Rockets Fired at U.S. Hotel in Baghdad

According to James Smith, a coalition spokesman, at least three projectiles—- believed to be either missiles or rocket-propelled grenades—-struck the Al-Rashid Hotel (search) at around 6:30 a.m., only hours after American soldiers killed at least two Iraqis at a checkpoint in Fallujah (search) west of the capital.

Though there were no casualties in the hotel attack, authorities said it did cause damage to the facility, particularly the 14th floor. The al-Rashid, once one of Baghdad's best hotels, was taken over by the military after coalition forces toppled Saddam Hussein (search) in April. It sits inside a heavily guarded compound that also houses the Baghdad Convention Center.

Residents of the Salhiya neighborhood just west of the complex said attackers fired a rocket launcher from the middle of a street and fled, leaving the launcher behind.

Mohammed Mohanad, an Iraqi policeman at the station across the street from the hotel, said he heard the blasts on his way to work and that he counted four rounds.


posted by Frodgie at 10:11 AM

 

Iran, Iraq and oil politics on table for Bush-Putin session

WASHINGTON (AP) — Every time President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet, the difficult disagreements in the Washington-Moscow relationship — among the most delicate concerning Iraq, Iran and Chechnya — are pushed into the background.
No major public differences were expected Saturday when the two leaders faced reporters after two days of talks in the seclusion of the Camp David, Md., presidential retreat.

Bush greeted Putin with a hug, a backslap, a handshake and smiles all around on a sunny fall afternoon Friday. "Glad you're here," he said, and then ferried the Russian president by golf cart into the wooded, rustic comfort of the mountain compound.

After meetings, dinner and more meetings the two planned to appear together before reporters at midday Saturday to close out their summit.


posted by Frodgie at 10:09 AM

 

US Forces Hold 19 Al Qaeda Suspects in Iraq-Bremer

"The number is 19 to be precise," Paul Bremer told reporters. The United States has said that foreign fighters moving into Iraq to oppose U.S.-led coalition forces there have become a major "terrorist" problem.

Bremer said in response to questions at a Pentagon news conference that he did not have the nationalities of the al Qaeda guerrilla suspects. But he said a total of 248 foreigners were being held, among them 123 Syrians and a large number of both Iranians and Yemenis.

"That's been a matter that has come out in their interrogations or in their documents," he responded when pressed on how he knew the 19 prisoners in question were members of al Qaeda, the guerrilla group led by fugitive Osama bin Laden and accused of the September 2001 attacks on America.


posted by Frodgie at 10:07 AM

 

CIA seeks probe of White House

The CIA has asked the Justice Department to investigate allegations that the White House broke federal laws by revealing the identity of one of its undercover employees in retaliation against the woman’s husband, a former ambassador who publicly criticized President Bush’s since-discredited claim that Iraq had sought weapons-grade uranium from Africa, NBC News has learned.
posted by Frodgie at 10:05 AM

 

Dems Field 10th Man in Economic Policy Debate

"I've got a better job plan in eight days than George Bush had in three years," said retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark (search), who joined the race last week after months of speculation.

With new poll numbers showing Democrats with an even shot at the presidency, the 10 candidates vying for the party's presidential nomination all roundly denounced Bush's handling of the economy.

"If George Bush rebuilds Iraq the way he rebuilds the United States, they're going to lose 3 million jobs over the course of the next three years," said Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (search).

Candidates attending the latest in a series of debates were asked right off the bat whether they would fund Bush's $87 billion request to pay for reconstruction and military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kerry said if it were to be passed, it should be paid for with a repeal of tax cuts passed by Congress earlier this year and in 2001.

Kerry added that he wants some other conditions met and has not decided whether he will vote for the supplemental funding for Iraq when it reaches Senate consideration.

"I believe the $87 billion ought to come from the excessive and extraordinary tax cuts that this president foisted upon us that mainly went to people like Ken Lay, who ran Enron," said former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (search).

Thursday's debate in New York City was an opportunity for Clark, a political novice, to demonstrate his rhetorical skills and begin closing the distance he must cover to catch the front-runners in both money and publicity.


posted by Frodgie at 10:04 AM

 

Attack in Iraq Kills U.S. Soldier, Wounds Two Others

Amid the continuing violence, the United Nations (search) announced it was cutting its staff in Baghdad and Iraqis prepared to bury an assassinated member of Iraq's Governing Council.

The blast occurred about 9 p.m. Thursday at a market in Baqouba, about 30 miles north of Baghdad. Eight civilians died and another 18 were wounded, the Army said. Troops of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division (search) rushed to the scene to help.

In Baghdad, the U.S. military said one soldier from the 173rd Airborne Brigade (search) was killed and two others were wounded during an ambush in northern Iraq. The incident occurred about 11 p.m. Thursday when a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at their vehicle. The names of the victims were withheld pending notification of kin.

The death raised to 86 the number of U.S. soldiers killed by hostile fire since May 1, when President Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq.

Also Friday, the military announced that a soldier from the 4th Infantry Division died and another was injured in a fire Thursday night in an abandoned building in the Tikrit area. No further details were released.



posted by Frodgie at 9:57 AM

 

Probe Into Gitmo Spy Suspect Began in Nov. 2002

Military investigators were surveilling Senior Airman Ahmad I. al-Halabi (search) -- the Air Force translator recently charged with spying and espionage -- since November of 2002, when he was stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California, Fox News has learned. The investigation began after “suspicious activity.” A few weeks later, al-Halabi, 24, was sent to the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.

Fox News has also learned that Army Captain Yousef Yee (search) -- who was arrested two weeks after al-Halabi -- had multiple contacts with the charged translator at Camp Delta in Guantanamo Bay. Yee has not been charged yet, but is also under suspicion of spying and aiding the enemy.

Besides the two men the Pentagon has announced are being held, investigators are checking into two others -- one from the Navy and one from the Air Force, military sources said.

Military sources have also told Fox News that a secret Pentagon unit called the Department of Defense Counter Intelligence Field Activity were on Capitol Hill Thursday presenting a classified briefing to lawmakers about the ongoing investigation. The unit’s main task is to hunt down spies within the Pentagon and throughout the military.

Al-Halabi now is charged with espionage for allegedly e-mailing classified information about the prison camp to an unspecified "enemy" and planning to give other secrets about the prison to someone traveling to Syria. He is one of two military members at the prison camp in Cuba to be arrested during an investigation of possible security breaches there.

An Air Force spokesman, Lt. Col. Rob Koon, said Thursday he had no information on why al-Halabi was allowed to work as a translator at Guantanamo Bay when he had been under suspicion before arriving at the prison camp.


posted by Frodgie at 9:54 AM

 

Schwarzenegger gaining GOP support

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Republican leaders are beginning to unite behind Arnold Schwarzenegger as their best choice to wrest the governor's office from Democratic hands in the October 7 California recall election.

Rep. Darrell Issa, who financed the recall initiative, will endorse Schwarzenegger Friday, sources close to Issa told CNN. On Thursday County GOP chairmen from across the state agreed to endorse the actor-turned-politician, as did one of the Republican candidates who dropped out of the campaign, Bill Simon.

But Schwarzenegger's last remaining major GOP rival, conservative state Sen. Tom McClintock, remained defiant, saying he will not drop out of the race.

"I made a promise to people when I entered this race that I would be in it to the finish line, and I keep my promises," he said in an interview with CNN's John King. "When I make a promise, I stand by that promise. I'm in this race to the finish line."


posted by Frodgie at 9:52 AM

 

Singer Robert Palmer dies at 54

LONDON, England -- Rock singer Robert Palmer has died in Paris of a heart attack at the age of 54, his manager said.

The British star, whose chart hits in the 1980s included "Addicted to Love," suffered the attack in the early hours of Friday morning, Mick Cater said.

Palmer, who had lived in Switzerland for 16 years, was staying in the French capital with his partner, Mary Ambrose, after traveling from the United Kingdom where he had been recording a TV show.

"I can't say anything else at this point, I'm just in shock," Cater told CNN.

The singer was born in Batley, Yorkshire, in 1949, but spent the majority of his youth on the island of Malta. At the age of 19, Palmer returned to England where he sang with the Alan Brown Set and a soul group, Vinegar Joe, before beginning a solo career in 1974.


posted by Frodgie at 9:50 AM

 

GENERAL CLARK PRAISED CONDI, POWELL, RUMSFELD AND BUSH: 'WE NEED THEM THERE'

from Drudge

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX THU SEPT 25, 2003 16:05:37 ET XXXXX

GENERAL CLARK PRAISED CONDI, POWELL, RUMSFELD AND BUSH: 'WE NEED THEM THERE'

**World Exclusive**

Democratic presidential hopeful General Wesley Clark offered lavish praise for the Bush Administration and its key players in a speech to Republicans -- just two years ago, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal!

MORE

During extended remarks delivered at the Pulaski County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner in Little Rock, Arkansas on May 11, 2001, General Clark declared: "And I'm very glad we've got the great team in office, men like Colin Powell, Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice... people I know very well - our president George W. Bush. We need them there."

A video of Clark making the comments has surfaced, DRUDGE can reveal.

MORE

Clark praised Reagan for improving the military:

"We were really helped when President Ronald Reagan came in. I remember non-commissioned officers who were going to retire and they re-enlisted because they believed in President Reagan."

Clark continued: "That's the kind of President Ronald Reagan was. He helped our country win the Cold War. He put it behind us in a way no one ever believed would be possible. He was truly a great American leader. And those of us in the Armed Forces loved him, respected him, and tremendously admired him for his great leadership."

Clark on President George Bush: "President George Bush had the courage and the vision... and we will always be grateful to President George Bush for that tremendous leadership and statesmanship."

Clark on American military involvement overseas:

"Do you ever ask why it is that these people in these other countries can't solve their own problems without the United States sending its troops over there? And do you ever ask why it is the Europeans, the people that make the Mercedes and the BMW's that got so much money can't put some of that money in their own defense programs and they need us to do their defense for them?"

"And I'll tell you what I've learned from Europe is that are a lot of people out in the world who really, really love and admire the United States. Don't you ever believe it when you hear foreign leaders making nasty comments about us. That's them playing to their domestic politics as they misread it. Because when you talk to the people out there, they love us. They love our values. They love what we stand for in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights."

Impacting...

posted by Frodgie at 6:26 PM

 

US may call up more reservists for Iraq

The US may be forced to call up more reserve and National Guard troops to serve in Iraq because of the reluctance of other countries to send forces, US defence officials said on Wednesday.

General Peter Pace, vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the Pentagon would need to alert reserve troops in the next four to six weeks unless a multinational division of 10,000 to 15,000 troops was pledged before then.

But US hopes for winning international support appeared to be waning in the wake of the tepid response to President George W. Bush's call at the United Nations on Tuesday for more international assistance.

Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary, told a congressional committee on Wednesday: "We're not going to get a lot of international troops with or without a UN resolution."

The call-up of additional reserve and guard troops to maintain the 130,000-strong US force in Iraq could further weaken domestic popular support for the US role in Iraq.

Most reserve and guard troops are married men with families and regular jobs and the long deployments in Iraq are already straining morale.

Senator Ernest Hollings, a South Carolina Democrat, warned: "

posted by Frodgie at 8:57 AM

 

Chirac signals flexibility on Iraq

In an interview in New York, where he is attending the U.N. General Assembly, Chirac also said France shares U.S. concerns about nuclear proliferation and might be willing to back sanctions against Iran unless it accepts tough new inspection standards. The United States has accused Iran of running a secret nuclear weapons program; Iran says its nuclear programs are only for generating electricity. (Related link: Transcript of Chirac interview)

Seeking to end the worst quarrel between the United States and France in decades, Chirac suggested growing flexibility on Iraq. (Related audio: USA TODAY's Slavin: Chirac puzzled by anti-French sentiment in America)

The Bush administration is negotiating a Security Council resolution to pave the way for more international troops and financial aid for Iraq but retain U.S. command over the military effort there.

Chirac said U.S. administrator Paul Bremer, who holds decision-making power in Baghdad, could remain for months during a gradual transfer of authority.

Bremer "is not the issue," Chirac said. "There will have to be a transitional phase, but it has to be organized by the sovereign (Iraqi) authorities." The insistence on a transfer of sovereignty, he said, is based on the view that "the situation (in Iraq) is not good and is not improving and there is a real risk it will worsen, so we have to try something different."


posted by Frodgie at 8:51 AM

 

Calif. Recall Candidates Clash in Debate

Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, a Democrat, came under attack for taking millions of dollars in Indian casino money. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was criticized for supporting a divisive ballot initiative nine years ago that would have prevented services for the children of illegal immigrants. State Sen. Tom McClintock was told he had the facts backward on the economy, and independent Arianna Huffington was hit for barely paying income taxes.

Throughout the first half of the debate, moderator Stan Statham of the California Broadcasters Association had to coax the candidates to stay on subject. At one point, Statham said he was dizzy from the quick, loud and aggressive banter.

"Cruz, Arianna, Cruz, Arianna, Cruz, Arianna," Statham said as Bustamante and Huffington parried on the issue of business and taxes.

Meanwhile, Green Party candidate Peter Camejo stayed above the fray, saying, "I'm trying to be respectful to everyone here."

The stakes were high for the debate, which was carried live on national cable networks including CNN, MSNBC and Fox. One in five voters in a recent poll was undecided, and two-thirds said they would be swayed by the face-off, which could be the most-watched debate in California political history.


posted by Frodgie at 8:47 AM

 

Fast-Food Industry Goes on a Health Kick

Struggling with sluggish business and an onslaught of obesity lawsuits (search), many chains are expanding their nutritional efforts with everything from online fat and calorie counters to healthier alternatives to burgers, shakes and fries.

But are the "healthier" alternatives really healthier — and will the initiative help the fast-food frequenters who need it most?

"It remains to be seen if these changes are going to have a significant — if any — influence on reducing calories and fat," said Penn State nutritionist Kristine Clark. "I'm not very convinced that the average person who eats at these restaurants is going to exercise the option of choosing lower-calorie [meals] or smaller portions."

Wendy's is the latest fast-food franchise to revamp its nutrition initiative. Beginning this month, the restaurant is putting the following message on its bags, tray liners and wall menus: "We're proud of the food we serve at Wendy's. To learn more, please ask for a nutrition guide or visit Wendys.com."


posted by Frodgie at 8:44 AM

 

Court Rejects Sentence of Nigerian Woman Facing Death for Adultery

A five-judge panel rejected the sentence against 32-year-old Amina Lawal (search), saying she was not caught in the act of adultery and she was not given "ample opportunity to defend herself."

If the sentence had been carried out, the single mother would have been the first woman stoned to death since 12 northern states first began adopting strict Islamic law, or Shariah (search), in 1999.

Lawal, wrapped in a light orange veil, sat on a stone bench, eyes downcast, cradling her nearly 2-year-old daughter as the ruling was announced at the Katsina State Shariah Court of Appeals (search) under heavy security.

The judges read their verdict, which is final, inside a tiny blue-walled courtroom equipped with ceiling fans to ease the sweltering heat.

Lawal was first convicted in March 2002 following the birth of her daughter two years after she divorced her husband. Judges rejected Lawal's first appeal in August 2002.

In an hour-long hearing, the panel said Lawal was not caught in the act of adultery and wasn't given enough time to understand the charges against her.

It also cited procedural errors, including that only one judge was present at her initial conviction in March 2002, instead of the three required under Islamic law.


posted by Frodgie at 8:42 AM

 

CIA: No conclusion in Iraq weapons report

WASHINGTON (AP) — An interim report by the CIA's chief weapons hunter in Iraq will not make any claim of finding weapons of mass destruction, say officials at the intelligence agency.
The officials declined to specify what findings David Kay might include in his upcoming report but said Wednesday it is not expected to reach any conclusions about Iraq's alleged weapons program.

U.S. and British officials have not disclosed any discoveries that would validate their prewar assertions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction ready to use.

Kay, a former U.N. weapons inspector, is the CIA adviser working with teams in Iraq searching for evidence of chemical and biological weapons, programs to make more, and prohibited missiles and nuclear weapons programs.

Some Pentagon officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have said that weapons hunters have found what they interpret as evidence of Iraqi preparations to secretly produce chemical and biological weapons.


posted by Frodgie at 8:40 AM

 

Congress, White House at Odds Over Saudi Arabia

"The administration has more faith in the Saudis than I do," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told Fox News on Tuesday. "I think that the Saudis have such a checkered history when it comes to the funding of terrorist groups that I would prefer our government take stronger action."

Collins, chairwoman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee (search), held a classified hearing Tuesday to hear from Treasury, State and FBI officials about cooperation in efforts to track terror financing.

The Bush administration has maintained that the longstanding friendship between the United States and Saudi Arabia continues unwithered, based on mutual security and oil interests.

“I’ve got an absolute sense [from the Saudis] that there are no holds barred in going after the money and the terrorists,” Treasury Secretary John W. Snow told reporters after a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last week with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.

The Saudis have been “very good partners in helping us go after the people in the Al Qaeda organization,” Vice President Dick Cheney said in a televised interview last week.

That sense of partnership has been quite different on Capitol Hill. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has emerged as a leading critic of Saudi Arabia and has urged the Bush administration to get tough with the country. Concerns have also come from Republican senators, including Jon Kyl of Arizona and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.


posted by Frodgie at 8:34 AM

 

Airman at Guantanamo Bay Charged With Espionage

Yeah, look at his name!!

Senior Airman Ahmad I. al-Halabi, an Arabic-language translator at the prison camp, is accused of trying to send information about detainees to Syria (search).

Al-Halabi knew Yousef Yee (search), the Muslim chaplain whose arrest earlier this month was announced Saturday, but it was unclear if there had been any conspiracy to breach security at the prison camp.

The charges against al-Halabi, however, include an allegation that he failed to report unauthorized contacts between prisoners and other military members. Those other military members were not identified.

Al-Halabi, 24, of Detroit, is being held at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, Air Force Maj. Michael Shavers said Tuesday.

A military attorney representing al-Halabi, Air Force Maj. James E. Key III, denied the charges, telling The Washington Post: "Airman al-Halabi is not a spy and he is not a terrorist."


posted by Frodgie at 8:32 AM

 

GOP insiders worry that president is vulnerable

There's no panic. There are no calls to the White House urging an overhaul of staff or strategy. But apprehension has seeped into conversations among Republicans in Washington and beyond. A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll out this week is increasing their concern. It found retired general Wesley Clark and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, two Democrats running for president, leading Bush narrowly among registered voters.

"If the economy is not good, we'll have a very close race," says Charlie Black, a veteran Republican strategist in Washington. "In a very close race, you could lose."

Ferrell Blount, chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, is bracing for "a very tough fight."

Bush and his advisers have always said publicly that they expect a close election. Those predictions help create low expectations and motivate fundraisers and other volunteers to work hard. For months, Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman has insisted that he's "assuming a very competitive race."


posted by Frodgie at 8:31 AM

 

Gay bishop rejected in Florida

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida voted Saturday to repudiate a decision by the denomination's national convention to confirm a gay man as bishop.

The central Florida diocese also rejected a decision by the General Convention that said same-sex blessing ceremonies are consistent with church teachings.

Other dioceses have rejected the decision to approve Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as a bishop, but the central Florida diocese was the first to do so in a formal diocesan convention after a vote involving several hundred delegates.

The 400 clergy and lay delegates also voted to ask the world's Anglican leaders, or primates, to intervene during a meeting next month to be held by the Archbishop of Canterbury.


posted by Frodgie at 8:29 AM

 

Sick pope cancels weekly audience

ROME, Italy -- Pope John Paul II has been forced to make a rare cancellation of his weekly general audience outside his Vatican City apartment due to intestinal problems.

Vatican officials stressed it was a precautionary measure.

The 83-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church arrived back in Italy on September 14 after a grueling four-day trip to Slovakia, where he appeared particularly frail and short of breath.

He remains at his summer residence, Castel Gandolfo, just outside of Rome, where he plans to finish off his vacation until the end of the month.

The Vatican says the rest of his working schedule remains intact, including a busy October.

On October 16, the pope celebrates the 25th anniversary of his pontificate; on October 19, he will celebrate a three-hour Mass for the beatification of St. Teresa of Calcutta.

The pope has had intestinal problems in the past.


posted by Frodgie at 8:28 AM

 

Iraqi police: Bomb hits 2 commuter buses, 1 dead

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- An explosive device meant for a U.S. military vehicle, hit two Iraqi commuter buses Wednesday morning, killing a 17-year-old passenger and wounding at least 12 others, according to Iraqi police and hospital officials.

Five of the wounded were in critical condition, officials said.

The device is believed to have been a "daisy chain" -- a series of connected explosives -- placed in the median of the road.

Both small commuter buses -- traveling near a military Humvee, believed to be the intended target -- were severely damaged, and the explosion ripped through the front, left side of one of the buses.

The armored Humvee sustained minor damage, and no U.S. soldiers were injured.

The attack happened near Anter Square in northern Baghdad, outside the Al Hariri Girls' School and near the Indian Embassy.

Less than a mile away, insurgents late Tuesday attacked a joint walking patrol, injuring three U.S. soldiers and three Iraqi police officers, a coalition official told CNN. Details of that attack were not immediately available.


posted by Frodgie at 8:26 AM

 

Clinton 'History' Doesn't Repeat Itself in China

BEIJING, Sept. 23 — In her autobiography, "Living History," Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton recounts how China's imprisonment of a prominent human rights activist, Harry Wu, caused a sensation in the United States and nearly derailed her plans to attend a United Nations women's conference held in Beijing in 1995.

In the officially licensed Chinese edition of Mrs. Clinton's book, though, Mr. Wu makes just a cameo appearance. While named, he is otherwise identified only as a person who was "prosecuted for espionage and detained awaiting trial."

Mrs. Clinton's book has become a major best seller in China, as it has in the United States, and her smiling likeness decorates bookstores and airport shops nationwide. Yilin Press, the government-owned publisher of the mainland version of the book, says it has become the most popular foreign political memoir in Chinese history, with 200,000 copies sold in just over a month.

But nearly everything Mrs. Clinton had to say about China, including descriptions of her own visits here, former President Bill Clinton's meetings with Chinese leaders and her criticisms of Communist Party social controls and human rights policies, has been shortened or selectively excerpted to remove commentary deemed offensive by Beijing.


posted by Frodgie at 8:24 AM

 

Gordon Jump of 'WKRP', Maytag ads dies

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Gordon Jump, who played a befuddled radio station manager on the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" and made his mark in commercials as the lonely Maytag repairman, died Monday. He was 71.

Jump suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, said his cousin, Katherine Jump Wagner. The illness causes scarring of the air sacs of the lungs, leading to heart or respiratory failure.

Wagner, of Arcanum, Ohio, said she learned of her cousin's death from her father, also named Gordon Jump. Her cousin was under hospice care at his home southeast of Los Angeles, she said.

Jump played Arthur Carlson in "WKRP in Cincinnati," which aired on CBS from 1978-82 and featured Gary Sandy, Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, Howard Hesseman and Richard Sanders as the ragtag station's crew.

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Jump began his career working at radio and TV stations in the Midwest. He worked behind the microphone and the camera, including jobs as a producer for Kansas and Ohio stations.

Jump portrayed the Maytag repairman "Ol' Lonely," a well-recognized advertising symbol, from 1989 until he retired from the role in July and another actor took over.


posted by Frodgie at 9:41 AM

 

Clark Tied With President Bush in Poll

Clark, a retired Army general, garnered 49 percent support to Bush's 46 percent, which is essentially a tie given the poll's margin of error. The CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll was conducted Sept. 19-21, beginning two days after Clark announced he would become the 10th Democratic candidate for the party's nomination.


Several other Democrats who have been in the race for months also were close to Bush in direct matchups. Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) of Massachusetts and Sen. Joe Lieberman (news - web sites) of Connecticut also were tied with the president, while Bush held a slight lead over former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (news - web sites) and Rep. Dick Gephardt (news - web sites) of Missouri.


In the head-to-head confrontations, it was Kerry at 48 percent to Bush's 47 percent; and Bush's 48 percent to Lieberman's 47 percent. Bush held a slight lead over Dean, 49-45 percent, and had a similar advantage over Gephardt.


Separately, Clark led all Democratic candidates in the survey released Monday that showed Bush far more vulnerable.

posted by Frodgie at 8:55 AM

 

Traveling made easier for gay couples

BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) -- Unmarried or same sex partners of European Union citizens will be able to accompany their partners more easily to travel or live within the 15-nation bloc under new rules endorsed by ministers on Monday.

EU countries like Belgium or the Netherlands allow marriages between same sex partners. They and other EU states give registered couples the same status as married ones.

But several EU countries do not recognize such unions. Under the new rules, these countries will be not able to reject the unmarried or gay partner of an EU citizen just because they are in a non-traditional union.

"It is certainly progress. It makes it easier for people to move around in the union," Jonathan Faull, a director general with the European Commission, told reporters.

"Labor mobility is key for Europe's competitiveness."

The rules are also important where one partner in a couple is non-EU, with less right to travel and live in the bloc.


posted by Frodgie at 8:53 AM

 

Studies tie Lou Gehrig's disease to Gulf War vets

Donnelly became committed to getting his story out. His forums ranged from Larry King Live to Falcon's Cry, a book he published in late 1998. He became perhaps the best-known ALS patient since British physicist Stephen Hawking, who has defied all odds by living with the disease for 40 years.

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is more commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease for the New York Yankees baseball legend who died of it in 1941 at age 37.

In December 2001, Donnelly and preliminary research findings persuaded Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi that ALS was a service-connected disease in Gulf War veterans. The VA began providing benefits to those affected.

It was a controversial decision because the research linking Gulf War service to an increased risk of ALS had never received the scientific world's imprimatur: publication in a peer-reviewed journal.


posted by Frodgie at 8:47 AM

 

Dean and the Fundamentalists

Across the political spectrum, people would immediately denounce that candidate as a bigot. Pundits would draw comparisons to the Know-Nothings. There would be calls for an apology, if not a withdrawal from the race. And the words would haunt the candidate forever.

Now substitute "fundamentalist preachers" for "priests and rabbis," and you have a verbatim quotation from Howard Dean's speech to the California Democratic state convention last March. It was not a one-time slip. With some variations in the wording, attacks on "fundamentalist preachers" have been part of his stump speeches ever since.

So is it fair to accuse Dr. Dean of dispensing bigotry?

His defenders would deny the charge, saying that he is not referring to all fundamentalist Christians or their pastors, but only to a few right-wing activists. But Dr. Dean is an intelligent and articulate man. If he just meant to assail specific individuals, he could easily find the words. Again, picture a candidate repeatedly attacking "priests and rabbis" without qualification. Would any serious person doubt that he was pandering to anti-Christianity and anti-Semitism?


posted by Frodgie at 8:44 AM

 

Democratic Candidates Have Busy Day on Campaign Trail

Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (search), the only black female ever to serve in the U.S. Senate, noted her historic place when she formally kicked off her campaign, saying she is uniquely positioned to be president.

"I offer the clearest alternative to this current administration, whose only new idea has been preemptive war and a huge new bureaucracy. I can fix the mess they have created," said Braun, who trails near the back of the 10-person race.

Braun is headed to South Carolina on Tuesday to speak at a historically black college. She follows to the South retired four-star Army Gen. Wesley Clark (search), who used the state's historic military academy, the Citadel, to lift off his campaign, which he first announced last week.

"I'm running for president because I could not stand by and watch everything that we fought for, everything our nation had accomplished and become, unravel before our eyes," Clark told about 250 people gathered on the parade ground.


posted by Frodgie at 8:43 AM

 

Bush faces tough sell at United Nations

Who cares??

(CNN) -- President Bush heads to the United Nations on Tuesday seeking support for his vision of postwar Iraq, even as his job approval appears to be waning and the American public has lost its enthusiasm for the war.

Bush will make his pitch in a 22-minute speech to the U.N. General Assembly that will cover a number of topics besides Iraq.

But that likely will be his toughest sell. Some key members are still smarting from bitter divisions over his handling of the conflict.

Last year, he rallied U.N. support for new weapons inspections and a new warning to Saddam Hussein, but later failed to get the Security Council's blessing for the war itself.

Tuesday's speech also may be critical to Bush's survival on the home front.

He currently has the lowest approval rating of his presidency and is running about even with five Democratic challengers led by newly announced candidate Wesley Clark, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released Monday. (Analysis)


posted by Frodgie at 8:40 AM

 

Scientists seek world ban on human cloning

An international group of scientists is calling for a world ban on human reproductive cloning, saying it poses a health threat to both the cloned child and the mother.

Experience of cloned animals has shown that, in the rare cases when the foetus progresses to term, it is frequently oversized - posing a risk to the mother during birth - and post-natal death is common.

The Royal Society, Britain's leading academic institution, backed the call by more than 60 other national science academies, including those of the US, China and France, ahead of a UN debate on 29 September.

Lord May of Oxford, president of the Royal Society, said: "Recent reports about attempts by unscrupulous scientists to clone humans have concerned the scientific community worldwide. Research indicates human cloning is a threat to the health of the cloned child and the mother.

"Animal studies on reproductive cloning show a high incidence of foetal disorders and spontaneous abortions, and of malformation and death among newborns. There is no reason to suppose that the outcome would be different in humans.


posted by Frodgie at 8:38 AM

 

Gates announces $168M donation for malaria research

The grant, by the world's richest man and his wife, is the largest ever single donation towards fighting the mosquito-borne disease. Malaria is making a deadly comeback in Africa, the world's poorest continent, as strains of the disease become increasingly resistant to treatment.

"I hope we bring a message of commitment and optimism," said Gates, the Microsoft tycoon who has pledged to use much of his fortune to improve global health.

Funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is for three research grants, with $100 million to go towards finding a vaccine, $28 million to use existing drugs to cut down the number of infections in babies and $40 million for the development of new medicines to combat drug-resistant strains.

Despite malaria's danger, research has been critically underfunded, campaigners against the disease say. Approximately $100 million is spent annually in malaria research, a fraction of what is used to research diseases like AIDS, the only disease that kills more people than malaria.

"Investment in malaria research is far short of the need," said Dr. Jong-Wook Lee, Director-General of the World Health Organization, in a statement. "These grants will allow many more researchers to aggressively pursue promising leads for malaria drugs and vaccines, and quickly move research from the lab to the field."

At the Manhica Health Research Center in the rural town of Manhica about 55 miles north of the capital, mothers and their children sit on wooden benches waiting to be seen by a staff member.

Malaria is personal for Laurinda Matussi, one of the waiting mothers.

posted by Frodgie at 8:36 AM

 

Bush: Kennedy Comments on Iraq War 'Uncivil'

Kennedy said last week the case for going to war against Iraq (search) was a fraud "made up in Texas" to give Republicans a political boost. The longtime senator also alleged that the money for the war is being used to bribe foreign leaders to send troops.

In an exclusive Oval Office interview with Fox News' Brit Hume (search), Bush said that while he respected Kennedy, the senator "should not have said we were trying to bribe foreign nations."

"I don't mind people trying to pick apart my policies, and that's fine and that's fair game," Bush said in the interview that will air Monday night. "But, you know, I don't think we're serving our nation well by allowing the discourse to become so uncivil that people say — use words that they shouldn't be using."

Kennedy's comments, part of the drumbeat of criticism Bush has received lately from Democrats, were described as a "new low" by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Kennedy dismissed DeLay's comments, saying that once again GOP leaders are avoiding questions about Bush's policies "by attacking the patriotism of those who question them."


posted by Frodgie at 8:34 AM

 

Report: Terror Mastermind Reveals 9/11 Plot Hatched in 1996

After examining interrogation reports, The Associated Press learned that Mohammed said the original scheme involved the hijacking of five commercial airliners on each U.S. coast, 10 planes in total.

Mohammed also divulged that, in its final stages, the hijacking plan called for as many as 22 terrorists and four planes in a first wave, followed by a second wave of suicide hijackings that were to be aided possibly by Al Qaeda (search) allies in southeast Asia, according to the reports obtained by the AP.

Over time, bin Laden scrapped various parts of the Sept. 11 plan, including attacks on both coasts and hijacking or bombing some planes in East Asia, Mohammed is quoted as saying in reports that shed new light on the origins and evolution of the plot of Sept. 11, 2001.

Addressing one of the questions raised by congressional investigators in their Sept. 11 review, Mohammed said he never heard of a Saudi man named Omar al-Bayoumi (search) who provided some rent money and assistance to two hijackers when they arrived in California.

Congressional investigators have suggested Bayoumi could have aided the hijackers or been a Saudi intelligence agent, charges the Saudi government vehemently deny. The FBI has also cast doubt on the congressional theory after extensive investigation and several interviews with al-Bayoumi.

In fact, Mohammed claims he did not arrange for anyone on U.S. soil to assist hijackers Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi when they arrived in California. Mohammed said there "were no Al Qaeda operatives or facilitators in the United States to help al-Mihdhar or al-Hazmi settle in the United States," one of the reports state.

posted by Frodgie at 8:32 AM

 

NYSE names interim chairman

"We are pleased and fortunate that John has accepted our offer to become the interim chairman and chief executive of the NYSE," said Laurence D. Fink, who chaired the search committee. "John's excellent managerial experience, outstanding background in corporate governance, and familiarity with the NYSE's varied constituents make him the ideal choice to chair the Board."

"When asked if I'd be willing to help out, I think the only answer that you could come up with is, 'Yes,' "; Reed said, speaking to reporters by telephone from an island off the coast of France.

"The institution is simply too important and the role -- particularly now with many of the changes going on in corporate America -- is too important. And I just felt that if I could help out on an interim basis, that I was honored to do so."


posted by Frodgie at 8:29 AM

 

Blast near U.N. headquarters in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A suicide bombing Monday -- the second in two months to target the U.N. headquarters in the Iraqi capital -- killed an Iraqi security guard and the bomber, a U.S. military spokesman said.

"A bomb went off from inside of a car, killing two individuals -- one being the bomber," said Capt. Sean Kirley, a U.S. Army spokesman, of the explosion that took place at a checkpoint on the perimeter of the U.N. compound.

"No damage was done to the U.N. building. No coalition forces were killed or injured that we know of, at this point."

Doctors at nearby al Kindi hospital said 16 to 18 people were brought there for treatment following the explosion -- four in critical condition, who were transferred to other hospitals.

Iraqi police officer Wissam Jabar said, "I heard a huge noise. The next thing I was thrown forward two or three meters and saw my leg and my back were covered with blood."

Immediately after the blast -- shortly after 8 a.m. -- U.S. Army helicopters circled overhead and American forces rushed to secure the scene, CNN's Nic Robertson reported. The explosion destroyed a nearby house.


posted by Frodgie at 8:28 AM