New Hampshire Health News Digest

Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: Eye Contact Triggers Threat Response in Autistic Children : Children suffering from autism pay very little attention to faces, even those of people close to them. Indeed, this characteristic can become apparent as early as the age of one, and is often used as a developmental sign of the disease. The results of a new study provide additional insight into why autistic children avoid eye contact: they perceive faces as an uncomfortable threat, even if they are familiar. Kim M. Dalton of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her colleagues studied 27 autistic teenagers who looked at pictures of faces (see image) while a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine scanned their brains. The researchers also tracked the subjects' eye movements as they studied the images. 'This is the very first published study that assesses how individuals with autism look at faces while simultaneously monitoring which of their brain areas a...

MSN Health & Fitness - Inside the Head of the 'Hobbit' : Skull study boosts theory tiny fossil was distinct human species THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- When she died 18,000 years ago on what is now the Indonesian island of Flores, the tiny 30-year-old female known only as LB1 had grown to what scientists believe was probably an average adult height for her kind: 3-feet, 4-inches. And while her head and brain measured just a third of the size of modern humans, in the soil around her bones anthropologists found signs of intelligence and a primitive culture: artifacts such as charred animal bones, charcoal, and crude stone tools. The unexpected discovery last fall of Homo Floresiensis -- quickly dubbed 'hobbits' by Tolkien-loving anthropologists -- sent shock waves through the world of anthropology and evolutionary science. While the paleoanthropologists who found LB1 put forth a theory that she represented a hitherto unknown strain of hobbit-si...

DEBKAfile - Allawi Hopes to Snare Zarqawi - and Premiership in Baghdad DEBKAfile Exclusive Report Iyad Allawi closes in on Zarqawi The Baghdad government’s burgeoning optimism over the prospects of very soon collaring Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, al Qaeda’s man in Iraq, is fed from interim prime minister Iyad Allawi office. DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources reveal he is telling his inner circle that the special anti-terror units under his direct command are closing in on their quarry. This drive is not divorced from his campaign to keep the job and it has produced a string of successes in the last ten days. Talib al-Dulaymi, the trusted aide aka as Abu Qutaybah, who set up Zarqawi’s appointments with fellow terrorist chiefs, arranged safe houses and transport, was captured on February 20 at Anah NW of Baghdad with Ahmad Ismail al-Rawi, identified as one of Zarqawi’s drivers. In custody too are Mohammed Najam Ibrahim, described as leader of an al Qaeda-affiliated cell in Baqou...

Operations stepped up in Iraq to find Zarqawi. 07/03/2005. ABC News Online Iraqi commandos and United States soldiers have stepped up operations in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in search for top wanted militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a senior Iraqi security official said. ”We have information that Zarqawi may be hiding in Samarra or this region and this operation is aimed at checking that out,” the officer said on condition of anonymity. […] The official said 66 suspects have been arrested in the operation, which is expected to last a week with the goal of rounding up 250 wanted suspects working for seven armed groups in the area. On the ground all entrances leading to Samarra were sealed as Iraqi and US forces conducted their searches. No vehicles were allowed to circulate inside the city where most businesses, schools and government institutions were closed for a second day. The US military confirmed the operation. “Elements of the Iraqi Ministry of Interiors 1st Co...

U.S. targets spy services abroad - The Washington Times: : "In the past, counterintelligence often was limited to 'catching spies.' Previously captured spies, including CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen, a Russian mole in the FBI, 'caused stunning losses,' Miss Van Cleave said. In the battle against terrorists, new counterintelligence activities will target the intelligence services of state sponsors of terrorism, such as Syria and Iran. 'The intelligence services of state sponsors may represent the key links in the global terrorist-support network,' Miss Van Cleave said. 'Terrorist groups perform traditional intelligence activities in the way they gather information, recruit sources and use assets.' Under the new strategy, U.S. intelligence agencies will more aggressively work to disrupt terrorist operations by targeting their intelligence links. The strategy was approved March 1 by the president, and formal guida...

Inside a U.S. Counterterrorism Research Center The man contemplating martyrdom is actually a New York City cop, who, for the purposes of this article, we’ll call Dan. The approaching SUVs will be rumbling down a dirt road in North Carolina, not the Middle East. And this is not a terrorist camp but a counterterrorist camp, a weeklong course in which U.S. military and law-enforcement personnel study the mentality of the enemy by role-playing terrorists. It’s called “Mirror Image” training. Developed in 2002 by the Virginia-based consulting group Terrorism Research Center (TRC), the Mirror Image program is the first of its kind in the war on terror. It’s also one of the few counterterrorism courses designed for street cops, soldiers, and federal agents alike. “In this conflict, there’s a blurring of front lines,” explains Walter Purdy, a former Marine and vice-president of TRC. “Beat cops in American cities and U.S. soldiers in Fallujah could easily be up against people who share t...

Inside a U.S. Counterterrorism Research Center The man contemplating martyrdom is actually a New York City cop, who, for the purposes of this article, we’ll call Dan. The approaching SUVs will be rumbling down a dirt road in North Carolina, not the Middle East. And this is not a terrorist camp but a counterterrorist camp, a weeklong course in which U.S. military and law-enforcement personnel study the mentality of the enemy by role-playing terrorists. It’s called “Mirror Image” training. Developed in 2002 by the Virginia-based consulting group Terrorism Research Center (TRC), the Mirror Image program is the first of its kind in the war on terror. It’s also one of the few counterterrorism courses designed for street cops, soldiers, and federal agents alike. “In this conflict, there’s a blurring of front lines,” explains Walter Purdy, a former Marine and vice-president of TRC. “Beat cops in American cities and U.S. soldiers in Fallujah could easily be up against people who share t...

Reasons Terrorists Haven't Hit Us Again Answering the big question. The official position of our government is that it is not a matter of if there will be another attack on the United States again, but when. On this, George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden seem to be in agreement. This is especially troubling to New Yorkers, who feel, with some degree of certainty, that our city remains the most inviting target for terrorists. Everyone has methods for dealing with the anxiety. Mostly, we try to ignore it; sometimes, because of the news or a sudden loud noise outside the window, that becomes impossible. Wherever we go, we see how easy it would be for a terrorist to cause serious harm. A bomb left in a Times Square trash can; a man with a heavy backpack moving through a crowded subway car; a van stuffed with explosives entering the Midtown Tunnel—this is part of how we experience the city now. But if it seems so easy, why hasn’t it happened? That’s the question that obsesses us, around wh...

Lebanon 'victory' spurs Syrians to demand a voice - The Washington Times: World - March 02, 2005 DAMASCUS, Syria -- Demonstrations that brought down the government of neighboring Lebanon on Monday inspired Syria's intellectuals and activists to issue new calls yesterday for greater political participation in their own country -- a nation known for its strict limits on dissent. "What happened [in Lebanon] was a huge victory not only for the Lebanese people, but for the people of this region," said Wael Sawah, a Syrian political analyst and activist. "This is the first time a Cabinet resigns under popular pressure." Michel Kilo, another prominent Syrian opposition figure, said that the Lebanese protests could have a ripple effect in Syria. "The people here will want a bigger role and will start demanding their rights more," Mr. Kilo said. Outside of the region, calls for Syria's troop withdrawal from Lebanon continued ...

TCS: Tech Central Station - The Peculiar Institution: Understanding Why Palestinian Terror Is Different : "Those who have no sympathy for the Israelis must still have a healthy respect for what they might be capable of doing when they suddenly find themselves in the same desperate situation that their ancestors found themselves in on mount Masada nearly two thousand year before. Those who think that the Israelis would go down without a catastrophic parting shot at the Arab world -- and perhaps Europe as well -- are simply being naive. Hate the Israelis as much as you wish; you must still take a realistic measure of their awesome capacity to inflict damage on anyone who assumes that they could be removed from their land without one final apocalyptic death spasm; and this single fact renders the Palestinian use of the Algerian model utterly ridiculous. Metropolitan France had a breaking point, and the Algerians revolutionaries were able to push them to this point. But the Israelis c...

Chrenkoff Here’s a very interesting interview with Victor Davis Hanson, conducted by Arthur Chrenkoff. You are a life-long Democrat, a classicist and an old-style farmer skeptical of big business, yet after September 11 you’re finding yourself on the same side of the fence as Paul Wolfowitz and Condoleezza Rice. Do you see a major political realignment taking place in American politics? Yes, I do. Democrats are isolationists now. In matters of the Middle East, a Mubarak or Saudi Royal family are the “other” and deserve the multi-cultural pass of not being judged, since they are just “different” rather than atrocious. Those who worked in the trenches for George Bush were mostly volunteers and grass roots; those for Kerry paid, and often from monies from the likes of a George Soros. When I see a Teresa Heinz Kerry or George Soros, or the Hollywood elite, or the pampered professoriate, I see out-of-touch utopians who lecture others to do what they ne...

Photios: Tax Dollars Well Spent - New WoT Weapon Four TRIDENT Submarines are being converted from their roles as nuclear ballistic missile platforms (SSBNs) to guided missile platforms (SSGNs). The big C-4 TRIDENT I missiles and associated equipment is being removed and 20 of 24 missile tubes are being converted to carry multiple Tomahawk (or other cruise) missiles. The really cool part involves these other 4 missile tubes. [...] WE will be able to launch weapons and vehicles from Stealthy Affordable Capsule System (SACS) modules. These will be vehicles that are not necessarily designed to be used undersea, saving a lot of money. [...] Additionally, Clark wants the service and special operations forces to standardize their tactical UAV candidates, rather than pursue dissimilar systems. Another area of UAV collaboration between the two parties would occur in the Silent Hammer exercise series involving submarines aiding special forces ashore. The first Silent Hammer drill too...

BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | US al-Qaeda ads 'give new leads' : By Paul Anderson BBC News, Islamabad The adverts ask for information on Bin Laden and 13 other suspects US officials say a new TV and radio campaign to smoke out details of key al-Qaeda suspects who may be hiding in Pakistan has yielded some useful leads. The adverts highlight financial rewards on offer for information leading to the arrest of any of 14 suspects, starting with Osama Bin Laden. He is widely believed to be sheltering in the rugged tribal belt on the Afghan-Pakistan border. US officials would not be more specific about the information received so far. The 30-second adverts hit Pakistan's television screens this week with an emotive message. Over pictures of Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, his deputy, and Taleban leader Mullah Omar, a voice appeals to viewers: 'Who can stop the terrorists? Only you.' Large rewards Although there is no hard evidence, all are widely...

Belfast Telegraph : "IRA shoots itself in the foot. What's going on? First came the 26m bank raid. Then, Provisionals were implicated in the murder of a popular republican. The IRA looks split, and confused,with the peace process in jeopardy By David McKittrick 24 February 2005 The good news from Belfast is that no full-scale return to conflict is expected: the bad news is that, in most other ways, the Northern Ireland peace process is in bits. Weeks of turmoil and sensational developments and disclosures have rendered what was regarded as a basically sound process, often fraught but generally resilient, into something dangerously close to a quivering wreck. The years of progress in which the prevailing culture of Belfast politics mutated, step by laborious step, from confrontation to negotiation have come to a sudden, shuddering halt. A robbery and a killing have cast the process in a new light. This was not in the script: the process was supposed to be about co...

CIA Recruits : "U.S. efforts to infiltrate Al Qaeda begin with captured compatriots Behind the barbed wire, gun turrets and searchlights of the Guantanamo concentration camp, the CIA is running a secret program to recruit turncoats to infiltrate al Qaeda and other organizations to which they formerly belonged. The secrecy surrounding Guantanamo has been an essential ingredient in permitting CIA agent handlers to assess detainees over a lengthy period of time to determine if they are vulnerable to inducements and emotionally capable of returning to the world of terrorism as secret tools of the U.S. intelligence community. The fact that the identities of the detainees have been classified and they have not been permitted legal representation has aided those in the CIA who desperately need agents to blend into the Islamic world. The lack of terrorist agents within the U.S. intelligence apparatus in the 1990s ensured that al Qaeda and similar groupings were able to operate wi...