Foreign troops in southern Afghanistan to double this summer.

Byline: Kim Barker

KABUL, Afghanistan _ The number of foreign troops in troubled southern Afghanistan will double this summer, and the these troops will focus more on rebuilding the country instead of just fighting insurgents, the head of the NATO mission here said Sunday.

Lt. Gen. David Richards, the new commander of the International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, said the number of battalions would increase to four from two when ISAF takes over security from the U.S.-led coalition in the south, most likely late next month. He estimated that the number of troops would go from an average of 3,000 to an average of 6,000.

"I think the coalition has done a really good job in the south, but they have been relatively short of troops, of boots on the ground," Richards said at a news conference.

Richards also said the international peacekeeping force would have a different approach toward insurgents than the U.S.-led coalition. He said soldiers would concentrate more on rebuilding the war-torn country, still grappling with a weak infrastructure almost five years after the Taliban was driven out. He said the way to win a fight like this is to win the support of average Afghans, by giving them roads, power and water.

The switch from a U.S.-led coalition to an international mission in the south comes as Taliban remnants and other insurgents have stepped up attacks, especially in the south. Hundreds of fighters, mainly Taliban supporters, have been killed in intense battles in recent weeks.

Suicide attacks, once unheard of in Afghanistan, are now a daily event. On Sunday, a suicide bomber killed three other people and injured 15 when he tried to blow up Asadullah Khalid, the governor of southern Kandahar province. Khalid was unhurt, said Dawood Ahmadi, his spokesman.

Ahmadi said the suicide bomber was a Pakistani. Afghan officials have blamed neighboring Pakistan for fueling the Taliban insurgency.

In some remote parts of southern Afghanistan, the Taliban is again the law. For three days last week, Taliban forces held a district headquarters in southern Uruzgan province. Government officials and their relatives also are being kidnapped throughout the south.

"The Taliban kidnapped my two cousins last night," Hamidullah Tokhi, a member of parliament and former governor of southern Zabul province, said Sunday. "My brother called and asked me should I tell the government? I said, `No. Because then the Taliban will kill them.' The government is weak and can't do anything. Every day, something else happens in southern Afghanistan."

At his news conference, Richards said he does not expect to succeed overnight. He said troops in the south would deal with insurgents robustly and build on the coalition's approach.

He also defended ISAF's response to the deadly riots sparked last week when a U.S. military truck lost control on the Kabul outskirts and hit 12 vehicles. ISAF troops rescued trapped European diplomats but were not deployed to the streets. Richards said doing so would have ended "in a violent confrontation with some very volatile crowds."

Richards also said foreign troops must stop driving so quickly and sometimes inconsiderately in Afghanistan _ a technique used to avoid suicide bombers and roadside bombs.

"We cannot go on alienating people in a way that I know is happening," he said.

___

(c) 2006, Chicago Tribune.

Visit the Chicago Tribune on the Internet at http://www.chicagotribune.com/

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

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LivePerson Announces Second Quarter 2004 Financial Results Teleconference on Tuesday, August 3, 2004.

LivePerson, Inc. , a provider of technology facilitating real-time online customer interaction, will discuss its second quarter 2004 results during a teleconference on Tuesday, August 3, 2004, at 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. Results will be released after the market close on August 3.

To participate, please call 800-862-9098 before 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. International callers please dial 785-424-1051. Please reference the conference ID "LP513."

If you are unable to participate, the teleconference will be webcast live and available for replay on the LivePerson website at http://liveperson.com/ir/index.asp starting at 6:00 p.m. E.D.T. on August 3, 2004

About LivePerson

LivePerson (http://www.liveperson.com/) is an Application Service Provider (ASP) of technology facilitating real-time sales, customer service and marketing solutions for companies doing business on the Internet. The LivePerson service enables online businesses to communicate with Internet users in real time, thereby enhancing the online experience. LivePerson allows clients to increase revenue and productivity while decreasing the overall cost of customer support. The company serves EarthLink, QVC, HP, Ameritrade, Macy's and over 3,000 other clients. LivePerson is headquartered in New York City, with R&D facilities in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Statements in this release regarding LivePerson, Inc. that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause such statements to differ materially from actual future events or results. Any such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. It is routine for our internal projections and expectations to change as the quarter progresses, and therefore it should be clearly understood that the internal projections and beliefs upon which the Company bases its expectations may change prior to the end of the quarter. Although these expectations may change, we are under no obligation to inform you if they do. Our company policy is generally to provide our expectations only once per quarter, and not to update that information until the next quarter. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the projections or forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause LivePerson's actual results to differ materially from those described in a forward-looking statement: the limited history of providing the LivePerson services; our limited historical annual revenue and history of losses; the possible unavailability of financing as and if needed; an unproven business model; our dependence on the success of the LivePerson services; continued use by our clients of the LivePerson services; potential fluctuations in our quarterly and annual results; risks related to adverse business conditions experienced by our clients; our dependence on key employees; risks related to our international operations, particularly our operations in Tel Aviv, Israel, and the current civil and political unrest in that region; competition both for qualified personnel and in the market for real-time sales and customer service technology; building awareness of the LivePerson brand name; technology systems beyond LivePerson's control and technology-related defects that could disrupt the LivePerson services; our dependence on the growth of the Internet as a medium for commerce and the viability of the infrastructure of the Internet; and responding to rapid technological change. This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Readers are referred to the reports and documents filed from time to time by LivePerson with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of these and other important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in forward-looking statements.

CONTACT: Tim Bixby of LivePerson, Inc., +1-212-609-4200

Web site: http://www.liveperson.com/ http://liveperson.com/ir/index.asp

DESKTOP.(Business)

TOLL FOR TECH

The average U.S. household spent $576 on tele- communications services in the fourth quarter of last year, up from $542 in the year-earlier period, according to TNS Telecoms. The breakdown:

Service ..........Monthly....Share

Cable/Satellite....$40.20....28%

Wireless...........$38.72....27%

Local phone........$37.19....26%

Internet...........$16.46....11%

Long-distance.......$9.99....7%

Local toll calls....$2.40....2%

Calling cards.......$0.27....1%

SPORTSMEN TRACK THE LAW

The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance has put together a clearing- house of information about laws that could impact hunting and fishing across the United States. Go to www.ussportsmen.org to check out the alliance's bill tracker database.

TOP NOTEBOOKS NOTED

PC World magazine ranks the top 15 notebook PCs in its August issue. The Toshiba Tecra S1 ranks No. 1 in power; it retails for $2,879. The best value is the Compaq Presario 2100Z, for $1,024 retail.

Sounds of summer; David Smyth sorts out the Eminems from the Elbows to give you the lowdown on 2011's bumper festival season.(Features)

Byline: David Smyth

WYCHWOOD

June 3-5, Cheltenham Racecourse This regular nominee for best family festival has healing and sculpture gardens as well as a children's literature event. Musically it's far from cutting-edge but The Waterboys, The Charlatans, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull and Cornershop may appeal once the kids are in their sleeping bags. [pounds sterling]115, 01993 772580, wychwoodfestival. com

WE THE PEOPLE

June 4-5, Bristol Harbour, Bristol This new festival brings 10,000 people to the waterside in the birthplace of trip hop. The line-up announced so far has an urban feel, with thunderous dance duo Chase & Status headlining on Saturday and rapper Mike Skinner playing one of his final gigs as The Streets on Sunday. [pounds sterling]60, 0870 444 4400,ethepeoplefestival.co.uk

ISLE OF WIGHT

June 10-12, Seaclose Park, Isle of Wight Reborn as a festival big-hitter since 2002, the Isle of Wight festival has added kudos as the site of the legendary 1970 performance by Jimi Hendrix. This year's line-up is bursting with big names as ever, including Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, the reunited Pulp, Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye and Kasabian. SOLD OUT (tickets available through viagogo.co.uk), isleofwightfestival.com

DOWNLOAD

June 10-12, Donington Park In the Eighties Donington was home to the Monsters of Rock. Now the headbangers lumber back there again in this newer, kidfriendly guise. This year features blasts from the past Alice Cooper and Def Leppard, as well as American arena fillers Linkin Park, dance-rock hybrids Pendulum and reformed comedy rockers The Darkness. [pounds sterling]170, 08444 999 990, downloadfestival.co.uk

GLASTONBURY

June 22-26, Worthy Farm, Pilton Glastonbury used to be able to sell out without revealing any of its lineup, but in the age of instant internet gossip it's become harder than ever to keep a secret. So we already know that the headliners are Coldplay, a booty-shaking Beyonce and U2, who had to cancel their Glasto debut last year. But the real joy of the nation's biggest festival is all the mad things you'll spot in the corners -- don't be afraid to ditch the timetable and wander for days. SOLD OUT. glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

GLAMP IT UP

KEEN to see decent bands but not so keen on trying to sleep near that idiot neighbour battering his acoustic guitar at 4am? Got more money than sense? Ever more festivals are giving you the chance to stay in a luxury paddock. Check podpads.com, myhab.com or the myriad options at Glastonbury and the Secret Garden Party (uk. secretgardenparty.com). You won't believe how useful guttering is.

HOP FARM

July 1-2, Paddock Wood, Kent This relatively new one from Vince Power's Festival Republic, the team behind Latitude and Reading, caters to the older music fan who would tip his cider away in disgust if he so much as glimpsed an O2-branded gazebo. There'll be no adverts, just quality music from the Eagles, Bryan Ferry, Morrissey and Lou Reed. [pounds sterling]130, 0870 264 3333, hopfarmfestival.com

TIN THE PARK

July 8-10, Balado, Kinross-shire, Scotland Scotland's biggest festival gets ever more popular -- it sold out in under an hour this year. It's easy to see why, with its famously rabid atmosphere and a line-up that few other events can top. Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Beady Eye and Pulp will all be there, with Jessie J, Ke$ha and The Saturdays catering for pop fans. SOLD OUT. tinthepark.com

LOUNGE ON THE FARM

July 8-10, Merton Farm, Canterbury If you couldn't get into Glastonbury, here's a somewhat smaller festival on a working farm, albeit one that has doubled its capacity to 10,000 this year. It's proud of its local food and drink, and stage names such as The Hoe Down and The Sheep Dip maintain the downhome atmosphere. The Streets, Ellie Goulding and Echo & the Bunnymen will headline. [pounds sterling]105, 0844 888 9991, loungeonthefarm.co.uk

SONISPHERE

July 8-10, Knebworth House, Herts This festival of heavy rock is in the UK for the first time, with the "big four" of thrash metal -- Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax -- on the Friday-night stage. Other headliners are Biffy Clyro and Slipknot. [pounds sterling]180, 0870 264 3333, uk.sonispherefestivals.com

LARMER

TREE July 13-17, Larmer Tree Gardens, Salisbury A pleasant boutique affair that welcomes just 4,000 people to wander among the peacocks. They're still deciding what Saturday's fancydress theme will be, but know for sure that the attendees will be entertained by Seasick Steve, Jools Holland, Imelda May and Seth Lakeman. [pounds sterling]162, 023 8071 1820, larmertreefestival.co.uk

LATITUDE

July 14-17, Henham Park, Southwold Latitude tends to feature the kind of bands that might play the second stage elsewhere but what it lacks in star power it makes up for with amazing artistic diversity. If you don't fancy The National, Paolo Nutini, Suede or Bright Eyes there's always poetry from Simon Armitage and Linton Kwesi Johnson, readings from Alan Hollinghurst and Louis de Bernieres and an appearance from English National Ballet. [pounds sterling]170, 0870 264 3333, latitudefestival.co.uk

MAGIC SUMMER LIVE

July 17, Hatfield House, Herts This new event from the feelgood radio station isn't so much a festival as a souped-up Elton John gig in the grounds of a stately home. Before he takes to the stage there's an extensive support bill to get through, including the new queen of easy listening, Rumer, reformed duo The Lighthouse Family and Americana siblings The Pierces. [pounds sterling]60, 08700 601 054, magic.co.uk/whats-on/summer-live-home

CAMP BESTIVAL

July 28-31, Lulworth Castle, Dorset Emphasising many of Glastonbury's quirkier elements on a smaller scale, in its fourth year Camp Bestival deserves to stand alongside its larger, older Isle of Wight sibling, Bestival. On a site with sea views, an insect circus and an animal farm, musical offerings from Primal Scream, Blondie, Katy B and Mark Ronson are far from the only draw. [pounds sterling]170, 0844 888 4410, campbestival.net

WOMAD

July 29-31, Carlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire Now in a suitably idyllic location since moving from Reading, WOMAD offers 30,000 attendees the broadest musical experience. With performers from Niger to Finland, from China to Peru, you may not know the technical term for what you're listening to but you're bound to make some unlikely discoveries. This year's line-up is to be confirmed. [pounds sterling]135, 0118 960 6060, womad.org

CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL

July 28-31, Cherry Hinton Hall, Cambridge Having played host to acoustic guitar enthusiasts since Paul Simon showed up in 1965, Cambridge bridges the gap between folk old and new, this year featuring old-timers Richard Thompson and Mary Chapin Carpenter as well as upstarts including Laura Marling and Newton Faulkner. And don't miss the live extravaganza of Bellowhead too. [pounds sterling]114, 01223 357851, cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk

THE BIG CHILL

Aug 5-7, Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire This boutique affair has yet to announce its plans for 2011. Recent years indicate that it will be a livelier effort than its name suggests, though nothing may compare to last year's creation of a multicoloured nude art installation by Spencer Tunick. Ticket info released soon at bigchill. net/festival

SUMMER SUNDAE

Aug 12-14, De Montfort Hall & Gardens, Leicester A low-key Midlands weekender that gives prominent slots to the anthemic indie rock of The Maccabees and a solo Graham Coxon, in a step down from his 2009 glory in the reformed Blur. The Bees, Bellowhead and Newton Faulkner are also on the bill.

[pounds sterling]105, 0116 2333111, summersundae.com

GREEN MAN

Aug 19-21, Glanusk Park, Brecon Beacons This rural favourite is a great one for lounging on the grass in the natural amphitheatre and soaking up the relaxed vibes of almost every band. Fleet Foxes, The Low Anthem and The Leisure Society are typical of a line-up of musical craftsmen, though the livelier experiments of Polar Bear and Holy Fuck should get a few folks to stand up. [pounds sterling]135, 0871 424 4444, greenman.net

V FESTIVAL

Aug 20-21, Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffs Yes, there's a corporate logo on every blade of grass and the entire crowd look like Big Brother contestants but if you want to see the big stars in a clean environment you can't go wrong at V. They've got some huge Americans in the shape of Eminem and Rihanna, grime stars Dizzee Rascal and Tinie Tempah, pop from Jessie J, Katy B and The Saturdays and of course, majorleague rock from Arctic Monkeys and Manic Street Preachers too.

SOLD OUT. vfestival.com

READING AND LEEDS

Aug 26-28, Richfield Avenue, Reading and Bramham Park, Leeds With an average audience age of about eight and a high chance of them all going feral amid burning pyres of burger boxes by Sunday night, this one is not for the faint-hearted but it does boast one of the summer's most impressive rock line-ups. My Chemical Romance, The Strokes and Muse headline, with worthy support from Pulp, Elbow and Beady Eye. [pounds sterling]192.50, 0870 060 3775, readingfestival. com/leedsfestival.com

CREAMFIELDS

Aug 27-28, Daresbury Estate, Halton, Cheshire A camping ticket seems pointless at the clubbers' biggest festival - they'll all be dancing for 48 hours solid to the live sounds of The Chemical Brothers, Magnetic Man, Katy B and Swedish House Mafia, as well as endless DJs including Eric Prydz, Paul van Dyk, Annie Mac and Calvin Harris. [pounds sterling]115, 0844 888 4401, creamfields.com

END OF THE ROAD

Sept 2-4, Larmer Tree Gardens, Salisbury The second festival of the season at Larmer Tree should appeal to beardstroking types, with a tasteful bill mostly comprising arty Americans such as Joanna Newsom, Midlake, Beirut and Joan as Police Woman. Postrock Scots Mogwai and ubiquitous folk siren Laura Marling also appear. [pounds sterling]145, endoftheroadfestival.com

BESTIVAL

Sept 8-11, Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight Having won the Best (Medium-Sized) Festival prize at the UK Festival Awards many times, Bestival hit the big time last year by winning Best Major Festival instead. However, it's still far from unmanageably big, and full of the quirks that make it famous. Besides the WI tea tent, the inflatable church and the fancydress contest, there'll be eclectic sounds from The Cure, PJ Harvey, Paloma Faith, Brian Wilson and Primal Scream. [pounds sterling]170, 0844 888 4410, bestival.net

FOREIGN FESTS

HAVE a marvellous holiday and irritate your friends by heading abroad for better weather, and often better lineups.

In Denmark, Roskilde (roskildefestival.

dk), is known as Continent's Glastonbury. Spain's Benicassim (fiberfib.com) has the sun and Serbia's Exit (exitfest.org) has a reputation for an unhinged crowd.

Main Square (main squarefestival.fr) is in a citadel near Calais, and Ireland's Oxegen (oxegen.ie) has more big names than a Polish phone book.

FAMILY FESTS

The toddler's idea of who's headlining your festival will be slightly different from yours -- they'll be getting all dribbly about Judith Kerr (Mog, The Tiger who Came to Tea) at Wychwood's Children's Literature Festival, CBeebies star Mr Tumble at Camp Bestival, and the Gruffalo and Charlie & Lola at the Harvest festivals. Or you could just forgo adult entertainment altogether and head for the Lollibop festival in Regent's Park (lollibopfestival. co.uk).

PICNIC POP WHAT'S ON IN LONDON

HAMPTON COURT PALACE

June 8-17, Hampton Court Palace Jamie Oliver's doing the hampers at [pounds sterling]70 for two people, and the Tudor homestead's annual season of concerts continues to appeal to an older, classier crowd unfamiliar with the delights of Reading's mosh pit. This year there's Jools Holland as ever, plus Bryan Adams, James Blunt, Don McLean, Simple Minds and a rare appearance from Ringo Starr. [pounds sterling]45-85 per show, 0844 873 7344, hamptoncourtpalacefestival.com

GET LOADED IN THE PARK

June 12, Clapham Common SW4 After a year away, Get Loaded has had an amicable separation from its sister South West Four festival and moves to the opposite end of the summer. For its comeback it's relying on the increasingly shaky charms of Razorlight, who now count Johnny Borrell as the sole original member among a dodgy-looking new line-up. The rest of the bill is still to be announced. [pounds sterling]35, getloadedinthepark.com

LONDON FEIS

June 18-19 , Finsbury Park N4 Feis (pronounced fesh) is essentially the old Fleadh festival by a new name, returning to Finsbury Park for the first time since 2004. Bob Dylan is the surprise Saturday headliner at this celebration of Irish music, but otherwise it's the usual suspects -- Van Morrison, Shane MacGowan, Christy Moore, The Saw Doctors and Dublin's latest star Imelda May. [pounds sterling]120, 0870 264 3333, londonfeis.com

HARD ROCK CALLING

June 25-26, Hyde Park In its regular slot on Glastonbury weekend, Hard Rock caters to an older crowd who might damage their joints if they tried to pitch a tent. The full bill is yet to be announced, but we know Bon Jovi headline on Saturday while Rod Stewart will be booting more footballs skywards on Sunday, with Stevie Nicks playing before him. [pounds sterling]66.25 Sat, [pounds sterling]61 Sun, 08444 999 990, hardrockcalling.co.uk

WIRELESS

July 1-3, Hyde Park The arenas and marquees of Wireless feel like a real festival, but behind the fences there isn't a sea of tents, but a welcome Tube stop. Most pick a single day to see their favourite act, which might be The Black Eyed Peas on Friday, The Chemical Brothers on Saturday, or reformed Pulp on Sunday. [pounds sterling]130 or [pounds sterling]48.50 per day, 08444 999990, wirelessfestival.co.uk

SOMERSET HOUSE SUMMER SERIES

July 7-17, Somerset House WC2 No line-up details announced yet for this season, but the grand courtyard of this impressive venue is a fabulous place to watch almost anybody. Last year's acts included Florence and the Machine and The xx, so expect bands of a similar stripe. Ticket details to be confirmed somersethouse.org.uk/music

LOVEBOX

July 15-17, Victoria Park E3 London's most eclectic weekender has something for everyone, whether it's rap veteran Snoop Dogg performing his classic Doggystyle album in full, Scissor Sisters' theatrical disco, or classic rock from Blondie. Look out for Swedish stars Lykke Li and Robyn, and indie favourites The Drums. [pounds sterling]99, 0844 822 1233, lovebox.net

HIGH VOLTAGE

July 23-24, Victoria Park E3 That this festival is back for a second year suggests there are more vintage rock geezers kicking around London than you might expect.It's coorganised with Classic Rock magazine, with prog metal band Dream Theater booked to headline the Sunday. Birmingham veterans Judas Priest top the bill on Saturday. [pounds sterling]99, 0844 822 2602, highvoltagefestival.com

GREENWICH SUMMER SESSIONS

July 26-31, Old Royal Naval College, SE10 London's not short of stunning outdoor locations to watch a gig, but this one by the Thames is particularly lovely as the sun goes down. In its second year, it expands to six nights. There's Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy, Mark Ronson, Squeeze, Status Quo and The Pogues. [pounds sterling]27.50-[pounds sterling]35 per show, 0844 209 7325, www.greenwichsummersessions.co.uk

FIELD DAY/UNDERAGE

Aug 6/7, Victoria Park E3 These two events regularly share Hackney's parkland for a weekend, but depending on your age you'll have to pick just one. Field Day is for adults only, who'll enjoy the moody sounds of The Horrors, James Blake and Wild Beasts. Underage looks livelier, with Janelle Monae, Bombay Bicycle Club and Roll Deep, but you can go only if you're aged 13 to 17. [pounds sterling]39.50/[pounds sterling]31.50, 0870 264 3333/0843 221 0100, fielddayfestivals.com underagefestivals.com

SOUTH WEST FOUR

Aug 27-28, Clapham Common SW4 If you like to dance and can't be bothered to camp up North, this DJ-led event is on the same weekend as Creamfields but you can go straight home to recover. Only three live acts announced so far but they're biggies: electronica veterans Underworld, dance rockers Pendulum and dubstep trip Magnetic Man. [pounds sterling]85, 0844 847 2467, southwestfour.com

FOOD FEST

IT'S all getting a bit butternut squash and rocket focaccia out there these days. There are two harvest festivals on the land of celebrity farmers Alex James and Jimmy Doherty (alexjames presentsharvest. com, harvestat jimmys.com) which will feature more chefs than musos. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Cafe will be at Bestival and Camp Bestival, while farmers who give up their land for Canterbury's Lounge on the Farm will be selling their own produce.

HOP FARM July 1-2, Paddock [...]

PICNIC POP WHAT'S ON IN [...]

CAPTION(S):

Crazy girl: Beyonce will be shaking her booty at Glastonbury

Kids' stuff: Mr Tumble will be at Camp Bestival

Rocking crew: See Alex Turner's Arctic Monkeys, top, at T in the Park and Paloma Faith, above, at Bestival on the Isle of Wight

Rap this way: Eminem headlines V Festival

Bajan queen: Rihanna brings a touch of R'n'B to the V Festival in Chelmsford

Double header: Matthew Bellamy of Muse, playing Reading and Leeds

That's the way I Lykke it: Swedish star Lykke Li will be at Lovebox in Victoria Park

ARMY ADDS 22 CHARGES AGAINST INTELLIGENCE ANALYST.

FORT LESLEY J. MCNAIR, D.C. -- The following information was released by the Department of Defense American Forces Press Service:

From a U.S. Army Military District of Washington News Release

After seven months of additional investigation by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and other investigative agencies, the Army has added 22 charges in the case of a military intelligence analyst accused of leaking classified material.

The new charges against Pvt. 1st Class Bradley E. Manning allege that he introduced unauthorized software onto government computers to extract classified information, unlawfully downloaded it, improperly stored it, and transmitted the classified data for public release and use by the enemy.

The investigation remains ongoing, officials said.

"The new charges more accurately reflect the broad scope of the crimes that Private 1st Class Manning is accused of committing," said Capt. John Haberland, a legal spokesman for U.S. Army Military District of Washington. "The new charges will not affect Private 1st Class Manning's right to a speedy trial or his pretrial confinement."

U.S. military officials in Baghdad preferred two charges consisting of 12 specifications against Manning on July 5. Officials said the commander of U.S. Army Headquarters Command Battalion preferred the new charges yesterday.

In addition to a charge of aiding the enemy in violation of Article 104 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the new charges include 16 specifications under the UCMJ's Article 134:

-- One specification of wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet knowing that it is accessible to the enemy;

-- Five specifications of theft of public property or records, in violation of 18 U.S. Code 641;

-- Eight specifications of transmitting defense information in violation of 18 U.S.C. 793(e);

-- Two specifications of fraud and related activity in connection with computers in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1030(a)(1); and

-- Five specifications in violation of Article 92 of the UCMJ for violating Army Regulations 25-2, "Information Assurance," and 380-5, "Department of the Army Information Security Program."

The charge of aiding the enemy under Article 104 is a capital offense, officials said. However, they added, the prosecution team has notified the defense that the prosecution will not recommend the death penalty to the convening authority, Maj. Gen. Karl R. Horst, commanding general of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.

Under the UCMJ, the convening authority ultimately decides what charges to refer to court-martial, and whether to seek the death penalty if Article 104 is referred. Therefore, if convicted of all charges, Manning would face a maximum punishment of reduction to the lowest enlisted pay grade,; total forfeiture of all pay and allowances, confinement for life, and a dishonorable discharge.

At the request of Manning's defense attorneys, the trial proceedings have been delayed since July 12, pending the results of a defense-requested inquiry into Manning's mental capacity and responsibility, pursuant to Rule for Courts-Martial 706. Depending on the results of the inquiry, an Article 32 hearing may follow, officials said. An Article 32 hearing is the civilian equivalent of a grand jury, with additional rights afforded to the accused, they explained.

Manning remains confined in the Marine Corps Base Quantico brig in Quantico, Va. He was notified of the additional charges in person during a command visit today, officials said.

Officials emphasized that Manning is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and added that the Army is committed to ensuring his continued safety and well-being while in pretrial confinement.

Fidelis Security Systems and CloudShield Enter into Marketing Pact.

Fidelis Security Systems, a provider of network visibility, analysis, and control solutions, and CloudShield Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) and a supplier of service management and infrastructure security solutions, announced they have signed a marketing agreement to offer customers Fidelis' data breach prevention applications running on CloudShield's BladeCenter solution, with expansion to next generation cyber platforms over time.

According to a release, the combination of CloudShield's Deep Packet Inspection platform and Fidelis' Deep Session Inspection technology gives commercial enterprises, government agencies and Internet service providers the power to defend against advanced threats and helps prevent data breaches with real-time network analysis, visibility, and control at network speeds up to tens of Gigabits per second.

"Every day commercial enterprises and government agencies are being targeted by financially and politically motivated adversaries using attacks of ever increasing sophistication whose goal is to steal valuable, sensitive, or classified information," said John Pescatore, Vice President, Gartner. "Network security professionals need to evolve their protections to provide better visibility and control over applications and content that is traversing their networks. Today's threats require more proactive "lean forward" network security monitoring and control."

The Fidelis-CloudShield solution is a network based security solution designed to give network security administrators visibility and control over network applications, content, and threats.

"As many of today's attacks are custom-designed for a particular target organization and have never been seen before the day they are launched, traditional network defenses such as firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and web and email security gateways provide a necessary first line of defense, but are not capable of preventing these sophisticated attacks or the theft of information that results from them," said Matt Jones, president of CloudShield Technologies. "With the combination of our technologies, Deep Packet Inspection and Deep Session Inspection, we are helping provide organizations with the most credible defense against advanced threats."

"This is arguably the highest performing, deep application and content inspection solution in the industry today," said Peter George, CEO of Fidelis Security Systems. "The bench strength of our combined technologies gives organizations a viable weapon to use in their ongoing battle against sophisticated threats and advanced, persistent threat actors."

www.cloudshield.com

www.FidelisSecurity.com

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INTERVIEW WITH MEP MARISA MATIAS : COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES: COMPROMISE REFLECTS EP'S DESIRES.

The second section of the pharmaceuticals package, concerning prevention of entry into the legal supply chain of counterfeit medicinal products, will soon be wrapped up: on 16 February, MEPs will adopt their position at first reading during the Strasbourg plenary, the result of a compromise with the Council. With just a few days remaining before the vote, Portuguese rapporteur Marisa Matias (GUE-NGL, Portugal) has welcomed the amendments made to the Commission's initial proposal. In accordance with the Parliament's desires, the new directive anticipates specific measures for sales via the internet, as well as a common safety measure and sanctions for the falsification of medicinal products.

What is the general objective of this directive?

The text aims to increase the safety of patients, who are confronted by a growing number of falsified medicinal products. According to current border controls, which are random, the proportion of counterfeit medicines identified has increased by almost 400% compared with 2005, whereas 1% to 3% of medicinal products sold in pharmacies are falsified. Counterfeit medicinal products are now silent killers because, ultimately, people are purchasing preparations without active pharmaceutical ingredients, which do not treat those suffering from cancer, for example. With the new directive, there will be a system, which will make it possible to strengthen controls throughout the entire chain, from production to acquisition.

On the internet, one in two medicines is falsified. How will the new directive tackle this?

In the beginning, the Commission did not want to include internet sales in the directive's field of application. It believed that the proposal aimed to prevent counterfeit medicines from being introduced into the legal supply chain, which excluded this medium, since it is considered to be non-legal' in several member states. However, this is not the case in all countries (UK, Germany or Belgium) and it thus mattered to Parliament that this point should be considered in the directive. The compromise therefore anticipates the setting up of awareness campaigns as well as a common logo in order to identify whether or not a website is safe. This logo will be linked to a national website, which will itself be linked to a Community website. We are delighted by this progress.

Another victory for Parliament is the introduction of a safety measure. How will this be set up and who will assume the costs associated with it?

According to the compromise, all prescription medicines will be required to adopt a safety measure, unless there is clearly no risk. For non-prescription medicines, it is the contrary: by definition, they are not subject to the measure, unless they represent a health risk.

The form that this measure will take is not yet clear and it will be up to the Commission to define it following an impact study. It will most likely be a question of a unique identification number, such as a serial number. As for the costs, they must be largely borne by manufacturers.

Is this the death of small manufacturers of generic and homeopathic medicines?

No, not at all. On one hand, because these medicinal products have a great chance of being on the list of prescription medicines which are not subject to the safety measure since they are not falsified so much. And on the other hand because, with this new directive, legal manufacturers will have access to a larger market share, which will enable them to pay off the costs, in the knowledge that the market share for counterfeit medicines is estimated to be 45 billion.

Parliament, on the other hand, has not secured the application of penal sanctions for crimes of falsification. Are you satisfied with the compromise?

Yes: we started with absolutely nothing. It's true that, in the beginning, we wanted sanctions that were at least equivalent to those usually applied to narcotic crimes. But member states were opposed to this because it would have meant having to amend their legislation; they even rejected the introduction of a few sanctions. Finally, the sanctions must not be inferior to those applicable in case of infringement of a national law of similar nature and importance. Therefore, if one country decides to consider falsification as equivalent to the sale of narcotics, then the sanction must be the same for both crimes. I hope that this will lead to a levelling-out and not a snowball effect. In any case, we have the guarantee that the Commission will undertake an evaluation of the sanctions in five years.

All that remains is to settle the matter of information to patients', the third section of the pharmaceuticals package. How do you envisage this dossier, also proposed in 2008?

This section took a different path to the first two since, with Linda McAvan (S&D, UK, rapporteur on pharmacovigilance), we had a mandate to negotiate with the Council at first reading. In my case, this was not easy but I must acknowledge that negotiations were facilitated by the Belgian Presidency. Belgium already has legislation relating to falsification [as do Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany and Greece - Ed].

In the case of this third section, development of the proposal for a directive and regulation will really depend on negotiations. But a fair amount of progress has already been made since the distinction between advertising and information was made by the rapporteur and I think that the direction that was taken is the right one.