New Zealand university students offered a reward on Friday for anyone making a citizens’ arrest of visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as an alleged war criminal.
Rice was due to arrive in Auckland late Friday ahead of talks set for Saturday with Prime Minister Helen Clark and Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
Auckland University Student Association (AUSA) president David Do said the reward of $5,000 NZ ($3,725 US) was being offered for Rice’s arrest for her role in “overseeing the illegal invasion and continued occupation” of Iraq.
“We thought we’d give our students a chance to make a dent in their student loans and work for global justice at the same time,” Do said.
Police said any attempt to make a citizen’s arrest could lead to “very serious consequences”.
“I would strongly advise the association representatives who’ve put this challenge out, to withdraw it immediately so as to avoid being caught up in something much bigger than they may have anticipated,” said Auckland district commander, Superintendent Brett England.
Rice is due to leave New Zealand on Sunday for Samoa, where she will hold talks with foreign ministers from the 16-nation Pacific Islands Forum.
Only one venue was on Obama’s Paris schedule early Friday – the presidential Élysée Palace. President Nicolas Sarkozy was at the steps of the palace to greet Mr. Obama as he stepped from his car.
“Bonjour,”said Obama, after he was urged by journalists to say something in French and to pose for pictures with the French rightwing leader. After a few pictures the two disappeared inside the building. A joint news conference took place after their meeting.Mr. Sarkozy, a conservative, had rushed back from a meeting in south western France to host Mr. Obama.
Although the two are on different sides of the political fence, the French leader seems to have a soft spot for the U.S. senator.
“Obama? He’s my buddy,”Le Figaro newspaper quoted President Sarkozy as saying before Obama’s arrival.“I am the only Frenchman who knows him.”
“In France, we’re watching with great interest what you’re doing,” Sarkozy told Obama, noting how he himself, the son of a Hungarian immigrant, doesn’t fit the stereotypical mould of a French leader.
“Barack Obama’s adventure is an adventure that rings true in the hearts and minds of the French and of Europeans,” Sarkozy gushed.
“Of course, it’s not up to the French to choose the next President of the United States of America,” he said, adding that he’d happily work with whichever candidate wins.
The Western Wall in the midst of the Old City in Jerusalem is the section of the Western supporting wall of the Temple Mount which has remained intact since the destruction of the Second Jerusalem Temple in 19BCE. The Wall became the most sacred spot in Jewish religious and national consciousness and tradition by virtue of its proximity to the Western Wall of the Holy of Holies in the Temple, from which, according to numerous sources, the Divine Presence never departed.
Many visitors to the 2,000-year-old Western Wall (also called the “WailingWall) leave notes bearing requests and prayers. Senator Obama did so during a 5:00am pre-dawn visit on Thursday, following a day spent meeting Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Senator Obama’s prayer, written on a piece of hotel notepaper, was published by an Israeli newspaper, which was criticized for making it public.
“Lord – Protect my family and me,” read the note published in the Maariv daily. “Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will.”
Senator Barack Obama is in Paris today.Yesterday he was greeted by200,000 cheering fans that went to Tiergarten Park by the Victory Column in Berlin to hear him call for the world to tear down walls of division and hate.
His visit to Paris will be a little different – there, he will make no public appearances except for a press conference after meeting President Nicolas Sarkozy before he heads for London.
Still, Obama’s arrival in Paris has sparked much excitement in France, where polls reflect those across Europe and shows overwhelmingly that he is the candidate most people want to succeed President George W. Bush in the November vote.
New Zealand university students offered a reward on Friday for anyone making a citizens’ arrest of visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as an alleged war criminal.
