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Reports Successful Test of Ballistic Missile

Ayaz Gul

Islamabad

03 Oct 2003, 10:55 UTC

Pakistan says it has successfully tested a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile that can carry nuclear weapons. Pakistani officials say they will conduct more tests in the coming days.

Pakistan's military says this is the second test of what it calls the indigenously developed Hatf-III Ghaznavi missile - a rocket with a range of up to 290 kilometers.

That is enough to hit targets inside of rival India, with either conventional or nuclear warheads.

Major-General Shaukat Sultan is the spokesman for Pakistan's Army.

"I would say that it can carry all type of warheads," he said.

He did not say where the test was conducted. But he did note Pakistan plans to conduct more tests of the Ghaznavi missile in the next few days to maintain the pace of its missile development program.

However, officials say the tests have nothing to do with developments in the region - a reference to rival India's missile programs. They say the timing of the test is based on Pakistan's own missile defense needs.

Ayesha Siddiqa is a defense analyst and a former member of the state-run Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad.

"This is the technological advancement that we want and we have to improve our ballistic missile delivery systems and that is basically it. Plus you know there is always this tactical political advantage of testing. It sends a message across that we are pretty determined to defend ourselves. It happens on both sides, on India and Pakistan," she said.

India confirmed that it received the required notification from Pakistan in advance of the missile test.

India and Pakistan are armed with nuclear weapons and have been locked in a long-running conflict over Kashmir. Both South Asian nations claim the entire region, which has caused two wars between them.

India accuses Pakistan of sponsoring a Muslim separatist insurgency in Kashmir. Tensions have eased in recent months but the two countries have yet to open peace talks.

 13

UN Committee Split Over Treaty to Ban Human Cloning

Peter Heinlein

United Nations

06 Nov 2003, 21:25 UTC

The U.S. drive to enact a broad global ban on human cloning has suffered a severe setback at the United Nations. The cloning issue has deeply divided the world body.

By a 80-79 vote, the General Assembly's legal committee passed a motion to delay consideration of a treaty banning human cloning until 2005. The motion was sponsored by Iran on behalf of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Conference.

The vote effectively derails a U.S.-led campaign to draft a treaty that would prohibit all forms of human cloning, including medical research on stem cells.

It also reveals a deep split within the world body on the cloning issue.

The U.S. and Costa Rican proposal calling for drafting an anti-cloning treaty had nearly 50 co-sponsors, and was expected to pass easily. But it is fiercely opposed by many in the scientific community, who argue there is a need for therapeutic cloning for research and medical purposes.

A rival resolution sponsored by Belgium and supported by Britain, France, and Germany, among others, would have banned only the cloning of babies.

After the vote, Deputy U.S. Representative James Cunningham said he was disappointed that countries opposing a total ban had used a technicality to derail the will of a majority of the international community.

"It is particularly regrettable that it was by only one vote that we will be prevented from formally registering that more than 100 members of the Untied Nations favor the pursuit of the goal, of a total ban on human cloning," he said.

The vote effectively puts off for two years any work on drafting an international treaty banning human cloning.

Several European diplomats regretted that the vote leaves the issue of cloning in limbo. But as one Belgian diplomat told reporters afterward, it may be better not to push forward on drafting a comprehensive treaty at a time when the world, and even the scientific community, is so deeply divided on the question.

 14

Astronomers Discover New Nearby Galaxy

Jessica Berman

Washington

06 Nov 2003, 00:15 UTC

An international team of researchers has discovered a nearby galaxy, whose stars are being absorbed by our own galaxy, the Milky Way.

The newly discovered galaxy is called Canis Major, a dwarf galaxy of more than a billion stars about 25,000 light years away. Canis Major is is the closest of a dozen small galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. Astronomers say it is about one-percent the size of our galaxy.

Because Canis Major is so small, British astronomer Michael Irwin says the gravitational force of the Milky Way is ripping it apart and incorporating its stars into our own galaxy. "The sort of milky plane is being added to by this new galaxy," he said.

Professor Irwin, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge in England, is part of the team that discovered Canis Major.

The astronomers found the dwarf galaxy by using an infrared telescope. The infrared device allows astronomers to peer beyond the clouds of dust inside the Milky Way, and see stars that shine brightly.

"And what we found was an obvious excess of objects just to the south of the galactic plane," he said. "And we now think this is the remnant of this galaxy that is being dissolved away as it goes around the Milky Way."

Canis Major is the second small galaxy to be discovered in recent years that is contributing to the Milky Way's girth. The other constellation, the Sagittarius dwarf, is also colliding with the Milky Way.

Steve Maran of the American Astronomical Society says the discovery of Canis Major gives astronomers a first-hand look at the growth of the Milky Way. He says it provides evidence that our galaxy is reaching maturity.

"I do not think there is anything left for the Milky Way to swallow that is going to make a big difference in the forseeable future. But it is still cleaning up the odds and ends," he said.

A description of the discovery of Canis Major will be published in a journal of the Royal Astronomical Society.

 15

Microsoft Offers Reward Program for Capture of Computer Virus Makers

Kenneth Schwartz

Washington

05 Nov 2003, 19:30 UTC

Microsoft, the world's largest computer software company, has announced a $5 million reward program for the capture and conviction of those who send malicious computer worms and viruses on the Internet. Microsoft is joining forces with law enforcement agencies to fight cyber-crimes.

Microsoft announced it is offering several cash rewards after two destructive computer programs, the "MS Blast-A" worm and the "SoBig" virus, affected millions of homes and businesses earlier this year.

Microsoft Senior Vice President Brad Smith said releasing a computer virus is not a harmless schoolboy prank, but a very serious crime. "These are real crimes that disrupt the lives of real people. Every part of the Internet community suffers from the criminal act of releasing viruses and other malicious code - businesses, governments, schools, and families in their homes," he said.

Authorities estimate that viruses have cost companies billions of dollars in lost business. Computer attacks can also have much more serious consequences when hospital and police computer systems are hit.

Microsoft is conducting its reward program with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Secret Service. Because Internet crimes know no borders, the international police force, Interpol, is also involved.

Interpol Director of Information and Technology Systems, Peter Nevitt, said computer crimes challenge traditional law enforcement. "Criminals who perpetrate crimes such as launching viruses do so often from the safety of their own country, knowing that the damage that is going to be caused in countries far from them," he said.

Microsoft Vice President Smith said he believes offering a large reward to fight Internet crimes will make a difference. "We need these kinds of steps to help encourage people to come forward and share information. We can not afford to have these criminals hiding behind their computer screens," he said.

Microsoft and law enforcement officials say anyone with information about computer viruses or worm attacks should contact police or Interpol through the Internet at www.interpol.int.

 16

Researchers Predict Water Scarcity Will Get Worse

Cathy Majtenyi

Nairobi

02 Nov 2003, 18:12 UTC

The scarcity of water around the world is only going to get worse, as demand grows, according to researchers meeting in Kenya.

Members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research warn that fewer and fewer people around the globe will have access to clean, safe water, if governments and organizations fail to address the problem of water scarcity.

An official with the U.S.-based International Food Policy Research Institute, Mark Rosegrant, said water infrastructure and management systems in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, are inadequate to keep up with household demand for water, which is expected to double within the next 20 years, or so. "The number of people without access to clean water will increase dramatically, from about 150 million now to just over 400 million by 2025. On the food side, we're seeing [that] we're likely to have an increase in the number of malnourished children in sub-Saharan Africa, from about 33 million now to 37 million in 2025," he said.

Mr. Rosegrant said water scarcity is estimated to cut Africa's crop yields by 25 percent within the next 20 years or so.

But the water problem is not just restricted to scarcity. A senior official in Kenya's Ministry of Water Resources and Management, George Krhoda, explains that the massive flooding in the country earlier this year cost the Kenyan economy an estimated $48 million, or 0.6 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product.

He said the floods, as well as droughts, cause frequent and widespread power shortages in Kenya.

These and other problems were highlighted at a news conference Sunday, and are expected to be discussed more fully during a five-day conference being held in Nairobi.

The event marks the launch of the Challenge Program on Water and Food, a new initiative from the consultative group to study the problem of water scarcity around the globe.

Fifty research proposals have already been approved under the $60 million initiative, which is being funded by 64 governments and institutions, including the World Bank. Officials are trying to raise $120 million within the next six years.

 17

Oldest Fossil Found in Australian Outback

Phil Mercer

Sydney

31 Oct 2003, 16:02 UTC

Scientists in Australia believe a tadpole-shaped fossil found in the outback could revolutionize theories on the origins of man. The fossil is estimated to be 560 million years old, making it older than any other fossil of its type. Paleontologists say it looks like a vertebrate and could be "the deepest part of the tree of life."

The chance discovery by a livestock farmer checking his cattle could force scientists to reconsider their assumptions about the origins of human beings.

The farmer found the fossil - embedded in a slab of rock - more than four years ago. It sat outside his homestead until someone finally noticed its unique shape and called in scientists.

Tim Flannery, the director of the South Australian Museum, said it is a remarkable find. "I think that once word gets out about this find, people will be astonished. It's bound to be controversial," he said. "The fossil is beautifully preserved and appears to show the main features or characteristics that we look for. But we'll just have to sit back and wait and see what the scientific reaction is."

Until scientists examined the Australian fossil, the oldest like it was found in China. This fossil was a jaw-less fish and showed that animals with backbones probably lived 530 million years ago.

Scientists say the Australian fossil is 30 million years older. Most fossils from this prehistoric time are like jellyfish or seaweed, but evidence of a backbone in the tiny fish-like creature points to a much earlier possible emergence of human ancestors.

The fossil was found in a remote sandstone corner of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. The exact location is being kept a secret, but paleontologists consider the ancient seabed beneath the range a treasure-trove of fossils.

 18

At Least 3 Militants Die in Battles with Saudi Police

James Martone

Cairo

06 Nov 2003, 16:54 UTC

Saudi authorities say two militants blew themselves up, as police tried to arrest them in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, and a third died earlier in a gun battle with police in Riyadh.

Saudi authorities say two suspected Muslim militants blew themselves up to avoid an arrest in Mecca. They were allegedly part of a group planning terror attacks on Muslim pilgrims.

Two of the group's members were killed and another six arrested, after a police raid on their hideout in Mecca last Monday. Saudi authorities at the time said the group had links to the al-Qaida terror network.

Saudi authorities also reported another suspected militant was killed in a clash with police in Riyadh. Interior Ministry officials say eight policemen were wounded in the shootout, which erupted in the neighborhood of Sweidi, where security forces were searching for suspected extremists.

Several of them escaped, but Saudi authorities gave no specifics.

Local media reports Saudi police used a helicopter to fire on fleeing suspects and sealed off the entire Sweidi district. The battle reportedly lasted nearly three hours.

Saudi authorities have cracked down in recent weeks on suspected terrorists, many of whom, they say, are linked to the terror network, al-Qaida. Hundreds of suspected militants have been arrested in the campaign.

In another development, the Iranian ambassador to Riyadh, Ali Asghar Khagi, told Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadh that his government has given the United Nations a list of suspected al-Qaida members, which included 29 Saudis, who were caught in Iran and sent back to Saudi Arabia.

 19

Saudi Arabia Moves Forward with Political Reforms

James Martone

Cairo

05 Nov 2003, 17:46 UTC

Saudi Arabia says it will continue carrying out political reforms, but will not import Western-style democracy.

Saudi Arabia's Interior Minister, Prince Nayef, said the kingdom would continue reforms as long as they do not conflict with the Islamic law, Sharia.

He told the Arabic language daily, Al-Hayat, that he also rejected charges that a lack of democracy was behind the recent Muslim militant terror acts in country.

"Violence in all its forms has occurred and continues to occur in Western countries which are democracies, so how can we explain terrorism as resulting from lack of democracy," he said.

The oil-rich kingdom, in which the royal family has absolute power and strict Islamic law applies, has come under pressure from the United-States to implement reforms.

Prince Nayef made clear that for the time being, reforms would be limited. "The meaning of reform," he said, "must be defined in accordance with our foundations and needs." In his view, "democracy is an attractive word, but it must not run counter to the teachings of Islamic sharia."

Critics of the kingdom have suggested the country's strict interpretation of Islam, which allows virtually no opposition, helps feed Muslim militancy there.

Hala Mustapha, an expert in Muslim militancy at Egypt's Diplomacy Institute, agrees.

"Part of it is political, and part is cultural and social, but in either way, I cannot deny the fact that lack of political vitality and participation of course contributes in aggravating the fanatic phenomenon or fanaticism in general," she said.

Ms. Mustapha and other observers have praised Saudi Arabia's recent decision to hold municipal elections sometime in an unspecified future, but say more needs to be done to address issues such as growing poverty, unemployment, and lack of free speech.

 20

Saudi Police Kill 2 Muslim Militants in Mecca Shootout

James Martone

Cairo

03 Nov 2003, 17:53 UTC

Saudi police say they have killed two Muslim militants in the holy city of Mecca, and seized a large cache of weapons.

The statement read on Saudi television says police surrounded the terrorists fortified hideout in the holy city of Mecca. It says the militants opened fire and police responded.

A Saudi Ministry of Interior official said the two men were killed as they tried to flee in their car, and the search for others continues.

The official said the police found several weapons in the car and seized machine guns, hand grenades, rocket propelled grenades and material on making explosives inside the house.

Reports quoted Saudi officials as saying the weapons and printed materials found indicate the militants are sympathizers of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network.

Saudi Arabia has been cracking down on alleged Islamic militants since May, when suicide bombings targeting Western compounds killed 35 people in Riyadh. More than 200 suspected Muslim militants have been arrested and more than a dozen killed in police raids since the Riyadh attacks.

In June, a raid on an alleged terrorist cell plotting attacks in Mecca resulted in the death of five suspected al Qaida militants, and two security agents.

The Associated Press reports Saudi police have said that they will tighten security in Mecca, especially during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

 21

US Warns of Possible Terrorist Attacks in Saudi Arabia

James Martone

Cairo

28 Oct 2003, 16:34 UTC

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh is cautioning American citizens in Saudi Arabia to be vigilant, saying it had information about further planned terrorist attacks against western targets in the kingdom.

The embassy issued an advisory saying it has credible information that terrorists are targeting "Western aviation interests" in Saudi Arabia. It urges U.S. citizens to postpone non-essential travel to the kingdom.

The embassy's Public Affairs Officer, Carol Kalin, says the advisory follows recent terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia, as well as other places.

"If you look around the world you will see, unfortunately, terrorist activities, certainly in Iraq, and unfortunately in other places," she said. "We would just ask everyone to remain vigilant in this period."

Attacks on western compounds in Riyadh in May killed 35 people.

The U.S. embassy in Riyadh warned last week of possible attacks on Western targets during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which started Monday. But the advisory is more detailed and refers to specific information received by the U.S. government.

Saudi Arabia vowed over the weekend to stop any terror plots in the country.

 22

Australia, Britain, US Post Terror Warnings

Michael Drudge

London

25 Oct 2003, 17:29 UTC

The United States, Britain and Australia have all posted warnings that terrorists could soon strike again in Saudi Arabia.

Americans in Saudi Arabia have been warned they could be the target of terrorist attacks during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh placed the warning on its telephone system Saturday.

"The Embassy continues to receive information that terrorist groups within the kingdom are still active and planning future operations. It is the Embassy's assessment that terrorist groups may place special operational significance on the upcoming month of Ramadan, and American citizens are therefore urged to be particularly vigilant during this time," stated the embassy recording.

Britain and Australia have posted similar warnings. The British advisory says British citizens should defer all but essential travel to the kingdom.

Both Britain and Australia say terrorists in Saudi Arabia could be in the final stages of planning attacks.

A series of bombings on Western residential compounds in Riyadh in May killed 35 people. Saudi Arabia says it has arrested nearly 600 suspected militants since those attacks.

 23

Security Situation in Iraq Will Gradually Improve, says US Official

Greg LaMotte

Baghdad

08 Nov 2003, 17:12 UTC

 A senior U.S. administration official arrived in Baghdad Saturday saying he believes the security situation in the country will gradually begin to improve.

Following the deadliest week for American forces in Iraq since major combat operations ended May 1, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage arrived in Baghdad Saturday for a 24-hour visit.

Mr. Armitage said he was visiting Iraq to maintain what he described as momentum on security, economic and political issues in the country.

The deputy secretary said he expects the security situation in Iraq to begin to improve.

"It's not a secret to anyone that in the Baghdad, Tikrit, al-Ramadi, Fallujah area we've got the security problem," he said. "And, we're sobered by the problem, but after discussions today with the commander of Joint Task Force 7, Lieutenant General Sanchez, I am absolutely convinced that we have a very solid plan to go out and get these people who are killing us and killing Iraqis."

Dozens of American soldiers have died over the past week, including two soldiers Saturday with the 82nd Airborne Division who were killed when a bomb detonated as their convoy was driving by.

On Friday, six American soldiers died when their Blackhawk helicopter crashed near Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. Last Sunday, 16 American soldiers were killed when their Chinook helicopter was apparently shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

The International Red Cross said Saturday it was temporarily closing its offices in Baghdad and the southern Iraqi city of Basra because the situation in the country has become what it described as very dangerous and volatile.

On Friday, Turkey announced it would not be sending troops to join coalition forces in Iraq.

Mr. Armitage said there are continuing discussions with other countries to send troops to Iraq but that current troop strength in the country was adequate to maintain security.

The deputy Secretary of State said he plans to hold talks with Saudi and Egyptian officials over the next few days regarding human rights issues, the current situation in Iraq and the Middle East in general. He said he does not think the Middle East should be immune to democracy.

 24

Red Cross to Temporarily Close Iraq Offices

Greg LaMotte

Baghdad

08 Nov 2003, 11:54 UTC

The International Red Cross has decided to temporarily shut down its two main offices in Iraq because of increasing attacks being carried out by anti-coalition forces. The announcement was made just hours after pre-dawn raids were made by coalition forces in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

A spokesman for the International Red Cross, Florian Westphal, Saturday described the situation in Iraq as being extremely dangerous and volatile.

Consequently, the aid organization has decided to temporarily close its offices in Baghdad and in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.

The Red Cross headquarters in Baghdad was attacked by a suicide car bomber last month. A number of civilians and two Red Cross workers were killed.

The Red Cross had already evacuated most of its foreign employees following last month's blast.

West of Baghdad in the town of Fallujah Saturday, two U.S. soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division were killed and another wounded when a roadside bomb was detonated as their convoy passed by.

In Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit U.S. troops, backed by Bradley fighting vehicles and tanks, conducted pre-dawn raids Saturday. They demolished two abandoned houses and a warehouse suspected of being a hideout for anti-coalition forces.

The raid was in apparent response to the downing of a Blackhawk helicopter near Tikrit on Friday that killed six U.S. soldiers aboard the aircraft.

American military officials say the cause of the crash is under investigation, but there are indications the helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Lieutenant Colonel Steven Russell, commander of the 1st Battalion in Tikrit was quoted as saying that Saturday morning's raid in Tikrit was intended to show the town that U.S. forces "have teeth and claws and will use them."

Military officials also announced that a nighttime curfew that had been lifted for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan was being reimposed in Tikrit, located about 160 kilometers north of Baghdad.

 25

US Soldiers Killed in Tikrit Helicopter Crash

Greg LaMotte

Baghdad

07 Nov 2003, 12:40 UTC

At least six U.S. soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash Friday in northern Iraq and U.S. troops in the northern Iraqi town of Mosul were ambushed Friday morning.

A U.S. Blackhawk helicopter crashed Friday near Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Tikrit is about 160 kilometers north of Baghdad.

A large plume of smoke could be seen rising from the helicopter that crashed near a riverbank.

The Blackhawk is the U.S. Army's frontline helicopter designed to carry 11 combat troops. It is also used as a general transportation aircraft and for medical evacuations.

On October 25, anti-coalition forces attacked a Blackhawk helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade. That incident also occurred in Tikrit. The helicopter was forced to land and all five crewmembers escaped as the aircraft became engulfed in flames.

Last Sunday, a U.S. Army Chinook helicopter was downed by what was believed to be a shoulder-fired missile near the town of Fallujah west of Baghdad. Sixteen U.S. soldiers were killed in what was the single worst incident against U.S. forces in Iraq.

The U.S. military has said there may be hundreds of shoulder-fired surface to air missiles in Iraq that continue to present a considerable threat to U.S. aircraft in the country.

Also in northern Iraq Friday, one U.S. soldier was killed and at least six others were wounded when their convoy came under attack in Mosul.

The U.S. military says the convoy, with the 101st Airborne Division, was attacked by a group of assailants firing rocket-propelled grenades.

In a separate incident in Mosul Friday, three U.S. soldiers were reported wounded by a roadside bomb.

 26

Britain Expects to Remain in Iraq Until 2005, Says Envoy

Michael Drudge

London

06 Nov 2003, 12:00 UTC

Britain's senior representative in Iraq predicts the British military will be in the country until at least 2005, and the next few months will be a rough time for coalition forces.

The British special envoy to Iraq, Jeremy Greenstock, says anti-coalition insurgents in Iraq will be increasing their attacks over the coming months.

Mr. Greenstock has told the London Times newspaper that terrorists intend to make Iraq ungovernable through violence to try to convince the world the American-led coalition cannot control the country.

Mr. Greenstock also says Iraq's neighbors, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia, are not doing enough to keep terrorists from infiltrating Iraq.

As the former British ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Greenstock tried in vain to get the Security Council to support military action in Iraq before the March invasion. He says if that had happened, the occupation would now been seen as a multinational effort and not a U.S. dominated operation

 27

Pentagon Expected to Announce Return of Marines to Iraq

Nick Simeone

Washington

06 Nov 2003, 00:38 UTC

The U.S. military is preparing to announce a call-up of replacement forces for Iraq including a return of U.S. Marines and reservists. The decision comes amid increasingly sophisticated attacks on coalition forces there and no sign that other countries are ready to contribute more troops of their own.

General Peter Pace, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, began letting members of Congress know what the Pentagon is expected to announce as early as Thursday - the call-up of thousands of additional National Guard and Reserve troops for duty in Iraq.

He says orders are also being issued for the expected call-up of Marine units as well, units which had left Iraq in September after leading the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein's government in April.

Even though replacement U.S. forces are being sent to Iraq, General Pace says he still expects the overall number of American troops there will actually begin to come down next year, once more Iraqi forces are trained to take their place.

But on NBC's Meet the Press program Sunday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said predicting the level of American forces in Iraq is not possible. It is something, he said, that will be determined largely by the security situation on the ground.

"Those questions can't be answered. Every time someone has answered those questions, they've been wrong," he said.

But Sergeant Raymond Littlefield, who is recovering in a military hospital in Germany from Sunday's attack on a U.S. military helicopter near Fallujah, sees no quick end to the American military presence. "Eventually, we will be heading back," he said. "It's going to be going on for a long time. Many years to come. I'm ready to do it. I'm proud to do it."

The Bush administration had expected that once the U.S. military mission in Iraq received United Nations backing, countries in Europe and the Middle East would contribute significant numbers of troops to the reconstruction effort. But those expectations have so far gone unfulfilled.

 28

Bush: US Remains Determined to Finish Mission in Iraq

Paula Wolfson

White House

03 Nov 2003, 19:13 UTC

U.S. President George Bush says the United States remains determined to carry out its mission in Iraq, despite continuing attacks on coalition forces. The president said America will not retreat from what he calls a central front in the war on terrorism. "A free Iraq will be a peaceful Iraq. And a free and peaceful Iraq is important for the national security of America," he said.

On Sunday, 16 Americans were killed when their transport helicopter was downed west of Baghdad. It was the deadliest attack on U.S. forces since the war began in March.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld gave the initial administration response, calling it a tragic day for America. The president's first comments came a day later, in a previously scheduled speech on the economy in Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Bush did not refer specifically to the attack, but left no doubt his determination to stay the course in Iraq is firm. "The enemy in Iraq believes America will run. That is why they are willing to kill innocent civilians, relief workers, and coalition troops. America will never run. America will do what is necessary to make our country more secure," he said.

The president carried on that theme later in the day at an event held in Birmingham to raise money for his re-election campaign. He said once again that America will not be intimidated by those who want to stop the move toward freedom and self-government in Iraq. "We will finish what we have begun, and we will win this essential victory in the war on terror," he said.

At several points during his stay in Alabama, Mr. Bush took note of U.S. forces lost in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He said America mourns every loss and honors every name.

 29

Afghan Warlords Promise End of Feud

Michael Kitchen

Islamabad

05 Nov 2003, 14:35 UTC

Two rival Afghan commanders are renewing promises to end their feuding after meeting with a delegation from the U.N. Security Council.

Generals Atta Mohammed and Abdul-Rashid Dostum met with the U.N. ambassadors in the provincial capital Mazar-e Sharif. Both commanders promised to respect Afghanistan's central government and cooperate to end fighting between their forces.

The militias of General Atta, an ethnic Tajik, and General Dostum, an Uzbek, have battled with each other during the past several weeks, leaving dozens dead.

Both commanders are under the authority of the Afghan armed forces, but have been accused of acting as semi-autonomous warlords, locked in a struggle for territory in northern Afghanistan.

The two generals said they assured the Security Council ambassadors at their meeting that they would halt the fighting. They added that they agree in principle with plans to integrate their units into the centrally controlled military.

General Atta and General Dostum have claimed in the past that much of the fighting between their militias was instigated by their subordinates.

AP

Ali Jalali

Afghan Interior Minister Ali Jalali says that while the top commanders are responsible for some of the factional fighting, the general security situation does, in fact, depend heavily on lower-level leaders.

"One would think that the major strongmen in the provinces are the problem," he said. "In some cases they are not. The people who are under them are the problem, small warlords or "mini-warlords," or "micro-warlords," who are in charge of a village or a district or several districts."

During their meeting with the U.N. ambassadors, the commanders also discussed the problem of opium production and trafficking, which is believed to fund much of the militant activity across Afghanistan.

The five-day U.N. mission, which includes the U.N. ambassadors of Germany, the United States, Mexico, France, Britain, Bulgaria, and Spain, is meant to show international support for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.

The mission comes amid an upsurge in violence during the past few weeks, with an increase in attacks by insurgents across Afghanistan.

As the ambassadors met with the northern generals, a small explosion in the capital, Kabul, rocked the offices of the Commerce Ministry and a U.S. charity group. Police are investigating the blast to determine whether it was deliberate or an accident.

 30

Transitional Afghan Government Unveils Draft Constitution

Ayaz Gul

Islamabad

03 Nov 2003, 13:26 UTC

Afghanistan's transitional government has unveiled the long-delayed, post-Taleban draft of a new constitution. The document intends to build a political system that will help unite Islamic and secular groups in the war-ravaged nation.

The draft constitution, which describes Afghanistan as an Islamic republic, was presented to President Hamid Karzai at a ceremony in Kabul.

The commission that drafted the document says it is based on Islamic principles and recognizes that no law can be contrary to what it calls the "sacred religion" of Islam. The commission adds that the new constitution allows for freedom of religion for other faiths in Afghanistan.

A constitutional "Loya Jirga," or grand assembly, will formally adopt the draft in December, which should set the stage for elections next year.

The constitution calls for the creation upper and lower houses of parliament and the post of president and vice president. It gives the president a strong role as the leader of the country and eliminates the post of prime minister included in previous versions of the constitution.

Many feared a strong prime minister could have emerged as a political and military rival to the president.

The long-delayed draft is made public at a time when a big delegation of ambassadors representing the United Nations Security Council is in Kabul to underline U.N. support for efforts to reconstruct Afghanistan.

"Afghanistan is high on the agenda of the Security Council," said Germany's Gunter Pleuger, who is leading the delegation. "The Security Council and the international community support the reconstruction process in Afghanistan."

The United Nations last month voted to extend the peace-keeping operations in Afghanistan. Aid workers and western diplomats say that security situation must improve if elections are to be held next year.

A statement from Human Rights Watch warns that a new wave of violence and intimidation is threatening the political reconstruction in Afghanistan. It also has urged President Karzai to take action to minimize the number of warlords and their representatives attending the constitutional assembly next month.

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