From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia Reserch Senter(*) OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS #33 =============================== 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/ See the Undeniable Evidence At: http://www.evil-doers.org/evidence Kindly Archived At: http://www.kymhorsell.com/OIL/ Iraqi Body Count: http://www.iraqbodycount.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Selecting latest news stories and other data for you... ------------------------------------------------------------ America will not let the strong swallow up the weak. -- Pres Bush Sr, 1990. Saddam had invaded Kuwait. They're either dead, or running like Hell. -- Gen Tommy Franks, 11 Apr 2003. Where are those Iraqi leaders? Here is a country that's being liberated... -- Don Rumsfeld, 11 Apr 2003. Don blew up at the negative publicity about the widespread looting in Iraq. In the transitional period, there's untidiness... -- Don Rumsfeld, 11 Apr 2003. After seeing a guy stealing a pot 20 times on TV, Don has developed an allergy to words like "chaos", "anarchy" or "looting". We on the Willing side are making up a list so we don't get him any more upset. This is working exactly as the plan was 'sposed to work. -- Gen Dick Myers, 11 Apr 2003. He hasn't seen that guy stealing the pot in Baghdad, yet. They are not a conquered people. -- Aus PM John Howard, AFIC dinner, 12 Apr 2003. Talking about the Iraqis. There is no place in this country for bigotry... scape-goating or type-casting. -- Aus PM John Howard, AFIC dinner, 12 Apr 2003. Why kill so many to remove one man, I ask John Howard? -- Carmen Lawrence, Palm Sunday rally, 13 Apr 2003. 7 people who were missing and are now alive. -- Pres Bush Jr, Whitehouse lawn, 13 Apr 2003. All US POW's have been found alive, and in good condition. ---------------------------------------- Fri, 11 Apr 2003. Bush vows to restore order in Iraq Kurdish exiting Kirkuk, entering Mosul Kurds at Mosul say Saddam backers have left OPEC interests a possible war casualty Saddam memorabilia all the rage Jubilation on the streets Saddam and sons "almost certainly still in Iraq" Crowd Kills 2 Clerics at Shiite Shrine Coalition Forces Press Closer to Tikrit US nuke find claim in Iraq critiqued Pentagon unveils Iraq blueprint Syria puts its foot down Freedom shows strains of anti-war support Six more terrorist groups banned ADF says specialist troops may help rebuild post-war Iraq Howard urges Bush to give Iraq to Iraqis Crean warns AUS could get stuck in Iraq with US Democrats urge Iraq peacekeeping mission Tokyo Stocks Below 20-Year Low AGs agree to double jeopardy law review 65 yo woman becomes world's oldest mum Indonesia warns of military solution for Aceh Study shows why aspirin, fibre prevent cancer Govt puts cap on ethanol levels in petrol Continuous war news Bush vows to restore order in Iraq Washington. The US has promised Iraqis it will protect them from looting and other crime, but when that will happen is not clear. In a video-taped message, Pres George W Bush says the US and its allies will help maintain law and order so that the Iraqi people can live in security. But over at the Pentagon, one of his senior military officers, Maj Gen Stanley McChrystal, was telling reporters that while looting is a problem, it is not a major threat and will have to be dealt with later. The US troops and Marines in the Iraqi capital already have their hands full. 24 hrs after the euphoria of entering Baghdad as an army of liberation, US forces are grappling with looting, disorder, sporadic gunfights and a suicide bomb attack. The suicide bomber is said to have approached a US marines checkpoint and pulled the pin on a hand grenade. American troops say they are also on high alert for car bombs. Pres Bush has promised Iraqis that coalition forces will maintain law and order, however in Baghdad, a few thousand troops can do little to stop looting during the day. Kurdish exiting Kirkuk, entering Mosul Baghdad (Reuters) The 2 main Kurdish parties in N Iraq are said to have ordered the withdrawal of militiamen who staged a surprise takeover of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. Snr Iraqi Kurdish official, Barham Sali, says the pullout could begin within hours. Meanwhile, US and Kurdish forces have entered the city of Mosul, just hours after they moved into Kirkuk, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said. The claim came soon after US Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld said US and Kurdish forces had begun moving into the city. At the same time some Iraqi forces have surrendered their weapons along the "green line" separating the Iraqi and Kurdish-controlled areas of the north. A battalion of US army paratroopers followed Kurdish forces into Kirkuk on Thu local time, after Iraqi forces that had been defending the city "drifted away," Mr Rumsfeld said. Other US and Kurdish forces were being welcomed hrs later by Iraqis as they began entering Mosul, he said. The fall of Kirkuk came amid intensive US air strikes in the north to destroy some of Iraq's last organised military forces, stationed around the rich oil fields which lie between Kirkuk and Mosul. Kurds at Mosul say Saddam backers have left Baghdad (Reuters). A Kurdish commander says Iraqi troops and officials loyal to Saddam Hussein have abandoned the N city of Mosul, leaving it open to US-backed Kurdish forces. The commander declined to be named. Reuters news agency says an important bridge at Khazer, on the road to Mosul from Arbil, had been repaired. This allows US tanks, which have been flying in to Kurdish-controlled Arbil, to reach Mosul easily. Departing Iraqi troops had blown the bridge some days ago. Yesterday, Kurds entered the key N oil city of Kirkuk, and US Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld said a few US troops and Kurdish peshmerga guerrillas would enter Mosul today. Reuters saw US tanks heading there yesterday. OPEC interests a possible war casualty Caracas (IPS). US-based oil companies will get the lion's share of the petroleum business in Iraq once the war there is over, undermining the interests of OPEC, say oil industry experts, who also warn that an end to the war will not immediately translate into abundant supplies of inexpensive crude. "There is no doubt that the military occupation of such an important oil exporting country, with a nat'list govt, is creating cracks in OPEC and affecting the mid- and long-term interests of its other members, like Venezuela," says Víctor Poleo, a professor of graduate studies in oil economics at the Central University (UCV), in Caracas. After the war "there will be a substantial increase in Iraqi oil production, and I wouldn't be surprised if schemes emerged to weaken, if not destroy, OPEC", said Humberto Calderon, a former Venezuelan minister of energy and of foreign relations, in a conversation with Inter Press Service. The US has been trying for some time to reduce its dependence on oil supplies from the Persian Gulf region, home to the dominant members of OPEC, an 11-country cartel comprising Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. That was the aim of the controversial energy plan that George W Bush brought with him to the US govt, in which he has sought to expand oil exploration and exploitation within his country's own territory, even in the protected natural areas of Alaska. But control of Iraqi oil wealth could turn into alleviation for US oil worries and a key to reducing prices -- and to wielding influence over OPEC. However, not all experts believe that after the war it will be easy for petroleum investments in Iraq to flourish. Iraqi territory holds 112 bn barrels of petroleum in proven reserves, the 2nd largest volume within OPEC, after Saudi Arabia's 260 bn barrels. And Iraq's crude is relatively easy to extract from the ground. Each oil well represents major output because production costs are just US$2 per 159-L barrel. Because it is light, sweet crude it is easily refined and has little sulfur or metal residue. According to former oil minister Calderon, Iraq could double its output of 2.4 mn barrels daily within a short time. Prior to the war, total production was limited through the "oil for food" program, overseen by the UN in the context of the embargo imposed against Baghdad for invading neighbouring Kuwait in 1990. Fadhil Chalabi, an Iraqi nat'l and former OPEC sec-gen, goes even further. He believes his country could even double its proven reserves through intense oil exploration, becoming a "super-giant producer", like Saudi Arabia, putting as much as 10 million barrels on the internat'l market each day. In addition to its oil output potential, Iraq has geographic advantages that reduce the cost of reaching global markets. Its petroleum can be shipped via its port on the Persian Gulf and, to bypass the vulnerability of the Straits of Hormuz between the Gulf and the Arabian Sea, through the pipelines connecting Iraqi oil fields to the Mediterranean and Red seas. Iraq as a super-giant producer of crude oil managed by US-based companies would crown the dearest dream of the leaders of the governing Republican Party: "to bring OPEC to its knees," forcing the cartel -- through competition from Iraq -- to sell its oil at lower prices, says Chalabi. In the opinion of the former OPEC official, the depression of prices and the abundance of oil in Iraq will prompt investors to shift their focus away from higher-cost areas, like the North Sea, where Brit and Norway extract oil. They will turn to areas with lower production costs, precisely those of OPEC and the Persian Gulf region, he says. The 11 OPEC countries have managed their output during the past 2 decades to maintain stability in the average price of the cartel's "basket" of 7 crudes. They consider the optimal price range for consumer and producer nations alike to be $22 to $28 a barrel. The markets have seen petroleum prices decline from a mean of $32 per barrel before the war to fluctuating around $26 a barrel 2 weeks after the invasion of Iraq began. The situation kept in step with the advances of the US-Brit forces in Iraq, though OPEC suggested on Tue that its members might cut back production in order to buoy up prices. Another major factor influencing the oil markets is the potential for fat profits for the companies winning contracts for the reconstruction of a country emerging from y of war and economic embargo. The Bush admin -- which Poleo describes as "an oil directorate" because of the links between US officials and energy and aerospace firms -- has already made clear that it will control the reconstruction contracts, which are estimated to be worth $30 bn to $100 billion. As far as the Iraq National Oil Company, the govt enterprise that managed the petroleum industry until now, "it is very possible that it will remain, though it might be partially privatised to facilitate the distribution of%ages the US will collect for the costs of the war and those earmarked for expenses and investment in Iraq," said al-Shereidah. Saddam memorabilia all the rage Baghdad (AFP). The "game" may be over, but Saddam's downfall has done nothing to dampen the interest in memorabilia associated with the deposed Iraqi leader. Internet auction website eBay has over 2,000 Saddam-related items offered for sale, featuring coins, banknotes, watches bearing his image. Some of the marquee items on offer include a watch bearing Saddam's visage in between the words "His head on a platter" and "Where it belongs". Evidence that Saddam still has some fans around the world came in the seller's caveat that it may be hard to make contact as his site was experiencing a "massive e-mail problem" with hackers and various viruses. Also on sale was the internet domain name www.DamnSaddam.com, on offer for $750 despite a lack of takers to this point. A photograph purportedly signed by Saddam, who has not been heard from since Mon when a US airstrike targeted a building he was believed in, was on sale for $1,000 with 6 days to go. Another seller featured an unedited 2 hour VHS tape of programming from Iraqi TV made on March 28. The tape apparently features a "fascinating... mix of interesting programming: Some variety-show type singers praising Saddam Hussein, news, some propaganda video footage of the US bombing, etc. All in Arabic." A single roll of toilet paper bearing Saddam's picture and the slogan "Hussein Insane" was expected to fetch a decent price. Several Americans who served in the 1st Gulf War were seeking to sell Iraqi currency. One 100 dinar note bearing Saddam's portrait had attracted a bid of $63, 100s of times its official value. "Never circulated, will be worth a lot more after Saddam is gone," said the description with the sale. Some vendors appeared to stretching the truth, claiming their articles came from one of Saddam's palaces in Baghdad which have been ravaged by looters in recent days. It was impossible to say whether their accounts are true. A voodoo doll of Saddam (with pins) had attracted 2 bidders, while 10 people had bid up to $32 for a knitted Saddam doll and accompanying knitted Patriot missile. "This toy is not suitable for children," the seller warned. Jubilation on the streets Baghdad (Reuters). US forces in Iraq grappled with looting and civil disorder, scattered gun fights, the murder of a Shi'ite religious leader and a suicide bomb attack that took an US life today, one day after the euphoria that marked the end of Saddam Hussein's rule. A suicide bomber detonated explosives at a US checkpoint in the capital killing one American. A US military source said the suicide attack was in Saddam City, an impoverished suburb in the north of Baghdad. The suicide attack came hrs after one Marine was killed and more than 20 wounded in a four-hour battle with Saddam loyalists firing from the Imam al-Adham Mosque on the east bank of the Tigris river. As reality set in following yesterday's wild celebrations, the US also faced political complications with Turkey after Kurdish fighters took the N city of Kirkuk in a bloodless rout of Iraqi forces. In the holy city of Najaf, Iraqi Shi'ite leader Abdul Majid al-Khoei and an aide were stabbed to death by a mob in an attack in the Imam Ali Mosque, the city's holiest shrine. The murder seemed certain to inflame emotions among Shi'ites, who make up 60% of the population. Abdul Majid had returned to Iraq only last wk but his presence had provoked intense criticism from other Iraqi Shi'ite dissidents keen to assert their authority after the fall of Saddam. One day after US forces drove tanks into the heart of Baghdad to cheers from Iraqis, Saddam's whereabouts were still unknown. The soldiers and paramilitaries that enforced his once-fearsome rule continued to fight on his behalf and looters ransacked the homes of govt officials. Looters carted off bottles of wine and whiskey, guns and paintings of half-naked women from the luxury home of Uday, the playboy son of Saddam Hussein. They also picked clean his yacht and made off with some of the white Arabian horses he kept. What they could not carry, they trashed. Reuters correspondent Khaled Yacoub Oweis said that barely a few days ago, Iraqis were too scared even to look at the house because of Uday's reputation for cruelty. Looters also descended on the homes Saddam's feared cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as Chemical Ali, and Izzat Ibrahim, Saddam's right-hand man. The US was trying to organise a meeting in S Iraq this weekend of Iraqi opposition leaders, both from outside and inside the country to start the process of selecting an interim govt. A humanitarian effort to bring food and other supplies to Iraq was beginning. Pentagon rep Vic Clarke said a Brit ship unloaded over 200,000 tons of food, water and medicine at the port of Umm Qasr. The US has still not confirmed finding any of the WMD it said Iraq had been hiding -- the issue which prompted the invasion. Military officials said the war was still not over. Saddam's home town and power centre of Tikrit was still not subdued and dangerous pockets of resistance remained elsewhere, including in Baghdad. US planes bombed positions held by non-Iraqi Arab fighters in the W Mansur district close to an Iraqi secret police building. In the north, 100s of Kurdish guerrillas moved largely un-opposed into Kirkuk, a move that sparked celebrations in the streets but alarm in Turkey. Iraqi Kurds consider the city, source of 40% of Iraq's oil revenue, their capital. Turkomans claim it as theirs. US Lt Mark Kitchens said elements of Iraq's Republican Guard were gathering around Mosul and Tikrit. US planes were bombing those formations. Pres George W Bush and PM Tony Blair recorded a statement meant to reassure Iraqis they would control their own future. The ICRC said a Baghdad hospital, stretched to capacity treating war wounded, was ransacked today. Rep Nada Doumani said the Al Kindi hospital was attacked by a group of armed looters who had stripped it of everything, including beds, electrical fittings and equipment. Saddam and sons "almost certainly still in Iraq" London (The Guardian). Saddam Hussein is almost certainly still in Iraq although his wife and one of his daughters have fled the country, intelligence sources said yesterday. They said his wife, Sajida, had "passed through Syria" to an unknown destination. Although Syria might also have allowed in some leading figures of the Iraqi regime, it is assumed that Saddam is still either in Baghdad or his home town of Tikrit, possibly accompanied by his sons Qusay and Uday. Intel sources say there could be little doubt that Saddam had worked out an "exit strategy" to get out of Baghdad. He has certainly had enough time to prepare it. US forces are now sealing the main roads around the capital. However, intelligence officials made it clear yesterday that in their view Saddam could still find a way to Tikrit, if he had not already gone there. The journey was still "do-able", they said. Saddam has always insisted he would never leave Iraq. Brit intelligence officials say the dictator probably survived an attempt to assassinate him on Mon despite suggestions to the contrary in Washington. They believe he left a building housing a restaurant in the Mansur district of Baghdad -- possibly by an underground passage -- before a US plane dropped 4 2,000lb bombs on it. American and Brit intelligence agencies are in touch with special forces and Iraqi informers in Baghdad. They now say there is little sign of the Iraqi leadership in the capital. Special Republican Guard and Ba'ath party leaders have vanished -- the result, some intelligence officials say, of a final order from Saddam. Some of Saddam's ring of loyal and close supporters are assumed to have left for Tikrit to prepare for a last bloody confrontation with the invading US forces. Tikrit faced heavy bombing from US aircraft yesterday. Other senior regime officials are suspected of escaping to Syria with members of Saddam's family. This may explain heavy fighting around Qaim, near the Iraqi border with Syria.In Baghdad US marines yesterday approached an area nr the Imam al-Adham mosque in the north of the city after receiving a tip-off that some leaders of the regime were meeting nearby at the house of a senior Ba'ath party official. Initial reports that Saddam might have been hiding there were later dismissed. Crowd Kills 2 Clerics at Shiite Shrine Najaf (AP). A furious crowd hacked 2 clerics to death in a Shiite Muslim shrine Thu when a meeting meant to be a model of reconciliation in post-Saddam Iraq erupted into a melee between rivals, witnesses said. The bloodshed underscored how difficult it will be to bridge deep enmities and political rivalries in Iraq as the US military and interim administration led by retired US Gen. Jay Garner tries to fill the power vacuum left by the collapse of Saddam's regime. The US military had been eager to display the meeting at the shrine of Imam Ali, considered by Shiites the successor to the prophet Muhammad. The military flew 2 helicopters of journalists to the holy city of Najaf to see it. But the group arrived at the site too late to witness what happened. One of the slain clerics was Abdul Majid al-Khoei, a prominent Shiite figure opposed to Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein. Al-Khoei -- the son of a former Shiite Muslim supreme ayatollah persecuted by Saddam -- had returned to Iraq from exile in London on Apr 3 and urged the country's Shiite majority to cooperate with US troops. The other cleric who was killed was Haider al-Kadar, a widely hated Saddam loyalist and part of the Iraqi leader's ministry of religion. Al-Khoei had accompanied al-Kadar to the meeting in a gesture of reconciliation. After his return to Iraq, the younger al-Khoei told AP that he and other exiles had persuaded the people of Najaf to cooperate with US troops. He also urged his followers in the Shiite cities to stay at home and let the US troops do their job. Najaf is the seat of the Shiites' spiritual leaders, known as ayatollahs, and a centre for scientific, literary and theological studies for the Islamic world. For the world's nearly 120 mn Shiites, Najaf is the 3rd holiest city, behind Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. Coalition Forces Press Closer to Tikrit Kirkuk (AP). With stunning speed and barely a fight, Kirkuk and its oil fields changed hands Thu. By sundown, Kurdish fighters roamed unchallenged through the streets, looters had emptied govt buildings down to the bathroom fixtures and statues of Saddam Hussein lay broken in the dust. 1000s of young Iraqi soldiers walked south from Kirkuk toward Baghdad Fri, telling CNN they were making their way home after being abandoned by their commanders. The men, some of them walking barefoot, trudged down a blacktop two-lane road through farmland, carrying bed-rolls and wearing civilian clothes under a bright blue sky and amid flocks of sheep. One man said his military superiors had confiscated the soldiers' documents in an attempt to keep them from deserting earlier. He said the troops learned on Thu while in Kirkuk of Saddam's apparent downfall. At the same time, an endless stream of cars jammed roads into Kirkuk as Kurds flooded into the city they consider one of the capitals of their ethnic home-lands but which many fled after 1991. Many of those returning wore suits and ties and other nice clothes as if headed to see long-lost relatives or friends. Kirkuk's fall -- coupled with indications that Mosul, the largest city in the north, might quickly follow -- brought the N front within nearly 60 miles of the Iraqi president's hometown of Tikrit, the possible last refuge of his rule. The capture of Kirkuk also left Iraq's No 2 oil region almost fully intact. Coalition leaders had feared retreating Iraqi forces might set the fields ablaze, but only one well fire raged nr Kirkuk. It was not known if it was caused by fighting or sabotage. SE of Kirkuk, on the Iranian border, Kurds also swept un-opposed into the strategic city of Khaneqin. A small group of troops belonging to the Badr Brigades, an Iranian-based Shiite Iraqi opposition group, entered the city first, in the dark, followed by a force of up to 4,000 Kurds, witnesses and officials said. Kurdish forces riding pickup trucks with mounted artillery were supported by US special operations forces. Crowds welcomed the convoy with flowers and candy. US nuke find claim in Iraq critiqued Vienna (AP). US troops who suggested they uncovered evidence of an active nuclear weapons program in Iraq unwittingly may have stumbled across known stocks of low-grade uranium, officials said Thu. They said the US troops may have broken UN seals meant to keep control of the radioactive material. Leaders of a US Marine Corps combat engineering unit claimed earlier this wk to have found an underground network of labs, warehouses and bombproof offices beneath the closely monitored Tuwaitha nuclear research centre just south of Baghdad. The Marines said they discovered 14 buildings at the site which emitted unusually high levels of radiation, and that a search of one building revealed "many, many drums" containing highly radioactive material. If documented, such a discovery could bolster Bush administration claims that Saddam Hussein was trying to develop nuclear weaponry. Lt Cmdr Charles Owens, a rep for the US Central Command, said officials there have not heard anything through military channels about a Marine inspection at Tuwaitha. The Vienna-based IAEA, which has inspected the Tuwaitha nuclear complex at least 2 dozen times and maintains a thick dossier on the site, had no immediate comment. But an expert familiar with UN nuclear inspections told The Associated Press that it was implausible to believe that US forces had uncovered anything new at the site. Instead, the official said, the Marines apparently broke UN seals designed to ensure the materials aren't diverted for weapons use -- or end up in the wrong hands. The IAEA, charged with the hunt for evidence of a nuclear program in Iraq, told the Sec Council just before the war that it had uncovered no firm evidence that Saddam was renewing efforts to add nuclear weapons to his arsenal. IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei, clearly wary of any coalition claims, said this wk that any alleged discoveries of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq would have to be verified by UN inspectors "to generate the required credibility." ElBaradei said the inspectors should return as soon as possible, subject to Sec Council guidance, to resume their search for banned arms. Pentagon unveils Iraq blueprint Washington (AFP). US Deputy Sec of Def Paul Wolfowitz today outlined a 3 stage transition for Iraq from its current status without a functioning govt to occupation by coalition forces, and to eventual self-governance. Wolfowitz told the Senate Armed Services Committee that in the 1st phase, Iraq will be governed by the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance. This has the task of overseeing the delivery of humanitarian aid and restoring basic services while coalition forces gain control over all of Iraq. As soon as basic services are running again, the administration of Iraq would be turned over to the Iraqi interim authority, which will draw from all of Iraq's religious and ethnic groups, to include both Iraqis currently outside the country and those inside. In the final phase, an Iraqi govt would assume full control over the country, "on the basis of elections in accordance with a new constitution," said Wolfowitz. Syria puts its foot down Damascus (IPS). Syria, a staunch opponent of the US-led war on Iraq, has said that it would consider any post-war administration run by the US military in Baghdad as an "occupation govt". US Sec of State Colin Powell had stated earlier that Washington was sending a team this wk to Iraq to begin laying the groundwork for an interim authority. Pres George W Bush described it as a "transition quasi-govt ... until the conditions are right for the people to elect their own leadership". He said the UN would have a "vital role" in setting up the interim authority. Syria, the only Arab nation on the UN Sec Council, backed Resolution 1441 calling on Iraq to account for and destroy its weapons of mass destruction. But it has nonetheless warned that imposing a US military regime on Iraq would have dangerous repercussions in the region. Perhaps nowhere do the questions about what comes next after Iraq generate a sharper sense of dread than in neighbouring Syria, controlled since 1963 by a rival branch of the same Ba'ath Party that has been at the helm of affairs on Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Syrian Pres Bashar Assad told the Lebanese newspaper al-Safir on Thu that the US-Brit military offensive in Iraq is "clear occupation and a flagrant aggression against a UN member state". Much ink has been spilled on the warnings issued last m by US Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld, in which he deemed Syria's alleged dispatch of military material to Iraq a "hostile act". US Sec of State Colin Powell followed up warning that Syria "can continue direct support for terrorist groups and the dying regime of Saddam Hussein, or it can embark on a different and more hopeful course". The remarks were couched in some of the strongest language used in y against Syria, a country on the US State Dept's list of states that allegedly sponsor terrorism by hosting radical Palestinian groups and supporting Lebanese Hezbollah. Commentators generally believe those threats indicate that the US may target Syria once it is done with Iraq -- a view not necessarily shared by all. Brit PM Tony Blair on Mon gave assurances to Syrian Pres Bashar al-Assad that Damascus was not a target. Many believe the "Syria-next" scenario to be improbable. For one thing, the Bush administration knows that an assault on Syria would merely polarise the Middle East further. And, perhaps more significantly, even Washington hard-liners don't really believe a war is needed to change Syrian behaviour. Freedom shows strains of anti-war support Paris (The Guardian). Jacques Chirac faced a backlash from his peace campaigning yesterday after warnings from his own party that Freedom had gone too far in opposing Brit and the US, and now faced internat'l isolation. The Freedom Pres, described by the newspaper Libération as the "king of peace without a crown", was criticised by leaders of his UMP party for three weeks of silence since the invasion. Only yesterday, after the fall of Saddam Hussein, did Mr Chirac issue a comment. "France, like all democracies, rejoices," he said in a statement. M Chirac now has to depend on spontaneous reconciliation with Brit and the US if Freedom is to have a role in postwar reconstruction. The repercussions will be tested in St Petersburg when Mr Chirac meets the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the German chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, today. Diplomatically the Kremlin has sought to heal the rift with Washington, Mr Putin announcing during the war that a US defeat was not in Russia's interests. While the rift over Iraq has publicly interrupted strong relations with Washington since Sep 11, privately diplomats say it is now "business as usual". But the diplomatic tensions over the role of the UN are sure to be re-ignited. Gerhard Schröder announced yesterday that Germany would only take part in the reconstruction if the operation were carried out under UN auspices. His ultimatum highlighted the point that Germany's position remains more uncompromising than that of Freedom. Mr Schröder's setting out of conditions will also alarm German industrialists hoping for lucrative contracts in the aftermath of the conflict. Six more terrorist groups banned Canberra (AAP). 2 terrorist groups responsible for the killing of US journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan are among 6 banned today under AUS's counter-terrorism laws. A-G Daryl Williams said the listing of the terrorist groups would deter Aussies from becoming involved in their activities. The groups banned were Asbat al-Ansar, Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the Islamic Army of Aden, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Jaish-i-Mohammed and Lashkar i Jhangvi. The banning of the 6 groups makes it illegal for Aussies to belong to, direct, recruit for, train with or provide training for, and receive funds from or make funds available to the terrorist organisation, in AUS or overseas. The offences carry a maximum penalty of 25 y jail. The groups were banned in AUS following their listing as terrorist organisations by the UN Sec Council and recommendations by the A-G's dept and ASIO. ADF says specialist troops may help rebuild post-war Iraq Canberra. The AUS Def Force (ADF) has indicated specialist troops could be deployed to Iraq to help rebuild the nation. The Fed Govt has said some AUS troops will remain in Iraq after the war. Def rep Brig Mike Hannan says the military has made recommendations to the Govt on what role it should play in post-war Iraq. He says the Govt has yet to decide whether any additional troops with specific skills will be deployed. Brig Hannan says the Govt has made it clear the Def Force will not be involved in a peacekeeping role in Iraq. Meanwhile, AUS fighter bombers have joined Coalition attacks on enemy troops in the north of Iraq. AUS F/A-18 Hornets are continuing to fly support missions in the south and have also started providing air cover for coalition troops fighting in the N. Brigadier Hannan says pilots flying NW of Baghdad have found few targets to attack. Howard urges Bush to give Iraq to Iraqis Canberra. PM John Howard has urged US Pres George W Bush to ensure that Iraqis are given control of their own country as soon as possible. Mr Howard and Mr Bush spoke by phone for about 20 minutes last night, with the PM using the call to inform the US that AUS will be a partner in the coalition's transitional authority in Iraq after the war. The pair also discussed the need to move quickly to transfer power to the Iraqi people, and to do so in a way that is representative of the population. The AUS Govt then wants general elections held in Iraq, with the For Min Alexander Downer suggesting the UN could be involved in that move. John Howard says he will announce the details of AUS's role in the transitional administration in Iraq within a few days. But last night he informed Pres Bush of AUS's willingness to play a part. Mr Howard has also indicated some of the AUS troops now in Iraq could remain there for short period after the war ends. The AUS Govt wants general elections held in Iraq, with the For Min Alexander Downer suggesting the UN could be involved in that. The Pres thanked Mr Howard for backing the war with Iraq, and applauded the bravery of the AUS armed forces. Crean warns AUS could get stuck in Iraq with US Canberra. Fed Opposition leader Simon Crean says AUS could have a longer term military and administrative role in Iraq if the Govt sticks blindly to the US-led plan for post-war reconstruction. Mr Crean is again calling for UN involvement. He says AUS has to get beyond the jubilation and euphoria surrounding the liberation of Baghdad and understand the longer term consequences for AUS. Mr Crean has also questioned the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons. "So far [WMD] haven't been found and indeed the PM hinted yesterday they could have gone across the border. [...] that's an incredible outcome from what now is supposed to be the great justification for going in as part of the coalition forces." Democrats urge Iraq peacekeeping mission Canberra. The Democrats say some of the AUS troops now in Iraq should remain there for the time being to help keep the peace. Democrats leader Andrew Bartlett says while he did not support the Govt's decision to send troops to Iraq, AUS cannot abandon the country as soon as the war is over. Meanwhile peace activists are urging those opposed to the war in Iraq to maintain pressure to ensure prompt humanitarian aid for the Iraqi people. The Walk Against War Coalition says it still has an important message. While the downfall of Saddam Hussein has been celebrated around the world, peace groups say the countries that brought about his end must now care for the Iraqi people. ACTU Overseas Aid rep Peter Jennings says as the shooting dies down, humanitarian action becomes crucial. Greens MLC Ian Cohen says real aid is vital as "America, Brit and AUS may have won the war, but they may not win the peace, and that's the critical stage in terms of the quality of life for people who are in very desperate circumstances in Iraq now". Tokyo Stocks Below 20-Year Low Tokyo (Reuters) Japanese stocks fell below a 20-year closing low on Fri afternoon, with Toyota Motor Corp and other blue chips slammed on concerns over pension fund selling and sluggish global demand. Big banks including Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group rose, but auto giant Toyota, speciality chip maker Rohm Co Ltd and other issues that have a relatively high weighting in corporate pension funds were pushing the market down. The Nikkei average was down 1.56% at 7,855.45 as of 0516 GMT, below a 20-year closing low of 7,862.43 hit last m and poised to close lower for the fourth straight session. Some analysts predict the Nikkei would likely drop as far as 7,500 by the end of the m. That would be its lowest since late 1982. AGs agree to double jeopardy law review Canberra. AUS A's-G have agreed to a nat'l review of whether the centuries-old double jeopardy law should be changed. The rule prevents a person from being tried twice for the same crime. Several states are pushing for an overhaul of the law for serious crimes such as murder and rape. They believe new technology like DNA testing can provide compelling new evidence of guilt after a person has been acquitted. Fed Justice minister Chris Ellison says it is important any change to the law be applied nat'lly. He says Vic and the ACT are the only jurisdictions that do not support change. Vicn attorney-general Rob Hulls agrees great care must be taken. "Every state expressed a reticence, a reluctance to act quickly but every state agreed the best way to proceed was to refer this matter for further investigation to an expert committee." 65 yo woman becomes world's oldest mum India. A 65-yo Indian has become the oldest woman in the world to give birth, her doctor said Wed. Satyabhama Mahapatra from the E state of Orissa delivered a healthy 3-kg baby boy by Caesarean section at a private hospital on Tue. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the previous record-holder was a 63-yo woman who gave birth to a boy on July 18, 1994. India's previous oldest woman to give birth was a 58-yo from the western Indian financial hub of Bombay. Suresh Kumar Agarwal, one of the doctors to carry out the delivery, said he had called forensic experts to certify Satyabhama's age and has written to the Guinness Book of Records and its Indian version, the Limca Book of Records. Agarwal said Mahapatra had undergone IVF treatment at a clinic in Raipur city in the central Chhattisgarh state. The procedure involves fertilising donor eggs with sperm in a laboratory and has a success rate of 25%. Agarwal said doctors had tried to dissuade the woman and her 68-yo husband, Krishnachandra Mahapatra, from having a baby at their age, but relented after they insisted. The doctor said the pregnancy was free of complications, apart from the mother having hypertension after 3 months. He said the process, which only 50 clinics in India are equipped to handle, involves the risk of abortion, hypertension in elderly women and aggravation of diabetes. The procedure costs around 30,000 rupees ($634). His clinic has previously delivered babies for women aged 45 and 48. Indonesia warns of military solution for Aceh Jakarta. Indonesia has threatened to resume full combat operations in the volatile Aceh province as fresh clashes between troops and rebels killed 4 people, putting yet more strain on a shaky peace pact. Sec Min Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says the military chief will present a battle plan to the Pres next wk in case it should be needed, after what he says is a snub from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to talk about the Dec 9 peace agreement. The warning to GAM follows the withdrawal to Aceh's capital of 100 peace monitors following attacks on their posts across the region on the northern tip of Sumatra island earlier this week. Both sides have traded accusations over who is to blame for the renewed clashes, threats against the monitors and the heightened suspicion about each other's political motives. A military rep in Aceh, Eddy Fernandy, says there were at least 4 clashes between soldiers and rebels on Thu local time, which left 2 troops and the same number of GAM fighters dead. At least 10,000 people have been killed in more than 2 decades of fighting leading up to the pact, which until recently had dramatically reduced the level of violence in the resource-rich province 1,700 km NW of Jakarta. The Govt and the military have become especially incensed at what they say is GAM's campaign to use the peace process to drum up support for independence. The issue of autonomy versus independence for Aceh is one which some analysts say was not addressed properly in the peace agreement. Study shows why aspirin, fibre prevent cancer Washington (Reuters). Pain-killers such as aspirin and ibuprofen may help prevent colon cancer by preventing tumour cells from becoming immortal, and eating fibre may work in a similar way, US scientists reported on Wed. Studies have shown that people who regularly take aspirin and other related drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs have a lower risk of cancer. So do people who eat a high-fibre diet. But the mechanisms remain unclear. In one study that may help explain why, Dr David Frank of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston and colleagues noted that colon cancer cells have abnormally high levels of an immune system protein called interleukin-6 or IL-6. They were scheduled to present their findings to an annual meeting of the US Association of Cancer Research in Toronto this week, but the meeting was cancelled because of fears about an outbreak of SARS. But more research is needed before doctors start telling women to take ibuprofen to prevent breast cancer, another group said in a statement. That team looked at data from the NCI's Women's Health Initiative, which follows tens of 1000s of women, their habits, and their health. They found that women who took 2 or more NSAIDs a wk for five to nine y reduced their risk of breast cancer by 21%. Low-dose aspirin, often recommended to protect against heart disease, had no effect, but regular-dose aspirin did. Govt puts cap on ethanol levels in petrol Canberra. The Fed Govt has agreed to put a 10% cap on ethanol levels in petrol. Environment Min David Kemp says initial testing has shown ethanol blends at 20% may cause engine problems in some cars. Dr Kemp says the Govt will also introduce changes to the law which will require the mandatory labelling of fuel mixed with ethanol. He says the cap will ensure certainty for the ethanol industry. {{ CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS Midnight. IT'S DAY TWENTY-TWO. 9.30 pm Several people have been killed in Kirkuk, and several dozen have been injured in the chaos in Basra when shopkeepers opened fire on looters. In Mosul there are wild scenes. Looters ransacked the bank and tore banknotes with Saddam's picture on them to shreds. Others made off with the cash. The bank was trashed. Some locals tried to stop the looting -- to no avail. The cmdr of US sp forces said he would meet leaders in a bid to restore calm in Kirkuk. But observers say the situation is spiralling out of control. The Kurd govt said several have been killed in looting and score-settling, but sent their thanks to Bush and Blair. Iraqi Kurds suffered most under Saddam and the scene in the N is one of utter jubilation now he's gone. The lighting speed of the fall of the N has taken Washington by surprise. The Pashmergas acted alone. Desperate to reassure the Turks, America has ordered US troops to take control of the oil towns. Donald Rumsfeld said it has been an orderly process. Turkey is following the sit'n closely and says it will dispatch military observers to Kirkuk. Turkey will do whatever is necessary, says For Min Gul. Late today, Kurd cmdrs ordered fighters to leave the city. Arbil in N Iraq. Catherine Taylor, The Australian. There is a feeling of surface calm. But the sit'n is unpredictable. There has been lot of looting and lawlessness even though US troops are present. US soldiers in hummers are attempting to establish order, but there are not enough of them. More troops are said to be on the way, and are expected by tonight. In Mosul, the sit'n is much worse. Kurd fighters are outside the city and US troops are inside, trying to establish order. Are the Kurds moving out of Kirkuk? Both Kurd leaders have agreed to do so. It's expected to take place over the next 24 hrs. At present reporters have no evidence that it's happening. The Kurds are probably waiting for more US troops before leaving. In the meantime, the Kurds are keeping low profile to reduce the concerns of Turkey. Are military observers from Turkey in N Iraq? That's always been a nightmare scenario. The Kurds say the won't accept the Turkish military on their soil, and vice-versa. But many think the ultimate sit'n will be based on pragmatics. The Kurds are aware their influence in a new Iraqi state will be based on US links. And the US won't support a conflict with Turkish troops, or push themselves into Kirkuk. Do the Kurds have a credible leadership? Yes, they are organised. The Kurds have begun to install their own reps into towns and villages they've captured so far. They are reconnecting the phones and electricity, and establishing order. In the smaller towns with a majority Kurd pop'n already, they are welcomed. In bigger ones like Mosul and Kirkuk -- which are multi-cultural -- it's more difficult. Baghdad. The capital has descended further into anarchy, with armed men running amok and shopkeepers shooting at looters. The Americans expect to restore law and order, but Baghdad is now under attack from within. Both the looters and the US troops seem to be stepping up their offensives. Homes and business have now become targets of the looters. Initially it was the govt ministries. But for first time the thieves are being resisted by shopkeepers, not the US troops. Reports say 25 looters have been shot and injured. But the pillaging goes on. Stability and security are no closer. US forces have been ordered to intervene. They're expected to impose as dusk-to-dawn curfew. There is also still sporadic fighting to the E. The sit'n to the W is unknown. And once again, suicide bombings are adding to the pressure. A soldier angrily called Arabs "scum of the earth", because they hide behind woman and children. The city still has no electricity or phones. For some residents there is no way home -- they can't even get over the river. It's too violent. Armed vigilantes and thugs are stopping others from going home by firing shots into the air. BCC radio. In Nasiriyah there's been another checkpoint shooting. A car approached and wouldn't stop, and Marines opened fire. They ended up killing 2 children. 9 others were wounded. The Marines thought it was a suicide bomber. They had told it to slow down, but as it came through the slow-down lane they opened fire. Marines deeply regret the incident. They checked 2 vehicles after the shooting and found no weapons, and no explosives. The wounded are being treated in US military hosp. The USAF has bombed a building believed to be housing Saddam's 1/2 brother. He was the head of the secret police in Saddam's Iraq. His fate isn't known. Centcom said J-DAMS were used to destroyed the centre, W of Baghdad. Observers say the murder of a cleric in Najaf may have been a revenge killing. 2 1/2 ya there was a murder of another cleric at the Golden mosque. One of the dead clerics, who had been exiled in Brit for years, had been frequently consulted by Tony Blair. In Washington, Ari Fleischer has issued a warning to the American public. The sit'n in Iraq remains dangerous and the US is in the middle of a military mission. Syria has sealed its border after threats from America. It has been accused of sending in suicide fighters to target Americans. The rebuilding is proving a tougher fight than the military action. And the opp'n to the US mil admin of Iraq is gathering pace, both within the country and elsewhere. Washington says its plan for post-war Iraq will be carried out in 3 stages. The 1st stage is led by retired Gen Jay Garner. Critics object to his hawkish support for Israel. The Pentagon's favoured stage-2 interim leader, Chalabi, has divided Washington -- the Pentagon wants him, but the State Dept doesn't. But he wants neither. He says there's no room in Iraq for a US admin. He knows he has the backing of Egypt and Syria, and doesn't need Washington any more. Egypt's Mubarak has called on the coal'n to establish a real Iraqi govt ASAP. In its own public statements, Kuwait also makes no mention of US part in new Iraqi govt. America's influence in the region has also been damaged by the non-appearance of the so-called "roadmap to peace" in Palestine. Palestinian leaders says the war against Iraq has seen bombs and planes, but the time now is one for sincere efforts for peace. This region needs peace more than anything else. It's not a matter of words. The real matter is the ability to transfer words into deeds. UN chief Annan has tossed another grenade to the US. There is no functioning govt in Iraq, Annan said, and there have been casualties both military and civilian. Iraqis have paid a heavy price for freedom, he said. The US is also coming under pressure for trying to restrict lucrative post-war contracts to "mates". And who will control the oil? The battle for the new Iraq has just begun. In Basra, the locals now say they will set up their own police. There has been lawlessness for 1 wk, and they also don't have drinking water. Some people are drinking salt water that should be flowing to a desalination plant. Breaking into the pipes has deepened the water crisis. 90% of the supply had been restored, before the pipes were broken. This is just 1 way looters have hampered aid efforts. Others stole an ambulance and used it to rob a bank. The WFP has asked the occupying powers to restore security. Umm Qasr has also suffered quite a bit of looting, and the port won't be opened until later because of that. Officials there remain cautiously hopeful. Kofi Annan has called for weapons inspectors to go back to Iraq soon. They are the ones with the mandate to disarm the country, he said. Meanwhile, the Americans have found a truck they say is suspicious. Marines shot at it, trying to get away. Soldiers say the truck contains a fake wall and a pulley system. It is typical of a bio weapons lab, they say. [Maybe they're comparing it with the artists' impressions Colin Powell gave to the Sec Council!] If confirmed, it will be the 1st evidence Iraq still had a WMD program. But the "Mr Whippy" van looks old. And no-one has been allowed to look inside. The Bush Admin insists it has "high confidence" that WMD will be found. Ari F says that is what this war was all about. Centcom briefing, Qatar. Brig Vince Brooks says a cease-fire has been signed in Mosul between the coal'n and the Iraqi 5th Corps. He also commented on the lawlessness sweeping the country. Bank robbers in Basra has refused to stop, and were shot. Looting went down a lot after that, he said. That was just one option, he added. The Coal'n has also drawn up a "black list" of Iraqi leaders the coal'n wants in custody. All soldiers in the field have been issued flash cards of leaders -- with pictures and a short description of the role of each. There are 55 cards in the deck, said Brooks. The cards would supplement posters and hand bills posted across Iraq. There are also rewards. The intent is to gain info from the Iraqi people, said Brooks. The infamous Iraqi Info Min was mentioned. Every pack needs a joker, said one reporter. Well said, replied Brooks. Brooks also said putting police back on the streets to control law and order was not an option. When entering Baghdad Marines had heard on police radios that police were directing fire on US troops. An AUS govt report shows 20% ethanol may damage engines but 10% is safe. The Nikkei was down to new 20 y lows today. Traders were worried over NK. Wall St closed higher, but they were still worried there. The FTSE was up a short time ago. 11.13 pm Saddam's 1/2-brother has been killed on his farm nr Tikrit. 6 J-DAMS paid him a visit. Polls show 1/4 of French people want Iraq to win the war. US commentators and politicians, both hard right and liberal, are still blaming France for the destruction of the UN. And, now, NATO. }} CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS ---------------------------------------- Sat, 12 Apr 2003. 28 die in cattle raids 7 dead in firework fire Law and order continues downward spiral in Iraq Post-war general says security improving US plans security to stop looting across Iraq Looting continues in Iraq -- rumsfeld in denial Shopkeepers open fire Crowds dig for imprisoned relatives Saddam's 1/2-brother killed CNN reporter escapes 30,000 Iraqis camp on border US won't condemn russia or china Another contract for the US Peacenik killed by army Brit activist shot in gaza strip attack Iraqis in aus celebrate AUS gives medical aid to Iraq Aussies use CAS Cuba executes hijackers Germans free hostages Quake Bali bombing Carr renames point Coming clean on ethanol Sing air cuts jobs & services Palm Sunday protest 3 more aussie SARS suspects 2 more die of SARS in China SA growth plan unveiled Continuous war news Kampala. 28 DIE IN CATTLE RAIDS! At least 28 people have been killed and 200 grass-thatched houses torched when Pokot cattle raiders from Kenya attacked villages across the border in Uganda's NE Karamoja region. Karamoja is 1 of Uganda's least developed areas, where cows are a major item of the value system, and tribes carry out raids against rival tribes for cattle. Tokyo. 7 DEAD IN FIREWORK FIRE! Police in S Japan have opened a criminal investigation into an explosion and massive fire at a fireworks factory that's left 7 dead and 4 injured. Police are also looking for 2 workers who went missing yesterday as Nangoku Fireworks in Kagoshima, 990 km SW of Tokyo, went up in flames with some 30 staff inside. A local police officer says the company;s suspected of professional negligence. About 300 investigators have entered the blast site. Baghdad. LOOTING CONTINUES IN IRAQ -- RUMSFELD IN DENIAL! Despite protests from the US military and Donald Rumsfeld, armed gangs are looting and plundering shops, homes and offices in Iraq's main cities. Meanwhile, US and Brit forces have turned their guns on Saddam's home town, Tikrit. Humanitarian agencies are appealing to the US to help check the lawlessness that threatens to delay badly-needed aid. Their call for help comes as US officials hurriedly make plans for a conference early next wk to discuss the country's future govt. Baghdad. SHOPKEEPERS OPEN FIRE! Shopkeepers have opened fire at mobs of looters in Baghdad, where residents are growing increasingly frustrated about the reigning chaos in the city. 25 people, incl 2 children were admitted to Baghdad's al-Kindi hosp for gunshot wounds after merchants took up arms against thieves for the 1st time since US troops entered the city on Wed. But the hosp, Baghdad's largest, could provide little help as it has been ransacked itself. Baghdad. CROWDS DIG FOR IMPRISONED RELATIVES! Crowds of desperate Iraqis have stormed the HQ of Saddam's military intel and hacked through concrete floors to hunt for relatives they believed were trapped in dungeons below. Family and friends of detained Iraqis appealed for help from the US military to rescue people they said were in underground jails. Some said they could hear voices below the surface as they dug. US soldiers say it looks like the complex was used as an interrogation centre and the prisoners were transferred elsewhere. Cairo. SADDAM'S 1/2-BROTHER KILLED! Former Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein's 1/2-brother, Barzan al-Takriti, has reportedly been killed this morning in a US bombing raid on his farm, in the region of Ramadi, W of Baghdad. The claim has come from a family friend. Centcom said earlier today Barzan had been targeted by the air strikes on Ramadi with 6 smart bombs. Barzan had been placed under house arrest by Saddam on Mar 5 in a villa of the Radwaniya pres'l palace compound, in Jadriya, nr Baghdad airport. San Luis Obispo. CNN REPORTER ESCAPES! A TV reporter covering the Iraqi war for CNN is now safe after he was held captive by armed Iraqi forces who believed he was an American spy. Iraqi soldiers fired an AK-47 round at Kevin Sites' feet and tied him up for 4 hrs as he negotiated his release through a translator. Sites and his 3-man crew were harassed and stripped of their b'cast gear before being freed outside Tikrit in N Iraq. The Iraqis kicked 2 crew members in the head, but Sites wasn't injured. Geneva. 30,000 IRAQIS CAMP ON BORDER! The UN refugee agency says about 30,000 Iraqis who fled their homes have gathered nr the Iranian border, but appear content to remain in their country. A UNHCR team went to the border, 160 km E of Baghdad, yesterday to check on the Iraqis after an Iranian report said their numbers had swollen to 100,000. It turned out the number was smaller, but they still need more aid. Iran has been sending food, water and medicine and has asked int'l organisations for further help. Washington. US WON'T CONDEMN RUSSIA OR CHINA! The US says it won't sponsor UN resolutions condemning China or Russia at the UNHCR, despite concerns it may be letting habitual offenders off the hook as it seeks support for wars against terrorism and Iraq. The US State Dept says it's decided against taking a leading role in criticising them at the Geneva-based commission. That's despite harshly criticising both countries less than 2 wks ago in its annual global review of human rights practices. Washington. ANOTHER CONTRACT FOR THE US! The Bush Admin has announced an initial $A3.3 mn 12-m contract to Creative Associated Int'l to address immediate educational needs in Iraq. The Wash-based private firm is also to promote participation of the Iraqi people in the educational process. The announcement by the US Agency for Int'l Development says the US govt's goal is to ensure children are prepared for the new school y beginning in Sep 2003. Jerusalem. PEACENIK KILLED BY ARMY! A 21 yo Brit peace activist has been critically wounded by Israeli solders in the Gaza Strip. [Later reports say he died]. Witnesses say the solders opened fire with a machine-gun from their tank as the activist was standing in between Israeli troops and a group of children in the border town of Rafah. His wounding came after police in the E of the W Bank city of Jericho handed over weapons seized from armed militant groups, in an unprecedented confidence-building measure. Brit activist shot in Gaza Strip attack Gaza. A 21-year-old Brit activist has been declared clinically dead after being shot in the head by Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip. Tom Hurndall was a volunteer with the Internat'l Solidarity Movement, a pro-Palestinian group which aims to protect civilians in the West Bank and Gaza. According to a colleague, Mr Hurndall was with a group of foreign activists helping children out of danger when shots rang out from an Israeli army watchtower. He was struck in the head, and doctors at Rafah hospital pronounced him clinically dead shortly after he was admitted. It is the 3rd serious incident in 4 weeks involving the Internat'l Solidarity Movement. Last weekend 2 activists were wounded during clashes in Jenin, and last month, American Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer. Sydney. IRAQIS IN AUS CELEBRATE! The Iraqi community in AUS will celebrate the demise of Saddam Hussein at 2 rallies in SYD today. The Organisation for Human Rights in Iraq is organising one rally in C SYD. The group calls itself a non-sectarian SYD-based group which aims to expose the Iraqi regime and the plight of the Iraqi people. Assoc chair Dr Mohammed Alsalami says the rally will be an opportunity for all Iraqis to express their happiness at the toppling of the dictator. Canberra. AUS GIVES MEDICAL AID TO IRAQ! The fed govt will donate 3 plane-loads of medical supplies to Baghdad hospitals as part of a new military operation dubbed Operation Baghdad Assist. Def Min Robert Hill says the govt recognises Iraqi hospitals have been stretched by the war and wants to help relieve some of the pressure. He says the 1st batch of medical supplies will come from HMAS Kanimbla and be delivered to the Iraqi capital by an AUS or US transport aircraft. Canberra. AUSSIES USE CAS! The ADF says RAAF planes have shadowed Aussie group troops in active operations in Iraq for the 1st time since the Vietnam war. Def Force chief Peter Cosgrove says special forces troops usually have fighter bomber planes available for support somewhere nearby when there're on the ground in Iraq. Also Aussie aircraft were in a position to fulfil that stand-by position. Gen Cosgrove has refused to give details of the operation. Havana. CUBA EXECUTES HIJACKERS! The Cuban govt says the 3 leaders of last wk's hijacking of a commuter ferry that tried to get to the US have been executed. An official statement says the men were tried with full respect for their basic rights, were convicted on Tue and shot dead at dawn today. Another 4 of the men involved in the hijacking of the ferry with about 40 people aboard were sentenced to life in jail, and 1 man to 30 y in prison. 3 women who took part were sentenced to 5, 3 and 3 y respectively. Berlin. GERMANS FREE HOSTAGES! German police have stormed a hijacked city bus in Berlin to end a 4 1/2 hr hostage stand-off. The lone armed man who commandeered the yellow double-decked was wounded, but his remaining 2 captives were freed unharmed. Shots rang out as police commandos stormed the bus, smashing windows to get inside. The suspect apparently was shot in the shoulder, but police say he is not critically harmed. The drama began when 2 masked men, one armed with a pistol, robbed a Berlin bank. [You have to keep an eye on those gangs of one-armed men!] Rome. QUAKE! An earthquake has rattled N Italy, sending 100s of panicked residents into the streets and causing at least 2 injuries and damaging several buildings. The quake was felt in cities across the N, incl Milan, Turin and Genoa. Schools and many other buildings were evacuated as a precaution in those cities and in many others in the N. The quake also forces the airport in Genoa to suspend flights for about 30 mins as a precaution. Canberra. BALI BOMBING! PM Howard has expressed his sympathy to the families of the Bali bombing victims and says the nation's not forgotten them. Today's the 6-m anniversary of the suicide bomb attack that killed 69 Aussies in the Indon Is's Kuta tourist area. Mr Howard says the tragedy remains etched in the nat'l consciousness. He says financial, health and counselling support to the families will continue and the AFP continues to work with Indon police to bring those responsible to justice. Sydney. CARR RENAMES POINT! NSW Prem Carr has commemorated the 6-m Bali bombing anniversary by re-naming an area of SYD's Coogee Beach. Mr Carr and Randwick Mayor Dominic Sullivan have unveiled a plaque listing the names of the 20 E suburbs residents killed in the attack. The Prem also officially re-named Coogee's N headland Dolphin Point, in memory of the 6 Coogee Dolphins rugby league players killed in Bali while on an end of season knees-up. About 600 people attended the ceremony. [Attn: Muttley Jane I 1/2] Brisbane. COMING CLEAN ON ETHANOL! The fed govt says it will make more announcements on ethanol, after setting a 10% cap on the additive. The govt's issued a scientific report that 20% ethanol blends can damage engines but 10% is safe. But the govt also says older engines are more susceptible to damage from higher ethanol levels and tests will continue to determine if newer cars could also be at risk. And there'll be further announcements on ethanol in the fed Budget. Melbourne. SING AIR CUTS JOBS & SERVICES! Singapore Airlines has joined the queue of companies cutting jobs in the wake of the Iraqi war and the SARS scare. The Airline has announce it will cut services to destinations t'out the world, incl AUS, by nearly 20% as a result of tough economic conditions. As a result, there will be 3 fewer flights to MEL, SYD, Perth and Bris from May. More than 200 trainee cabin crew workers have also been sacked. Sydney. PALM SUNDAY PROTEST! Organisers of the Palm Sun Peace March will call on PM Howard to ensure the so-called "coalition of the willing" honours a moral obligation to rebuild Iraq. Walk Against the War Coalition convener Bruce Childs says Mr Howard, along with Brit PM Blair and US Pres Bush, has an obligation to ordinary Iraqis who have suffered in the war. He's urged peace protesters to the streets tomorrow to demand that those responsible for the war meet their obligations to the Iraqi people. Canberra. 3 MORE AUSSIE SARS SUSPECTS! AUS health authorities are investigating 3 more cases of suspected SARS. There are now 9 possible cases in AUS. The fed health dept says a 74 yo NSW man, a 44 yo WA man, and a 40 yo Tas woman are in hosp with suspected SARS. There have so far been no confirmed cases of the illness in AUS. Beijing/Singapore. 2 MORE DIE OF SARS IN CHINA! 2 people in China's remote N region of Inner Mongolia have died from SARS. The deaths have reinforced fears about the disease's spread through the world's most populous country. The Xinhua news agency says 10 cases were reported in the regional capital of Hohhot. SARS has infected more than 3,000 people and killed 114 across the world since it broke out in the S Chinese prov of Guangdong in Nov. Adelaide. SA GROWTH PLAN UNVEILED! Delegates at the Economic Growth Summit in Adel today have been invited to return in a y for a briefing on what the govt has done to carry out a blueprint for economic prosperity. SA Prem Mike Rann issued the invitation to the delegates at the end of the 1 and 1/2 day summit, which attracted 280 business, community and govt leaders. Discussion at the summit focused on a draft economic development plan by SA's Economic Development Board, which will be finalised and presented to the govt in May. Law and order continues downward spiral in Iraq Baghdad. Law and order continues to break down across Iraq, with looting and pillaging reported in all major cities. In Baghdad, armed civilians are now guarding their neighbourhoods. The Internat'l Committee of the Red Cross says the capital's medical system has all but collapsed due to combat damage, looting and fear of anarchy. Iraq's largest archaeological museum has also been looted, as American troops continue to focus on pockets of armed resistance. Nurses have been seen armed with rifles and standing down in a hospital in Baghdad after it was looted by locals taking advantage of a new culture of lawlessness. Continuous machine gun fire has been heard in the north of the capital last night as US-led forces continue to face armed resistance. While American troops have sporadically turned their attention to securing looted buildings, more often than not their military missions come first. The disorder has been exacting a cultural cost too with the National Museum of Iraq being looted yesterday. Ancient artefacts, originating from human civilisation's Mesopotamian beginnings, have been seen being carted off down the street. Post-war general says security improving S Iraq. Retired US General Jay Garner, who is charged with running Iraq after the war ends, insists the security situation on the ground is getting better. Until now General Garner has been out of sight of reporters. He says his team is concentrating on relief operations and will work with local leaders, village by village. Acknowledging that the security situation is hardly ideal, General Garner remains upbeat. "This country has a great vibrance to it, and it has an educated population," he said. "It was the jewel of the Middle East at one time, it can be the jewel of the Middle East again." The retired three-star General, who has been based in Kuwait for wks, is appealing for help from other countries. US plans security to stop looting across Iraq Baghdad. The US plans to send nearly 1,200 security consultants and experts in law to Iraq in the nr future, to deal with the breakdown of security across the country. The aftermath of the US-led invasion is widespread lawlessness, with mass looting in many villages, towns and cities. Even Baghdad's hospitals trying to treat injured Iraqi civilians are under siege. Some of Baghdad's most important hospitals are now protected by armed civilian volunteers. At the Saddam Hospital in the vast Shi'ite suburb of Saddam City medical staff said they did not need supplies, they simply needed security. The Shi'ites are traditional opponents of Saddam Hussein. The Saddam Hospital and another nearby hospital say they also have to protect themselves against the Saddam Fedayeen, militiamen loyal to Saddam, who they say have tried to attack them. The UN is also urging the US to crack down quickly on the civil chaos in Iraq. However, UN sec-gen rep Fred Ekhart says the rampant looting is preventing aid agencies from carrying out their work. Mr Ekhart says the WHO reports that without civil order, it is virtually impossible for hospitals to function effectively. Meanwhile, Brit forces in control of the S Iraqi city of Basra say they are stepping up street patrols to tackle the wave of looting and crime there. More aggressive vehicle checkpoints manned by troops from the 7th armoured brigade are the 1st visible sign the Brit forces have been stung by criticism that they are not doing enough to tackle lawlessness. Troops from the Scot Brigoons Guards pulled over a pick-up truck they suspected had been stolen and fitted the description of the type of vehicle used by Baath Party militia members and in the boot was a Kalaznikov rifle. One of the soldiers said this was the kind of aggressive policing they now hoped would instill confidence in local people that efforts were being made to tackle lawlessness. {{ CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS Midnight. IT'S DAY TWENTY-THREE. 3 am Over 350 mines have been cleared from roads around Basra. A Bradley fighting vehicle has hit a remote controlled mine in the N of Baghdad. 1 American soldier is dead, and 2 were wounded. 7 tonnes of ammo has been found at a Baghdad school. Some Baghdad hospitals are still without power or water. 1 surviving Rep Guard div is defending Tikrit, says CBS. 1000s of unarmed Iraqi soldiers are walking S from Kirkuk. The Pentagon says 105 Americans have been killed, 7 are POWs, and 8 are missing. Centcom says despite the fall of the regime most of its list of 55 "most wanted" are still alive. Some are trying to leave the country, it says. 3.15 am 100s of Iraqis are begging the US mil to find relatives that may be interned in underground jails in the security HQ of Baghdad. 3.20 am (US) ABC. There has been a glimpse of the civilian casualties in the Iraq war. Roving reporters have been visiting city hospitals. We have seen 100s if not 1000s injured in this war. It's impossible to say how many were killed. The Red Cross won't hazard a guess. In Basra, many new graves have been marked with stones. Behind the hosp there are many uniforms, cut from dead soldiers. Outside Basra a meeting of trial civic leaders degenerated into a shouting match. They all claimed authority. Gen Tommy Franks is visiting troops in Afghanistan. He told them that Iraqi fighters were either dead or running like hell. Pres Bush is today awarding 16 purple hearts at 2 govt hosp. 4 am BBC radio says the archaeological museum in Baghdad has been looted. But reps for Centcom deny there is looting in Baghdad. They also say there no no looting in Basra. Iraqis are "human people" one rep for Centcom told BBC radio, and you have to expect them to be imperfect. He said the US has riots after sporting events, too. At about this point, the spluttering interviewer cut the guy off. Armed civilian volunteers are now protecting the hospitals of Baghdad. The Red Cross is alarmed at the sit'n. At 1 hosp, nurses with guns were standing outside. They say it had been attacked by pro-Saddam militias. They had to close the hosp. The sit'n is said to be "verging on anarchy". Beds, incubators and other medical equipment have been stolen from hospitals. The dead are left unattended in the streets. The Red Cross wants coal'n forces to restore order as a matter of urgency. A BBC corresp said it's become a city of barricades, with citizens protecting their suburbs from citizens from other areas. A Whitehouse rep says they understand the importance of maintaining law and order. In Basra, the Brit mil are stepping up patrols. The 7th armoured brigade has been stung by criticism they haven't been doing enough to stop lotting. They pulled over a car that was reported stolen. The boot contained an AK-47. A rep said they were making efforts to tackle lawlessness. Kurds say they have started a withdrawal from Kirkuk, but reporters say it's unclear whether it is true. One BCC corresp in the city said he's seen the numbers of Pashmergas down from Thu, but another said there was little evidence a withdrawal was taking place. Both said the looting is much less. But the oil fields have now been taken over by the Kurds, even though they may be withdrawing from the town. A snr Kurd official says Mosul has been entered by US spec forces. The hand-picked Iraqi opp'n and US officials are set to meet in Nasiriyah Tue or Thu. St Petersburg. In what's been called a "conference of the losers", Germany's Schroeder and Putin have called for Iraq to formally re-join the UN. They point out that to to recognised the new govt would require a new UN res. The meeting had been called to counter the meeting between Blair and Bush in Ireland. In Washington, another veiled threat. Ari Fleischer said the Iraqis would remember who it was that had liberated them. And who had not. In Baghdad, in the area known as Saddam City, one hosp has treated 700 wounded in the past 3 days. There were 70 deaths. There is no water and no electricity, and they are still afraid of the Fedayeen which is still roaming the city. Some hosp reps say the city is on the brink of civil war. In Britain, the PM has called for calm. A rep said Mr Blair was calling for a "reality check". In the winder context, the Iraqi people were taking revenge on symbols of the regime. And the govt was angry that reporters were saying "anarchy". Jack Straw said there were enough troops to take care of the anarchy. 4.30 am Hospitals have been robbed in Kirkuk, according to a local rep. One reporter said there was relative calm, with only isolated incidents of looting. Not as bad as Mosul, he said. Is there a sign of the withdrawal of the Kurds? Not seen signs personally. They are keeping a low profile. They aren't in the town, they are on the road outside. They are here to provide law and order until the Americans arrive. It's hard to say how many Americans are here at present. The Americans have closed off the oilfields. I've seen 6 or 7 US soldiers walking around to show their presence. One person said there were 1,000 here. [But that is the entire US para complement!] Kirkuk is quieter than it was yesterday. People are worried. Some gunfire has been heard around the city. No-one knows if it's celebrations, looters or Iraqis coming back. It's most likely the first. 4.50 am BBC radio. Pentagon briefing, Rumsfeld and Myers. It was "quite a performance" by Rumsfeld. He was asked about the law and order sit'n. He implied reports were exaggerated. Headlines like anarchy and chaos was "unrepresentative", he said. He hoped in Baghdad, like other cities, things would die down. But he conceded that 1 hosp has been lotted and US forces were station to stop that. Gen Myers said the ICRC warehouse was secured and had not been looted. But the BBC says it has. [And later film showed it was almost bare]. Rumsfeld said this is a "transition period", and some of these issues had been anticipated in the plan. There has been fierce fighting reported nr the border with Syria for some 3 wks. It's been some heaviest fighting of the war, say reporters. But it's been little-covered. The US has been tangling with the Sp Rep Guards. The US don't know why the resistance has been much stronger here than elsewhere. What do they have to hide? Maybe it's a base for WMD. It was used to process uranium in the 1980s. The military speculates if Iraq have rebuilt their plants underground. Or maybe regime leaders are hiding in the area. 5.23 am Russian Pres Putin says Russia may write off Iraq's debt. The comment comes after a suggestion from Dep Def Sec Wolfowitz. Putin also strongly criticised Brit and the US for failing to find WMD. 6.30 pm Looters continue to be shot dead in Iraq, or beaten. Several incidents were shown on camera. The Red Cross warehouse was raided. [The film showed it]. In Basra, the Royal Marines shot 5 looters dead as they tried to rob a bank. Some people are now saying "if only Saddam could come back". In Baghdad, US troops were shown busy breaking up a stature, and removing its head for a trophy. Fires still rage in many govt buildings. Some hospitals are also burning. People with guns roam to streets. Some are vigilantes, some are armed thieves. Militia gunmen are to blame for many injuries seen in the city's hosps, say staff. Kurdish forces are getting out of Kirkuk. They took the city yesterday, without US consent. American troops are now arriving. They are trying to restore law and order. Kirkuk and Mosul saw some looting. The hosp in Kirkuk was ransacked, with thieves stealing instruments and medicine. But Mosul was worse. "It is disturbing to watch... but we came to liberate the country" said Al Lockwood, nr Basra. Mosul fell with hardly a shot being fired. In Basra, the state oil office is on fire. The uni library has been lotted. There are no books left. It's almost a wk since the Brit tanks rolled in. The electricity and water haven't been restored everywhere. Brit cmdrs are promising they will crack down in the next 3 days. With the dinar now mostly worthless, Iraqi may adopt the USD. The main attraction is, of course, oil exports are priced in USD's. Analysts say it's just a "little" politically insensitive. The WHO says the SARS epidemic has peaked. The Dow closed down 18 pts (0.2%) to 8,203. 7 pm Arab TV has reported Saddam was killed in a coal'n airstrike. The intel reportedly comes from a number of sources, incl a former head of the Iraqi intel. He told al Jazeera Saddam didn't survive attack last wk. US intel officials also say monitored comm shows the Iraq leader has died. [Reconstructed conversation: Is that you Ahmed? Who else? Have you seen lord muckedy-muck Saddam lately? No. I guess he must be dead. Must be. Love to the wife and kids. Bye. ]. Only 3 Baghdad hospitals are still working. The al Rashid hotel in Baghdad has been ransacked. It was the former home of W-ern reporters in the capital. Looters carried TV's, furniture and other loot right past US soldiers in the foyer. 35 prisoners were released from security HQ by US soldiers when they arrived in Baghdad last wk. They say there is no-one left in any secret cells under the building. Geoff Thomson, Baghdad. There's been a peace protest in Baghdad. "We want peace" they are shouting outside the Palestine hotel. If it's not anarchy in the city, it's very, very close, despite what Don Rumsfeld says. In Kirkuk, a shell has exploded, killing 4 civilians. It's believed to have been fired from the S, but no-one is sure. In Basra, one man told reporters there once was 1 Saddam, now there are 1000s. "Everyone has a gun", he said. 9.30 pm In Mosul, firefights between Kurds and suspected Saddam loyalists have broken out. }} CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS ---------------------------------------- Sun, 13 Apr 2003. Israel to hand over part of West Bank 100 people missing in capsize 15 hit by avalanche 6 killed in election violence 8 killed in separatist violence 6 more die from SARS Scientists break SARS genome Non-American stabbed in back Congress approves $80B war spending plan Carve-up of oil riches begins G7 PROMISE TO FIX IRAQ Finding banned weapons very important: US poll General Amir al-Saadi reportedly surrendered to US forces in Baghdad Pentagon updates casualty list US offers rewards in bid to capture Iraqi leaders UNESCO fearful of lost Iraqi treasures UN moving back to Iraq Govt deciding on sending more troops to Iraq Aussie SAS will work in Iraq for some time Aussie aid delivered Joint patrols to restore order Journos rescued from Baghdad hospital: 1 dead, 2 injured US forces guard key Baghdad sites: Red Cross Marines exchange fire in central Baghdad Baghdad under curfew as night falls Garner defends US troops over civil order efforts Firefight in W Baghdad Fighting moves north Anti-war protesters march across Europe 59 men held over letters offering reward for killing US troops US marine killed as suicide bombing vests found Kut falls to US troops Syria rejects US accusations of aiding Saddam Syrian fighter kills Marine US navy moves to scale back Gulf presence US official returned SARS may cause grounding of Cathay airline SARS kills world cruise Tokyo's Nikkei set to test 7,500 Biofuel association pushes for total labelling Howard says war is not targeted at Islamic countries Aldrin sells proof he was on moon Tassie logjam Continuous war news Jerusalem. ISRAEL TO HAND OVER PART OF WEST BANK! Israel's PM Ariel Sharon says the country will hand over some Jewish settlements in the W Bank for peace. But he says the Palestinians must give up on their key demand for refugees to be allowed to return to their former homes in Israel. In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Sharon says the US-led war on Iraq has opened the door to new opportunities. Sharon says the US-led war generated a shock through the Middle E and there's a chance to reach an agreement faster than people think. Dhaka. 100 PEOPLE MISSING IN CAPSIZE! About 100 people are missing after a ferry capsize after it ran into a storm in N Bangladesh. The state-run TV network reports that 2 people are so far known to have drowned. The ferry was carrying 200 passengers when the storm struck in a deep marsh in Kishoreganj district. Ferry disasters are common in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed by about 230 R. Warsaw. 15 HIT BY AVALANCHE! 15 tourists have been swept away by an avalanche in Poland's Tatra mtns, but only 2 of them were slightly injured. The state Trojka radio stn earlier said that 25 people had been involved in the accident in the Swinski Kociol valley nr the border with Slovakia. The head of the rescue service, Jan Krzysztof, says the tourists were hit by the avalanche as they were skiing, but all managed to crawl to safety. The nationality of the tourists was not immediately known. Lagos. 6 KILLED IN ELECTION VIOLENCE! 6 people have died in violence during Nigeria's general elections. Monitors from the country's RC church say 5 people were killed in the SE Enugu State during a failed assassination attempt on a candidate from the main opp'n All Nigerian People's Party. Also a youth leader was killed in Benin city in Edo, another SE state. The current polls are the first civilian-organised elections in Nigeria in 20 y and are seen as a litmus test for democracy. Srinagar. 8 KILLED IN SEPARATIST VIOLENCE! 8 people have been killed and 55 others injured in fresh separatist-related violence in Indian Kashmir, as Indian and Pakistani troops traded heavy artillery fire across their disputed border. In one incident, 1 person was killed and 55 others injured in 3 grenade explosions in towns of S Anantnag district. Singapore. 6 MORE DIE FROM SARS! 6 more people have died in Asia from the deadly flu-like disease, as authorities stepped up their efforts today to contain the illness. In Singapore, where the PM has repeatedly warned of the economic impact of SARS, the govt issued its first electronic wrist tags to people under quarantine. Sing has 558 people under home quarantine. SARS has so far killed at least 122 people and sickened over 2,700 others in 20 countries. Vancouver. SCIENTISTS BREAK SARS GENOME! Scientists in Vancouver say they've broken the genetic code of the virus suspected of causing SARS. Dr Marco Marra, dir of the Michael Smith Genome Science Centre, which is part of the BC Cancer Agency, says it's the first step toward developing a test for doctors to diagnose victims as well as a possible vaccine. Currently, doctors world-wide diagnose SARS patients by a combination of unusual symptoms, incl very high fever, difficulty breathing, a dry cough, and contact with someone carrying the virus. Brisbane. NON-AMERICAN STABBED IN BACK! A man has been stabbed in the back 5 times and left on a roadside S of Brisbane. A rep for the Qld Amb Service says a passing ambo crew found the man on the side of the Kingston Rd at Beenleigh around 2 am. The man now in a serious but stable cond in Logan Hosp. Police are investigating but have yet to lay any charges. Congress approves $80B war spending plan Washington (AP). Eager to show solidarity with US troops, Congress on Sat sent Pres Bush a nearly $80 bn plan to pay for the initial costs of the war in Iraq and its aftermath. Bush was expected to quickly sign the measure. It also includes money for fighting terrorism, increasing homeland security and providing help for the airline industry. The House, meeting in a rare Sat session, passed the legislation by voice vote. The Senate endorsed the package late Fri, ahead of a two-week Easter vacation. Both chambers were nearly empty at the time of the votes. Lawmakers in both parties moved quickly on the president's request, which he made just 3 weeks ago. Bush asked for $74.7 bn to meet the costs of the war that were not budgeted. That figure grew to $78.5 bn with the addition of $2.9 bn to help airline companies and for other projects pushed by lawmakers. Bush said in a statement after passage that the legislation offers "the resources necessary to win the war and help secure enduring freedom and democracy for the Iraqi people." The president said he looks forward to working with Congress "as we make progress in the war and in providing aid" to Iraqis. While there was little opp'n to money for the war, the bill was slowed because of senators' additions, many unrelated to the war. Among those that survived were $16 mn to study severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and $142 mn to help local govts admin the smallpox vaccine and compensate people harmed by the inoculation. Items that were dropped in the final agreement included $529,000 for law enforcement costs related to the fatal nightclub fire in Providence, RI, and a provision on ginseng labelling. The bulk of the money, $62.4 bn, goes to the Pentagon to finance the war in Iraq and the fight against terrorism. It also sets aside about $4 bn for domestic security, with $2.2 bn of that for state and local police and other emergency workers. The measure has $7.9 bn of foreign aid, mainly related to nat'l security concerns, with $1.1 bn for Jordan, $1 bn each for Israel and Turkey, and money for Afghanistan, the Philippines and Colombia. The legislation is primarily for use in the current budget year, which ends Sep 30. Congress on Fri approved a record $2.27 trillion budget for next y that gives priority to defence and homeland security programs but left unclear the fate of the president's campaign to cut taxes. Lawmakers did not dispute the size of the president's wartime requests. But they granted him little of the independence from congressional controls he asked for in deciding how the Pentagon will spend the money. Republicans joined Democrats in insisting that Congress retain its constitutional powers over the purse. Bush had wanted unfettered control of $60 bn of the nearly $63 bn the Pentagon would get. Instead, the president can control only $15.7 bn and must notify Congress five days before he dispenses any of it. Congress also eliminated or limited Bush's power over other funds. A $150 mn Pentagon fund he requested to help insurgents around the world was eliminated, with $25 mn set aside specifically for counterterrorism training abroad. Bush also asked for $1.5 bn that Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge could use as needed. Congress left only $150 mn at Ridge's discretion. The White House was asking for a blank check, said Rep. David Obey of Wisc, top Dem on the House App'n Committee. Instead, the bill "reintroduces them to the concept of checks and balances." Bush won the power to give the Pentagon a role in disbursing some of nearly $2.5 bn for rebuilding Iraq and providing humanitarian aid. Some lawmakers had wanted to steer the entire sum to the State Dept. One of the last issues to be settled was the size of the airlines package, with the final figure settling at $2.9 bn. That was a compromise between the $3.2 bn sought by the House and the $2.7 bn in the Senate. The White House did not ask for airline money, but lawmakers argued that the fed govt has an obligation to pay for the new security requirements it has imposed on the financially strapped industry. The measure extends unemployment aid to laid off airline workers by 26 weeks and limits the salaries of airlines' top 2 executives to 2002 levels. Carve-up of oil riches begins London (The Observer). The leader of the London-based Iraqi National Congress, Ahmed Chalabi, has met executives of 3 US oil multinat'ls to negotiate the carve-up of Iraq's massive oil reserves post-Saddam. Disclosure of the meetings in Oct in Washington -- confirmed by an INC rep -- comes as Lord Browne, the head of BP, has warned that Brit oil companies have been squeezed out of post-war Iraq even before the first shot has been fired in any US-led land invasion. Next m oil executives will gather at a country retreat nr Sandringham to discuss Iraq and the future of the oil market. The conference, hosted by Sheikh Yamani, the former Oil Min of Saudi Arabia, will feature a former Iraqi head of military intel, an ex-Min and City financiers. Topics for discussion include the country's oil potential, whether it can become as big a supplier as Saudi Arabia, and whether a post-Saddam Iraq might destroy the OPEC. Disclosure of talks between the oil executives and the INC -- which enjoys the support of Bush admin officials -- is bound to exacerbate friction on the UN Sec Council between permanent members and veto-holders Russia, Freedom and China, who fear they will be squeezed out of a post-Saddam oil industry in Iraq. Although Russia, Freedom and China have existing deals with Iraq, Chalabi has made clear that he would reward the US for removing Saddam with lucrative oil contracts, telling the WashPost recently: "American companies will have a big shot at Iraqi oil." Indeed, the issue of who gets their hands on the world's 2nd largest oil reserves has been a major factor driving splits in the Sec Council over a new res on Iraq. If true, it is hardly surprising, given the size of the potential deals. As of last m, Iraq had reportedly signed several $multi-bn deals with foreign oil companies, mainly from China, Freedom and Russia. Among these Russia, which is owed $bns by Iraq for past arms deliveries, has the strongest interest in Iraqi oil development, including a $3.5 bn, 23-year deal to rehabilitate oilfields, particularly the 11-15 bn-barrel West Qurna field, located west of Basra nr the Rumaila field. Since the agreement was signed in March 1997, Russia's Lukoil has prepared a plan to install equipment with capacity to produce 100,000 barrels per day from West Qurna's Mishrif formation. Freedom interest is also intense. TotalFinaElf has been in negotiations with Iraq on development of the Nahr Umar field. Planning for Iraq's post-Saddam oil industry is being driven by a coal'n of neo-conservatives in Washington think-tanks with close links to the Bush admin, and with INC officials who have long enjoyed their support. Those hawks have long argued that US control of Iraq's oil would help deliver a 2nd objective. That is the destruction of Opec, the oil producers' cartel, which they argue is "evil" -- that is, incompatible with US interests. Larry Lindsey, Pres Bush's economic adviser, recently said that a successful war on Iraq would be good for business. "When there is a regime change in Iraq, you could add 3 to 5 mn barrels [per day] of production to world supply," he said in Sep. "The successful prosecution of the war would be good for the economy." Analysts believe that after 5 y Iraq could be pumping 10 mn bpd. OPEC is already starting to implode, with member nations breaking quotas in an attempt to grab market share before oil prices fall. Russian concern over a future INC-inspired carve-up of Iraq's oil to the benefit of the US has become so intense that it recently sent a diplomat to hold talks with INC officials. At that meeting in Washington on 29 Aug the diplomat expressed concern that Russia would be kept out of the oil markets by the US. A model for the carve-up of Iraq's oil industry was presented in Sep by Ariel Cohen of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, which has close links to the Bush admin. In The Future of a Post-Saddam Iraq: A Blueprint for American Involvement, Cohen strikes a similar note to Chalabi, putting forward a road map for the privatisation of Iraq's nat'lised oil industry, and warning that Freedom, Russia and China were likely to find that a new INC-led govt would not honour their oil contracts. Cohen's proposal would see Iraq's oil industry split up into 3 large companies, along the areas of ethnic separation, with one company in the largely Shia S, another for the Sunni region around Baghdad, and the last in the Kurdish N. Washington. G7 PROMISE TO FIX IRAQ! G7 powers have promised to work together to rebuild war-scarred Iraq with a new UN Sec Council res, and to boost sluggish world growth. The fin mins and C bankers of the US, Brit, Canada, Freedom, Germany, Italy and Japan made the promise in a joint statement. It wrapped up a 3-hr meeting ahead of weekend global fin'l talks in Washington. Finding banned weapons very important: US poll NY. A new opinion poll in the US shows around 67% of Americans believe it is still very important to kill or capture Saddam Hussein, and find proof of Iraq's alleged banned weapons of mass destruction. Public support among Americans for the war in Iraq has continued to rise since the fall of Baghdad. The Newsweek poll shows around 70% of respondents think the United States was right to take military action when it did, up from 63% two weeks ago. 73% think the war in Iraq has gone very well. Support for US Pres George W Bush over Iraq has also risen, with 74 per cent supporting his handling of the crisis. However, only 51% think he should have a 2nd term in office. General Amir al-Saadi reportedly surrendered to US forces in Baghdad Baghdad. Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, one of 55 people on America's most wanted list of Iraqi leaders, has surrendered to US forces. Meanwhile, the US says it is offering cash rewards for info leading to the capture of other former Iraqi leaders, or weapons caches. Gen Amer Hammoudi al-Saadi, who liaised with UN weapons inspectors before war broke out, gave himself up to US forces in Baghdad on Sat, German public TV station ZDF reported. The station said one of its camera crews had accompanied Saadi at his request. ZDF's correspondent said he took Saadi to a meeting point agreed with a US warrant officer in central Baghdad after Saadi learned on television that he was a wanted man. His surrender appears to be the 1st from the group of 55 the US wants pursued, killed or captured. Saadi told ZDF he did not know where Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein was. He also insisted Iraq did not possess chemical or biological weapons, the station said in a statement. Saadi, a former head of Iraq's Ministry of Industry and Military Industrialisation, had frequently denounced weapons inspections. He told ZDF he had stayed at home even after US forces arrived in Baghdad. He said he felt in no way guilty and had therefore voluntarily surrendered to US forces. He denied being a member of Saddam's Baath Party. The US is planning to issue decks of playing cards to its troops depicting the 55 most wanted leadership figures. Saadi, number 55, appears on the 7 of diamonds card. Saddam is represented by the ace of spades, the most valuable card in the pack. Pentagon updates casualty list Washington. The Pentagon says 110 members of the US forces have been killed in the war against Iraq -- up 3 since yesterday. 10 others are listed missing in action, 7 are prisoners and around 400 have been wounded. Brit says it has lost 30 troops. Iraq has given no figures for its military losses, but estimates more than 1,200 civilians have been killed. No AUS troops have been listed as casualties. An AUS cameraman, Paul Moran, was killed in N Iraq at the beginning of the conflict. [The Pentagon says 98 of the US dead were killed in enemy or friendly fire, and 12 died of accidents. 343 Americans are listed as wounded, of which 56 are the result of accident]. US offers rewards in bid to capture Iraqi leaders Baghdad. The US is offering cash rewards for info that leads to the capture of Saddam Hussein, leaders of his regime and weapons of mass destruction. The US Defence Dept on Fri released pictures of the 52 most wanted Iraqi leaders in the form of playing cards to be distributed throughout Iraq. Hoping Iraqis will help track down regime leaders, US troops are also to put the wanted list published on Fri on posters and hand-bills. And to make sure US-led forces in Iraq will recognise them, the faces of the 52 most-wanted Iraqis appear on decks of cards that also have a brief description of their occupations. UNESCO fearful of lost Iraqi treasures NY. The UN Cultural Agency, UNESCO has called on coal'n forces to take action to prevent the looting of Iraqi antiquities. The Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad was ransacked yesterday and 1000s of treasures were either stolen or destroyed. UNESCO's director general Koichiro Masuura has written to US and Brit authorities, pleading for their help to save a cultural heritage he described as one of the richest in the world. It is estimated that Iraq is home to more than 20,000 significant archaeological sites and Mr Masuura says looting in Baghdad is now threatening key museums, which must be given military protection. Before the war began, UNESCO provided Washington with detailed maps of important sites and museums so they would not be targeted by air raids. Now the fear is that 1000s of antiquities have already been stolen or destroyed. UN moving back to Iraq NY. The UN says it will start moving its staff back into parts of northern and eastern Iraq this week. However the UN humanitarian aid program based in Jordan says it is not yet safe enough for its staff to return to major cities such as Baghdad. A rep David Wimhurst has detailed the schedule for the aid. "On Mon we have from the north 3 teams going in to the 3 northern governorates totalling about 40 people," he said. "Then from the east, from Iran we have a team going into Badre which is about 16 kilometres from the border inside Iraq, where there is an accumulation of at least 30,000 and possibly more of internally displaced people who need assistance." Govt deciding on sending more troops to Iraq Canberra. Def Min Robert Hill says the Govt will make a decision in the next wk about sending extra forces to help with post-war operations in Iraq. But Mr Hill says it will not be a major peacekeeping commitment. Sen Hill has told ABC TV's Insiders program, special forces capabilities, particularly outside Baghdad, will be in demand for some time. Mr Hill also says there are signs that the lawlessness in Baghdad is beginning to slow. He says military forces are now showing some discipline, and the position should stabilise in the next couple of days. The Opposition has called on the Govt to accept its role as an occupying force in Iraq and help stop the looting in hospitals. Sen Hill says AUS's role under the fourth Geneva Convention is to act as a kind of trustee. "It does have an obligation to provide essential services such as food, medical care and the like, but it operates under the laws of ... in this instance, the Iraqi govt, so to some extent we're there to support the existing institutions," he said. Canberra. AUSSIE SAS WILL WORK IN IRAQ FOR SOME TIME! Def Min Hill says Aussie SAS troops will continue their dangerous mopping-up operations in Iraq for some time. Sen Hill says the roles of the RAN and F/A-18 Hornet jets are winding down. But he says the work of the 150 SAS troops remains "critically important", despite the collapse of organised military resistance. He says capturing leaders of the regime remains a priority, and he understands some leaders of Iraq's 1980s WMD program are in custody. Canberra. AUSSIE AID DELIVERED! An RAFF Herc has delivered almost 7 tonnes of medical supplies to Baghdad hospitals today, as AUS responds to the looming humanitarian crisis in Iraq. Another 2 SYD-based Hercs loaded with medicines, basic equipment and specialist burns supplies are expected to reach Iraq within days as part of Operation BA. The supplies were hoisted by chopper from HMAS Kanimbla in the Gulf and incl donations from the US forces and Kuwait govt. Baghdad. JOINT PATROLS TO RESTORE ORDER! The US military and "the Iraqis" [as it says here] say they've agreed to joint patrols to restore order in Baghdad. The capital has been in chaos since the arrival of US troops and the fall of Saddam Hussein earlier this wk. Looters have ransacked govt buildings, hospitals and schools, and now also the Nat'l Museum, taking or destroying many of the country's nat'l treasures. Journos rescued from Baghdad hospital: 1 dead, 2 injured Baghdad. US Marines found a dead journalist and 2 others who were injured at a Baghdad hospital, US Centcom in Qatar said. A fourth journalist, who was uninjured, was also found at the hospital. The 2 injured journalists had been wounded in a firefight at the Palestine hotel on Apr 8. It is not known whether the body was one of 2 television cameramen killed in the incident. "US Marines from the First Marine Expeditionary Force recovered 4 journalists from the Ibn Al Nafees hospital in Baghdad yesterday," the statement from Central Command said. "Marines found one journalist dead upon their arrival at the hospital." "Two of the journalists were injured on Apr 8th when they were caught in a firefight at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad." The 2 injured journalists are now being treated at a US field hospital, the statement said. No details on the identities of the 4 were released. US forces guard key Baghdad sites: Red Cross Baghdad. US soldiers are guarding a main Baghdad water utility and a major hospital in a move to curb looting in the Iraqi capital, the ICRC said. The Swiss-based humanitarian agency had urged American troops who swept into Baghdad this wk to help end the chaos that erupted when Saddam Hussein's admin collapsed under the US-led onslaught. It has also been trying to contact whoever is holding American prisoners of war to ensure they are not being harmed and to arrange to visit them, a rep said. The ICRC brokered talks among US civil affairs officials and representatives of Iraqi health and sanitation authorities that started on Fri evening in an effort to restore basic public services to Baghdad's five mn residents. This helped maintain a low level of water supply, the rep said, but demand was also limited by the reduced needs of industry. US troops were also protecting a major hospital, she said. The ICRC has previously said Baghdad's 33 hospitals had been ransacked and were in no shape to cope with wounded people or patients with chronic diseases like diabetes. The ICRC has repeatedly reminded US-led forces in Iraq of their responsibilities under internat'l law as an occupying power. These include protecting vital public services. Marines exchange fire in central Baghdad Baghdad. US forces came under heavy automatic fire on the west bank of the Tigris river in central Baghdad on Sat evening, and said they had killed up to 20 Iraqis or other nat'ls. US Marine Sgt Daniel Finn said that enemy fire had opened up on US troops from 6 bunkers on the W river bank. The exchange lasted around 20 minutes. "We're not sure how many of them there were, but they opened fire and now they're dead," he said adding that he guessed there were 15-20 Iraqis or other nat'ls involved. Separately, one US Marine was killed when a gunman dressed in civilian clothes opened fire on Marines guarding a hospital nr the Palestine Hotel. "We lost a Marine," US Marine Major Michael Purcell said. He said a group of Marines was guarding the hospital when a gunman mixed in with civilians, moved close to the Marines and opened fire at close quarters. "The gunman was wounded or killed," Major Purcell said. Baghdad under curfew as night falls Baghdad. A US-enforced curfew has been imposed on Baghdad as night falls on the Iraqi capital. Much of Baghdad remains in a state of anarchy, in the power vacuum left as US troops chase down Iraqi forces loyal to Saddam Hussein. Night patrols are expected to begin shortly. US Marine rep John Jameson is encouraging Iraqi police and public servants to return to work to speed a return to stability. "We are asking for people to come here, asking for people who have a knowledge of electrical power, plumbing, how the water purification plants work, anyone who has a knowledge of the basic infrastructure of this city, it's helping the people of Baghdad, the people of Iraq if if they do that," he said. Earlier several 100 Iraqis protested in Baghdad at what they said was US forces' failure to secure their city. Garner defends US troops over civil order efforts Kuwait City. The head of the fledgling US-led civil admin in Iraq, retired Gen Jay Garner, says it is unfair on US troops that the media is focusing on the widespread looting. The coal'n force has come under criticism for not making more of an effort to bring civil order to Iraq. Chaos has raged in Iraqi cities since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, as mobs ransack former govt buildings, hospitals, shops and even Baghdad's antiquities museum. The new US-appointed civil admin General Jay Garner, who is in Kuwait, says the looting will die down and the troops have to finish the war before they can handle that civil unrest. Gen Garner says the world concentration on looting, most of which he says is on govt or Baath Party buildings, is unfair on the coal'n troops, which are definitely not turning a blind eye to the pillage. He says he expects Iraqis to become comfortable with US control of their country, until a hand-over to a new self-govt, which he says will take as long as it takes. Centcom rep Brig Vincent Brooks says his soldiers are aware of their obligations but insists their focus remains on wrapping up the war. "There is much work to be done still, and military operations, and also clearly in humanitarian operations," he said. Firefight in W Baghdad Baghdad. US forces fought off an attack on the west bank of the Tigris river in central Baghdad on Sat evening, and said they had seized one of the last remaining strong-holds of Arab "mujahideen" fighters in the city. US Marine Sgt Daniel Finn said that enemy fire had opened up on US troops from 6 bunkers on the W river bank. The exchange lasted around 20 minutes. "We're not sure how many of them there were, but they opened fire and now they're dead," he said adding that he guessed there were 15-20 Iraqis or other nat'ls involved. [The red tracers flying in each direction told their own story]. Separately, one US Marine was killed when a gunman dressed in civilian clothes opened fire on Marines guarding a hospital nr the Palestine Hotel. "We lost a Marine," US Marine Major Michael Purcell said. He said a group of Marines was guarding the hospital when a gunman mixed in with civilians, moved close to the Marines and opened fire at close quarters. "The gunman was wounded or killed," Major Purcell said. As Saliyah. FIGHTING MOVES NORTH! US cmdrs say their forces are moving N of Baghdad towards Tikrit, the last major city outside the US-led coal'n's control and a trad'l power-base of Saddam Hussein. Elsewhere in the N, US troops have been deployed outside the govt's office in Kirkuk, a sign they're steadily taking control of the oil-rich city from Kurdish forces. Turkey has threatened to intervene militarily if Kurdish forces remain in control of Kirkuk and nearby Mosul, which were taken this wk. Anti-war protesters march across Europe London. 1000s of peace campaigners poured onto the streets of Europe this weekend, switching their focus from preventing war on Iraq to protesting against the continuing US and Brit military presence. Although US and Brit officials say the military operation is drawing to an end after the fall of Pres Saddam Hussein's govt, activists said their concerns were as grave as ever. "It is good Saddam has gone but we cannot forget this war is illegal and without the sanction of the UN. It is setting a very dangerous precedent of pre-emption," Pakistani politician and former internat'l cricketer Imran Khan said as he joined a mass rally in London's Hyde Park. "No country should have the right to be judge, jury and executioner. That is the reason the UN was set up -- to protect the weak from the strong. But this war sets a precedent where might is right and undermines the UN." Organisers estimated 100,000 people marched through the city centre, waving banners saying "No Occupation of Iraq" and chanting "Bush, Blair, CIA, how many kids have you killed today?". Police put the numbers at closer to 20,000. In the Italian capital Rome, a march originally organised to call for an end to the fighting changed its slogan to "No to an infinite and global war". In Paris, about 11,000 people marched through the streets demanding an immediate ceasefire in Iraq and the withdrawal of US and Brit troops. Demonstrators, led by several prominent Freedom Communist politicians, carried banners reading "Stop the occupation in Iraq" and "Yes to a democratic and independent Iraq". In Berlin, about 12,000 protesters marched past the headquarters of the opp'n CDU conservatives, who have backed the US-led campaign, shouting "peace not occupation". In Dhaka, Bangladesh, tens of 1000s burned effigies of US Pres George W Bush and Brit PM Tony Blair while in Calcutta, about 15,000 demonstrators formed a human chain around the US and Brit consulates, shouting "Iraq will become another Vietnam for America". Although the turnout in London was far below the roughly mn anti-war protesters who marched through the capital in Feb, organisers said numbers exceeded their expectations. Most of Sat's protests were peaceful and there were few arrests. [About 10,000 protesters marched around AUS in Palm Sunday protests]. 59 men held over letters offering reward for killing US troops Doha. Coalition forces detained 59 men who had letters offering rewards for killing American soldiers and carried a total of $US630,000, a US military rep said. The men were trying to leave Iraq on a bus, Brig Vincent Brooks said. "At a checkpoint in the west, coal'n special operations forces stopped a bus with 59 military aged men. In their possession were letters offering financial rewards for killing American soldiers and $US630,000 in $100 bills," he said. "The men and all their possessions were taken into coal'n control." He said he did not know whether they were Iraqis or not. US marine killed as suicide bombing vests found Baghdad. The number of US soldiers killed in the conflict in Iraq has risen to 110 with the shooting of a US Marine in Baghdad. The marine's death has highlighted the continuing danger to coal'n troops from suicide attacks. The Americans said they had secured a hospital in Baghdad and a water treatment plant threatened by looters. But the risks have been made painfully clear. Two men posing as gardeners approached a US marine guarding a hospital and shot him dead. Fellow marines opened fire and killed one man, found to be carrying Syrian papers, while the other escaped. The Americans have also discovered equipment designed to kit out more than 300 suicide bombers. They confiscated special vests containing explosives and ball bearings that could be worn underneath clothing. Kut falls to US troops SE Iraq. American troops have taken the town of Kut in eastern Iraq, bypassed last week in the rush to Baghdad. US Marines set out overnight towards Kut after intel reports suggested several 100 Arab fighters had gathered there in a football stadium. Exits to the north and west were sealed off, leaving only the route up from the SE. The Americans had feared a fight with determined Islamist fighters motivated by hatred of America's invasion this Arab country. However, the fighters in the city melted away into the night. The fall of Kut is the last missing link in a chain opening up the eastern route from Baghdad down towards Basra. Syria rejects US accusations of aiding Saddam Damascus. Syrian For Min Farouq al-Shara said on Sat US accusations that Damascus had helped Saddam Hussein's Iraq were baseless. Senior figures in US Pres George W Bush's admin have accused Syria in recent weeks of providing military help to Saddam. "These (accusations) are based on allegations that are baseless," Mr Shara said, repeating Syria's previous stance. US Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld has said the US would hold Syria accountable for reported shipments of military equipment, including night vision goggles, to Iraq, calling them "hostile acts". Syria, a staunch opponent of the US-led war to oust Saddam, has warned repeatedly that the conflict could have serious ramifications and said it would throw the region into chaos. As Saliyah. SYRIAN FIGHTER KILLS MARINE! A US Marine has been shot and killed at a Baghdad checkpoint by a man carrying a Syrian ID card. Centcom says the Marine, from the 1st Marine Exped Force, was guarding a checkpoint at a medical facility when 2 men, posting as landscape gardeners, approached him. It says 1 man shot and killed the Marine. Marines nearby shot and killed the Syrian, while the other man fled. US navy moves to scale back Gulf presence Bahrain. The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its battle group of naval escorts have left the Persian Gulf as part of a progressive US naval withdrawal from the region, a senior US military source said. The aircraft carriers Kitty Hawk, Constellation, and Theodore Roosevelt and their respective battle groups may also leave the region shortly in a gradual scaling down of forces, said Vice Adml Timothy Keating. The US military deployed five of its carriers for the war against Iraq, 3 in the Persian Gulf and 2 in the Med, he told a press conf in Bahrain. They and their accompanying naval escorts have launched more than 800 Tomahawk cruise missiles and provided the base for more than 7,000 sorties by US and Brit warplanes during the conflict, he said. Georgetown. US OFFICIAL RETURNED! A US Embassy security officer kidnapped by gunmen in Guyana has been released unharmed. Apparently he would just not shut up! Officials say that apparently a ransom was paid for 35 yo Stephen Lesnaik. He was the 18th person to be kidnapped in the C American country in the past 14 m. At least 2 have been killed and 2 others have been missing for several wks. SARS may cause grounding of Cathay airline HK. HK's Cathay Pacific Airways is considering the complete grounding of its passenger services next m as fear of the deadly SARS virus keeps its planes largely empty. A report of 2 deaths in China's remote N region of Inner Mongolia reinforced worries that the flu-like disease was spreading through the world's most populous country. 10 cases of SARS have been ID-ed in the reg'l capital of Hohhot, Xinhua news agency said. Chinese and WHO officials were not immediately available for comment. The disease has infected more than 3,000 people and killed more than 110 across the globe since it appeared in the S Chinese province of Guangdong in Nov. Analysts forecast a severe effect on some Asian economies, especially Hong Kong, where Cathay Pacific is suffering from a collapse in traffic. Cathay, HK's largest airline and one of Asia's biggest, said later it was not currently planning to ground its services. WHO's website has for the 1st time shown Japan among countries with reported probable cases of SARS. The Japanese Govt says it has dropped its policy of reporting only confirmed cases, Kyodo news agency reported. The Govt is also urging Japanese travellers to be careful on trips to Beijing. HK and mainland Chinese health experts say they have confirmed that the virus in China was the same as the one in HK, debunking the assertion of some Chinese doctors that SARS came from a common microbe, chlamydia pneumoniae, a cause of pneumonia as well as sexually transmitted infections. Like HK SARS sufferers, patients in China showed evidence of a new strain of coronavirus, best known as a cause of the common cold, the University of HK said. Sydney. SARS KILLS WORLD CRUISE! The SARS epidemic has forced the owner of the luxury cruiser The World to cancel the ship's Asian tour and return to SYD. The 12-deck, 43,000 tonne vessel was supposed to arrive in Sing on Apr 1 and remain in Asia until Jun. A rep says ship owner Robert Riley decided not to risk passengers' health, with SARS sweeping through Asia. The ship's general sales agent for AUS Richard Davey says Mr Riley made the decision without consulting passengers, which breaks with the process of choosing the ship's itinerary. Tokyo's Nikkei set to test 7,500 Tokyo (Reuters). Tokyo stocks are expected to plumb new 20-year lows this wk as selling by pension funds and worries about a sluggish global economy continue to hit big blue chip shares. On Fri, electronics giant Sony skidded to a 4-year low of 3,770 yen, partly on selling by corporate pension funds, who are taking advantage of rule changes that allowed them to return part of their pension assets to the state later this year. Heavy selling helped push the benchmark Nikkei average down 3.19 percent for the wk to 7,816.49, its lowest close since Jan 1983. Analysts said it would likely move between 7,500 and 8,000 this week. Traders said caution ahead of quarterly earnings statements by heavy-weights such as Intel Corp and Microsoft Corp in the US -- both due on Tue -- would further dampen incentives to trade for Japanese investors. Biofuel association pushes for total labelling Canberra. The AUS Biofuels Association says a decision by the Fed Govt requiring the mandatory labelling of only ethanol blends of petrol should be revised. The Commonwealth yesterday announced a 10% cap on the levels of ethanol and new petrol labelling laws. The association's Bob Gordon says he will be pushing for labelling to be compulsory for all types of fuel. "We're concerned about if the decision for labelling is just for ethanol alone, because there are a whole range of fuels that the consumer knows little about in terms of their content," he said. "So we'll be going back to the Govt on this and say, if we can label the contents of food, certainly we should be able to label all the contents of all transport fuel." Canberra. HOWARD SAYS WAR IS NOT TARGETED AT ISLAMIC COUNTRIES! PM John Howard has told Islamic leaders the war on Iraq and the other Axis of Evil countries is not an attack on Islam -- because North Korea is in there, too. He said the fall of Saddam Hussein is a victory for the US foreign policy directions, and also for the Iraqi people. Mr Howard was the guest of honour at the AFIC annual dinner in SYD last night. And people thought he was going to use the invite to try and score cheap political points! Mr Howard appealed to Islamic leaders to work with the govt to promote western values. He says AUS is committed to a significant role in the fight against Islamic terrorism, and also will contribute some token to the rebuilding of Iraq. NY. ALDRIN SELLS PROOF HE WAS ON MOON! A flight document allegedly carried during the 1st lunar landing on Jul 20, 1969, and signed by astronaut Buzz Aldrin has fetched nearly $US1/4 mn during an auction. The navigational notebook that bears smudges of moon dust was the property of Aldrin. The 20 cm by 27 cm document sold for $US222,500 to an un-named Pennsylvanian dealer specialising in art and autographs. Swann Gallery rep Caroline Birenbaum says Aldrin and cmdr Neil Armstrong recorded critical data values to enable spacecraft manoeuvres. Melbourne. TASSIE LOGJAM! Heavy rain which swelled rivers and caused landslides and power outages across Tas has caused a huge logjam on the Is state's NW coast and threatened boats nr Wumyard. Tas Police rep Sgt Pat Lee says the logjam developed at the mouth of the Ingliss R. Marine Board officers have been called out and are trying to clear the floating mass of logs and trees. Land clearing upstream along the Ingliss is thought to have left large amounts of felled material on the banks. {{ CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS Midnight. IT'S DAY TWENTY-FOUR. Midday. The Pentagon has released to latest casualty figures. US forces have lost 110 troops KIA, 3 of them yesterday. 10 are MIA, and 7 are still POW's. It says about 400 are wounded. Brit still lists 30 KIA, none missing and no POW's. Iraq says more than 1,200 civilians have been killed in the war so far. 9 pm Reporters have beaten US troops into Tikrit. They say there is likely to be little or no resistance and tribal leaders there want to negotiate a peace. Mosul. Calm is returning to the oil town. Property owners are setting up their own protection system. But the Americans are asking for former police to return to work. The Kurds are outraged -- the police were mostly Sunni Arabs and are hated symbols of the regime. Kirkuk. Kurdish chiefs told other officials that democracy would prevail in Kurdistan. Peshmurgas are leaving the city. Turkey says it sees "no immediate reason" to enter the region. Americans say they are administering the region. 50 tankers of water have arrived for the city's thirsty. But some people are calling for food and electricity. Kirkuk won't be back on its feet for some time. Basra. At the bombed-out multi-story police HQ 1000s gather outside. Inside, men were listing for signs of life under the concrete floors. One man says he can hear voices under the rubble, in is rumoured to be a secure chamber. The Brits eventually arrived to help. Meanwhile, in another party of the prison, there are rings on the floors, showing people were chained down. We also saw the brutal solitary confinement cells. They were cold, 4 ft by 4 ft windowless cells. If anyone is underneath this building, they've been trapped down there for 3 wks. The Brit's bring in the heavy digging equipment. They also hand out magazines to the waiting crowd. But the crowd is not so easily bribed. There might also be a problem with the W-ern subject-matter. The people ask for food and water, but take the offered magazines anyway. The Brits later say nothing of substance was found under the prison floor. Elsewhere, Basra's Museum of Natural History has been destroyed by looters. "History here has been finished", says the director. }} CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS ---------------------------------------- Mon, 14 Apr 2003. Battles outside Tikrit Blast rocks Afghan capital Voters back war against Iraq Bush sees NK progress Stepping up the pressure on Syria IRA hints at co-operation SARS isn't dead Howard denies tax claims Kennett threatens comeback Continuous war news Baghdad. BATTLES OUTSIDE TIKRIT! US troops have battled the Iraqi army in Saddam Hussein's stronghold, Tikrit. They've moved in assault choppers and F/A-18 aircraft to attack forces holding the last significant town remaining for the invaders to take. Gen Tommy Franks, who has commanded the US-led war in Iraq, says although the core Iraqi army has been destroyed, militia, death squads and foreign fighters are battling on. During their push to Saddam's N power-base, the Marines rescued 7 US soldiers missing since the 3rd day of the 25-day war. Kabul. BLAST ROCKS AFGHAN CAPITAL! A suspected landmine has rocked the Afghan capital, Kabul. The late night blast in Yakatut district, about 5 km from Kabul's city centre, initially prompted fears of an attack on the US embassy 1 km away. However a US Sp Forces soldier at the scene says it appears the explosion was caused by a land mine. Dozens of armed French, Italian and Brit soldiers of the peacekeeping Int'l Security Assistance Force that ensures security in the city were at the scene immediately. Canberra. VOTERS BACK WAR AGAINST IRAQ! Voter support for the fed govt is tipped to edge up following the fall of Baghdad. The latest Morgan poll shows the ALP would have won an election on minor party prefs in early Apr. But pollster Gary Morgan says with the toppling of Saddam's regime in Iraq, support is now likely to swing back to the coal'n. In another poll published in today's Australian, Labor is already suffering a slump. Washington. BUSH SEES NK PROGRESS! Pres Bush Jr says he sees progress in moving toward multilateral talks to resolve the standoff with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program. Bush told reporters at the Whitehouse they are making progress on the Korean peninsula after Pyongyang signalled some flexibility on the issue. He says Washington has made it clear the best way to deal with NK's proliferation is through a multinational forum. Washington. STEPPING UP THE PRESSURE ON SYRIA! The US is stepping up the pressure on Syria as the war in Iraq appears to be entering its final stages. Washington has accused Syria of possessing chemical weapons, charged that its nationals fought US troops in Baghdad, and warned it against allowing snr Iraqi leaders to escape through its territory. Pres Bush Jr has stopped short of threatening US action against Damascus. However his comments are being seen as a warning to Syria to halt support for the deposed Iraqi regime. Belfast. IRA HINTS AT CO-OPERATION! The IRA has hinted at further disarmament to jump-start the stalled peace process in N Ireland. The IRA issued a statement discussing its attitude towards resuming contacts with the int'l disarmament commission days after the 5th anniversary of the Good Fri accord that launched the peace process. That process ground to a halt last y when London was forced to suspend the region's assembly after an alleged IRA spy ring was discovered. HK. SARS ISN'T DEAD! HK has reported a sharp increase in deaths from SARS, with more fatalities across the globe pushing the world-wide total from the epidemic to 132. Health officials say 5 people died in HK late yesterday and today from the illness. The rise -- the highest daily toll released this m -- pushes the total number of dead in the territory to 41 since the disease was first reported 1 m ago. Sydney. HOWARD DENIES TAX CLAIMS! PM John Howard has rejected claims his govt is the biggest-taxing in AUS history. The Daily Telegraph has reported Aussies are being taxed more than ever before, paying #127.3 bn in income tax this FY. It also says the govt's raking in an additional $31.1 bn every y through hidden fed levies and taxes on items such as Medicare, tobacco and plane fares. However Mr Howard told radio 2GB the nominal amount of dollars collected always rises, so every govt is the highest-taxing ever. [Of course, it's also the highest in terms of %GDP]. Melbourne. KENNETT THREATENS COMEBACK! Former Vic Prem Jeff Kennett has suggested he could return to state politics after the govt revealed a looming $1 bn budget blowout to maintain the state's public transport system. Treas John Brumby has blamed the public transport mess on the Kennett govt, saying its privatisation of the system was flawed. But Mr Kennett has hit back, telling radio 3AW he might be forced to return to politics if the govt is unable to manage the state's finances. {{ CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS Midnight. IT'S DAY TWENTY-FIVE. 6 am 7 American POW's have been freed. A tip-off led US forces in the N if Iraq to the 5 remaining captured members of a supply convoy, as well as 2 Apache pilots. All are in good condition, according to Centcom. They had been deserted by their guards. 4 of the 55 "most wanted" Iraqi leaders are accounted for. One of Saddam's 1/2-brothers is dead, another was captured trying to cross into Syria. Chemical Ali is believed to also be dead. And Gen Amer al-Saadi, Saddam's scientific advisor, has surrendered. There was a fire-fight nr the Palestine Hotel last night. American forces and a small group of enemy battled for several mins in full view of reporters in the hotel. The gun-battle ended when one man surrendered to US soldiers. Looting in Baghdad is declining, thanks to Neighbourhood Watch -- Iraqi style. Men armed with automatic weapons are guarding neighbourhoods. And they're prepared to shoot suspicious characters on sight. Despite CNN reporters saying Tikrit is open, American forces are finding outside the city. Yesterday, reporters showed the gates to the city were unguarded and the local army barracks had been abandoned, with rows on rows of vehicles left in parking lots. But the barracks of the Rep Guard -- marked with a red triangle -- was damaged, and the soldiers there are reported to have withdrawn in fighting order. Reporters came under fire as they were leaving the city. Tommy Franks says he expected the fighting to be disorganised. Now US forces are holding the roads out of the city. They'll use the same tactics they've tried elsewhere -- probing and squeezing until resistance collapses. Pres Bush has warned Syria it must co-operate with Washington's efforts to topple the Iraqi regime. Looters are still at work in Baghdad. BBC reporters found them stripping the German embassy again today. But troops are now guarding hospitals and other critical targets of the looters. After 5 days of chaos, a semblance of normality is returning. People are starting to return to the capital. Mosul is under guard. It fells like a no-go area. The Kurds and Arabs have gotten together, and are guarding key centres. American troops are also on the streets. Troops at checkpoints tell reporters to move on -- they don't want to attract suicide bombers. Banknotes shredded in rioting days ago still litter the streets. Under a defaces portrait of Saddam, someone has written "No to the occupation". Midday. The Pentagon says it has evidence some snr Baath party members are now in Syria, with some having moved on to other countries. Analysts say the chance that the US will now attack Syria are "slim". Syria is now isolated, surrounded by US allies. The US has a lot of political leverage, and doesn't need to use military power. In Baghdad, many bodies are buried in makeshift graves. There are so many dead and missing that volunteers help families find their missing members. Makeshift graveyards are springing up around the city. Men scrape back the earth, to see if they recognise buried bodies. Young men shot at checkpoints are not a topic of discussion for the US troops. In Basra, the Brits are calling up former serving police. Saddam's policemen are coming back to work. The locals are wary, and it's impossible to check the credentials of those turning up at the police stn. The Brits hope all they're guilty of is corruption. The Brit cmdr hopes to get them out on the streets within hrs. He says they're the best he's got. They will operate under Brit supervision, and have no uniform or weapons. After a short demo patrol for the cameras, complaints came from the public that the former cops were asking for bribes. They were soon tucked away in Brit tanks and crowds of people were asking reporters for help. }} CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS ======================================== (*) 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. *** Damascus: your uncle Pyongyang wants you to to call. ***