Reuters, TRIPOLI: Libya's veteran ruler, Muammar Gaddafi, faces one of his severest challenges amid protests by thousands in the second city of Benghazi and reports that more than 40 people have been killed by security forces.
The demonstrations on Friday against his four decades in power were unprecedented with Amnesty International saying 46 people had been killed in a three-day police crackdown.
Any new funerals of dead protesters would likely act as further flashpoints for demonstrators emboldened by uprisings in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt that toppled long-ruling presidents.
While the unrest has not previously been seen before in the oil exporter, Libya-watchers say the situation is different from Egypt, because Gaddafi has oil cash to smooth over social problems. Gaddafi is also respected in much of the country, though less so in the Cyrenaica region around Benghazi.
"For sure there is no national uprising," said Noman Benotman, a former opposition Libyan Islamist who is based in Britain but is currently in Tripoli.
"I don't think Libya is comparable to Egypt or Tunisia. Gaddafi would fight to the very last moment," he said by telephone from the Libyan capital.
Tight government control and media restrictions have limited the amount of information emerging about the unrest.
Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera said its signal was being jammed on several frequencies and its website had been blocked in Libya.
Amnesty quoted sources at a hospital in Benghazi, the focus for the violence, as saying the most common injuries were gunshot wounds to the head, chest and neck. Officials have given no death toll, or commented directly on the unrest.
"This alarming rise in the death toll, and the reported nature of the victims' injuries, strongly suggests that security forces are permitted lethal use of force against unarmed protesters calling for political change," Amnesty said.
EASTERN LIBYA FOCUS OF PROTESTS
The privately owned Quryna newspaper said that in Benghazi thousands of residents had gathered on Friday for the funeral processions of 14 protesters killed in clashes there. Thousands more had demonstrated in front of Benghazi court building.
Opposition activists said protesters fought troops for control of the nearby town of Al Bayda, scene of some of the worst violence over the past two days, where townspeople said they were burying 14 people who were killed in earlier clashes.
Residents said that by Friday evening the streets were calm but there were conflicting accounts about whether opposition activists or security forces were in control of the town.
Ashour Shamis, a London-based Libyan journalist, said protesters had stormed Benghazi's Kuwafiyah prison and freed dozens of political prisoners. Quryna said 1,000 prisoners had escaped and 150 had been recaptured.
The unrest though was not on a national scale with most protests confined to the east around Benghazi, where support for Gaddafi has traditionally been weak. There were no reliable reports of major protests elsewhere, and state media said there had been pro-Gaddafi rallies in the capital.
CALM IN TRIPOLI
Quryna newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying the General People's Congress, or parliament, would adopt a "major shift" in government policy including appointing new people to senior positions. It gave no details and the sources could not be clarified.
A sermon at Friday prayers in Tripoli, broadcast on state television, urged people to ignore reports in foreign media "which doesn't want our country to be peaceful, which ... is the aim of Zionism and imperialism, to divide our country."
Text messages sent to mobile phone subscribers thanked people who ignored calls to join protests. "We congratulate our towns which understood that interfering with national unity threatens the future of generations," it said.
Two people in Benghazi, which is about 1,000 km (600 miles) east of Tripoli, told Reuters early in the day that Saadi Gaddafi, a son of the Libyan leader and ex-professional soccer player in Italy, had taken over command of the city.
(Additional reporting by Hamid Ould Ahmed in Algiers, William Maclean in London and Geneva bureau; Writing by Matthew Jones; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Friday, February 18, 2011
Bahrain troops fire on protesters, Libyans march
Reuters, MANAMA: Bahraini security forces fired on protesters on Friday, wounding dozens, and thousands demonstrated in Libya after a deadly government crackdown as pro-democracy unrest in the Middle East and North Africa turned increasingly violent.
While millions of Egyptians staged a "Victory March" feting their overthrow of autocrat Hosni Mubarak last week after 30 years, protesters elsewhere, inspired by their success, pursued struggles against their own authoritarian rulers.
At least 60 people were wounded on Friday near Pearl Square in the Bahraini capital, Manama, a day after police swept away a protest camp from the traffic circle in the city, killing four people and wounding more than 230.
At least five people were killed in Yemen on Friday when security forces and pro-government loyalists clashed with crowds demanding an end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 32-year rule.
In Libya, thousands of people protested in the North African country's second-biggest city of Benghazi over a security crackdown that has killed dozens of people but failed to halt the worst unrest of Muammar Gaddafi's four decades in power.
The spreading contagion of unrest -- particularly worries about its possible effects on the world No. 1 oil producer, Saudi Arabia, helped drive Brent crude prices higher this week before other factors caused them to slip on Friday.
It was also a factor in gold prices posting their best weekly performance since December.
'LIVE BULLETS'
In Bahrain, Ali Ibrahim, deputy chief of medical staff at Salmaniya hospital, said 66 people had been admitted suffering wounds from the clash in Pearl Square. Four were in critical condition.
"We think it was the army," former lawmaker Sayed Hadi said of the shootings. He is a member of Wefaq, the main Shi'ite bloc, which resigned from parliament on Thursday.
Protester Fakhri Abdullah Rashed said he had seen soldiers shooting at demonstrators in Pearl Square. "I saw people shot in several parts of their body. It was live bullets," he added.
About 1,000 emotional people gathered outside a hospital, some spilling into the corridors as casualties were brought in, including one with a bloody sheet over his head.
King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa announced he had asked the crown prince to start a national dialogue "with all parties" to resolve the crisis rocking the island kingdom.
Bahrain's most revered Shi'ite cleric, Sheikh Issa Qassem, described the police attack as a "massacre" and said the government had shut the door to dialogue. But he stopped short of calling openly for street protests.
It was the worst bloodshed in the Saudi-allied Gulf island kingdom in decades and underlined the jitters of its Sunni royal family, long aware of simmering discontent among the majority Shi'ites.
The army in Bahrain, a country of 1.3 million people of whom 600,000 are native Bahrainis, had issued a warning to people to stay away from the center of the capital.
The unrest has presented the United States with a now familiar dilemma. It is torn between its desire for stability in a long-standing Arab ally and a need to uphold its own principles about the right of people to demonstrate for democratic change.
"I am deeply concerned by reports of violence in Bahrain, Libya and Yemen. The United States condemns the use of violence by governments against peaceful protesters in those countries, and wherever else it may occur," President Barack Obama said in a statement.
Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, which projects U.S. military muscle across the Middle East and Central Asia, and the tension could fuel discontent among the Shi'ite minority in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
YEMEN GRENADE ATTACK
In Yemen, doctors said four people died from gunfire in the southern port of Aden, where resentment against rule from the capital, Sanaa, runs high. One person was killed and 28 wounded when a grenade was thrown from a car into a crowd in Taiz, south of Sanaa.
Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters thronged Taiz, where pro-government crowds also turned out, and there were smaller rival demonstrations in Sanaa.
In Aden, thousands of protesters angered by what they said was excessive force by security forces, stayed in the streets for hours.
Some broke away and set fire to a building formerly used by police, while others threw rocks at a local government office in the heart of the southern port town, witnesses said.
Yemeni leader Saleh, a U.S. ally against a Yemen-based al Qaeda wing that has launched attacks at home and abroad, is struggling to defuse protests demanding political change and jobs.
In Libya, opposition activists said protesters were fighting troops for control of Al Bayda, a town 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Benghazi.
Al Bayda was the scene of some of the worst violence over the past two days, where townspeople said they were burying 14 people killed in earlier clashes.
Human rights group Amnesty International said it believed Libyan security forces had shot and killed at least 46 people in the past three days.
In Egypt, millions took to the streets to celebrate Mubarak's downfall and to remind the country's military rulers to keep their promise of a swift transition to democracy.
The emotional day was also a memorial to the 365 people who died in the uprising and many said they would hold the military to promises of elections within six months.
(Additional reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Sanaa; Writing by Janet Lawrence and Eric Beech; Editing by Peter Cooney.)
While millions of Egyptians staged a "Victory March" feting their overthrow of autocrat Hosni Mubarak last week after 30 years, protesters elsewhere, inspired by their success, pursued struggles against their own authoritarian rulers.
At least 60 people were wounded on Friday near Pearl Square in the Bahraini capital, Manama, a day after police swept away a protest camp from the traffic circle in the city, killing four people and wounding more than 230.
At least five people were killed in Yemen on Friday when security forces and pro-government loyalists clashed with crowds demanding an end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 32-year rule.
In Libya, thousands of people protested in the North African country's second-biggest city of Benghazi over a security crackdown that has killed dozens of people but failed to halt the worst unrest of Muammar Gaddafi's four decades in power.
The spreading contagion of unrest -- particularly worries about its possible effects on the world No. 1 oil producer, Saudi Arabia, helped drive Brent crude prices higher this week before other factors caused them to slip on Friday.
It was also a factor in gold prices posting their best weekly performance since December.
'LIVE BULLETS'
In Bahrain, Ali Ibrahim, deputy chief of medical staff at Salmaniya hospital, said 66 people had been admitted suffering wounds from the clash in Pearl Square. Four were in critical condition.
"We think it was the army," former lawmaker Sayed Hadi said of the shootings. He is a member of Wefaq, the main Shi'ite bloc, which resigned from parliament on Thursday.
Protester Fakhri Abdullah Rashed said he had seen soldiers shooting at demonstrators in Pearl Square. "I saw people shot in several parts of their body. It was live bullets," he added.
About 1,000 emotional people gathered outside a hospital, some spilling into the corridors as casualties were brought in, including one with a bloody sheet over his head.
King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa announced he had asked the crown prince to start a national dialogue "with all parties" to resolve the crisis rocking the island kingdom.
Bahrain's most revered Shi'ite cleric, Sheikh Issa Qassem, described the police attack as a "massacre" and said the government had shut the door to dialogue. But he stopped short of calling openly for street protests.
It was the worst bloodshed in the Saudi-allied Gulf island kingdom in decades and underlined the jitters of its Sunni royal family, long aware of simmering discontent among the majority Shi'ites.
The army in Bahrain, a country of 1.3 million people of whom 600,000 are native Bahrainis, had issued a warning to people to stay away from the center of the capital.
The unrest has presented the United States with a now familiar dilemma. It is torn between its desire for stability in a long-standing Arab ally and a need to uphold its own principles about the right of people to demonstrate for democratic change.
"I am deeply concerned by reports of violence in Bahrain, Libya and Yemen. The United States condemns the use of violence by governments against peaceful protesters in those countries, and wherever else it may occur," President Barack Obama said in a statement.
Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, which projects U.S. military muscle across the Middle East and Central Asia, and the tension could fuel discontent among the Shi'ite minority in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
YEMEN GRENADE ATTACK
In Yemen, doctors said four people died from gunfire in the southern port of Aden, where resentment against rule from the capital, Sanaa, runs high. One person was killed and 28 wounded when a grenade was thrown from a car into a crowd in Taiz, south of Sanaa.
Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters thronged Taiz, where pro-government crowds also turned out, and there were smaller rival demonstrations in Sanaa.
In Aden, thousands of protesters angered by what they said was excessive force by security forces, stayed in the streets for hours.
Some broke away and set fire to a building formerly used by police, while others threw rocks at a local government office in the heart of the southern port town, witnesses said.
Yemeni leader Saleh, a U.S. ally against a Yemen-based al Qaeda wing that has launched attacks at home and abroad, is struggling to defuse protests demanding political change and jobs.
In Libya, opposition activists said protesters were fighting troops for control of Al Bayda, a town 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Benghazi.
Al Bayda was the scene of some of the worst violence over the past two days, where townspeople said they were burying 14 people killed in earlier clashes.
Human rights group Amnesty International said it believed Libyan security forces had shot and killed at least 46 people in the past three days.
In Egypt, millions took to the streets to celebrate Mubarak's downfall and to remind the country's military rulers to keep their promise of a swift transition to democracy.
The emotional day was also a memorial to the 365 people who died in the uprising and many said they would hold the military to promises of elections within six months.
(Additional reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Sanaa; Writing by Janet Lawrence and Eric Beech; Editing by Peter Cooney.)
Somali mission: Pirates capture 4 Americans
AP, UNITED NATIONS: Somalia's U.N. Mission said Friday that pirates hijacked a yacht carrying four U.S. citizens in the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast.
Omar Jamal, first secretary at the Somali mission, identified the yacht as the S/V Quest.
He said the mission is calling for the immediate release of the hostages and all other captives who are in the hands of the pirates.
Jamal said the hijacking raises "serious concern" as it follows the sentencing in New York on Thursday of a Somali pirate who kidnapped and brutalized the captain of a U.S.-flagged merchant ship off the coast of Africa in 2009. Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse was sentenced to 33 years in prison.
A website chronicling the voyage of a yacht named S/V Quest describes it as being the home of Jean and Scott Adam. The couple has been sailing around the world since December 2004, according to the website. "This is planned to be an eight or ten year voyage," it states.
The Adams run a Bible ministry, according to their website, and have been distributing Bibles to schools and churches in remote villages in areas including the Fiji Islands, Alaska, New Zealand, Central America and French Polynesia.
The couple are members of the Marina del Rey Yacht Club in Marina del Rey, California, according to the website. A woman who answered the phone there Friday night would not confirm that the couple are members and said the club could not release any information.
Earlier on Friday, The European Union's anti-piracy task force said it appeared that Somali pirates had hijacked a separate vessel, the Alfardous, and its eight crew members in the Gulf of Aden. The force said it had no more details about the vessel since it was seized Sunday.
Somalia hasn't had a functioning government since 1991, and piracy has flourished off its coast. The pirates earn multimillion dollar ransoms from the hijackings. They were holding 29 ships and roughly 660 hostages before the latest seizures.
Jamal said the mission again appeals to the international community to help curb the ever increasing acts of piracy.
Also Friday, Interpol said it will help seven African nations better fight piracy off the coast of Somalia.
The program is expected to cost $2.17 million (euro1.6 million), said Pierre Saint Hilaire, the assistant director of the Interpol's maritime piracy task force.
The first phase of the European Union-funded program will include Interpol providing Seychelles with a digital fingerprint identification system to make it easier to identify pirates and share information on them, Hilaire said.
Other countries to benefit from the 20-month program are Djibouti, Kenya, Mauritius, Somalia, Tanzania and Yemen. Kenya and Seychelles have more than 100 Somali pirates in their custody. Some of the millions of dollars in ransom is believed to be invested in Kenya.
Omar Jamal, first secretary at the Somali mission, identified the yacht as the S/V Quest.
He said the mission is calling for the immediate release of the hostages and all other captives who are in the hands of the pirates.
Jamal said the hijacking raises "serious concern" as it follows the sentencing in New York on Thursday of a Somali pirate who kidnapped and brutalized the captain of a U.S.-flagged merchant ship off the coast of Africa in 2009. Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse was sentenced to 33 years in prison.
A website chronicling the voyage of a yacht named S/V Quest describes it as being the home of Jean and Scott Adam. The couple has been sailing around the world since December 2004, according to the website. "This is planned to be an eight or ten year voyage," it states.
The Adams run a Bible ministry, according to their website, and have been distributing Bibles to schools and churches in remote villages in areas including the Fiji Islands, Alaska, New Zealand, Central America and French Polynesia.
The couple are members of the Marina del Rey Yacht Club in Marina del Rey, California, according to the website. A woman who answered the phone there Friday night would not confirm that the couple are members and said the club could not release any information.
Earlier on Friday, The European Union's anti-piracy task force said it appeared that Somali pirates had hijacked a separate vessel, the Alfardous, and its eight crew members in the Gulf of Aden. The force said it had no more details about the vessel since it was seized Sunday.
Somalia hasn't had a functioning government since 1991, and piracy has flourished off its coast. The pirates earn multimillion dollar ransoms from the hijackings. They were holding 29 ships and roughly 660 hostages before the latest seizures.
Jamal said the mission again appeals to the international community to help curb the ever increasing acts of piracy.
Also Friday, Interpol said it will help seven African nations better fight piracy off the coast of Somalia.
The program is expected to cost $2.17 million (euro1.6 million), said Pierre Saint Hilaire, the assistant director of the Interpol's maritime piracy task force.
The first phase of the European Union-funded program will include Interpol providing Seychelles with a digital fingerprint identification system to make it easier to identify pirates and share information on them, Hilaire said.
Other countries to benefit from the 20-month program are Djibouti, Kenya, Mauritius, Somalia, Tanzania and Yemen. Kenya and Seychelles have more than 100 Somali pirates in their custody. Some of the millions of dollars in ransom is believed to be invested in Kenya.
4 thrown to deaths from bridge in southern Mexico
AP, ACAPULCO, Mexico: Four men with their hands and feet tied and heads covered in duct tape were thrown 600 feet to their deaths from a bridge Friday, authorities said as Mexico's increasingly bloody drug battles reached a new level of cruelty and intimidation.
The four were among 13 people slain Friday in Guerrero, which has seen a spike in violence since rival factions of the Beltran Leyva cartel began fighting over territory after leader Arturo Beltran Leyva died in a battle with Mexican marines in December 2009.
The other nine were killed in the resort city of Acapulco. In the most gruesome of those killings, police found a severed head that had been scalped and whose face had been skinned.
The unidentified men were dropped from a 600-feet-high (200-meter) bridge near the Guerrero state capital of Chilpancingo, the Guerrero state Public Safety Department said.
The men had bruises all over their bodies and "it's presumed they were thrown alive from the Solidarity bridge," the statement said.
Drug gang members have taken increasingly drastic measures seeking to intimidate rivals, from beheadings to skinning their victims.
Guerrero state authorities said earlier Friday that eight people, including four teenagers, were slain before dawn in a string of attacks throughout Acapulco. Guerrero state police said it was not clear if the attacks were related.
Nationwide, nearly 35,000 people have been killed in drug-gang violence since President Felipe Calderon deployed troops and federal police four years ago to crush the cartels in their strongholds.
In Mexico's north Friday, soldiers killed eight suspected drug cartel members in two clashes near the industrial city of Monterrey, the military said.
Soldiers intercepted a group of gunmen toting high-powered rifles and a grenade launcher and chased them into the Monterrey suburb of Guadalupe, where a shootout left five gunmen dead, Mexico's Defense Department said in a statement.
Another group of gunmen later fired on soldiers in Juarez, another Monterrey suburb, sparking a firefight that killed three attackers, it said.
Monterrey and the surrounding area has suffered a surge in drug violence as the Gulf Cartel battles the Zetas group for territory.
The four were among 13 people slain Friday in Guerrero, which has seen a spike in violence since rival factions of the Beltran Leyva cartel began fighting over territory after leader Arturo Beltran Leyva died in a battle with Mexican marines in December 2009.
The other nine were killed in the resort city of Acapulco. In the most gruesome of those killings, police found a severed head that had been scalped and whose face had been skinned.
The unidentified men were dropped from a 600-feet-high (200-meter) bridge near the Guerrero state capital of Chilpancingo, the Guerrero state Public Safety Department said.
The men had bruises all over their bodies and "it's presumed they were thrown alive from the Solidarity bridge," the statement said.
Drug gang members have taken increasingly drastic measures seeking to intimidate rivals, from beheadings to skinning their victims.
Guerrero state authorities said earlier Friday that eight people, including four teenagers, were slain before dawn in a string of attacks throughout Acapulco. Guerrero state police said it was not clear if the attacks were related.
Nationwide, nearly 35,000 people have been killed in drug-gang violence since President Felipe Calderon deployed troops and federal police four years ago to crush the cartels in their strongholds.
In Mexico's north Friday, soldiers killed eight suspected drug cartel members in two clashes near the industrial city of Monterrey, the military said.
Soldiers intercepted a group of gunmen toting high-powered rifles and a grenade launcher and chased them into the Monterrey suburb of Guadalupe, where a shootout left five gunmen dead, Mexico's Defense Department said in a statement.
Another group of gunmen later fired on soldiers in Juarez, another Monterrey suburb, sparking a firefight that killed three attackers, it said.
Monterrey and the surrounding area has suffered a surge in drug violence as the Gulf Cartel battles the Zetas group for territory.
Al-Qaida No. 2 issues video after Egypt upheaval
AP, CAIRO: Al-Qaida's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, issued the terror network's first message since the upheaval began in Egypt, saying the country's rule has long "deviated from Islam" and warning that democracy "can only be non-religious."
The wave of popular protests that ousted Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak, appeared to have caught al-Qaida off guard. The terror group had long called for the destruction of Mubarak's regime — and al-Zawahri, an Egyptian doctor, was part of a militant uprising against Mubarak in the 1990s that was crushed.
But the demonstrations were led by secular, liberal activists calling for greater democracy — in stark contrast to the Islamic state that al-Zawahri and al-Qaida call for. In past videos and messages, al-Zawahri has frequent denounced democracy because it replaces God's laws with man's.
In the 34-minute videotape issued Friday, al-Zawahri makes no mention on the protests or Mubarak's fall. The video is dated to the Islamic lunar month of Safar, which corresponds with the dates Jan. 5-Feb. 3. It gives no more specific date for its creation.
The only hints that it may have been made since the upheaval that began Jan. 25 were its title, "A Message of Hope and Glad Tidings to Our People in Egypt," and a vague reference by al-Zawahri to "what happened and happens in Egypt."
In it, he gives a long, detailed lecture on Egypt's modern history from the 18th Century, blaming Western colonialists for implanting secular, un-Islamic law, according to a transcript by the SITE Intel group, a U.S. group that monitors militant messages. It said the video, which showed only a still photo of al-Zawahri as his voice is aired, was posted on Islamic militant websites.
The video said it was the first of two parts, aimed at answering the question "what is the reality through which Egypt is living?"
"The reality of Egypt is the reality of deviation from Islam," al-Zawahri said.
He called the Egyptian regime — apparently referring to Mubarak's rule — "a regime that rules the people through the use of torture, rigged elections, corrupt media and an unjust justice system."
He dismissed the claims by Mubarak's regime of democracy, and then dismissed democracy in general. Democracy, he said, "means that sovereignty is to the desires of the majority, without committing to any quality, value or creed. A democratic state can only be secular, meaning non-religious."
For the remainder of the video, he describes Egypt's fall into secularism from its former Islamic rule under the Ottoman Empire.
The video did not say when the second part was to be released, but it appeared that in it al-Zawahri was to answer a second question, "How do we change this reality to what Islam wanted us to have."
Al-Zawahri, like al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden, is believed to be in hiding in the mountainous border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The wave of popular protests that ousted Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak, appeared to have caught al-Qaida off guard. The terror group had long called for the destruction of Mubarak's regime — and al-Zawahri, an Egyptian doctor, was part of a militant uprising against Mubarak in the 1990s that was crushed.
But the demonstrations were led by secular, liberal activists calling for greater democracy — in stark contrast to the Islamic state that al-Zawahri and al-Qaida call for. In past videos and messages, al-Zawahri has frequent denounced democracy because it replaces God's laws with man's.
In the 34-minute videotape issued Friday, al-Zawahri makes no mention on the protests or Mubarak's fall. The video is dated to the Islamic lunar month of Safar, which corresponds with the dates Jan. 5-Feb. 3. It gives no more specific date for its creation.
The only hints that it may have been made since the upheaval that began Jan. 25 were its title, "A Message of Hope and Glad Tidings to Our People in Egypt," and a vague reference by al-Zawahri to "what happened and happens in Egypt."
In it, he gives a long, detailed lecture on Egypt's modern history from the 18th Century, blaming Western colonialists for implanting secular, un-Islamic law, according to a transcript by the SITE Intel group, a U.S. group that monitors militant messages. It said the video, which showed only a still photo of al-Zawahri as his voice is aired, was posted on Islamic militant websites.
The video said it was the first of two parts, aimed at answering the question "what is the reality through which Egypt is living?"
"The reality of Egypt is the reality of deviation from Islam," al-Zawahri said.
He called the Egyptian regime — apparently referring to Mubarak's rule — "a regime that rules the people through the use of torture, rigged elections, corrupt media and an unjust justice system."
He dismissed the claims by Mubarak's regime of democracy, and then dismissed democracy in general. Democracy, he said, "means that sovereignty is to the desires of the majority, without committing to any quality, value or creed. A democratic state can only be secular, meaning non-religious."
For the remainder of the video, he describes Egypt's fall into secularism from its former Islamic rule under the Ottoman Empire.
The video did not say when the second part was to be released, but it appeared that in it al-Zawahri was to answer a second question, "How do we change this reality to what Islam wanted us to have."
Al-Zawahri, like al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden, is believed to be in hiding in the mountainous border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Bahrain security forces fire on defiant protesters
AP, MANAMA, Bahrain: Security forces opened fire Friday on Bahraini protesters for a second straight day, wounding at least 50 people as thousands defied the government and marched toward Pearl Square in an uprising that sought to break the political grip of the Gulf nation's leaders.
Once again, Bahrain authorities showed no hesitation in using force against demonstrators who ramped up demands to bring down the whole ruling monarchy.
U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the use of violence against the protesters in Bahrain, as well as in Libya and Yemen, where heavy crackdowns by old-guard regimes were reported. A Libyan doctor said 35 protesters were killed in the eastern city of Benghazi during a confrontation with security forces, while four people were killed and 48 were wounded during protests called as part of a "Friday of Rage" in Yemen.
The continuing wave of anger in the Arab world followed successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, where hundreds of thousands of people celebrated the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak one week ago.
Critically injured protesters were again rushed to Manama's main Salmaniya hospital, which also received the dead and wounded after riot police smashed a protest encampment early Thursday in the landmark square.
Some doctors and medics on emergency medical teams were in tears as they tended to the wounded. X-rays showed bullets still lodged inside victims.
"This is a war," said Dr. Bassem Deif, an orthopedic surgeon examining people with bullet-shattered bones.
Of the 50 injured, seven were critically hurt, Health Ministry official said. Seven people have died in Bahrain's unrest this week, including five on Thursday, and more than 200 have been wounded.
Click image to see photos of protests in Bahrain
AFP/Joseph Eid
Protesters on Friday described a chaotic scene of tear gas clouds, bullets coming from many directions and people slipping in pools of blood as they sought cover. Some claimed the gunfire came from either helicopters or sniper nests.
An Associated Press cameraman saw army units shooting anti-aircraft weapons, fitted on top of armored personnel carriers, above the protesters, in apparent warning shots and attempts to drive them back from security cordons about 200 yards (200 meters) from the square.
Then the soldiers turned firearms on the crowd, one marcher said.
"People started running in all directions and bullets were flying," said Ali al-Haji, a 27-year-old bank clerk. "I saw people getting shot in the legs, chest, and one man was bleeding from his head."
"My eyes were full of tear gas, there was shooting and there was a lot of panic," said Mohammed Abdullah, a 37-year-old businessman taking part in the protest.
In a video submitted to the AP, protesters appear to be peacefully marching when gunfire erupts and bodies are then shown laying in a street.
The clash came hours after funeral mourners and worshippers at Friday prayers called for the toppling of the Western-allied monarchy in the tiny island nation that is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, the centerpiece of the Pentagon's efforts to confront Iranian military influence. Some members of Bahrain's Sunni ruling system worry that Shiite powerhouse Iran could use Bahrain's majority Shiites as a further foothold in the region.
Obama discussed the situation with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, asking the king to hold those responsible for the violence accountable. He said in a statement that Bahrain must respect the "universal rights" of its people and embrace "meaningful reform."
"I am deeply concerned about reports of violence in Bahrain, Libya and Yemen. The United States condemns the use of violence by governments against peaceful protesters in those countries and wherever else it may occur," Obama said. "The United States urges the governments of Bahrain, Libya and Yemen to show restraint in responding to peaceful protests and to respect the rights of their people."
Bahrain's king appointed Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa to lead a dialogue "with all parties," though it was unclear whether furious protesters would respond to the overture. Speaking on Bahrain state TV, Salman expressed condolences for "these painful days" and called for unity.
"We are at a crossroads," Salman said. "Youths are going out on the street believing that they have no future in the country, while others are going out to express their love and loyalty. But this country is for you all, for the Shiites and Sunnis."
The cries against the king and his inner circle — at a main Shiite mosque and at burials for those killed in Thursday's crushing attack — reflect a sharp escalation of the political uprising, which began with calls to weaken the Sunni monarchy's power and address claims of discrimination against the Shiite majority.
The mood, however, has turned toward defiance of the entire ruling system after the brutal crackdown in Pearl Square, which put the nation under emergency-style footing with military forces in key areas and checkpoints on main roads.
"The regime has broken something inside of me. ... All of these people gathered today have had something broken in them," said Ahmed Makki Abu Taki at the funeral for his 23-year-old brother, Mahmoud, who was killed in the pre-dawn sweep. "We used to demand for the prime minister to step down, but now our demand is for the ruling family to get out."
At a Shiite mosque in the village of Diraz, an anti-government hotbed, imam Isa Qassim called the Pearl Square assault a "massacre" and thousands of worshippers chanted: "The regime must go."
In a sign of Bahrain's deep divisions, government loyalists filled Manama's Grand Mosque to hear words of support for the monarchy and take part in a post-sermon march protected by security forces. Many arrived with Bahraini flags draped over the traditional white robes worn by Gulf men. Portraits of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa were distributed.
"We must protect our country," said Adnan al-Qattan, the cleric leading prayers. "We are living in dangerous times."
He denounced attempts to "open the doors to evil and foreign influences" — an apparent reference to suspicions that Shiite powerhouse Iran could take advantages of any gains by Bahrain's Shiites, who account for about 70 percent of the population.
The pro-government gathering had many nonnative Bahrainis, including South Asians and Sunni Arabs from around the region. Shiite have long complained of policies giving Sunnis citizenship and jobs, including posts in security forces, to offset the Shiite majority.
Outside a Shiite village mosque, several thousand mourners buried three of the men killed in the crackdown.
Amid the Shiite rites, many chanted for the removal of the king and the entire Sunni dynasty that has ruled for more than two centuries in Bahrain — the first nation in the Gulf to feel the pressure for changes sweeping the Arab world.
"Our demands were peaceful and simple at first. We wanted the prime minister to step down,' Mohamed Ali, a 40-year-old civil servant, said as he choked back tears. "Now the demands are harsher and have reached the pinnacle of the pyramid. We want the whole government to fall."
At a funeral in the Shiite village of Karzkan, opposition leaders urged protesters to keep up their fight but not to seek revenge.
"We know they have weapons and they are trying to drag us into violence," said Sheik Ali Salman, the leader of the largest Shiite party, Al Wefaq, whose 18 lawmakers have resigned in protest from the 40-seat parliament.
The protesters had called for the monarchy to give up control over top government posts and all critical decisions and address deep grievances by Shiites, who claim they face systematic discrimination and poverty and are blocked from key roles in public service and the military.
Shiites have clashed with police before over their complaints, including in the 1990s. But the growing numbers of Sunnis joining the latest demonstrations surprised authorities, said Simon Henderson, a Gulf specialist at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
"The Sunnis seem to increasingly dislike what is a very paternalistic government," he said. "As far as the Gulf rulers are concerned, there's only one proper way with this and that is: be tough and be tough early."
In Libya, a doctor at al-Jalaa hospital in the eastern city of Benghazi said he saw the bodies of 35 people killed amid protests demanding the ouster of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. He said witnesses and survivors told him most of the victims came from an attempted protest outside a residential compound used by Gadhafi, with security forces firing on protesters demonstrating outside. The doctor spoke on condition his name not be used for fear of retaliation. More than a dozen protesters were shot to death in Libya on Thursday.
A ninth straight day of protests in Yemen saw anti-government demonstrators clash with police and supporters of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh — a key U.S. ally in fighting al-Qaida. Riot police fired tear gas and gunshots to disperse crowds in the capital of Sanaa and the port of Aden, where four people were killed. Someone threw what appeared to be a hand grenade into a crowd in the southern city of Taiz, wounding 48 people, witnesses said.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said the response of some governments in the Middle East and Africa to the demands of their people was "illegal and excessively heavy-handed," and she condemned the use of military-grade shotguns by Bahrain security forces. The European Union and Human Rights Watch urged Bahrain to order security forces to stop attacks on peaceful protesters.
Once again, Bahrain authorities showed no hesitation in using force against demonstrators who ramped up demands to bring down the whole ruling monarchy.
U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the use of violence against the protesters in Bahrain, as well as in Libya and Yemen, where heavy crackdowns by old-guard regimes were reported. A Libyan doctor said 35 protesters were killed in the eastern city of Benghazi during a confrontation with security forces, while four people were killed and 48 were wounded during protests called as part of a "Friday of Rage" in Yemen.
The continuing wave of anger in the Arab world followed successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, where hundreds of thousands of people celebrated the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak one week ago.
Critically injured protesters were again rushed to Manama's main Salmaniya hospital, which also received the dead and wounded after riot police smashed a protest encampment early Thursday in the landmark square.
Some doctors and medics on emergency medical teams were in tears as they tended to the wounded. X-rays showed bullets still lodged inside victims.
"This is a war," said Dr. Bassem Deif, an orthopedic surgeon examining people with bullet-shattered bones.
Of the 50 injured, seven were critically hurt, Health Ministry official said. Seven people have died in Bahrain's unrest this week, including five on Thursday, and more than 200 have been wounded.
Click image to see photos of protests in Bahrain
AFP/Joseph Eid
Protesters on Friday described a chaotic scene of tear gas clouds, bullets coming from many directions and people slipping in pools of blood as they sought cover. Some claimed the gunfire came from either helicopters or sniper nests.
An Associated Press cameraman saw army units shooting anti-aircraft weapons, fitted on top of armored personnel carriers, above the protesters, in apparent warning shots and attempts to drive them back from security cordons about 200 yards (200 meters) from the square.
Then the soldiers turned firearms on the crowd, one marcher said.
"People started running in all directions and bullets were flying," said Ali al-Haji, a 27-year-old bank clerk. "I saw people getting shot in the legs, chest, and one man was bleeding from his head."
"My eyes were full of tear gas, there was shooting and there was a lot of panic," said Mohammed Abdullah, a 37-year-old businessman taking part in the protest.
In a video submitted to the AP, protesters appear to be peacefully marching when gunfire erupts and bodies are then shown laying in a street.
The clash came hours after funeral mourners and worshippers at Friday prayers called for the toppling of the Western-allied monarchy in the tiny island nation that is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, the centerpiece of the Pentagon's efforts to confront Iranian military influence. Some members of Bahrain's Sunni ruling system worry that Shiite powerhouse Iran could use Bahrain's majority Shiites as a further foothold in the region.
Obama discussed the situation with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, asking the king to hold those responsible for the violence accountable. He said in a statement that Bahrain must respect the "universal rights" of its people and embrace "meaningful reform."
"I am deeply concerned about reports of violence in Bahrain, Libya and Yemen. The United States condemns the use of violence by governments against peaceful protesters in those countries and wherever else it may occur," Obama said. "The United States urges the governments of Bahrain, Libya and Yemen to show restraint in responding to peaceful protests and to respect the rights of their people."
Bahrain's king appointed Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa to lead a dialogue "with all parties," though it was unclear whether furious protesters would respond to the overture. Speaking on Bahrain state TV, Salman expressed condolences for "these painful days" and called for unity.
"We are at a crossroads," Salman said. "Youths are going out on the street believing that they have no future in the country, while others are going out to express their love and loyalty. But this country is for you all, for the Shiites and Sunnis."
The cries against the king and his inner circle — at a main Shiite mosque and at burials for those killed in Thursday's crushing attack — reflect a sharp escalation of the political uprising, which began with calls to weaken the Sunni monarchy's power and address claims of discrimination against the Shiite majority.
The mood, however, has turned toward defiance of the entire ruling system after the brutal crackdown in Pearl Square, which put the nation under emergency-style footing with military forces in key areas and checkpoints on main roads.
"The regime has broken something inside of me. ... All of these people gathered today have had something broken in them," said Ahmed Makki Abu Taki at the funeral for his 23-year-old brother, Mahmoud, who was killed in the pre-dawn sweep. "We used to demand for the prime minister to step down, but now our demand is for the ruling family to get out."
At a Shiite mosque in the village of Diraz, an anti-government hotbed, imam Isa Qassim called the Pearl Square assault a "massacre" and thousands of worshippers chanted: "The regime must go."
In a sign of Bahrain's deep divisions, government loyalists filled Manama's Grand Mosque to hear words of support for the monarchy and take part in a post-sermon march protected by security forces. Many arrived with Bahraini flags draped over the traditional white robes worn by Gulf men. Portraits of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa were distributed.
"We must protect our country," said Adnan al-Qattan, the cleric leading prayers. "We are living in dangerous times."
He denounced attempts to "open the doors to evil and foreign influences" — an apparent reference to suspicions that Shiite powerhouse Iran could take advantages of any gains by Bahrain's Shiites, who account for about 70 percent of the population.
The pro-government gathering had many nonnative Bahrainis, including South Asians and Sunni Arabs from around the region. Shiite have long complained of policies giving Sunnis citizenship and jobs, including posts in security forces, to offset the Shiite majority.
Outside a Shiite village mosque, several thousand mourners buried three of the men killed in the crackdown.
Amid the Shiite rites, many chanted for the removal of the king and the entire Sunni dynasty that has ruled for more than two centuries in Bahrain — the first nation in the Gulf to feel the pressure for changes sweeping the Arab world.
"Our demands were peaceful and simple at first. We wanted the prime minister to step down,' Mohamed Ali, a 40-year-old civil servant, said as he choked back tears. "Now the demands are harsher and have reached the pinnacle of the pyramid. We want the whole government to fall."
At a funeral in the Shiite village of Karzkan, opposition leaders urged protesters to keep up their fight but not to seek revenge.
"We know they have weapons and they are trying to drag us into violence," said Sheik Ali Salman, the leader of the largest Shiite party, Al Wefaq, whose 18 lawmakers have resigned in protest from the 40-seat parliament.
The protesters had called for the monarchy to give up control over top government posts and all critical decisions and address deep grievances by Shiites, who claim they face systematic discrimination and poverty and are blocked from key roles in public service and the military.
Shiites have clashed with police before over their complaints, including in the 1990s. But the growing numbers of Sunnis joining the latest demonstrations surprised authorities, said Simon Henderson, a Gulf specialist at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
"The Sunnis seem to increasingly dislike what is a very paternalistic government," he said. "As far as the Gulf rulers are concerned, there's only one proper way with this and that is: be tough and be tough early."
In Libya, a doctor at al-Jalaa hospital in the eastern city of Benghazi said he saw the bodies of 35 people killed amid protests demanding the ouster of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. He said witnesses and survivors told him most of the victims came from an attempted protest outside a residential compound used by Gadhafi, with security forces firing on protesters demonstrating outside. The doctor spoke on condition his name not be used for fear of retaliation. More than a dozen protesters were shot to death in Libya on Thursday.
A ninth straight day of protests in Yemen saw anti-government demonstrators clash with police and supporters of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh — a key U.S. ally in fighting al-Qaida. Riot police fired tear gas and gunshots to disperse crowds in the capital of Sanaa and the port of Aden, where four people were killed. Someone threw what appeared to be a hand grenade into a crowd in the southern city of Taiz, wounding 48 people, witnesses said.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said the response of some governments in the Middle East and Africa to the demands of their people was "illegal and excessively heavy-handed," and she condemned the use of military-grade shotguns by Bahrain security forces. The European Union and Human Rights Watch urged Bahrain to order security forces to stop attacks on peaceful protesters.
Rev it up: Jesse James memoir expected this year
AP, NEW YORK: Jesse James is revved up to tell his side of the story.
Sandra Bullock's former husband has a deal for the memoir, "American Outlaw." Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, said Friday that a publication date had not been set, but that the memoir would likely come out this year.
The Academy Award-winning actress broke up with James last year after learning he was having an affair. James, a 41-year-old biker-businessman and reality TV star, is now engaged to tattoo artist Kat Von D.
Sandra Bullock's former husband has a deal for the memoir, "American Outlaw." Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, said Friday that a publication date had not been set, but that the memoir would likely come out this year.
The Academy Award-winning actress broke up with James last year after learning he was having an affair. James, a 41-year-old biker-businessman and reality TV star, is now engaged to tattoo artist Kat Von D.
Susanne Bier brings "A Better World" to Hollywood
Reuters, LOS ANGELES: When Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier arrived in Hollywood some four years ago to direct her first big U.S. film, she was "excited and hopeful" it would give her career an international boost.
But her drama "Things We Lost in the Fire," starring Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro, flopped at box offices and Bier, whose previous Danish film "After the Wedding" earned an Oscar nomination for foreign language film, soon returned home.
Now, Bier is back in Hollywood and back at the Oscars, the world's top movie awards that will be given out on February 27, with her most recent film drama "In A Better World." But unlike "Things We Lost," her new movie has built a strong fan base and its tale of a young boy and the friend who protects him from bullying is more in keeping with who she is, as a filmmaker.
"Back home and in the rest of Europe, I'm seen as this very mainstream filmmaker, while over here, they see me as this art-house type," Bier said.
"In A Better World" will compete for the Oscar against Mexico drama "Biutiful," starring Javier Bardem, Canadian film "Incendies," Greek entry "Dogtooth" and "Outside the Law" ("Hors-la-loi") from Algeria.
Oscar pundits think "Biutiful," which is directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and Bier's "In A Better World" have the upper hand. In a similar match-up at January's Golden Globe Awards, it was Bier who walked away with the statue.
"It's a very big deal," Bier said of the Oscar nomination and ceremony. "It's like the World Cup -- everyone watches."
OLD DOGME, NEW TRICKS
Her movie, which lands in theaters in major U.S. cities on April 1, revolves around the friendship between two young boys, one of whom is bullied at school.
He befriends a new kid in their small coastal town in which they live, and the new boy beats up the bully.
After witnessing his new friend's pacifist father also get routed by a loutish adult, the new boy is bent on revenge and he builds a bomb with potentially tragic results.
"I wanted to explore the relationships between parents and children and fragility of the idyllic Danish society," Bier said. "It's so easy for things to spin out of control, for violence to suddenly erupt, and it's so hard for people to act like decent human beings sometimes.
"I wanted to explore all those dark themes. But at the same time, I'm an optimist. It doesn't end so badly."
"In A Better World" marks Bier's fifth collaboration with writer Anders Thomas Jensen, who like Bier came out of the influential avant-garde "Dogme" movement championed by another Danish director, Lars von Trier.
In 1995, von Trier and his group issued their 'Dogme 95' set of rules for filmmaking that included no flashbacks, use of handheld cameras, natural lighting and everything shot on location with no props, no sets and no added music.
"In A Better World" has some Dogme elements. There are no flashbacks. It uses real locations, and handheld cameras for the most part, but Bier is quick to add she used artificial lighting and music throughout. She called it "sort of hybrid."
"I just couldn't work like that, although I tried," she said about Dogme. "It was too hard and limiting for me. But it was very educational, and I feel like I went to school and now I apply all those lessons to my films whenever I need to."
And with a possible Oscar waiting, it would seem that her "hybrid" blend of filmmaking is working pretty well.
But her drama "Things We Lost in the Fire," starring Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro, flopped at box offices and Bier, whose previous Danish film "After the Wedding" earned an Oscar nomination for foreign language film, soon returned home.
Now, Bier is back in Hollywood and back at the Oscars, the world's top movie awards that will be given out on February 27, with her most recent film drama "In A Better World." But unlike "Things We Lost," her new movie has built a strong fan base and its tale of a young boy and the friend who protects him from bullying is more in keeping with who she is, as a filmmaker.
"Back home and in the rest of Europe, I'm seen as this very mainstream filmmaker, while over here, they see me as this art-house type," Bier said.
"In A Better World" will compete for the Oscar against Mexico drama "Biutiful," starring Javier Bardem, Canadian film "Incendies," Greek entry "Dogtooth" and "Outside the Law" ("Hors-la-loi") from Algeria.
Oscar pundits think "Biutiful," which is directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and Bier's "In A Better World" have the upper hand. In a similar match-up at January's Golden Globe Awards, it was Bier who walked away with the statue.
"It's a very big deal," Bier said of the Oscar nomination and ceremony. "It's like the World Cup -- everyone watches."
OLD DOGME, NEW TRICKS
Her movie, which lands in theaters in major U.S. cities on April 1, revolves around the friendship between two young boys, one of whom is bullied at school.
He befriends a new kid in their small coastal town in which they live, and the new boy beats up the bully.
After witnessing his new friend's pacifist father also get routed by a loutish adult, the new boy is bent on revenge and he builds a bomb with potentially tragic results.
"I wanted to explore the relationships between parents and children and fragility of the idyllic Danish society," Bier said. "It's so easy for things to spin out of control, for violence to suddenly erupt, and it's so hard for people to act like decent human beings sometimes.
"I wanted to explore all those dark themes. But at the same time, I'm an optimist. It doesn't end so badly."
"In A Better World" marks Bier's fifth collaboration with writer Anders Thomas Jensen, who like Bier came out of the influential avant-garde "Dogme" movement championed by another Danish director, Lars von Trier.
In 1995, von Trier and his group issued their 'Dogme 95' set of rules for filmmaking that included no flashbacks, use of handheld cameras, natural lighting and everything shot on location with no props, no sets and no added music.
"In A Better World" has some Dogme elements. There are no flashbacks. It uses real locations, and handheld cameras for the most part, but Bier is quick to add she used artificial lighting and music throughout. She called it "sort of hybrid."
"I just couldn't work like that, although I tried," she said about Dogme. "It was too hard and limiting for me. But it was very educational, and I feel like I went to school and now I apply all those lessons to my films whenever I need to."
And with a possible Oscar waiting, it would seem that her "hybrid" blend of filmmaking is working pretty well.
Judge to sentence woman in Pitino extortion case
AP, LOUISVILLE, Ky: A federal judge is set to sentence the woman convicted of trying to extort millions in cash, cars and a house from University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.
The sentencing hearing for Karen Cunagin Sypher is scheduled to begin Friday afternoon in Louisville before U.S. District Judge Charles R. Simpson III.
A jury convicted Sypher in August of extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliation against a witness. Prosecutors say Sypher wanted Pitino to pay for her silence about a sexual encounter between the two at a Louisville restaurant in 2003.
Since being convicted, Sypher has changed attorneys and alleged a wide-ranging conspiracy theory involving the judge, prosecutors, her former attorneys and Pitino aimed at ensuring she would be found guilty.
The sentencing hearing for Karen Cunagin Sypher is scheduled to begin Friday afternoon in Louisville before U.S. District Judge Charles R. Simpson III.
A jury convicted Sypher in August of extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliation against a witness. Prosecutors say Sypher wanted Pitino to pay for her silence about a sexual encounter between the two at a Louisville restaurant in 2003.
Since being convicted, Sypher has changed attorneys and alleged a wide-ranging conspiracy theory involving the judge, prosecutors, her former attorneys and Pitino aimed at ensuring she would be found guilty.
'3bler' on verge of setting Big Ten 3-point mark
AP, COLUMBUS, Ohio: Sometime during Sunday's big game at No. 11 Purdue, Ohio State shooting guard Jon Diebler will catch a pass, set his feet, coil and release a shot at the top of his jump.
Just like he has maybe 100,000 times going on a million, in gyms all over the country.
Only this time it just may be the 3-pointer that sets the Big Ten record.
The gangly 6-foot-6 senior enters the No. 2 Buckeyes' game vs. the Boilermakers (21-5, 10-3 Big Ten) with 331 3-pointers made, one behind Penn State's Pete Lisicky (1994-98).
No wonder some call him "3bler."
But it's not as if Diebler ever imagined he'd be the one to do it — or that it was ever in his sights.
"It will be kind of cool if it does happen," he said. "I'm sure it will be something I look back on when I'm older, but right now it's not something I think about. I'm just worried about winning games. That's our team's mentality."
The Buckeyes (25-1, 12-1) are having a banner season. A huge reason is Diebler, a marksman from the perimeter who keeps teams from surrounding post player Jared Sullinger or blanketing fellow shooters William Buford and David Lighty.
Diebler is the Buckeyes' fourth-leading scorer at 11.1 points a game while playing almost 35 minutes a night. He's shooting 48 percent from the field — and 48 percent on 3-pointers. He ranks fifth in the nation in accuracy behind the arc. That, in itself, is remarkable considering that in his freshman season he shot only 29 percent on 3-pointers.
Coach Thad Matta was asked about Diebler setting the conference mark.
"When he does," he said, laughing, "I'll probably say it could have happened a year ago if he had shot well as a freshman."
Then he turned serious.
"No, I've always said this about Jon. When you coach players and you see how hard they work — even when they're working hard and you're not watching — you want those guys to be rewarded. If and when that (record) happens, I'll be as excited as ever because I know what he's done, what he's put in to get that."
The son of a high school coach, Diebler and his two older brothers and his parents traveled to several outposts in small towns around Ohio before arriving in Upper Sandusky, a farming town of just over 6,000 nestled in the flat but fertile lands about an hour due north of Columbus.
It was there that Jon became a legend. He totaled 3,208 career points to set the all-time Ohio schoolboy record, breaking the mark of 2,958 set by another former Ohio State standout, Jay Burson. His Rams went unbeaten and won the state championship one year and he captured the Ohio Associated Press Mr. Basketball award in 2007.
No wonder when Jon came to Ohio State his new teammates expected him to step right in and continue churning out the points.
"He was going to come in and score 50 points a game out of high school," Lighty said with a grin.
But Diebler struggled with his shot, and on defense. He wasn't quick enough to keep up with guards and not muscular enough to defend a forward. He gradually improved, and so did his shooting, while the Buckeyes improved as well. They went 24-13 with him coming off the bench as a freshman, and have gone 22-11 and 29-8 heading into this successful season.
Matta stuck by Diebler through the bad times and, now, the good.
"I've always had great faith in Jon. At times, I'm the only one who had great faith in Jon, including himself," he said. "I watched his work ethic from the day he walked in here and I can remember when things maybe didn't go well for him his freshman year. All he cared about was winning. I knew if he kept that mindset and continued to work at the same level, he was going to be the player that he is today."
No opponent ignores him, that's for sure.
"The thing that's really unique is how big he is," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. "He's one of those guys you feel like you got to him, but he's 6-6 and long and he gets it off and shoots it right in your face. He really works hard, so when he gets to that spot, he sprints there. He works, he moves without the ball and makes himself hard to guard."
Diebler has been durable and dependable. He has played in 133 games for the Buckeyes and has scored 1,357 points. Having made 3-pointers in 42 straight games, he also will set Ohio State marks for 3s taken, made and percentage.
Through it all, he hasn't had to pound his chest or raise his arms in self congratulation every time he makes another long-range shot. He prefers to contribute to the cause, to win, instead of calling attention to himself.
"You have to have a certain confidence about you," he said. "That's where I've grown the most. I've become a lot more confident, not only shooting the ball but developing my game as an overall player. I've always been taught from my mother and father, and my brothers, just to be humble."
True to form, he credits his teammates for making him better.
"I've been fortunate to play with a lot of great players in my four years here," he said. "That helps a lot, because I get a lot of open looks. But you have to stay humble. That was something I was taught growing up and it's something I've carried over until now."
Just like he has maybe 100,000 times going on a million, in gyms all over the country.
Only this time it just may be the 3-pointer that sets the Big Ten record.
The gangly 6-foot-6 senior enters the No. 2 Buckeyes' game vs. the Boilermakers (21-5, 10-3 Big Ten) with 331 3-pointers made, one behind Penn State's Pete Lisicky (1994-98).
No wonder some call him "3bler."
But it's not as if Diebler ever imagined he'd be the one to do it — or that it was ever in his sights.
"It will be kind of cool if it does happen," he said. "I'm sure it will be something I look back on when I'm older, but right now it's not something I think about. I'm just worried about winning games. That's our team's mentality."
The Buckeyes (25-1, 12-1) are having a banner season. A huge reason is Diebler, a marksman from the perimeter who keeps teams from surrounding post player Jared Sullinger or blanketing fellow shooters William Buford and David Lighty.
Diebler is the Buckeyes' fourth-leading scorer at 11.1 points a game while playing almost 35 minutes a night. He's shooting 48 percent from the field — and 48 percent on 3-pointers. He ranks fifth in the nation in accuracy behind the arc. That, in itself, is remarkable considering that in his freshman season he shot only 29 percent on 3-pointers.
Coach Thad Matta was asked about Diebler setting the conference mark.
"When he does," he said, laughing, "I'll probably say it could have happened a year ago if he had shot well as a freshman."
Then he turned serious.
"No, I've always said this about Jon. When you coach players and you see how hard they work — even when they're working hard and you're not watching — you want those guys to be rewarded. If and when that (record) happens, I'll be as excited as ever because I know what he's done, what he's put in to get that."
The son of a high school coach, Diebler and his two older brothers and his parents traveled to several outposts in small towns around Ohio before arriving in Upper Sandusky, a farming town of just over 6,000 nestled in the flat but fertile lands about an hour due north of Columbus.
It was there that Jon became a legend. He totaled 3,208 career points to set the all-time Ohio schoolboy record, breaking the mark of 2,958 set by another former Ohio State standout, Jay Burson. His Rams went unbeaten and won the state championship one year and he captured the Ohio Associated Press Mr. Basketball award in 2007.
No wonder when Jon came to Ohio State his new teammates expected him to step right in and continue churning out the points.
"He was going to come in and score 50 points a game out of high school," Lighty said with a grin.
But Diebler struggled with his shot, and on defense. He wasn't quick enough to keep up with guards and not muscular enough to defend a forward. He gradually improved, and so did his shooting, while the Buckeyes improved as well. They went 24-13 with him coming off the bench as a freshman, and have gone 22-11 and 29-8 heading into this successful season.
Matta stuck by Diebler through the bad times and, now, the good.
"I've always had great faith in Jon. At times, I'm the only one who had great faith in Jon, including himself," he said. "I watched his work ethic from the day he walked in here and I can remember when things maybe didn't go well for him his freshman year. All he cared about was winning. I knew if he kept that mindset and continued to work at the same level, he was going to be the player that he is today."
No opponent ignores him, that's for sure.
"The thing that's really unique is how big he is," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. "He's one of those guys you feel like you got to him, but he's 6-6 and long and he gets it off and shoots it right in your face. He really works hard, so when he gets to that spot, he sprints there. He works, he moves without the ball and makes himself hard to guard."
Diebler has been durable and dependable. He has played in 133 games for the Buckeyes and has scored 1,357 points. Having made 3-pointers in 42 straight games, he also will set Ohio State marks for 3s taken, made and percentage.
Through it all, he hasn't had to pound his chest or raise his arms in self congratulation every time he makes another long-range shot. He prefers to contribute to the cause, to win, instead of calling attention to himself.
"You have to have a certain confidence about you," he said. "That's where I've grown the most. I've become a lot more confident, not only shooting the ball but developing my game as an overall player. I've always been taught from my mother and father, and my brothers, just to be humble."
True to form, he credits his teammates for making him better.
"I've been fortunate to play with a lot of great players in my four years here," he said. "That helps a lot, because I get a lot of open looks. But you have to stay humble. That was something I was taught growing up and it's something I've carried over until now."
Georgia hires Kirk Olivadotti from Redskins
AP, ATHENS, Ga: Longtime Washington Redskins assistant Kirk Olivadotti is Georgia's new inside linebackers coach.
Coach Mark Richt said Friday he has hired Olivadotti, who was with the Redskins for 11 years.
Olivadotti replaces Warren Belin, who took a job on the Carolina Panthers' new staff. Olivadotti is the son of longtime NFL defensive coach Tom Olivadotti.
Kirk Olivadotti coached the Redskins' linebackers from 2007-09. In 2009, two of Olivadotti's linebackers, London Fletcher and Brian Orakpo, earned their first Pro Bowl bids.
Richt says Olivadotti is at the "top level in football knowledge and competency."
Coach Mark Richt said Friday he has hired Olivadotti, who was with the Redskins for 11 years.
Olivadotti replaces Warren Belin, who took a job on the Carolina Panthers' new staff. Olivadotti is the son of longtime NFL defensive coach Tom Olivadotti.
Kirk Olivadotti coached the Redskins' linebackers from 2007-09. In 2009, two of Olivadotti's linebackers, London Fletcher and Brian Orakpo, earned their first Pro Bowl bids.
Richt says Olivadotti is at the "top level in football knowledge and competency."
Auburn fans schedule rally for historic oaks
AP, AUBURN, Ala: Auburn fans have scheduled a rally for the poisoned oak trees at Toomer's Corner, where fans traditionally rally to celebrate big wins.
The "Toomer's Tree Hug" was approaching 8,000 confirmed guests on Facebook by Friday morning. It's scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the site where celebrations include rolling the trees with toilet paper.
Police charged 62-year-old Harvey Almorn Updyke Jr. with first-degree criminal mischief on Thursday for allegedly using a tree-killing herbicide to poison the oaks.
The Facebook page for the rally says there won't be any actually tree-hugging but "the hugs should be reserved for other members of the Auburn Family who need a shoulder in this painful time."
The "Toomer's Tree Hug" was approaching 8,000 confirmed guests on Facebook by Friday morning. It's scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the site where celebrations include rolling the trees with toilet paper.
Police charged 62-year-old Harvey Almorn Updyke Jr. with first-degree criminal mischief on Thursday for allegedly using a tree-killing herbicide to poison the oaks.
The Facebook page for the rally says there won't be any actually tree-hugging but "the hugs should be reserved for other members of the Auburn Family who need a shoulder in this painful time."
Popovich says Duncan will start All-Star game
AP, CHICAGO: The Western Conference needs a starting center for the All-Star game in Los Angeles, and Gregg Popovich says he knows the perfect person for the job.
The San Antonio coach selected Spurs star Tim Duncan to replace Yao Ming in the lineup for Sunday's game at Staples Center, staying in his own locker room instead of picking Clippers rookie Blake Griffin playing in his home arena or Timberwolves double-double machine Kevin Love.
"I think it's totally appropriate and obvious that he should be the starter," Popovich said before the Spurs' 109-99 loss at Chicago on Thursday night. "I don't have any problem with it."
Griffin, Love and Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki all have better numbers than Duncan, who is averaging a career-low 13.4 points and 9.2 rebounds. But San Antonio (46-10) has the NBA's best record and the Spurs are closely monitoring the 34-year-old Duncan's minutes, a factor in the lower averages.
Duncan didn't know about his 12th consecutive All-Star start until he was asked about it after he had 14 points and nine boards against Chicago.
"I didn't expect to be there this year and I definitely didn't expect to start, so definitely a great honor," he said. "I don't know, year-in and year-out I continue to be on that starting squad. I really don't know why I'm there but I'll take it."
Houston center Yao was voted in by the fans but is injured.
This will be Duncan's 13th All-Star appearance overall. He was the co-MVP of the 2000 game with Shaquille O'Neal.
Guard Manu Ginobili also is going to Los Angeles to represent San Antonio.
Duncan's insertion into the starting lineup may be the biggest All-Star decision for Popovich, who said he is planning on doing no coaching during the game.
"Just thinking about walking into that locker room is a humbling and awesome experience," he said. "Just to know you're in the same room with those kinds of players, the best on the planet, it almost makes you want to laugh. You really have to pinch yourself to know that you're in that room, and I think it would be quite forward on my part to try to coach those guys."
The San Antonio coach selected Spurs star Tim Duncan to replace Yao Ming in the lineup for Sunday's game at Staples Center, staying in his own locker room instead of picking Clippers rookie Blake Griffin playing in his home arena or Timberwolves double-double machine Kevin Love.
"I think it's totally appropriate and obvious that he should be the starter," Popovich said before the Spurs' 109-99 loss at Chicago on Thursday night. "I don't have any problem with it."
Griffin, Love and Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki all have better numbers than Duncan, who is averaging a career-low 13.4 points and 9.2 rebounds. But San Antonio (46-10) has the NBA's best record and the Spurs are closely monitoring the 34-year-old Duncan's minutes, a factor in the lower averages.
Duncan didn't know about his 12th consecutive All-Star start until he was asked about it after he had 14 points and nine boards against Chicago.
"I didn't expect to be there this year and I definitely didn't expect to start, so definitely a great honor," he said. "I don't know, year-in and year-out I continue to be on that starting squad. I really don't know why I'm there but I'll take it."
Houston center Yao was voted in by the fans but is injured.
This will be Duncan's 13th All-Star appearance overall. He was the co-MVP of the 2000 game with Shaquille O'Neal.
Guard Manu Ginobili also is going to Los Angeles to represent San Antonio.
Duncan's insertion into the starting lineup may be the biggest All-Star decision for Popovich, who said he is planning on doing no coaching during the game.
"Just thinking about walking into that locker room is a humbling and awesome experience," he said. "Just to know you're in the same room with those kinds of players, the best on the planet, it almost makes you want to laugh. You really have to pinch yourself to know that you're in that room, and I think it would be quite forward on my part to try to coach those guys."
Lakers GM Kupchak says trade unlikely
AP, LOS ANGELES: Mitch Kupchak wanted a little advice from his predecessor as the Los Angeles Lakers' general manager after his two-time NBA champions lost to the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers.
"That handbook you left me on how to be a great general manager doesn't include a chapter on what to do after a game like last night," Kupchak said to Jerry West.
West was as silent as a statue Thursday night, leaving Kupchak to figure out the confounding champs on his own during the All-Star break.
After attending the unveiling of West's statue outside Staples Center on Thursday night, Kupchak said he's unlikely to make a trade before the Feb. 24 deadline, even while their fans are abuzz with rumors claiming the Lakers have shown interest in acquiring disgruntled Denver superstar Carmelo Anthony, or getting rid of struggling forward Ron Artest.
"I think it's unlikely," Kupchak said. "But there's eight days to go. All of the general managers are here in Los Angeles this weekend, and there will be a lot of yapping. There will be a lot of guys moving off to the side, and there will be a lot of phone calls. ... I stand by what I said, that it's unlikely, but I don't think any general manager can stand here and say there will be absolutely no changes in eight days, in particular at this time of year."
The Lakers headed into the break with three straight road losses, including Wednesday's lifeless effort against the NBA's worst team in Cleveland.
Yet Los Angeles (38-19), which won the first four games of its lengthy trip, still has the league's sixth-best record at the break and a nine-game lead in the Pacific Division.
Although Kupchak says the loss to Cleveland is the Lakers' rock-bottom worst moment of the season "to date," he's determined not to make a panic move.
"There's a tendency to overreact, and I get it," Kupchak said. "This team is not that different than the team we had last year, and in some ways, it's been improved. We have guys that didn't forget overnight how to practice and play."
The Lakers returned home for the break after back-to-back losses to Charlotte and Cleveland during a season that already included home losses to Sacramento, Milwaukee and Memphis. They've also struggled against the NBA's best teams despite beating the Boston Celtics earlier in the road trip.
The Lakers' overstuffed $91 million payroll limits their flexibility in deals, although owner Jerry Buss hasn't objected to paying a hefty luxury tax as long as his team is a title contender.
"Dr. Buss wants to win now," Kupchak said. "I don't think that's a question. It's my job to look to the future a little bit, but we have a coach that wants to win now, too. I don't think that's going to change."
Coach Phil Jackson repeatedly has said he'll retire after the season. Although the Lakers' core is mostly still in its prime, Los Angeles has eight regulars who are at least 30 years old.
The Lakers reportedly kicked the tires earlier this month on a potential trade for Anthony, the NBA's sixth-leading scorer, although other reports claimed the rumor was nonsense. Another report claimed the Lakers have attempted to trade Artest, whose statistical averages and defensive performances are both near the lowest points of the wild-card forward's career.
After Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol represent the Lakers in Sunday's All-Star game at Staples Center, the Lakers return at home against Atlanta on Tuesday night. Kupchak hopes they won't shake off the embarrassment of losing in Cleveland during their long weekend off.
"A lot of times, maybe it's the way it's supposed to be," Kupchak said. "We have five days to think about it, and maybe that turns out to be a rallying point. ... Let's see where it leads. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can climb up."
"That handbook you left me on how to be a great general manager doesn't include a chapter on what to do after a game like last night," Kupchak said to Jerry West.
West was as silent as a statue Thursday night, leaving Kupchak to figure out the confounding champs on his own during the All-Star break.
After attending the unveiling of West's statue outside Staples Center on Thursday night, Kupchak said he's unlikely to make a trade before the Feb. 24 deadline, even while their fans are abuzz with rumors claiming the Lakers have shown interest in acquiring disgruntled Denver superstar Carmelo Anthony, or getting rid of struggling forward Ron Artest.
"I think it's unlikely," Kupchak said. "But there's eight days to go. All of the general managers are here in Los Angeles this weekend, and there will be a lot of yapping. There will be a lot of guys moving off to the side, and there will be a lot of phone calls. ... I stand by what I said, that it's unlikely, but I don't think any general manager can stand here and say there will be absolutely no changes in eight days, in particular at this time of year."
The Lakers headed into the break with three straight road losses, including Wednesday's lifeless effort against the NBA's worst team in Cleveland.
Yet Los Angeles (38-19), which won the first four games of its lengthy trip, still has the league's sixth-best record at the break and a nine-game lead in the Pacific Division.
Although Kupchak says the loss to Cleveland is the Lakers' rock-bottom worst moment of the season "to date," he's determined not to make a panic move.
"There's a tendency to overreact, and I get it," Kupchak said. "This team is not that different than the team we had last year, and in some ways, it's been improved. We have guys that didn't forget overnight how to practice and play."
The Lakers returned home for the break after back-to-back losses to Charlotte and Cleveland during a season that already included home losses to Sacramento, Milwaukee and Memphis. They've also struggled against the NBA's best teams despite beating the Boston Celtics earlier in the road trip.
The Lakers' overstuffed $91 million payroll limits their flexibility in deals, although owner Jerry Buss hasn't objected to paying a hefty luxury tax as long as his team is a title contender.
"Dr. Buss wants to win now," Kupchak said. "I don't think that's a question. It's my job to look to the future a little bit, but we have a coach that wants to win now, too. I don't think that's going to change."
Coach Phil Jackson repeatedly has said he'll retire after the season. Although the Lakers' core is mostly still in its prime, Los Angeles has eight regulars who are at least 30 years old.
The Lakers reportedly kicked the tires earlier this month on a potential trade for Anthony, the NBA's sixth-leading scorer, although other reports claimed the rumor was nonsense. Another report claimed the Lakers have attempted to trade Artest, whose statistical averages and defensive performances are both near the lowest points of the wild-card forward's career.
After Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol represent the Lakers in Sunday's All-Star game at Staples Center, the Lakers return at home against Atlanta on Tuesday night. Kupchak hopes they won't shake off the embarrassment of losing in Cleveland during their long weekend off.
"A lot of times, maybe it's the way it's supposed to be," Kupchak said. "We have five days to think about it, and maybe that turns out to be a rallying point. ... Let's see where it leads. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can climb up."
Rose leads rampaging Bulls past road-weary Spurs
Reuters, CHICAGO: Derrick Rose scored a career-high 42 points to pace the improving Chicago Bulls to a comfortable 109-99 win over the NBA leading San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.
The Bulls, well clear in the Eastern Conference Central Division, picked up a fourth successive victory heading into the All-Star break, while the Spurs concluded their nine-game road trip to facilitate a rodeo in their home arena with six wins.
"That was some performance," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said of Rose's contribution. "It was great leadership. He got us off to a great start. And he kept attacking all game."
After briefly falling behind in the second quarter, Rose's 10 points helped the Bulls close the first half with a 15-7 run to carry a 58-51 advantage into the break.
"I was just trying to do whatever it takes to win," said Rose. "If it led to me shooting the ball, thank God the shots were falling tonight."
The Spurs drew to within two points at 73-71 with 4:49 remaining in the third quarter but Luol Deng responded with a three-pointer and the Bulls cruised to victory.
Deng finished with 19 points and Carlos Boozer added 15 for the Bulls, while Tony Parker was the Spurs top scorer with 26 points.
The Bulls, well clear in the Eastern Conference Central Division, picked up a fourth successive victory heading into the All-Star break, while the Spurs concluded their nine-game road trip to facilitate a rodeo in their home arena with six wins.
"That was some performance," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said of Rose's contribution. "It was great leadership. He got us off to a great start. And he kept attacking all game."
After briefly falling behind in the second quarter, Rose's 10 points helped the Bulls close the first half with a 15-7 run to carry a 58-51 advantage into the break.
"I was just trying to do whatever it takes to win," said Rose. "If it led to me shooting the ball, thank God the shots were falling tonight."
The Spurs drew to within two points at 73-71 with 4:49 remaining in the third quarter but Luol Deng responded with a three-pointer and the Bulls cruised to victory.
Deng finished with 19 points and Carlos Boozer added 15 for the Bulls, while Tony Parker was the Spurs top scorer with 26 points.
Nowitzki scores 35 to lead Mavs over Suns 112-106
AP, PHOENIX: Dirk Nowitzki scored 35 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 112-106 on Thursday night for their 13th victory in 14 games.
Tyson Chandler had 12 points and 12 rebounds, including a tip-in with 19 seconds left. Jason Terry scored 16, capped by a pair of free throws with 14.1 seconds to play to give Dallas a 111-106 lead. Shawn Marion added 12 points as the Mavericks improved to 9-0 against Pacific Division foes, including 4-0 on the road.
Channing Frye scored 24 points and Steve Nash had 15 points and 14 assists in just the third loss for the Suns in their last 11 games.
Nowitzki was at his smooth-shooting best most of the night, sinking 8 of 10 in a 19-point first half. He finished the game 13 of 18 from the field and 6 of 6 at the foul line, including a nine-point fourth quarter.
The Suns stayed with the Mavericks through the night despite going 5 of 18 from 3-point range.
Dallas had just six offensive rebounds, but two by Chandler came at crucial points down the stretch. On the first, he dunked and was fouled from behind by Frye for a three-point play that put the Mavs up 101-94 with 3 1/2 minutes left.
The second, with just over 19 seconds left, gave Dallas a 109-103 advantage.
Frye banked in a 3-pointer to cut it to 109-106 with 17.3 seconds left, but Terry's two free throws finally put the game out of reach.
Down by seven at halftime, the Suns led much of the third quarter, but never by more than four points. After Mickael Pietrus' dunk gave Phoenix an 80-76 lead, Dallas scored the last nine of the third quarter on Nowitzki's 22-footer, Marion's reverse layup on a pass from Nowitzki, Jason Kidd's 3-pointer and a dunk by Marion on another assist by Nowitzki.
Dallas led 85-80 entering the fourth quarter and never trailed again.
Nash's driving layup cut it to 94-92 with 5:38 left, but Nowitzki sank a pair of free throws and a 5-foot jumper to boost it to 98-92 and Phoenix never got that close again.
Notes: Nash missed his only 3-point attempt and still needs one 3 to move ahead of Eddie Jones for sole possession of 10th place on the NBA career list. ... Dallas and San Antonio are the only Western Conference teams Phoenix has not beaten this season. ... Nowitzki's season high was 42 against Detroit on Nov. 23. ... Dallas' lone loss in the last month was at Denver on Feb. 10.
Tyson Chandler had 12 points and 12 rebounds, including a tip-in with 19 seconds left. Jason Terry scored 16, capped by a pair of free throws with 14.1 seconds to play to give Dallas a 111-106 lead. Shawn Marion added 12 points as the Mavericks improved to 9-0 against Pacific Division foes, including 4-0 on the road.
Channing Frye scored 24 points and Steve Nash had 15 points and 14 assists in just the third loss for the Suns in their last 11 games.
Nowitzki was at his smooth-shooting best most of the night, sinking 8 of 10 in a 19-point first half. He finished the game 13 of 18 from the field and 6 of 6 at the foul line, including a nine-point fourth quarter.
The Suns stayed with the Mavericks through the night despite going 5 of 18 from 3-point range.
Dallas had just six offensive rebounds, but two by Chandler came at crucial points down the stretch. On the first, he dunked and was fouled from behind by Frye for a three-point play that put the Mavs up 101-94 with 3 1/2 minutes left.
The second, with just over 19 seconds left, gave Dallas a 109-103 advantage.
Frye banked in a 3-pointer to cut it to 109-106 with 17.3 seconds left, but Terry's two free throws finally put the game out of reach.
Down by seven at halftime, the Suns led much of the third quarter, but never by more than four points. After Mickael Pietrus' dunk gave Phoenix an 80-76 lead, Dallas scored the last nine of the third quarter on Nowitzki's 22-footer, Marion's reverse layup on a pass from Nowitzki, Jason Kidd's 3-pointer and a dunk by Marion on another assist by Nowitzki.
Dallas led 85-80 entering the fourth quarter and never trailed again.
Nash's driving layup cut it to 94-92 with 5:38 left, but Nowitzki sank a pair of free throws and a 5-foot jumper to boost it to 98-92 and Phoenix never got that close again.
Notes: Nash missed his only 3-point attempt and still needs one 3 to move ahead of Eddie Jones for sole possession of 10th place on the NBA career list. ... Dallas and San Antonio are the only Western Conference teams Phoenix has not beaten this season. ... Nowitzki's season high was 42 against Detroit on Nov. 23. ... Dallas' lone loss in the last month was at Denver on Feb. 10.
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