NFC blows out AFC 62-35 in Pro Bowl in Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) ? A handful of shenanigans and plenty of points ? yet still another ho-hum Pro Bowl.

Whether the NFL's all-star game will return next season is a something the league will ponder the next few months after the NFC's 62-35 blowout of the AFC on Sunday.

"It's been an unbelievable week," Seattle rookie quarterback Russell Wilson said, "And the thing was, if you watched us, everybody was competing today and it was really awesome."

Wilson at least got the crowd pumped up in the second half with some nifty scrambles and three passing touchdowns. There was also Houston's sack-happy defensive end J.J. Watt going out for a couple of passes as a wide receiver, and retiring Green Bay center Jeff Saturday snapping to two Mannings on opposite teams.

But while the NFC appeared unstoppable on offense, with nearly each player putting up fantasy-worthy lines in limited play, the AFC had five turnovers and scored most of its points well after the game was no longer competitive.

Minnesota tight end Kyle Rudolph was voted the game's MVP with five catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.

"Guys were competing, guys wanted to win and guys want to keep the game here," Rudolph insisted. "That was the point before the game. We want to keep this game rolling for future Pro Bowlers."

Watt, who had 20 1/2 sacks for Houston, lined up as a wide receiver on the AFC's third play from scrimmage, but missed a pass from Denver quarterback Peyton Manning. He was targeted one more time, but didn't make a catch.

He later showed a television camera a bloody left pinkie, joking with NBC broadcasters that it was proof that the players were trying.

"Hey, Commish, we're playing hard," Watt said as he showed his finger.

Roger Goodell has said the Pro Bowl won't be played again if play didn't improve this year. Last year, fans in Hawaii booed as lineman were clearly not trying. On one play in that game, Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen did a barrel roll to switch positions with a teammate.

If players were coasting this time around, it was less obvious. The AFC just played poorly. And fans didn't boo much ? the stands were relatively empty even though the game sold enough tickets to lift a local television blackout.

The game was trending on Twitter in the United States early on, but quickly gave way to the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the WWE Royal Rumble.

Saturday, retiring at the end of this season, played for both teams, though he came representing the NFC. He lined up on one play for the AFC to snap the ball one last time to Manning, his longtime former Colts teammate.

Saturday said it meant a lot to him that the Broncos quarterback, whom Saturday called a true friend, orchestrated the stunt.

"He's got a little more pull than I got," Saturday said. "He got it all set up and timed up for me, so it was really nice of him to do that."

Saturday played 13 seasons in Indianapolis, all with Manning ? except 2011, when Manning was out with a neck injury. Saturday then played later in the game for the NFC, snapping to Peyton's brother, Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Saturday's last play on the field was a passing touchdown by Eli Manning.

Peyton Manning said it was nice for the NFL to allow the play to happen.

"It's something that I'll always remember," he said, "that he'll always remember to kind of get that one, final snap together after the thousands that we've taken together."

Even as the NFC piled up touchdowns, the game struggled for memorable moments after Saturday's momentary switch.

In the second quarter, referee Ed Hochuli drew cheers when announcing a pass interference penalty on Denver cornerback Champ Bailey in the second quarter ? the first flag of the game.

"Yes, there are penalties in the Pro Bowl," Hochuli said, drawing laughs and loud cheers.

Giants wideout Victor Cruz broke a Pro Bowl record with 10 catches. Tampa Bay receiver Vincent Jackson had 91 yards and two touchdowns. Eli Manning threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns.

Cincinnati's A.J. Green had three TD catches for the AFC.

NFL officials said earlier in the week that the league wants to decide the future of the Pro Bowl by the time next season's schedule is released in April.

"We understood exactly what (Goodell) wanted, guys were making plays all over the field," Cruz said. "There was a little bit more high intensity than in years past and we were excited to play."

___

Oskar Garcia can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia .

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nfc-blows-afc-62-35-pro-bowl-hawaii-035015891--spt.html

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Kalyn's Kitchen?: Vegetarian Recipe for Green Chile and Pinto ...

This new recipe for A Month of Daily Phase One Recipes is the firstborn child of my Green Chile Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef and Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken (that are also Phase One), and once Jake and I had the idea of trying to create a vegetarian casserole with some of those same flavors, it took us three tries to get it right.? But this final version is a definite winner, with all the flavors that make bean and green chile burritos such a favorite of many people.? Even though casseroles aren't too photogenic, I love them for the way the flavors combine to make a sum that's greater than the parts, and a leftover casserole like this in the fridge is always a nice benefit.
Dried beans are a limited food for Phase One of the South Beach Diet, but in a dish like this with other ingredients like whole green chiles, green bell pepper, and cheese, you can eat a moderate serving.? Still, I wouldn't have more than the 1/8 serving size I'm listing if you're eating this for Phase One.? And of course, this is my Meatless Monday dish for this week, and I'm betting the whole family will like this one.? (You can find more meatless recipes by using the label Meatless Monday or checking Vegetarian Recipes in the recipe index, and I'm also doing a meatless slow cooker recipe each Monday on Slow Cooker from Scratch.? For more Meatless Monday ideas from other bloggers, follow our Meatless Monday board on Pinterest, or check Meatless Monday at BlogHer.)

Some people have told me they can't find the whole green chiles that I use to layer in these casseroles, but in Salt Lake I can find them at several stores, near the Mexican food.? If your store doesn't have them, I'd try a Mexican market.

Drain the pinto beans into a colander and rinse with cold water. In a different colander, drain the whole green chiles.

Heat the oil in a large pan, then saute onions, green peppers, minced garlic, and ground cumin.? Season with a little salt.

Add the drained pinto beans, cook about 3-4 minutes, then mash slightly. Add the green chile enchilada sauce and cook until it's mostly absorbed by the beans, then turn off heat and stir in the sour cream. One at a time, open the whole chiles with your fingers and wipe with paper towels to dry them and remove seeds.? Make into two stacks. Spray the casserole dish with non-stick spray and make a layer of half the green chiles. Then make a layer with half the bean mixture. Followed by a layer with half the cheese. Make another layer each of whole green chiles, bean mixture, and cheese. Bake with the lid on or covered with foil at 375F/190C for about 30 minutes.

Then remove the lid and bake another 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling and the top is starting to brown.? (You can put it under the broiler for a few minutes to brown more if desired.)? Serve hot.

Vegetarian Green Chile and Pinto Bean Layered Mexican Casserole
(Makes 8 servings; recipe created by Kalyn and Jake with inspiration from?Green Chile Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef and Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken.)

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped small
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped small
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
salt to taste
2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans
1 can (27 oz.) whole green chiles (Mild green chiles, not jalapenos)
1 cup Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (from a 15 oz. can; you can freeze the rest)
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
2 cups low-fat grated cheddar cheese (I used Four Cheese Mexican Blend from Costco.)

Instructions:

Drain the pinto beans into a colander, spray with cold water until no more foam appears, and let beans drain.? In another colander drain the whole green chiles.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.? Add the onions and peppers and saute 4-5 minutes, until they are just starting to brown.? Add garlic, cumin, and salt and cook another minute or two, then add the drained beans and cook 3-4 minute, then mash the beans slightly.? (We used a potato masher, but you can use a large fork.)? Add the cup of green chile enchilada sauce and simmer until the sauce is mostly absorbed by the beans.? Then turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream.

While the bean mixture is cooking, open the whole chiles with your fingers and wipe with paper towels to dry them and remove seeds.? (This will take about 10 paper towels, but don't skip this step.)? Divide the chiles into two stacks.

In the casserole dish make a layer with half the whole green chiles, half the bean mixture, and half the cheese.? Follow with another layer each of whole green chiles, bean mixture and cheese.

Cover the casserole with the lid or with foil and bake about 30 minutes, or until cheese is all melted.? Remove the lid and bake about 20 minutes more, until casserole is bubbling and starting to brown on top.? (You can put it under the broiler for a few minutes if it seems done but you'd like the cheese more brown.)? Serve hot, with condiments like salsa, Green Tabasco Sauce, sour cream, or guacamole if desired.

This will keep in the refrigerator for several days and also freezes well.?

Printer Friendly Recipe
South Beach Suggestions:
Dried beans are a low-glycemic ingredient that's allowed for any phase of the South Beach Diet, but serving size is limited for Phase One.? Be sure not to eat more than the 1/8 casserole serving size if you're eating this for Phase One.
Nutritional Information?
I chose the South Beach Diet to manage my weight partly so I wouldn't have to count calories, carbs, points, or fat grams, but if you want nutritional information for a recipe, I recommend entering the recipe into Calorie Count, which will calculate it for you.
More Phase One Meatless Main Dishes:
Cauliflower-Crust Vegetarian Pizza with Mushrooms and Olives
Vegan Picadillo Lentil Stew with Sweet Bell Peppers and Green Olives
Julia Child's Eggplant Pizzas
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Greek Lentil Soup with Tomatoes, Spinach, and Feta
Mexican Red Lentil Stew with Lime and Cilantro???

Blogger Disclosure:

Posts may include links to my affiliate account at Amazon.com, and Kalyn's Kitchen earns a few cents on the dollar if readers purchase the items I recommend, so thanks for supporting my blog when you shop at Amazon!

Source: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2013/01/vegetarian-pinto-bean-green-chile-casserole.html

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Is It Safe to Eat Damaged Fruit?

Is beat-up fruit OK to eat?

Photo by iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Much of the United States has been suffering through a deep freeze for several days, and farmers are starting to express concern about damage to crops. Citrus growers in the West say damage to the fruit has already occurred, although not enough to impact prices. All this damaged fruit has one Explainer reader wondering: Is there anything wrong with eating visibly bruised produce?

Not necessarily. A bruise is an indicator of cellular damage. When you ding an apple or a banana, it can compromise the ability of the skin or the peel to keep oxygen away from the fruit, and oxygen breaks down the cellular walls and membranes. When the chemicals within the fruit become oxidized by enzymes like polyphenoloxidase, the reaction causes an unappealing brown color. There?s no evidence, however, that oxidized fruit is bad for you. Nor is a bruise necessarily indicative of an infection. If you want to cut the bruised portion of your fruit away for aesthetic reasons, by all means do so. There are also plenty of ways to cover up the mushy consistency of bruised fruit?homesteaders turn their bruised fruits into pies, juice, jams, or fruit leathers. But if you can?t be bothered to trim your bruised banana or bake it into bread, there?s little risk to your health in just eating it.

There is a caveat: Bruising makes a piece of fruit more susceptible to infection. As the cell walls break down, nutrients leak into the open, inviting colonization by microbes already present on the surface of the fruit or in the air. As they feed on the fruit?s exposed innards, the cells multiply rapidly. It?s possible for damaged fruit to grow some of the more notorious varieties of food-borne pathogens, such as salmonella or E. coli, but garden-variety yeasts and molds are far more common. Yeasts are of minimal concern?inoculating fruit with yeasts gives us such delights as wine and cider?but molds can be dangerous. Some species of mold release mycotoxins, which can cause a variety of human illnesses. (The most notorious mycotoxin, known as aflatoxin, is a potent carcinogen that grows on milk, cheese, nuts, and grains.) If your bruised fruit has so much fungal activity that you can see or smell it, don?t eat it. In addition to bruised areas, you should check the area around the fruit?s stem for mold, which is an entry point for opportunistic microbes. Food safety experts have a saying: If in doubt, throw it out. Healthy adults often take their chances and get away with it, but this advice is especially important for small children or the elderly.

If your bruised fruit has visible microbial growth, is it still safe to eat the nondamaged portion? It depends on the fruit. The question is whether the roots of the mold have penetrated the food. It?s difficult for mold to grow deep into firm fruits. So feel free to cut away the moldy portion of a bell pepper?yes, bell peppers are a fruit?and eat the remainder. Bananas, on the other hand, are too soft to repel a mold invasion, so a banana with a bruised, moldy spot should be tossed.

Got a question about today?s news? Ask the Explainer.

Explainer thanks Doug Gubler of UC-Davis and Lynne McLandsborough of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=c2bf0af81a0620a96b8da94b5f28733a

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Great Ideas! Jason & Molly Mesnick?s Chic and Sweet Baby Shower

Get an inside peek at the Bachelor star and his wife's stylish affair.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/vp_yl_22R5k/

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The Weekly Good: Here?s How $7 Can Help Change The World

[Editor's Note: This is a weekly series. If your company is doing something amazing to help a charitable cause or doing some good in your community, please reach out.] What if just by buying a t-shirt that spreads a message for a charitable cause, you could help fund that cause? What if there was a website that highlighted a specific cause and t-shirt every week? And what if that website donated $7 from each sale to that cause? You’d have Sevenly.org, and a pretty amazing startup with the sole purpose of helping to raise both money and awareness, all with fashion, e-commerce and you of course. By highlighting one cause a week, Sevenly puts all of its focus on promoting that cause, who benefits from it, and gives you a simple call to action…buy a t-shirt. I spoke to Ryan Wood from Sevenly and here’s how he describes his startup’s mission: The way that our model works is that for every single product purchased from our website, Sevenly donates $7 to that weeks cause on behalf of the supporter. For example, if our supporters purchase 1,000 products during the 7 day campaign, Sevenly will write a check for $7,000 and donate it directly to the cause (charity partner) for that week. Through this model we’re also able to do some pretty exciting things. Often times we’re able to quantify our purchases to say, for example, for every item purchased an orphaned child in Thailand will be provided with daily meals for an entire month. Or, for every item purchased a child struggling with cancer will be given a jar full of toys that will bring joy and happiness to their lives. In addition to being able to quantify these purchases, we are able to introduce match donors occassionaly for our campaigns, raising the donation amount from $7 to $14 per item purchased, and in some cases, a full $21 donated per item purchased. This week’s shirt benefits Child Help, which is dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect. The company has already raised $1,554,040 for various causes since its launch, with its items being shared on various social networks 4,018,721 times. That’s quite a network effect, and pretty good for a company that started less than two years ago. While I’m not a fan of infographics, Sevenly has put one together that shows you why their model works

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/t5H1CvO2i_4/

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Top UK Online Marketing Influencers & Bloggers in 2013

For the past 2 years we?ve been publishing a list of the top UK focused internet marketing blogs in advance of speaking at events.?This year I?ll be presenting on Creative Content Marketing at SES London February 19th.

Since bloggers do more than just write posts, I?ve shifted the focus of this list from blogs to individuals. With the increasing importance of authorship and personal brands, I think it?s important to consider individual bloggers and the content they share whether its tweets, status updates, or other useful information created online.

As a result, the people on this list are recognized for their overall social sharing about ?online marketing? related topics, not just blogging.

Thanks to nominations made from some really helpful UK bloggers and the folks at Traackr we?ve created the?Top 50 UK Online Marketing Influencers & Bloggers.

Here?s more info about this year?s Top UK Online Marketing Influencers & Bloggers List and a few inevitable questions:

How did you create the list?
To start, we drew upon our top UK internet blogs lists from past years then asked an array of UK based internet marketers to nominate their favorite blogs and bloggers that cover search engine optimization, content marketing, search engine marketing, social media and other online marketing practices.

TopRank Online Marketing also partnered with Traackr to discover new influential bloggers, track their online content and measure their reach, resonance and relevance.

To make the list, a blogger needed to write consistently about online marketing and have an engaged audience. This ranking is updated every week to take into conservation new content published by UK bloggers on the social web, so be sure to return to see if your ranking has changed.

How do you define ?online marketing??
To develop this list, we defined online marketing as the practice of using digital channels to attract and acquire customers. The bloggers selected for the list write consistently about topics such as search engine marketing and optimization, social media marketing, content marketing, online public relations and similar topics.

How can I be included on this list?
The only way to be included on this list is to be based in the UK, write and share original content about online marketing. Your relevancy to the topic is most important. We also look at metrics to determine the size of your audience and their level of engagement with your content.

Why did my rank change?
The influential bloggers listed here are identified by Traackr and their online content is monitored over time. As new content is published, we reassess everyone?s relevance and engagement metrics on a weekly basis. New people can emerge and current list members can move in rank depending on these factors.

What is Traackr?
Traackr provides influencer identification and analytics software for businesses and agencies. The tool discovers, ranks and monitors online influencers and the content they produce on the web. Midsize and large companies use Traackr to build better influencer programs and earn more attention by engaging with the right people. You can learn more at www.traackr.com.

Thank you

To the following UK based marketers and all around helpful people who nominated many of the bloggers in this list:

Also a HUGE THANKS goes to Evy Wilkins from Traackr for all her hard work to make this new list template happen.

Inevitably, there are people that our readers feel should be included in the lists we publish. ?You can share your suggestions of course, but publishing content on social networks and on blogs on a regular basis is really the best way to make it into the consideration set.

Here?s a little more about that event I?m speaking at in London next month:

Creative Content Marketing?Winning Hearts, Minds, & Wallets
Investments in content marketing are on the rise, but few companies have fully realised what the best practices are for creating high-quality content over a long period of time. Developing ideas for effective marketing can be a challenge. This session will help you to:

• Develop a framework for creative and efficient content creation.
• Find resources and ideas where others cannot.
• Leverage a mix of evergreen, repurposed, curated, and co-created content for better marketing results.
• Apply SEO and social media optimization principles to amplify content reach and engagement.

The top 2 live tweeters during my #SESLondon session will win a copy of Optimize (sorry, no ?Optimise? version is?available) ?:)

I hope to see you there!

Source: http://www.toprankblog.com/2013/01/online-marketing-bloggers-uk/

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Under French pressure, key Mali rebel group splits

French soldiers patrol in armored vehicles, in the outskirts of Sevare, Mali, some 620 kms (385 miles) north of Bamako, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. The U.S. airlift of French forces to Mali to fight Islamic extremists is expected to go on for another two weeks, Pentagon officials said, as hundreds of African troops from Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Senegal are now joining the French-led intervention. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

French soldiers patrol in armored vehicles, in the outskirts of Sevare, Mali, some 620 kms (385 miles) north of Bamako, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. The U.S. airlift of French forces to Mali to fight Islamic extremists is expected to go on for another two weeks, Pentagon officials said, as hundreds of African troops from Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Senegal are now joining the French-led intervention. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

French soldiers patrol in armored vehicles, in the outskirts of Sevare, Mali, some 620 kms (385 miles) north of Bamako, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. The U.S. airlift of French forces to Mali to fight Islamic extremists is expected to go on for another two weeks, Pentagon officials said, as hundreds of African troops from Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Senegal are now joining the French-led intervention. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

French soldiers look with binoculars in the outskirts of Sevare, Mali, some 620 kms (385 miles) north of Bamako, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. The U.S. airlift of French forces to Mali to fight Islamic extremists is expected to go on for another two weeks, Pentagon officials said, as hundreds of African troops from Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Senegal are now joining the French-led intervention. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A Malian soldier takes position in the outskirts of Sevare, Mali, some 620 kms (385 miles) north of Bamako, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. The U.S. airlift of French forces to Mali to fight Islamic extremists is expected to go on for another two weeks, Pentagon officials said, as hundreds of African troops from Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Senegal are now joining the French-led intervention. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

French soldiers patrol in armored vehicles, in the outskirts of Sevare, Mali, some 620 kms (385 miles) north of Bamako, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. The U.S. airlift of French forces to Mali to fight Islamic extremists is expected to go on for another two weeks, Pentagon officials said, as hundreds of African troops from Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Senegal are now joining the French-led intervention. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

SAN, Mali (AP) ? Mali's rebel movement showed new signs of discord on Thursday in the wake of punishing French air strikes, with one wing of the Ansar Dine group now pledging to negotiate an end to the country's crisis and possibly even fight against its former comrades-in-arms.

France's air and land campaign that began two weeks ago to save Mali's embattled interim government has shaken up the military landscape and put the international spotlight on the former French colony. Mali's government was on a new political defensive, urging its soldiers to respect human rights after new allegations that they had carried out summary executions in zones of battle against the radical Islamists.

Three al-Qaida-linked extremist groups have controlled Mali's vast northeast for months, capitalizing on chaos that followed a coup d'etat in Mali's capital, Bamako, in March. But in a new sign of splintering, former Ansar Dine leader Alghabass Ag Intalla told the Associated Press on Thursday that he and his men were breaking off from Ansar Dine "so that we can be in control of our own fate."

"We are neither AQIM or MUJAO," he said of the other groups, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and the Movement for the Unity and Jihad in West Africa, known by its French-language acronym. "We are a group of people from the north of Mali who have a set of grievances that date back at least 50 years."

The comments suggested that at least some of Islamist fighters are searching for an exit in the wake of the French airstrikes. French radio RFI reported earlier Thursday that Intalla's new group will be called the Islamic Movement for the Azawad, a Tuareg term for northern Mali, and his men are willing to fight their former comrades-in-arms in Ansar Dine.

"We are not terrorists. We are ready to negotiate," Intalla told the AP.

A French diplomatic official said France was taking seriously the claims of a split within Ansar Dine ? but needed proof, not just words.

AQIM and MUJAO have been classified as terror groups by the U.N., and Ansar Dine has been "clearly associated" with them ? even if some of its members have raised doubts about how close those ties are, the official said.

"The other groups that have formed need to show which side they're on ... and prove it on the ground," said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. "Are they with the terrorists, or not?"

"They could, for example, free up territory themselves and no longer say that the Malian army is not welcome in the north ? and instead work with it," the official said.

Late last year, Ansar Dine held talks in neighboring Burkina Faso with Malian government representatives, and one of the sticking points was a disagreement over whether Malian law or Islamic Shariah law would be applied. Rebels have at times applied their interpretation of Shariah to carry out public executions, amputations, and whippings ? for infractions ranging from possessing cigarettes to women going out without headscarves.

Intalla suggested a new flexibility: "Shariah is our religion, we cannot renounce our religion. But whatever causes problems within it, we're willing to take a look at."

On Jan. 19, the group said in a statement on a jihadist forum that "the people of northern Mali are prepared to sacrifice everything in order to live under Shariah-based governance," according to SITE Intelligence Group.

An elected official from Kidal, who insisted on anonymity for fear of reprisal, told the AP Thursday that the split was a long time coming and reflected how Ansar Dine, which took over the northern city of Kidal, enlisted large numbers of fighters and coopted local authorities for economic and political reasons ? not ideological ones. Intalla, an ethnic Tuareg and the heir to Kidal's traditional ruler, isn't believed to be a radical Muslim, he added.

Word of the new dissension within rebel ranks came as the government was confronting its own troubles: The most vocal allegations yet that its depleted army ? which was badly splintered and weakened during the coup d'etat ? had been responsible for human rights abuses along the battle zones separating the rebels in the north and government-controlled south.

"For several days information has come to use pointing to abuses committed on the ground that point to abuses that verge on human rights violations," the prime minister's office said in a statement. "The government reminds the army and security forces to show strict respect of human rights ... the government will see to the strict respect of these norms."

On Wednesday, a witness told the AP that Malian soldiers shot people accused of ties to the radical Islamists at a bus stop in Konna, along the dividing line, and threw their bodies into nearby wells around the time when the French campaign began. Also Wednesday, French human rights group FIDH accused Malian forces of dozens of "summary executions" in the area.

French President Francois Hollande authorized a military intervention two weeks ago and fighter jets have pounded rebel training camps, arms depots and bases. Since then, the Islamists appear to have fled from the cities, although they still remain firmly in control of much of northern Mali, likely using their desert bases and the area's natural topography, including cave systems in the Kidal region.

SITE said that in Ansar Dine's statement, the group said "it had no intention to take over the capital, Bamako, and push to the south, and that France used those allegations to justify its colonial ambitions." The group also added that the fighters' withdrawal was "a strategic choice and was not forced upon them by the enemy, except in the case of protecting civilian lives and property."

The French military said late Wednesday that 2,300 French troops are involved in code-named operation Serval, and the African contingent totals 1,500 soldiers in both Mali's capital, Bamako, and the capital of neighboring Niger, Niamey. France says it will stay as long as needed, but that it hopes African forces will eventually take the lead.

France ? Mali's former colonial ruler ? has received logistical help from Western allies including Britain, Germany, Denmark and the United States, but no Western troops have been committed to fighting alongside the French and Africans.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking Thursday about the Mali situation in Davos, Switzerland, said the military action needed to be supported by "an intelligent political response" to resolve the crisis in the longer term.

"The French are right to act in Mali and I back that action," he said, adding: "We need to address the poisonous narrative these terrorists feed on, close down the ungoverned space in which they thrive and deal with the grievances they use to garner support."

___

Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Dakar, Senegal, Baba Ahmed in San, Mali, and Angela Charlton in Davos, Switzerland, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-24-AF-Mali-Fighting/id-1e07e85dcc6d4a2ba45ff42be7594c17

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