European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 2, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pages stars and stripes june 2007 in the world tensions High As Bush backs defense plan by Jennifer Loven the associated press president Bush defended his plan to build a missile defense system in russian Back even though it has sparked fresh tensions in the already frayed Washington Moscow relation Bush suggested that russian president Vladimir Putin needs to get Over Russia has reacted to the new system by unleashing several rounds of harsh rhetoric against the United the cold War is Bush told foreign reporters in an inter View that previewed an eight Day trip to Europe next were now into the 21st cent where we need to Deal with the True which Are threats of Radical extremists who will kill to Advance an and the threats of Bush eight Day which be gins will include meet Ings with Putin during and on the sidelines of a Summit in Germany of leading industrialized a hoping to normalize rela the president also this week invited Putin to come to his family summer compound on the Maine coast july a month after the group of eight but Bush also is making stops before and after the Summit that could further inflame his rus Sian Bush is visiting Poland and the czech former soviet satellite states that Are now nato where Bush wants to base parts of the missile defense the president said in the thurs Day interviews that part of the reason for his trip was to allay Peoples fears about the he thinks its aimed at its Bush said of he the system is meant to protect nato allies against hostile Russia is not Russia is a including de sense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of state Condolee a have recently stepped up diplomacy with the russians to argue that Iran is the systems tar the West suspects Tehran nuclear program is aimed not at producing Energy but atomic Ben a resident watches As Black smoke from explosions fills the air above a lebanese army jeep returning from the fighting at the besieged Nahr Elba red refugee Camp near on lebanese army continues to bombard refugee Camp by Bassem Mroue the associated press Lebanon under the Coyer of artillery dozens of lebanese army tanks and a Mored carriers on Friday pushed Forward against islamic militants barricaded in a palestinian refugee Camp in Northern the concentrated bombardment began in the with heavy barrages targeting All parts of the Nahr Elba red where Fatah islam Mili Tants have been up in a by the lebanese the artillery bombardment sent Clouds of White smoke rising from the and the shelling ignited fires inside spewing Black the Mili Tants have barricaded themselves in the Camps residential neighbourhoods of winding streets and apartment reports on the ground indicated the army did not penetrate deep into the but limited its Advance to outer neighbourhoods militants use for sniper fire against army Nahr like the other 11 palestinian Camps in has been off limits to lebanese authorities under a nearly 40yearold agreement that allowed palestinians to run their own palestinian representative to Abbas told Al Nazeera television that the military action was engaging militants on the Camps outer he said there would be no storming of the Camps in where thousands of civilians two lebanese soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in the fighting according to Security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the the officials said that a unit of Fatah islam Mili Tants was wiped out but gave no casualty the deaths Friday raised to 34 the number of sol Diers killed since fighting Between the army and Fatah slam militants began on May tropical storm Barbara expected to hit land Mexico City the second named storm of the Eastern Pacific Hurricane season grew Back to tropical storm Force on Friday and it was expected to hit the coast of Mexico or Guatemala Over the a tropical storm watch was in Force from to Barra de and the Hurricane Center in Miami warned that tropical storm Barbara could unleash heavy life threatening flooding and the first tropical storm of the Eastern Pacific 2007 faded at sea Christian in Pakistan condemned to death Pakistan a Christian was sentenced to death for allegedly insulting islam Prophet and a human rights activist Friday urged Pakistan president to spare his Younis was arrested in september 2005 on the out skirts of the Eastern City of Lahore after residents told police he made derogatory remarks against islam and on a court sentenced Masih to death under Paki stans harsh blasphemy which rights groups say have been misused against christians since former president Ziaulhaq enacted them in 1980s to win the support of Hartline religious Singapore Leader says China poses no threat Singapore most asian countries do not see chivas Mili tary buildup or increased defense spending As a threat to regional be even though it has worried Washington and sin Gap ores prime minister said Fri most asian countries assess the Challenge from China to be More economic than prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a speech to inaugurate a three Day regional Security con the Shangrila dialogue is being attended by several de sense ministers and top officials from 26 including Secretary of defense Robert japanese defense minis Ter Fumio Indian de sense minister Antony and the chinese army Deputy chief of the general Zhang from the associated press kidnapped British journalist says in recent video Hes being treated Well by Sarah Eldeeb the associated press Gaza Gaza strip a British reporter kidnapped in the Gaza strip nearly three months ago appeared Friday in a video tape posted on an islamic militant web saying his captors had treated him denouncing Isra and criticizing British and Mideast there was no Date on the re cording the first sign of life from Alan Johnston since his abduction and it was not Clear Why his captors decided to Post the British broadcasting who has been covering the palestinian territories three has i reputation for and it seemed Likely he was reciting what he was told to the videotape appeared on the ale Kohlaas web frequently used by islamic it bore the logo of the army of the shadowy palestinian group that had been believed to be holding the 45yearold and opened with arabic chanting and verses from the the video ended with Johnston about to outline conditions for his Only to have the tape Cut away to an unidentified voice in arabic demanding Freedom for islamic including a Radi Cal cleric with ties to Al Aida imprisoned in the demand was accompanied by English sub Johnston looked fit and Calm during the three minutes he my captors have treated me very Treyve fed me there has been no violence to wards me at All and i am in Good he said in his opening re Marks launched into a Litany of complaints about and British and Mideast in a Johnstons family said they were very pleased to see their but that it was clearly distressing to see him in the a spokesman for the British foreign office spokesman said officials studying the but that it is far too Early to say whether this is a recent tape or to make any further