Sept. 1, 2009

Afghanistan war:

The U.S. commander in Afghanistan warned the Taliban is stronger than had been thought and many more local soldiers and police are needed.

U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal sent a report to President Barack Obama in which he called the situation in Afghanistan "serious" but added "success is achievable."

He called for a revised strategy and a unification of efforts by NATO forces in the theater. McChrystal also said the number of Afghan soldiers and police should be increased and training for those personnel should be sped up.

The Washington Post quoted unnamed officials as saying McChrystal's memo suggests allied forces need to take a less "risk-averse" stance. A recent NATO offensive and militant violence meant to disrupt the recent elections made August the deadliest month of the long war in Afghanistan for allied personnel.

The allies have about 100,000 personnel -- nearly two-thirds of whom are from the United States -- in Afghanistan and McChrystal could ask for an increase in a subsequent report.

Same-sex marriage:

Same-sex marriages were allowed in Vermont beginning Tuesday and several couples jumped right in -- getting married shortly after midnight Monday.

Vermont in April became the first state to allow same-sex marriage by state law, pushing past the statutes it set when the state created civil unions in 2000. Since then four states have allowed same-sex marriage -- although by judicial decision and not legislative action. Those states are Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The legislative journey wasn't easy in Montpelier. Despite strong votes of 26-4 in the state Senate and 95-52 in the state House of Representatives, Gov. Jim Douglas stood by his promise to veto the same-sex marriage legislation. But the state legislature -- for the first time in Vermont history -- overrode a governor's veto setting the stage for Tuesday's series of nuptials.

California fires:

Wildfires in California have burned more than 105,000 acres and officials said containing the blazes will be difficult while the current dry and hot weather pattern holds.

Firefighters worked to keep the fires from spreading to developed areas but 50 buildings have been burned and thousands of others are considered threatened by fire. The Los Angeles Times said one area of particular concern was Mount Wilson, the site of a historic observatory and many key media transmission towers.

Mike Dietrich, with the U.S. Forest Service, told the Times: "This is a very angry fire. Until we get a change in the weather conditions, I am not overly optimistic. The fire is headed just about anywhere it wants."

Eurozone unemployment:

Unemployment in the countries that use the euro currency hit a 10-year high in July despite signs the biggest economies were emerging from recession.

France and Germany technically left recession last month but, with employment a lagging indicator, France's unemployment rate went from 9.6 percent in June to 9.8 percent in July while Germany's figure was unchanged in the same time period at 7.7 percent. Spain, with 18.5 percent unemployment, had the highest rate.

Over the eurozone (16 countries), unemployment is at 9.5 percent -- representing 15.2 million people. In the broader European Union (27 countries), unemployment was at 9 percent. Unemployment in the United States in July was 9.4 percent.

Remembering start of WWII:

Ceremonies in Poland marked the start of World War II, which began with a German ship firing on a fort near Gdansk, Poland, on Sept. 1, 1939.

Leaders of 20 countries were on hand as veterans from the war were honored at the ceremonies, conducted 70 years to the minute -- 4:45 a.m. -- when the battleship Schleswig-Holststein fired at an installation on the Westerplatte peninsula. German ground forces invaded Poland from the east about the same time. Two days later Britain and France declared war on Germany.

While solemnly recalling the situation of 70 years ago, there were 21st-century politics in play Tuesday. At a news conference, Polish President Lech Kaczynski said his country had been given a "stab in the back" at the start of World War II because of Russia's non-aggression agreement with Germany, a deal many Poles believe emboldened Berlin enough to begin the war.

Poland and Russia have had touchy relations since, fueled by the Russian invasion of Poland two weeks after the German attack and continuing with recent allegations that the invasion was called for because Poland was working with Germany with the intent of invading Russia.