K A B U L ,Afghanistan (AP) -- Itwas once PresidentBarack Obama's "warof necessity." Now, it'sAmerica's forgottenwar.

The Afghan con-flict generates barelya whisper on the U.S.presidential campaigntrail. It's not a hottopic at the officewater cooler or in the halls of Congress - eventhough more than 80,000 American troops are stillfighting here and dying at a rate of one a day.

Americans show more interest in the economyand taxes than the latest suicide bombings in a dif-ferent, distant land. They're more tuned in to thepolitical ad war playing out on television than thedeadly fight still raging against the Taliban. Earlierthis month, protesters at the Iowa State Fair chant-ed "Stop the war!" They were referring to one pur-portedly being waged against the middle class.

By the time voters go to the polls Nov. 6 tochoose between Obama and presumptiveRepublican nominee Mitt Romney, the war will be inits 12th year. For most Americans, that's longenough.

Public opinion remains largely negative towardthe war, with 66 percent opposed to it and just 27percent in favor in a May AP-GfK poll. More recent-ly, a Quinnipiac University poll found that 60 percentof registered voters felt the U.S. should no longer beinvolved in Afghanistan. Just 31 percent said theU.S. is doing the right thing by fighting there now.

Not since the Korean War of the early 1950s - amuch shorter but more intense fight - has an armedconflict involving America's sons and daughters cap-tured so little public attention.

"We're bored with it," said Matthew Farwell, whoserved in the U.S. Army for five years including 16months in eastern Afghanistan, where he sometimesreceived letters from grade school studentsaddressed to the brave Marines in Iraq - the wrongwar.

"We all laugh about how no one really cares," hesaid. "All the `support the troops' stuff is bumpersticker deep."

Farwell, 29, who is now studying at theUniversity of Virginia, said the war is rarely a topic ofconversation on campus - and he isn't surprised thatit's not discussed much on the campaign trail.

"No one understands how to extricate ourselvesfrom the mess we have made there," he said. "Sofrom a purely political point of view, I wouldn't betalking about it if I were Barack Obama or MittRomney either."

Ignoring the Afghan war, though, doesn't make it

THE

LEGAL STREET NEWS

Place

Stamp

Here

Mailing Address

Circulated Weekly To Cities In Florida Volume 731 Issue 34 Established 1998 August 27, 2012

A M E R I C A N S T U N E

O U T A F G H A N W A R A S

F I G H T I N G R A G E S O N

In The News This Week

go away.

More than 1,950Americans have died inAfghanistan and thousandsmore have been woundedsince President George W.Bush launched attacks onOct. 7, 2001 to rout al-Qaidaafter it used Afghanistan totrain recruits and plot theSept. 11 attacks that killednearly 3,000 Americans.

The war drags on even though al-Qaida hasbeen largely driven out of Afghanistan and its charis-matic leader Osama bin Laden is dead - slain in aU.S. raid on his Pakistani hideout last year.

Strangely, Afghanistan never seemed to grabthe same degree of public and media attention asthe war in Iraq, which Obama opposed as a "war ofchoice."

Unlike Iraq, victory in Afghanistan seemed tocome quickly. Kabul fell within weeks of the U.S.invasion in October 2001. The hardline Talibanregime was toppled with few U.S. casualties.

But the Bush administration's shift toward warwith Iraq left the Western powers without enoughresources on the ground, so by 2006 the Taliban hadregrouped into a serious military threat.

Candidate Obama promised to refocusAmerica's resources on Afghanistan. But by the timePresident Obama sent 33,000 more troops toAfghanistan in December 2009, years of war in Iraqand Afghanistan had drained Western resourcesand sapped resolve to build a viable Afghan state.

And over time, his administration has grownweary of trying to tackle Afghanistan's seeminglyintractable problems of poverty and corruption. TheAmerican people have grown weary too.

While most Americans are sympathetic to theplight of the Afghan people, they have becomedeeply skeptical of President Hamid Karzai's willing-ness to tackle corruption and political patronage andthe coalition's chances of "budging a medieval soci-ety" into the modern world, says Ann Marlowe, a vis-iting fellow at the Hudson Institute, a policy researchorganization in Washington.

"With millions of veterans home and talking withtheir families and friends ... some knowledge of justhow hard this is has percolated down," saidMarlowe, who has traveled to Afghanistan manytimes.

It has also been hard to show progress on thebattlefield.

World War II had its Normandy, Vietnam its TetOffensive and Iraq its Battle of Fallujah. Afghanistanis a grinding slough in villages and remote valleys

AMERICANS TUNE OUTAFGHAN WAR AS FIGHT-

ING RAGES ONIt was once President Barack Obama's "war of

necessity." Now, it's America's forgotten war..Page 1

SYRIAN FORCES KILL ATLEAST 31 IN DAMASCUS

RAIDS

Syrian regime forces shelled two Damascusdistricts before troops backed by tanks sweptthrough to carry out house-to-house raids insearch of opposition fighters, killing at least 31.

Page 2

IN CRISIS, GREECE ROUNDSUP IMMIGRANTS

Greece's remote Evros region has turned intoEurope's main battleground against illegalimmigration. Page 3

FLORIDA ACCIDENTSTATISTICS

Accident Statistics from Florida Departmentof Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Page 4

FLORIDA ACCIDENTREPORTS

This Weeks Accident Reports from Variouscountys in Florida. Page 5

VIETNAM BANK DIRECTORRESIGNS AMID PROBE

The head of one of Vietnam's largest banksresigned Thursday amid a police investigationinto allegations of illegal trading by itscofounder. Page 6

SEC MANDATES COMPANYDISCLOSURES ON MINERAL

USEU.S. regulators mandated Wednesday that pub-lic companies disclose information about theiruse of minerals from Congo. Page 7

CHINESE COMPANY KEEPSSYRIA CONNECTED TO

INTERNET

A Chinese company is keeping war-torn Syriaconnected to the Internet as other telecommuni-cations companies withdraw. Page 7

OBAMA ON ROMNEY'S'EXTREME' VIEWS

Page 8

ROMNEY STRESSES ECONO-MY AS CONVENTION NEARS

Page 8 Continued on page 6

2 Legal Street News Monday August 27, 2012 ___________________________________________________________

The Florida Legal Street Newspapers are happy to offer free subscriptions to individuals and businesses

that would like to receive a weekly publication. However, if you would like to have one of the newspapers sent toyou on a weekly basis, please fill out the form below and return it with a money order for $24.95 per year to coverpostage & handling. Outside Florida $52.95 Tax Incuded

Name__________________________________________________________________________

Address________________________________________Telephone____________________________

Subscription Request Form

Publisher & Editor

Jane L Rahim

Design, Production & Layout

Joseph Badamo

Records Department Administrator

Jane L Rahim

Administrative Assistant

Charlene Smith

Office Assistant

Erick Pennington

Office Assistance

Karen Green

Local Sales & Marketing Office

The Legal Street News, Inc.

1887 Wildwood Lane North

Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442

TOLL FREE (888) 708-3576

T h e L e g a l S t r e e t N e w sT h e L e g a l S t r e e t N e w s ™”, is pub-lished four times a month by “The Legal Street News Inc.”with editorial and advertising offices at 1887 WildwoodLane North,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442. All rights arereserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole orpart is strictly prohibited. Editorial inquiries and manu-scripts should be directed to the Editor. Manuscripts orother submissions must be accompanied by selfaddressed, stamped envelopes. “The Legal Street News,Inc.,”, assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicit-ed manuscripts, photographs, or artwork. All correspon-dence regarding business, editorial, production, andaddress changes should be sent to:

Disclaimer: We are a news agency and consumer journalists. Weare not insurance, legal or medical advisors. So, while we try ourbest to write accurate articles on many different types of state andworld wide laws and government decisions. We are happy toanswer your questions, to the best of our ability and knowledge,nothing we say should be interpreted or considered as legaladvise or medical opinion.

The Legal Street News, Inc.

1887 Wildwood Lane North

Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442

The Legal Street News1887 Wildwood Lane North

Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442

Mail To:

EXPLORE, ENJOY AND PROTECT THE PLANET

EXPLORE, ENJOY AND PROTECT THE PLANET

EXPLORE, ENJOY AND PROTECT THE PLANET

EXPLORE, ENJOY AND PROTECT THE PLANET

EXPLORE, ENJOY AND PROTECT THE PLANET

EXPLORE, ENJOY AND PROTECT THE PLANET

EXPLORE, ENJOY AND PROTECT THE PLANET

EXPLORE, ENJOY AND PROTECT THE PLANET

EXPLORE, ENJOY AND PROTECT THE PLANETh t t p : / / w w w . s i e r r a c l u b . o r g /

LIVEUNITED

http://www.unitedway.org/

TAKE ACTIONGIVE

ADVOCATEVOLUNTEER

S Y R I A N F O R C E S K I L L A T

L E A S T 3 1 I N D A M A S C U S

THE WORLD WILDLIFEFUNDw w w . w o r l d w i l d l i f e . o r g /

You Can Help Make A Difference

By 2020, WWF will conserve15 of the world’s most ecologically important

regions by working in part-nership with others

PUBLISHER INFORMATION

BEIRUT (AP) -- Syrian regime forces onWednesday shelled two Damascus districts beforetroops backed by tanks swept through to carry outhouse-to-house raids in search of opposition fight-ers, killing at least 31 suspected rebels, activistssaid.

The violence is part of a dramatic surge in fight-ing over the past month in Damascus, which is justone of many fronts President Bashar Assad's regimeis struggling to contain as the 17-month-old rebel-lion against his rule gains strength. Governmentforces are also engaged in a major battle for controlof the northern city of Aleppo as well as smallerscale operations in the country's south, east and cen-ter.

Around dawn Wednesday, regime forces inDamascus rained mortars down on the upscale KafarSoussa neighborhood and the adjacent Nahr Eishaharea of the Syrian capital, activists said. Governmenttroops appeared to be shelling the districts fromQasioun mountain overlooking the capital, aDamascus resident said on condition of anonymityfor fear of retribution.

The attacks may have been designed to kill orcapture rebel mortar teams who have used the twoneighborhoods in recent days to target the city'sstrategically located Mazzeh military airport,activists said.

The British-based Syrian Observatory forHuman Rights said at least 20 people were killed inKafar Soussa on Wednesday and that fierce battleswere raging in an area just outside the neighborhood

between therebels and gov-ernment troops.

An activist inKafar Soussareached on Skypecorroborated theo b s e r v a t o r y ' sreport. He spokeon condition ofa n o n y m i t ybecause he fearedr e p r i s a l s .

Earlier, anactivist who onlywanted to beidentified by thename Bassam forfear of retribu-

tion, said 11 people were killed in Kafar Soussa andthat as many as 22 tanks stormed the district withabout 20 soldiers on foot behind each one. He spokevia Skype from central Damascus.

Bassam and the observatory also reported heavygovernment shelling of Nahr Eishah earlyWednesday. They said regime forces then conductedhouse-to-house raids in search of rebels. Bassamsaid as many as 12 people were killed in NahrEishah, while the observatory had no word on casu-alties.

It was not clear whether those killed in the twoareas died in the shelling or later government raids.Activists, including the one reached by Skype inKafar Soussa, spoke of execution-style killings inboth areas.

The activists' reports could not be independent-ly verified.

Syria's ongoing civil war has its roots in a most-ly peaceful uprising against Assad's regime thatbegan in March last year. The uprising grew increas-ingly violent as the government launched a brutalcrackdown on protesters, prompting many to take uparms to forcefully overthrow Assad's regime.

If You Are A Charity OrganizationAnd Would Like To Place An Ad In

The Legal Street News

Call 888-708-3576

www.legalstreetnews.com

NEA VYSSA, Greece (AP) -- Borderpolice jeeps hurtle along hot, dustytracks past potato fields on their way tothe river that marks the Greek-Turkishborder. Sirens blaring, the convoys havebeen repelling wave after wave ofmigrants.

Greece's remote Evros region hasturned into Europe's main battlegroundagainst illegal immigration; more thantwo-thirds of people making the clan-destine journey into the European Unionpass through here from neighboringTurkey.

Greece launched an aggressive cam-paign this month to try to seal its 200-kilometer (130-mile) northeastern border, as itfaces a debilitating financial crisis that has causeda swell in joblessness and a surge in racist attacksagainst immigrants with dark skin.

The police operation has brought nearly 2,000additional border guards to the Turkish frontier pre-viously manned by about 500 officers. They fannedout with dogs, night vision equipment and flat-bot-tomed boats for 24-hour patrols of the Evros Riverthat forms a natural border. At least 21 people havedrowned or died of exposure crossing the river thisyear, while several have been listed as missing.

In Athens, the operation is being bolstered by massroundups of suspected illegal immigrants. They areseen lined up on the streets of the capital everyday, many in handcuffs, waiting to be put in deten-tion until they can be deported. In the first week ofthe crackdown in early August, police said theyapprehended nearly 7,000 people for identificationchecks; nearly 1,700 were slated for deportation.

Anwar, a 22-year-old man from Bangladesh,

_________________________________________________________Legal Street News Monday, August 27, 2012 3

I N C R I S I S , G R E E C E

R O U N D S U P I M M I G R A N T S

R U S S I A :

W E S T ' I N -

S T I G A T I N G '

S Y R I A N

O P P O S I T I O N

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia says Westernpowers are "openly instigating" Syrianopposition groups to take up arms in theirfight to unseat President Bashar Assad.

Moscow has been Syria's key protectorthroughout the 17-month uprising thatevolved into a full-blown civil war, shieldingAssad's regime from international sanc-tions and providing it with weaponsdespite an international outcry.

Russia's Foreign Ministry claimedWednesday that the West "has done noth-ing" to urge Assad's opponents to start adialogue with his government. It claimedthat the "pharisaical" Western approach tothe Syrian civil war does not help resolvethe conflict that has killed an estimated19,000 people.

The Kremlin, backed by fellow veto-wield-ing U.N. Security Council member China,has blocked any plans that would call onAssad to step down.

walked across the border near Orestiada, a smalltown wedged between Turkey and Bulgaria.Unaware of the immigration clampdown, he said heis looking for police so he can turn himself in. It's awell-worn ploy: Migrants have actively tried to getthemselves taken to detention centers near Athens,assuming they will be released due to overcrowd-ing and allowed to blend into the chaotic capital.

"I've come here to work," Anwar, who declined togive his full name because of his illegal status, saidmoments after crossing the border. "I know whatwill happen to me: They might keep me in deten-tion for around three months, but then they'll let meout and I'll go to Athens."

Now, however, authorities are determined to swiftlydeport illegal migrants they round up.

In a recent pre-dawn operation, authorities usingthermal imaging cameras spotted a group ofaround 60 illegal immigrants on the Turkish side ofthe Evros River. Officers used spotlights, sirensand loud speakers to deter them from crossing,although fifteen immigrants still made it over to ariver islet in a no man's land and were arrested.

Uniformed police officers from 25 countries arealready helping Greece guard the Evros River aspart of the European Union's border protectionagency, Frontex. Greek police figures show morethan 21,000 illegal migrants were arrested in thefirst six months of 2012 after crossing over fromTurkey, with nearly all - 20,841 - caught along thenortheastern land border rather than on one of themany Aegean islands near the Turkish coast. Thefigures show a nearly 29 percent increase from thesame period last year.

Afghans currently make up the highest number ofpeople crossing illegally, followed by Pakistanis,Bangladeshis, and an increasing number of peoplefrom war-ravaged Syria, according to the agency.

The police operation has faced strong criticismfrom human rights groups, local officials, and evenpolice officers' associations - with criticism focusingon alleged racial profiling and police brutality.Allegations include arbitrary detention, beatingsand degrading police treatment.

Police video showing riot police and other officersrounding up mostly South Asian immigrants as theygot off a train that arrived at Athens' main stationalso received condemnation from local rightsgroups and leftwing opposition parties.

Amnesty International called on Greek authoritiesto stop the roundups immediately.

"While Greece has the right to control migration, itdoes not have the right to treat people like crimi-nals purely because of the color of their skin,"Amnesty's Jezerca Tigani said in a statement. Hewarned that many immigrants fleeing war zonesand potential persecution from dictatorial regimeswere being denied a fair asylum assessment.

"Greece may be going through financial difficultieswhile facing one of the highest migration flows

among EU countries," Tigani said,"but these police operations violateinternational human rights standardsand should stop immediately."

Police say migrants' rights are beingrespected.

"Our aim is to deter illegal immigrantsand arrest traffickers, but themigrants' well-being and rights arealways a main priority," said Orestiadapolice chief Yiorgos Salamangas.

The government insists the operationis working, reporting a drop in illegalborder crossings by around 90 per-cent in the first week.

"This is a massive operation that is taking place inthe country for the first time and it will continue inthe long-term," police spokesman ChristosManouras said.

"It is widely accepted that the expulsion of immi-grants who are here illegally is a national necessity,an issue of national survival."

Greece is a member of Europe's passport-freeSchengen agreement but shares no borders withany of the other 25 member states. That has meanthundreds of thousands of irregular immigrantshave been unable to cross the border into otherEuropean countries, trapping them in limbo inAthens and other Greek cities, typically in slumconditions.

As the country struggles through a fifth year ofrecession, illegal immigration and a rise in violentcrime have become central issues in the politicaldebate, with mainstream parties blamed by manyfor the country's near financial collapse facingopposition from more radical political groups.

The extreme right Golden Dawn party, describedby political opponents as neo-Nazis, won nearly 7percent of the vote in June general elections, a 20-fold jump since a national vote in 2009.

The party denies any involvement in a recent surgein anti-immigrant attacks, and says police shouldbe more concerned by attacks on Greeks by for-eign criminals.

In one suspected attack by racist gangs this month,an Iraqi man was stabbed in the street and diedhours later in the hospital.

Anti-racism campaigners last month said immi-grants living in Greece have been targeted in atleast 300 violent attacks between early April andlate July. The rise in hate crimes is believed to beone of the triggers of the government clampdown.

Authorities are using a newly built detention centernear Athens and two converted police academybuildings in northeastern Greece to housedetainees, while dozens of additional facilities areplanned using converted Army bases.

Police associations argue that the massive deploy-ment of manpower should have been delayed untilmore of those new facilities are ready. They cite thelack of detention capacity as a key reason for thecountry's inability to deal with illegal immigration.

It's a concern shared by local authorities in theEvros region, and many residents.

"As long as people know they can make it here andeventually live freely, they will keep coming," said63-year-old Christos Kyriakidis. "Nothing will stopthem."

4 Legal Street News Monday August 27, 2012

F L O R I D A A C C I D E N T S T A T I S T I C SF L O R I D A A C C I D E N T S T A T I S T I C SData From the Official Website of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. www.flhsmv.gov

The information contained in this Traffic Crash Statistics booklet is extractedfrom law enforcement agency long-form reports of traffic crashes in which amotor vehicle is involved. A law enforcement officer

must submit a long form crash report when investigating:• Motor vehicle crashes resulting in death or personal injury, or• Motor vehicle crashes in which one or more of the following conditions

occur:• Leaving the scene involving damage to an attended vehicle or property

(Section316.061 (1), F.S.), or• Driving while under the influence of alcoholic beverages, chemical sub-

stances, orcontrolled substances or with an unlawful blood alcohol level (Section

316.193, F.S.).An investigating officer may report other traffic crashes on the long-form

crash report. In particular, applicable statutes specify an officer's discretion to submit a long-

form report incrashes where a vehicle is rendered inoperable to the degree that a wreck-

er is required toremove it from traffic. However, only those crashes that meet the critera

above are included in this report.January 1, 2011, the Department began using a new and improved long form

crash form. The datain this report comes from the previous long form crash report and the new

long form crash report.In October of 2010, a few agencies began using the new crash report form.

Both forms are attachedto the end of this report.

__________________________________________Legal Street News Monday, August 27, 2012 5

A U T O A C C I D E N T S I N S O U T H F L O R I D ATHIS WEEK

http://www.worldwildlife.orghttp://www.aging-research.org

www.veteransvoice.org

Questions About Your Accident Report

CONTACT THE LEGAL STREET NEWS

Toll Free At

888-708-3576

A Flagler Beach womandied last night after amotorcycle crashed on

State Road A1A, accordingto a Florida Highway

Patrol repo

A Flagler Beach woman died last night after amotorcycle crashed on State Road A1A, accordingto a Florida Highway Patrol report.

Ursula Vassiliou, 57, of Flagler Beach, was pro-nounced dead at Shands Jacksonville MedicalCenter, where she was flown after the accident.

The driver of the motorcycle, David Krantz, 55, ofFlagler Beach, had serious injuries and was takento Flagler Hospital last night, according to thereport.

The accident happened just after 9 p.m. when apassenger car that was traveling southbound onS.R. A1A in front of the motorcycle tried to make aleft turn onto Butler Park East Road.

At the same time, Krantz tried to pass the car onthe left, and the motorcycle and car collided in thenorthbound lane, according to the report.

The two people who were in the car were notinjured.

August 25, 2012

August 24, 2012

Friday morning crash,truck fire stall westbound

I-595

5-year-old Sorrento girl killedin crash on wet roads

Westbound traffic on I-595 just west of I-95 cameto a halt shortly after 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 24, 2012when a dump truck caught fire during a trafficmishapThe westbound lanes of Interstate 595 just west ofI-95 were closed for two hours Friday morningwhen a dump truck caught fire after its driverswerved to avoid stopped traffic and sideswiped aHonda Accord being driven by a Dania Beachwoman, Ginna Bennett, the Florida Highway Patrolsaid.

The Honda was pushed into a second truck, whichwasn’t damaged, according to FHP.

Bennett was taken to Plantation Hospital with minorinjuries. Her car suffered $3,000 worth of damage.

Owensboro man airlifted tohospital after car overturns

in ditch

An Owensboro man was airlifted to anEvansville hospital after a car accident in whichdeputies believe alcohol was involved.

The Daviess County Sheriff's Office says 23-year-old Andrew N. Derington was driving north-bound on Wrights Landing Road and failed to stop atthe intersection of Highway 2830.

Deputies say the vehicle slid through the inter-section, went off the road, down an embankment,and overturned into a ditch.

Derington had to be cut from the vehicle andwas airlifted to St. Mary's in Evansville with non-lifethreatening injuries.

23-year-old Roger D. Greathouse Jr. and 24-year-old Jeffrey T. Love were passengers inDerington's car but were not injured.

Deputies believe alcohol is be a factor and arestill investigating the incident.

August 23, 2012 A 5-year-old girl is dead and two others injuredafter a car crash in Orange County.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers said Rose MarieRosario lost control of the Ford Focus while drivingnorthbound on wet roads on Mt. Plymouth Road,north of Haas Road.

The car spun around into the southbound lane andin the path of a Ford van.

The van hit the left rear of the car, trapping thethree occupants inside.

Shaylynn Johnson, of Sorrento, was killed in thecrash.

Rosario, 31, was critically injured and taken toOrlando Regional Medical Center.

Five-year-old Thomas Johnson was transported toArnold Palmer Hospital for Children with seriousinjuries.

It’s not known if anyone in the car was wearing aseatbelt.

The driver and passenger in the van were not hurt.

The crash remains under investigation and chargesare pending.

August 26, 2012

One person dies afterFriday night A1A crash

August 26, 2012A Flagler Beach woman died Friday night after a

motorcycle crashed on State Road A1A, accordingto a Florida Highway Patrol report.

Ursula Vassiliou, 57, of Flagler Beach, wasflown to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center afterthe accident but was pronounced dead later.

The driver of the motorcycle, David Krantz, 55,of Flagler Beach, had serious injuries and was takento Flagler Hospital on Friday night, according to thereport.

Krantz was in stable condition as of Saturdayevening, a hospital official said.

Neither Krantz nor Vassiliou were wearing a hel-met.

The accident, which involved a motorcycle andvehicle, happened around 9 p.m. in front of St.Johns County Fire Station 6 at 5865 S.R. A1ASouth, said St. Johns County Fire Rescuespokesman Matthew Sara.

A passenger car that was traveling southboundon S.R. A1A in front of the motorcycle tried to makea left turn onto Butler Park East Road, according tothe report. At the same time, Krantz tried to pass thecar on the left, and the motorcycle and car collidedin the northbound lane, according to the report. Thetwo people who were in the car were not injured.

Stalled vehicle closes one east-bound lane of I-595

August 24, 2012Crashes and other incidents being reportedThursday morning by the Florida Highway Patroland Florida Department of Transportation include:

8:57 a.m., disabled vehicle eastbound lanes of I-595 after Davie Road exit, blocking one center lane.Traffic cameras are showing significant delaysthrough this scene;

8:53 a.m., crash on northbound I-95 near YamatoRoad in Boca Raton;

Two lanes shut on NB I-95after crash

Montes said Moceri's semi drifted toward the emer-gency lane "for reasons still under investigation."The front of it slammed into the back of White'svehicle, then "drove over (it) as the vehicles cameto final rest in the northbound lanes of I-95,"according to the FHP's crash report.

August 26, 2012

Interstate 95 near BridgeRoad reopened after

accident

The Florida Highway Patrol has reopened all south-bound lanes of Interstate 95 near Hobe Sound asof 4:30 p.m. Sunday after a crash involving anoverturned car.

About 3 p.m. Martin County Fire Rescue respond-ed to mile marker 96, near Bridge Road, for thesingle-vehicle crash. Officials had closed all lanesand were moving traffic through the shoulder of theroad, according to Martin County Fire Rescue.

August 23, 2012

where success is measured in increments.

The Afghan war transformed into a series ofsmall, often vicious and intense fights scatteredacross a country almost as large as Texas.

In July, 40 U.S. service members died inAfghanistan in the deadliest month for Americantroops so far this year. At least 31 have been killedthis month - seven when a helicopter crashed duringa firefight with insurgents in what was one of thedeadliest air disasters of the war. Ten others weregunned down in attacks from members of theAfghan security forces - either disgruntled turncoatsor Taliban infiltrators.

Many argue that bin Laden's death justifies aquick U.S. exit from Afghanistan. Others say it'simportant to stay longer to shore up the Afghansecurity forces and help build the government sothat it can stand on its own. An unstable Afghanistancould again offer sanctuary to militants like al-Qaidawho want to harm American and its allies, they say.

"Those of us who have been at this for a longtime continue to think that it's important, and that wehave a chance now of a path forward with a long-term perspective that will produce the results," saidJames Cunningham, the new U.S. ambassador toAfghanistan.

The U.S.-led coalition's combat mission will

6 Legal Street News Monday August 27, 2012___________________________________________________________

If You Hve It

Give Some Back

V I E T N A M B A N K D I R E C T O R

R E S I G N S A M I D P R O B E

http://www.network.directrelief.org

Healthcare Providers: If you are a healthcare provider locat-ed in the United States, contact us by

calling 1-877-30-DR-USA (1-877-303-7872).

wind down in the next few years, leading up to theend of 2014 when most international troops will haveleft or moved into support roles.

Military analysts say the U.S. envisions a post-2014 force of perhaps 20,000 to hunt terrorists, trainthe Afghan forces and keep an eye on neighboringIran and other regional powerhouse nations.

Americans aren't likely to know the number untillater this year. But will anyone other than families ofservice personnel take note?

"I have heard others say that the danger thattheir spouses or children are serving in is just simplynot being cared about," said Fred Wellman, a 22-year Army veteran who did three tours in Iraq. "Ithink a lot of veterans feel it is just forgotten."

Political satirist Garry Trudeau captured the apa-thy about the war in a comic strip this year showinga U.S. servicewoman stationed in Afghanistan call-ing her brother back home.

After he complains that his children have the fluand how he's struggling to keep up with their hectichockey schedule, he asks her where she's callingfrom. She tells him she's in Afghanistan.

"Oh, right, right ..." her brother replies. "Wait,we're still there?"

owned, but gave no other details. Therehas been speculation that his arrestreflected tensions between the country'sclosely intertwined political and economicelite.

Uncertainty about the bank and others inVietnam has sent shares in ACB and otherbanks sharply lower, pulling the country'smain stock market down 10 points, ormore than 9 percent, since Tuesday. Thedrop on Tuesday was the largest in thecountry's history.

Earlier, deputy director Nguyen Thanh Toaisaid there had been an increase in with-drawals from ACB branches in Ho ChiMinh City on Thursday morning, but thathad now ended.

There was no sign of panic in the capital,Hanoi, on Thursday.

"I'm not so worried because ACB is a bigbank," said Nguyen Xuan Hai, who waswithdrawing cash to buy a motorbike. "ButI am checking on the news regularly tostay updated with the situation."

Continued from page 1

AMERICANS TUNE OUT AFGHAN WAR

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The head of oneof Vietnam's largest banks resignedThursday amid a police investigation intoallegations of illegal trading by itscofounder, igniting fresh fears about thestability of the country's debt-ridden bank-ing sector.

As banking stocks in the country slumpedfor a third day, Asia Commercial Bank ear-lier said some jumpy depositors were with-drawing funds from the institution, butstressed that it had enough money torepay the cash.

The troubles at the ACB began Mondaywith the arrest of Nguyen Duc Kien, theco-founder of the bank and one of thecountry's richest and most well connectedtycoons. The news sent stock prices tum-bling and the central bank promised emer-gency funds. It also issued a statementsaying that Kien's alleged crimes were notrelated to the bank, which he longer man-ages.

Earlier Thursday, the bank said its chief,Ly Xuan Hai, was cooperating with a

police investigation, but declined to saywhat it was concerning. A statement latersaid Hai had resigned and would bereplaced by Do Minh Toan, a formerdeputy at the bank.

Hai's resignation may strengthen suspi-cions that the bank, which is 15 percentowned by Standard and Chartered, wasinvolved in alleged illegal trading.

"With strong support from the central bankand our partners, ACB affirms that thebank will control any given situations andmaintain normal banking activities for thebest benefit of our customers," the bankstatement said.

Vietnam's communist rulers are trying toget the country's economy back on trackwithout relinquishing any of their politicalcontrol. But many of the country's bankshave millions of dollars in bad debt withconglomerates linked to the party, compli-cating efforts to clean up the system.

Authorities said that Kien had been guiltyof illegal trading at three companies he

A L O O K A T

M E D I C A L

COSTS IN CUBA

V S . T H E U SHAVANA (AP) -- What Cuba says it spends on

medical services is a fraction of what it costs hospi-tals to provide the same services in the UnitedStates. A comparison of some medical procedures inthe two countries:

- Cost per day for inpatient hospital stay: $5.49in Cuba; $1,994 in the U.S.

- Inpatient hernia surgery: $14.59 in Cuba;$12,489 in the U.S.

- Hip-fracture repair: $72.15 in Cuba; $14,263 inthe U.S.

- Kidney transplant: $4,902 in Cuba; $48,758 inthe U.S.

Cuban authorities did not reveal how they calcu-lated their figures, but said careful study wasinvolved.

While some medical goods are imported, Cubaproduces many medicines and labor costs are sig-nificantly lower than in the United States, with onedoctor saying Cuban specialists earn $25 a month.

Cuban patients also often bring their own sterilebed sheets, hypodermic needles, food and water.

---

Note: U.S. costs are from 2009. Sources:Granma; Agency for Healthcare Research andQuality, U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices.

Cuban figures rely on the official currencyexchange rate of 24 Cuban pesos to $1, though offi-cials have never clarified whether that rate can beapplied to interpret economic data.

6 Legal Street News Monday August 27, 2012___________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________Legal Street News Monday, August 27, 2012 7

WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. regulatorsmandated Wednesday that public companiesdisclose information about their use of mineralsfrom Congo, where militias linked to atrocitieshave profited from mining minerals used inelectronics, jewelry and other goods.

The Securities and Exchange Commissionvoted 3-2 to adopt a rule under the 2010 finan-cial overhaul law. Public companies that use thedesignated minerals from Congo and neighbor-ing countries in their products will have to dis-close annually their efforts to trace the mineralsback to their sources.

The SEC also voted 2-1 to require producersof oil, natural gas or minerals to disclose anypayments involving commercial developmentthat they make to the U.S. or a foreign govern-ment. The payments would include taxes, royal-ties and licensing fees.

The regulators say stricter reporting require-ments on mineral use might help curb the vio-lence in Congo. They also say the rules willmake companies more accountable to theirshareholders.

Some companies have complained about thedifficulty of determining whether, or in whatquantity, certain products include the affectedminerals.

The two Republican SEC commissioners,Troy Paredes and Daniel Gallagher, opposed theadoption of the rule. They said they think SECrules aren't the proper way to achieve the goal ofending violence in Congo.

Paredes said the reporting requirementscould have undesired effects in Congo. Forexample, he said, the minerals could be smug-gled into other countries and sold as if they hadoriginated there.

The affected minerals are gold, and the oresof tin, tungsten and tantalum. Tantalum is wide-ly used in electronics. Tin and tungsten havemany industrial uses.

As with the so-called "blood diamonds"mined in Zimbabwe and used to finance wars in

S E C M A N D A T E S

C O M P A N Y D I S C L O S U R E S

O N M I N E R A L U S E

Sierra Leone and Liberia, international rightsgroups have pushed for more transparency inthe use of minerals that have benefited militiasin Congo.

Civil wars killed an estimated 5 million peo-ple in Congo in the 1990s. The fighting deterio-rated into a scramble for Congo's minerals thatdrew in the armies of eight African nations.Though the conflict ended in the rest of Congoin 2002, armed groups still operate in the min-eral-rich eastern portion of the country.

The SEC initially proposed the disclosurerule in December 2010. The activist groupOxfam America has protested at the SEC'sheadquarters and sued the agency to protest thedelay in issuing final rules. At the same time,business groups have lobbied the SEC to makethe rules more lenient.

The new minerals disclosure requirementswill initially cost affected companies a total of$3 billion to $4 billion and up to $209 millioneach year afterward, the SEC estimates. Thecompanies will have to file their first reports inMay 2014 and annually after that.

The rule applies to public companies, bothU.S. and foreign, that use any of the four miner-als if the minerals are essential to a product thecompany makes or contracts to be made.

A company will be affected only if it hasinfluence over the manufacture of a product. Acompany wouldn't be considered to have influ-

P A Y P A L T O O F F E R

I N - S TO R E PAY M E N T S

T H R U D I S C O V E R

NEW YORK (AP) -- A firm that tracks thepathways of the Internet says a Chinese compa-ny is keeping war-torn Syria connected to theInternet as other telecommunications compa-nies withdraw.

The Syrian government ultimately controlsInternet connection to the outside world but it'sa major route for rebel communications andnews from the country as the civil war intensi-fies.

Hong Kong-based PCCW Ltd. is now carry-ing most of the Internet traffic to and fromSyria, according to Renesys Corp., aManchester, N.H., company that studies thestructure of the Internet.

PCCW has shouldered the load as TurkTelecom, the main phone company in neighbor-

ing Turkey, dropped away Aug. 12. It's not clearwhat killed its connections to Syria, but Turkeyhas protested the Syria regime's actions. Chinais one of Syria's few international allies.

Renesys said Tuesday that Telecom Italia ofItaly and Deutsche Telekom of Germany alsocarry some Syrian Internet traffic, but the Italiancompany's share is declining for unknown rea-sons.

Turk Telecom and Telecom Italia did notimmediately respond to requests for comment.

Syria is connected via undersea cables toCyprus, Lebanon and Egypt, and PCCW is apart-owner of some cables running through theMediterranean Sea.

CHINESE COMPANY KEEPS SYRIA

C O N N E C T E D T O I N T E R N E T

ence over the manufacturing if it merely puts itsbrand, logo or label on a generic product madeby a third party, or if it services or repairs sucha product.

Companies will have to determine whetherany of the minerals in question in their productscame from Congo or an adjoining country, orare from scrap or recycled sources.

If the inquiry finds that the minerals mighthave come from one of the countries, the com-pany must investigate the source and file areport to the SEC. The report also must be post-ed on companies' websites

For the oil and natural gas payments, com-panies must file the reports to the SEC no laterthan 150 days after the end of their fiscal year.The requirement starts for fiscal years endingafter Sept. 30, 2013.

Paredes and SEC Chairman Mary Schapiroexcused themselves from voting on that rule toavoid potential conflicts of interest.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- PayPal isexpanding its brick-and-mortar paymentservices to more than 7 million storesacross the U.S. in a partnership withDiscover Financial Services.

EBay Inc.'s payments unit saidWednesday that retailers that takeDiscover cards will be able to processPayPal payments beginning next year.People will be able to pay using PayPalcards and later, mobile devices.

The move marks the latest step inPayPal's push into physical retailers as itexpands from offering online payments.

PayPal, which eBay bought a decade ago,has more than 50 million active users inthe U.S. and is the e-commerce compa-ny's fastest-growing business.

Earlier this year it unveiled a mobile pay-ments service, PayPal Here, that lets busi-nesses process credit card payments withsmartphones. It rivals mobile paymentservices such as Square, which recentlysigned a deal to process payments atStarbucks locations.

PayPal is also accepted as a form of pay-ment at physical Home Depot stores andother retailers as part of its offline push.

The deal with Discover lets retailers usethe point-of-sale systems that they alreadyhave in their stores to accept PayPal pay-ments.

San Jose, Calif.-based eBay climbed$1.48, or 3.2 percent, to $47.33 in middaytrading. Earlier, the stock hit $48.08, itshighest level since 2005.

Gold Mining In The DemocraticR e p u b l i c o f C o n g o

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obamasaid Mitt Romney has locked himself into "extreme posi-tions" on economic and social issues and would surelyimpose them if elected, trying to discredit his Republicanrival at the biggest political moment of his life.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Obamasaid Romney lacks serious ideas, refuses to "own up" tothe responsibilities of what it takes to be president, anddeals in factually dishonest arguments that could soonhaunt him in face-to-face debates.

Obama also offered a glimpse of how he wouldgovern in a second term of divided government, insistingrosily that the forces of the election would help breakWashington's stalemate. He said he would be willing tomake a range of compromises with Republicans, confi-dent there are some who would rather make deals thanremain part of "one of the least productive Congresses inAmerican history."

With the remarks, Obama set up a contrast betweenRomney, whom he cast as an extremist pushing staunch-ly conservative policies, and himself, by saying he wouldwork across party lines. It was a seeming play for theindependent voters who decide close elections and tellpollsters they want to see the often-gridlocked politiciansin Washington solve the nation's problems.

Mainly, Obama was intent on countering Romney even before hischallenger got to the Republican National Convention, which startsMonday in Tampa, Fla. In doing so, the president depicted his opponentas having accumulated ideas far outside the mainstream with no room toturn back.

"I can't speak to Governor Romney's motivations," Obama said."What I can say is that he has signed up for positions, extreme positions,that are very consistent with positions that a number of HouseRepublicans have taken. And whether he actually believes in those ornot, I have no doubt that he would carry forward some of the things thathe's talked about."

Obama spoke to the AP on Thursday before heading off to a longweekend with his family at Camp David, the secluded presidentialretreat in the Maryland mountains.

The president was at ease but doggedly on script, steering evenpersonal-themed questions about Romney and running mate Paul Ryaninto answers about starkly different visions for helping the middle class.

Romney, a successful former executive of a private equity firmand one-time Massachusetts governor, will introduce himself to a TVaudience of millions next Thursday as he takes the convention stage toaccept his party's presidential nomination. He has offered himself as abusiness-minded alternative to Obama and has seized on voter concernsabout joblessness and the direction of the nation.

Nearly ten weeks before Election Day, the race is remarkably sta-ble and reflective of a sharply divided nation, with registered votersabout evenly split on their choice and nearly a quarter of them unsure orstill willing to change their mind. Across the interview, Obama's mes-sages often seemed directed at moderate and independent voters whosesway could make the difference.

Obama's depiction of a Romney presidency grew most pointedwhen he was asked if his Republican challenger has no core, as one ofObama's top advisers once put it.

The president suggested that whatever Romney really stands for inlife is secondary to the promises Romney has made in the campaign.

In explaining his accusation of "extreme" positions, the presidentcited Romney's call for across-the-board tax cuts that Obama said wouldmostly help the rich at the expense of everyone else and cost the nation$5 trillion. Obama singled out Romney's opposition to tax credits forproducers of wind energy, the kind of issue that carries large politicalresonance in a battleground state such as Iowa.

And Obama alluded to the provocative issue of abortion, sudden-ly thrust to the fore this week when Republican Missouri Senate candi-date Todd Akin said the female body has a way to "shut that whole thingdown" when a woman is the victim of "legitimate rape."

The Republican platform in Tampa calls for a ban on abortion withno specific exceptions for rape or other circumstances. Obama predict-ed that a President Romney would not "stand in the way" if Congressgave him a bill that stripped away women's control over their reproduc-tive health.

Romney is on record, however, as not opposing abortion in casesof rape and incest or if it will save the mother's life.

Polling shows social issues such as abortion represent perhapsObama's best opportunity to draw support from Romney. Obamaalready holds a broad lead as the candidate more trusted to handle thosesocial issues among Democrats and independents. The issue is one ofRomney's biggest vulnerabilities among moderate and liberalRepublicans.

Obama also sought to chip away at Romney's trustworthiness, tak-ing fresh shots at Romney's refusal to release years of tax returns forpublic inspection. He said that position was indicative of a candidatewho has a "lack of willingness to take responsibility for what this jobentails."

Yet it is the economy that has driven this election and has domi-nated Obama's message of a middle-class revival.

"We aren't where we need to be. Everybody agrees with that," saidObama, who inherited an economy in free fall and now bears responsi-bility for a recovery that remains weak. "But Governor Romney's poli-cies would make things worse for middle-class families and offer noprospect for long-term opportunity for those striving to get into the mid-dle class," the president said.

A Romney spokesman, Ryan Williams, jumped onObama's account in the interview that the economy clear-ly needs to get better. "Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan agree,"Williams said. "The American people know they aren'tbetter off than they were four years ago."

Obama holds a decisive advantage over Romneywhen Americans are asked who better understands theirdaily woes. Yet nearly two-thirds of people in a new AP-GfK poll say the economy is in poor shape, and 60 percentsay the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Obama expressed confidence that even voters whoselives have not improved during his term will stick withhim as they assess the two candidates.

"If they saw Gov. Romney offering serious proposalsthat offered some sort of concrete ways in which middle-class families would be helped, then I could understandthem thinking about that choice," Obama said. "But that'snot what's happening."

And therein lies the central case that Obama made inthe interview, as he has made for months, and as he willagain at his own party's convention in Charlotte, N.C., inearly September.

Obama said he is the candidate whose policies havehistorically helped the middle class on issues that people care about andthat shape the economy — education, manufacturing, science andresearch, Medicare, debt reduction, tax rates, health care, consumer pro-tection, college aid, energy.

Williams, the Romney spokesman, responded that Obama haspiled up national debt and presided over high unemployment. "Toomany middle-class families are going to sleep each night worried," hesaid. "This may be the best President Obama can do, but it's not the bestAmerica can do."

The moment that could finally shake up a close race could comein the three debates Obama and Romney hold in October. The presidentsaid Romney could run into trouble because of arguments that are notbacked up by facts, citing a widely debunked television ad campaign inwhich Romney accuses Obama of gutting the work requirement in thefederal welfare law.

"It will be a little tougher to defend face-to-face," Obama said.Obama's view of a different second-term dynamic in Washington,

even if both and House Republicans retain power, seems a stretch giventhe stalemated politics of a divided government. He said two changes —the facts that "the American people will have voted," and thatRepublicans will no longer need to be focused on beating him — couldlead to better conditions for deal-making.

If Republicans are willing, Obama said, "I'm prepared to make awhole range of compromises" that could even rankle his own party. Buthe did not get specific.

The 25-minute interview, conducted in the library of the WhiteHouse residence, was part of a multi-faceted campaign by Obama's teamto snag some of the spotlight during Romney's big week. Obama deniedthe notion, widely if quietly held in political circles, that the fiercelycompetitive president is also driven to beat Romney because he does nothold him in high regard.

"I don't really know him well," Obama said. "The big argumentsthat I have with Governor Romney have to do with where we take thiscountry forward."

8 Legal Street News Monday, August 27, 2012

"I want to make sure that we help entrepreneurs and innovators. Iwant to speak to the women of America who have dreams, who beginbusinesses in their homes, who begin businesses out in the marketplace,who are working at various enterprises and companies," he said.

"... Our campaign is about making it easier for entrepreneurs,women and men, to start businesses, to grow businesses," Romney said.He said most jobs are created by small businesses rather than largerfirms or corporations.

Romney envisioned an economic resurgence fueled by abundantenergy, expanded trade and a skilled workforce. If that happens,"America is going to surprise the world. We're going to stand out as ashining city on a hill in part because of our extraordinary economy," hesaid to the cheers of an estimated 5,000 supporters.

Romney's determination to turn the campaign's attention to theeconomy follows two weeks of controversy over Medicare, courtesy ofObama's campaign, as well as abortion, the result of a comment by Rep.Todd Akin, the party's candidate in a Senate race in Missouri.

Romney joined an unsuccessful effort by party leaders to forceAkin to quit his race after he said women who are raped rarely becomepregnant, a view unsupported by medical evidence.

He also fought back hard in recent days in person and televisionadvertising against Obama's allegations that he and running mate Ryanwould remake Medicare in a way that would undermine the health offuture seniors.

Romney's objective appears to be to erode Obama's advantageamong women voters and those who say Democrats are better equippedto handle Medicare, the giant health care program for seniors.

In the AP interview, Obama said it was Romney's promises thatrepresented the real threat to the economy and the pocketbooks of mil-lions.

"Mitt Romney is proposing a $5 trillion tax cut that disproportion-ately goes to the wealthiest Americans. And he will pay for that by gut-ting investments in things like education, infrastructure, basic scienceand research, voucherizing Medicare...."

Inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, thousands of inflated red,white and blue balloons nestled in netting high above the arena floor,ready to be dropped in the traditional convention finale on Thursdaynight.

Technicians tested the microphones installed for each delegation,who will sit at the foot of a vast, made-for-television podium.Teleprompters where Romney will be able to see his acceptance speechscroll by were loaded — with phrases from Abraham Lincoln's immor-tal Gettysburg Address, lest the words the Republican presidential con-tender will use to launch his fall campaign for the White House leak inadvance.

ists and others worked.Obama did his best to intrude on the Republican unity tableau.In an interview with The Associated Press, he accused Romney of

holding "extreme positions" on economic and social issues, while pledg-ing a willingness on his own part to agree to "a whole range of compro-mise" with Republicans if he is re-elected.

He did not elaborate, but his pledge seemed designed to appeal toindependents and other voters who say they are tired of seemingly per-petual campaign bickering and Washington gridlock.

But Romney said Obama's entire campaign rested on his ability topersuade people to ignore his record and listen instead to his rhetoric.

"It is not his words people have to listen to. It's his action and hisrecord," he said in his appearance in Powell, Ohio. "And if they look atthat, they'll take him out of the office and put people into the officewho'll actually get America going again."

Romney's speech included an appeal to women made on econom-ic grounds rather than on the basis of social issues like abortion, the sortof approach the Republican hopes will eat into Obama's polling advan-tage among female voters.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Mitt Romney pledged Saturday to helpwomen entrepreneurs and innovators eager to create small businesses, inan economy-themed countdown to the Republican National Conventiontaking shape in a city bristling with security and bracing for a possiblehurricane.

"Women in this country are more likely to start businesses thanmen. Women need our help," said the Republican presidential chal-lenger, eager to relegate recent controversy over abortion to the sidelinesand make the nation's slow economic recovery the dominant issue of hisconvention week.

The former Massachusetts governor campaigned with vice presi-dential running mate Paul Ryan in battleground Ohio as delegatesarrived in Florida by the planeload and technicians worked on the con-version of a hockey arena along Tampa Bay into a red, white and blue-themed convention hall.

Weather permitting, the convention opens Monday with quick rat-ification of a conservative platform expected, followed by Romney'snomination in a traditional roll call of the states timed for networkevening news coverage. It ends Thursday with his acceptance speech, aprime-time appearance aides hope will propel him into a successful fallcampaign and eventually, the White House.

The polls made the race a close one, narrow advantage to Obama,as two weeks of back-to-back conventions approached. Hundreds ofmillions of dollars have been spent on television ads, with hundreds ofmillion more to come, almost all of it airing in a small group of battle-ground states expected to settle the election.

The list included Florida as well as North Carolina, where theDemocratic National Convention will be held in one week's time.

After Romney's uneven run through the primary contests of win-ter and spring, the GOP convention was made to order for him from startto finish. Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and other foes from the long-ago primaries weren't even a nuisance as the four-day event approached.

But the same couldn't be said for Tropical Storm Isaac, lashingHaiti and Cuba as it churned menacingly through the Caribbean.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency as the stormapproached the Florida Keys, more than 400 miles from Tampa.Forecasters said it was on a track to head west of the convention city, butpredicted strong winds and rain at a minimum on Monday as the dele-gates meet.

"We are a hospitality state. We know how to take care of peopleand we want to ensure their safety," Scott said.

Apart from weather concerns, a heavy security presence wasalready in evidence. Miles of fencing were designed to create a securezone around a tract of land that included the convention hall, the hotelwhere Romney will stay and a nearby convention center where journal-

R O M N E Y S T R E S S E S E C O N O M YA S C O N V E N T I O N N E A R S

A P I N T E R V I E W : O B A M A O N

R O M N E Y ' S ' E X T R E M E ' V I E W S