Drumbeat Grows Louder in Congress for Obama to Act on Syria

WASHINGTON - As the Syrian regime and opposition trade accusations over the use of chemical weapons, the drumbeat in Washington for the United States to get more directly involved in the two-year old conflict is growing louder.

Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain released a statement today, calling for President Obama to act against Syrian President Bashir al-Assad.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. was looking into claims that the Assad regime had used a chemical weapon in a recent attack in the opposition stronghold of Aleppo. She would not confirm whether the administration believes Syria's chemical stockpile is secure, citing intelligence reasons, but said there continues to be an increasing concern that Assad will cross that line.

"We've been very clear about our concerns that the Assad regime is increasingly beleaguered, that it finds that the violence that it is using by conventional means is inadequate, including its barbaric use of Scuds. And so we are quite concerned that they will resort to other weapons," she said. "We've made clear that this would constitute a red line for the United States. The president could not have been clearer about it."

But Graham and McCain argue that Assad has likely already crossed the line and they want to see action taken.

"President Obama has said that the use of weapons of mass destruction by Bashar Assad is a 'red line' for him that 'will have consequences,'" the statement reads. "If today's reports are substantiated, the President's red line has been crossed, and we would urge him to take immediate action to impose the consequences he has promised."

The senators are calling for the United States to provide arms to vetted rebel fighters, to launch targeted strikes against Assad's aircraft and SCUD missile batteries on the ground, and to establish safe zones inside Syria to protect civilians living in opposition controlled areas.

Graham and McCain said time was not on the side of the administration to make sure Syria's chemical weapons cache does not fall into the hands of terrorists. Graham told Foreign Policy's The Cable that securing Syria's chemical weapons needs to be America's top priority, even if it means sending in U.S. troops to do it.

"I don't care what it takes," Graham said. "If the choice is to send in troops to secure the weapons sites versus allowing chemical weapons to get in the hands of some of the most violent people in the world, I vote to cut this off before it becomes a problem."

Foreign Policy also reported that the top Senate Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin, is now in support of establishing a no-fly zone in Syria.

"I believe there should be the next ratcheting up of military effort and that would include going after some of Syria's air defenses," Levin said.

America's European allies Britain and France have called for lifting the UN arms embargo against Syria so that they can legally provide more direct weapon and ammunition help to Syria's opposition army. Britain announced last week that it will begin proving armored trucks and body armor to rebel fighters.

Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Monday that the Obama administration is still unwilling to provide anything more than the non-lethal assistance the U.S. is already giving, but will not oppose the actions of other governments.

"President Obama has made it clear that the United States does not stand in the way of other countries that have made a decision to provide arms, whether it's France or Britain or others," he said.

Kerry acknowledged, however, that the danger of Syria's chemical weapons falling into the hands of radicals on both sides of the conflict is growing.

"We have consistently said, and I say again, the longer the bloodshed goes on, the greater the prospect that the institutions of the state of Syria implode, and therefore the greater the danger is to the region and the world that chemical weapons fall into the hands of really bad actors," he said.

Kerry called the two-year conflict, which has killed an estimated 70,000 people and produced nearly 1 million refugees, a "global catastrophe," admitting that the status quo is not working.

"So as long as President Assad continues to attack his own people with Scuds, with aircraft, with tanks, there is an imbalance in this," Kerry said. "If he believes he can shoot it out, Syrians and the region have a problem and the world has a problem."

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Italian president urges unity as poll pressure grows

By James Mackenzie

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani said on Sunday he would seek the backing of parliament for his policies on creating jobs and fighting corruption in the absence of enough support to form a government.

Stalemate after a deadlocked election in February and the threat of months of political instability has triggered alarm across Europe and warnings that Italy cannot afford to delay urgently needed reforms to boost its sickly economy.

President Giorgio Napolitano is due to begin consultations with political leaders on Wednesday to see if there is any chance of establishing a government.

Bersani, leader of the center-left Democratic Party (PD), won control of the lower house but fell short in the Senate leaving him dependent on the support of his rivals if he is to form a government.

He said he would tell Napolitano he would not try to reach any set deals in advance but would present a set of proposals to parliament based on attacking corruption and creating jobs.

"The path is very, very narrow. I think I can say that other paths would turn out to be even narrower," he said.

If no understanding that would allow a government to be formed can be reached, Italy faces the prospect of a return to the polls, possibly as soon as June, although Bersani said he hoped that would not be necessary.

Bersani was successful on Saturday in getting his candidates elected as speakers of the lower house and Senate, helped by abstentions and a handful of votes from rebels in the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement.

New senate speaker Pietro Grasso, a top anti-mafia judge who made his name fighting organized crime in Palermo, and lower house speaker Laura Boldrini, a former spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, represent a change from the career politicians who traditionally took such roles.

Even so, the result of the contest for the Senate speaker showed clearly that Bersani would not be able to win a confidence vote in parliament, with Grasso elected with 137 votes, 21 short of a majority in the 315-seat upper house.

"The figures show that Bersani cannot obtain any mandate to form a new government since he quite obviously has no majority in the Senate," Angelino Alfano, secretary of Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party told RAI 3 state television.

PRESSURE COOKER

With the economy mired in recession and unemployment, especially among the young, at record levels, social tensions exacerbated by the crisis were reflected in the huge vote in February for Beppe Grillo's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement.

At the same time, Italy's 2-trillion-euro public debt remains vulnerable to the kind of bond market volatility which panicked investors and brought the euro zone to the brink of collapse during the financial crisis of 2011.

Saturday's vote was the first piece of parliamentary business since the election and despite the handful of 5-Star Senators who voted for Grasso, it gave little sign that the parties were ready to work together.

Alfano said the only alternative to new elections was an accord between the center-left and the PDL but said his party would demand in exchange to be able to nominate a president of the Republic to replace Napolitano whose mandate ends on May 15.

"We would propose a person of great prestige, absolutely acceptable to the left as well," he said, but declined to name the candidate.

Bersani's attempts to court the 5-Star Movement have been rebuffed by its fiery leader, who rejects any deal and who was angered by the mini rebellion in his party on Saturday, demanding that those who voted for Grasso should "take the consequences".

However the PD leader has been equally quick to reject any deal with Silvio Berlusconi, who is battling trials on charges of tax fraud and paying for sex with a minor as well as a separate investigation into accusations of political bribery.

Bersani said on Sunday that an alliance with the right would be inherently unstable and akin to putting "a flimsy lid on a pressure cooker".

"At this moment, political agreements made in advance would not work. The conditions aren't there," he said.

(Editing by Matthew Tostevin)

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Adventure travel grows despite occasional disaster

NEW YORK (AP) — When Carole Rosenblat was growing up in the 1970s, her parents' idea of an adventurous vacation was "driving cross-country from Michigan to California in a non-air-conditioned car with three kids."

Her idea of adventure is a little different: "Jumping out of planes — things like that. Parasailing, hot-air ballooning. These things make you know you're alive!"

And the balloon accident in Egypt that killed 19 people Tuesday is not likely to deter her from future adventures. "It does not give me pause at all," said Rosenblat, a freelance writer and occasional tour guide based in Gilbert, Ariz.

Rosenblat's attitude is part of what's fueling worldwide growth in adventure travel. It's an $89 billion industry, according to the Adventure Travel Trade Association, and it has grown 17 percent in each of the past two years, according to the association's president, Shannon Stowell. That's four times the rate of the overall tourism industry, which grew about 4.6 percent in 2011.

But while travelers may think nothing of bungee-jumping or whitewater rafting as the perfect way to bring home bragging rights, these types of activities are not risk-free. Indeed, while statistically rare, accidents involving adventure vacations happen on a regular basis. To cite just a few recent headlines: This past weekend, a woman was swept away and drowned in Hawaii on a hiking trip with 55 people. Recreational diving deaths have been reported this month in both California and Florida. A woman parasailing in Florida last summer died when her harness gave way, one of 70 parasailing deaths in the past 30 years. And 54 skiers and snowboarders died in accidents on U.S. ski slopes last season, according to the National Ski Areas Association.

The industries that promote these activities are quick to note that driving is by far the most dangerous thing you're likely to do at home or on vacation. An estimated 36,200 people died in motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. in 2012.

In contrast, in the past decade, only 15 people have died in ballooning accidents in the U.S., according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Glen Moyer, spokesman for the Balloon Federation of American, noted that balloon operations in the U.S. are heavily regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, including licensing and training for pilots, plus balloon inspections for every 100 hours of commercial flight time.

"When we hear about a dramatic event like a balloon exploding, it plumbs the depths of our fears, whereas when we hear about an automobile accident — not so much," said Stowell, the Adventure Travel Trade Association head. "The reality is that with adventure travel overall, if you're going with a good operator who knows what they're doing, you are as safe or safer than when you're on your own in a vehicle."

Hot-air ballooning has been around for centuries, but many travelers still consider it as exciting as parasailing or bungee jumping.

Christopher Elliott, an editor at large for National Geographic Traveler, has spent the past year traveling with his kids for a project called AwayIsHome.com. He said that planning their itinerary every day involves asking, "Is this an acceptable risk?" — most recently when snowshoeing on a frozen lake in Canada.

"It's a judgment call," Elliott said. "I would not have hesitated to get on that balloon and put my family on the balloon. It's not something ridiculously dangerous like feeding the lion raw meat with your hand from a Jeep. That's what makes it so troubling: We could see ourselves on that balloon and we'd be dead now."

But he added that sedentary vacations are, for many people, a thing of the past.

"People expect more from their vacations, and that sometimes involves high-risk activity," he said. "We want all our friends to think we took the most exciting vacation. And maybe some of it is driven by reality shows or the Travel Channel. Everyone wants that extreme experience."

Is there any way for consumers to protect themselves from unnecessary risks? For one thing, Stowell said, do your homework. Before signing up for an adventure, look on websites like TripAdvisor for consumer reviews, contact industry associations to learn about safety recommendations, and ask for referrals from trustworthy sources like travel agents, cruise operators or hotel concierges.

Experts also recommend travel insurance. Peter Greenberg, CBS News travel editor, says most Americans don't realize their health insurance does not protect them overseas. Make sure any travel policy you buy covers medical treatment, as well as evacuation and transportation to the facility of your choice, Greenberg said.

Pauline Frommer, the travel guidebook writer, noted that "many insurance policies specifically exclude injuries that arise from these sorts of adventure activities, which can be an ugly surprise for travelers. So, if you're planning on bungee jumping or canyoneering or some other type of adventure activity, be sure to get a policy that will actually cover you should something go wrong."

Linda Kundell, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, said standard policies may cover ordinary recreation like hiking and skiing, but you can also buy policies for extreme sports. In either case, consumers should double-check what's covered.

While many of these types of activities require consumers to sign a waiver of liability in case of accident, as Elliott put it, "you sign that piece of paper and you don't even read it."

"People assume they're entitled to have the best of both worlds: Extreme adventure and complete safety," he added. "That does not align with reality."

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Judge: France's terror risk grows with Mali effort

PARIS (AP) — The longer that France's military intervention goes on in Mali, the greater the risk that homegrown Islamic militants will organize to plot attacks back in France, a top French counterterrorism investigator told The Associated Press.

Investigating Judge Marc Trevidic said young radicals in France see the Paris government as enemy No. 1 in the "new jihad" and consider France's intervention in Mali, which started last month to help the Malian government fight al-Qaida-linked militants, as an aggression against Islam. Small groups of France-based militants have already headed to Mali.

"The longer it goes on, things rot, the groups get organized, and the more networks constitute themselves. The longer it goes on, the more dangerous it grows," Trevidic said in an interview late Thursday. "The groups will need time to catch their breath, set up networks and possibly take action."

The investigating judge, who has been involved in some of France's biggest terrorism cases in recent years, spoke after diplomats and other French officials acknowledged to the AP this week that French forces are likely to remain in Mali at least through July.

President Francois Hollande and his major ministers have talked about a gradual pullout of the 4,000 troops now in Mali starting this month. But the combat in rugged Sahara Desert mountains is growing harder, and the threat is rising that the militants will turn to suicide attacks, hostage-takings and other guerrilla tactics.

Meanwhile, it's proving tougher to mobilize African troops to eventually take over the security lead from the French and to get European trainers on the ground to help better professionalize Mali's bedraggled soldiers.

Authorities in France for years have monitored radical Islamists — many whose families hail from former French colonies in northern Africa — who travel abroad to wage jihad, or holy war, and could return home with battle skills and know-how to carry out terrorist attacks.

But unlike Iraq, or the border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, which continue to draw some French militants, Mali and much of West Africa were once French colonies. Thousands of French and dual nationals reside there, do business and maintain family ties. And that makes it especially tricky to monitor suspect travelers.

Mali "is the fashionable jihad at the moment. ... In this new jihad, the enemy is clearly France," Trevidic said.

The 7-week-old French campaign, backed by Malian and other troops notably from Chad, has driven al-Qaida's affiliates out of the cities in northeast Mali that they controlled for 10 months. Now, French officials say, the hardest fighting is taking place where many insurgents have holed up in the Adrar des Ifoghas range along the extensive Algerian border.

Trevidic said French judicial cases involving Mali were first opened in June. Extremists took advantage of a power vacuum in Mali after a coup last year and started imposing harsh rule on cities across northern Mali.

"We noticed excitement from the moment that young French radical Muslims learned that Shariah law was being applied in north Mali," he said. Many French radicals with dual citizenship — French-Malian, French-Nigerien, French-Nigerian, French-Congolese — wanted to go.

About 15 people have traveled to the region, and a few have returned to France, Trevidic said. Legal cases have been opened involving about 10 people — most of whom never left France but sent allies to Mali to join Islamic groups.

A challenge for French authorities is monitoring them to see if they plot attacks and not arresting them right away — to solidify judicial cases against them — and especially trying to "control" those who do return home to France.

The French military intervention that started Jan. 11 all but halted militants' departures toward Mali, Trevidic said. "For now, the situation is too tumultuous," he said. "We're in a bit of wait-and-see about what happens in the months to come."

Since the French air and ground campaign began, militants in France have lowered their profiles.

"Everybody ... has ducked. They're not getting noticed. A big problem in the current legal cases is when people in groups being monitored converse and have normal relations, and then suddenly cut all ties. They don't call each other, they stop seeing each other," Trevidic said.

"You think, 'it's because of the military action, it's hot, and they don't want to get noticed'," he added. "But it can also be worrisome, sometimes, it could be a sign that they are getting close to an action."

"Maybe it will calm down, by some miracle. But it's all going to depend on the states involved and how they manage their own problems," he said. "If the French army leaves, will the Malian military be strong enough to thwart the counterattacks of the Islamists? For the moment, we don't quite have that impression."

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