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WWW.GUlLFORDIAN.COM
WORLD & NATION
NEWS IN BRIEF
Stories by Alex Miller
Graphic by Alicia Hanchock
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USA
Walmart may avoid
CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT
V-^Although a verdict is not
expected until June or later,
the Supreme Court seems pre
pared to impede a 10-year-old
sex discrimination suit against
the Walmart Corporation, reports
The Los Angeles Times. Lawyers'
arguments made on 'behalf of
female employees seemed contra
dictory, with one claiming a culture
of gender-bias was promoted by
the Corporation and another claim
ing that regional managers were left
with unchecked discretion. While jus
tices' views were split largely on gender
lines, with female justices acknowledg
ing Walmart's role and male justices
questioning the corporation's influence,
billions of dollars and the future of'class-
action claims against large employers are
at stake.
MEXICO
Mexican youth killed by U.S. Border Patrol
Agent - Carlos La Madrid, a 19-year-old Mexican
man, was climbing a ladder to cross the border into
the U.S. when he was shot three times by a Border
Patrol agent, reports MSNBC. Although 48 pounds
of marijuana were found in the truck La Madrid was
driving, the Cochise County sheriff's investigators
have no evidence that La Madrid was assaulting or
attempting to assault the agent. La Madrid died later
that day at a local hospital.
Radiation flows from plan, U.S. and
France to aid - Workers struggle to
contain contaminated water used
to cool nuclear reactors at the
Fukushima Daiichi plant in
Japan, reports The Wall Street
Journal. The fear of contami-
“* nated water draining into ocean
and other waters is the newest
concern in the wake of Japan's
tragic earthquake and tsunami.
In response, France and the U.S.
plan to aid in the fight to contain
the contamination. According
to Reuters News, France flew in
two nuclear experts and French
President Nicolas Sarkozy flew
to Japan Tufesday, March 29, as the
first foreign leader to visit
Japan since the disaster. The
U.S. sent radiation-detect
ing robots to help in
clean-up efforts.
EGYPT
Mubarak grounded, security impositions ligfitened - Egypt's mili
tary has restricted former President Flosni Mubarak from leaving the
country, with trips for medical attention banned as well, reports The
New York Hmes. The announcement, amidst growing discontent and
allegations related to Mubarak's secretly visiting Saudi Arabia, was
joined by reports that a nightly curfew would be shortened to three
hours — 2 a.m. - 5 a.m. — and the country's 30-year police state will
be abolished in the coming months. Additionally, upcoming August
elections were postponed to allow new political parties time to develop.
With no dates specified, speculation and rumor persist.
LIBYA
US involvement in Libya draws criticism
Continued from Page I
unique capabilities at the beginning, but this
is now a broad, international effort. Our allies
and partners are enforcing the no-fly zone
over Libya and the arms embargo at sea."
Despite four days of debating, NATO has
agreed to enforce the no-fly zone placed on
Libya, according to the European Union
Observer.
The no-fly zone is "part of the broad
international effort to protect civilians
against the attacks by the Gadhafi regime,"
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the NATO Security
General, told the European Union Observer.
The no-fly zone and blockade of many of
Libya's major sea ports is causing even more
stress on the already beaten and bruised
country — the economy is taking a turn for
the worse. The Washington Post gave details
of a fuel shortage and a drastic rise in food
prices.
"If a stalemate continues and there is no
regime change, these measures will starve
the economy," said David Cortright, in
an interview with the Washington Post.
Cortright is a scholar at the Kroc Institute
for International Peace Studies and Notre
Dame University. "Sooner or later, and
probably sooner, Libya will begin to face
internal economic difficulties, and therefore,
humanitarian difficulties."
Though Gadhafi's forces strike again and
again, and though their economy is seeing
a decline, Libyan rebels continue to fight for
freedom.
The U.S. involvement in Libya is not
escaping controversy. President Obama's
decision has run into hostility in Congress,
and the opposition is across the political
aisle, according to The New York Times.
Members in both the House of
Representatives and the Senate are citing the
Constitution to persuade the president to
justify intervention in Libya according to The
New York Times.
"While the legislative and executive
branches have long grappled over the exact
division of powers in times of war, the
Constitution grants sole authority to the
Congress to commit the nation to battle in the
first instance," said Democrat Representative
John Conyers of Michigan in a statement
reported by The New York Times.
Conyers was referring to the War Powers
Act, which was passed in 1973. This piece
of legislation forces the president to consult
with Congress before military involvement
unless it is an imminent threat, according
to the Library of Congress. Prior to the War
Powers Act, the Constitution granted the
president power to commit militarily without
initially consulting Congress.
There is still support for President Obama,
despite the criticism.
"He has proceeded in a way that is
cautions and thoughtful," said Democrat
Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed
Forces Committee, according to The New
York Times. "He has put the ducks in a row
before he decided the United States should
take the lead for a short period of time to do
what only we could do."
On March 21, President Obama sent a
two-page letter to Congress discussing his
involvement, according to The New York
Times.
"Well, I feel sorry for the guy (Obama),"
said Visiting Assistant Professor of Political
Science Robert Duncan. "He is a little cerebral,
he wants to collect all the data, wants to think
about it, (and) look at all his options before
making a decision."
President Obama's involvement, however,
is not being spearheaded by the U.S. He
has been consulting with world leaders.
According to Duncan, it was a clever move to
wait until there was a coalition. Nonetheless,
Duncan said that the U.S. involvement has
occurred sooner than such interventions as
Kosovo and Rwanda.
Despite Western intervention, Duncan also
explained that other Arab nations are capable
of intervening. They have their own planes
and their own troops.
According to Duncan, if there are mess-
ups, then Arab nations may blame and
point fingers at the Western nations. This is
dangerous to the U.S. because the country is
not very popular in the Arab world.
The revolution in Libya is unlike the revolts
and reform in more unified countries. The
situation, according to Duncan, is that Libya
is more tribal and loyal to a tribe or religious
affiliation. It is important to have a strong
national identity, education and belief in
government. Duncan explained that without
these aspects there will be no democracy.
The outcome of the revolution is still not
certain.
"I don't know how it's going to come
out," said Duncan. "Gadhafi very may
well survive. (He has) very dever tactics of
putting his people into the population, so if
you go after his people, you're going to kill
innocents ... so he may well survive."