ ’
New York has always beendotted
with a changing mix of ethnic enclaves.
And while it is commonfor the diaspora
to cometothe aid of themotherland dur-
ing hard times,theevents playing out in
Breezy Point remind thatonrareocca-
sions the rolesare switched: The home-
land will cometothe aid ofits diaspora.
But complicating the currentem-
brace from abroad is the gatedcommu-
nity’s extreme insularity. Breezy Point
is thewhitest neighborhoodinNew
York, ademographic makeup that crit-
ics say illustrates theenclave’s en-
trenchedxenophobia, a dark flip side,
perhaps,toall thatethnic pride. The
The towns of the Rockaway
Peninsula have long been seen
as jewels in the crown of the
Irish abroad.
jewels in the crown of the Irish abroad.
Therewereevensongswrittenabout the
Irish experienceof‘‘Old Rockaway.’ ’
Morethan 63 percentof the4 381
people in Breezy Point and nearby
Roxbury areof Irish descent, including
a large number ofpoliceofficers and
firefighters who live in bungalows and
one-bedroomhomes. That connection
becamewell knowninIreland after
Sept. 11, 2001,when the communitylost
dozens ofresidentsinthe attacks.
‘‘After9/11,webecamevery awareof
wherethe Irish were living,’ ’ said An-
thony Kearns, amember of the Irish
Tenors who had sung atthe Christmas
luncheon. ‘‘AfterHurricane Sandy, it be-
came highlighted evenmore.’’
Its ethnic and racial makeup has also
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Singapore’s immigration debate
‘‘Many people in Asia condemned Australia when Pauline Hanson was at
the height of her popularity for her anti-immigration views. Is it O.K. for
these protesters in Singapore to have the same views about immigration that
many Asians criticized Australia for?’’
AUSSIE 101, MELBOURNE
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IN OUR PAGES
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100, 75, 50 YEARS AGO
1913 Poincaré Assumes Office of Presidency
PARIS
If M. Raymond Poincaré, instead ofbeing
the new presidentof the French Republic, had
beensomewell-belovedsovereign making a ‘‘joy-
ous entry’’ into his capital, he could not have been
accordedamore royal welcome. Long before two
o’clock,the hour whenM. Briand, as presidentof
theMinisterial Council,was due atM.Poincaré’s
residencetoaccompany the new presidentof the
Republic to thePalais de l’Elysée, the crowdbegan
to gather,veritableoceans ofhumanity,waiting in
buoyant humor to catch a glimpseof theman in
whomFrance has placedherconfidence.
1938 Austrian Minister Leaves Berlin
BERLIN
Afteratwo-day stay in Berlin, Dr.Ar-
thurSeyss-Inquart, new AustrianMinister of the
Interior underNaziauspices, left for Vienna to-
night[Feb. 18]. The outstanding featureof
today’sprogramwas a talk withDr.Wilhelm
Frick,Minister of the Interior. Earlierinthe day
theAustrian guest conferred withMinister
Rudolph Hess, Hitler’sdeputy. The slogan of ‘‘re-
specting theAustrian Constitution’’ was reiter-
ated. Germany, itwas said,will take appropriate
measures to ‘‘preventthe interference by party
offices withdomestic conditions in Austria.’ ’
1963 CongressmanWould Reject Aid Plea
WASHINGTON
President Romulo Betancourtof
Venezuela,who is scheduled to arrive here to-
morrow, faces a mixedreception. Rep.WilliamC.
Cramer, R., Fla., vice chairman of the Republican
Congressional Campaign Committee, wants
President Kennedy to askMr. Betancourt some
critical questions about Venezuelan policy. Rep.
Cramer’s listofquestions includes asking Mr.
Betancourtwhether the government plans to
ban the CommunistParty. Rep. Cramer said the
U.S. should rejectPresident Betancourt’s expect-
edrequest for $1 billioninaid.
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3
THE GLOBAL EDITION OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
asia-pacific united states
BRIEFLY
Asia-Pacific
Trying to avoid ‘Car Guantánamo’ in Kabul
AFGHANISTAN, FROMPAGE 1
tan. But the stakeshere are among the
highest: The international community
has pouredmorethan a decadeofin-
tenseeffort and aid into building an ac-
countable justice systeminAfghanis-
tan, calling it crucial to government
efforts to draw support away from the
Taliban and local warlords.
Despite that, mostAfghans still say
theyhave little faith thattheir govern-
ment can honestly enforcethe law. The
rulesareunevenly applied, punitive to
thosewho can least afford it, andmostly
irrelevanttothosewithmoney and
power. Transparency International re-
cently put Afghanistan atthe bottom of
itsCorruption Perceptions Index, along
withSomalia and NorthKorea.
For their part, policeofficers —the
mostubiquitous faces ofgovernment
for everyday Afghans — insisttheyare
doing their job.
‘‘If someone makesawrong turn,
what should we do, give them a basket
of owers?’’ askedGen.Asadullah
Khan,the chief of traffic police in Kabul.
‘‘Thosewho break the lawtypically
complain about the police.’’
On the streets ofKabul,though, pessi-
mism prevails.Whenit comes to acci-
dents,the prudent driverismost likely to
try, if at all possible, to settlethe dispute
on the spot, well beforeofficers arrive.
And accidentsareonly growing more
common. Kabul’spopulation has ex-
ploded over the past decade, and the
mayor’s officeestimates thatthere are
650,000 vehicles vying for the rightof
way onanetwork of narrow streetsbuilt
to accommodate about 30,000. The city’s
tricky traffic circles, mnipresent
potholes and pedestrian overflow have
createdaknot ofsmog and frustration.
International institutions have attempt-
ed to assistthe city with traffic manage-
ment, but progress can be hard to find.
The police force’s main strategy to
thin the glut of vehicles has been to
crack down on drivers without licenses,
no longer simply fining them, but send-
ing them to jail foraslong as sixmonths.
Cars without properregistrationare
confiscated
SYDNEY
Papua New Guinea charges 2
in killing of witchcraft suspect
The police in PapuaNewGuinea
charged two peopleon Monday with
the killing ofawoman whowas burned
alive in frontofhundreds ofpeople
afterbeing accused of witchcraft.
The defendants, Janet Ware and An-
drewWatea,were charged withmurder
in the killing ofKepari Leniata, a20-
year-old woman whowas stripped,tor-
tured withahot ironrod, dousedingas-
oline and set alighton a pileofcartires
and trash by a mob this month.Ms.
Leniata had beenaccused ofsorcery by
relatives ofa6-year-old boy who had re-
cently diedinahospital.Ms.Ware and
Mr.Wateaare believed to bethe boy’s
mother and uncle, the police said.
(AP)
DHAKA, BANGLADESH
Protest over war crimes trial
leads to motorist’s death
Amotorist died on Monday in a crash
afteractivists with Bangladesh’s
largest Islamic party chasedavehicle
during a nationwide general strike
called to denounce a war crimes trial.
The driverlost control of thevehicle
and it overturned while protesters were
pursuing itMonday in Dhaka,the local
newsreports said, citing witnesses and
the police. One man died, and a passen-
ger was injured.
The Jamaat-e-Islami,the Islamic
Party, has enforced the strike in Dhaka
to oppose acontinuing war crimes trial.
Partyleaders are standing trial for
their rolesinthe country’s indepen-
dencewar in 1971 againstPakistan.
(AP)
BRYAN DENTON FOR THE NEWYORK TIMES
A Kabul taxi driver waiting at the impound lot. Vehicles are confiscated for illegal left turns, parking violations, involvement in accidents and, sometimes, failure to pay a bribe.
beenh t by anothercar. He quickly
called thetraffic policetothe scene, he
said. But both drivers became frantic,
warning him that if the IncidentUnit
came, therewould be rouble. The
driver of theother vehicle quickly paid
upfor the damage and wenton his way.
‘‘We aretrying to put programs and
policiesinto placetofix things,’ ’ Mr.
Sidiqqi said. ‘‘We have the funding.We
just have poor training.’ ’
Asfor the infamous impound lot, Gen-
eral Khan,thetraffic police chief, knows
thewidely held nickname forit. But he
bristles and insists on using its official
title: the KabulTrafficPoliceParking
Lot.
By any name, it is busy. Every year,
about 3,000 cars, 3,000 motorcycles and
an undeterminednumber of bicyclesare
imprisonedinCarGuantánamo, accord-
ing to government figures. General Khan
did not have readily available figuresfor
howmany are released, but he suggested
visiting the lot to ask people heir
thoughtsabout the system.Asteady
drizzle accompaniedathrong ofdejected
car owners during a recentvisittothe
impound lot. The menstaredat a half-
dozenpoliceofficers stationedbehind the
gates, sipping chai and chatting casually.
Rows of vehicles fill the lot in varying
states ofdegradation — scores of the
omnipresent Corollas of Kabul, ar-
moredS.U.V.’s, afew colorfully painted
Pakistani transporttrucks. Hundreds of
motorcycles linetheedges of the mud
lot. A mangled mass ofmetal sitsinthe
center of the area,the size ofseveral
football fields,wherewreckedmotor-
cyclesare piled.Aconfiscated bicycle
pokes through thetop of the heap.
Themenwaiting outside share similar
stories. Illegal parking. Expired tags.Ar-
guing with thetraffic police. Theyhave
waitedanywhere from a single day to
morethan two months to retrieve their
vehicles. Confusedbythe byzantine sys-
tem, most simply plead with the policeto
return their cars. No luck there.
In November,Mr.Wahid had driven
his van fromKunduz down to Kabul
whenhewas pulled overat acheckpoint
in the capital. His license and car tags
were clean, but apermittocross inter-
national borders,though not neededfor
that specific trip, had expired.
Foramoment, he said, he considered
bribing theofficer. He has regretted
every day for the past two months his
decisionnot to.
Mr.Wahid caughtthe bus back north
to sort out his paperwork. But whenhe
got back to Kabul,the Foreign Ministry
officials would not accept it: They did
not believe itwas authentic. So hewent
forhelp to thetraffic department, but
that, too, provedfruitless.
A hustlerbynature, Mr.Wahid trieda
multipronged approach. Hevisited the
Interior Ministry,the Kabulpolice chief
and theParliament, where he found a
helpfulmemberfromKunduz. He re-
ceivedletters urging the authorities to
release his vehicle. When that failed to
work, he applied again for his interna-
tional permitwith the government.
Now, $1,600 into his grim journey, he
says he is still not sure he is any closer
to getting his vehicle back.
He has beenholedupinKabul, borrow-
ing money to live and taking the long bus
ridetosee his family on theweekends.
Despite it all, he somehow seems
mostly unruffled. He simply doesnot
expectthe governmenttowork for him.
‘‘What can I say?’’ he asked, plucking
attheembroidery on his clothing. ‘‘This
is not evenagovernment.’’
Jawad Sukhanyar and Sangar Rahimi
contributed reporting.
and
impounded —
Guantánamo bound.
Thetraffic has become big business in
Kabul,with the city raking in about $40
millionayear in fees and fines, accord-
ing to General Khan.
Among the most notoriousprongs of
thetraffic divisionisthe IncidentUnit,
which rolls around the cityfromacci-
denttoaccident, making determina-
tions of blame and plucking errant cars
from the road.
‘‘The IncidentUnit, theyare now fa-
mous,’ ’ acknowledged Sidiq Sidiqqi,the
spokesman of the Interior Ministry,
which oversees the police.
Heeven had his own experiencetore-
count. Shaking his head, hetold ofhow
his governmentvehicle had recently
MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP
A Bangladeshi youth shouting Monday as
protesters demanded justice for war crimes.
MALÉ, MALDIVES
Warrant issued for ex-leader
taking refuge at embassy
The police in theMaldives saidMon-
day that acourtwarrant had beenis-
sued to arrest former PresidentMo-
hamed Nasheed,who remainedinthe
Indian Embassy after taking refuge
there six days ago.
Mr. Nasheed,theMaldives’ first
democratically electedleader, leftoffice
last year in contested circumstances.
Heentered theembassy in the capital
lastWednesday as the policetried to
arrest him in connection withacourt
case.
Thewarrant calls for the policetoar-
restMr. Nasheed and produce him in
courtonWednesday.
(REUTERS)
COLOMBO
32 on Myanmar boat saved
after ordeal that killed scores
The Sri Lankan Navy has reported the
rescue of32Myanmar citizens whose
vesselbegan sinking while making a
dangerousjourney to Australia.
The rescue was madeonSaturday
about 460 kilometers,or290 miles,off
the island’s eastern coast, the navy
said. The survivors were being treated
foracute dehydration. The group, 31
men and one boy, had beenat sea with-
out foodfor21dayswhen the navyres-
cued themafterbeing informedbyalo-
cal fishing boat.
Survivors told local newspapers that
therewere 130 passengers atthe begin-
ning of the journey and that 98 had died
on theway. Their bodies were dumped
in the sea. Survivors said they were
planning to gotoAustralia after their
attempttoenter Malaysia failed.
(AP)
KABUL
Raid kills insurgent accused
in attack on U.S. soldiers
An Afghan soldier who killedanAmer-
ican during an insiderattack in eastern
Afghanistan last year and was honored
by the Tal iban has been killedinaraid,
theU.S.-ledcoalition saidMonday.
Officials withNATO identified the in-
surgent as Mahmood and said he and
an accomplice, identified as Rashid,
diedinanoperation lastWednesday in
eastern Kunar Province.
Mahmoodisthoughttohave beenre-
sponsible for the killing of Alejo
Thompson, an American,on a base in
Kunar Province. The attack,onMay 11,
alsowounded two U.S. soldiers.
(AP)
MANADO, INDONESIA
Landslide and flood toll reaches 15
Rescuers found five more bodiesinthe
mudafterflooding and landslidesin
northern Indonesia, bringing the death
toll to 15 after the disaster that sent
thousands fleeing for safe ground,the
police saidMonday.Morethan 1,000
houses were floodedbyanoverflowing
riverinManado, the capital ofNorth
Sulawesi Province.
(AP)
In Marine in
fantry, women are put to the test
Pakistan Shiites
press army to
fight militants
artillery, combatengineering and low-
altitude air defenseunits; and a longer-
term one for the infantry. Fornonin-
fantry combatunits,Marine command-
ers will beexpected to establish require-
ments or every jobbyJune. For
example, tank crew members must be
abletolift40-pound shells using arm
strengtha one, becauseof thetight
quarters of thevehicle.
The new requirements will become
the basis for physical testsintended to
screenmen and womenfor particular
jobs. It is possiblethatthetests already
administered to all marines annually —
the physical fitness test and the combat
fitness test—will be deemedadequate
fordetermining fitness forsome jobs.
But wherethosetestsare not adequate,
the corps will develop additional ones.
The corps will also begin using a new
physical fitness test next January that
will require all marines, male and fe-
male, to do aminimumof three pull-ups,
and, for marinesyounger than 27, 50
crunchesintwo minutes. Thethree-
mile, orfive-kilometer, run timewill be
scoredbygender.
Marineofficials have said that 15
women who already volunteered to use
the new fitness testthis year — it is not
required until next year — all passed
with maximumscoresforpull-ups, do-
ing eightormore. Formen, 20 pull-ups
are neededfor a maximumscore.
General Amos said he hoped that
testsfor the noninfantry combatunits
would be in place by theend of this year,
potentially allowing women finishing
boot camp early next year to move into
some combatunits. ‘‘I’mreally pretty
bullish on this thing,’ ’ he said.
The infantry will take longer. The
Marine Corps producesabout 110 female
officersayear, and so far,only fourhave
volunteered or the Infantry Officer
Course. General Amos said hewould
need many moretodraw conclusions.
Given the heavydoseof infantry life
thatofficers experience in their initial
training, he said, he is not surprised that
womenhave not beenrushing to enter
the course.
‘‘By thetime you’ve spent six months
of this, picking ticks off of every partof
yourbody, freezing cold, smelling like a
goat and eating M.R.E.’s, you may go,
‘Well,this infantry stuff isn’t forme,’ ’’
he said, referring to field rations. ‘‘Sowe
don’t have alot of volunteers.’ ’
But end of combat ban
won’t lead to a lowering
of standards, general says
QUETTA, PAKISTAN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thousands of ShiiteMuslims took to the
streetsinsouthwestern Pakistan on
Monday in a second day ofprotests
afterabombing that killed84 people.
Relatives of thevictims refused to
bury their loved ones until thePakistani
Army tookaction againstthe militants
targeting Shiites.
Pakistan has beenbesieged by mili-
tant attacks in recent years, many of
them carried out by thePakistani
Taliban,who have been waging an in-
surgency againstthe government. The
country’s Shiiteshave also increasingly
become a target of radical Sunni mili-
tant groups allied with the Taliban.
Many of the sectarian attacks have
been carried out in the southwestern
provinceof Baluchistan,which has the
largest concentration of ShiitesinPaki-
stan.Many are Hazaras, an ethnic
group that migratedfrom Afghanistan
overacentury ago.
Outrage over the attacks has grownin
Pakistan, and protests were held on
Monday in over a half dozencities.
In the northwest, militants wearing
suicidevests and disguisedaspoliceof-
ficers attacked theoffice in Peshawar of
aseniorpolitical official, killing four tri-
bal officers and two civilians.
Thetarget of the attack was theoffice
of thetoppolitical official for the Khyber
tribal area, a major militant sanctuary
in Pakistan. Four militants openedfire
on the policeofficers protecting the
compound and managed to get inside,
said a senior tribal officer, Sajad Hus-
sain. The fate of the attackers was un-
clear.
Awitness, Shahid Shinwari, said the
militants initiatedattack whenavan
carrying prisoners arrivedattheoffice
compound. The militants tried to free
the prisoners from thevan, he said.
The compound is open to the public on
Mondays, and itwas filled withdozens
ofpeoplewho becametrapped inside by
the attack. Soldiers and policeofficers
responded to the assault, and the people
trapped insidewereeventually freed.
BY JAMES DAO
Last autumn, two freshlymintedfemale
lieutenants oinedabout 100 menin
Quantico, Virginia, for oneof the most
grueling experiences thatAmerican
military personnelnot in war can expe-
rience: theMarine Corps’ Infantry Of-
ficerCourse.
During a courseof86days, candi-
dateshaulheavy packs and evenheav-
ier weapons up and downsteep hills,ex-
ecute ambushes and endure bittercold,
hunger and exhaustion.Uncertainty
abounds: Theydo not know their next
task,or evenhow long they will have to
perform it. At the course, calm leader-
ship underduress is more important
than physical strength,though strength
is essential.
Oneof thewomen —the firsttoenter
the Infantry OfficerCorps —was
dropped on the first day, alongwithabout
two dozenmen, during a notoriously
strenuous endurancetest. But the
second woman lasteddeepinto the
secondweek,whenshewas forced to quit
becauseofastress fracture in herleg.
‘‘Shewas tough,’ ’ Gen. JamesF.
Amos,theMarine Corps commandant,
said of thewoman,who is now at flight
school. ‘‘Shewasn’t going to quit.’’
General Amos said he hoped thatthe
experiences of thosewomen, and others
to come, would provide crucial clues
about the futureof womenintheU.S. in-
fantry, apossibilityallowedbythe re-
cent lifting of the 1994 ban on womenin
direct combatunits.
For theMarine Corps, probably more
than theotherservices, genderintegra-
tion is a difficult affair. Not only is the
corps the most maleof the services,
with only about 7 percentwomen; it is
also a bastion of the infantry: Nearly
one in five marinesare ‘‘grunts,’ ’ proud
of their renowned history ofb oody
ground battles, including BelleauWood,
Iwo Jima, Chosin Reservoir and Falluja.
Not surprisingly,then,the idea of
womeninthe infantry draws sharp ques-
tions from many marines, active-duty
and veterans alike, who loudly worry
that standards will be dilutedfor women.
LUKE SHARRETT FOR THE NEWYORK TIMES
U.S. marines undergoing the combat endurance test at the Infantry Officer Course in
Quantico, Virginia. Only two women have entered the course, and neither completed it.
In an interview, General Amosac-
knowledgedhearing thoseworries, and
insisted thatthe corps would not lower
itsstandards. To guarantee that, he
plans to usethe course—whichmarines
consider the gold standard for infantry
training —tostudy the performanceof
potential female infantry officers, and
then usethat data to developrequire-
mentsfor enlisted infantry marines.
In March, two Naval Academy gradu-
ates will becomethe second group of
women to enter the course. Over the
coming years, General Amosiscounting
ondozens more femalevolunteers to
provide him enough information to de-
cidewhether womencancut it. The out-
come, he said, is far fromcertain. ‘‘I think
there is absolutely no reason to think our
femalescan’t betankers,orbe amtrakers
orbe artillery marines,’ ’ he said, refer-
ring to tracked amphibiousassaultvehi-
cles. ‘‘The infantry is different.’’
Indeed, General Amos said, if too few
womenare able, or willing,tojoin the in-
fantry, heor his successor may ask the
secretary ofdefensetokeep the infantry
closed to women. The deadline for mak-
ing that requestwill be January 2016.
‘‘You could reach the pointwhere you
say it’snot worthit,’’ General Amos
said. ‘‘The numbers are so infinitesi-
mally small, it’snot worthit.’’
Advocatesfor womeninthe military
would almost certainly protest any effort
to keep the infantry male-only. Evenas
they acknowledgethe harshness ofin-
fantry life, theyassertthat properly
trained women will make itthrough the
Infantry OfficerCourse and,eventually,
whateverprogram the corps createsfor
training enlisted infantrywomen.
Evenifvery few women pass the
cource, enlistedwomenshould still be al-
lowed to joinmale-led infantry units, said
GregJacob, aformer Marineofficer who
is policy directorforServiceWomen’s
ActionNetwork, an advocacy group.
‘‘Leadership is leadership,’ ’ Mr. Jacob
said. ‘‘You don’t needafemale leader to
lead female marines.’ ’
General Amos, a fighter pilot, opposes
doing that, saying femaleenlisted mar-
ines will do best if theyhave femaleof-
ficers asmentors. ‘‘I’mnot going to bring
in 18-year-old females and put theminan
infantry battalion whenI’ve got no fe-
maleofficers,’ ’ he said. ‘‘I can’t dothat.’’
In the comingmonths,themost press-
ing task forallthe armedserviceswill be
establishing gender-neutral require-
mentsfor every combat job, knownas
military occupational specialties.Of the
340 jobs in theMarineCorps, 32 had been
closed to women under the 1994 ban.
TheMarine Corps has set out a two-
tieredprocess forcreating those re-
quirements:one short-term for armor,
 ..
4
|
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE
world news
americas
Obama plan sees 8-year wait for illegal immigrants
would be grantedpermanent resident
status and givenadocument knownasa
greencarduntil theearlier of two dates:
either eight years after the bill was en-
acted or30 days after visas had been
given to everyonewho appliedlegally.
The plan includesashortenedpath to
citizenship foryoung illegal immigrants
who cametotheUnitedStates as chil-
dren, said an administration official who
agreed to discuss the details only on the
condition ofanonymity. In many cases,
those young people could apply for
green cards as soonastwo years after
the lawwas passed.
The disclosureof the document’s ex-
istence, by USA Today onSaturday, set
offaseries ofpolitical recriminations
and questions Sunday about Mr.
Obama’spromisetoallow bipartisan
congressional talks to take precedence.
The furor alsoofferednew evidence
that Republicans could usethe presi-
dent’s direct involvement asareason to
reject apotential compromise.
TheWhite Houseon Wednesday sent
copies of the drafttoofficials in govern-
ment agencies that deal with immigra-
tion and bordersecurity,the adminis-
tration official said. In the faceof the
sharp Republican criticism,the admin-
istration insisted this weekend that no
decision had been made and that noth-
ing had changed.White House aides
reached out to lawmakers in both
partiesSaturday nighttoreassure
them,officials said.
Denis McDonough,the president’s
top White House aide, said Sunday that
Mr.Obama remainedcommitted to
staying on the sidelines while agroup of
Republican and Democratic senators
tried to reach an immigration agree-
ment by the spring. In his first appear-
ances onSunday talk shows as chief of
staff,Mr.McDonough said the adminis-
tration was preparing draft legislation
only as a backup.
‘‘We’ve not proposedanything to
Capitol Hill yet,’’ he said on theABCpro-
gram ‘‘This Week.’ ’ ‘‘We’re going to be
ready.Wehave developed each of these
proposals sowehave theminaposition
sothatwecan succeed.’ ’
His commentscame afterRepubli-
cans quickly condemned the reports ofa
new administration plan, calling it
‘‘dead on arrival’’ and ‘‘very counter-
productive.’’
Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of
Florida, issuedastatement late Satur-
day calling the president’sreportedleg-
islation ‘‘half-baked and seriously
flawed.’ ’ He said its approval ‘‘would ac-
tually makeour immigrationproblems
worse.’’ Mr. Rubio has beenamong the
leading Republicans pushing foracom-
prehensive overhaul of the immigration
process.
OnSunday, Representative PaulD.
Ryan of Wisconsin, anotherRepublican
calling for immigration changes, said on
‘‘This Week’’ thatthe president’s ef-
forts to develop his own egislation
would undermineefforts on Capitol Hill
and weretaking ‘‘things in thewrong
direction.’ ’
Aides to Mr.Obama have been work-
ing on immigrationlegislationforyears
in anticipation ofarenewedpush.Mr.
McDonough did not confirm which spe-
cific proposals would be in the presi-
dent’s bill if he presented onetoCon-
gress but said that if lawmakers could
not reach an agreement, everyone
would find out.
Mr. Rubio ‘‘says it’sdead on arrival if
proposed,’ ’ Mr.McDonough said. ‘‘Well,
let’s make surethat it doesn’t have to be
proposed. Let’s make surethatthat
group up there, the gang of eight, makes
some goodprogress on theseefforts, as
much as theysaythey want to, and
that’s exactly whatweintend to do, to
work with them.’ ’
The back-and-forth was a blunt re-
minder thatMr.Obama remains a po-
larizing figure as the two partiesseek
commonground onanemotional issue,
which has defiedresolutionformore
than two decades.
Under theWhite House’sdraft plan,
immigrants would have to pay any back
taxes, learn English and pay fees and a
penalty ofprobably a few hundreddol-
lars. Immigrants withserious criminal
records would not beeligible.
Julia Preston reported fromHoboken,
New Jersey.
WASHINGTON
Existence of draft of law
shakes Republicans and
imperils bipartisan effort
BYMICHAEL D. SHEAR
AND JULIAPRESTON
A plan by President Barack Obama for
an overhaul of theU.S. immigration sys-
tem would put illegal immigrants ona
path to citizenship that could begin after
about eight years and would require
them to gotothe back of the line behind
legal applicants, according to adraftof
the legislation thattheWhite House has
circulatedinthe administration.
The draft plan says noneof the 11 mil-
lionillegal immigrantsinthe country
Proposed U.S. project
would map the brain
BRAIN,FROMPAGE1
observe and gain a more complete un-
derstanding of the brain, and to do it less
intrusively.
In June in the journal Neuron, six
leading scientistsproposedpu
rsuing a
number ofnew approachesfor mapping
the brain, including those based on the
new field of synthetic biology.
One possibility —which was until re-
cently straight from the annals of sci-
ence fiction — is to build a complete
model map of brain activitybycreating
fleets ofmolecule-sized machines to
non-invasively act as sensors to mea-
sure and store brain activityatthe cellu-
lar level. The proposal envisions using
DNA itself as a storage mechanism for
brain activity.Asingle synthetic DNA
molecule mighteasily hold a week’s
worth oflocal measurementof brain ac-
tivity,they wrote.
‘‘Not least, we mightexpect novel un-
derstanding and therapiesfor diseases
such as schizophrenia and autism,’ ’ the
scientists wrote in Neuron.
TheObama initiative is markedly dif-
ferent fromarecently announcedEuro-
pean flagship science projectthatwill
invest¤1 billion,or$1.3 billion, in a
Swiss-led efforttobuild a silicon-based
‘‘brain.’ ’
That project aims to construct asu-
percomputer simulation thatwill syn-
thesize the best research about the in-
ner workings of the brain, ranging from
the basic chemical structureof the neu-
rons through theoriesabout human con-
sciousness and decision-making.
Critics, however, say the simulation
will be builtonknowledgethat is still
theoretical, incomplete or inaccurate.
TheObama proposal seems to have
evolved in a manner similar to the Hu-
man GenomeProject, scientists said.
‘‘The genome project arguably began
in 1984, wheretherewere adozen of us
whowere kind of independentlymoving
in that directionbut didn’t really realize
therewereotherpeoplewhowere as
weird as we were,’’ Dr. Church said.
A number of scientists said that map-
ping and understanding the human
brain presented a dramatically more
significant challengethan mapping the
genome.
‘‘It’s different in thatthe natureof the
questionisamuch more intricate ques-
tion,’ ’ said Ralph J. Greenspan, associ-
ate directoratthe Kavli Institute for
Brain and Mind attheUniversity of
California, San Diego, who said hewas
involvedinthe project. ‘‘Itwas very
easy to definewhatthe genome proj-
ect’sgoal was. In this case, we have a
more difficult and fascinating question
of what are brainwide activitypatterns
and ultimately how dotheymakethings
happen.’ ’
The plan is for the mapping to begin
withspecies that have brains with very
small numbers ofneurons and then
work toward increasingly complexan-
imals and ultimately the human brain.
The scientists acknowledge a rangeof
thorny ethical issues, including privacy
concerns,the possibility of mind read-
ing and even what is now science fic-
tion: mind control.
today,weare already spending more
than that. We probably won’t spend less
money, but we will probably get alot
more bang for the buck.’ ’
The initiative will beorganizedbythe
Officeof Science and Technology Policy
as an interagency project, according to
the four scientists.
The National Institutes ofHealth,the
DefenseAdvancedResearch Projects
Agency and the National Science Foun-
dation will alsotake part in the project,
the scientists said, as will private foun-
dations likethe Howard Hughes Medic-
al Institute in Chevy Chase, Maryland,
and theAllenInstitute for Brain Science
in Seattle.
Several scientistsinvolvedinthe
planning said theyhoped that financing
for the projectwould be morethan $300
millionayear,which, if approvedby
Congress,would amounttoat least $3
billion over the 10 years.
In his State of theUnionspeech,Mr.
Obama cited brain research as an ex
-
‘‘It was very easy to define
what the genome project’s
goal was. In this case, we have
a more difficult and
fascinating question.’’
ampleofhow the government should
‘‘invest in the best ideas.’ ’
‘‘Every dollar we invested to map the
human genome returned$140 to our
economy —every dollar,’ ’ he said.
‘‘Today our scientistsare mapping the
human brain to unlock the answers to
Alzheimer’s. They’re developing drugs
to regenerate damaged organs, devis-
ing new materials to make batteries10
timesmore powerful. Now is not the
timetogut these job-creating invest-
ments in science and innovation.’ ’
The Humane GenomeProject cost
$3.8 billion. Itwas begun in 1990, and its
goal,the mapping of the complete hu-
man genome, orallthe genesinhuman
DNA, was achievedahead of schedule,
in April 2003.AU.S. government study
of the impactof the project indicated
that it had returned$800 billionby2010.
The adventofnew technology likethe
functional M.R.I. and optogenetics that
allow scientists to identify firing neu-
rons in the brain has spawnednumer-
ous overnment, foundation and
private brain research projectsaround
theworld. Yet the brain remains oneof
the greatestof all scientific mysteries.
Composed ofabout 100 billionneu-
rons thatelectrically ‘‘spike’’ in re-
sponse to outside stimuli one by one, as
well as in vastensembles based oncon-
scious and unconsciousactivity,the hu-
man brain is so complex that scientists
have not yet found a way to record the
activity ofmorethan a small number of
neurons atonce, and in most cases that
is done
DOMINIQUE RIOFRIO/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Supporters of Rafael Correa celebrating in Quito after exit polls showed the president with a large lead. The vote showed the broad popularity of the government’s social programs.
Ecuador’s
president breezes to new term
that suchastrong mandate would em-
bolden himto furtherconcentrate power
and proceed withpolicies that could lim-
it press freedom and quash dissent.
Following the re-election last autumn
of President Hugo Chávez in Venezuela,
Mr. Correa’s victory ratified the lasting
appeal in the region ofleftist govern-
ments that have usedrevenuesfrom
booming oil and mining industries to fi-
nance social welfare programs aimedat
redistributing wealth and curbing in-
equality.
Now, withMr. Chávez battling cancer,
Mr. Correacould raise his profile as one
of the mostvocal leaders on the Latin
American left. Mr. Correa said that he
would continue policies aimedatending
poverty and diminishing inequality,
saying the challengeof the next four
years ‘‘is go faster and deeperinthe
same direction.’ ’
His victory highlighted theweakness
of the political oppositioninEcuador. He
facedaraftof opponentsfrom across
the political spectrumwho splitthe vote
froma fractured opposition thatwas un-
abletocoalesce behind a single candi-
date orproject a unifiedmessage.
Mr. Correa alsowonpointsfrom
voters for bringing stability to Ecuador,
acountry that had sevenpresidentsin
the decade before he took office andwas
buffetedbysevereeconomic problems.
According to the new Constitution that
was passedat his urging in 2008,Mr.
Correa cannot run again when his new
term ends in 2017.
Mr. Correa, an economistwho studied
attheUniversityofIllinois, has improved
access to education and healthcare for
ceived enemies, including political op-
ponents,the newsmedia and, attimes,
theUnitedStates.
‘‘You have to trust Correabecause he
has done alot thatothergovernments
never did in all these years,’ ’ Rita Basti-
das, a 42-year-old nurse, said after voting
for the president in the south ofQuito.
‘‘Correacame along, and, in very little
time, everything changedfor the better.’ ’
She added, ‘‘Theyaccuse himofbeing
authoritarian and arrogant, but this
country neededsomeone likethatto
changethings.’ ’
An employee attheMinistry ofHealth
said he had voted againstMr. Correabe-
cause he did not like how the president
managed the health system, adding that
qualifiedpersonnel had beenreplaced
by members of Mr. Correa’s party.
‘‘I want betterdayswheretheygovern
for everyone and not just for the greens,’ ’
he said, referring to the color usedbythe
president’s party,Alianza País. The man
spoke anonymously because he feared
reprisals atwork.
DomingoParedes,the presidentof
the National Electoral Council, said
Sunday thatofficials had detectedanat-
tack on electoral computer systems but
that itwas not successful.
Maggy Ayala contributed reporting from
Quito.
CARACAS
Correa’s strong mandate
highlights the weakness
of his political opposition
BYWILLIAMNEUMAN
President RafaelCorrea ofEcuador has
beenswepttore-electioninavote that
showed the broad popularity of his gov-
ernment’ssocial programs and support
for the poorinacountry to which he has
brought stabilityafteryears ofpolitical
and economic turmoil.
Withabout three-quarters of the bal-
lotscounted onSunday evening,Mr.
Correa had received56percentof the
votescast. Guillermo Lasso, a banker,
the closestof his seven opponents, had
23 percent.
Thousands ofsupporters in the main
square in Quito, the capital, began cel-
ebrating shortly after voting finishedat
5p.m., when televisionstations an-
nounced the resultof exit polls showing
Mr. Correaasthe runaway winner.
‘‘Many thanks for this immense
trust,’’ Mr. Correa said from the balcony
of the presidential palace. ‘‘We have nev-
er failedyou, and we never will fail you.’’
Critics of Mr. Correahave worried
MARTIN JARAMILLO/AP
President Rafael Correa was leading his
closest opponent by more than 30 points.
the poor and has builtor improved thou-
sands of kilometers ofroads and high-
ways. Inanew term, he has pledged to
continue signature social programs and
to pass lawsgoverning the newsmedia,
land distributionandthe penal code.
But he has governed with aggressive
tactics that critics say undermine de-
mocracy by expanding presidential
power;weakening the independenceof
the courts; and lashing out oftenat per-
invasively, with physical
probes.
But agroup of nanotechnologists and
neuroscientistsbelieves thattechnol-
ogiesare at hand to make it possibleto
Chávez return
s to Venezuela from Cuba
CARACAS
Mr. Chávez, 58, has been out of sight
and silent since his Dec. 11 surgery.Un-
like previousreturns fromCuba,the
government did not televise his arrival
orreleasevideo orphotographs, nor did
he address the country.
Officials said Friday thatMr. Chávez
had difficultyspeaking becauseofa
breathing tube in his throat. AlsoonFri-
day,officials releasedphotographs of
Mr. Chávez for the firsttime since his
surgery. The photographs showed him
lying in a hospital bed flankedbytwo of
his daughters.
‘‘We arevery happy,’ ’ VicePresident
Nicolás Maduro said in an early morn-
ing telephone call to the government
televisionstation. ‘‘He is an exampleof
permanent battle and herewehave him
in Caracas, in our Caracas, in our
Venezuela, here he is,ourcommander.’ ’
But whenhewas askedbyatelevision
announcer or information on Mr.
Chávez’scondition,Mr.Maduro de-
clined to provide details.
Anotherposton the president’sTwit-
teraccountthanked the Cuban leaders
Fidel and Raúl Castro and added,
‘‘Thanks to Venezuela forso much
love!!!’’
‘‘I am holding tighttoChrist and con-
fident inmy doctors and nurses,’ ’ a third
post said. ‘‘We will
Officials give no details
of president’s condition
after cancer treatments
live and we will
win!!!’’
ThepostsMondaywerethe firstonMr.
Chávez’sTwitteraccount since Nov. 1.
Hewas re-elected Oct. 7 but onDec. 8
he shocked the nation by announcing
that his cancer had returned and that he
would have to gotoCuba for emergency
surgery. He leftonDec. 10 and had the
operation the next day.
His long absence has leftVenezuela in
the grips of uncertainty. Hewas unable
to return to be sworn in for the startof
his new termonJan. 10. The country has
beenrun since his departure byMr.Ma-
duro; the presidentof the National As-
sembly, Diosdado Cabello; and a group
ofgovernment ministers.
BYWILLIAMNEUMAN
President Hugo Chávez made asur-
prise return to Venezuela onMonday, 10
weeks afterleaving for cancersurgery
in Cuba, setting off celebrationamong
his supporters.
The governmenttelevisionstation
VTV said Mr. Chávez arrivedat 2:30
a.m. Hewas taken to a military hospital
in Caracas.
‘‘We have arrived again in
Venezuela,’ ’ said a post at 3:42a.m.on
Mr. Chávez’slong-dormant Twitterac-
count. ‘‘Thank you, my God!! Thank
you, belovedpeople!! We will continue
treatment here.’’
DESMOND BOYLAN/REUTERS
Blogger on tour
Yoani Sánchez, ablogger andCuban dissident, atthe airport inHavana.Ms. Sánchez, whopreviouslywas not
allowed to travel, is onan80-day tour ofadozencountries,with plans to visitthe headquarters ofGoogle, Facebook and Twitter.
 ..
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013
|
5
THE GLOBAL EDITION OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
united states europe
world news
A devasta
ting, if random, shock from the sky
Scientists
find traces of
meteorite on
lake surface
CHELYABINSK, RUSSIA
CHELYABINSK, RUSSIA
Blast blew out windows
in some buildings, while
others were left alone
BYANDREW E. KRAMER
The shock wave fromameteor thatex-
plodedabove Siberia lastweeksheared
the roof off a brick and steel factory
building while leaving a nearby glass
facadeunscathed.
In some high risesinthis city,the
modern urban community thatwas hit
hard by the blast from the meteorite,
every window blew out on topfloors,
whileotherlocations were damaged on
the ground floors.
Therewere reports ofstrangerphe-
nomena: Behind unbroken apartment
windows, glass jugs explodedinto
shards, dishes cracked, and electronics
died. Balconiesrattled.One man said a
bottle broke in his hand.
Anna V. Popova was at homewithher
daughter whenshe sawthe flash,then
heard explosions,thenfound thewin-
dows ofher enclosed balcony blownin.
Herneighbor,withidentical windows,
experiencedno damage.
‘‘A lot ofpeople suffered, not us
alone,’’ Ms.Popova said, adding that
there seemed to be randomness in the
damage. ‘‘Who arewesupposed to
blame forallthis? Nobody,ofcourse.’’
Scientistsbelieve thatthe space rock
that blew apart here Friday morning
was the largesttohave entered the at-
mosphere since 1908. It is also rare fora
meteorite to cause such adversity.More
than 1,200 peoplewere injured, and
therewas broad property damage.
Theevent is providing an indication of
the structural damage and infrastructur-
al costsmeteors can exact from a highly
industrializedsociety. NASA scientists
sayameteor of this size strikes theEarth
about onceevery hundredyears.
Shattered glass causedmostof the
damage and injuriesinChelyabinsk, a
sprawling industrial city ofabout a mil-
lionpeople.
The glass was shattered, scientists
say, by theexplosion when the meteor
fragmented and by thewaves ofpres-
sure createdasit decelerated. Such low-
frequency waves—called infrasound—
are sometimesdetectedbyCold War-
era nuclear blast sensors in remote
parts of thePacific Ocean or Alaska, ac-
cording to meteor experts.
Thewaves can bounceoff buildings
and be strongerinsome places than oth-
ers. They can also resonate with glass,
explaining why bottles and dishes
might have shattered insideundam-
agedkitchens.
‘‘A shock wave is like a ball,’ ’
Pieces of stone collected
near hole in ice show
signs of ‘melted crust’
BYANDREW E. KRAMER
AND ELLEN BARRY
Russian scientistssaytiny, stony frag-
mentsfound on the iceofLakeChebarkul
are pieces ofameteorite that puncheda
hole in the lake, though the Russian
Emergency Services Ministry said earli-
er that a team ofdivers had found noev-
idencethatthemeteorite landed there.
ViktorGrokhovsky, amember of the
Russian Academy of Science’scommit-
tee onmeteorites, said scientists had ex-
amined 53 fragmentscollectedaround
the hole in the lake, all less than a centi-
meter,orfour-tenths of an inch, in size.
‘‘The fragments we have found are
traces of the outerlayer of themeteorite
—there is a meltedcrust and so forth —
which means thatthe basic mass lies
there, in the lake,’’ Mr. Grokhovsky told
the Interfax newsserviceon Monday.
He said he believed the meteorite was
probably no morethan 60 centimeters
across.
Sincethe meteorilluminated the sky
on Friday morning, a paradeofjourna-
lists and curiosity-seekers have trekked
across the iceofLake Chebarkul, about
80 kilometers,or50 miles, from the city
ofChelyabinsk,oneoffoursites thatthe
government believesfelt a significant
impact.
Mr. Grokhovsky,of Urals State Uni-
versity, said a group oflocal scientists
visited the lake and gathered the frag-
mentsaround the hole in the ice, which
is about six meters in diameter.
He said preliminary examinationsug-
gested the fragments were stone, com-
posed ofaround 10 percent iron.
OnSaturday, aspokeswoman for the
Emergency Services Ministry said a
dive expedition had beencompleted and
‘‘found notraces of the meteorite,’’ In-
terfax reported.
NASA has said the meteor weighed
about 7,000 tons whenitentered the
Earth’satmosphere and exploded over
theUral Mountains regionaround 9:20
a.m.on Friday with the forceof500 kilo-
tons of TNT. Small fragmentsprobably
reached the ground, NASA said.
Ellen Barry reported fromMoscow.
OLAF KOENS/REUTERS
A home in Chelyabinsk, Russia, that was damaged by the meteor’s blast on Friday. In some cases, the unpredictable shock waves left windows intact but broke items inside homes.
Aleksandr Y. Dudorov, director of the
theoretical physics department at
Chelyabinsk State University, said in an
interview. ‘‘Throwa ball intoaroomand
itwill bounce from onewall to another.’ ’
In the blast area, 24,000 emergency of-
ficials are inspecting roads, railroads,
hospitals, factories and military facilit-
ies.Most sitesareundamaged, includ-
ing 122 locations identifiedasparticu-
larly critical, including nuclear power
plants, dams and chemical factories,
and a space launching site calledStrela.
The Russian consumer safety inspec-
tionagency, Rospotrebnadzor, released
astatement saying thewaterinLake
Chebarkul,where ahole in the ice ap-
peared on Friday,was not radioactive.
Itwas unclear why the agency re-
leased this finding only Sunday,or
whether thetests were conducted to as-
suage popular concerns or out ofanyof-
ficial uncertainty over what happened
Friday. The agency said a mobile labo-
ratory quietly dispatched to the lake
testedforbut did not discovercesium
137 and strontium90, isotopescreatedin
nuclear explosions.
Infrasoundwaveshave not previously
beenstudiedinacityarea, Richard P.
Binzel, aprofessor of planetary science
attheMassachusettsInstitute ofTech-
nology and an author ofatextbook on
asteroids and meteorites, said by tele-
phone. But he noted thatthe apparent
randomness of the damagewas consist-
entwith theway such wavesfunction.
‘‘A shock wave can be coming froma
particular direction, and if you facethat
direction, you are more susceptible,’’
Dr. Binzel said.
‘‘One building might shadow another,
oryou may have astreet that is optim-
ally aligned to channel thewave, either
in a fortunate or unfortunate way.’ ’
PeterBrown, aprofessor of physics at
theUniversity of Western Ontario,
wrote in an e-mail that an infrasound
wave ‘‘is very efficient attraveling long
distances’’ and that ‘‘windows, struc-
tures or even glass jars susceptibleto
resonate atthis frequency could be a
factor to seemingly random damage at
widely disparate locations.’ ’
Dr. Brownstudied a similar,though
smaller,explosion ofameteor over the
Pacific Ocean on Oct. 8, 2009,which also
sent out low-frequency waves,though
too remote to affect homes or industry.
They were, though, registeredbya
network of infrasound sensors estab-
lished to monitorcompliancewith the
international ban onnuclear tests, ac-
cording to Dr. Brown.
Alekdander V. Anusiyev, the spokes-
man for the governor of the Chelyabinsk
region, characterized the damage here
as without a discernible pattern. ‘‘It is
impossibletosay more glass broke in
one partof the city oranother,’ ’ he said.
‘‘Glass brokeeverywhere.’’
The roof of thezinc factory that col-
lapsed was reinforced withalatticeof
steelbeams and supportedbyconcrete
joists that are now broken, jutting up-
ward with mangledre-bar protruding.
Windows onaneighboring house blew
in withsuch forcethatthe frames went
with them.
Yet afew pacesaway onSverdlovsky
Street, aHyundai dealership,witha
three-story cube sheathed in glass, and
with glistening display models inside,
was spared. Not a window broke.
‘‘People can considerFeb. 15 their
second birthday,’ ’ the governor of
Chelyabinsk,Mikhail Yurevich,told re-
porters, referring to the day of themete-
orstrike. ‘‘God directed dangeraway.’ ’
Ellen Barry contributed reporting from
Moscow.
What will a living former pope mean for the primacy of Catholic doctrine?
POPE, FROMPAGE 1
ofservicethatthe bishop ofRomeexer-
cisesisjustthat, a ministry ofservice,
and it’s therefore reasonabletoask if
there isamomentwhensomebody else
should takethat baton in hand,’ ’ hetold
Vatican Radio, adding thatthe pope had
madethe role ‘‘slightlymore functional,
slightly less theologically topheavy.’ ’
Thatthe supreme pontiff can pass au-
thority to his successorat retirement
rather than deathinevitably introduces
more ambiguity to the authority of
church doctrine, some scholars say,
since it calls into question the authority
of the pontiff who promulgated that doc-
trine. ‘‘Benedict actually by resigning
has introducedsome cracks into that in-
fallibility. It’sbound to relativize doc-
trine,’’ Mr.MacCulloch said.
‘‘That’srealityh tting the Roman
Catholic Church,’ ’ he added. ‘‘That is ac-
tually how doctrine has always been
promulgated: The resultof accidents,
unexpectedresults, contingency, con-
text, things that aren’t said. That’show
things have been in Christianity right
from the start.’’
Although its origins go back centu-
ries,the notion of papal infallibility was
effectively codifiedatthe FirstVatican
Council, ameeting ofchurch officials in
the 1860s.Ata timewhen otherEuro-
pean monarchies were ceding more
power to themechanisms ofrepresenta-
tive democracy, papal infallibilitybe-
came a kind ofconsolation prize for the
Vatican losing its temporal powers.
The invocation of papal infallibility
‘‘excathedra’’ has only occurred twice
in the modern era: In 1854, when Pope
PiusIX promulgated the doctrineof the
Immaculate Conception thatMary was
without original sin.And in 1950, Pope
Pius XII pronounced the doctrineof the
Assumption of theVirgin thatMary had
beenassumedinto heaven, body and
spirit. The church has not ruled on
whether theVirgin Mary diedbefore
shewas assumedinto heaven.
‘‘If after March 1, BenedictXVIloses
his head andwrites that he declaresinan
infallibleway thattheVirgin Mary died
before being assumedinto heaven,this
won’t be an infallible decision, because
he’sno longerdoing it as pastor of the
universal church,’ ’ said Philip Goyret, a
professor of ecclesiology atPontifical
University of the Holy Cross, aprivate
Catholic universityrunbyOpusDeiin
Rome. ‘‘Itwill be his personal opinion.’ ’
‘‘But he’savery intelligent person and
will neverdothat,’’ Mr. Goyret added.
Although theVatican has tried to play
downconcerns, specialists and prelates
worry what itwill mean to have two
popes alive atthe sametime, and both
living insidetheVatican.
‘‘It’scompletely uncharted waters,’ ’
said AndreaTornielli, a Vatican special-
ist for the daily La Stampa and its Vati-
can Insider. ‘‘Theysaythey’re calm
about it, but it’snot easy to say whatthe
roleof the new popewill be. Will the new
pope be abletocreate newdecisions that
go againstthoseofBenedict?It’saques-
tion.’ ’ Others say that if heweretoleave
theVatican, having the formerpope in a
different city might lead to more confu-
sion, if the faithfulperceived him to
preside in a different center ofpower,
and made pilgrimages to see him.
Assuming Benedict stays attheVati-
can, as has been announced, ‘‘I can
imaginetheseunhappy Catholics going
to theold pope and saying, ‘What do you
think about that?’’’ Mr.Pennington
said. ‘‘I think thatthis would raise seri-
ousissues of where authority andwhere
infallibility and wherethetruthinthe
church lies.’ ’
TheVatican has acknowledgedsome
of the confusion. ‘‘For many it’sstill a
surprise,’’ the Rev. Federico Lombardi,
theVatican spokesman, said lastweek.
‘‘There’salot ofreflection on the signif-
icanceof the decision and whatthis im-
pliesfor the church and for the Roman
Curia,’ ’ he said, referring to the govern-
ing body of the Catholic Church.
Elisabetta Povoledo contributed report-
ing.
Federico Lombardi, has repeatedly said
that CanonLawensures the infallibility
ofBenedict’ssuccessor, and thatonce
he retires, Benedictwill no longerhave
the authority to promulgate dogma.
Still, many remain puzzledbythe lar-
ger implications. ‘‘Fromatheological
pointof view, how canapersonbe con-
sidered to be infallible and not be infal-
lible anymore?’’ Mr.Pennington asked.
Asshe stoodinSt. Peter’sSquareon
Sunday to hear Benedict deliveraspope
his second-to-lastAngelusmessage, a
devotioncommemorating the Incarna-
tion ofJesus,Alessandra Petrucciani
said shewishedhe had not decided to
retire. ‘‘The pope should have stayed;
the bishops and cardinals should have
gone,’’ she said, as she stoodnextto
members ofatraditionalist group who
were shouting, ‘‘Stay! Stay!’’
‘‘The pope has beenmortified—they
have undermined the primacy of the
pontiff, his authority,’ ’ Ms.Petrucciani
added.
Before his decision, Benedict might
have beenremembered as a passive
pope, a theologian who helped shapethe
doctrineof his belovedpredecessor,Pope
John PaulII, but whoseownreign was
marred by scandal. In stepping down,
scholars say, his last act became his most
revolutionary, making history and per-
MAX ROSSI/REUTERS
A girl looking on as Pope Benedict XVI delivered his second-to-last Angelus message,
which commemorates Jesus taking an earthly form. The pope is set to retire on Feb. 28.
haps opening the door to anew era.
‘‘The mere factthat he’sresigning
has permanently changed the natureof
the papacy,’ ’ said EamonDuffy, a histo-
rian of Christianityat CambridgeUni-
versity. ‘‘He’s thoughttheunthinkable,
donetheundoable. He’sbrokenataboo
that had last 600 years,the last 150of
which presented the pope asareligious
icon,theemblemofJesus Christ, not the
leader ofaglobal church.’ ’
Rowan Williams, a theologian who
was archbishop of Canterbury,the spir-
itual head of the Church of England,
from2002 until 2012 and is now master
of Magdalene College, Cambridge, said
that Benedict’sresignationmeantthat
‘‘the pope is not like asortofGod-king
who goes on to thevery end.’ ’
Itwasastatementthat ‘‘the ministry
Better media
diet makes for kinder children, study finds
study. ‘‘Giving this intervention —ex-
posing kids to less adulttelevision, less
aggression on television and more pro-
social television—will have an effecton
behavior.’ ’
Whilethe research showed ‘‘a small
to moderate effect’’ on the preschool-
ers’ behavior, he added,the broader
public health impact could be ‘‘very
meaningful.’ ’
The new study was a randomized tri-
al, rare in social research. The research
-
showing empathy, helping others and
resolving disputes without violence.
The controlgroup was givenadvice
only onbetterdietary habitsfor chil-
dren.Parentsinthe second group were
sent program guides highlighting posi-
tive showsforyoung children. They also
receivednewsletters encouraging par-
ents to watch television with their chil-
dren and ask questions during the
showsabout the bestways to deal with
conflict. The parents also received
monthly phone calls from the research-
ers,who helped themset television-
watching goals for their preschoolers.
The researchers surveyed the par-
entsat six months and again aftera
year about their children’ssocial beha-
vior.After six months, parentsinthe
groupreceiving advice about television-
watching said thattheir children were
somewhat less aggressive with others,
compared with those in the control
group. The children whowatchedless
violent shows also scored higher on
measures ofsocial competence, a differ-
encethat persistedafter one year.
Low-income boys showed the most
improvement, though the researchers
could not say why. Total viewing time
did not differbetween the two groups.
‘‘Thetake-home message for parents
is it’snot just about turning off the TV;
it’sabout changing the channel,’ ’ said
Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis,the lead au-
thor of the study and a professor ofpedi-
atrics attheUniversity of Washington.
‘‘We wantour children to behave bet-
ter,’ ’ Dr. Christakis said, ‘‘and changing
their media diet is a good way to do
that.’’
The new study has limitations,ex-
pertsnoted. Data onboth the children’s
television habits and their behavior
were reportedbytheir parents,who
may not have been objective. And the
study focused only onmedia content in
the home, although some preschool-
aged childrenareexposed to program-
ming elsewhere.
BY CATHERINE SAINT LOUIS
Expertshave long known that children
imitate many of the deeds — good and
bad—thattheysee on television. But it
has rarely beenshown that changing a
young child’s viewing habitsat home
can lead to improvedbehavior.
Inastudy published Monday in the
journal Pediatrics, researchers report-
ed the results ofaprogram designed to
limittheexposureofpreschool children
to violence-laden videos and television
shows and increasetheir timewith edu-
cational programming thatencourages
empathy. Theyfound thattheexperi-
ment reduced the children’s aggression
toward others, compared withagroup
of children whowere allowed to watch
whatever they wanted.
‘‘Herewehave an experimentthat
proposesapotential solution,’ ’ said Dr.
Thomas N. Robinson, aprofessor ofpe-
diatrics at Stanford University in Cali-
fornia,whowas not involvedinthe
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ers, at Seattle Children’sResearch Insti-
tute and theUniversity of Washington,
divided 565 parents of childrenages3to
5into two groups. Both weretold to
track their children’smedia consump-
tion in a diary thatthe researchers as-
sessedfor violent, didactic and pro-so-
cial content, which theydefinedas
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