Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 120, No. 166 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
DIALLO SPEAKS OUT ON JUSTICE SYSTEM For most Americans, Kadiatou Diallo has been the most well-known woman from Guinea. In 1999, she lost her son, Amadou Diallo — the dreamer with the shining smile, the diligent son who ended up selling wares on New York streets. Unfortunately, he lived.... PAGE A4
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• 95% contained; $5.5M to fight • 4 local girls take top prizes in Pageant • Job Corps demolishes vacant buildings • Authorities seek help in deer shooting • Push America
INSIDE SPORTS
TEAM USA: A WIN FOR THE AGES DUSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — The U.S. women’s soccer team shared the Yankee Stadium scoreboard with Derek Jeter, made an appearance on “Good Morning America” and can now count Tom Hanks, Lil Wayne and Super Bowl... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES • Colleen Doyle • Dorothy Cooney • Tomas Barraza • Norman Prude • Dorothy Weckel • Dr. John Kennedy • WIlliam Burke - PAGE A2
HIGH ...98˚ LOW ....72˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
July 12, 2011
TUESDAY
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ATF requires gun information on border
WASHINGTON (AP) — In an effort to stem the illicit flow of weapons into Mexico, the Justice Department announced Monday that all gun shops in four Southwest border states will be required to alert the federal gover nment to frequent buyers of high-powered rifles. The new policy comes amid criticism of a flawed federal probe aimed at dismantling large-scale arms trafficking networks along the Arizona border with Mexico. In the probe, called Operation Fast and Furious, several agents with the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives say they were inexplicably ordered by superiors to stop tracking some small-time “straw” buyers who purchased large numbers of weapons apparently destined for drug cartels. Twenty low-level gun buyers have been charged in the operation. In December, two assault rifles that one of the now-indicted small-time buyers under scrutiny in Fast and Furious had purchased from a gun shop in Glendale, Ariz., turned up at the scene of a shootout that killed Brian Terry, an agent of U.S.
Customs and Border Protection. In recent congressional testimony, ATF agent John Dodson estimated that 1,800 guns in Fast and Furious were unaccounted for and that about two-thirds are probably in Mexico. Under the new policy, federal firearms licensees in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico must report purchases of two or more of some types of rifles by the same person in a five-day span. The requirement applies to purchases of semi-automatic rifles that have detachable magazines and a caliber of
greater than .22. ATF estimates it will generate 18,000 reports a year. Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the new reporting measure will improve the ATF’s ability to disrupt illegal weapons trafficking networks that funnel firearms to criminal organizations Rep. Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said the new policy “is exactly what ATF agents on the ground told Congress — that reporting multiple sales of military-grade assault weapons is a cru-
cial tool to identify and disrupt Mexican drug cartels engaged in gun trafficking.” One of the critics of Operation Fast and Furious called the new policy “the height of hypocrisy.” The Obama administration is restricting the gun rights of border state citizens, “when the administration knowingly and intentionally allowed guns to be trafficked into Mexico,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, RTexas. “Limiting the Second Amendment rights of law-
Crash kills one in two-car head-on collision
See BORDER, Page A3
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
One person died, Monday afternoon, in a two-vehicle head-on collision near the 182 mile marker on Highway 380 east of Roswell. A source at the Roswell of fices of the New Mexico State Police confirmed a multiple injury-accident, but said an investigation had not been completed and no cause had been determined yet. Roswell Fire Department Deputy Chief Hamill said that one person had died, and another was injured. The victim was transported by Emergency Services to Roswell for treatment. Sgt. P. Estrada, supervisor of Lea County State Police, was called in to investigate the collision. He said that one vehicle had been traveling westbound, the other eastbound and the two vehicles collided in the westbound lane. The names of the victims have not been released, pending notification of the
Jessica Palmer Photo
Fatal crash near the 182 mile marker on Highway 380.
State officer suspended Los Alamos blaze versus flood JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
New Mexico State Police Officer Joe Dan Green, 36, has been put on paid leave pending investigation of a motorcycle accident that took place in the early hours of the morning on July 4. “The accident took place on Comanche, east of town, and we had reason to believe he had been drinking,” said Lt. Britt Snyder of the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office. Green was taken to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries where, according to Snyder, a blood sample was taken. “It could take weeks to receive the results on that.
“I don’t know if it’s still true, it used to be if the results were less than 0.08 they automatically test for other drugs,” he said. He also noted that it was unusual for the Sheriff’s Office to investigate a traffic accident in the county. However, the State Police asked for agency assistance on what could be a delicate case. Snyder confirmed that Green was not on duty at the time of the accident. “He told the sergeant on duty at the time that the front wheel started to wobble and he lost control.” Snyder said. The SO has turned the motorcycle over to New
ALBUQUERQUE, AP) — As firefighters battling the largest wildfire in New Mexico history are reporting success in slowing the growth of the blaze, an array of of ficials and agencies began to turn their focus to the danger of potential flood damage. By Monday, crews were reporting 50 percent containment on the Las Conchas fire. The blaze has charred more than 230 square miles, or 147,642 acres, since being sparked June 26 by a tree hitting a power line in the Jemez Mountains. The risk of flash floods emanating from the large burn scar has become a key concern.
“The monsoon moisture we’re anticipating in New Mexico is greatly needed as our state continues to deal with drought and extreme fire danger, but the potentially heavy rainfall can have detrimental effects on areas devastated by wildfires like the Las Conchas,” said Gov. Susana Martinez in a statement Monday. The area around Los Alamos did get some rain over the weekend, but fire information officer Reynaldo Rivera said it was not enough to help extinguish the hot spots or cause floods. More thunderstor ms were expected as the
monsoon season ramps up this week, and the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch through Tuesday evening for portions of north and central New Mexico, including the Jemez Mountains. Fire officials said the area charred by the Las Conchas blaze encompasses portions of Sandoval, Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties. The fire affected more than 95 percent of Bandelier National Monument, as well as a significant portion of Santa Clara Pueblo’s reserva-
Syrian protesters attack US, French embassies See OFFICER, Page A3
CLASSIFIEDS..........B4 COMICS.................B3 FINANCIAL .............A6 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
AP Photo
In this photo released by Syrian news website Shukumaku and according to them, pro-Syrian President Bashar Assad protesters, hang Syrian flags and Assad portraits at the fence of the U.S. Embassy compound.
BEIRUT (AP) — Hundreds of Syrian government supporters attacked the U.S. Embassy in Damascus Monday, smashing windows and spray-painting walls with obscenities and graffiti that called the American ambassador a “dog.” Guards at the French Embassy fired in the air to ward off another group of protesters. The sharp escalation in tensions followed a visit last week by the American and French ambassadors to the city of Hama, a stronghold of opposition to authoritarian President Bashar Assad. Syrian authorities were angered by the visit and American Ambassador Robert Ford’s harsh criticism afterward of the government crackdown on a
four -month-old uprising. Ford’s residence was also attacked on Monday. The U.S. and France both accused Syrian forces of being too slow to respond and demanded the government abide by its international obligations to protect diplomatic missions and allow envoys freedom of movement. The U.S. formally protested, calling the attacks “outrageous,” and saying protesters were incited by a television station heavily influenced by Syrian authorities. “Ford get out now,” protesters wrote on a paper hung on the U.S. Embassy's fence. “The people want to kick out the dog,” read graffiti scrawled in red on the wall of the embassy, along
See FLOOD, Page A3
with another line cursing America. The protesters smashed the embassy sign hanging over one gate. The U.S. said it would seek compensation for damage. Syrian-U.S. relations have been mired in mutual distrust for years. But Monday's attacks were the worst such violence since 2000, when a stone-throwing mob attacked and vandalized the U.S. Embassy and ambassador’s residence over American and British airstrikes against Iraq. The attacks pose a renewed challenge to the Obama administration. The White House has criticized the Syrian regime’s violent See PROTEST, Page A3