Pakistani Forces Arrest 100 Terror Suspects

WANA, Pakistan — Pakistan's military has captured more than 100 suspects in a five-day assault on militants near the Afghan border, a commander said Saturday. Troops continued to meet fierce resistance from fighters holed up in heavily fortified mud compounds.

However, the operation's commander also told Reuters the suspected "high-level target" — once believed to be Al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri (search) — is probably a Chechen or Uzbek militant leader.

"He is most probably a Chechen or Uzbek because all the intercepts we have been receiving have been in the Chechen or Uzbek language," Lt. Gen. Safder Hussain (search) told reporters, referring to intercepted radio messages.

Among the detainees were foreigners and local Pashtun tribesman who have been giving them shelter, said Hussain, who is leading the anti-terror sweep. Hussain said 400 to 500 fighters are likely still inside the fortresses, holding off the soldiers' onslaught with mortars, AK-47s, rockets and hand-grenades.

"These people have been here for a long, long time. They are extremely professional fighters," he said. "They have tremendous patience before they open fire."

Forty prisoners, all blindfolded and with their hands tied, were shown to members of the press in Wana, the main town in the tribal South Waziristan (search) region. The captives were sitting under heavy guard in the back of a military truck.

The army also displayed the body of one suspected militant wrapped in a white blanket.


posted by Frodgie at 9:53 AM

 

Report: Spaniard Led Madrid Suspects to Dynamite

MADRID, Spain — A Spaniard with a criminal record led four Moroccans to an explosives warehouse at a mine to steal dynamite used in the Madrid terror bombings, a newspaper reported Saturday.

The unidentified Spaniard, a former miner in the northern Asturias (search) region, was among five people arrested Thursday. He insisted he only led the Moroccans to the warehouse and did not help with the robbery or know the Moroccans had Islamic extremist links, El Pais reported, quoting police sources.

The Spaniard has a record for drug and weapons possession, the newspaper said. The Moroccans remain at large and have not been identified, it added.

Interior Ministry officials could not be reached to comment on the report.

The March 11 train bombings killed 202 people and wounded more than 1,800, making it Spain's deadliest terrorist attack. Suspicion has centered on Moroccan extremists said to be linked to Usama bin Laden's Al Qaeda (search) group, which carried out the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

In a videotape, a man claiming to speak on behalf of Al Qaeda said the group carried out the attack in reprisal for Spain's backing of the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

The Spaniard arrested in Asturias told police he had met the four Moroccans in January in a bar in the Lavapies district of Madrid, El Pais said.

That's where one suspect, Jamal Zougam, had a cellular telephone store to which police have traced a cell phone found attached to a bomb that failed to explode.

The Moroccans told the Spaniard they ran a mine in Morocco but had trouble obtaining explosives. The Spaniard offered to help them get dynamite, and in return was apparently given drugs, El Pais said.


posted by Frodgie at 9:52 AM

 

U.S. warns of continued al Qaeda threat

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The State Department said Friday that it remains "deeply concerned" al Qaeda is planning more deadly attacks against Americans overseas and at home.

The department urged U.S. citizens to "increase their security awareness," especially when traveling abroad.

"We are seeing indications that al Qaeda continues to prepare to strike U.S. interests abroad," the State Department said in its worldwide caution.

"Al Qaeda attacks could possibly involve nonconventional weapons such as chemical or biological agents as well as conventional weapons of terror. We also cannot rule out that al Qaeda will attempt a catastrophic attack within the U.S."

The worldwide caution was issued about a week after deadly train bombings killed more than 200 people in Madrid, Spain. Authorities are investigating several suspects for possible ties to al Qaeda. (Full story)

One senior State Department official said the new caution was not the result of new threats or intelligence, but was meant as a reminder for Americans to stay alert.


posted by Frodgie at 9:50 AM

 

Army drops case vs. chaplain

The Army yesterday dropped charges against Capt. James Yee of mishandling classified documents at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and will allow the Muslim chaplain to return to his duty station without undergoing interrogations and a polygraph test.
Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller, commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, dismissed the charges against Capt. Yee, who initially was accused of spying while tending to the religious needs of Taliban and al Qaeda detainees, citing concern over "national security" if the case proceeded.
"Although Miller considered Yee's offer to undergo a debriefing in exchange for the government dropping the charges, granting him immunity and supporting his resignation, relevant law enforcement agencies could not support Yee's request for immunity," said a statement by the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees the naval base detention center where suspected terrorists are held in Cuba.

posted by Frodgie at 9:48 AM

 

Report from Hell

He has been stalked by snipers, caught in a Kosovo minefield, and arrested in Cuba. He was watched helplessly as children starved in Somalia and stood over mass graves in Rwanda. He has tracked crime bosses in Russia and read the diaries of soldiers slain during the Persian Gulf War.

As foreign correspondent for USA Today, Jack Kelley has traveled to 86 countries and conducted interviews with 36 heads of state, including Fidel Castro, Yasser Arafat, The Dalai Lama (who jokester that he is, burped in Jack's face), and Mikhail Gorbachev.

What has brought him to the front lines of human conflict and tragedy?

"Journalism is a calling," he explains. "I feel God's pleasure when I write and report. It isn't because of the glory, but because God has called me to proclaim truth, and to worship and serve him through other people."

His role models, he says, are four of "the greatest journalists of all time"; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

"I try to be people's ears, eyes, and hearts so they can understand the times they are living in," he says.

One might think he has become callous after seeing so much misery.

But he hasn't.

"The day it stops affecting me or I become cynical is the day I want to get out of journalism," Jack says.

He chooses to see how God is working and teach universal lessons through his stories. Here are some of the most important things he has discovered in his extensive and intense journeys across the globe.

God does intervene


posted by Frodgie at 9:46 AM

 

Terrorists in Iraq step up 'anniversary' attacks

BAGHDAD — Terrorists hit multiple targets including hotels, American soldiers and Iraqi employees of the U.S.-led coalition yesterday as a nervous nation braced for still more attacks to mark the anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion.
At least 10 persons died violently across the country.
Four of the victims were killed when a car bomb exploded at the Mirbad Hotel in the southern city of Basra, the British military said. At least 15 persons were wounded, including three seriously, according to hospital officials.
The Associated Press quoted police Lt. Col. Ali Kazem in Basra as saying that passers-by captured and fatally stabbed a man who was believed to be one of the bombers. Two others seen getting out of the vehicle that contained the bomb were arrested after being caught by witnesses.
In Baghdad last night, insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades, hitting the upper floors of at least two more hotels in what looked like an attempt to intimidate foreign civilians.
A witness said he saw a car cross through an intersection about 100 yards from one of the hotels, followed by what looked like two rocket-propelled grenades being launched.

posted by Frodgie at 6:55 AM

 

Report: Saddam's Gov't Stole $10.1B

WASHINGTON — Saddam Hussein's (search) government smuggled oil, added surcharges and collected kickbacks to rake in $10.1 billion in violation of the United Nations' oil-for-food program (search), congressional investigators said Thursday.

The estimate, much larger than previous calculations, comes as the United Nations considers expanding its probe into the humanitarian program, which allowed Iraq to sell oil for food and medicine. Other oil sales were prohibited under a U.N. embargo imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990.

Investigators from the General Accounting Office (search) told a congressional subcommittee that Iraq collected $5.7 billion by illegally smuggling oil out of the country through several routes. The oil traveled to Syria by pipeline, across the borders of Jordan and Turkey by truck and through the Persian Gulf by ship.

Surcharges levied against oil producers and commissions imposed against commodity suppliers participating in the oil-for-food program fetched another $4.4 billion.

The GAO had previously estimated that Saddam's government had received $6.6 billion in illegal revenues from the program from 1997 through 2002.

The effort to identify and recover Iraqi money hidden worldwide has met with mixed success, GAO investigators told lawmakers on the House Financial Services oversight and investigations subcommittee.


posted by Frodgie at 6:54 AM

 

Taiwan's president shot

TAIPEI, Taiwan (CNN) -- Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has been released from hospital after being wounded in an apparent assassination attempt while campaigning for Saturday's election.

Chen's running mate, Vice President Annette Lu, was also treated and released following the gun attack Friday.

"Both the president and vice president have just checked out," a spokeswoman at the Chi Mei hospital in the southern city of Tainan told Reuters.

Chen was shot in the stomach at 1:45 p.m. (0545 GMT), the Presidential Office said. Lu's leg was grazed by a bullet.

The office said both Chen and Lu had called for calm after the shooting.

"They did not suffer life-threatening injuries. They urge the public to cool down," Chiou I-jen, secretary-general in the Presidential Office, told a news conference.

Chiou said weekend elections would go on as planned, but the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and opposition Kuomintang party had both temporarily suspended their election campaigns.


posted by Frodgie at 6:49 AM

 

Pakistan says it has cornered al-Zawahri

Pakistani troops yesterday surrounded and exchanged fire with a group of al Qaeda fighters who might be protecting Ayman al-Zawahri, trusted No. 2 man to Osama bin Laden.
As the fighting raged along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the mountainous South Waziristan region, some Pakistani officials said al-Zawahri was cornered. An intelligence official told the Associated Press that captured fighters said al-Zawahri had been wounded.
The fighters stubbornly were holed up in two fortlike huts, refusing to surrender despite pounding from artillery and helicopter gunships.
"The kind of resistance that the troops are facing indicates that among the militants there may be a high-profile al Qaeda figure, possibly al-Zawahri," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told Agence France-Presse.
There were no reports that bin Laden was in the area.
A Pakistani security official told Agence France-Presse that Pakistani troops were preparing early today to storm the villages.
"We are pounding the area with mortars and artillery to soften the stiff resistance before making a final push in the next few hours," the official said.
Killing or capturing al-Zawahri would be a major victory for President Bush in the global war against Islamic terrorists and would mark the most important elimination of an al Qaeda operative in a year.

posted by Frodgie at 6:46 AM

 

Oil prices surge to 13 year high

US crude oil prices have reached their highest level since 1990 as ongoing global terrorism fears continue to put an upward pressure on the market.
With last week's events in Spain still fresh in the mind of traders, the price of New York's benchmark light sweet crude surged 70 cents to $38.18.

This is the highest figure since 16 October 1990 - more than 13 years ago in the run up to the first Gulf War.

The upward pressure is also being driven by concern of low US stocks.


Production targets

It is at this time of the year that America usually stockpiles both crude oil and petrol ahead of its main consumption season in the summer.

Yet a number of recent official US government reports have said that stocks are currently at historic lows.

There is also uncertainty as to whether the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will to stick to previously held plans to cut production quotas by around 4% from April.


posted by Frodgie at 6:44 AM

 

Baghdad Reeling From Hotel Attack

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Rescue crews continued their search for survivors Thursday morning in the wake of a massive homicide attack on a Baghdad hotel that U.S. military sources said killed up to 27 people.

There were conflicting reports about the number of casualties. The Iraqi interior minister would only confirm that six people, including one British citizen, were killed, according to Reuters News Service.

Elsewhere, gunmen opened fire on a minibus, killing three Iraqi journalists and wounding nine other employees of a coalition-funded TV station in northeastern Iraq, police said.

Rebels often target Iraqis perceived as collaborators with the Americans and the attacks underlined the continued vulnerability of Iraqi civilians nearly a year after Saddam Hussein (search) was ousted.

Guerrillas also fired mortar rounds at two U.S. military bases on Wednesday, killing three American soldiers and wounding nine others, the military said Thursday.

At least 45 people were wounded in Wednesday's car bomb attack on the Mount Lebanon Hotel (search) in the heart of Baghdad. One Briton was killed and another was wounded, the British government said.

Morgenthaler confirmed the attack was a homicide bombing but said the destroyed Mount Lebanon Hotel may not have been the intended target because the vehicle loaded with explosives was in the middle of the street and not parked in front of the hotel.

She said it was not clear what the target may have been. The hotel is in the middle of a busy district that is both commercial and residential.


posted by Frodgie at 6:45 AM

 

Long-distance duel: Kerry, Cheney spar on national security

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In dueling high-profile speeches, the Bush and Kerry presidential campaigns traded shots over national security Wednesday.

Sen. John Kerry assailed President Bush's "failed policies" in Iraq as he unveiled what he described as a "bill of rights" for military families.(Full story)

"This president has had his chance, and this president has not delivered," Kerry declared.

Across the continent, Vice President Dick Cheney savaged Kerry's record on national security issues, saying the four-term senator from Massachusetts has provided "ample doubt" about his readiness to lead the nation.

"Whatever nuances he might fault us for neglecting, it is not an impressive record for someone who aspires to become commander in chief in this time of testing for our country," Cheney said.(Full story)

Kerry was in Washington at George Washington University: Cheney spoke at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library near Los Angeles, California.

Their speeches came on the same day a huge and fatal blast devastated a hotel in Baghdad, putting new focus on the U.S. occupation there.(Full story)

In a statement released by his campaign, Kerry said the "horrific bombing" shows that "the work of building a peaceful and stable Iraq is far from done," and that the U.S. commitment could not waver.


posted by Frodgie at 6:43 AM

 

Oil prices rise to 13-year high, threaten economy

Oil prices soared to a 13-year high of $38.18 a barrel yesterday, bringing into sharp focus a renewed threat to the economic recovery from high energy prices.
The price for premium crude oil jumped in New York trading to levels not seen since the October 1990 buildup to the Gulf war, for reasons ranging from heightened terrorism risks and lagging production in Iraq to low inventories of oil and gasoline and China's emergence as a major oil consumer.
Some economists say climbing prices for oil and gas, and rising heating and electricity bills, are sure to slow economic growth this year as they eat into consumers' discretionary incomes and discourage businesses from hiring and spending on other items. Industries that are big users of oil and energy — such as chemicals, aluminum and fertilizers — have already seen thousands of job losses and plant closings.

posted by Frodgie at 6:40 AM

 

'Passion' rising toward box-office history

The Passion of the Christ, the movie personally financed by Mel Gibson because no studio thought it commercially viable, could become the highest-grossing film in history.

By the end of business Sunday, the subtitled story of Jesus' final hours had grossed $264.5 million in the United States and Canada. The film opened Feb. 25.

"If The Passion continues on this trajectory, it's possible for it to surpass Star Wars [$461 million] and even Titanic [$600.8 million] as the domestic box-office champion of all time," said Paul Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations Inc., which tracks film revenue.

Hollywood's historic rankings are tabulated in non-inflation-adjusted dollars.

More conservative estimates have The Passion topping out at $325 million to $375 million domestically, putting it in the elite company of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which thus far has earned $371.1 million.

"But Easter is coming," and that will keep the audience motivated, says producer Tom Pollock, former head of Universal Studios.


posted by Frodgie at 6:37 AM

 

Bush: Stay course on terror

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Under pressure at home and abroad, President Bush is urging U.S. allies to remain committed to the reconstruction of Iraq, vowing that terrorist attacks like last week's bombings in Spain "will never shake the will of the United States."

"It's essential that we remain side-by-side with the Iraqi people as they begin the process of self-government," Bush said at a White House news conference with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.

Bush's comments come one year after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and at a time when his handling of the war on terror is being questioned by many Democrats, particularly Sen. John Kerry, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee.

"They'll kill innocent people to try to shake our will," Bush said of terrorists. "That's what they want to do. They'll never shake the will of the United States. We understand the stakes."

The administration has cast the toppling of the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein as part of the broader war on terror. Bush has generally enjoyed high marks from the American public for his leadership on national security following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

posted by Frodgie at 6:19 AM

 

Kerry: I'll Be 'Veteran's Veteran'

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (search) promised to be a "veteran's veteran" Tuesday as the White House tried to sour his support among a key constituency by airing a commercial accusing him of rejecting funding for soldiers at war in Iraq.

Kerry warned an audience of veterans that President Bush has misled the country on everything from the war to the economy and had broken promises to veterans needing health care. From the Oval Office on Tuesday, Bush questioned Kerry's own truthfulness by calling for him to identify the world leaders Kerry has said would rather see him as president.

The Massachusetts Democrat later went to Charleston to accept his near-uncontested win in the Illinois primary, which his campaign says gives him the delegates needed to mathematically clinch the nomination. Kerry will claim that prize at the Democratic convention in Boston this summer.

He thanked Illinois voters "for helping us achieve our goal — a nomination marked by unity and not division."

"Together, in the months ahead, we will call on the best in Americans — and stand up for the best in America," Kerry told about several thousand cheering backers. "I say to you tonight: A new day is on the way."


posted by Frodgie at 6:19 AM

 

Bush presses Kerry for 'facts'

President Bush yesterday called on Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry to prove his claim he has met face to face with foreign leaders who support his quest for the presidency.
"If you're going to make an accusation in the course of a presidential campaign you ought to back it up with facts," Mr. Bush told reporters yesterday while meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.
Meanwhile, a survey by The Washington Times yesterday of embassies from key countries that opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq — including France, Russia, Canada and Mexico — turned up no meetings since the beginning of 2003 between Mr. Kerry and visiting presidents, prime ministers or foreign ministers. And the chancellor of Germany, another high-profile opponent of the Iraq war, has previously denied he was the basis for Mr. Kerry's claim.
One European ambassador, who asked not to be identified, said most diplomats knew they could not contact Mr. Kerry even if they had wanted to schedule a meeting between him and a foreign visitor.
"Senator Kerry was very, very hard to get hold of. Most of the ambassadors knew it was impossible to get a meeting with any of the presidential candidates," he said. "Sometimes we'd try the staff director or campaign manager, but we couldn't even get them."
Mr. Kerry said on March 8 that he has met face to face with foreign leaders who told him they want him to beat Mr. Bush in November's election in order to force a change in U.S. foreign policy. The Massachusetts senator has repeated the claim in subsequent days, but has refused to name the leaders or provide any evidence to back up his assertion.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said yesterday foreign leaders the president has spoken to have not backed up Mr. Kerry's claim.
"Those are not comments we've heard from leaders the president has met with," Mr. McClellan said. "We have not heard the assertions the senator has made."
Last week, The Times reported that a review of Mr. Kerry's public schedules turned up no opportunities for face-to-face meetings between Mr. Kerry and any foreign heads of state.

posted by Frodgie at 6:15 AM

 

Terrorists-and freedom fighters?

Between 1971 and 1973, he was commander of the Derry Brigade of the Provisional IRA, which fought gun battles with British soldiers in a war that would cost 320 lives.

Arrested in Donegal near a car loaded with 5,000 rounds of ammunition and 250 pounds of explosives, he was sentenced to six months by a court whose jurisdiction he denied, "I am a member of the Derry Brigade of the [IRA] and am very, very proud of it."

A Londonderry official called him "a cold-blooded ruthless terrorist [who] will weigh up the consequences of his actions only in terms of benefit to the IRA, regardless of the cost in human lives." Another said he was a "fanatic ... responsible for mass murder."

He himself has spoken of the "legal and moral right of the IRA to kill a British soldier at any time," and was once quoted: "Freedom can be gained only at the point of an IRA rifle, and I apologize to no one for saying that we support the freedom fighters of the IRA."

He is Martin McGuinness. And the same March 13 New York Times that carries the picture of millions of Spaniards protesting the murderous terror attack on the Madrid trains has a photo of McGuinness chatting amiably with John Kerry before McGuinness spoke at Harvard.


posted by Frodgie at 6:13 AM

 

'Attack on London is inevitable'

London's police chief warned yesterday of the ever-widening terrorist threat to the capital, stressing that bombers could strike not just on the rail or tube network but virtually anywhere - pubs, nightclubs, buses or roads.
Sir John Stevens, the Metropolitan police commissioner, described the huge security effort, with hundreds of officers working at full stretch to try to prevent an atrocity.

Sir John and the city's mayor, Ken Livingstone, pledged to do everything in their power to protect the public, but they urged Londoners to be on their guard, stressing that community vigilance was the best weapon against terrorism.

Sir John agreed with Mr Livingstone, who said: "It would be miraculous if, with all the terrorist resources arranged against us, terrorists did not get through, and given that some are prepared to give their own lives, it would be inconceivable that someone does not get through to London."


posted by Frodgie at 6:12 AM

 

White House to Kerry: We Want Names

WASHINGTON — The White House wants John Kerry to name names.

Bush administration officials on Monday continued to press Kerry to say exactly what international leaders have told the presumed Democratic presidential nominee privately that they back his candidacy to oust President Bush.

And the White House (search) said that if Kerry can't publicly identify anyone, perhaps the Massachusetts senator made the whole thing up.

Kerry said at a fund-raiser last week in Florida that he's heard from some world leaders who quietly back his candidacy and who hope he defeats Bush in November.

"Either he is straightforward and states who they are, or the only conclusion one can draw is that he is making it up to attack the president," White House spokesman Scott McClellan (search) said Monday.

Three times, McClellan repeated the charge that Kerry was "making it up." And he sought to turn Kerry's assertion to the White House's advantage by using it to raise questions about Kerry's credibility.

Said Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., in a conference call arranged by the Bush-Cheney campaign: "He clearly has an obligation to, you know, you put up or you shut up. You don't make up reckless charges and then say, well, it's really secret, I can't tell you."

Questioned about the White House criticism, Kerry told reporters Monday, "They're trying to change the subject from jobs, health care, the environment and social security. They don't have a campaign so they're trying to divert it."


posted by Frodgie at 6:16 AM

 

Warrant Issued for Ohio Highway Sniper Suspect

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Police were hunting for a 28-year-old man who they believe may be the elusive gunman linked to two dozen highway shootings that have terrorized area motorists for months.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office said the suspect, Charles A. McCoy Jr. (search), lived within miles of where the gunman's bullets killed a passenger, shattered windshields, dented school buses and drilled into homes and a school.

"The key issue for us right now is to locate this guy," Chief Deputy Steve Martin said. "We believe he bought another gun."

In the three most recent shootings, witnesses described seeing someone aiming at them while standing next to a car. Their descriptions of the suspect and car were similar to information the sheriff's office released Monday.

The suspect is a 5-foot-8, 185-pound white male with brown hair and green eyes, the sheriff's office said. The car is a dark green 1999 Geo Metro with a black hood.

"I don't know if he's still local," Martin said. "We don't have any reason to believe he's not."

Investigators filed an arrest warrant late Monday for McCoy on a charge of felonious assault in a Dec. 15 shooting that damaged a house.

Since May, two dozen sniper shootings (search) have targeted vehicles and buildings around Interstate 270, which circles Columbus, and other highways. Most of the shootings have occurred since October; the latest was on Feb. 14.

Martin would not say what evidence led investigators to McCoy.

From the beginning, Martin has said investigators believe the shooter is familiar with the area around I-270. Although the last four shootings were on other highways, most of those that occurred through January were within about a 10-mile southern stretch of the interstate.


posted by Frodgie at 6:12 AM

 

Experts: War on terrorism could spawn new enemies

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- It is possible the U.S.-led war on terror has created new enemies of Western governments and societies by splintering al Qaeda, according to counterterrorism experts.

Some U.S. government officials go so far as to say that even if Islamic fundamentalists are eventually found responsible for the train bombings in Spain last week, the effort to identify one particular group may be futile.

"This is not like the Gambino crime family, a Mafia family, where if you just arrest the leaders it goes out of business," said Peter Bergen, a CNN terrorism expert and author of "Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama bin Laden."

"This is more like a mass movement, and you can arrest as many people as you want. But it's very hard to arrest the movement of ideas."

One U.S. counterterrorism official said an al Qaeda connection to the Madrid bombings has been established. It was reported Monday that one of the five men arrested may have ties to an al Qaeda-linked bombing in Morocco last year.

"We do know that there is a connection to al Qaeda. We have verified that," said Asa Hutchinson, U.S. undersecretary for homeland security. "The extent of responsibility and whether any other terrorist organization is involved has yet to be determined."

posted by Frodgie at 6:09 AM

 

Vatican, Muslims oppose gay benefits

NEW YORK — Representatives of the Vatican and dozens of Islamic nations formally objected yesterday to a U.N. Secretariat decision to extend family benefits to some staffers in same-sex unions, raising the prospect of a General Assembly vote on the issue.
A number of African states also objected to the decision by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in January to extend family benefits to homosexual staffers, whose domestic partnership has been recognized by their governments.
A representative of the Holy See, the Vatican's U.N. mission, said the decision to include same-sex couples within the definition of family was contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related conventions. He rejected Mr. Annan's explanation that the new policy was designed to respect the cultural norms in individual countries.
"I find it difficult to reconcile that statement with the proposed extension of valid family-member status to same-sex partners," said Joseph Klee, an adviser to the Holy See. "That would contradict the basic understanding of a marriage as a union between a man and woman."
The Vatican challenge to the U.N. legal office's definition of family could have unintended repercussions, some observers said.

posted by Frodgie at 6:07 AM

 

Nation's Direction Prompts Voters' Concern, Poll Finds

George Bush and John Kerry enter the general election at a time of growing concern among Americans that the nation is veering in the wrong direction, the latest New York Times/CBS News poll shows. Mr. Bush faces unrest over his management of the economy, while the public has doubts about Mr. Kerry's political convictions.

Americans do view Mr. Bush and Mr. Kerry as strong leaders who share their moral values and have a clear vision of where they want to take the country, the poll found.

But while the candidates are starting on roughly equal ground on those critical generic measures of leadership, the poll found that nearly half of respondents have not yet formed an opinion about Mr. Kerry. That result suggests that Mr. Bush has an opening to mold public opinion of his largely unknown challenger.

Already, most voters think Mr. Kerry is a politician who says what people want to hear, the poll found, rather than what he believes — the line of attack Mr. Bush has used against him in speeches.


posted by Frodgie at 6:05 AM

 

MEL GIBSON: 'HAVING DOUBTS' ABOUT BUSH

In a wide-ranging hour-long interview with FOXNEWSABCRADIO's Sean Hannity, PASSION OF THE CHRIST director Mel Gibson says he now has 'doubts' about President Bush and re-election.

MORE.

In the interview, set to air on Tuesday , Gibson says of Bush: "I am having doubts, of late. It mainly has to do with the weapons [of mass destruction] claims."

The surprisingly critical comments from Gibson, a rare conservative voice in Hollywood, come as PASSION continues to dominate the boxoffice.

Developing...

posted by Frodgie at 6:03 AM

 

Madrid Suspect Had Ties to 9/11 Figure

MADRID, Spain — Months before bombs tore through commuter trains in Spain, authorities had suspicions about Jamal Zougam (search) -- a Moroccan being questioned in the worst terrorist attack in Europe since World War II.

Investigators suspected that Zougam had ties to an Al Qaeda (search) cell leader and found a video of mujaheddin fighters during a search of his home, according to an indictment reviewed Sunday.

The 700-page indictment names Zougam -- one of three Moroccans arrested Saturday in connection with the train bombings -- as a follower of Imad Yarkas (search), who was jailed by Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon for allegedly helping plan the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.

Zougam's alleged Al Qaeda links strengthen suspicions that the terror group was involved in Thursday's Madrid (search) bombings, which killed 201 people and wounded 1,500.

The train attacks helped drive the ruling conservatives from power in elections Sunday. The Socialists, led by Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (search), defeated the Popular Party of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar (search), who supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq despite widespread opposition.


posted by Frodgie at 8:29 AM

 

Spain PM-elect: Troops out of Iraq

MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Pulling a major ally from the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, Spain's prime minister-elect will withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq in the coming months, a Socialist Party spokesman said.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and the socialists were swept into power in Sunday's election, three days after commuter train bombings killed more than 200 people and injured 1,500 others.

Three minutes silence in memory of the victims was observed Monday in European Union states at noon across most of the continent.

The investigation into who was behind the attack continued after a tape purporting to come from al Qaeda said the bombings were retaliation for Spain's support for the U.S.-led war against Iraq. (Full story)

The surprise victor in the election, Zapatero vowed that fighting terrorism would be his first priority as he sets about creating an administration "that will work for peace."

"Today, the Spanish people have spoken, and they said they want a government of change," he said in a victory speech.

Later Monday in a televised news conference the PM-elect said he had two priorities -- working with the outgoing government and mounting an attack on terrorism.


posted by Frodgie at 8:27 AM

 

Agencies unite to find bin Laden

Task Force 121, the secret manhunting unit formed for the war on terrorism, is a blend of warriors, aviators, CIA officers and deep-cover intelligence collectors who nabbed Saddam Hussein and now hope to grab Osama bin Laden.
"This is tightening the sensor-to-shooter loop," said a senior defense official. "You have your own intelligence right with the guys who do the shooting and grabbing. All the information under one roof."
The Pentagon refuses to discuss the group's makeup. Its members in Afghanistan and Iraq avoid reporters. New information was obtained through interviews with knowledgeable defense officials.
Elements of 121 have moved from Iraq to Afghanistan for a U.S. spring offensive, named "Mountain Storm," against Taliban and al Qaeda fighters now reorganizing in Pakistan. If the flushing action pinpoints bin Laden, who is believed to be moving in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas, Task Force 121 would likely infiltrate the country and try to kill or capture the terrorist who orchestrated the September 11 attacks.
Task Force 121's composition includes four major elements:
•Grey Fox, a deep-cover organization based at Fort Belvoir in Northern Virginia. Members specialize in spying and intercepting communications. They carry hardware that can tap into electronic-eavesdropping satellites and that can splice fiber-optic cables.
Grey Fox maintains a fleet of aircraft at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. On occasion, members enter countries on "non-official cover" using assumed identities.
Created principally to combat international drug smugglers, Grey Fox has turned out to be the perfect unit for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's demand for "actionable intelligence" to kill or capture al Qaeda operatives and other terrorists.

posted by Frodgie at 8:25 AM

 

Socialists Oust Spain's Ruling Party

MADRID, Spain (AP) - Spain's Socialists scored a dramatic upset in elections Sunday, unseating conservatives stung by charges they provoked the Madrid terror bombings by supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq and making Spain a target for al-Qaida.

It was the first time a government that backed the Iraq war has been voted out of office. Incoming prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has pledged to bring home the 1,300 troops Spain has stationed in Iraq when their tour of duty ends in July.

The defeat of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's Popular Party and his hand-picked successor capped four tumultuous days starting with the attacks that killed 200 people and wounded 1,500. The attacks were followed by massive street rallies against the bombings and smaller ones against the government.

The arrest of five suspects, including three Moroccans, and a reported al-Qaida claim of responsibility, raised the disturbing prospect that terrorists aligned with Osama bin Laden had changed the course of a national election. The Spain government has insisted its prime suspect in Thursday's rail bombings was the armed Basque separatist group ETA.


posted by Frodgie at 8:23 AM

 

U.S. Gasoline Prices Hit a Record High...Thank God for my Diesels.

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) - Prices for all grades of gasoline rose 1.34 cents in the last two weeks to a record high nationwide average of $1.77 a gallon, according to a study released Sunday.

Gas prices have jumped by nearly 26 cents so far this year, and while they won't be falling by that amount any time soon, they aren't expected to rise much higher, according to the Lundberg survey of 8,000 stations nationwide. The survey was conducted Friday.

The previous combined average record high was $1.76 in May 2001.

Analyst Trilby Lundberg said the latest spike reflects the rise in crude oil prices and an increase in refinery work to prepare for greater spring and summer gasoline demand.

posted by Frodgie at 8:20 AM

 

Al Qaeda Tape Claims Spain Terror Responsibility

MADRID, Spain — Spaniards voted Sunday in a general election thrown wide open by a reported Al Qaeda (search) claim that it staged deadly rail bombings last week to punish the government for supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq.



Still reeling from the bombings, which killed 200 and wounded more than 1,500, voters entered the booths, grim faced and speaking in whispers.

"It was the worst attack since the (1936-39) Civil War," Angel Bueno, 51, said in Madrid (search). "We want to know who is responsible for this massacre. It looks as if it was Al Qaeda. This shouldn't happen in Spain or the United States."

Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's (search) government initially blamed the Basque separatist group ETA (search) for the rail attack, even as evidence mounted of an Islamic link and the opposition accused the government of withholding information.

Then on Saturday night Interior Minister Angel Acebes announced the arrests of three Moroccans and two Indians and later disclosed the existence of a videotape in which a man speaking Arabic said Usama bin Laden's Al Qaeda terror group claims responsibility for the rail blasts.

Thousands of people rallied overnight against the governing Popular Party, saying it should be thrown out of power for drawing Al Qaeda's wrath.

"No more cover-ups," read a banner carried by the protesters, who were being watched by riot police.


posted by Frodgie at 10:47 AM