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Five years ago: Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and offered the people of Afghanistan his "personal regrets" for U.S. airstrikes that had killed civilians and said he would try to improve the accuracy of air warfare. A suicide attack on the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa (sah-NAH'), Yemen, killed 19 people, including an American woman and six militants.
One year ago: NATO said it was scaling back operations with Afghan soldiers and policemen to lower the risk of insider attacks and reduce local tensions after an anti-Islam film was blamed for setting off protests in Afghanistan. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney told reporters his comments about Americans who pay no income taxes were not "elegantly stated." Romney was recorded telling a group of wealthy donors that 47 percent of Americans consider themselves victims, don't pay any income tax and expect government benefits.
Today's birthdays: Actor David Huddleston is 83. Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, is 80. Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter is 74. Singer LaMonte McLemore (The Fifth Dimension) is 78. Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni is 70. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson is 68. Singer Fee Waybill is 63. Actress Cassandra Peterson ("Elvira, Mistress of the Dark") is 62. Comedian Rita Rudner is 60. Muppeteer Kevin Clash (former voice of Elmo on "Sesame Street")is 53. Director-actor Paul Feig is 51. Movie director Baz Luhrmann is 51. Singer BeBe Winans is 51. Actor Kyle Chandler is 48. Director-producer Bryan Singer is 48. Rapper Doug E. Fresh is 47. Actor Malik Yoba is 46. Rock musician Keith Flint (Prodigy) is 44. Actor Matthew Settle is 44. Rapper Vinnie (Naughty By Nature) is 43. Actor Felix Solis is 42. Rock singer Anastacia is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marcus Sanders (Hi-Five) is 40. Actress-singer Nona Gaye is 39. Singer-actor Constantine Maroulis is 38. NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson is 38. Pop singer Maile (MY'-lee) Misajon (Eden's Crush) is 37. Country singer-songwriter Stephen Cochran is 34. Rock musician Chuck Comeau (Simple Plan) is 34. Actor Billy Miller is 34. Country singer Desi Wasdin (3 of Hearts) is 30. Rock musician Jon Walker is 28.
Thought for today: "Governments exist to protect the rights of minorities. The loved and the rich need no protection -- they have many friends and few enemies." -- Wendell Phillips, American abolitionist (1811-1884)
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