PROTON EMAS AT GENEVA INTL MOTOR SHOW

Proton's Emas global car is expected to be in production by 2012

GENEVA: Proton’s first global car Emas is expected to be in production by 2012.
The concept version of the car, shown in three variants, was launched at the Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday by Proton adviser Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“This is Proton’s 25th year and we want to tell the world that Proton is now ready to be a global player, that is the message we want to convey,” he said, adding that Proton was willing to invest in strategic partnerships to drive this new direction for the company.
“I’ve told the Proton people that I’d like to see the car out in a year, but they tell me they need more time,” Dr Mahathir said.
He said the project represented a giant technological leap for Proton, which previously focused mainly on the local market.
Proton group managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, who was also present for the launch, said they would need between 17 and 24 months to get the car into production.
“We are thankful and humbled that this is happening as we celebrate our 25 years of existence in the industry.
“We will certainly make use of this opportunity to reach out and build our brand further into the global market,” he added.
Emas, an acronym for Eco Mobility Advance Solution, was designed in collaboration with acclaimed Italian design house Italdesign Guigiaro.
“This is a car for today, with a design for tomorrow,” said Italdesign Giugiaro co-chairman Fabrizio Giugiaro at the launch.
“We don’t want to call it a concept car, rather, this is a new concept for a car,” he added.
The three variants shown was the five-door/four-seater Emas, three-door/four-seater Emas3 and Emas Country, a crossover hatchback that will seat five.
The car is also ready to accommodate any of three power trains - all-electric, hybrid and petrol or diesel - based on technology designed by Lotus Engineering.
Also present at the launch was Proton chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh and Dr Mahathir’s wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah.

Chile struggles to keep order in quake-hit city

 

CONCEPCION, Chile (Reuters) - Chilean authorities extended a curfew in the country's second-biggest city on Tuesday as troops struggled to contain worsening looting and crime in the wake of a devastating earthquake.

People keep watch for possible looters outside their neighbours' destroyed houses after a major earthquake in Concepcion, some 516 km (321 miles) south of Santiago, early March 2, 2010. (REUTERS/Victor Ruiz Caballero)

A night-time curfew in the badly damaged city of Concepcion was extended until midday after looters burned stores and residents complained of deteriorating security and slow government delivery of food and other basic supplies.
Despite the arrival of thousands of troops to reinforce local police, authorities were struggling to restore order in the city that bore the brunt of Saturday morning's 8.8-magnitude quake that killed at least 723 people.
Residents in Concepcion said they were organizing groups to defend their properties from robbers and looters, who the city's mayor said on Monday were becoming more organized.
"Government help has been so slow to arrive," said Caroline Contreras, a 36-year-old teacher.
"The soldiers just arrived and haven't been able to control the situation. The neighbours where I live are organizing to defend themselves because people are starting to rob houses."
President Michelle Bachelet, who condemned the "pillage and criminality," dispatched 7,000 soldiers to the region and imposed curfews to restore order, saying her government was sending emergency food and medicine supplies.
The devastating quake struck as Latin America's most stable economy was trying to recover from a recession brought on by the global financial crisis. The total economic damage from the quake could exceed $15 billion, the catastrophe risk firm AIR Worldwide said.
But both the human and economic cost could have been a lot worse given the size of the quake, one of the world's biggest in the past century.
The government has acknowledged that it has battled to provide aid swiftly because of mangled roads and major power disruptions caused by the quake.
Residents also criticized the government's response in the battered central city of Talca, where the main hospital partly collapsed, forcing doctors and nurses to treat wounded quake victims in a clinic.
Counters overflowed with boxes of medicine that had been hastily arranged. Nearly 10 people have died at the hospital and the morgue has received at least 30 bodies, officials said.
"We have not got any help from the government. We were expecting more and are still waiting for the three basics -- food, water and electricity," said 68-year-old Damian Vera Vergara.
Rescuers found signs of life on Monday in a collapsed apartment block in Concepcion. Workers heard knocking beneath the ruins of the 14-story building and were drilling into the rubble to try to reach the possible survivors. About 60 people were thought to have been killed when the block crumbled.
The quake sent massive waves surging into villages on the country's Pacific coast. In the town of Constitucion alone, 350 people were reported to have died, and the full scale of damage in isolated coastal towns remained unclear.
Fears of a major blow to Chile's economy from the quake receded somewhat as the stock market and the currency remained resilient. Other Latin American markets also took the quake in stride.
Mines in Chile, the world's leading copper producer, resumed activity and the central bank said it would keep interest rates at record lows to help stimulate the economy.

CHINA PREFER DIPLOMATIC OVER IRAN'S NUCLEAR

China sticks to diplomatic approach on Iran

BEIJING (Reuters) - China stood its ground that diplomacy was the best way to resolve the standoff over Iran's nuclear programme, as U.S. diplomats arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for talks on Tehran and North Korea's atomic ambitions.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg in Lima January 14, 2010. (REUTERS/Pilar Olivares/Files)

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg will be the most senior U.S. diplomat to visit Beijing since a flurry of disputes over Internet censorship, trade, arms sales to Taiwan and Tibet unsettled ties with China.
Iran has also been a sticking point in Sino-U.S. ties. Washington and other Western powers want China's backing for a proposed U.N. resolution slapping new sanctions on Tehran, which they say is seeking the means to make nuclear weapons.
Of the five members of the U.N. Security Council with veto power, China is most resistant to employing global sanctions to force Tehran to abandon its alleged atom-bomb plans, saying diplomacy can resolve the issue.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang indicated on Tuesday his government would take its time on negotiating the Iran nuclear issue.
"We believe there is still room for diplomatic efforts and the parties concerned should intensify those efforts," Qin told a regular news conference in Beijing.
Analysts and foreign officials say China will resist any proposed sanctions that threaten flows of oil and Chinese investments, but most believe it will accept a more narrowly cast resolution that has more symbolic than practical impact.
Iran was China's third biggest source of imported crude oil last year, and Beijing has long been reluctant to support stiff sanctions against Tehran.
Steinberg will also discuss North Korea, whose nuclear arms plans have alarmed the North's neighbours and the United States, said U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley.
Nations involved in six-party talks aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme have been seeking to revive negotiations, stalled since last year after North Korea pulled out and held a nuclear test.
North Korea has previously put conditions on its return to the talks, including ending U.N. sanctions and having discussions with the United States on a peace treaty to replace the cease-fire that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
SMOOTHING RELATIONS
Washington hopes the visit by Steinberg and the National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs, Jeffrey Bader, will help ease Sino-U.S. tensions.
"We've gone through a bit of a bumpy path here, and I think there's an interest both within the United States and China to get back to business as usual as quickly as possible," Crowley told reporters in Washington.
China, too, appears to want to lower the temperature of friction with the United States, a key trade partner.
Beijing has not yet acted on its threat to sanction U.S. companies involved in the Taiwan arms sales, and on the weekend, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said he wanted trade friction with the United States to ease.
A report in China's state-run Xinhua news agency on Monday suggested that Beijing would use the talks to press its complaints about U.S. policy towards Taiwan and Tibet.
In January, the Obama administration said it was going ahead with new arms sales to Taiwan, the self-ruled and democratic island that Beijing claims as its own. The following month President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader reviled by Beijing.
"Responsibility for the current state of China-U.S. relations does not lie with the Chinese side, and we ask that the U.S. take China's concerns seriously," said Qin, the Chinese spokesman.
After Beijing, Steinberg and Bader are due to meet with senior officials in Tokyo on Thursday and Friday.

SEX EDUCATION IN MALAYSIA

Malaysian teachers say ‘no’ to sex education (Updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian teachers are saying “no” to teaching sex education in schools.
They lack professional training in teaching the subject, National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng said Tuesday.
She said while the union fully supported the Government’s move to provide sex education in schools, “sadly, the teachers lack formal training in the complexity and sensitivity of the subject and are not confident to teach it.”
Lok said the teachers were afraid they might be sued by the parents “if they were to make mistakes in imparting the knowledge of sex to the pupils.”
Malaysia is a multiracial, religious and cultural nation with each ethnic group having its own notion on the subject, which made the teaching more challenging, she noted.
The NUTP is the country’s biggest teachers union representing 160,000 teachers, which is approximately half the teaching profession.
Lok said the union wanted the Education Ministry to first hold discussions with stakeholders on the pros and cons of the move before making a firm decision.
Currently, the subject was taught in “bits and pieces” from the primary level to secondary level, in the absence of a proper structured course.
Of late, sex education has become a very important issue in the country, with an increasing number of unwed mothers, many of them students.
Meanwhile, a Bernama survey among students, parents and teachers showed that all groups were in favour of sex education but were unsure of the form and content of the course.
Teenage student Jayaraman said he was all for it, but was unsure what and how the teachers were going to teach because “we have more girls than boys in our class and most of our teachers are female.”
Abdul Raof Bidin, 38, who has two school-going children, felt that it was necessary to teach the subject.
“It should be handled with care as it could easily be misconstrued and do more harm than good, if wrongly imparted,” he said.
Another parent, M. Arumugam, 44, believes it was better for medical professionals like doctors and nurses to impart the subject to students.
”Maybe the Education Ministry should consult the Health Ministry and come up with some kind of arrangement for teachers to be provided with on-the-job training,” he said.
Betty Lee, who has been a teacher for 24 years, felt that the subject was best handled by “teachers who themselves are mothers and know how to handle such a complex subject.”
”With due respect, not all teachers can teach the subject, and the ministry should be very careful in selecting the right candidate for the job,” said the 50-year-old.

Nato+US Vs Taliban => CIVILIANS KILLED ...or VICE VERSA

Afghan suicide blast 'kills four' civilians

At least four civilians have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack targeting a Nato convoy in southern Afghanistan, say Afghan officials.

Nato has not yet commented on the incident near Kandahar city, but the Taliban have claimed responsibility.
The attack comes a day after a roadside bomb killed 11 civilians in neighbouring Helmand province.
US and Afghan forces are waging a major offensive against Taliban fighters entrenched there.
The attack happened near the airport, an important base for Nato forces battling militants across southern Afghanistan.
On Friday, the US military said it was planning a new offensive later this year to drive the Taliban from Kandahar.

Israel Police a.k.a Intruder enter Jerusalem holy site

Police enter Jerusalem holy site

There were also clashes elsewhere in the Old City area of Jerusalem

Israeli police have clashed with Palestinian protesters at the Jerusalem compound housing one of Islam's holiest sites, the al-Aqsa mosque.

Police say they went into the compound to disperse some 20 masked protesters throwing stones at foreign tourists.
The Islamic body which oversees administration of the area disputes the police account of events.
This is the latest in a series of clashes amid high tensions over religious sites in the past week.
The Jerusalem compound also contains the Western Wall, a sacred site for Jews.
Clashes broke out in the West Bank town of Hebron on Friday over Israel's decision to list two disputed shrines as heritage sites.
Contested site
A Palestinian official said a group of youths had spent the night in the al-Aqsa mosque to prevent what they believed to be Jewish extremists from praying at the sensitive site.
Palestinians and Israelis were injured and several Palestinians were arrested in the brief confrontation on Sunday, police say.
An Israeli police spokesman said calm had been restored to the compound and visits resumed.
The spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, said Muslim men under the age of 50 had been barred from the site, while older men, women of all ages and children had been permitted to enter.

Guide to Jerusalem's holy sites

The Jerusalem complex, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as Temple Mount, has long been contested.
Clashes erupted at the site last September after Muslims threw stones at people they believed to be Jewish extremists trying to pray at the al-Aqsa mosque.
A visit to the compound in 2000 by then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon, later prime minister, led to clashes that escalated into years of violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The compound containing the mosque lies in Jerusalem's Old City, which has been controlled by Israel since they captured it in the 1967 war.
Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from the spot in the complex marked by the Dome of the Rock.
The site is holy to Jews because it is where the First and Second Temples were built according to the Old Testament, with the Western Wall still remaining.

Hamas man 'drugged and suffocated' in Dubai

Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was found dead in a hotel room in Dubai

A Hamas commander who was killed in his Dubai hotel room was drugged and then suffocated, according to results of forensic tests released by police.

Mahmoud al-Mabhouh's killers used a quick-acting muscle relaxant to help make the death seem "natural", a senior Dubai police officer said.
Israel's secret service has been widely blamed for the killing.
However Israel has said there is no evidence it was behind the death on 20 January.
It has accused Mabhouh of smuggling arms into Gaza and killing two Israeli soldiers.
'Rapid onset'
"The killers used the drug succinylcholine to sedate Mabhouh before they suffocated him," Maj Gen Khamis Mattar al-Mazeina, deputy commander of Dubai's police, said.
"The assassins used this method so that it would seem that his death was natural," AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
The agency said succinylcholine is favoured by anaesthetists and emergency doctors because of its rapid onset.
Some previous reports on Mabhouh's death have suggested he was electrocuted and suffocated.
Passport row
Dubai has identified 26 suspects in the murder and said they used British, Irish, French and Australian passports.
The use of the European and Australian passports in the assassination has sparked a diplomatic row between those countries and Israel.
The countries say the passports used by the murder suspects were forged.
British police officers are in Israel to investigate the use of fake British passports by some of the suspects.
Israeli officials have refused to either confirm or deny their country's involvement in the killing but have hailed it.
Trade Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said on Sunday he did not know who had carried it out, but it showed Hamas that "none of their people are untouchable".

"XYNTHIA" FORCED FRANCE TO DECLARE 'NATIONAL DISASTER'

France declares storms 'national disaster'

High winds and driving rain brought chaos to travellers in western France

France has declared a national disaster after violent storms battered parts of the country leaving death and destruction in their wake.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon said the move would release funds to help communities rebuild.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived at the storm-battered Atlantic coast, where at least 47 people died.
As the storm swept north-eastwards across Western Europe, others died in Portugal, Spain, Belgium and Germany.
Many of those on the French coast drowned, while those elsewhere were hit by parts of buildings or falling trees.
Power out
"It's a national disaster and my first thoughts go to the victims and to their families, to whom I want to express the government's and the nation's condolences," Mr Fillon said.
"The priority now is to make all the homeless people safe, all the people who are still threatened by the rising waters."
He said flood prevention dykes would be strengthened.
Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said nearly 10,000 emergency staff were working on the west coast on Monday morning, to search for and help survivors.
He told France-Info radio that the death toll would "doubtless" rise as rescue workers made house-to-house visits.
As many as 30 people are thought to be missing.
The Atlantic storm, named Xynthia, smashed into the western coasts of France, Portugal and Spain on Sunday, with torrential rain driven by winds of up to 140km/h (87mph).
The weather system has swept north-eastwards into Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. There have also been reports of high winds in the Swiss Alps.

In pictures: Storm batters Europe 'The worst storm I've encountered'

In France, Xynthia put five of the country's 95 departments on red alert - only the second such warning since a new emergency system was introduced in 2001.
More than a million homes in France have lost electricity, from the Brittany peninsula in the west to the highlands of the Massif Central.
Worst affected have been the Vendee and Charente-Maritime regions on the western coast.
Huge waves and strong gusts battered many coastal towns, flooding inland areas and destroying buildings.
Residents took to their roofs in the Vendee region and police helicopters were in action trying to locate and rescue them.
French national power company EDF said half a million customers were still without power at nightfall on Sunday, AFP news agency reported.
Mr Fillon said it would take several days to restore power everywhere.
Falling trees
In Germany, a man was killed and his wife injured when a tree fell on their car in the Black Forest region, AFP reported.
A female jogger in the western town of Bergheim, and a man in Belgium, were also killed by falling trees.
Earlier on Sunday two Spanish men died when a tree crushed their car near Burgos. A Spanish woman was killed by a falling wall in Galicia, and a Portuguese boy was killed by a tree in Paredes.
Air France said 100 of its flights had been cancelled from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
Wind speeds hit 175km/h at the top of the Eiffel Tower, French radio reported.

CHILE QUAKE - MORE THAN 700 KILLED

Quake, tsunamis kill more than 700 in Chile

CONCEPCION, Chile (Reuters) - A massive earthquake and tsunamis killed 350 people in one Chilean coastal town, doubling the total death toll on Sunday as the government tried to get aid to hungry survivors and halt looting.

Chile's President Michelle Bachelet (2nd R) speaks to residents as she visits collapsed houses after an earthquake in Concepcion, some 100 km (62 miles) south of the epicenter February 27, 2010. (REUTERS/Chile Presidency/Handout)

The government said 711 people had been killed and sent 10,000 troops to enforce curfews and quell outbreaks of looting by people desperate for food and water after Saturday's 8.8-magnitude quake, among the world's biggest in a century.
Television images showed houses washed away by swirling waters, cars tossed into shattered buildings and boats lifted into the streets in coastal towns including Pelluhue and Constitucion, where 350 deaths alone were reported.
"It's an enormous catastrophe ... there's a growing number of missing people," Bachelet said, adding that food and medical aid was being sent to help the roughly 2 million people affected by the quake.
The quake wrecked hundreds of thousands of homes, mangled highways and bridges and dealt a heavy blow to infrastructure in the world's No. 1 copper producer and one of Latin America's most stable economies.
Widespread disruption to the power supply threatened to hamper Chilean industry's recovery, although Chile's biggest copper mines slowly resumed operations on Sunday.
Copper prices surged in early trading on Monday due to supply worries caused by the earthquake in Chile, jumping 5.6 percent on the London Metal Exchange .
Giant waves set off by the quake crashed hundred of meters into coastal villages near the epicenter, demolishing houses and sending residents fleeing into the hills.
"I've got nothing left but what I'm wearing. We ran desperately up the hill and watched how the sea washed everything away," an unidentified woman from the fishing village of Duao told state television.
The government had told Chileans immediately after the quake that there was no danger of a tsunami, an error it said was based on incorrect data from navy experts.
LOOTING, CURFEW
In the hard-hit city of Concepcion, about 310 miles (500 km) south of Santiago, about 60 people were feared to have been crushed to death in a collapsed apartment block where rescuers worked through the night to find survivors.
A lack of water, food and fuel sharpened the hardship for the hundreds of thousands of people left homeless.
The government imposed a night-time curfew in Concepcion and the Maule region in a bid to stop looting and army troops began to arrive in the city late on Sunday. Television also showed images of police firing tear gas at looters in Santiago and of youths throwing rocks at officers.
Police earlier used tear gas and water cannons to disperse a crowd of looters carrying off food and electrical appliances from one supermarket in Concepcion.
Television images showed people stuffing groceries and other goods into shopping trolleys in Concepcion, and a local official in Santiago confirmed that at least two supermarkets there had been looted.
"People have gone days without eating," said Orlando Salazar, one of the looters at the supermarket. "The only option is to come here and get stuff for ourselves."
Concepcion's mayor, Jacqueline van Rysselberghe, said the situation was getting "out of control" due to shortages of basic supplies and called for troops to be sent to the city.
The quake poses a daunting reconstruction challenge for President-elect Sebastian Pinera, who takes office in two weeks.
AFTERSHOCKS
Crushed cars, fallen power lines and rubble from wrecked buildings littered the streets of Concepcion, which has about 670,000 inhabitants and lies 70 miles (115 km) southwest of the quake's epicenter.
A string of strong aftershocks have rocked the country and thousands of Concepcion residents camped out in tents or makeshift shelters, fearing fresh tremors could topple weakened buildings.
Some economists predicted a deep impact on Chile's economy after the quake damaged its industrial and agricultural sectors in the worst-hit regions, possibly putting pressure on its currency.
The economic damage from the quake could be up to $30 billion, equivalent to about 15 percent of Chile's gross domestic product, said Eqecat, a firm that helps insurers model catastrophe risks.
Chile's fourth-largest copper mine El Teniente, which accounts for more than 7 percent of national output, resumed operations on Sunday. The nearby Andina mine was also due to resume operations but analysts feared power outages could still curtail supplies.
Production also resumed on Sunday at the Anglo-American Los Bronces copper mine, one of the company's two mines where power outages halted output, a union leader told Reuters.
Santiago's airport started to receive international flights for the first time since the quake struck. Officials said the runways were unscathed but the terminal building was damaged.
The quake triggered tsunamis as far afield as Japan and Russia, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage.

8yr-old girl molested, forced to perform oral sex?

KUALA LUMPUR: An unemployed man pleaded not guilty to molesting an eight-year-old girl and forcing her to perform oral sex on him.
Jamil Samad, 42, is alleged to have used criminal force on the Year Two pupil and rubbing his private parts against her buttocks.
If convicted, he can be jailed up to 10 years, fined or whipped or face any two of such punishments under Section 354 of the Penal Code.
He is also accused of putting his private parts into the girl’s mouth against her will.
If found guilty, he can be jailed up to 20 years and whipped under Section 377C of the Penal Code.
Jamil is said to have committed both offences at the staircase area at PPR Cochrane Perkasa in Jalan Nakhoda Yusuf, Cheras at 4.30pm on May 12 last year.
The girl’s 41-year-old mother had lodged a complaint over the incident later.
Upon hearing his charges Monday, Jamil, clad in striking red-checkered shirt and blue jeans, calmly said he wanted to claim trial.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurfaida Mohd Rashidee said the prosecution has no intention to offer bail to the accused.
“If the court intends to use its discretion, the prosecution offers bail of RM15,000 in one surety,” she applied Monday.
DPP Nurfaida said the prosecution also pressed for the court to impose an additional bail condition that the accused should not disturb their witnesses as they were staying near the same area.
Upon queried by Sessions Court judge Mohamad Sekeri Mamat, Jamil said he had nothing to say over his bail application.
The judge then allowed a bail of RM15,000 in one surety and ordered him not to disturb the victim.
“If there is any complaint that you have disturbed the victim, then your bail will be revoked,” warned the judge.
He set April 5 for mention to allow the accused to appoint a lawyer.

TEOH - CHOKED BEFORE DEATH

‘Teoh could have been strangled, choked before death’

SHAH ALAM: Government pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor admitted that political aide Teoh Beng Hock could have been strangled or chocked prior to his death.
However, Dr Shahidan reiterated that, in his opinion, Teoh’s death was due to fall from height and not from strangulation.
Teoh’s family counsel Gobind Singh Deo also asked Dr Shahidan if there was a possibility that Teoh had been strangled at the MACC office.
“I didn’t say strangled to death, I said strangled,” said Gobind.
He then suggested that Teoh was tortured before falling to his death.
“Its possible but not probable,” said Dr Shahidan.
To a question by Gobind if he would consider the possibility that Teoh had been unconscious and was thrown down, Dr Shahidan said:
“Yes.”
When being questioned by counsel appointed by the Selangor government Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, Dr Shahidan said he also noticed a hematoma (a bruise resulting from internal bleeding), which suggested that force might have been applied to the neck.
He also told Malik Imtiaz there were signs of oxygen deprivation to the brain and such a condition could have led to fainting or collapsing.
Dr Shahidan also conceded there might be flaws in the first post-mortem conducted on political aide Teoh’s remains.
Pathologists Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim and Dr Prashant Samberkar conducted the initial post-mortem on July 17 last year.
Teoh, 30, the political secretary to Selangor executive council member Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead the morning after he was taken to the state Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Plaza Masalam here for questioning on July 15 last year over alleged irregularity in disbursement of funds.
Dr Shahidan’s testimony Monday contradicts what he told coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas during cross-examination on Feb 19.
He had said the post-mortem report by Dr Khairul Azman and Dr Prashant was very good and there were clear signs indicating Teoh had not been manually strangled.
Dr Shahidan, who is Sungai Buloh Hospital Pathology Unit head, agreed to a suggestion by Gobind that the post-mortem might not have been done prudently and competently.
This was because Teoh’s neck had not been examined for possible strangulation.
Internal examination on certain muscled parts of the body to investigate if Teoh had been beaten had also not been carried out.
When questioned by Gobind on what he would have looked out for in custodial deaths, Dr Shahidan said he would have looked for signs of strangulation and beatings.
Gobind: In cases where one looks for signs of beatings, you agree with me that quite often there are signs that are not apparent from a visual look at the body itself?
Dr Shahidan: Yes, there are incidences where one cannot see external injuries.
Gobind: How to find signs of beatings when cannot be seen visually?
Dr Shahidan said dissections would be done on the muscles on the head, back, chest, abdomen, feet and limbs as well as other muscled areas to determine if the victim had been flogged.
Gobind then pointed out that the dissections in these areas were only done during the second post-mortem conducted by Dr Shahidan and not done at all during the initial post-mortem.
Gobind: So in your opinion, as head of department, when examining a case in which there’s a possibility of custodial death, it would be prudent to look for injuries such as pressure marks on the neck and internal injuries to the body?
Dr Shahidan: Yes.
Dr Shahidan also agreed with Gobind that checking for strangulation marks and conducting an internal examination, to determine if the victim had been beaten, was the usual protocol adhered to in cases of custodial death.
He also admitted to finding superficial bruises in the neck region, which was not mentioned, in the first post-mortem report.
Gobind then said if it had not been for Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, the marks on Teoh’s neck would not have been known.
“How is it that our doctors didn’t pick it up but Dr Pornthip did from the picture?” asked Gobind.
However, Dr Shahidan vehemently defended the initial post-mortem report and openly declared in court that he would not say anything harsh against it.
“The superficial injuries to the neck may have only been evident after 24 hours, that’s why they couldnt see the marks,” he said.
Gobind also said it was strange that the two most crucial tests had not been carried out given that Teoh had died while in custody.
He asked Dr Shahidan if that suggested a cover-up if these two crucial tests had not been carried out at a post-mortem involving a custodial death.
“Yes,” said Dr Shahidan.
Azmil Muntapha adjourned Dr Shahidan’s cross-examination to March 10.
Dr Pornthip had on Oct 21 last year told the inquest that Teoh's death was 80% homicide and several injuries found on him appeared to be pre-fall injuries.

ANOTHER PKR'S MAN QUIT

Nibong Tebal MP quits PKR (Updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: Nibong Tebal Member of Parliament Tan Tee Beng on Monday morning announced he has quit PKR and would remain an independent MP.
Tan, who last week faced the PKR disciplinary board on charges of openly criticising Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, said he was quitting all party posts immediately.
In February, Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim also quit PKR citing, among other reasons, dissatisfaction with Chief Minister Lim’s leadership of the state.
Tan's press conference on Monday was arranged by Kulim-Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Noordin, which led to speculation that he too was quitting PKR to join Umno, just hours after former Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin did the same.
Zulkifli was facing disciplinary action for lodging a police report against PAS’ Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, and has accused “little pharaohs” within the party of trying to kick him out.
He had earlier said that PKR vice-president Azmin Ali, strategic director Tian Chua and political bureau member Zaid Ibrahim had already called for his sacking, adding that even party adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had labelled him as an “extremist.”
Ironically, he demanded that the disciplinary committee comprise only Muslims as it was related to the controversy related to the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims.
Zulkifli’s friction with the party mostly revolved around his hardline Islamic stance. In 2008, he led a group of protestors to storm a forum discussing Islamic issues, forcing police to request the peaceful dialogue be called off to prevent violence.
No arrests were made.
On Sunday, Fairus quit PKR, saying the stance taken by PKR and Pakatan Rakyat over the “Allah” issue had made him lose confidence in the party’s leadership.
He denied it had anything to with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission clearing him of graft charges over illegal sand quarrying activities in Penang.
Fairus had quit as Penanti assemblyman and DCM I last year.
Also on Monday, news portal The Malaysian Insider reported that former PKR secretary-general Datuk Salehuddin Hashim has quit the party.
Salehuddin had quit his post earlier this year.
On whether he would join another party, possibly Umno, Salehuddin only said that “he was a politician who has retired,” The Malaysian Insider said.
Last week, 77 PKR Youth members resigned from Anwar’s stronghold in Permatang Pauh to join Umno. Among them were the Guar Jering branch deputy Youth chief Fakhrul Che Umar and treasurer Hesabudin Md Isa.
Bernama reported Tan as saying that he regretted the attitude of the PKR leadership that was willing to sacrifice the integrity and principles of the party purely to ensure that their aspirations were achieved.
"In fact, they are willing to 'close their eyes' to the problem faced by the Penang PKR due to (Penang Chief Minister) Lim Guan Eng's arrogance.
"I don't understand why the Penang PKR leadership is so subservient to Lim to the extent that it is willing to cover up all his weaknesses," he said, reading a five-page statement at a press conference, here Monday.
Tan, who also announced that he was resigning from all posts in the party and becoming an Independent Member of Parliament, said that he was not prepared to bow to Lim's dictatorial attitude and work style because the DAP secretary-general's arrogance was excessive and he treated the PKR elected representatives badly.
"He likes to politicise petty issues and totally cannot accept criticisms and tries to turn the Penang government into his family property.
"Unfortunately, many choose to keep quiet and become 'yes men', no one dares to join me in stating the truth," said Tan, who was accompanied by his staunch supporter, Datuk Salahuddin Hashim, the former PKR secretary-general.
Tan also plans to take legal action against Lim, the Member of Parliament for Jelutong Jeff Ooi and Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy who said that Tan was interfering in the award of open tenders.
"I had taken the initiative to be present at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office to lodge a report on the slander. I believe that is sufficient to prove to the people of my transparency.
"On the other hand, Jeff Ooi's and Ramasamy's cowardice in refusing to be present at the MACC office shows their true colour to the people. Their dirty tactics were meant to assassinate my character," he said.
Tan said the decision to leave the party was also due to the absence of a specific channel in the PKR to attend to problems and what had transpired showed that the party leadership did not tolerate criticism.
"They not only failed to resolve problems, they imposed disciplinary action against me without investigating the complaints that I had made. In fact, they warned me not to criticise openly. This is most unfair," he said.
He said the PKR and the Pakatan Rakyat (Opposition Pact) would not bring any changes like they promised, and he regretted that no clear action was taken by PKR adviser and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to address the internal problems faced by the PKR and the opposition pact.
Although he had now become an Independent Member of Parliament without siding any party, Tan hoped he could prove to the people of Nibong Tebal that his action would bring them benefits.
"The people should not become victims of political differences. I'm not prepared to see the people of Nibong Tebal being deprived of development and allow their aspirations to be ignored," he said.
He also requested the federal government to accord fair and equitable treatment by channelling development allocations to his constituency so that he could discharge his duty more effectively and efficiently to assist the people who were in dire need.
Meanwhile, Salahuddin said he expected more than 10 elected representatives from the PKR to leave the party after this, but declined further comment.
On Feb 12, Bayan Baru Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim announced that he was leaving the PKR with immediate effect as he was disappointed with Lim's leadership as well as the PKR's struggles in the Opposition Pact.

Tsunami reaches Japanese coast

Fishing ports in north-east Japan shut ahead of possible tsunami waves

A tsunami more than one metre (3 feet) high has hit Japan's northern Pacific coast, nearly 24 hours after the powerful earthquake in Chile.

Thousands of people were earlier told to leave coastal areas after predictions bigger waves could strike.
Other Pacific nations were hit by tsunamis, but the danger is now thought to have passed.
In Chile, the town of Talcahuano was badly damaged while five people were killed on the Juan Fernandez islands.
Fishing boats there were thrown out of the water in Talcahuano, and port facilities were damaged by a wave that US scientists said was 2.34m high.
The town lies about 115km (70 miles) south-west of the epicentre of Saturday's powerful earthquake.
Large waves struck Chile's Juan Fernandez island group, reaching halfway into one inhabited area and killing five people. Several more are missing.
Two aid ships are reported to be on their way.
Well prepared
Warning systems across the Pacific have improved since the 2004 Indonesia quake sparked a tsunami that killed nearly 250,000 people.
Nations and regions affected by the Pacific "Ring of Fire" all sounded alerts, trying to estimate the anticipated time of arrival of any tsunami following the earthquake, which struck on Saturday at 0634 GMT.

Residents of south-eastern Philippines took shelter after warnings

The first tsunami waves to reach Japan were reported to be just 10cm high, with a wave of 90cm following.
Officials later lifted a tsunami warning for Japan's coast, the first issued in more than 15 years.
The BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo says Japan has experienced many earthquakes of its own and was well prepared.
People in areas at risk were ordered to move to higher ground, train services running along the coast were suspended and steel gates across fishing harbours were shut.
In 1960 about 140 people were killed by a tsunami in Japan after a major earthquake in Chile.
Thousands of people also left coastal areas of the Philippines after warnings of a possible tsunami were spread by text message.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had warned of "widespread damage" across the region following Saturday's quake, but later said waves were not as high as predicted.
A geophysicist at the centre, Gerard Fryer, told the BBC that the tsunami's impact was small because the earthquake occurred in shallow water.
The earthquake was "big enough to do significant damage, but not big enough to do anything large in the far field", he said.
'Ordinary stormy day'
Part of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia were hit by a 4m (13ft) wave, but no casualties were reported.
In Tahiti, the tsunami waves were smaller, causing little damage.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii was monitoring the waves

New Zealand's Chatham Islands were hit by a wave of 1.5m and areas along the main North and South Islands experienced small surges with no reports of casualties or serious damage.
The tsunami warning has been downgraded there but the emergency management department spokesman said there could still be waves of up to 3m.
Sirens were sounded in Hawaii to alert residents to the tsunami threat several hours before waves were expected.
The first waves hit about 2200 GMT on Saturday, after water began moving away from the shore at Hilo Bay on the Big Island before returning.
But correspondents say that, although 8ft (2.5m) waves had been predicted, the islands experienced nothing noticeably different from an ordinary stormy day.
Hawaiian officials later lifted the tsunami warning.
Despite Australian warnings of "possible dangerous waves, strong ocean currents and foreshore flooding" on the east coast, swimmers and surfers flocked to Sydney's Bondi beach.

Hebron clashes over Israel's West Bank heritage

Hebron clashes over Israel's West Bank heritage list

Palestinians have been protesting all week

Palestinians and Israeli security forces have clashed in the West Bank city of Hebron.

The protests follow an Israeli move to to designate two West Bank shrines as heritage sites.
The move, announced on Sunday, has drawn criticism abroad and in some of the Israeli media.
Palestinian Authority PM Salam Fayyad attended Friday prayers at the Cave of Patriarchs - one of the sites - to show his government's opposition.
Palestinian organisations had declared Friday a day of popular protest across the Palestinian territories.
Protests continued sporadically all week and on Thursday the Palestinian Authority in Bethlehem began a three-day strike.
Jon Donnison, the BBC's West Bank and Gaza correspondent, said Israeli troops fired rounds of tear gas at around 100 Palestinian protestors who threw stones and set fire to tyres in the central streets of Hebron on Friday.
Hebron is home to about 160,000 Muslims, but some 500 Israelis and Jews live in a small settlement in the centre of the city, with a heavy Israeli security detail.
Restoration plan
On Sunday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron would be included in an Israeli-funded $107m (£69m) restoration plan. Both sites are sacred to Muslims and Jews.
Rachel, the biblical matriarch holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, is believed to be buried in a tomb near the entrance to Bethlehem.
Some Muslims say the tomb is also a mosque.
The shrine is on the Israeli side of the West Bank barrier. The Israelis say the barrier was built for security reasons, but Palestinians say it constitutes a land grab, and the International Court of Justice has ruled that the barrier is illegal and should be removed where it does not follow the Green Line, the internationally recognised boundary between the West Bank and Israel.
The Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron is where the Bible says Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried with three of their wives. It is known to Muslims as the al-Ibrahimi mosque.
Palestinians said they feared their access to the sites - important to Muslims and Jews - would be limited by restoration work. This was denied by Israeli officials.
'Not political'
In a bid to calm tensions, Mr Netanyahu told Israeli television on Thursday that there had been a "misunderstanding".
"This is not a political decision It doesn't change anything in that sense. It is concerned with preserving heritage," he said.
But the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Unesco - the United Nations' culture and education body - and some European countries have expressed reservations at the plan. On Wednesday, US state department official Mark Toner described the move as "provocative".
Mr Netanyahu has also come under fire in the national press. Left-leaning Haaretz newspaper called the prime minister a "master pyromaniac".
The right-wing Maariv newspaper was also critical, accusing the premier of "having learnt nothing from the past".

Rainstorm threatening Madeira

New rainstorm threatening Madeira after lethal floods

Madeira is still clearing up after the 20 February disaster

Portugal's island of Madeira is bracing for a new rainstorm a week after a flood disaster killed as many as 70 people and destroyed infrastructure.

Heavy rain falling south of the island is expected to reach land overnight while winds are forecast to gather strength steadily this evening.
The storm is expected to spread to the Iberian Peninsula on Saturday.
The number of people missing on Madeira has been revised upwards to 29 with 41 deaths confirmed, Portuguese media say.
Communication problems have been blamed for discrepancies in casualty figures, with 13 people reported missing on Tuesday when the death toll was being put at 42.
'Stay calm'
Last Saturday's storm caused landslides on the mountainous island, bringing down boulders and mud on to coastal communities.
Officials fear that many of the missing may have been swept out into the Atlantic Ocean.
With the storm expected to reach Spain's Canary Islands overnight, Madrid issued a weather alert.
Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa de la Vega appealed for calm and urged Spaniards to follow instructions given by the authorities and "avoid any type of risks" during the storm.
"It is true that an intense storm with strong winds is approaching but the authorities are on alert and all adequate measures have been taken," she told reporters.
France's weather forecasters issued a similar warning, saying the storm was expected to cross the country from west to east during Saturday night and Sunday.

Storm lashes Spain, Portugal and France

Madeira was still cleaning up after fatal floods last week

Powerful winds have hit parts of Spain, Portugal and France, causing serious damage, officials said.

As winds of up to 140km/h (87mph) lashed parts of Spain, the interior minister warned people to stay inside, avoid driving and postpone walks.
The weather was blamed for three deaths - one in each of the countries.
Portugal's Madeira island, which is reeling from downpours which killed dozens of people last week, was also hit by the fresh storm.
All of Portugal was placed on orange alert - the second highest - by civil protection authorities.
A falling tree killed a boy in northern Portugal, authorities said, according to AFP.
'No woodland walks'
Spain's Canary Islands, particularly La Palma, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, were hit by the storm, although there was not much damage.
Some lampposts were blown over and flights cancelled on Friday.
"This is not the weekend to go walking in the woods, watching the waves or repairing the tiles on your roof-tops," Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said.
Four French departments were placed on red alert, and 66 out of 95 were on orange alert for 24 hours from Saturday evening.
A man was also killed by a falling tree in the the southern Pyrenees region, police said.
Spain's north-western region of Galicia, the Basque country, Castilla y Leon and Cantabria were also on high alert.
Forecasters expected winds of up to 160km/h (100mph) in those regions.
An elderly woman was killed when a wall collapsed on her in Galicia, AFP reported.
Spain had 20,000 officials on alert to try to prevent or repair any damage, while the airport authority warned of possible delays or cancellations.

Chile quake affects two million

Chile quake affects two million, says Bachelet

Concepcion, in southern Chile, suffered severe damage in the quake

Two million people have been affected by the massive earthquake that struck central Chile on Saturday, President Michelle Bachelet has said.

In a TV address, she said the forces of nature were testing the nation.
So far at least 300 people have been confirmed killed in the earthquake that struck in the early hours of Saturday.
The 8.8 quake - one of the biggest ever - triggered a tsunami that has been sweeping across the Pacific, although waves were not as high as predicted.
"The forces of nature have badly affected our country," Ms Bachelet said.
"And once again they've put to the test our ability to deal with adversity and get back on our feet. And we are examining every way to restore all the basic services in the country. But there's still a lot to do.
Ms Bachelet added that she had declared a state of catastrophe in six regions.
Chile is vulnerable to earthquakes, being situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where the Pacific and South American plates meet.

Detailed map of quake Tsunami spreads through Pacific

The earthquake struck at 0634 GMT, 115km (70 miles) north-east of the city of Concepcion and 325km south-west of the capital Santiago at a depth of about 35km. It is the biggest to hit Chile in 50 years.
Widespread damage to roads and buildings has been reported in many areas, including the capital where a chemical plant caught fire.
Electricity, water and phone lines have been cut.
At least 85 people died in the region of Maule alone, journalists there reported.
Many deaths were also reported in the regions of Santiago, O'Higgins, Biobio, Araucania and Valparaiso.
TV pictures showed a major bridge at Concepcion had collapsed into the Biobio river.
Rescue teams are struggling to reach Concepcion because of damage to infrastructure, national media reported.
In Santiago, where at least 13 people were killed, several buildings collapsed - including a car park.
A fire at a chemical plant in the outskirts of the capital forced the evacuation of the neighbourhood.

POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES Haiti, 12 Jan 2010: About 230,000 people die after shallow 7.0 magnitude quake Sumatra, Indonesia, 26 Dec 2004: 9.2 magnitude. Triggers Asian tsunami that kills nearly 250,000 people Alaska, US, 28 March 1964: 9.2 magnitude; 128 people killed. Anchorage badly damaged Chile, south of Concepcion, 22 May 1960: 9.5 magnitude. About 1,655 deaths. Tsunami hits Hawaii and Japan Kamchatka, NE Russia, 4 Nov 1952: 9.0 magnitude 'Everyone fears aftershocks' In pictures: Chile quake Chileans tell of quake terror Chile well prepared

Santiago international airport's terminal was damaged and will be closed for at least 72 hours, officials said. Flights are being diverted to Mendoza in Argentina.
A tsunami triggered by the earthquake struck the Juan Fernandez island group off the Chilean coast and local media say five people died there with several others missing.
As the tsunami radiated across the Pacific, Japan warned that a wave of 3m (10ft) or higher could hit the Pacific coast of its northernmost island of Hokkaido at about 1300 local time (0400 GMT).
In French Polynesia, waves 6ft (1.8m) high swept ashore, but there were no immediate reports of damage.
Hawaii later lifted its tsunami warning after waves measuring just under 1m (3ft) high struck but caused no damage.

The earthquake destroyed many roads

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said tsunami effects had been observed at Valparaiso, west of Santiago, with a wave height of 1.69m above normal sea level.
The USGS also recorded at least eight aftershocks, the largest of 6.9 magnitude at 0801 GMT.
In Washington, President Barack Obama said the US was ready to help if the Chilean government required it.
Chile suffered the biggest earthquake of the 20th century when a 9.5 magnitude quake struck the city of Valdivia in 1960, killing 1,655 people.

West Bank strike over Israeli tomb heritage claim

Palestinians have complained they are denied access to Rachel's Tomb

A strike has been called by the Palestinian Authority in Bethlehem in protest at Israel's move to claim two West Bank shrines as heritage sites.

Businesses, schools and universities remained closed as people observed the first day of the three-day walk-out.
Local TV stations broadcast the PA's call following Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's addition of the shrines to Israel's heritage list at the weekend.
The PA also called for a rally to be held on Friday in Bethlehem.
Israel's prime minister announced on Sunday that Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron would be included in an Israeli-funded $107m (£69m) restoration plan.
Bethlehem residents said businesses were shuttered and universities and schools empty as the strike began.
Staff at Bethlehem University were told on Monday not to report for work for three days because of the strike.
Separation
Rachel, the biblical matriarch holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, is believed to be buried in a tomb near the entrance to Bethlehem.
Some Muslims say the tomb is also a mosque.

The Tomb of the Patriarchs is known to Muslims as the al-Ibrahimi Mosque

The shrine is on the Israeli side of the West Bank barrier. The Israelis say this is for security reasons, but Palestinians say it constitutes a land grab, illegal under international law.
On Monday there were clashes between protesters and police in Hebron, near the site of the Tomb of the Patriarchs, where the Bible says Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried with three of their wives. It is known to Muslims as the al-Ibrahimi mosque.
Palestinians said they feared their access to the sites - important to Muslims and Jews - would be limited. This was denied by Israeli officials.
Close to 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem.
The settlements are illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

Hezbollah chief Nasrallah meets Ahmadinejad

Hezbollah chief Nasrallah meets Ahmadinejad in Syria

Hassan Nasrallah (far right) has made few public appearances since 2006

The head of the Lebanese Shia Islamist movement Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, has made a rare public appearance in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Sheikh Nasrallah attended a dinner with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
He is under an Israeli death threat and makes very few appearances in public. When he addresses Hezbollah, he does so by video from a secret location.
Both Syria and Iran provide the group with financial and military support.
Hezbollah fought a 33-day war with Israel in 2006 during which more than 1,200 Lebanese people, mostly civilians, were killed. Some 160 Israeli people, most of whom were soldiers, also died.
In November, Sheikh Nasrallah vowed to boost the capacity of its military wing and threatened to retaliate if Israel attacked Lebanon.
'Deep' ties
Since 2006, the Hezbollah leader has made few public appearances in Lebanon, even avoiding key religious and political occasions.

If the Zionist regime decides to repeat its past mistakes, the region will finish it off Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Iranian President

His fear of an assassination attempt has been particularly heightened since February 2008, when the commander of his group's military wing, Imad Mughniyeh, was killed in a car bombing in Damascus.
Hezbollah blamed Israel for the attack, but it denied any involvement.
Before Thursday's dinner, Sheikh Nasrallah and President Ahmadinejad discussed "the latest developments in the region, and Zionist threats against Lebanon and Syria", Hezbollah's al-Manar television reported.
"If the Zionist regime decides to repeat its past mistakes, the region will finish it off," al-Manar quoted the Iranian leader as saying.
After bilateral talks on Thursday, President Assad said Syria and Iran were working together to confront "Israeli terrorism".
Both leaders dismissed US calls for Syria to distance itself from Iran, emphasising their "deep and brotherly" ties.
The meeting came a week after the US signalled an attempt to improve ties with Syria, sending a senior official to Damascus for talks and nominating a new ambassador after the withdrawal of his predecessor five years ago.

U.S. to launch operation in Kandahar

U.S. to launch operation in Kandahar city - official

By Ross Colvin and Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan will launch a new military operation later this year to get full control of Kandahar, the former "capital city" of the Taliban, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.

A U.S. soldier with 4th Brigade combat team, 2-508, 82nd parachute infantry Regiment waits for a Black Hawk helicopter to land in the Arghandab valley in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, February 20, 2010. (REUTERS/Baz Ratner)

The top U.S. general in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, had already flagged his intention to target Kandahar following an offensive, now in its third week, to retake control of the Taliban stronghold of Marjah in neighboring Helmand province.
"If our overall goal for 2010 in Afghanistan is to reverse the momentum (of the Taliban) ... then we think we've got to get to Kandahar this year," said the senior Obama administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Militants have over the past year made startling gains in the area around Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban movement. Reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Omar ruled Afghanistan from there before U.S.-led forces invaded in 2001.
McChrystal described the city in his assessment of the war last August as the "key geographic objective" of the Quetta Shura Taliban, the main faction led by Mullah Omar.
The U.S. official was offering an assessment of the offensive in Marjah, which the administration views as key preparation for the potentially bigger battle of Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city.
TEST CASE FOR BIG PRIZE
Marjah is one of the biggest operations in the more than eight-year-old Afghan war. It is also an early test of President Barack Obama's plan to add 30,000 more troops to win control of Taliban strongholds and eventually transfer them to Afghan authority.
"The way to look at Marjah is that it is the tactical prelude to larger more comprehensive operations later this year in Kandahar city," the administration official said.
"Bringing comprehensive population security to Kandahar city is really the centerpiece of operations this year and therefore Marjah is the prelude," he said.
The British commander of NATO forces in southern Afghanistan said last week that NATO forces would sweep toward Kandahar over the next six months.
On Thursday, Afghan authorities raised the Afghan flag over Marjah to signify the handover of control to the government from NATO troops led by U.S. Marines.
The official said military commanders on the ground believed it would take several weeks yet to clear the remaining pockets of resistance in and around Marjah.
"We are somewhere between clear and hold and that is pretty much on track. What is going to be more challenging than the clearing process will be the building process," he said.
He acknowledged U.S. and Afghan security forces would not initially have the trust of Marjah's residents.
"It is not so much a matter of a physical contest about who controls the weapons, it's a question of who controls the confidence of the people. That will only come after we are able to deliver," he said.
Washington hopes its latest offensive will decisively turn the momentum in a war that commanders say has been going the way of the Taliban.
Under Obama's new strategy, NATO and Afghan security forces are to secure population centers across Afghanistan so that the government can move in.