August 9th, 2010
09:56 AM ET

On the Radar: Gitmo trial and blood diamonds


Gitmo trial - A Canadian who is the youngest detainee at Guantanamo Bay is set to go to trial this week. Now 23, Omar Khadr was a teen when he was captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan and accused of killing of a U.S. Special Forces soldier. The case has divided those who believe Khadr, who once considered Osama bin Laden a grandfather figure, would be a danger if released and those who perceive him as an innocent who got wrapped up in a terrorist cause he didn't fully comprehend. A Pentagon-appointed lawyer is representing Khadr. It's unclear if the prisoner will actively participate in his defense.

Missourians travel to Gulf Coast - While the worst oil spill in U.S. history is over, its effects will be felt for a long time. A caravan from Missouri will head south to boost businesses that the BP oil spill has hurt. The caravan raised money from donations across the nation and will spend the cash while traveling across the Gulf Coast.

Obama talks education - Monday afternoon in Austin, Texas, President Obama will outline his plan for the U.S. to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. America will need to increase graduates by more than 10 million over the next 10 years to make that happen, according to the administration.

Blood diamonds - Actress Mia Farrow's testimony has contradicted that of supermodel Naomi Campbell in the war crimes trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor. Taylor allegedly gave Campbell a diamond after a 1997 dinner party in South Africa at which Farrow, Taylor and the model were guests. Prosecutors say Taylor paid for  a brutal civil war in Sierra Leone using blood diamonds, which are mined in war zones and used to fund rebels and warlords. The stones have fueled bloody conflicts in Africa for more than a decade. Farrow said Campbell told her Taylor gave her a diamond. But Campbell testified last week that she had no idea who had given her the diamond.

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Filed under: Afghanistan • Al Qaeda • BP • Gulf Coast Oil Spill • Gulf Coast Oil Spill economics • Gulf Coast Oil Spill environment • Louisiana • On the Radar • Terrorism
soundoff (One Response)
  1. Smith in Oregon

    Why is CNN not mentioning Naomi Campbell former managing agent is a Ex-Agent? CNN is keen on reporting words that never were uttered in regards to Naomi Campbell, now it appears CNN is deliberately with holding the likelyhood that her former agent does not have the truth nor Naomi's best interest in mind during the war crimes trial of Charles Taylor.

    The stones given to Naomi Campbell by two unknown men after a dinner with Nelson Mandela where 100's attended, were tiny gray pebbles. CNN keeps alluding those were 'blood diamonds' where they wouldn't even be recognized by a non-gemologist as anything other than tiny gray pebbles of any questionable value. Naomi gave the tiny pebbles to the charity organization there in Africa, even if they were in fact raw diamonds, their gem quality is likely worthless.

    Meanwhile, Mia Farrow and Naomi's former agent are gushing over a gossip story they sold to a tabloid for millions of dollars relating that Naomi had gotten a large blood diamond. At no time did Naomi mention Charles Taylor, only two men she had never met nor knew and yet CNN keeps smearing Naomi Campbell as if that were a fact. Nothing supports that Charles Taylor gave Naomi Campbell anything, including 3 small tiny grey pebbles which might have been raw diamonds of zero value. Such 'stones' would be commonly found in nearly every marketplace there in Africa as residents offer them as trinkets to tourists and visitors.

    August 9, 2010 at 12:26 pm | Report abuse |
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