--------------------
Millions Said Going to Waste in Iraq Utilities
--------------------

A coalition memo says water, sewage and power facilities rebuilt with U.S. funds are falling into disrepair. Iraqis say they need more money.

By T. Christian Miller
Times Staff Writer

April 10 2005

BAGHDAD — Iraqi officials have crippled scores of water, sewage and electrical plants refurbished with U.S. funds by failing to maintain and operate them properly, wasting millions of American taxpayer dollars in the process, according to interviews and documents.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,6933346.story

Suicide Car Bombers Hit US Camp in Western Iraq

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCB29C:2F72C9D

Meanwhile, Iraqi security forces backed by US troops round up dozens
of suspected insurgents during raids in central Baghdad At least two
cars driven by suicide bombers exploded Monday at the entrance to a
U.S. military camp in western Iraq.

Early reports from the camp near Qaim say at least two U.S. personnel
were wounded in the attack. A military spokesman in Baghdad said
officials were still gathering details early this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Iraqi security forces backed by U.S. troops rounded up
dozens of suspected insurgents during raids today in central Baghdad.

A U.S. military statement says more than 500 Iraqi soldiers and police
took part in the operation.

In other developments, Pakistan says kidnappers are seeking ransom for
the release of an embassy employee abducted Saturday in Baghdad.

A Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to disclose details,
but he said the victim, Malik Mohammed Javed, is unharmed and in
contact with embassy officials.

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.

------------------------------------------------------





Iraqi President Foresees US Troop Withdrawal Within 2 Years

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCB296:2F72C9D

Jalal Talabani expresses confidence that constitution will be drafted
in months to come Iraq's new president says U.S. and other allied
forces are still needed in his country, but that he hopes a withdrawal
of foreign troops will be possible within the next two years.

Iraqi President Jalal TalabaniPresident Jalal Talabani dismissed the
possibility of an immediate U.S. troop withdrawal, as demanded by
Shi'ite militants during a recent demonstration in Baghdad. But,
speaking on CNN's Late Edition program, Mr. Talabani vowed Iraq will
create condition that will eventually allow foreign forces to leave.
"We are in great need to have American and other allied forces in Iraq
until we will be able to rebuild our military forces. I think within
two years we can do it, and we will remain in full consultation and
coordination with our American friends who came to liberate our
country," he said.

The Iraqi president expressed confidence that a constitution will be
drafted in the months to come. He said that one of the tasks of the
new government will be to put former ruler Saddam Hussein on trial.

The president said that extending democracy will promote unity in
Iraq, and that no one should be surprised that a one-time Kurdish
guerrilla leader was chosen as president. "When we struggle for a
democratic Iraq, this must be based on full equality for all Iraqis,
and the Kurds are one important part. Of course they have the right to
any kind of post they deserve. The new democratic Iraq will be free
from discrimination and from religious oppression," he said.

Also appearing on Late Edition was the chairman of the U.S. Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar, who praised the ability of
Iraqis of different backgrounds to engage constructively with each
other, as demonstrated by the country's new leadership in recent days.
"They represent folks in Iraq who have warred with each other since
the beginning of the country. So this is an extraordinary turning
point, that in a practical, pragmatic way they are sitting down and
talking," he said.

But the ranking Democrat on the committee, Senator Joe Biden,
cautioned that serious hurdles remain in Iraq. "The big outstanding
issue here is: how are we going to get the Sunnis to get engaged in
this [process], because no constitution that is going to be able to
fly [be viable] is going to written between now and August without
greater Sunni participation," he said.

Mr. Biden predicted U.S. forces will pull out of Iraq within
two-to-three years - either because they are no longer needed, or
because the American public grows weary of the troop commitment.

------------------------------------------------------





Iraqi Parliament Discusses Security, Procedural Matters

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCB294:2F72C9D

Session held as kidnappers reportedly seized an employee of Pakistani
Embassy

Iraq's National Assembly meets in BaghdadIraq's parliament met Sunday
for the fifth time since its inauguration last month to discuss
security and procedural matters. The session was held as kidnappers
reportedly seized an employee of the Pakistani Embassy.

Members of Iraq's new National Assembly discussed procedural
questions, such as its meeting schedule, a new Iraqi flag, and reports
of police harassment of parliament members.

Parliament Speaker Hajem al-Hassani suggested security forces relax
the draconian measures put in force when parliament meets. The
measures, which include closing many streets and bridges around the
fortified Green Zone, make the streets in central Baghdad almost
impassable for most of the day.

But Interim Minister of State for Security Qassim Dawoud said the
measures are necessary.

He said the assembly is being targeted by terrorists, and, as a
result, security forces must focus on protecting parliament members.

Speaker Hajem al-Hassani suggested lawmakers move as quickly as
possible to their new headquarters, located nearby, but outside the
Green Zone. The headquarters are to be in the Defense Ministry
building, which housed the Iraqi parliament under the monarchy, during
the first half of the last century.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani government issued a statement confirming that
an employee of its embassy in Baghdad was kidnapped Saturday, after
attending evening prayers. The statement said Malik Mohammed Javed had
contacted the embassy to report he was being held, but was un-harmed.
A previously unknown group claimed responsibility.

More than 100 foreigners, and an estimated 5,000 Iraqis, have been
kidnapped in the past year, some by groups demanding the departure of
foreigners from Iraq, others by criminals seeking ransom. Many have
been released, but a considerable number have been murdered.

In addition, the Iraqi military said, one Iraqi soldier was killed and
two wounded Sunday by a roadside bomb outside the northern city of
Kirkuk. And the U.S. military said one of its soldiers was wounded by
a car bomb in Bakouba, 60 kilometers north of the Iraqi capital.

------------------------------------------------------





Pakistan Presses for Release of Iraq Hostage

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCB299:2F72C9D

Senior envoy sent to Iraq to secure release of embassy assistant Malik
Muhammad Javed, who disappeared Saturday in Baghdad after attending
evening prayers at local mosque;

Malik Muhammad JavedPakistan is intensifying efforts to free one of
its nationals, kidnapped Saturday in Iraq. Government officials have
said that the kidnappers appear more interested in making money than
political statements.

Pakistan says it dispatched a senior envoy to Iraq to secure the
release of embassy assistant Malik Muhammad Javed, who disappeared
Saturday in Baghdad after attending evening prayers at a local mosque.

A previously unknown group, Omer Bin Khatab, has claimed
responsibility.

Pakistan government spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani says the group does
not appear to be connected to Iraqi insurgents.

"It is an unknown group," he said. "Nobody was aware of its existence,
not even the Iraqi authorities. So, our best judgment is that it is
most probably a case of abduction for ransom."

Mr. Jilani told reporters that Mr. Javed is safe and in regular
contact with Pakistani officials in Iraq.

Mr. Jilani would not comment on how much his kidnappers are seeking,
but insisted the case is a top priority for his government.

"We will leave no stone unturned," he said. "We will make every
possible effort to secure the release of Malik Mohammed Javed."

Kidnapping remains a major security challenge in Iraq. Since the
invasion, at least 150 foreigners and about 5,000 Iraqis have been
kidnapped.

Many are held by militants who want to make a political point, but
most are taken by criminal gangs looking for a ransom.

Mr. Javed is the third Pakistani to be taken captive. Last year, two
Pakistani truck drivers were kidnapped and accused of working for the
U.S. military. They were later murdered.

Pakistan is a key U.S. ally in the "war on terror", but opposed the
war in Iraq, and refused to send troops to the region.

Nevertheless, President Musharraf's ties to Washington are routinely
criticized by his domestic opposition, especially conservative Islamic
groups.

------------------------------------------------------





Philippines Downplays US Warning on Extremists in Mindanao

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCB297:2F72C9D

US diplomat Joseph Mussomeli has warned that island of Mindanao so
lawless it risks becoming haven for Islamic extremists Manila has
downplayed warnings by a top U.S. official that the southern
Philippines is becoming a haven for Muslim extremists, and says
progress is being made against terrorism there.

The number-two U.S. diplomat in Manila, Joseph Mussomeli, has warned
in a recent interview that the southern Philippine island of Mindanao
is so lawless that it risks becoming a haven for Islamic extremists.

He pointed to alleged bomb training by regional terrorist group,
Jemaah Islamiyah, in cooperation with factions of the
Muslim-separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

But a Philippines government spokesman on Monday rejected the charges,
saying progress is being made against terrorism and poverty in
Mindanao and that Mr. Mussomeli "is out of touch" with the situation
on the ground.

Mr. Mussomeli made the comments in an interview with an Australian
television network. He also said that many in the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front, which is to resume peace talks with the government
next week, do not accept that some of their colleagues are "in bed"
with Jemaah Islamiyah. The interview transcript was released by the
embassy.

He added that it was necessary for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
to sever ties with these members if they "wanted to be taken seriously
as a legitimate group."

National Defense Committee Chairman Congressman Roilo Golez downplayed
Mr. Mussomeli's comments.

"I feel it is not that serious," he said. "There are problems there.
And while some of the observations may be factual, but from the
organizational point of view it may not be accurate - meaning that
there are some groups within the MILF that are working independently,
that are out of control."

Mr. Mussomeli stressed that the U.S. government continues to support
the peace efforts by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the
Philippine government. He noted Washington's offer of $30 million in
aid to Moro areas if peace is declared.

Around 85 percent of Filipinos are Catholic, but a minority are Muslim
and many of those live in the poverty-stricken south.

The region has a reputation for lawlessness and is home to a number of
separatist movements and violent gangs.

But Professor Julkipli Wadi, from the Islamic Institute at the
University of the Philippines, says the south is more peaceful than it
has been for years.

"It has relatively subsided except that there are some skirmishes in
some areas, but apart from that I think Mindanao has in a sense,
relatively speaking, has become quite peaceful now," he said.

Small groups of U.S. military advisors are currently training Filipino
military units in the southern Philippines.

------------------------------------------------------





UN Chief Appeals for Immediate $1 Billion to Rebuild Sudan

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCB298:2F72C9D

UN says Sudan needs $2.6 billion by the end of 2007 for reconstruction
and development projects

Kofi Annan (File photo)Sudan is asking donors gathered in Oslo,
Norway, for more than two billion dollars in aid to rebuild the south
following 21 years of civil war.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged delegates from 60 nations to
come up with an immediate cash infusion of one billion dollars for
reconstruction in southern Sudan, where the war was mostly fought.

He told donors that money is urgently needed to resettle tens of
thousands of Sudanese refugees who will need basic services such as
clean water, hospitals, and schools.

In January, the Sudanese government and southern rebels signed a final
accord to end the war, which killed an estimated two million people.

The peace deal did not address a separate conflict in Sudan's western
Darfur region.

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.

------------------------------------------------------





India and China Sign Accord to End Border Dispute, Boost Trade

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCB295:2F72C9D

Analysts say trade interests force both nations to look for ways past
territorial impasse

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, left, shakes hands with Indian FM Natwar
Singh, upon Wen's arrival, in New Delhi

India and China have signed an agreement aimed at resolving a border
dispute that has dragged on for more than four decades. The accord was
reached at the end of a four-day visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

India and China say they have agreed on the "guiding principles" to
help eventually resolve their long-running border dispute.

Few details of the agreement were made available, but local media
reported that officials have agreed on an 11-point plan to address the
issue.

Just before his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
visiting Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said he was confident the
agreement signaled a new era in relations between the two powers. He
said that India and China are going to put in place a bridge of
friendship linking the two countries - a bridge that will lead both to
the future.

India and China fought a brief war in 1962 over Himalayan territory
they both claim.

India charges that since the 1950s, China has illegally occupied
38-thousand square kilometers of territory in Kashmir that should
belong to India. China meanwhile insists that a 90-thousand square
kilometer region in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to
China.

Analysts say trade interests have forced both nations to look for ways
past the territorial impasse.

The two countries also agreed to boost trade, cultural and educational
ties, and cooperation in areas such as civil aviation.

D.S. Rajan, an analyst with the independent think-tank, the Observer
Research Foundation, says Mr. Wen's visit demonstrates that each
nation recognizes the other as an economic powerhouse.

"China also has seen India's economic growth and India's role in the
region, and it really wants to balance its relations," he said. "It
wants to create a very stable atmosphere in this region by coming
closer to India."

India and China are the world's two most populous nations, each home
to more than a billion people. During a visit to the India's
high-technology capital, Bangalore, Mr. Wen said if the two sides can
get past their differences, they could pool their resources and
technology to lead what he called an "Asian century."

------------------------------------------------------





IOM: Gypsy Holocaust Survivors Need Assistance

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCB293:2F72C9D

Expert says $214 million are needed to assist 126,000 elderly Romas
for five years at cost of $300 per person per year

Gypsy family live in open air in the Black Sea port of Varna,
Bulgaria, in this 2002 photoThe U.N.-affiliated International
Organization for Migration says tens-of-thousands of impoverished
elderly Gypsy Holocaust survivors in Eastern and Central Europe are in
desperate need of aid.

The International Organization for Migration estimates about 145,000
Gypsy Holocaust survivors living in eastern and central Europe are in
need of aid. Since 2002, IOM and other agencies have provided basic
assistance, such as food, firewood, coal, and hygiene articles to
64,000 Gypsies, also known as Roma.

IOM Roma Expert Delbert Field says funds for these programs are
running out.

"We found many more survivors than our donors had expected," he said.
"We found that these people had safety nets that were quickly
disappearing because of the profound economic changes going on in
eastern and central Europe. We found that many Roma lived in squalid
settlements, without any services and settlements, which do not even
appear on the map. Even in countries, which have recently joined the
European Union, found Roma living in destitution, lacking access
to education, health care and housing."

Mr. Field says these elderly people are living on pensions ranging
from $10 to $120 a month.

During World War II, Roma were persecuted by the Nazis. Many were
deported to concentration camps, where they perished. Others were
enslaved by the Nazis and their allies. Mr. Field says there is no
reliable estimate of the number of Roma killed.

"We have seen numbers from one-quarter-of-a-million to 1.5 million
persons. Why? Because there was an unreliable count of Roma at the
time," he said. "They were isolated, as they are now. They were
socially excluded, as they are now. They were more nomadic than they
are now, especially in eastern and central Europe. And, also, because
of the nature of their killings. This was mass murder that, for the
most part, took place away from public view. Most never made it to the
camps."

Mr. Field says first-hand accounts from scores of survivors indicate
that family members were rounded up, executed and dumped in mass
graves.

Funds for the Gypsy Holocaust survivors have come from the Swiss Banks
Settlement in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New
York and from the German Foundation. Mr. Field says $214 million are
needed to assist 126,000 elderly Romas for five years at a cost of
$300 per person per year.

------------------------------------------------------

Iraqi President Foresees US Troop Withdrawal Within 2 Years

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCB296:2F72C9D

Jalal Talabani expresses confidence that constitution will be drafted
in months to come Iraq's new president says U.S. and other allied
forces are still needed in his country, but that he hopes a withdrawal
of foreign troops will be possible within the next two years.

Iraqi President Jalal TalabaniPresident Jalal Talabani dismissed the
possibility of an immediate U.S. troop withdrawal, as demanded by
Shi'ite militants during a recent demonstration in Baghdad. But,
speaking on CNN's Late Edition program, Mr. Talabani vowed Iraq will
create condition that will eventually allow foreign forces to leave.
"We are in great need to have American and other allied forces in Iraq
until we will be able to rebuild our military forces. I think within
two years we can do it, and we will remain in full consultation and
coordination with our American friends who came to liberate our
country," he said.

The Iraqi president expressed confidence that a constitution will be
drafted in the months to come. He said that one of the tasks of the
new government will be to put former ruler Saddam Hussein on trial.

The president said that extending democracy will promote unity in
Iraq, and that no one should be surprised that a one-time Kurdish
guerrilla leader was chosen as president. "When we struggle for a
democratic Iraq, this must be based on full equality for all Iraqis,
and the Kurds are one important part. Of course they have the right to
any kind of post they deserve. The new democratic Iraq will be free
from discrimination and from religious oppression," he said.

Also appearing on Late Edition was the chairman of the U.S. Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar, who praised the ability of
Iraqis of different backgrounds to engage constructively with each
other, as demonstrated by the country's new leadership in recent days.
"They represent folks in Iraq who have warred with each other since
the beginning of the country. So this is an extraordinary turning
point, that in a practical, pragmatic way they are sitting down and
talking," he said.

But the ranking Democrat on the committee, Senator Joe Biden,
cautioned that serious hurdles remain in Iraq. "The big outstanding
issue here is: how are we going to get the Sunnis to get engaged in
this [process], because no constitution that is going to be able to
fly [be viable] is going to written between now and August without
greater Sunni participation," he said.

Mr. Biden predicted U.S. forces will pull out of Iraq within
two-to-three years - either because they are no longer needed, or
because the American public grows weary of the troop commitment.

Iraqi Parliament Discusses Security, Procedural Matters

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCB294:2F72C9D

Session held as kidnappers reportedly seized an employee of Pakistani
Embassy

Iraq's National Assembly meets in BaghdadIraq's parliament met Sunday
for the fifth time since its inauguration last month to discuss
security and procedural matters. The session was held as kidnappers
reportedly seized an employee of the Pakistani Embassy.

Members of Iraq's new National Assembly discussed procedural
questions, such as its meeting schedule, a new Iraqi flag, and reports
of police harassment of parliament members.

Parliament Speaker Hajem al-Hassani suggested security forces relax
the draconian measures put in force when parliament meets. The
measures, which include closing many streets and bridges around the
fortified Green Zone, make the streets in central Baghdad almost
impassable for most of the day.

But Interim Minister of State for Security Qassim Dawoud said the
measures are necessary.

He said the assembly is being targeted by terrorists, and, as a
result, security forces must focus on protecting parliament members.

Speaker Hajem al-Hassani suggested lawmakers move as quickly as
possible to their new headquarters, located nearby, but outside the
Green Zone. The headquarters are to be in the Defense Ministry
building, which housed the Iraqi parliament under the monarchy, during
the first half of the last century.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani government issued a statement confirming that
an employee of its embassy in Baghdad was kidnapped Saturday, after
attending evening prayers. The statement said Malik Mohammed Javed had
contacted the embassy to report he was being held, but was un-harmed.
A previously unknown group claimed responsibility.

More than 100 foreigners, and an estimated 5,000 Iraqis, have been
kidnapped in the past year, some by groups demanding the departure of
foreigners from Iraq, others by criminals seeking ransom. Many have
been released, but a considerable number have been murdered.

In addition, the Iraqi military said, one Iraqi soldier was killed and
two wounded Sunday by a roadside bomb outside the northern city of
Kirkuk. And the U.S. military said one of its soldiers was wounded by
a car bomb in Bakouba, 60 kilometers north of the Iraqi capital.

Iraq's new president also opposes death penalty for Saddam Hussein.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0411/dailyUpdate.html

Iraqi Proposes Broader Amnesty

By Ellen Knickmeyer

BAGHDAD, April 10 -- Iraq's new president called Sunday for extending amnesty to Iraqi insurgents who had killed combatants, possibly including U.S. and Iraqi troops, as part of a drive that he said could help end attacks within months.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

U.S. Civilian Kidnapped in Iraq, Embassy Reports

By Ellen Knickmeyer

An American civilian working for a contractor on a foreign aid project in Iraq has been kidnapped, officials at the U.S. Embassy here reported Monday.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Three suicide car bomber outside a US military base :

In other unrest, a Turkish truck driver was killed in a roadside bombing near the northern refinery town of Baiji. An Iraqi Kurdish engineer working with the US military was kidnapped in Balad north of Baghdad. The bullet-riddled bodies of three Iraqis were found in nearby al-Dujail
http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=40246

Mosul, a member of the provincial council shot dead:

Ajil Muhsin Ajil was in his car near the Mosul General Hospital on Sunday when a group of armed men leaped out of another car parked nearby and shot him. His driver was also killed.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/846...BCAFC9F34AC.htm

http://snipurl.com/dy9j

Car bombs hit US military targets:

Aljazeera reports that five car bombs have hit US military targets in the western Iraqi city of al-Qaim near the border with Syria, wounding at least two US soldiers.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/846...BCAFC9F34AC.htm

http://snipurl.com/dy9j

U.S. Civilian Kidnapped in Iraq, Embassy Reports:

An American civilian working for a contractor on a foreign aid project in Iraq has been kidnapped, officials at the U.S. Embassy here reported Monday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...-2005Apr11.html

http://snipurl.com/dy9l

US and Iraq lock up record number of suspects:

US and Iraqi forces are holding a record 17,000 men and women - most without being formally charged - and those in Iraqi-controlled jails live often in deplorable conditions, officials said.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8505.htm

http://snipurl.com/dy9m

US accused of seizing Iraqi women to force fugitive relatives to give up :

US soldiers seized a mother and daughter from their home in Baghdad two weeks ago and allegedly left a note on the gate: "Be a man Muhammad Mukhlif and give yourself up and then we will release your sisters. Otherwise they will spend a long time in detention."
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8507.htm

http://snipurl.com/dy9o

Talabani endorses foreign troop presence :

Iraq's new president Jalal Talabani has restated his support for a continued US and Australian military presence in Iraq, one day after large demonstrations demanding US troops leave the country.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/...ent_2814609.htm

http://snipurl.com/dy9q

Saddam may yet be the ultimate survivor:

An idea being floated in Baghdad is that if Saddam's punishment was jail for life, rather than the execution he is widely assumed to face, the Sunni minority who enjoyed power and prosperity while he controlled Iraq might save face and break with the insurgents.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8504.htm

http://snipurl.com/dy9r

Compensation for Fallujah residents slow - locals:

Government studies suggest that 70 percent of buildings were destroyed in the city during the last conflict between US troops and insurgents. Only 90 families had received compensation of around US $1,500 each so far.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/I...a9054bc14e7.htm

http://snipurl.com/dya2

--------------------
Absent Allawi May Be Biding His Time
--------------------

Critics say Iraq's former premier is bitter over not being offered a top post. Supporters say he is rebuilding his party for the next election.

By Edmund Sanders
Times Staff Writer

April 12 2005

BAGHDAD; When Iraq's new government finally emerged last week and the nation's political heavyweights stood before the National Assembly, shaking hands and accepting congratulations, one man was noticeably absent from the stage: Iyad Allawi, who had served as prime minister since last summer.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,1707725.story

--------------------
New U.S. Point Man on N. Korea Sees Hope
--------------------

Christopher Hill, soon to be assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, says long-stalled talks on nuclear arms can work.

By Barbara Demick
Times Staff Writer

April 12 2005

SEOUL; It will be one year in June since the last round of multinational talks aimed at pressing North Korea to stop building nuclear weapons. In that time, the communist regime has declared itself in effect a nuclear power, threatened to resume missile testing and boycott further negotiations, hardened its rhetoric and churned out a steady stream of vitriol against the United States.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...headlines-world

--------------------
North Korean Catholics Are Seen Mourning Pope
--------------------

From Associated Press

April 12 2005

PYONGYANG, North Korea; About 100 Roman Catholics here in the North Korean capital celebrated a memorial Mass for Pope John Paul II at the only Catholic church in the communist nation.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...headlines-world

Rumsfeld Presses Iraqi Leaders to Avoid Delays in Building Democracy

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCF3E5:2F72C9D

US defense secretary holds separate meetings with interim President
Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari during 
surprise visit to Iraq

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, left, and US Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says it is important that the
new government of Iraq choose competent people to run its ministries
and avoid what he calls "unnecessary turbulence."

Mr. Rumsfeld made the remarks Tuesday on his way to Iraq, where he
paid a surprise visit to U.S. troops and met with the country's new
interim leaders.  He said anything that would delay Iraq's
progress would be unfortunate.

Meanwhile, in Mosul, Iraqi authorities say a car bomb attack aimed at
a passing U.S. convoy killed five civilians and wounded four
others.  A short while later, a second bomber struck near another
convoy. There was no word on casualties.

In the western town of Qaim, near the Syrian border, residents said
there were explosions and gunfire overnight and hospital officials
reported casualties in new violence.  On Monday, suicide bombers
attacked a U.S. military base in Qaim, wounding six people.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

Pentagon: US Withdrawal from Iraq Depends on Many Factors

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CCF3D8:2F72C9D

Report says senior commanders reluctant to make any promises until
they see what happens with new Iraqi government

US troops march at base near NajafAccording to a New York Times report
published on Monday, senior military officials said the United States
could withdraw as many as 37,000 of the 142,000 troops now in Iraq by
early next year. But the article also indicates that senior commanders
and other officials are reluctant to make any promises until they see
what happens with the new Iraqi government, its security forces, and
the ongoing insurgency in coming months.

A Pentagon spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Yoswa, says any
withdrawal will depend on those factors, and a variety of others,
including how quickly public services progress, such as the electrical
and water supplies and the effort to rebuild Iraq's health care
system.

"I wouldn't be able to confirm that we're conducting any planning on
that line," he said. "What I can say is that as we have stated for a
long time, as the secretary has stated multiple times, that any
adjustment to force levels is going to be condition-based, rather than
any fixed timeline. And at this point, there are no withdrawal plans
and there is no withdrawal timeline."

The New York Times report quotes senior U.S. generals in Iraq as
offering optimistic assessments of progress in several key areas. The
senior U.S. commander in Iraq, General George Casey, told the Times he
expects some "fairly substantial reductions" in the number of U.S.
troops in the country by this time next year.

But the newspaper also quotes officials, including Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld, as warning against being too optimistic. The top U.S.
air commander in the Persian Gulf region, Lieutenant General Walter
Buchanan, is quoted as expressing concern about informants in the new
Iraqi government providing information to the insurgents.

Iraq's new president said in recent days that he expects his country
to need foreign security help for another two years, but he did not
specify troop levels. Neither did the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff,
General John Jumper when he told the Times he thinks some U.S. forces
will be needed in Iraq "for a long time."

The Defense Department spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Yoswa says the
U.S. military is in a position to continue to provide whatever is
needed.

"We have been managing and will continue to manage the size of the
force that's there, as deemed [determined] by the commander on the
ground," he said. "General Abizaid and General Casey talk to the
secretary often and inform him on what they believe they need in the
field, and we have continued, and will continue, to provide them the
forces, the trained and experienced forces, that we've been providing
them."

And the lieutenant colonel acknowledges that everyone involved, the
U.S. government, the Iraqi government and the American and Iraqi
people, want foreign forces withdrawn from Iraq, and he says that will
happen as soon as the situation allows.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/a...cw_insurgency_1

Iraq Insurgents Fail to Brew Chemical Arms

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/a...p/usiraqamnesty

US opposes amnesty for Iraqis who kill US soldiers

http://www.fff.org/comment/com0504c.asp

Regime Change Was an Immoral Excuse for War

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/21723/

The Evolution of an Insurgency

Insurgents Attack U.S. Base In Iraq

By Ellen Knickmeyer

BAGHDAD, April 11 -- Insurgents claiming links to al Qaeda tried to overrun a U.S. Marine base near the Syrian border Monday using gunmen, suicide car bombs and a firetruck loaded with explosives, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

http://www.antiwar.com/glantz/?articleid=5521

Cover the Insurgents, Go to Prison (or Worse)
Aaron Glantz

Iraq: The Long Road to a Government Musab Alkateeb
The Kurds' assertive protection of their interests—and the Sunnis' failure to protect theirs—are among the factors that have delayed government formation, according to a former official in the Interim Iraqi Government.

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publicati...w&id=16773#iraq

Let them eat bombs

A report to the UN human rights commission in Geneva has concluded that Iraqi children were actually better off under Saddam Hussein than they are now.

By Terry Jones

This, of course, comes as a bitter blow for all those of us who, like George Bush and Tony Blair, honestly believe that children thrive best when we drop bombs on them from a great height, destroy their cities and blow up hospitals, schools and power stations.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8519.htm

http://snipurl.com/dyxw

US appears to have fought war for oil and lost it

By Ian Rutledge

According to the former head of ExxonMobil's Gulf operations, "Iraqi exiles approached us saying, you can have our oil if we can get back in there", the Bush administration decided to use its overwhelming military might to create a pliant - and dependable - oil protectorate in the Middle East and achieve that essential "opening" of the Gulf oilfields.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8522.htm

http://snipurl.com/dyxy

20 Iraqi civilians killed in US air attack:

Seven children, six women and three old men were among the dead, witnesses said, while the injured included 13 children, seven women and elderly men.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/094...D7118AC9946.htm

http://snipurl.com/dyxz

Suicide Car Bomber Kills 5 Iraqi Civilians:

Iraqi officials said a suicide car bomber killed five civilians Tuesday in an attack targeting a U.S. convoy in Mosul
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/4370275/detail.html

http://snipurl.com/dyy0

Three killed, over 20 injured in car bomb in Iraq's Samarra :

A suicide car bombing occurred on Monday evening in Iraq's Samarra, north of Baghdad, killing three Iraqis and wounding more than 20 others, said reports reaching here from the restive city.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/...ent_2816461.htm

http://snipurl.com/dyy1

Militants kill one, wound three in Baghdad as Rumsfeld visits;:

Militants ambushed a convoy carrying Iraq's deputy interior minister Tuesday, killing a bodyguard and wounding the deputy's son and two other people, an official in the ministry said.
http://snipurl.com/dyy2

US Deputy Secretary of State Visits Iraq Amid More Violence

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CD6C79:2F72C9D

Robert Zoellick to meet in Baghdad with Iraqi President Jalal
Talabani, Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari A series of explosions
shook the Iraqi capital Wednesday, while a high-ranking U.S. official
visited the country.

Robert Zoellick (File photo)Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick
visited the former insurgent stronghold of Fallujah to inspect
reconstruction efforts there. Later, he is to meet in Baghdad with
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

Meanwhile, near Kirkuk, nine policemen were killed while trying to
defuse a bomb. In Baghdad, at least four people were injured in three
separate explosions. A U.S. military spokeswoman said a fourth blast
hit a Defense Department convoy, killing five Iraqis and injuring four
U.S. contractors.

And al-Jazeera television aired a video it said shows an American
contractor who was abducted Monday near Baghdad. The video showed the
man urging U.S. officials to open a dialogue with insurgents in order
to save his life.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

NEWS TRANSCRIPT from the United States Department of Defense

DoD News Briefing
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and Dr. Jaafari
Tuesday, April 12, 2005

RUMSFELD: Thank you very much, Dr. Jaafari.

I am very pleased to be back in Iraq, to have an opportunity to meet
with the U.S. and coalition forces who are doing such a wonderful job here to
assist the Iraqi security forces in their development and their assumption of
responsibility for security in the country. I was pleased to be able to meet with
Dr. Jaafari and to congratulate him on his position. We had a good discussion
about the political process that's taking place. It is, I know, something that is
being watched not just in this country and not just in this region, but it's having
an affect in the region and the world. We are pleased to see what's taken place
and certainly wish them well in their further considerations of the development of
this important Iraqi transition government, and then moving towards the development of a constitution and then the election under that constitution of a
fully-developed Iraqi government.

PRESS: Dr. Jaafari, I wonder if I might ask you a question, please
sir. We are the traveling press, we're traveling with the Secretary. He's
expressed some concern about possible political turbulence in the months ahead and the United States worries that there might be corruption or that perhaps people might be appointed to ministries based on political ties and not ability. Have you assured the Secretary that you will fight corruption and any appointments base on political ties, to include [inaudible] ties?

In English if you could please, sir.

JAAFARI: I don't deny there is [inaudible], but I am sure we are going
to form a [inaudible], all of them have good backgrounds, they are very efficient,
from different backgrounds. They are Sunni, Shias, [inaudible]. So I think we can
cooperate proper to all of us, cooperation going through [inaudible]. I hope so.

PRESS: So you will fight corruption --

JAAFARI: Yes, yes.

RUMSFELD: The goal of the United States and the coalition is to work
with the Iraqi security forces to help to build them, increase their size, improve
their equipment, and increase their capability in command and control, and
increasingly transfer responsibility to the Iraqi security forces, and that process
has been going forward now for a year and a half or two years. Good progress is
being made. I think anyone who watched the elections on January 30th has to
recognize the significant contribution made by Iraqi security forces to the success
of that election.

Our goal is to be able to transfer full responsibility to the Iraqi
security forces as soon as they're capable of taking over that responsibility at
which point, obviously, the coalition forces would be able to reduce their presence
in the country which is the goal of the coalition countries.

PRESS: Thank you very much.

RUMSFELD: Thank you.

JAAFARI: Thank you.

[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/200...secdef2482.html]

-- News Transcripts: http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/
-- DoD News: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/dodnews.html
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-- U.S. Department of Defense News About the War on Terrorism -
http://www.defendamerica.mil

--------------------
Baghdad's Blast Walls Protect, Annoy
--------------------

Concrete slabs shield foreign firms from bombs, but also disrupt traffic and look bad.

By Doug Smith and Saif Rasheed
Times Staff Writers

April 13 2005

BAGHDAD; Standing side by side, dozens of 12-foot-tall concrete slabs loom over the median of an apartment-lined avenue near the Tigris River here.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,2525166.story

--------------------
Rumsfeld Tells Iraq to Be Quick
--------------------

In Baghdad, the Defense secretary praises leaders for their progress but says a Cabinet and a constitution are the means to stability.

By Solomon Moore
Times Staff Writer

April 13 2005

BAGHDAD; Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday urged Iraq's new leaders to quickly fill top ministry posts and draft a new constitution.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...headlines-world

--------------------
Labs Rush to Destroy High-Risk Flu Strain
--------------------

From Associated Press

April 13 2005

LONDON; Thousands of scientists were scrambling Tuesday at the urging of global health authorities to destroy vials of a pandemic flu strain sent to labs in 18 countries as part of routine testing.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...headlines-world

--------------------
Bush Talk to Troops Recalls Fall of Baghdad
--------------------

He says the toppling of a Hussein statue was a great moment, like the fall of the Berlin Wall.

By Peter Wallsten
Times Staff Writer

April 13 2005

FT. HOOD, Texas; Addressing troops two years to the week after U.S. forces seized the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, President Bush said Tuesday that the ouster of Saddam Hussein ranked in historical importance alongside with the defeat of communism in Europe.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...eadlines-nation

Time to reassess Iraqi transition timetable
A single vote - on an interim constitution and government - makes
sense. By Helena Cobban
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0414/p09s01-coop.html?s=hns

Bomb kills 12 Iraqi guards near Kirkuk:

Twelve Iraqi guards have been killed after a bomb exploded while they were dismantling what appeared to be a decoy roadside bomb near Kirkuk.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B4F...4FFBBF130C9.htm

http://snipurl.com/dzt2

Blast near Baghdad Green Zone kills five:

A car bomb exploded near a U.S. convoy outside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Wednesday, killing five Iraqis and slightly wounding four American contractors, the U.S. military said.
http://snipurl.com/dzt5

Militants attack police convoy in northern Iraq :

In a separate incident, US soldiers on a checkpoint near Dowr opened fire at a civilian car, wounding Lie. Col. Hussein Ahmed and another policeman, the statement said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/...ent_2824382.htm

Suicide car bomb hits US military convoy in Baghdad :

A suicide car bomb blew up Wednesday at a US military convoy near Baghdad International Airport, causing casualties among US forces and Iraqi civilians, witnesses said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/...ent_2824429.htm

Video shows US captive in Iraq:

An American citizen who was taken captive in Iraq on Sunday has pleaded for his life in a video broadcast on Aljazeera.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/CBA...34B59144DD1.htm

http://snipurl.com/dzt6

Complaints Greet Rice Deputy in Fallujah :

Zoellick, the top deputy to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, was confined to a caravan of armored transport vehicles - except for a meeting with civic leaders at a fortified military compound. Marines said the security situation in Fallujah remained tenuous, although daily attacks were down.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/stor...4934156,00.html

Don't be fooled by the spin on Iraq :

The US is failing - and hatred of the occupation greater than ever.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8527.htm

http://snipurl.com/dzt8

The Battle For Al-Qaim : The U.S. Version:

"Insurgents" Attack U.S. Base In Iraq :

"Insurgents" claiming links to al Qaeda tried to overrun a U.S. Marine base near the Syrian border Monday using gunmen, suicide car bombs and a firetruck loaded with explosives, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8528.htm

http://snipurl.com/dzta

The Battle For Al-Qaim : The Iraq Version:

Resistance fighters take over Al-Qaim :

Fierce fighting erupted since 7am. More than 70 'Iraqi policemen' deserted their positions. An influx of 150-200 Resistance fighters from the neighboring cities of Hit, Haditha and Fallujah join the battle, including 16 women Resistance fighters.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8529.htm

http://snipurl.com/dztb