From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia Reserch Senter(*) OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS #18 =============================== In the Run-Up to World War III, Reliably Reporting the News Relevant to Extreme Right-Wing Democratic Socialists Everywhere (validated for RiteThink(tm) by the Office of Our Man in Can-berra). Visit Our Home Page At: http://www.chickenhead.com/loserscopes/0103.asp See the Undeniable Evidence At: http://www.evil-doers.org/evidence Kindly Archived At: http://www.kymhorsell.com/BOZO/archives/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Selecting latest news stories and other data for you... ------------------------------------------------------------ How do you know this isn't the mother of all distractions? -- Whitehouse mouth Ari Fleischer, 03 Mar 2003, talking about Iraq's WMD. Ahh... hard to see the Dark Side is. -- Yoda, "Attack of the Clones". I pray for peace... April... I pray for peace. -- Pres George Bush Jr, 06 Mar 2003, press conf announcing the US would only take a matter of days to declare war on Iraq. Is it a compromise... instead of starting the war tomorrow, we decide to start the war in 3 days... is it a compromise? On the basis of common sense... I don't think so. -- Sergei Lavrov, Russian amb to the UN, 07 Mar 2003, following announcement of US/Brit "plan B". Do you want to go see the UN... or do you want to just squabble and waste time? -- Principal Skinner, "The Simpsons". I don't think our troops should be used for what's called "nation building". -- Pres George Bush Jr, Presidential elections, 2000. It will be difficult to help freedom take hold in a country that has known three decades of dictatorship, secret police, internal divisions, and war. -- Pres George Bush Jr, 27 Feb 2003, explaining the plan for a prolonged military occupation of Iraq by 200,000 US troops for up to 2 y. ---------------------------------------- YOU DIN AST. One betting website quotes odds on the fate of Saddam Hussein. By Jun 30 Saddam will be: dead 40% MIA 36% a US prisoner 33% in exile 33% smoking cubans with Gaddafi 17% kidnapped by aliens 150 to 1 The odds on war breaking out: 09-15 Mar 50% 16-22 Mar 23% There are even more sophisticated products available elsewhere, incl "Saddam future futures" that can be traded. It's unclear what commodity will be delivered on the due date. The US military is reportedly looking into the possibility of tapping such info to predict or plan future actions, some advocates claiming the markets are wiser than individual analysts, or even think-tanks. Game theory experts aren't so sure, indicating markets generally fluctuate wildly due to "lock in" and other predictable forms of irrelevance. ---------------------------------------- Confrontational dates this week: Sun 09 "GOTO considered harmful" published, E.W. Dijkstra, 1968. Immediately goes to Number 3.402823e38 on NY Times best-seller list. Mon 10 Labor Day in South Korea. Tue 11 Johnny Appleseed Day. Wed 13 "Striptease" introduced, Paris, 1894. BZZZZZZZZZZ... KA-BOOM! Thu 14 Casey Jones born, 1864. Drove a train before taking a 3-hr cruise. Albert Einstein born, 1879. Teddy Roosevelt excludes Japanese labourers from continental US, 1907. LISP introduced, 1960. Fri 15 Julius Caesar assassinated by Brutus, 44BC. JULIE DON'T GO, I told him! France assumes protectorate over Vietnam, 1874. Hey -- another success story! LA riots kill two, injure 25, 1966. Watts was THAT all about? Buzzards return to Hinckley, OH. Cf Capistrano on 19 Mar. ---------------------------------------- Fri, 07 Mar 2003. PM books Press Club for next Thu The hunt for OBL Markets (close) Oil giants back away from Iraqi crude Army seizes new Gaza positions US troops seen at key Saudi airport Panama Carnival Amrozi: Just shopping, yer onna Afghan prisoners beaten to death at US military interrogation base Colombia fire Maralinga a "success story" Questions over nuclear test site clean-up Returned terror kits NASA worried about privatisation Power company pays Women's Day Bush says will force UN war vote within days We are in the final stages: Bush Powell is on the spot in Whitehouse Washington increasingly in the cold US to take new Iraq res to UN Howard plays down UK compromise Blix disputes Iraq claims, encourages inspections Weight of the world rests on chief inspector Bush seeks multilateral solution to N Korea crisis Rumsfeld: move US troops from Korea DMZ Saddam's betrayed mentor in AUS Teachers call for anti-war classes Daily aspirin might cut risk of colon cancer The world's going to end... in 22 bn y Issues still to be overcome in Timor Sea project Computer wizards attack quantum quandary Europe cuts interest rates Canberra (SBS). PM BOOKS PRESS CLUB FOR NEXT THU! PM John Howard has booked the Nat'l Press Club, CBR, for a press conf next Thu after he returns from NZ. The Press Club is usually the forum for major announcements. Yesterday the PM said Fed Parliament would be recalled next wk to debate on "peace or war" if his Cabinet decides to commit Aussie troops to a US-led campaign against Iraq. But Mr Howard emphasised the Parliament would not get to vote on the decision. Instructions would be issued to Aussie troops immediately after any Cabinet meeting. We are still on track for a late-wk air war launch! Washington. THE HUNT FOR OBL! Heavily-armed US and Pakistani security forces have launched major ops along Pakistan's border with Iran and Afghanistan in a renewed effort to catch the world's Number 1 terrorist. US officials say they're trying to kill or capture terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and several of his subordinates. The officials say the search is based on the most promising info on the Al Qaeda leader's where-abouts in 15 m. Sydney. MARKETS! It's been a bad day for markets world-wide, following a key speech by US Pres George Bush Jr. In Europe, France has recorded a new record company loss. Vivendi is $41.7 bn in the red after massive write-downs on assets. But it's 3rd behind some high-profile US corporate disasters. Observers are outlining the expected fire sale of US properties labelled "Universal". But the new French record comes just 24 hrs after the pervious French record -- when France telecom announced a record loss of $36 bn. On the other hand, the EU central bank cut official rates 25 basis pts due to continued dumping of the USD. Int'l economists say that's a reflection of US isolation -- its worst since before WWII. They say it's not just a reflection of how the world sees the US leadership, there's also the matter of a $300 bn deficit, and that's not counting the Iraqi war. The Euro is easily expected to double against the USD from its starting point. Alarm bells are ringing after US officials said they'd start printing money if things get serious. Ha, ha you silly foreign investors. Shafted again! In NY the Dow closed down 100 pts to 7,675 -- a 5 m low. In Japan, the Nikkei dived 225 to 8,144 -- a 20 y low. In SYD the All Ords closed down 32 to 2,715 -- a 3.5 y low. AMP shares dived 25 c and ended at $6.51 -- also a new low. The AUD is fairly flat at 61.41 US cents. So far this y the markets of all Coal'n of the Willing have declined. The US is down 7%, Brit down 10%, and AUS down 9% -- as usual, wedged between its 2 colonial masters. The best-performing markets world-wide are Zimbabwe, up 70% off a low base. And Bulgaria, up 50%. Iraq's share markets is still up 30% on the y -- with investors presently in a frenzy betting on a very short war with the US. Oil Giants Back Away from Iraqi Crude NY (Reuters). The biggest US oil companies have backed away from buying Iraqi crude as looming war in the country makes purchases too much of a risk. The threat of a public backlash at firms buying Iraqi oil as well as concerns that Iraqi supplies might be cut off by war are too great, analysts said. While US refiners take most of Iraq's exports, no US companies purchase Iraqi crude directly from Baghdad. Rather, middleman trading firms usually buy Iraq's crude from Baghdad under UN supervision and then resell it to US refiners. According to shipping sources, the last cargo of Iraqi crude sold to ChevronTexaco anywhere in the world was shipped in late Jan. Valero Energy Corp, one of the biggest US refiners, has also cut back on its consumption of Iraqi crude from 152,000 bpd throughout 2001 to 49,000 bpd in Q4, the figures show. Koch Industries which took 84,000 bpd over the y, took none in the Q4. While Iraqi crude is still being imported into the US, it is foreign-owned oil companies such as France's TotalFinaElf and Venezuela's US affiliate Citgo that are bringing the oil into the country, according to govt figures. In the 1st 2 m of this y, Iraq shipped just over 1 mn bpd to the US -- some 67% of the Iraqi crude sold officially in the UN-administered oil-for-food program, industry sources said. Iraq has a sustainable export rate of about 2.2 mn bpd, but exports have lagged since late 2001 as an illegal surcharge outside the UN program that the Iraqi govt demanded from oil customers discouraged internat'l firms from buying Iraqi oil. After Baghda dropped the surcharge last Sep, some US companies, such as ChevronTexaco, initially stepped up purchases of Iraqi crude. But the threat of imminent war as the Bush Admin resolves to disarm Iraq using military force if necessary has made Iraqi crude too risky. Iraqi exports are widely expected to halt in the event of military action in Iraq and oil traders are wary of hefty cancellation charges that tanker owners impose to compensate losses if loadings cease. Many refiners -- now making their best profits in y as gasoline and heating oil prices rise -- are also nervous about relying too heavily on Iraqi oil. Gaza. ARMY SEIZES NEW GAZA POSITIONS! Israeli tanks and troops backed by chopper gunships have seized new positions in the N Gaza Strip. The movements are on the edge of the refugee camp where 11 people were killed in a raid yesterday. The army says the aim of the latest op is to prevent rocket attacks on S Israel. There are no immediate reports of new casualties. The initial push came hrs after a suicide bomber killed 15 people, 9 of the school students, on a packed bus in Haifa. US troops seen at key Saudi airport London (The Guardian). Hundreds of American troops have taken control of a civilian airport in Saudi Arabia, close to the border with Iraq, according to a witness. The move -- which has not been officially confirmed -- calls into question the kingdom's public statements that it will not facilitate a military strike against the Baghdad regime. It also raises the prospect of a surprise US land attack on Baghdad across the desert from the SW. The town of Ar'ar which the airport usually serves is only 255 mi from the Iraqi capital as the crow flies, through mostly un-populated territory. This could provide a swift and relatively trouble-free route to the capital, in contrast to the drive from Basra through S Iraq that the bulk of invading American forces are expected to take. A passenger travelling through the airport in Ar'ar reported US transport planes landing large amounts of heavy equipment. The Saudi defence ministry has issued an order -- a copy of which has been seen by The Guardian -- closing the airport from last Wed until further notice. Saudi Arabia has been nervous about openly cooperating with the US, fearing it could inflame public opinion, and especially Islamic militants. Panama City. CARNIVAL! Police and local hospitals say 33 people have so far died in 5 days of revelry at Panama's Carnival. The death toll is 6 higher than at the same time last y. Police say 14 were killed in traffic accidents relate to the intense partying across the C Am nation. Citing hospitals nationwide, local media is reporting another 19 carnival-related deaths across Panama during the festivities. Denpasar. JUST SHOPPING, YER ONNA! A key suspect accused of buying 1 tonne of explosive chemicals for the Bali bombing has described his role as "shopping". Amrozi has been handed over to Indon prosecutors in preparation for a trial. Police say he has admitted buying the van which contained the deadliest Bali bomb and also purchased chemical ingredients. He faces the death penalty if convicted. Amrozi told reporters at the Bali prosecutors' office that all he did was shopping. Afghan prisoners beaten to death at US military interrogation base 'Blunt force injuries' cited in homicide ruling LA (The Guardian). 2 prisoners who died while being held for interrogation at the US military base in Afghanistan had apparently been beaten, according to a military pathologist's report. A criminal investigation is now under way into the deaths which have both been classified as homicides. The deaths have led to calls for an inquiry into what interrogation techniques are being used at the base where it is believed the Al Qaeda leader, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, is now also being held. Former prisoners at the base claim that detainees are chained to the ceiling, shackled so tightly that the blood flow stops, kept naked and hooded and kicked to keep them awake for days on end. The 2 men, both Afghans, died last Dec at the US forces base in Bagram, N of Kabul, where prisoners have been held for questioning. The autopsies found they had suffered "blunt force injuries" and classified both deaths as homicides. A rep for the Pentagon said yesterday it was not possible to discuss the details of the case because of the proceeding investigation. If the investigation finds that the prisoners had been unlawfully killed during interrogation, it could lead to both civil and military prosecutions. He added that it was not clear whether only US personnel had had access to the men. One of the dead prisoners, known only as Dilawar, died as a result of "blunt force injuries to lower extremities complicating coronary artery disease", according to the death certificate signed by Major Elizabeth Rouse, a pathologist with the Washington-based Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, which operates under the auspices of the defence dept. The dead man was aged 22 and was a farmer and part-time taxi-driver. He was said to have had an advanced heart condition and blocked arteries. Chris Kelly, a rep for the institute, said yesterday that their pathologists were involved in all cases on military bases where there were unusual or suspicious deaths. He was not aware of any other homicides of prisoners held since Sep 11. He said that the definition of homicide was "death resulting from the intentional or grossly reckless behaviour of another person or persons" but could also encompass "self-defence or justifiable killings". The Pentagon said yesterday that the choice of "homicide" on the death certificate did not necessarily mean that the dead person had been unlawfully killed. There was no box which would indicate that a pathologist was uncertain how a person had died. Most Al Qaeda suspects are being held outside the US which means that they are not entitled to access to the US judicial system. Two former prisoners at the base, Abdul Jabar and Hakkim Shah, told the NY Times this wk that they recalled seeing Dilawar at Bagram. They said that they had been kept naked, hooded and shackled and were deprived of sleep for days on end. Mr Shah said that American guards kicked him to stop him falling asleep and that on one occasion he had been kicked by a woman interrogator, while her male colleague held him in a kneeling position. The cmdr of the coal'n forces in Afghanistan, Gen Daniel McNeill, said that prisoners were made to stand for long periods but he denied that they were chained to the ceiling. "Our interrogation techniques are adapted," he said. "They are in accordance with what is generally accepted as interrogation techniques, and if incidental to the due course of this investigation, we find things that need to be changed, we will certainly change them." In Jan, in his state of the union address, Pres George Bush announced that "3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested in many countries" and "many others have met a different fate" and "are no longer a problem to the US". The other death being investigated is that of Mullah Habibullah, the brother of a former Taliban cmdr. His death certificate indicates that he died of a pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in the lung. Medellin. FIRE! A fire has swept through the squatter neighbourhood in the Colombian city of Medellin, engulfing more than 15 blocks of mostly wooden homes. Authorities say more than 500 house have been burned in the fire. There are no immediate reports of injuries or deaths and it is not yet clear what started the blaze. But police say authorities believe the fire is accidental. Medellin, Colombia's 2nd-largest city, is surrounded by squatter settlements perched on the hills above the central city area. Adelaide. MARALINGA A "SUCCESS STORY"! Fed Sci Min Peter McGauran says the clean-up of a former Brit atomic test site in outback SA has been a "success". Detailing some aspects of a report into the $108 mn operation at Maralinga, Mr McGauran says evidence shows the clean up has been a success. He rejected suggestions that the draft report on the project, from the Maralinga Rehabilitation Technical Advisory Committee, is "unreliable" or contains "incorrect scientific data". We can all breath a sigh of relief that claims against the Brit and Aussies govts can now be dismissed! Questions over nuclear test site clean-up Canberra. Doubts have been raised about the adequacy of the $100 mn clean-up of the Maralinga nuclear test site in SA's far N. This is despite the Fed Govt telling The AUS newspaper it has a new report declaring the operation a "success". It apparently says tonnes of debris and contaminated soil were raised from pits and re-buried 16 metres deep. The report is yet to be tabled in Parl. American geochemist Dale Timmons who conducted treatment designs for the Pu contaminated waste has major concerns about the report's conclusion. "There was a great deal of information in the portions of the report that I reviewed that were simply inaccurate," he said. "It would be difficult for me to draw conclusions on the success or failure of the clean-up based on a report that contains so many inaccurate statements and errors." Sydney (SBS). RETURNED TERROR KITS! SYD mail-workers have sent photos of mail bins packed with returned terror kits. Workers at one SYD sorting centre say they have 80- to 100,000 of the kits in temp storage. They say there are plenty more in other cities, citing a particularly big batch in Canberra. From the photos shown on SBS 6.30 News, most kits have been returned unopened. Many have various witicisms written on the plastic envelope. Many seem addressed specifically to PM John Howard. Houston. NASA WORRIED ABOUT PRIVATISATION! Top NASA officials have expressed concern over the privatisation of the US space agency, on the 1st day of public hearings into the Columbia disaster. Ron Dittemore, the shuttle program director, told the hearing he was worried about the reduction in experienced staff as the organisation contracts out more work to private contractors in a bid to cut costs. Members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board have repeatedly referred to a 2001 NASA report expressing similar concerns. Sydney. POWER COMPANY PAYS! An energy company will pay up to $10 mn to 40 families in compensation for properties S of SYD that were destroyed by bushfires set off by sparking power lines. The electricity distributor has admitted negligent liability for causing the fire at Appin on Dec 25, 2001. The fire raged for 6 days, destroying 10 homes and commercial properties and damaging several others. The CEO, Richard Powis, said he and the company staff are sorry for the fire, adding claimants can also receive $10,000 extra for pain and suffering. Canberra. WOMEN'S DAY! Aussie women will join mns around the world to celebrate International Women's Day tomorrow. As Women's Min Amanda Vanstone points out, women are not much better off now than they were a decade ago. The Opp'n rep says professional women have hit the glass ceiling. Nicola Roxon says Aussie women have a lot to be proud of despite earning less than men and not being equality represented in the top jobs. Bush says will force UN war vote within days Washington (Reuters). Pres Bush said on Thu he will within days force a vote seeking UN authorisation to invade Iraq, a decision that ratchets up pressure on major powers opposing his push for Sec Council backing. Dismissing Iraq's destruction of banned missiles in recent days as a charade, Bush reiterated he could launch a war without UN approval because US security was paramount. Asked if he was close to a war decision, Bush said he was still in the final stages of diplomacy. He said he would spend only a matter of days trying to persuade nations to support a new UN res before bringing the issue to a vote regardless of its chances of passage. Brit, the strongest US ally on Iraq, said it was searching for a formula that could command a majority in the Sec Council, where Bush faces increasingly stiff opp'n from veto-holders France, Russia and China. Sec of State Colin L Powell also discussed possible changes in the proposed text of the new res with foreign ministers of key European nations in an effort to win wider support. Bush accused Iraq of hiding materials for weapons of mass destruction and ordering continued production of banned missiles while making a "public show" of destroying some arms. BRITISH COMPROMISE: Bush argued for force on a day when he ran into more opp'n at home and abroad over how to disarm Iraq. China joined an anti-war coal'n while Sen Tom Daschle, the top Senate Democrat, broke ranks with Bush over Iraq, accusing him of "rushing to war." Brit, which has been Washington's closest ally, said it was ready to amend the res as a way of winning over a majority in the 15-member council but not to change it substantively. Diplomats said Brit was floating a proposal that would give Iraq a deadline of less than a wk to show it had no nuclear, bio or chem weapons programs after a res authorising war was adopted. China on Thu joined France, Russia and Germany in vowing to block the draft res authorising war. Other nations on the council remain uncommitted and Washington has made no public progress in recent days in shifting any of them off the fence. CRUNCH MEETING: On Fri, foreign ministers from all the major players are due to meet at the UN to hear the latest update from top UN weapons inspectors. But the report was unlikely to shift positions. It was expected to offer ammunition to both sides by stating that Iraqi cooperation has improved, but not enough. Chief weapons inspector Hans Blix also will distribute a 167-page report that disputes Iraq's claim to have destroyed 4,620 gallons of bio warfare agents, incl anthrax, 12 ya. The report says Iraq may be developing new banned missiles, calls on Baghdad to surrender any remaining bio, chem or Scud missiles, and asks it to explain the fate of missing chem agents. But the report is bound to encourage France and others lined up against the US by setting out a program of work for Iraq to follow in accounting for dangerous arms. The head of the UN nuclear agency was also expected on Fri to express doubts over US allegations Iraq has tried to revive its secret nuclear weapons program, diplomats said. Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the IAEA, is expected in his report to the Sec Council to undermine Washington's position as it scrambles for support for a new res. Bush's domestic consensus around the war showed signs of fraying in the face of an internat'l anti-war movement that has mobilised millions of people to oppose the war. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle said on Thu an invasion of Iraq now would be premature, and accused the Admin of failing to build internat'l support for war to oust Saddam. In what sounded like a prelude to war, defence officials said US and Brit warplanes have more than doubled their patrols over the Iraqi "no-fly" zones to at least 500 a day. They said the sharp increase was designed to confuse air defences before a possible invasion. Iraq does not recognise the zones, set up by the US & Brit at the end of Gulf War I to protect Kurds in the N and Shiites in the S. The US also issued the latest in a series of accusations in a war of words with Saddam, charging that Iraq planned to kit paramilitary fighters out in US-style uniform, have them attack Iraqi civilians and blame it on W forces. We are in the final stages: Bush NY (news.com.au). Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was "systematically and deliberately defying the world" and had failed to co-operate with the UN weapons inspectors, US Pres George W Bush said today. Speaking at a press conf at the Whitehouse, Mr Bush made his case for disarming Iraq by force and said the US was in the final stages of diplomacy. The Pres said Chief UN Weapons Inspector Hans Blix had only one question to answer when he appeared before the Sec Council in NY later today. "Has the Iraqi regime fully and unconditionally disarmed as required by resolution 1441 or has it not?", Mr Bush said. Mr Bush called Saddam Hussein's failure to disarm an undeniable fact and said there was no case to give UN inspection teams more time or personnel. Mr Bush said Saddam Hussein posed a direct threat to the US and to the world. Citing the attacks of Sep 11 Mr Bush said: "We will not wait to see what terrorists will do with weapons of mass destruction." The US Pres also claimed: Iraq was moving its chem and bio weapons every 12-24 hours to keep ahead of UN inspections Weapons were being placed in vehicles in resid'l neighbourhoods Iraqi scientists continue to be threatened with harm should they co-operate with the UN Scientists are required to wear concealed tapes at all times and hotels where interviews take place are bugged. Powell is on the spot in Whitehouse NY (AP). Sec of State Colin Powell's insistence on traditional diplomacy to disarm Iraq has run into a stonewall in the UN, dealing a blow to his moderate approach within the hard-line Bush Admin. With the UN Sec Council due to take up a US-Brit-Spanish res next wk to authorise force against Iraq, Powell was trying anew Thu to convince skeptical govts that only such a step, not more inspections, would do the job. The odds against him were long. Failure would confirm the view of VP Dick (my heart!) Cheney and Def Sec Donald H Rumsfeld that turning to the UN would only produce a stalemate and delay disarming Iraq. Powell prevailed in his advice to Pres Bush, although the Pres questioned UN relevance as he kicked off the diplomatic campaign in a speech last Sep. Through it all, Powell has been the Admin's point man, cajoling and appealing to reluctant allies such as France and Germany and laying out the US case to the council with intelligence data that failed to persuade the skeptics. In the process, the US and its allies have been split over Iraq to an extent unprecedented in the past half-century. Watching this play out, Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein has cooperated just enough with the UN weapons inspectors to convince most council members that that the prescription for disarmament was more inspections, not war. Pres Bush continued the diplomatic push by phone Thu, calling Vaclav Klaus, the new Pres of the Czech Republic, and Portuguese PM Jose Durao Barroso, both of whom have supported the US position. Bush also spoke with Mexican Pres Vicente Fox, but there was no sign he won an assurance of Mexico's support in the Sec Council. Powell, before heading to NY for talks with Sec Council envoys, told a Senate subcommittee that the Iraqi threat must be dealt with now. But Senate Dem leader Tom Daschle said the Admin had brought on an "extraordinary disintegration" of support from other nations by rushing toward war. He said the Admin should continue reaching out to other countries. Sen Carl Levin the top Dem on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said US intelligence agencies had shared with weapons inspectors info about only a small fraction of Iraq's suspicious sites. "If we have not shared the suspect sites, we undermine our own case," Levin said. In NY, Powell met with Brit For Sec Jack Straw, who is trying to save the res with some tinkering that would give Iraq a short time to comply with disarmament demands. Powell talked to For Min Sheik Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani of Qatar, whose Persian Gulf country helps the US by housing the Central Command. There also was a meeting with Straw and Spanish For Min Ana Palacio to consider whether to revise the res. Rumsfeld questioned whether France or Russia would follow through on threats to veto the latest US-backed res. "People say a lot of things that they ultimately don't do, and whether someone would veto it, I just don't know," Rumsfeld told CNBC. He said last Nov's res on Iraq clearly anticipated military action upon continued defiance by Iraq. Powell was to see Russian For Min Igor Ivanov and others on Fri, and attend the council meeting to hear weapons inspector Hans Blix's report on searches in Iraq. Bush's nat'l security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, met with about 20 Iraqi expatriates, some from a women's group. Whitehouse officials stressed that the meeting was not part of an effort to set up a postwar govt in Iraq, but rather to hear their stories about suffering under Saddam. But Saman Shali, executive VP of the Kurdish National Congress of N America, said Rice told the expatriates that the US envisions a coal'n of various ethnic and political groups to run a postwar Iraq. On Capitol Hill, Pentagon officials for the 1st time gave cost estimates for the buildup for a possible war and occupying Iraq afterward: $US47 bn to $US67 bn through Sep 30. The estimates came from the civilian heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force, who said they could not estimate the costs of combat, either in dollars or lives. Washington increasingly in the cold Washington (Washington Post). Thousands of people demonstrate in Paris against the possibility of war with Iraq. The Bush Admin this wk has become increasingly isolated in the world over its determination to topple the Iraqi Govt, leaving it with an extraordinarily weak position in the lead-up to a critical UN Sec Council meeting today. By contrast, Iraq has made great headway in splintering the Sec Council, making it less likely it will approve a US-backed res authorising military action. The sense of US isolation, which has been building for some time, culminated with a series of setbacks this wk for the US position. Turkey's Parl rejected a request to accept US troops, which experts said emboldened smaller countries on the Sec Council to consider defying the US. Iraq's efforts to demonstrate co-operation strengthened the resolve of France and Russia to say the inspections were working and a war was not necessary. Anti-war protests on college campuses this wk and around the world last m have left the image of a policy out of sync with public opinion. The policy setbacks, one US commentator said, had raised the ante for the Admin's gamble. "At stake is not Iraq," he said. "At stake is our global role." The Admin's isolation appears to be a product of a number of factors. These incl its hard-edged rhetoric and what many say is a growing distrust of its motives and its failure to make a case that Iraq poses an imminent danger. The blunt talk often used by Pres Bush and senior US officials when referring to Iraq -- often effective among supporters at home -- has not translated well among foreign audiences. Mr Bush, for example, has said more than once he was tired by diplomatic delays, creating the impression he was eager for war and viewed the UN as a distraction. Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld angered allies in Europe, some said needlessly, by appearing to dismiss their concerns. While Mr Bush won praise for bringing Iraq to the UN in Sep, eventually many countries began to feel that his efforts to solicit the backing of other countries was disingenuous. The Admin won a number of votes for a Nov UN res authorising resumed weapons inspections in Iraq -- which passed unanimously -- by arguing that a tough res was the best way to avoid a war. Several foreign diplomats said they were taken aback -- even betrayed -- by what they perceived as the Admin's rush to war. US to take new Iraq res to UN Washington. US Pres George W Bush has revealed he will call for a UN Sec Council vote on a new res to disarm Iraq, regardless of how much support it has from other member countries. Bush made the announcement during a Whitehouse news conf in which he gave Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein one last chance to totally disarm. Brit and the US have indicated they would be willing to amend a draft res they have put to the Sec Council. There has also been speculation that if the US and Brit believe there is not sufficient support for the res, they may not bring it to a vote, having argued that a previous res, 1441, already authorises the use of force. Bush said only "total disarmament" was acceptable and that to refuse to use force as a last resort to achieve that aim would pose "immense and unacceptable risks" to free nations. Asked whether he was close to deciding on using force against Iraq, Bush said "we're still in the final stages of diplomacy". Bush vowed the US would remove Saddam from power if it went to war with Iraq. Howard plays down UK compromise Canberra. PM John Howard denies Brit's compromise plan is a sign the country is wavering in its support for military action against Iraq. Mr Howard has played down the significance of the Brit proposal. He says there has not been any fundamental change to Brit's stance on Iraq. Mr Howard says a decision on whether there will be a war in Iraq could be taken by the end of next week. Labor's For Affairs rep Kevin Rudd says time is running out to find a diplomatic solution. Greens Sen Bob Brown says Mr Howard will have to face several protests when he visits NZ this weekend. He says the 9 NZ Green MPs will boycott a lunch to be attended by Mr Howard on Mon. "They take the same view that we do here, that this is a PM who's forsaken his real obligation to his country and the region, to become involved in an adventurous attack on Iraq with George W Bush." Blix disputes Iraq claims, encourages inspections NY (Reuters). The UN disputed Iraq's claim to have destroyed 21,000 L of bio warfare agents, incl anthrax, 12 y ago, according to a weapons report to be released on Fri. The report by chief inspector Hans Blix also says Iraq may be developing new banned missiles, calls on Baghdad to surrender any remaining bio, chem or Scud missiles, and explain the fate of missing chem agents. But the 167-page report, obtained by Reuters, is bound to encourage France, Russia and Germany, who oppose war against Iraq, by setting out a program of work that Baghdad is expected to follow in accounting for its weapons of mass destruction. However, the US and Brit will seize on the report, to be delivered at a foreign ministers UN Sec Council meeting on Fri, to argue that Iraq has no intention to disarm. Brit For Sec Jack Straw has already called the report a "shocking indictment of the record of Saddam Hussein's deception and deceit." Blix may not refer to the report in detail in his oral presentation to the council on Fri. But at a news conf on Wed he said that Iraq has demonstrated substantive cooperation in a number of areas, such as destroying its al-Samoud 2 missiles, whose range exceeded UN limits of 93 miles. In the 167-page report, however, he says Iraq may be producing more banned missiles in addition to the Al Samoud 2 rockets it had declared to inspectors late last y. "Other missiles systems with ranges in excess of 93 miles may possibly be under development or planned," the report said. "Indications of this come from solid propellant casting chambers Iraq has acquired, through recent import, indigenous production or from the repair or old chambers." ANTHRAX: On bio weapons, the report questioned Iraqi statements that it had stored all bulk bio warfare agents during the Gulf War I at the Al Hakam plant and destroyed those unused after the war. Iraq had declared 2,230 gallons anthrax but the report estimates that 5,447 gallons of germ agents stored in bulk during the Gulf War I incl about 2,641 gallons of anthrax, according to the report by the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, Blix heads. "Based on this information, UNMOVIC estimates that about 21,000 L of bio warfare agent was stored in bulk at locations remote from Al Hakam. About half of this, about 10,000 L was anthrax," Blix wrote in the report. "It therefore seems highly probable that the destruction of the bulk agent, including anthrax, stated by Iraq to be at Al Hakam in July-Aug 1991 did not occur," the report said. The document also raises questions about Iraq's suspected mobile bio warfare factories, which Sec of State Colin Powell mentioned last m. "UNMOVIC does not discount the possibility that Iraq has constructed, developed or acquired mobile bio agent 'factories' either truck-mounted or on rail cars," it said. In another apparent reference to Powell's presentation, the report said, "Intelligence organisations have concluded that several weapons of mass destruction programs have been re-launched. For Iraq to convince UNMOVIC that it has not engaged in proscribed activities, it would need to provide more information in the chemical and bio field." Weight of the world rests on chief inspector NY (USA Today). When Pres Bush decided to try to restart UN weapons inspections in Iraq last fall, Admin hard-liners warned that Hans Blix, the Swedish chief inspector, was an overly cautious UN bureaucrat who would kowtow to Saddam Hussein and hold US policy hostage in the process. More than 3 m into the inspection process, those same hard-liners now say, "We told you so." While Blix is now viewed by virtually the entire Admin as a disappointment, his briefing Fri to the Sec Council looms as a crucial moment in Washington's final push for UN backing for a war against Saddam. As nearly 6 m of intense diplomatic wrangling on Iraq comes to a close, it is Blix, 74, a grandfatherly, lifetime public servant, who finds himself the unlikely man in the middle of an internat'l crisis. While Washington and its allies want combative language about Iraq's refusal to disarm, war opponents such as France and Russia are counting on Blix to give them ammunition to avoid a conflict. Blix, according to UN diplomats and officials close to him, wants to do anything possible to avoid giving either side the evidence it needs as the council approaches a pivotal vote -- likely next wk -- on a US-backed res that could quickly lead to war. In the US view, questions about Blix's toughness linger from his performance as head of the UN's IAEA for 16 y. The rap: During the 1980s, he concluded that Iraq was not trying to build a nuclear weapon. But when inspectors had freer rein in Iraq after the Gulf War I, they found an aggressive, ongoing nuclear weapons program. Blix's reputation as an easy mark for Iraqi deception created enduring suspicion in the most conservative factions of the Bush Admin. Many in the Clinton Whitehouse shared that view. In the current round of inspections, which began Nov 25, Blix has been criticised by some former inspectors for not being aggressive enough. David Albright, who now heads the Institute for Science and Internat'l Security in Washington, says Blix made a crucial error by initially focusing on sites that had been targeted by earlier inspections before they were halted in 1998. That strategy, Albright says, gave Iraq too much opportunity to stall and dribble out old info. In his Jan 27 briefing to the Sec Council, Blix gave a surprisingly harsh assessment of Iraq's disarmament efforts, noting that "Iraq seems not to have come to a genuine acceptance ... of the disarmament which was demanded of it." Suddenly, the inspector who could do little right was being praised by US officials. Blix, on the other hand, was aghast, according to UN diplomats and people close to him. He was alarmed that a report he felt was neutral and factual was being used to bolster the US-Brit drive to invade Iraq. A change was evident in Blix's next major briefing, on Feb 14. "The period of disarmament through inspection could still be short if immediate, active and unconditional cooperation ... were to be forthcoming," Blix said. US officials noted that Blix essentially repeated what he'd said on Jan 27: Iraq was still not complying with the Nov 8 UN res that required active disarmament. But the way he said it seemed designed to keep his words from becoming talking points in the drive for war. Blix is unfailingly pleasant while being chased by reporters as he travels to and from his 31st-floor UN office overlooking the E R. But his irritation with the Bush Admin came through in an uncharacteristically sharp aside in the Feb 14 report in which he directly challenged Sec of State Colin Powell's suggestion to the council Feb 5 that the Iraqis seemed to know when inspectors were coming. Angered by suggestions that inspection teams had been penetrated by Iraq, Blix dismissed Powell's implication. "Our reservation on this point does not detract from our appreciation of (Powell's) briefing," Blix said, as war opponents stifled chuckles. Most objective observers of the inspections -- and they are hard to find on such a super-charged issue -- feel Blix has done a credible job under terrible circumstances. But some now worry he will pull his punches on Iraq to avoid being blamed for igniting a war. "There is a risk now that he'll emphasise one part of the results and downplay another, so that no one can say, 'I started this war,' " Albright says. "The hawks will never like him. They've been vicious. And if he sees that war is inevitable, he may decide, let's make war less likely." Bush seeks multilateral solution to N Korea crisis Washington (Reuters). Pres Bush, who is considering disarming Iraq by force, said on Thu the best way to deal with N Korea's nuclear ambitions was a multilateral approach involving the US, Japan, China, S Korea and Russia. Bush said he was optimistic about a diplomatic solution. His confidence on N Korea was in stark contrast to his assertion that Iraq was engaging in a "willful charade" by defying UN demands to give up its alleged weapons of mass destruction. "This is a regional issue ... because there's a lot of countries that have got a direct stake in whether or not North Korea has a nuclear weapon," he told a news conf, citing Japan, S Korea, Russia and China. "We're working the issue hard and I'm optimistic we'll come up with a diplomatic solution," he said. "I hope so." Arguing the problem is one for the world community not just the US, the Bush Admin has rejected direct talks with Pyongyang and urged multilateral negotiations. Pyongyang, saying it will talk only to Washington, has rejected a multilateral format. China and Russia have resisted US entreaties to pressure the N into multilateral talks. Bush said the US had tried bilateral negotiations with Pyongyang, referring to 1994 talks with the previous Admin of Pres Bill Clinton which resulted in an agreement under which Pyongyang would halt its nuclear arms programs. But since Washington's accusation in Oct that Pyongyang had admitted to pursuing a covert program to enrich uranium for weapons, N Korea has taken a series of steps to ratchet up the pressure on the US. In Dec, the N expelled UN nuclear inspectors who had been monitoring atomic sites frozen in 1994 under the US deal that eased a previous N Korean nuclear crisis. In Jan, N Korea pulled out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and last wk Washington said N Korea had fired up a reactor, suspected of having been used previously to produce plutonium for bombs. Rumsfeld: move US troops from Korea DMZ Washington (AP). Def Sec Donald H Rumsfeld indicated Thu that he wants US troops stationed nr the Demilitarised Zone separating N and S Korea to be moved farther from the heavily defended zone, shifted to other countries in the region or brought home. The S Korean military, which has relied on American forces to deter an attack from communist N Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953, is capable of defending the border itself, Rumsfeld said. S Korea has an economy 25 or 35 times bigger than N Korea's, he said, and "has all the capability in the world of providing the kind of up-front deterrent that's needed." The US military, on the other hand, could play more of a secondary role by arranging its forces at an "air hub" and "sea hub" and as reinforcements for the S Korean front-line troops, he said during a Q&A session with a group of Pentagon civilians and troops. Pres Bush said later he expects S Korea and other nations with a stake in facing down the N's nuclear threat to present a united front. The Bush Admin wants to ensure that other nations do not provide N Korea with the massive economic assistance it has demanded from the US. There now are about 37,000 US troops in S Korea, mostly Army soldiers but also members of the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and special operations forces. It is the 2nd largest concentration of American forces in Asia behind Japan, which has about 45,000. Last wk Richard Lawless, the deputy assistant secretary of defence for Asian and Pacific affairs, met with S Korean defence policy officials to discuss the future of US troops there. According to a Pentagon statement released Thu, Lawless and Lt Gen Cha Young Koo, the deputy defence minister for policy, agreed that US forces should move away from Seoul, the capital. It currently hosts the 8th Army's Yongsan HQ, although it was not clear whether Lawless and Cha agreed on a new location. They did agree on a general approach to changes. In his remarks at the Pentagon, Rumsfeld said the current arrangement of US forces in S Korea is too inflexible. Rumsfeld said there is also a need to adjust the US force structure in W Europe, where about 100,000 troops are permanently based, mostly in Germany. He noted that in the 21st century the Pentagon needs more flexibility in moving and using forces without the need to obtain permission from govts that host the forces. He mentioned, as an example, Austria's recent refusal to permit US troops in Germany to transit Austria en route to the Persian Gulf. "The taxpayers of the US can't have one military for the US and another that's only usable when country A, B, C or D allows" it, he said. Saddam's betrayed mentor in AUS Sydney (The AUS). Once he was Saddam Hussein's political mentor. Now Mohamed Al Jabiri, a former Iraqi diplomat exiled by Hussein's regime, lives in SYD, where he is devising plans for Iraq after war. From a tiny office in SYD's SW, Dr Al Jabiri is the only AUS member of the US State Dept's Transitional Justice Working Group, which has been developing a framework for Iraq after Hussein is deposed. In a week, he will be in Washington with 30 Iraqi exiles and top US planners to adopt a post-Hussein plan. But for Dr Al Jabiri, the war is about more than liberating his homeland. It is also deeply personal. Hussein, once a family friend, ordered the deaths of his brother and his son. He also kept Dr Al Jabiri in solitary confinement for 2 y from 1980 after suspecting him of being an Israeli spy and a US stooge. Hussein and Dr Al Jabiri 1st met in 1959 when the dictator was 22. Dr Al Jabiri, at that time a 30-something power-broker in the Ba'ath Party, remembers him as unimpressive and un-charismatic. Over the next 10 y, both men rose through the ranks of the Ba'ath Party. In the 1960s and 70s, Dr Al Jabiri held several senior posts, incl that of ambassador to Spain. He often acted as a political sounding-board to the future dictator. Dr Al Jabiri's brother had been a classmate of Hussein's at law school. He was killed by the dictator. Hussein also killed Dr Al Jabiri's son in 1988 after he refused to inform on his father. Dr Al Jabiri was held under virtual house arrest, undergoing repeated interrogations for the next 11 y until Jan 1993, when he was allowed to leave Iraq for medical treatment in the US. AUS accepted him as a refugee in May 1995. Dr Al Jabiri is critical of France and Germany for not supporting war on Iraq. "I don't support unilateral action, I am a man of law ... If the US takes action themselves it will be the end of the UN ... The French and Germans are being selfish, and they are not looking at the suffering Iraqis." Teachers call for anti-war classes Canberra (AAP). AUS teachers' unions today encouraged members to teach students anti-war messages, promote and attend protest rallies and help fund anti-war press advertisements. Representing more than 230,000 staff in educational institutions across AUS, The AUS Education Union, the Independent Education Union of AUS and the National Tertiary Education Union issued a statement "strongly condemning" the govt's support for a war against Iraq. Members were also asked to protest outside the offices of local members of parliament and erect signs outside their school or university identifying it as a "Peace Zone". Their comments come a day after the NSW education dept's deputy director-general of schools, Dr Alan Laughlin, said not only was students' protest in SYD potentially dangerous, but students were also vulnerable to political manipulation. "There's physical danger, there's danger from violence and there's danger from manipulation politically," he told ABC Radio. Dr Laughlin said some parents gave their children permission to join the march, but it was "hard to say" whether students who wagged school for the protest would face repercussions. But march organisers said it was "essential" students protested. Daily aspirin might cut risk of colon cancer NY (USA Today). An aspirin a day appears to cut a person's risk of developing the growths that develop into colon cancer, doctors report today. 2 studies published in the NEJM found that aspirin can reduce the incidence of these precancerous polyps, by as much as 35% in one study, in patients who have had cancer or precancerous growths. The studies weren't designed to determine whether aspirin works in people who haven't had cancer, and doctors assert that aspirin is no substitute for early detection and treatment. Colon cancer is the 2nd-leading cause of cancer deaths in the USA; it claims about 57,000 lives a y. Doctors can remove colon cancer, but only if it's caught early. Once it spreads, chemotherapy usually yields disappointing results. Ernest Hawk, chief of gastrointestinal cancer prevention at the National Cancer Institute, which sponsored the study, called the results "the best evidence we have that aspirin reduces colon cancer risk. Screening and polyp removal is essential," he says. "Aspirin just offers another option for our patients." The 1st study involved 517 previous cancer patients. Half took a 325-mg aspirin daily; the rest took a placebo. Researchers found that 27% of those in the placebo group developed polyps, compared with 17% in the aspirin group, a 35% reduction in risk. Growths also took longer to develop in the aspirin group. The results were so decisive that the study was stopped early. A 2nd study, led by John Baron of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Centre in Lebanon NH involved patients who had had polyps but not cancer. This study yielded conflicting info on the best aspirin dose. After 3 y, the researchers found new polyps or cancer in just under 8% of the 377 people taking an 81-mg low-dose aspirin tablet daily, compared with 12% of the 372 of the patients who took a placebo. In this study, the 325-mg dose didn't appear to help at all. About 11% of the 372 people who took aspirin developed polyps or tumours, the same as the placebo group. "It's difficult to explain scientifically," Sandler says. "My guess is that it's chance." The world's going to end... in 22 bn y New Hampshire (New Scientist). The bad news: the universe will end in a runaway expansion so violent that galaxies and planets will be torn apart and individual atoms of human flesh will be ripped asunder in the tiniest fraction of a second. The good news: You can go ahead and book your summer holiday. It will not happen for another 22 bn y. Robert Caldwell, a physicist at Dartmouth College NH says the doomsday scenario inverts the widespread belief that the cosmos will end with a whimper. "Until now we thought the universe would either re-collapse to a big crunch or expand forever to a state of dilution," says Caldwell, "Now we've come up with a 3rd possibility -- the 'big rip'." The universe is famously believed to have been born in a "Big Bang", around 12-14 bn y ago and has been expanding ever since, driven by a mysterious force known as dark energy. Most scientists believe that the acceleration will eventually weaken, or at least stay constant. But according to Mr Caldwell's theory [and some recent measurement by the MAP], the dark energy -- he calls it "phantom energy" -- may be becoming more powerful, essentially acting as a foot on the expansion accelerator. The universe would be stretched further and further away, until the light of the stars could not reach us. Eventually, phantom energy would tear apart all bound systems, sundering the electrical bonds that hold matter together. In the most extreme scenario, the "big rip" would happen 22 bn y from now, with the Milky Way destroyed 60 mn y before the universe's very end. Caldwell's research, co-authored with colleagues at the California Institute of Technology, has been submitted to a specialised journal, Physical Review. Brit's Astronomer Royal, Martin Rees, has studied phantom energy. Doomsday is "unlikely," he says. "But it can't be proved impossible." Issues still to be overcome in Timor Sea project Canberra. One of the partners in the Bayu Undan gas project says there are a number of issues that still have to be resolved before it becomes a reality. Santos has an almost 12% interest in the project to build a pipeline from the Timor Sea to Wickham Point in Darwin. The company's Grahame Bethune says the ratification of the Timor Sea Treaty is a milestone in the development of the project. But he says there is still a way to go. "I think the important thing is that we're moving forward, and the ratification of the Timor Sea Treaty today is a step forward," he said. "As with all these very large world class projects there are a lot of steps that have to be gone through before you can make a final development decision." Computer wizards attack quantum quandary Chicago (NewsFactor). Theoretical quantum computers substitute the up-and-down spin orientations of "entangled" electrons and other subatomic particles for the 0s and 1s of the binary code. By corralling a dynamic trio of electrons on a semiconductor, a scientist named Merlin and his team of research wizards may have solved a quantum computational quandary: how to create and control more than just a pair of so-called "entangled particles" used to construct quantum bits, or "qubits." "Entangled states are crucial for the implementation of most quantum information protocols," say University of Michigan scientists Jiming Bao, Andrea Bragas and Roberto Merlin and University of Notre Dame researcher Jacek Furdyna in a new paper. In a strange quantum mechanical phenomenon that Einstein called "spooky action at a distance," entangled particles can affect one another no matter how far apart they are. Unless researchers can scare the spooks out of the particles and exert control, quantum spin states never will make good binary operators. Until now, they have only been able to create and manipulate entangled particle pairs. But Merlin and his team used ultra-fast (50 to 100 femtosecond) laser pulses to entangle the spins of 3 electrons sitting in a "quantum well" made of cadmium and tellurium -- fundamental elements that are also semiconductors. In the presence of an external magnetic field, a laser pulse creates localised excitons (bound electron pairs) in the quantum well. Electrons feel the presence of the exciton in such a way that they became entangled after the exciton is gone. In principle, the researchers claim, the method could be used to entangle an arbitrarily large number of spins. The scientific community is attempting a variety of approaches to controlling qubit interactions. "Solutions based on semiconductor technology, like ours for example, may well hold more promise for practical implementation," Merlin told NewsFactor. Spooky quantum particles might actually make it easier for CIA spooks to carry out their intelligence operation, researchers say. Quantum cryptography may be a 1st application of the team's procedure, which Merlin describes as "scalable." Their results appear in the March 4, 2003, issue of the journal Nature Materials. Europe cuts interest rates Sydney. The European Central Bank has cut interest rates o'night, with its key financing rate reduced to 2.5%. And markets suspect there might be more to come after ECB Pres Wim Duisenberg said it was difficult to say policy was now appropriate. As expected the Bank of England has held steady on rates but in a surprise move the Swiss have lowered their rates. On currency markets the Euro took a breather then almost perversely rallied to more than $US1.10. The US dollar meanwhile was weakening on an unexpected jump in new claims for unemployment benefits in the latest wk possibly impacted by the cold snap in the US. And markets largely ignored a 2.1% surge in new factory orders in America during Jan. On Wall St the rise in jobless benefit claims, impending war against Iraq and a series of corporate profit warnings have combined to push share prices lower. On the NYSE, the Dow Jones industrial average has closed 102 pts lower at 7,674 a slide of 1.3%. The high-tech Nasdaq composite index has fallen 11 pts, or 0.9%, to 1,303. Earlier the Brit market registered a 3rd consecutive losing session. London's FT-100 index has slipped 8 pts to 3,555. In AUS yesterday there was also a flat performance from the sharemarket as gains in the banking sector offset declines among resource companies, insurers and media stocks. The All Ordinaries Index dipped just 3 pts to 2,747. At trading o'night on the SYD Futures Exchange, the Share Price Index 200 contract closed down 17 pts from yesterday's day settlement at 2,752. The 10-y bond contract is down 3 pts at 94.90 with the implied yield rising to 5.1%. The gold price has moved up on the renewed war jitters to $US356.50/oz. W Texas crude oil has also risen on war fears to around $US37.21/bbl. ---------------------------------------- Sat, 08 Mar 2003. Markets Contractors put in border gates NK announces test Downer warns NK Soldiers die in Kashmir avalanches Oil fire in India New travel warnings Blix says Iraq has sped up coop Mar 17 ultimatum Big Brother kicked out of Baghdad CBR kicks out Iraqi diplomat New US sanctions US companies fined for helping China Saudi airport given to US Chunk of Gaza seized US denies OBL sons arrested US raid kills 7 Al Qaeda Argentine court rules against peso switch Dig may reveal truth about Indian holy site Kosovo border incident Missionary killers play up in jail PM still to decide about war Dengue Fever epidemic New counter-terrorism boss PM off to NZ The fire is out Women's Day Dam levels decline Singapore to throw off dull image Kuwait (SBS). CONTRACTORS PUT IN BORDER GATES! Another sign of imminent war: contractors have started installing gates in the fence along the Kuwait/Iraq border. Observers say they're about M1 Abrams size. Elsewhere, the border area has been declared a no-go zone by US & Kuwaiti officials, with military forces ordered to pull back a klick or so. NY (PBS). MARKETS! The Dow closed up 66 pts, and the Nasdaq was 2 pts higher as traders ended a week of declines with some bargain-hunting. Trouble is reportedly a-brewing for Pres Bush after employment numbers released this wk showed 300,000 jobs were lost in Jan -- a record. Jobs were lost across all sectors. There are now 8.5 mn Americans without employment, but more worrying -- around 20% have been out of work for 6 m or more. Market watchers are now openly talking double-dip recession. A new opinion polls shows Bush would lose by a 4% margin if an election was held now. He faces re-election in Nov next y. The NBR wondered did you ever wonder what happens to all the things they now confiscate at US airports? For at least Cal it's become a small income stream with the state and fed govts splitting the profits from putting stuff up on eBay. Last y Internet sales returned $US60,000. The main items were Swiss Army knives and corkscrews. Paul Kangas said even aircraft galleys on US domestic routes don't carry corkscrews anymore, with wine bottles having screw caps. Washington. NK ANNOUNCES TEST! The US says North Korea has issued a notice to mariners that indicates the rogue state is preparing to conduct another test of an anti-ship cruise missile in the Sea of Japan. An anonymous US def official says NK has issued a note to mariners specifying an area of the same size as a prev test. Amid rising tensions with the US over nuclear weapons, NK tested an anti-ship missile on Feb 24, launching from a NE coastal area. Adelaide. DOWNER WARNS NK! AUS has warned North Korea against missile testing, saying it will be both proactive and dangerous. For Min Alex Downer says his dept has spoken with the NK amb about missile testing. The meeting follows US def dept statements that NK has declared a maritime exclusion zone in the Sea of Japan, signalling it might be planning a missile test within days. Mr Downer says the amb has agreed to pass AUS's concerns onto P'yongyang. Srinagar. SOLDIERS DIE IN KASHMIR AVALANCHES! Heavy snow has set of avalanches along the cease-fire line dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, killing at least 16 soldiers and 1 civilian. Police say more than 200 people were also air-lifted to safety. At least 9 soldiers have been reported missing and dozens are trapped in Himalayan stretches of N-most Kashmir. Most of the deaths occurred in the frontier area where India and Pakistan fought an undeclared war in the summer of 1999. More soldiers have died from the extreme weather in the region than in decades of shelling and occasional fire-fights. Guwahati. OIL FIRE IN INDIA! A devastating fire has broken out in one of the world's oldest operating oil refineries in India's NE state of Assam. A police rep says the blaze broke out at the Digboi Refinery in E Assam, 530 km from the state capital, Guwahati. He says they are yet to find out how the fire started but the priority is to bring it under control. The blaze is presently showing no signs of relenting. Police say the fire broke out in a tank holding up to 5 mn L of naphtha. Canberra. NEW TRAVEL WARNINGS! The AUS govt has boosted travel warnings for Aussies planning trips to the Gulf countries of Bahrain and Qatar, warning to defer them. The DFAT has also increased warnings for Israel after the latest suicide bombings in the pt city of Haifa. It directs Aussies in Israel to immediately depart unless they have compelling reasons to stay, and says Aussies should not travel to the West Bank or Gaza Strip. NY. BLIX SAYS IRAQ HAS SPED UP COOP! Chief UN weapons insp Hand Blix says Iraq has speeded up its compliance with demands for disarmament. Blix told a crucial meeting of the Sec Council there must be a sober judgement of the value of Iraq's co-operation. He denied there was any proof to US claims Iraq is concealing banned weapons in mobile labs to escape detection, but he conceded it was possible. Dr Blix said a full program to verify Iraq's disarmament would take m, not y. NY. MAR 17 ULTIMATUM! The US, Brit and Spain have delivered a St Patrick's Day ultimatum to Iraq to "cooperate fully" with disarmament demands or face war. Brit For Sec Jack Straw has announced the Mar 17 ultimatum as part of a new res during a speech to a tense UN Sec Council meeting. However, France, China and Russia say they are still opposed to war with Iraq and any of the 3 could move to kill the res with a veto. US Pres Bush Jr said yesterday he was ready to launch war with or without the UN, a sentiment also expressed by Brit's Tony Blair on Euro MTV to a shocked audience of youngsters. The US and Brit had been hoping a key speech by Hans Blix today would give unambiguous evidence that Iraq was not co-operating with UN inspectors. But while Dr Blix indicated 29 "issues" with Baghdad's disarmament, he called for more time and insisted inspections were working. Blix also said there was no evidence for some of the US & Brit claims about Iraq's chem and bio weapons programs. His report gave the US and Brit little choice but to launch its "plan B" draft Res. Melbourne. BIG BROTHER KICKED OUT OF BAGHDAD! A high-profile Aussie human shield has been evicted from Iraq. Contestant of the Aussie "Big Brother" TV show, Gordon Sloan, has been kicked out of Iraq by officials that are unhappy with his levels of co-operation. Authorities had demanded Sloan shield Baghdad's power stn, but the TV personality had preferred schools and hospitals. He told Ch 9 the peace protesters wanted autonomy, but the Iraqi authorities wanted to take that away. For Min Alex Downer has urged all Aussies acting as human shields to immediately leave Iraq for their own safety. Canberra. CBR KICKS OUT IRAQI DIPLOMAT! Alex Downer says an Iraqi diplomat will be expelled from AUS over "security concerns". Mr Downer says Helal Ibrahim Aaref has until Wed to quit the country. He says the govt has reason to believe Aaref is associated with the Iraqi Intel Agency and has been assessed by AUS intel as an intel officer. I guess they can spot one of their own! Mr Downer told reporters in Adel the govt had "real security concerns" about Mr Aaref's activities. Washington. NEW US SANCTIONS! US Pres Bush Jr has slapped sanctions aimed at the assets of Zimbabwe's Pres Mugabe and 76 other govt officials for "undermining democracy". The Whitehouse says Bush's order will block all property and economic assets of the targeted individuals. Washington. US COMPANIES FINED FOR HELPING CHINA! Boeing, the world's biggest satellite maker, and Hughes Electronics will pay $US32 mn in fines for helping China develop rockets and missiles without US govt approval. The payments incl $US8 mn the companies must spend in further complying with US export laws. The companies have accepted responsibility for not obtaining the necessary licenses, admitting their actions could have had a "negative effect" on nat'l security. The govt complaint centred on a series of incidents where the companies helped China locate the reasons for 2 failed rocket launches in the mid-1990s, the State Dept said. Doha. SAUDI AIRPORT GIVEN TO US! The Saudi govt has shut down civilian flights into an airport nr the Iraqi border so it can be used by US forces in a possible war against Iraq. A source in Saudi says 100s of American troops have deployed at the airport in the town of Araar, 60 km S of the border with Iraq. The sources says Araar Airport will be closed to civilians for 4 m. All normal commercial flights to the airport have been diverted to al-Jawf, 180 km to the SW. Observers say it's a way of SAR quietly co-operating with the US without drawing heavy criticism from its Arab neighbours. Gaza. CHUNK OF GAZA SEIZED! Israel has moved the carve out a large chunk of the N Gaza Strip as a "security zone" in what the army called an open-ended operation to thwart rocket attacks on Israel. The army says solders killed 3 gunmen who fired on a convoy of Jewish settlers in the C Gaza Strip in a fresh flare-up of violence. The militant Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for the attack. The creation of what Army Radio called a security zone followed a raid on a densely-populated refugee camp yesterday that saw rockets and tank shells kill 11 people and injure about 140. Islamabad. US DENIES OBL SONS ARRESTED! The US has denied reports from Pakistan that 2 sons of Osama bin Laden have been captured in SW Afghanistan. Pakistan's provincial Home Min, Sanaullah Zehri, announced earlier today that 2 of OBL's sons were seized in a joint op involving US and Pakistani forces. The terrorist leader is reported to have between 14 and 18 sons. Zehri said the sons may have been injured in an operation he said killed up to 7 other Al Qaeda fighters. But in Washington, US counter-terrorism officials have strongly disputed the Pakistani claims. Islamabad. US RAID KILLS 7 AL QAEDA! A US-led raid in SW Afghanistan has killed 7 Al Qaeda fighters and wounded 8 others, incl 2 sons of Osama bin Laden. The new report comes from a top Pakistani provincial police official, but US authorities continue to deny the claims. Sanaullah Zehri says the allied raid occurred nr Rabat, an area where the borders of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan converge. He says OBL's sons Saad and Hamaz were captured and are in the hosp in Rabat being treated for their wounds. Buenos Aires. ARGENTINE COURT RULES AGAINST PESO SWITCH! Argentine's Supreme Court has ruled the govt acted illegally last y when it forced deposits in USD to be converted to pesos. The decision opens the way for at least $US10 bn in claims against the country's banks. It has Pres Eduardo Duhalde scrambling to come up with a plan to protect the banks that have already lost $bns because of the country's 2001 debt default and subsequent devaluation. The govt said it might issue a bond to compensate depositors and avoid pushing banks, incl Spain's Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria and FleetBoston Fin'l Corp into bankruptcy. But that's likely to spark more protests amongst the country's depositors, who are already angry the govt has squandered their savings. The court ruled in favour of a W province against the state-owned Banco de la Nacion, ordering the bank to pay $US247 mn. The bank has 60 days to negotiate payment. The decision was cause for celebration. 100s of depositors embraced, banged pots and pans and raised flags declaring "Justice for Savers". The decision has been delayed several times in the past 6 m. 1000s of similar suits are waiting in the wings. The govt may delegate any decision to the next administration. A Presid'l election is due next m. Islamabad (The Guardian). DIG MAY REVEAL TRUTH ABOUT INDIAN HOLY SITE! A court in India has ordered archaeologists to excavate the site of a demolished Ayodhya mosque to determine whether a Hindu temple once existed there. 3 judges sitting at the Uttar Pradesh state high court ordered the work to start within the wk. The findings, due within 6 wks, could settle a dispute that's claimed 1000s of lives and fuelled violent Hindu nationalism across India. A mob destroyed the Barbi mosque at Ayodhya, about 560 km E of New Delhi, in 1992, triggering secular riots that claimed 3,000 lives. About 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, died after the row re-surfaced in Gujarat last y. Hindus linked with the ruling BJP say Muslim invaders in the 16th century destroyed a Hindu temple on the site and replaced it with a mosque. Muslim groups deny this, and call for the re-building of the Barbi mosque. Since 1992 Hindu militants have been building a so-far makeshift temple, carving 100s of statues and pillars. A court has ordered that construction stopped. The latest court decision has ordered this makeshift temple not be disturbed. New digging most occur away from the central area. Some archaeologists believe while there may have been a Hindu temple on the site in the 16th C, it was probably built on top of an earlier Buddhist temple. Belgrade. KOSOVO BORDER INCIDENT! 2 ethnic Albanians have been killed in a shoot-out with Serbian police at a security checkpoint nr the administrative border with Kosovo. Tanjung news agency says a 29 yo and 30 yo men were killed when they refused to stop their vehicle at the checkpoint, despite police warnings to surrender. Police say the 2 had prev tried to load 15 kg of explosives into their vehicle nr the checkpoint at Koncul, a village on the line dividing Serbia from its UN-administered S prov of Kosovo. Bhubaneswar. MISSIONARY KILLERS PLAY UP IN JAIL! 6 men facing trial for the killing of an Aussie missionary and his 2 young sons are to be moved to another prison after they allegedly tried to attack jail authorities. Officials say on Feb 27 the main defendant in the murder case, Dara Singh, and 5 co-defendants entered the office of the head of the prison on the pretext of lodging a complaint -- but then attack him, punching him in the face. A total of 13 defendants face trial for the killing, that saw Graham Staines and his children burned to death in 1999 while they were sleeping in their car. Sydney. PM STILL TO DECIDE ABOUT WAR! PM John Howard says he's still to decide whether he will obey his orders from the US and follow Pres Bush into war with Iraq without UN backing. Yesterday Brit PM Tony Blair indicated he had no qualms about ignoring either "vetos from [other] members of the Sec Council" or "unreasonable vetos". Pres Bush Jr has also indicated as recently as yesterday he was prepared to go to war with Iraq whether or not the Sec Council supported a joint US/Brit/Spanish res. The Council is likely to vote next wk on the new res that names Mar 17 as a deadline for Iraq to fully co-operate with UN disarmament demands, or face war. Brisbane. DENGUE FEVER EPIDEMIC! The FNQ tourist capital, Cairns, is in the grip of a potential Dengue Fever epidemic -- with 11 confirmed cases. With the carrier mosquito breeding in sites scattered across the city health experts believe infections will continue to rise. Qld Health says the life-threatening disease has also spread from the Cairns suburb of Manunda to the nearby suburb of Parramatta Pk. Tropical Pub Health Unit medical dir Jeffrey Hanna says people must get rid of potential mozzy breeding sites around the city. Adelaide. NEW COUNTER-TERRORISM BOSS! While 10s of 1000s of "terror kits" mailed out in a $15 mn govt program sit in mail centres around the country, the fed govt has announced the creation of an Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism who will fight terrorism in the region. For Min Alex Downer announced the new position yesterday, saying it would provide a "focal point" for intensifying and co-ordinating efforts to combat terrorism. He says the appointment, to be made shortly, is part of a govt package of measures to fight terrorism. Mr Downer has also signed a memorandum of understanding on counter-terrorism with Fijian For Min Kaliopate Tavola in Adel. What a coup! Canberra. PM OFF TO NZ! PM John HoWARd is off to NZ, to talk free trade but also ready to face heavy criticism for his backing for a US-led war on Iraq. The trip is supposed to mark the 20th anniversary of the bilateral free trade agreement known as "Closer Economic Relations". But the celebrations are set to be pushed into 1 corner because of NZ's opp'n to any US-led action in the Middle E that's not sanctioned by the UN. Bob Brown told TV reporters he'd arranged for Greens in NZ to boycott an official dinner for the PM to protest AUS war policies. Melbourne. THE FIRE IS OUT! It's taken 59 days and the work of 1000s but Vic's largest bushfire in 60 y is finally contained. Fire authorities claimed victory yesterday over the great E bushfire, saying the final small blaze in the Snowy R Nat'l Park was finally contained. But the battle will not be completely won until good rain across the state's E quells the smoldering bush. The 2-m battle was not without tragedy and loss. Sydney. WOMEN'S DAY! Aussie women will join mns around the world today to celebrate Int'l Women's Day. A march through C SYD is expected is kick off at midday, with women and supporters starting in the Town Hall Sq and disrupting traffic through the CBD to Belmore Pk nr the C rlwy stn. Among the marchers will be a delegation of 20 women under the banner of the Int'l Transp Workers Union. They'll join wharfies, seafarers and members of transport unions. Yes, they can all be women! [Later reports say about 1,000 women marched, with the major focus on an anti-war messages]. Sydney. DAM LEVELS DECLINE! Water levels in SYD's dams have begun to decline again, prompting NSW govt warnings for residents to be water wise. Despite rainfall leading to a 0.9 pt jump in levels at the end of last m, Prem Bob Carr says water storage across SYD, Illawarra and the Blue Mtns is again falling. He says that as of yesterday, water levels dropped from a recent high of 59% to 58.5%. Singapore. SINGAPORE TO THROW OFF DULL IMAGE! Trying to shatter its prudish image, Sing may let pubs operate 24 hrs and have bar-top dancers, a newspaper report said yesterday. Most bars in the tightly-controlled city-state are licensed to serve until 3 am, and table-top dancers are banned. Bar owners must even keep regular dancing to "well marked areas". But a public advisory board has recommended allowing bars to operate around the clock as part of a move to remodel the state's economy to become a C for the arts and media. The govt may accept the idea, if owners meet regulations on noise, public safety and environment. Sing is aggressively wooing foreign talent and loosening some controls in a bit to overcome an image of state-inspired dullness. Next m it's due to unveil the first review of its conservative censorship laws in a decade. ---------------------------------------- Sun, 09 Mar 2003. Bus crash kills 17 Van crash kills 17 Plane crash kills 2 houses More missiles crunched No evidence to back US Blix circulates dossier US could attack any time Did I hear an echo? MPs threaten Blair It's not about WMD UN withdrawing border staff Iraq prepares Kuwait prepares Peace protests Int'l women's day Int'l women's day, Zimbabwe style Women march on NSW parl Miss Epaulettes Spain arrests terror suspects US looking for terrorists Arrest warrant for Pres issued Hamas decl war on Israeli leaders Rwanda defends prison releases Lover runs amok PM explains expulsion I'm not a spy Spy accused of tracking Iraqi dissidents Why is spy still here? Spy propaganda Dems veto bulk-billing changes Howard in NZ Irish PM to visit Aus Aussie retirement savings erode Qld starts immunisations Storm threatens NT Riverland chef launches rural devel Suddenly, Vic hosp crisis Man dies after grabbing suits Talking about glass windows Toy disaster averted Prague. BUS CRASH KILLS 17! 17 people have reportedly been killed in a bus crash in the Czech Rep's Bohemia region. State radio stn CRO says a Czech coach taking tourists home from a winter-sports holiday in Austria went off the road nr the town of Kaplice and fell 7 m. The cause of the crash is unknown. It's believed all passengers on board were Czechs. New Delhi. VAN CRASH KILLS 17! At least 17 people were killed when the van they were travelling in collided with a bus in the S Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Press Trust of India says 7 women and 2 children were among the dead, while 13 other people were injured. Police quoted witnesses saying the accident occurred when the van driver lost control. The van was reportedly travelling at "high speed". 16 people died at the scene, and an 18 mo baby died later in hosp. Florida (Ch 7). PLANE CRASH KILLS 2 HOUSES! 2 homes in Florida have been destroyed after a jet fighter crashed during a training flight. The pilot managed to eject seconds before the jet ploughed into a resid'l area. Officials are amazed that no-one was hurt in the accident. Baghdad. MORE MISSILES CRUNCHED! Iraq continues to scrap its banned Al-Samoud 2 missiles, but the US has dismissed the effort as "too little, too late". Canberra. NO EVIDENCE TO BACK US! AUS Greens Sen Bob Brown says the latest report from UN weapons inspections in Iraq have produced no evidence to back America's rationale for war. Sen Brown says PM Hoard should therefore abandon plans for war with Iraq. He says the report by Hans Blix, delivered yesterday, shows there was no evidence that Iraq has retained underground stockpiles of bio and chem weapons. NY (SBS). BLIX CIRCULATES DOSSIER! UN weapons insp Hans Blix is reportedly circulating a "dossier" around the UN that could support the case for war. The documents details the WMD that Iraq may be hiding from inspectors. The list includes Scuds with bio warheads, and pilotless aircraft that may be in violation of UN restrictions. [NBC reported this as "Iraq has a pilotless drone capable of deploying chem or bio weapons"]. Meanwhile, 6 more banned Iraqi missiles were destroyed in the N suburbs of Baghdad, bringing to 40 the number of Al-Samoud 2's it's junked this wk. Iraq also destroyed 3 missile warheads. Saddam Hussein says its just further evidence he's disarming. Reportedly angered by the latest Mar 17 deadline announced by Brit and US UN officials, Saddam has renewed calls for the immediate removal of 12 y of UN sanctions on Iraq. He also called for the removal of all WMD throughout the Middle East, incl the suspected 100 nuclear warheads in Israel's secret arsenal. The Iraqi dictator also called for the US and Brit to be denounced as "liars" by the UN. Saddam has apparently given up making public statements to the Iraqi public. He was shown on TV today chairing a War Cabinet meeting. In his weekly address to America, Pres Bush said it was all part of a "willful charade" by Iraq. Meanwhile, US & Brit indicate they want a UN vote as early as Tue on a new res setting a Mar 17 deadline for Iraq to disarm. Amid back-room offensives from the Coal'n of the Willing, France is still lobbying hard to get the measure killed. Russia says an attack on Iraq would be a violation of the UN Charter. If the US and allies invaded Iraq, says Russia, "appropriate decisions" would be needed by the Sec Council. Baghdad. US COULD ATTACK ANY TIME! Reports say an attack on Iraq could come sooner than the Mar 17 "ultimatum" mentioned in the latest draft UN Res put forward by Brit yesterday. The "plan B" draft, supported by the US, Brit and Spain, is the subject of frenetic diplomatic haggling this weekend. If the res fails to win the backing of the Sec Council, the US and its allies might well go to war almost immediately. Canberra. DID I HEAR AN ECHO? AUS has backed a Mar 17 ultimatum for Iraq to disarm or face war with the US -- amid concerns locally that Aussie security is at risk. The Coal'n of the Willing are demanding Iraq comply immediately with UN disarmament directives, and have challenged to UN to authorise war. The US is likely to ask the Sec Council to vote on a new Resolution on Tue, 11 Mar. For Min Alex Downer says AUS is encouraging Sec Council members to support the deadline and the war. As recently as yesterday, France re-iterated its position that it would not support any move to war. Observers are taking bets on whether the French will hold their nerve. Russia and China, also veto-holding permanent members of the Sec Council, say they will block any move to go to war with Iraq. London. MPS THREATEN BLAIR! 5 Brit MP's have threatened to quit their jobs if Tony Blair goes to war with Iraq without a UN OK. London's Sun Telegraph says the 5, who work as ministerial aides in Blair's govt, are ready to step down. One of them, Michael Jabez Foster, who works with A-G Lord Goldsmith, told the paper there's a point where you have to decide whether you're in the right or wrong. He said his argument was about upholding the UN's authority. London (Ch 7, SBS). ITS NOT ABOUT WMD! Brit For Sec Jack Straw told a BBC radio audience he was confident Brit's 2nd res would be successful at the UN. But Russian UN amb Ivanov has again warned the US and Brit not to act alone. Meanwhile, Tony Blair faces an internal revolt with as many as 5 jr Mins threatening to quit his govt. But the mood of Brit public may be moving in the other direction. In a new opinion poll, support for a UN-backed invasion of Iraq has jumped to 68%. In AUS, former chief UN weapons insp Butler says the conflict has now moved from the Iraq/Kuwait border to the UN in NY. "It's not about Saddam and his weapons", he told a TV audience. Kuwait. UN WITHDRAWING BORDER STAFF! UN military observers on the Iraq/Kuwait border say they're withdrawing civilian staff in view of a possible imminent US invasion of Iraq. [Ch 10 and other reports say the UN has been "ordered out"]. Daljeet Bagga, rep for the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission, says it's a "protective measure". He says UNIKOM has been removing some of its 230 civilian UN staff from their resid'l quarters in the DMZ that runs the length of the 200 km land border between the 2 countries. He says UNIKOM's 195 observers and 775-strong Bangladeshi military support units will stay in place. Baghdad. IRAQ PREPARES! The signs of war preparations continue in the Iraqi capital. Armed soldiers now man fortified road junctions t'out the city. And a nation-wide campaign to recruit young men for military training is underway. While Saddam's War Cabinet was shown on local TV, the foreign cameras are forbidden to show soldiers deploying around Baghdad. As part of Int'l Women's Day, Iraqi women, both Muslim and Christian, marched through the capital. They were celebrating their leader. Even the marching nuns has something good to say about Saddam. Recruits practising outside the city vow to "slaughter" any US or allied soldiers that dare to set foot on Iraqi territory. While Saddam Hussein called on the UN to remove 12 y of crippling sanctions, UN weapons insp swooped on more sites. They visited a corn processing factory S of city. And another scientist was interviewed in private about Iraq's WMD program. Elsewhere, IAEA's Mohamed ElBaradei says Iraq is trying to show a shift from passive to pro-active co-operation with UN inspectors. He says the US military pressure had helped insp. ElBaradei says war can still be avoided. In his wkly radio address to the nation, Pres Bush Jr dismissed the new Iraqi demands, saying the regime was still making WMD. Bush said Iraq was moving its weapons twice daily in an effort to avoid UN inspectors. In the Gulf, Kendall Card on the a/c USS Abraham Lincoln is preparing to lead the air assault on Baghdad. Meanwhile, US forces in Kuwait are fitting parachutes to vehicles and other equipment, getting ready for its air deployment. Back in Baghdad everyone older than their mid-teens knows what missiles in sky over the city look like. At the local Luna Park, numbers haven't dropped. It may be the last time for a carnival ride for some time. Kuwait City (SBS). KUWAIT PREPARES! Kuwait city being monitored for chem and bio agents. Special APC's have been deployed around the city sniffing the air for the first hint of an Iraqi attack. They're manned by elite Czech troops -- they became experts at lethal chem weapons during the Cold War. The chemical SWAT team is working closely with US forces in Kuwait. The units patrol resid'l neighbourhoods 24/7 in an effort to re-assure the civilian pop'n. Observers say the sight of the "sniffers" might instill more fear than comfort. This weekend fierce sandstorms across N Kuwait have had US troops hunkering down. Most attack choppers have been grounded. Even the most powerful military on earth can be humbled by other Nature. Washington (SBS). PEACE PROTESTS! 10s of 1000s this weekend marched against the Iraqi war in major cities around the world. A petition with 1/2 mn sigs will be delivered to the UN Sec Council on Mon, urging members to stand against the move to war. In Washington 1000s of women converged on the Whitehouse, to deliver their message to Pres Bush. They called in him to give UN inspectors more time. Many were dressed in pink, as a parody of the national terror alert system. But the protest fell on deaf ears. In his weekly radio address, Mr Bush said he'd invade Iraq with or without UN support. Reports say the Pres is still lobbying hard for the support, anyway. The Pres still claims force is his last resort. In Santiago, protesters asked the Chilean Pres to block the US/Brit Res at the Sec Council. Pres Largos continues to waver on whether to support or oppose the US. In Italy, 50,000 [Ch 10 said 20,000] marched on a US miliary base nr Pisa. Violence broke out when crowds tried to force their way through a fence. Italy's PM is one of Washington's staunchest supporters. But that's not reflected by most of his countrymen. 70% of Italians oppose any war, regardless if the UN sanctions it or not. In Indon, the world's Number 1 Muslim country, there was a protest march in Surabaya. Women's Day marches in some cities doubled as peace protests. In SYD, 100s demonstrated in the 2nd anti-war rally in as many days. Women pushed empty strollers as reminders of the children likely to be killed in the US-led attack. In Germany, women marched for peace in Stuttgart. More marched in the UK. Running against the trend, 100s in Pittsburgh turned out to support the US Admin's push to war. Paris. INTL WOMENS DAY! 100s of 1000s of women around the world have turned out for events marking Int'l Women's Day. They say they're still far from equal citizens, and the looming war with Iraq has added to their anger. Events have ranged from trad'l marches in many cities and towns to a rare conference in the Afghan capital, Kabul. Many of the marches have played up the problem of violence against women, and in famine-hit Zimbabwe police gave a demo of their own, using batons to beat protesters -- some mothers with babies on their backs. Harare. INTL WOMENS DAY, ZIMBABWE STYLE! Riot police have beaten dozens of women to break up a gathering for Int'l Women's Day, 2003. Witnesses say 15 organisers of the event were briefly detained for questioning. Journalists covering the event in Zimbabwe's 2nd city of Bulawayo say police charged into a group of women who blocked the path of a police truck taking away the organisers. The police then moved in with batons swinging to disperse the remaining 500 women who had met in a city park. The police deny they used excessive force. Sydney. WOMEN MARCH ON NSW PARL! 100s of women have marched on NSW Parl House to protest Australia's involvement in the looming war with Iraq. The crowd was led by mothers pushing empty strollers to symbolise the deaths of Iraqi children. 1000s have reportedly died due to on-going UN sanctions since 1991, and many more are expected to be killed in massive aerial bombing of Baghdad in the early stages of the war. Protesters were told the war would cost 1000s of innocent lives. Margaret Whitlam and commentator Caroline Jones were among others who lent their support to the protest. Moscow. MISS EPAULETTES! Making up 10% of the Russian army, women occupy mostly back-office positions. Their status in the modern miliary is no secret, many happily say their main job is to look pretty for the men. Suffering from a plague of draft-dodging, desertion and claims of bullying in the ranks, the Generals have launched a new PR offensive. Big-haired blond commandos in high heeled boots and red lipstick, firing AK-47's and demonstrating unarmed combat was the start. "Miss Epaulettes 2003" was searching for that special women to make the men sit up and take notice. The official criteria were cryptic. One general admitted while beauty was important, the 8 judges were looking for more, for a women that "shone from inside like a spring day". With hem-lines raised to meet the occasion, commandos, ship captains and motor mechanics strutted their stuff on the catwalk. Each had to compete in the categories familiar to contestants around the world. The judges settled on a mechanic from the N as a suitable rep for this man's C21 Russian military. Madrid. SPAIN ARRESTS TERROR SUSPECTS! Spain says 5 suspected Islamic militants arrested yesterday are believed to have helped finance OBL's Al Qaeda terrorist network. Spain currently holds 40 Al Qaeda suspects, many detained since 9/11. Court sources told Reuters yesterday that the suspects were believed to have played some role in the bombing of the El Ghriba synagogue on the S Tunisian Is of Djerba last Apr. Kabul (SBS). US LOOKING FOR TERRORISTS! US troops continue to scour Afghanistan for the remnants of Al Qaeda and the Taliban govt. US Army rep Roger King says a compound was searched today and 7 people of interest taken under control. The suspects were captured with bomb-making tools and are suspected of plotting against Coal'n forces, he said. Further E, a local official is still claiming US forces have captured 2 sons of OBL. Washington has denied the report, and has today even denied Al Qaeda fighters are sheltering in the area. Local people told reporters OBL wouldn't be handed over even if he was there. He's seen as a hero. Elsewhere, one of the men arrested with #3 Khalid has appeared in a Rawalpindi court. The man's family says he was the only one formally arrested in the US/Pakistan operation. They says he's being persecuted because of his connections with an increasingly-popular Islamic party. They say he wasn't there when the raid on Khalid's house took place, despite govt claims all suspects were captured together. Brussels (SBS). ARREST WARRANT FOR PRES ISSUED! Interpol has issued an int'l arrest warrant for former Peruvian Pres Alberto Fujimori. He's wanted for murder, kidnap and fraud. Fujimori, of Japanese origin, fled back to Japan in Nov 2000 after his Admin came under increasing pressure amid a bribery and corruption scandal. Tokyo is now under pressure to surrender him. The Japanese Constitution forbids the extradition of Japanese citizens. Gaza (Ch 10, SBS). HAMAS DECL WAR ON ISRAELI LEADERS! Hamas hard-liners say they will now target Israeli politicians, following the killing of 4 snr Hamas officials. In yesterday's attack, an Israeli Apache gunship fired several missiles at a car carrying the 4, including Ibrahim al-Maqadma, a founding member of Hamas. The blast completely destroyed the vehicle, instantly killing the occupants and also injuring others nearby, incl 10 shool-children. Hamas reps were quoting "an eye for eye, a tooth for tooth" today. It was a political assassination, they said, and the Israeli govt were "murderers". In retaliation, Hamas would now target the Israeli political leadership. The Israeli military has declined to comment on the attack, which came in the 3rd wk of an operation by the army to crush Hamas in Gaza. But other Israeli officials said al-Maqadma was targeted after planning the killing of 28 people, incl the deaths of 4 soldiers in the Strip last wk. In Gaza today, 10s of 1000s (ABC said 50,000) of Palestinians marched in defiance at the funeral of the 4 dead Hamas leaders. Israel was being hypocritical in labelling Palestinians assassins and murderers, they said, when it continued to supported state-sponsored assassinations and summary executions. In Ramallah Arafat was talking concessions, and nominated his deputy for PM. Abbas, a moderate who's consistently called to curb Palestinian violence, says he will only accept the position if it's more than just a ceremonial job. The same concerns are shared by the Israeli govt. SF. RWANDA DEFENDS PRISON RELEASES! Rwandan Pres Paul Kagame has defended his recent decree releasing up to 40,000 jail inmate, incl 1000s of genocide suspects. The Pres says the move is necessary for national reconciliation. Kagame also says that keeping people in jail endlessly is not a cure to the country's ills. Many of those release have been in prison for up to a decade, many without charge, and others yet to face trial. Rwanda's prisons are overflowing, with more than 100,000 suspected of involvement in the 1994 slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate minority Hutus. Beijing. LOVER RUNS AMOK! China's state media says a spurned lover has run amok in a kindergarten in S China, stabbing 4 teachers and 4 children before being stopped. The Beijing Youth Daily says 24 yo Xie Zhongcai allegedly stormed the kindergarten in Beihai city on Fri afternoon, brandishing a knife and leaving teachers and children in pools of blood. The rampage reportedly ended when a father arrived to pick up his child and helped the female staff overpower Xie. The injured were taken to hosp and are now out of danger. Canberra. PM EXPLAINS EXPULSION! Amid calls to fill in the details of a diplomatic expulsion, PM Howard says the Iraqi was ordered to leave because he behaved contrary to accepted international norms. Helal Ibrahim Aaref was told on Fri he was to be expelled, and was to leave AUS by Wed. The govt says ASIO found the diplomat was working as an intel officer. Mr Howard told ABC the man was behaving contrary to norms of behaviour of diplomats in different countries, and that's why he had to go. Opp'n MP's have called on the govt to explain what Aaref was doing. Other observers say the recent expulsions of Iraqi diplomats seen in AUS and the US are a typical pre-war tactic. Pre-war propaganda is meant to focus the public mind that the enemy is not only at the gates, but inside the gates. Canberra (Ch 10). IM NOT A SPY! An Iraqi diplomat issued with an expulsion order yesterday denies he's a spy. But he's refusing to talk with reporters, slamming his front door on Ch 10 reporters. Mr Aaref, who's been in AUS 4 m, spent the day preparing to leave again. The AUS govt has not been forthcoming about the reasons for the expulsion. The govt had "very good intel and security reasons for doing what we did", PM Howard said in NZ. But it was not a black and white issue, he said. Mr Howard said the diplomat "broke the rules". Iraq's amb in CBR said there were no Iraqi spies in AUS and there would never any. Canberra (ABC). SPY ACCUSED OF TRACKING IRAQI DISSIDENTS! Iraqi Charge d'Affair al-Samarai denies any Iraqi diplomats are spying on AUS. Iraqi embassy staff are subject to strict conditions, and are not allowed more than 50 km from their premises in CBR without 48 hr notice. ABC reporters have discovered some details regarding what Mr Aaref is supposed to have done to attract the ire of the CIA and ASIO. According to un-named sources, one concern was Mr Aaref was "tracking Iraqi dissidents in Australia". Mr Aaref says he was doing only routine consular work, but wouldn't be interviewed. Canberra (SBS). WHY IS SPY STILL HERE? The ALP says if Iraqi diplomat Aaref is a spy, why isn't he being deported immediately? In the US, 2 alleged Iraqi spies were deported immediately. Why has the "spy" here been given a week to leave the country? And what rules were broken? Suspicious Labor reps say the govt has arranged for Mr Aaref to leave AUS just before an important speech by PM Howard, next wk. Iraqi Amb Dr Saad al-Samarai denies there's any spy network HQ'ed at his embassy in CBR. On the contrary, Iraq officials say ASIO had made attempts to recruit a member of their embassy staff. Dr al-Samarai says the expulsion is part of a propaganda campaign run by AUS, under orders from the US. And Greens Sen Bob Brown agrees. It was a campaign of "maximum spin" to support the deployment of Aussie troops in Iraq, Sen Brown said. Dr al-Samarai says he thinks the Iraqi embassy might be bugged. He likes a good laugh, said reporters. Indicating some of the wildlife in the embassy garden, he told SBS he wants to recruit kangaroos for the Iraqi spy network. Canberra (Ch 7). SPY PROPAGANDA! The Iraqi amb says accusations of spying by a diplomat was a "propaganda move" by the AUS govt. He says PM Howard is operating on US instructions. "The case was fabricated completely", he said. It's a view backed by the Greens. "It's another lead-up episode to the coming attack on Iraq", Sen Bob Brown said. PM Howard designed it and timed it to whip up war sentiment, he said. "That is nonsense", replied Mr Howard. Canberra. DEMS VETO BULK-BILLING CHANGES! Aus Dem leader Andrew Bartlett says his party won't support proposed changes to bulk billing. Sen Bartlett says changes which would allow doctors to claim $25 from Medicare and also demand a "gap" payment from patients would undermine the universal health scheme. The idea was proposed by the AMA and govt last wk. Bartlett told the Nine Network that if the changes went through, the govt would have a real opportunity to withdraw support for the public health system over time. He says that's too big a risk to take for something that's as vital and fundamental as Medicare. Critics say the govt should re-deploy $2.3 bn it's spending in subsidising private health insurance companies, back into the public system. The govt had previously indicated increasing the fee to doctors would cost upto $3 bn, while at the same time announcing $1 bn in new spending for low-paid workers and pensioners. The Opp'n says the govt's priorities are just wrong. Meanwhile, nasty TV stns have again been airing Mr Howard's prev inconsistent views on Medicare, incl claims by the now-PM that bulk-billing was an "incredible rort". Auckland. HOWARD IN NZ! Iraq is set to dominate meetings between PM John Howard and his NZ counterpart, Helen Clark, today. Mr Howard is visiting NZ to mark the 20th anniversary of the trans-Tasman free trade agreement called "Closer Economic Relations". However the issue of Iraq will dominate. NZ is opposed to Mr Howard's support of the US push to war. Mr Howard says he expects a decision by the UN within 7 days of whether the American-led troops in the Gulf will be "allowed to disarm Iraq by force". I thought it was regime change? Auckland (SBS). HOWARD IN NZ! PM Howard's tour of NZ has been plagued by security concerns. Several official tours have been cancelled for "security reasons" and Mr Howard had to take a motorcade to his daily walk this morning. The PM has also been dogged by protesters complaining about AUS's position on the up-coming Iraqi war. NZ police are also investigating a low-flying aircraft spotted near the hotel where Mr Howard and is staying. Meanwhile, both Howard and NZ PM Helen Clark are down-playing any differences in their official positions on Iraq. "We don't want to lose good frnds over ths", Ms Clark told reporters. Most NZ-er's oppose AUS's stand on the US-led campaign against Iraq. A poll published in a local paper says 54% disagree with the AUS stance. Even more oppose the idea of NZ adopting a similar pos. "Who do you think you're kidding Mr Howard?", said the headlines. Mr Howard told reporters they had to say something. Clark has declined to criticised Mr Howard, even when provoked by Aussie reporters. The 2 leaders met for 2 hr today, discussing the impact of a proposed US/AUS free trade agreement. Afterward, Mr Howard told reporters AUS would not forget their friends, offering to generously "point the Americans in the direction of NZ". Mr Howard will address the NZ Cabinet tomorrow. He'll also address a luncheon, which is expected to attract the largest anti-Howard protests of his trip. Dublin. IRISH PM TO VISIT AUS! Ireland's Pres Mary McAleese is on her way to AUS for an official 9-day visit. Observers say it part of the traditional political exodus from Ireland ahead of the Mar 17 national holiday -- St Patrick's Day -- to visit emigrant communities around the world. Around 7 mn -- around 33% -- of AUS's pop'n claims an "Irish connection". McAleese's trip will take in Bris, SYD, MEL and CBR. Sydney (SBS). AUSSIE RETIREMENT SAVINGS ERODE! New figures out this week show $50 bn has been lost in Aussie retirement funds in the past 12 m. Reporters wryly point out that's equal to the current market value of Telstra. The downturn has effectively cancelled out the savings interest for a decade, and threatens the comfortable retirement of 10s of 1000s of middle-class Aussies. Aussies have a total of $400 bn in retirement savings, and a large chunk of that is still invested in share markets, esp in the US. The strategy is a relic of the lead from the Wall St rally over the past 10 y. But isn't not a good one for Aussie retirees. Super professionals said today Aussies should take more interest in where their funds are invested. Brisbane. QLD STARTS IMMUNISATIONS! Qld children are to be targeted in a mass immunisation program against meningococcal disease, starting tomorrow. Around 1 mn youngsters will be offered the free vaccine in Qld under the 3 y $5.6 mn program. It'll be offered to everyone aged 1 through 19 for meningococcal type C. The jabs will be kicked off tomorrow by Ms Edmond at the Springwood State High School. Darwin. STORM THREATENS NT! Winds up to 120 kph are expected to hit the Tiwi Is later today as a potential cyclone approaches the NT. At 8 am CST the tropical low was C in the Timor Sea, 210 WNW of Darwin, and moving slowly S. The Bur of Met says the low is expected to develop into a tropical cyclone today. A warning is current for all of the Tiwi Is and a cyclone watch continues for the NT coast, incl Darwin. Melbourne. RIVERLAND CHEF LAUNCHES RURAL DEVEL! Popular TV chef Stefano Di Pieri will help the Vic govt launch its so-called "Slow River" project in the state's NW today. The project, an Aussie first, will focus on issues such as protecting and promoting regional food cultures and bio-diversity, encourage sustainable farming practices and strengthening relationships between producers, markets and tourism operators. State and Reg'l Devl Min John Brumby is expected to launch the initiative with Mr Di Pieri at Mildura. Melbourne. SUDDENLY, VIC HOSP CRISIS! The Vic opp'n says a funding crisis in MEL's hospitals could result in services being cut and depts being shut down. Opp'n health rep David Davis says annual reports show a $122 mn gap between hosp expenditure and state govt funding. He says waiting lists have blown out, particularly in S, W and E hospitals [I think there might be a shorter way of saying that!], and 1/4 of emergency patients are waiting more than 12 hr for a hosp bed. Melbourne (Ch 7). Following an A-G report that says 24 Vic hospitals are in fin'l trouble, the AMA says all areas of the Vic health system are "creaking under the strain". AMA reps say it can take up to 2 y for Vic's to get into hosp for operations, with a waiting list to get onto the waiting list. But the Vic govt has hit back, saying the Opp'n (and the AMA?) is "scare mongering". Health reps say the Vic service is "on track" with $1 bn in new spending invested already. The Health Min denied there was any threat to lives, saying there had been a huge increase in demand for city hospitals due to bad winter last y. The govt had put on more nurses and the system was treating 35,000 more patients now than it had before the new program. Other officials say there's been an unexpected jump of 8% in people showing up to emergency rooms in recent months. The govt points to the continuing fallout of another Kennett legacy, when the prev govt re-structured Vic hospitals and attempted to make them self-funding. Melbourne. MAN DIES AFTER GRABBING SUITS! A man has died in hosp after he tried to grab suits at a MEL menswear store. Police arrived at the store in High St, Northcote, around 4.15 am to find a broken shop window and large amount of blood at the scene. Police were called to an address in Heidelberg Rd a short time later, to find an injured man and a car with new suits inside. An Amb Serv rep says the man had multiple lacerations and died later in hosp. [Ch 10 says police found the man slumped in his car near the shop]. Melbourne (Ch 7). TALKING ABOUT GLASS WINDOWS! A group of thieves drove an E-class Merc through a showroom window in the CBD last night. While the thieves apparently got away, Police found a badly damaged luxury car dumped in a nearby street. Perth. TOY DISASTER AVERTED! Quick action by firefighters have saved $mns in stock at Perth's largest toy store. A Fire and Emerg Serv Auth'y rep says crews quickly contained the fire that started around 9 am in the rear office of the T-r-U store. It's believed the fire started in computer equipment. Damage is est at $150,000. ---------------------------------------- Mon, 10 Mar 2003. Sydney (6 am). MARKETS! Gold is down $6 to $US351/oz, but oil is up 78 US c to $37.78/bbl. Local economists are asking "can the economy take it"? Experts are now talking tax increases to head off a problem. The AUD is 61.40 US cents and steady. They say the next few m is also likely to see the AUD go to 65/66 US cents, saying it's mostly due to a further weakening of the USD. But commodity prices are also likely to rise, putting further foreign money into Aussie investments. Meanwhile, a further int rates cut is expected in the US. The USD is weaker against the Euro today. On Fri the Dow was up 66 to 7,740 with no-one wanting to be caught over the weekend. Aussie markets are expected to be up today. Before the war, analysts are saying buy stocks in Aussie TV companies. Washington. US REJECTS TALKS! The US continues to reject NK demands for bilateral talks to end the current crisis over the Communist state's nuclear activities. Washington insists that other nations be involved. Nat'l Sec Adv Connie Rice says the int'l community in a multilateral fashion must deal with the NK threat. She says the NK-ans must realise there is no way out other than multilateral talks. Seoul. WAR OF WORDS! In the latest salvo in the war of words between NK and the US, NK has accused the Pentagon of plotting a nuclear attack. Meanwhile, in S Korea US forces have finished joint exercises. US troops were shown on TV practising bridge-building. Military reps said they were often called on to do that kind of thing during wartime. It might have been a message to the US political leadership. Washington. MAR 17 DEADLINE IS UNCONDITIONAL! The Whitehouse says the final Mar 17 deadline for Iraq to prove it has disarmed is a firm deadline and will stand whether or not the UN passes or rejects the Brit-US draft res authorising military action against Baghdad. But some experts are expecting the US to go into Iraq ahead of time, to surprise Saddam. Others predict the UN Sec Council will see the 2nd Res get the necessary majority of 9, but France will use its veto. It would be enough for the US to say "we got a moral majority, but France was difficult". Reports on US TV have concentrated on the French veto power, apparently relegating China and Russia to "followers". The Sec Council is likely to vote tomorrow. Colin Powell optimistically says the the Res is likely to get 9 or 10 votes -- it only needs the US, Brit and 7 others to pass. Paris. FRANCE LOBBYING AFRICA! In a last-ditch diplomatic offensive, France is trying to convince key Sec Council members to block a 2nd Res against Iraq. On a whirlwind tour, the French For Min is rallying the 3 African nations who are currently members of the Council. Observers say France may not need its veto if it can block enough votes to pass the Res. Elsewhere, Colin Powell has warned that France would not be looked on favourably in many parts of world if it used its veto to block the US-Brit Res. Amman. SHIELDS LEAVING IRAQ! Some humanitarians who went to Iraq to promote peace are streaming back to Jordan, saying they now fear war is imminent and it's too dangerous. In the past wk, members of Human Shields and the Christian Peace Team have arrived back in Jordan, which borders W Iraq. Believed to be among those who have left is a SYD man and former Big Brother contestant Gordon Sloan, who was 1 of 5 Shields ordered out of Iraq last wk for their "disruptive behaviour". Apparently Iraqi officials didn't like him "knocking on doors at midnight" and asking "lots of stupid questions". Kabul. LEAFLET DIPLOMACY! US aircraft are dropping leaflets near the Pakistan/Afghan border reminding people of the $US15 mn reward for Osama bin Laden. US intel reports the terrorist leader is hiding in the border region, just inside Afghanistan. He's reportedly constantly on the move, with no more than 10 followers. It's been 1 wk since #3 Khalid was captured in Pakistan. The US indicates he's provided important info to help location OBL. NY (NBC). AL QAEDA OPERATING IN IRAQ! The CIA was warned that Al Qaeda terrorists operating in Iraq could attack American troops with explosives or chemical weapons in the aftermath of a US-led invasion. NBC is also reporting that the Blix report delivered last wk left out "crucial" information, incl news that Iraq has developed a pilotless drone that could be used to deliver chem or bio weapons. Meanwhile, former Pres Jimmy Carter, in an Op/Ed in the NY Times, warned that America threatened to destroy its own reputation if it attacked Iraq without UN sanction. He also writes the UN itself could be threatened if the US goes it alone. Carter also writes there is no credible evidence that links Iraq with the 9/11 attacks. Some observers say Pres Bush has emphasised the irrelevance of the UN if they fail to act, while Carter emphasises the threat of irrelevance if the US acts without a 2nd Sec Council res. Elsewhere, the IAEA's Mohamed ElBaradei has criticised some of the US's evidence against Saddam Hussein. He says the infamous high-strength aluminium tubes the US said were related to uranium refinement and Iraq's nuclear program, are almost certainly related to the development of rockets, as previously stated by Baghdad. He also said documents produced by the US that indicated Iraq had sought uranium from Niger were "almost certainly forgeries". Both these points had been used in Colin Powell's key speech to the UN. On Meet the Press, the Sec of State brushed aside the comments, saying the US had not rested its case on those 2 points alone. Washington. CIA REPORT! A 2-page CIA report says 4 Al Qaeda operatives have been spotted in Baghdad. It says the group is not under the control of Iraq, but says it's been free to operate in the country for 8 m. Another group of about 200 terrorists is believed to be operating in N Iraq. The report warns terrorists could blend in with Iraqi population after a US-led invasion, and use suicide tactics to attack Coal'n troops. Jammu. 25 SOLDIERS MISSING IN KASHMIR! Rescuers are losing hope of finding survivors among the more than 2 dozen Indian soldiers and porters buried in avalanches in the disputed Kashmir region nearly 1 wk ago. The Indian army says no contact has been established with the missing people and each passing moment makes chances of their survival bleaker. So far, the bodies of 14 people, incl 10 soldiers, have been recovered since a quake in the Himalayan ranges triggered avalanches on Mon and Tue. Canberra. SPY ROW! For Min Alex Downer has acknowledged a request to expel an Iraqi diplomat came from the US, verifying the claims of the Iraqi Charge d'Affairs. Critics of the move, incl the federal Opp'n, had queried why Mr Aaref hadn't been deported immediately if he was a spy, as claimed originally by the govt. The Opp'n and minor parties had also asked for the specific charges the diplomat was accused of. PM Howard, in NZ, is still refusing to outline the charges for "intel and security reasons". The Iraq amb in CBR said yesterday Aaref was a "victim" and that "ASIO knows what I'm talking out". Today, Mr Aaref says he'll return to Baghdad and will fight against invading Aussie troops. He's reported to be the father of 5. The Opp'n continues to point out Aaref's expulsion date falls on the day before the PM is to give a speech to the Press Club in CBR, where Mr Howard will outline the reasons AUS is going to war with the US in Iraq. Sydney. PETITION TO RETURN HICKS! The family of a terrorist suspect, detained by the US in Cuba, are set to deliver a petition to the fed govt to have him returned to custody in Australia. The petition, with 2,500 signatures, will be handed over to the govt today. Terry Hicks, father of detailed Taliban fighter David Hicks, says he's happy with the plan to get his son returned. David Hicks was capture in Afghanistan in 2001 fighting for the then Taliban Afghan govt. Jerusalem. ISRAEL TO FOLLOW UP ATTACKS! Israel has vowed to follow up its killing of the founder of Hamas's armed wing by targeting other leaders of the militant Islamic group. Hamas has been leading suicide attacks in a Palestinian uprising for indep statehood since Sharon took power. Def Min Shaul Mofaz says Israel will lay its hands on anyone [else!] involved in terrorism. Mofaz spoke a day after Israeli attack choppers blew up a car in Gaza carrying Hamas' Ibrahim al-Maqadma. In other reports, the Israeli army dynamited 3 homes of "suspects" overnight, incl the home of the family of a suicide bomber that blew up a school bus in Haifa earlier this wk. Israel. TERRORISTS THREATEN ISRAEL! Terrorist group Hezbollah is believed to have assembled up to 10,000 rockets near the border with Lebanon. Israeli military authorities fear some of the rockets might be able to reach major cities like Haifa. Officials fear Hezbollah is planning to launch a missile attack during the looming war with Iraq. Wellington. NZ TERRORISM! NZ police are investigating a terrorist threat to put cyanide in water supplies and launch a gas attack in a cinema. They say a letter sent to a newspaper last wk also threatened some kind of terrorist action in Auckland and Wellington at noon on Mar 28 if Iraq is attacked. Asst Commissioner Jon White says the letter can't be discounted as a hoax and needs to be taken seriously. Canberra. PM LINKS IRAQ WITH BALI! PM John Howard thinks Aussies will understand if troops are killed in a war with Iraq. Asked about the prospect of Aussies troops coming back in body bags, Mr Howard told reporters in NZ that Australians should remember the 88 Aussies killed in Bali. His comments have been reported as an attempt to justify Australia's involvement in war with Iraq. As the prospect of war draws closer, Mr Howard is scheduled to address the Nat'l Press Club on Thu. He's expected to sell the message that military action to disarm Iraq is in Australia's national interest. Wellington. PM TO FACE PROTESTS! PM John Howard is set to face 1000s of protesters at his final formal meeting in NZ today. Up to 1,500 anti-war demonstrators, many banging pots and pans, are expected to surround the NZ Parl this afternoon when Mr Howard meets the NZ Cabinet and attends a lunch. The protest is expected to be the largest so far on Mr Howard's trip to NZ which has been surrounded in security because of fears over his safety. When the PM laid a wreath at the war memorial yesterday, snipers were positioned nearby. NY. ARCADE RIOT IN NYC! An arcade mall riot in Times Sq has seen 8 people shot and 6 others knifed. 2 victims are reported in critical condition in hosp. It's not know what started the mele. Once a seedy red light district, Times Sq was transformed into a tourist-friendly precinct. A Ch 9 reporter said that without hint of irony in their voice. NY. UN PREPARES TO VOTE! Members of a deeply-divided Sec Council are preparing the diplomatic ground ahead of a key wk in the UN, with the threat of war on Iraq looming large. The 15 members of the top body are expected to vote on Tue on a Brit-US draft res, co-sponsored by Spain. There are reports today that the US is preparing to change the wording again, to make the Res more palatable to the "middle 6" members of the Council. US Sec of State Powell says he hopes the Council will pass the res. Paris is meanwhile preparing a diplomatic offensive of its own, with the French For Min visiting 3 African Council members yet to officially signal their position on the draft Res. Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia has again called on Iraq to disarm. For diplomatic reasons, Saudi officials urged Baghdad to set its own timetable for disarmament. Vatican. POPE CALLS FOR PEACE! The Pope has continued his calls for peace. In his latest message, he says talk about peace and war is the same as about good and evil. [One of us got the ordering of the wording of that wrong. I'm not saying it was me]. He says he's dedicated to prayer ahead of an expected UN vote on a Sec Council Res authorising war on Iraq. Elsewhere, 100,000s of Muslims in Indon protested against war. Other big protests were also held in Pakistan. Adelaide. IMMIGRATION CRIMINALS RE-CAPTURED! 2 men who escaped from the Baxter foreigner's jail nr Pt Augusta last night were recaptured by SA police early today. Police say the men fled into bushland after bashing a guard at 11 pm CDT yesterday. A search was organised by local police, AFP, and a police aircraft. The 2 were re-captured at 6.18 am CDT hiding by the side of the road outside Pt Augusta. Sydney. NSW ELECTION! With 2 wks to go, the Carr govt is increasing its lead over the Opp'n. The latest AC Nielsen poll in the SMH shows support for the ALP govt on a TPP basis is 58%, against 42% for the Lib-Nat Coal'n. Prem Carr's approval rating has dropped 1 pt to 68% in the past 2 wks, while approval for Opp'n leader Brogden has fallen 4 pts to 35%. Elswehere, new opinion polls in Vic show support for Opp'n leader Doyle has fallen even further back following the start of court action against an Opp'n would-be MP for voter fraud. Sydney. CHILD CUSTODY! New figures released today show the changing pattern of family life in AUS. While courts have traditionally awarded children to the mother in divorce cases, new data shows that is changing. The Family Court says over the past 10 y the number of cases involving children awarded to the father has doubled from 10 to 20%. ======================================== (*) Who is responcible for W.A.R.S? A small group of dedicated sandgrubbers, bannana-lickers and 5th columnists on the run from support payments and sundry legalese in their home countries. Mention us at any Uncle Harry's Suburban Bunker and get a 10% discount on cop-killers! All speling macroizated for correctitood by Mcrosotf Speelchek. *** Please stand by for further orders from The Leader ***