Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • 1

4 qaklandtribunecom Volume 134 No 282 Mt 75 cents plus tax strokes motivational accroach contrasts greatly with SA' SPORTS Angus Young ana thelboys storm back into the Bay Area sr ir 'V Oaldanb 1 (Tribune riday I November 28 2008 Serving Oakland for 134 years 1 Kock Vl A I O' 1 tfa HADI MIZBANASSOCIATED PRESS MOIMMhJIMBTlEaNlKmlHHuTl HKBw JI A 1 LAWMAKERS LOYAL to anti American cleric Muqtada al Sadr who opposed the pact hold banners that say no to the in Baghdad on Thursday Iraq exit pact on paper Parliament approves withdrawal timetable saying US troops must leave countiy within three years By Christopher Torchia and Qassim Abdul Zahra ASSOCIATED PRESS BAGHDAD The long costly story of American military involvement in Iraq moved closer to an end Thursday when parliament approved a pact that re quires all troops to be out in three years marking the first clear timetable for a US exit since the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein The vote for the security deal followed months of tough talks between US and Iraqi negotiators that at times seemed on the point of collapse and then days of hardscrabble deal making between ethnic and sectarian groups whose centuries old rifts had hardened during the first four years of the war The war has claimed more than 4200 American lives and killed a far greater un told number of Iraqis consumed huge re serves of money and resources and eroded the global stature of the United States even among its closest allies Now an end is in sight and US troops could leave sooner if President elect Barack Obama makes good on a plan to pull out combat troops within 16 months of moving into the White House in January Some troops are likely to redeploy to face an insurgency that has expanded in Afghanistan as attacks have diminished in Iraq where the US believes Iraqi forces See IRAQ Page 9 JANE TYSKASTA VEHICLES TRAVEL west through the third bore of the Caldecott Tunnel this month 5 'V I isifcraiSOP iy 1 Tj BBSEESp Career at Caldecott close to far from bore Longtime Caltrans workers say flaming cars saxophone players drum solos just part of the job By Janis Mara STA WRITER OAKLAND At 1 1 :30 am on a weekday in November Dennis Perry a 28 year Caltrans veteran lowers his fin ger onto the button that will bring 70 yellow sticks popping out ot tne pavement closing otf the center bore of the Caldecott Tunnel to westbound traffic on Highway 24 Conceived and completed in the depths of the Depression a key element of Contra Costa expansion the Art Deco tunnel amid its tumble of trees is a thing of beauty to some and a necessary evil to others Commuters fume at the endless backups com See TUNNEL Page 9 HIHI i ONLINE insideBayArea own HARVEST AND HUMANITY JANE TYSKASTA DA WIT RE left and his wife Semhar Michael eat a free Thanksgiving dinner at the Two Star Market in the Dimond district Thursday in Oakland Besides turkey and trimmings barbecued chicken was available at the meal Dozens of community meals held around East Bay BUSINESSC1 See MEALS Page 9 Commandos battle to regain Mumbai provement Association friends and family help out with the preparations and cost which runs about $6000 he said It was the first time Taub and De pape came to the feast but they wasted no time eating dancing socializing and showing good cheer to strangers like to meet our neighbors I want my children to learn that eveiy one is a human being and a said Taub who said she makes vid eos for public access television also want my kids to learn about sharing In Russia where I am from people share more and 1 want my kids to grow up knowing Like every year there were dozens of community meals at churches soup kitchens and businesses around the East Bay But this year with the state helicopter as sharpshooters opened fire on the five stoiy building Indian commandos scoured two luxury hotels for survivors and holed up mili tants more than a day after a chain of attacks across India's financial center by suspected Muslim militants left at least Indian forces charge besieged Jewish center scour hotels looking for militants and survivors 119 people dead The well coordinated strikes by small bands of gun men starting Wednesday night left the city shellshocked but the sporadic gunfire and ex plosions at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels dwindled over night indicating the siege might be winding down At the headquarters of the ultra orthodox Jew ish outreach group Chabad Lubavitch a commando as taasi tunny Highs 60s Lows 50s Details on D8 By Ramola TalwarBadam ASSOCIATED PRESS MUMBAI India Secu ity forces stormed a Jewish in Mumbai where Mus im militants were believed holed up with possible hps tages riday with black clad commandos dropping from a By Kristin Bender STA WRITER OAKLAND Gypsy Taub David Depape and their three small children could have cooked and eaten a tradi tional Thanksgiving meal in the com fort of their Berkeley home and been happy enough Instead the young fam ily chose to join 350 others at the Two Star Market for a community meal matter how much money we have 1 still want to come to commu nity Taub said want to be in touch with real life inancial inde pendence is a great thing especially if you have kids but 1 want to lose touch with humanity" or a sixth year Abdo Alawdi 34 year old owner of the Two Star Market and liquor store in the Dimond district has put on a community feast for any one who wants a free hot Thanksgiv ing meal Volunteers the Dimond Im GLOOMY ECONOMY AILS TO BREAK SPIRITS: Today we continue a series' examining the mopd of small business owners in cities across1 the Bay Area In Livermore a city center being revitalized and a robust wine country a few miles away have given merchants hope to combat the gloom of these dreary ecomonic times' sault began shortly after dawn following a tense night in which six trucks of soldiers had been brought in to sur round the building Snipers stationed in buildings opposite the center began the attack with sustained fire on the building as at least nine commandos lowered them selves by rope onto the roof from a circling Indian air See MUMBAI Page 9 I' 'Av 4 it i 1 fl lfM i Er 'i ffW A (' iLfe 1 Keeping it local 1 obituaries i 11 Business C1 Opinion A17 I Oakland merchants gear Class1: Insert Scores'" B6 I up shop local campaign in LegalsJ Inside Class TV C7 Illi I time for Black riday A3 Local' A3 Wonderword C5 7 "'08820 oisoi.