Senate votes to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell'

By Lisa Mascaro and Michael Muskal

Reporting from Washington and Los Angeles — The Senate voted to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, approving a bill that repeals the policy of "don't ask, don't tell" on Saturday.

The 65-31 vote came after an earlier procedural vote that brought the milestone in gay rights to the Senate floor. It also fulfilled a campaign promise by President Obama, who has been under attack from liberals in his own party for seeking compromises with Republicans on economic and tax issues during the lame-duck congressional session.

The White House said Obama will sign the measure into law next week. Repeal means that gays and lesbians can openly serve without fear of punishment. More than 13,500 people have been dismissed from the military since the 1993 law went into effect.

"The Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend," President Obama said in a prepared statement". By ending 'don't ask, don't tell," no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.

"It is time to close this chapter in our history," he stated. "It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed. It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly. I urge the Senate to send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law".

A week ago, the repeal seemed to be politically dead, caught in sparring between Democrats and Republicans. But Democrats moved the repeal from an amendment to a defense bill to a separate measure that passed the House this week 250 to 174. Some of the more liberal Senate Republicans began to shift as well.

In a test earlier Saturday, the Senate voted 63 to 33 for repeal, a large enough outcome to assure final passage after six Republicans joined with Democrats to advance the bill.

The six Republican senators who voted with the majority were: Scott Brown, of Massachusetts; Susan M. Collins and Olympia J. Snowe, both of Maine; Mark Kirk of Illinois; Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and George Voinovich of Ohio. Sen. Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, the only Democrat to oppose repeal, did not vote.

In the final vote, two more Republicans, John Ensign of Nevada and Richard Burr of North Carolina, crossed over.

"Don't ask, don't tell is wrong," Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in his opening remarks Saturday morning, sounding a frequent theme during the debate. "I don't care who you love. If you love this country enough to risk your life for it, you shouldn't have to hide who you are. You ought to be able to serve".

Many Republicans, led by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), opposed the repeal, arguing it should not be considered during the current time of war. That position is backed by chiefs of the Army and Marine Corps who have warned Congress that repeal could pose problems if the law is overturned.

Speaking on the floor before the procedural vote, McCain, the GOP's presidential candidate in 2008, acknowledged that Republicans didn't have the vote to block repeal. He derisively noted that liberals, who lacked military experience, would "high five" across America.

McCain and other Republicans argued that the repeal should not be pushed on troops during a time of war. "They will do what is asked of them," McCain said of the military, "but don't think there won't be a great cost".

Republicans also cited questions among some military leaders, particularly, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos, who argued that repeal could cost lives.

"I don't want to lose any Marines to the distraction," he told reporters this week.

But other military officials including, Adm. Mike Mullen and Marine Gen. James Cartwright, the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the fear of disruption is overblown.

Proponents of the repeal made two basic arguments, one involving civil rights and the other military preparedness.

"This is a historic vote for equality, civil rights and a stronger America," said Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). "This is a continuation of our nation's march toward full equality for all".

Democrats also cited a recently released Pentagon study that found that two-thirds of the military didn't think changing the law would have much of an effect.

Once the measure becomes law, Obama and military chiefs will have to certify that the change wouldn't hurt the ability of troops to fight and there would also be a 60-day waiting period. The actual elimination of "don't ask, don't tell," which dates back to the Clinton administration, could take as long as a year.

Still, there was happiness among supporters, some of whom were in the Senate gallery to watch the vote.

"This has been a long fought battle, but this failed and discriminatory law will now be history," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign.

The Senate began its rare weekend session Saturday morning poised to battle over two of the most contentious social issues in this lame-duck session, "don't ask, don't tell" and immigration. Earlier, the Senate voted down an effort to bring the Dream Act to the floor. Los Angeles Times

US Senate votes to allow openly gay soldiers in military

The US Senate voted yesterday to repeal the ban on gay people serving openly in the military, paving the way for President Obama to sign a law ending the policy this week.

However, the defence secretary, Robert Gates, who had pushed for the change, warned gay men and women in the military that the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy will remain in effect for some time while the new rules are put in place.

Obama said in a statement: "By ending 'don't ask, don't tell' no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love".

The Senate voted by 65-31 to end the 17-year-old ban following its passage through the Democratic-led House of Representatives. Democratic leaders had pushed for its passage before the end of the current session because Republicans, many of whom did not support the change, will control the House of Representatives in January and have greater numbers in the Senate.

Gay men and women were barred from serving in the military until 1993, when "don't ask, don't tell" allowed them to serve as long as they kept their sexual orientation secret.

The policy has seen more than 13,000 men and women expelled from the American military but a Pentagon report found that most in the armed services did not object to lifting the ban.

Speaking at a news conference with Senate leaders following the vote, former air force major Mike Almy said he was dismissed after another officer read his private e-mails to loved ones.

"There is nothing more that I want than to resume my career as an officer and a leader in the Air Force," he said.Gates said that once Obama signed the bill, the government would begin the "planning necessary to carry out this change".

The legislation gives the Pentagon an undetermined amount of time – possibly months – to educate service members and prepare for the policy change before it "certifies" repeal.

"It is therefore important that our men and women in uniform understand that while today's historic vote means that this policy will change, the implementation and certification process will take an additional period of time," Gates said.

Opponents of gay men and women serving openly in the military argued that lifting the ban would undermine order and discipline and harm unit cohesiveness, especially among combat troops.

Republican opposition was largely led by Obama's 2008 White House challenger, John McCain, a former navy pilot and prisoner of war in Vietnam.

McCain said it may be too early to end the ban and challenged the Pentagon's forecast of little impact if the policy were lifted. In a Senate speech, he argued against imposing a change while the country is at war.

"This debate is not about the broader social issues that are being discussed in our society, but what is in the best interest of our military at a time of war," McCain said. The Guardian

El Senado de EU pone fin a la prohibición de homosexuales en el Ejército

WASHINGTON (CNN) — La prohibición para que los militares abiertamente homosexuales sirvieran en las filas del Ejército llegó a su fin, luego que el Senado votara el sábado la derogación de la política conocida como ‘No preguntes y no digas’. 

Ocho republicanos y el independiente de Connecticut, Joe Lieberman, se unieron a los demócratas en la Cámara para respaldar la legislación, que fue aprobada por un margen de 65-31. El proyecto de ley necesitaba una mayoría simple, es decir el apoyo de 51 de 100 miembros del Senado para poder pasar. 

“Quiero agradecer a todos los hombres gay y mujeres que están luchando por nosotros”, dijo la senadora Susan Collins, de Maine, uno de varios republicanos que votaron por la medida. “Honramos su servicio, y ahora podemos hacerlo abiertamente”. 

El presidente Barack Obama firmará el proyecto de ley la próxima semana, dijo el secretario de prensa de la Casa Blanca en su cuenta de Twitter, momentos después de que el senado realizara la votación. 

El almirante Mike Mullen, jefe del Estado Mayor Conjunto de Estados Unidos, aplaudió la acción del Congreso, que dijo “conserva la prerrogativa de los militares para implementar el cambio de manera responsable, deliberada”. 

“Es lo que hay que hacer”, dijo en un comunicado. “Ahora los hombres y mujeres con capacidad que quieran servir y sacrificarse por su país no tendrán que sacrificar su integridad para hacerlo. Será un mejor militar por esta decisión”. 

La Cámara de Representantes había pasado cómodamente la medida –por un margen de 250 a 175- el miércoles pasado. Cuatro días más tarde, la presidenta de la Cámara, Nancy Pelosi, demócrata de California, animó al Senado para seguir su ejemplo. 

“La votación de hoy es un punto de referencia que cierra la puerta a una injusticia”, dijo Pelosi en un comunicado. “Esto refleja un principio fundamental en nuestra nación: que cualquier persona que quieraservir y defender a este país debe ser bienvenida, ser juzgado por sus capacidades y honrados por su sacrificio”. 

Diciendo que es “hora de cerrar este capítulo de nuestra historia”, Obama calificó el hecho como un “paso histórico” poner fin a la política que les niega el servicio “de miles de estadounidenses patrióticos y que estaban obligados a abandonar el Ejército, a pesar de años de un desempeño ejemplar, por ser gays”. 

“Es hora de permitir que los estadounidenses gays y lesbianas sirvan abiertamente a su país”, dijo. “Insto al Senado a enviar este proyecto de ley a mi despacho para que yo pueda firmar la ley”. 

Después de terminada la votación, los partidarios de la derogación se abrazaron y se dieron la mano, en un ambiente de celebración para los demócratas. 

Ted Barrett de CNN contribuyó a este informe CNN México

Senado americano aprova lei que permite homossexuais assumidos no exército

O Senado americano aprovou uma lei histórica que permite que homossexuais sirvam nas Forças Armadas americanas revelando abertamente sua preferência sexual.

Senadores decidiram por 63 votos a 51 anular a lei de 1993 que instituiu a política conhecida como Don´t ask, Don´t tell.

Segundo a política, os homossexuais são admitidos nas Forças Armadas, mas podem ser expulsos se revelarem abertamente sua opção sexual.

No início do sábado, a Câmara dos Representantes aprovou o documento que pedia a mudança. O presidente Barack Obama deve transformá-lo em lei.

Opositores da proposta dizem que a mudança vai prejudicar a moral das tropas em tempos de guerra.

Mais de 13 mil oficiais do exército foram demitidos por causa da lei, que foi aprovada durante o governo de Bill Clinton.

Na votação deste sábado, senadores republicanos moderados se juntaram aos democratas a favor da mudança na lei.

Patriotas

O correspondente da BBC em Washington Iain Mackenzie disse que a votação foi uma grande vitória para Obama, que havia transformado a anulação da Don´t ask, Don´t tell um de seus principais objetivos desde que assumiu a presidência, em 2009.

Obama disse que acabar com a proibição significaria que "milhares de patriotas americanos" não serão forçados a deixar o serviço militar "porque coincidentemente são homossexuais".

A anulação terá efeito em um período de 60 dias, para que o Departamento de Defesa decida como implantará a nova política.

No início do mês, um relatório do Pentágono disse que permitir que soldados fossem abertamente homossexuais teria pouco impacto na coesão das forças americanas lutando no Iraque e no Afeganistão. BBC Brasil

Inter sweep aside African champs to win Club World Cup

(CNN) -- Inter Milan beat African underdogs TP Mazembe 3-0 to win FIFA's Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

First half goals from Goran Pandev and Samuel Eto'o and a late strike from substitute Jonathan Biabiany sealed victory for the European champions at the Zayed Sport City Stadium.

Congolese side Mazenbe had shocked Internacional of Brazil in the semifinals but found themselves outclassed by the Serie A champions.

The win will take a little of the pressure off Inter manager Rafael Benitez, whose side are trailing arch rivals AC Milan in the Italian title race this season.

Inter took the lead after 14 minutes when Pandev was found by Eto'o with the Macedonian scoring neatly.

With three minutes, Inter had extended their advantage after Javier Zanetti's cut-back found Cameroon star Eto'o to fire home.

Mazembe goalkeeper Muteba Kidiaba, one of the stars of their passage to the final, came to the rescue with two fine saves to deny Diego Milito as Inter looked to kill the game off for good.

But Mazembe had few chances, the best falling to Dioko Kaluyituka, who saw a first half stoppage time volley blocked by Ivan Cordoba and was denied by Julio Cesar with time running out.

Maicon hit the post for Inter after the break but sealed victory as Biabiany run on to a through ball to score the third with five minutes left.

Earlier, South American champions Internacional took third place with a 4-2 win over Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma of South Korea with Alecsandro scoring twice. CNN

Judge in Knox appeal allows new evidence reviews, witnesses

Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- American Amanda Knox won a major victory Saturday in her appeal of the murder conviction in the death of her British roommate when an Italian appellate judge granted approval of independent forensic reviews on two key pieces of evidence.

Judge Claudio Pratillo Hellman said he will accept independent forensic examinations of the knife believed used in the attack, and a bra clasp belonging to Meredith Kercher, who was killed in her Perugia apartment in 2007.

Previous tests of the knife and bra clasp revealed traces of DNA from Knox and her former Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, who was also convicted in the killing.

Hellman also said he will allow new witnesses for the defense, including two people who are said to have information showing that Knox and Sollecito were not involved in Kercher's death.

Friends and family of Knox hugged and celebrated after the judge announced his decision.

"It's a good day for us -- finally," Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, said after the ruling.

The defense has said the knife found at Sollecito's apartment doesn't match Kercher's wounds or an imprint of a knife left on a bedsheet at Kercher's apartment. They have also said the DNA sample is too small to be conclusive. They also raised speculation that the DNA found on the bra clasp could have been contaminated.

"Why do you need to review the forensic evidence when this conviction is based on much more than the knife and the bra clasp?" Prosecutor Manuela Comodi argued before the court began deliberating.

She then reminded the court that Knox and Sollecito don't have an alibi for the night of the killing, adding that there was "ample" evidence of a staged break-in.

Francesco Maresca, an attorney for the Kercher family, said he was "disappointed" with the decision, suggesting that the ruling was political in the face of pressure from the United States.

Earlier this week, a third person convicted in Kercher's death lost his appeal.

Rudy Guede, a drifter originally from the Ivory Coast, will continue serving his 16-year sentence for the crime after the court refused Thursday to overturn his conviction.

Knox was sentenced last year to 26 years in prison for the killing of Kercher.

Kercher, 21, was found in November 2007, semi-naked with her throat slashed.

Sollecito is serving a 25-year sentence.

Knox's family said in April that she is innocent and that no forensic evidence puts her at the crime scene.

"Meredith was Amanda's friend," the family said. "They liked each other and spent time together when not in school. Amanda would not hurt Meredith". CNN

32 dead after boat capsizes in Bangladesh - report

(CNN) -- At least 32 people are dead and many more are missing after a passenger boat capsized on a river in northeastern Bangladesh, the country's news agency reported on Saturday.

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported that 16 women, 11 boys and five girls were killed in the accident that happened on the Surma River in Sunamganj district. The boat sunk after it was hit by a sand-laden vessel that was traveling in the opposite direction at around 8:30 p.m. local time, the agency said, citing local residents.

Rescue operations are ongoing, Superintendent of Police Golam Kibria told BSS. CNN

U.N. Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Korean crisis

Pyongyang, North Korea (CNN) -- At Russia's urging, the U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Sunday morning aimed at defusing simmering tensions in the Korean peninsula.

The meeting will take place at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, a day after Russia had originally wanted to meet, its ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said in a statement. Churkin blamed the U.S. delegation -- which this month heads up the security council -- for the one-day delay, adding, "We assume that nothing will happen in the interim that would bring about further aggravation".

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a former prominent U.S. diplomat now in the middle of an unofficial four-day trip meeting with high-level Pyongyang officials, applauded the development as something that could help skirt further military escalation.

"It's a very, very tense situation, a crisis situation," Richardson told CNN's Wolf Blitzer from Pyongyang. "This is when the U.N. Security Council can be most effective".

The former U.S. energy secretary and ambassador to the United Nations said that Russia's leadership on the issue was a positive -- saying he hoped that the council might issue a statement "urging all sides to exercise maximum restraint (and to) cool things down". CNN

Senate votes to repeal ban on gays openly serving in military

Washington (CNN) -- The military's prohibition of openly gay people serving within its ranks is one step closer to ending, after the Senate voted Saturday to repeal the armed forces' "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Eight Republicans and independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut joined the chamber's Democrats to back the legislation, which passed by a 65-31 margin. The bill needed a simple majority -- meaning support from 51 of the Senate's 100 members -- to pass.

"I want to thank all of the gay men and women who are fighting for us today," said Sen. Susan Collins, of Maine, one of several Republicans who voted for the measure. "We honor your service, and now we can do so openly".

President Barack Obama will sign the bill into law next week, White House press secretary said in a Twitter post moments after the Senate vote.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, applauded Congress's action, which he said "preserves the military's prerogative to implement change in a responsible, deliberate manner".

"It is the right thing to do," he said in a statement. "No longer will able men and women who want to serve and sacrifice for their country have to sacrifice their integrity to do so. We will be a better military as a result".

The House of Representatives had comfortably passed the measure -- by a 250 to 175 margin -- last Wednesday. Four days later, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-California, cheered the Senate for following suit.

"Today's landmark vote closes the door on a fundamental unfairness," Pelosi said in a statement. "It reflects a core principle in our nation: that anyone who wishes to serve, secure and defend this country should be welcomed, judged by their abilities, and honored for their sacrifice".

Earlier on Saturday, the lame-duck Senate session invoked cloture, meaning it cut off or limited debate on the socially historic and controversial legislation, by a vote of 63 to 33. At least 60 votes were required to overcome the procedural hurdle, and Republicans did not seek up to 30 hours of post-cloture debate, as they could have under the chamber's rules.

Saying it's "time to close this chapter in our history," Obama called the move a "historic step" toward ending the policy that denied the "service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay".

"I am also absolutely convinced that making this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as the best led and best trained fighting force the world has ever known," said Obama, who thanked pro-repeal senators for their work.

"It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly," he said. "I urge the Senate to send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law".

After the cloture vote, supporters of the repeal hugged and shook hands in the corridor off the Senate floor, a celebratory mood for a Democratic caucus that will face tougher times when the new Congress convenes next year.

"Today, America lived up to its highest ideals of freedom and equality. Congress recognized that all men and women have the right to openly serve their country," said Joe Solmonese, the president of the Human Rights Campaign -- a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equal rights group. "Plenty of people had already planned the funeral for this legislation. Today, we pulled out a victory from what was almost certain defeat just a few days ago. We are grateful to President Obama, Majority Leader Reid and Sens. Lieberman, Collins and countless others for their dogged determination to repeal DADT".

The executive director of Servicemembers United, the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops, lauded the cloture vote as a "historic step forward for this country" and "very likely be a life-changing moment for gay and lesbian troops".

Alexander Nicholson, a former multi-lingual Army interrogator discharged under the policy, said there's still "a long road ahead, citing "a final passage vote, the certification process, and a yet-to-be-determined implementation period".

But, he said, "those who defend our freedom while living in fear for their careers will finally breathe a sigh of relief tonight, and those who have fallen victim to this policy in years past will finally begin to see true closure and redemption on the horizon".

Passage of the legislation in the Senate was a political victory for Obama and the Democrats, who have called for a repeal.

The Democrats have sought Republican support for overturning the ban, and eight of them voted for a repeal including:

Sens. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Richard Burr of North Carolina, John Ensign of Nevada and George Voinovich of Ohio.

Pentagon officials have warned gay and lesbian soldiers that the current law will temporarily remain in place if the bill passes as they review the legal technicalities of the repeal.

A guidance memo would be sent to military personnel informing them of the change, which would remain in effect for at least 60 days after it is signed into law, Pentagon spokesman Col. David Lapan said.

Proponents of the repeal say the current policy is discriminatory and counter-productive because thousands of service members, from linguists to troops, have been removed under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Voinovich indicated he made up his mind after the release of the Defense Department's report earlier this month on the policy.

"Having reviewed the report, I accept its findings and Secretary Gates' recommendation and reassurance that the repeal will be implemented when the battle effectiveness of our forces is assured and proper preparations have been completed".

He said the repeal "will be implemented in a common sense way" and "our military leaders have assured Congress that our troops will engage in training and address relevant issues before instituting this policy change".

Opponents say the repeal will scrap a good policy and will hurt the military's performance.

Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-South Carolina, cited the Marine Corps commandant as saying he believes that "changing this policy this way would cause distraction among the Marine Corps to the point that he is worried about increased casualties".

"Let's hope he's wrong," Graham said Saturday, "but you've got to ask yourself is he crazy to say that? Is he the kind of man who would make such a chilling statement without having thought about it? My advice to my colleagues is that the Marine Corps commandant is a serious man who is telling this body and this nation that repeal as being envisioned today could compromise focus on the battlefield, and we are in two wars". CNN

Un soldado y tres guerrilleros de las FARC mueren en un enfrentamiento

Un soldado y tres guerrilleros, entre ellos un jefe de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), murieron este sábado en el departamento de Arauca, este del país.

En un comunicado, el Ejército colombiano informó de que el jefe fallecido tenía el alias de 'El Bagre' y era el "segundo cabecilla de la cuadrilla 'Julio Mario Tavera'", que actúa en esa zona del país, vecina a Venezuela.

Según la nota, 'El Bagre' era "hombre de confianza de alias 'Arcesio' y 'Misael', principales cabecillas de la décima cuadrilla de las FARC" y se encargaba "del ingreso de material logístico, de intendencia y bélico" para el primero.

"Actividades de inteligencia delictiva para el cobro de extorsionesa ganaderos, comerciantes y personas pudientes del municipio de Arauquita" eran, junto al reclutamiento, algunas de las tareas del cabecilla muerto, según el reporte oficial.

En los mismos enfrentamientos, librados en zona rural de la localidad de Arauquita, una mujer de la organización insurgente resultó herida y, tras su hospitalización, se encuentra en fase de recuperación.

En el lugar de los combates las tropas se incautaron de fusiles, pistolas, una carabina, municiones de varios calibres, miras telescópicas, equipos de comunicación, material de intendencia y documentos. El Mundo