From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia Reserch Senter(*) OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS #20 =============================== In the Run-Up to World War III, Reliably Reporting the News Relevant to Extreme Right-Wing Democratic Socialists Everywhere (validated for RiteThink(tm) by the Office of Our Man in Can-berra). Visit Our Home Page At: http://www.chickenhead.com/loserscopes/0103.asp See the Undeniable Evidence At: http://www.evil-doers.org/evidence Kindly Archived At: http://www.kymhorsell.com/BOZO/archives/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Selecting latest news stories and other data for you... ------------------------------------------------------------ That extra mile has come to an end. -- Ari Fleischer, Whitehouse mouth, 13 Mar 2003, telling a press conf that Pres Bush has gone that extra mile, and having gone, rested, and then found that was it. ---------------------------------------- YOU DINT AST. While the US Senate has moved swiftly to tackle the threat of foreign toast, there is still a quibble with the foreign water and wine. Last m an anti-French campaign targeted certain brands of imported water and certain wines, because -- said the propaganda -- they were "clarified using bovine blood". The quibble is -- why didn't anyone think it was enough of a problem to tell me this BEFORE the French started defying US hegemony? ---------------------------------------- Wed, 12 Mar 2003. The French correction Opinion polls Opp'n to invasion strongest for 6 m Al-Jazeera bridges Gulf of opinion US, Brit forced to retreat on UN vote We'll go to war without Brit: Rumsfeld We must take on Saddam, even without the UN, says Howard Iraq appeals to UN to stop 'imminent catastrophe' Oil supply limits to stay: OPEC US firms set for postwar contracts Questionable 'evidence' obscures Iraq debate Aust urges UN to 'face up' over Iraq Pope offers Saddam 72 hours to go into exile Cyprus reunification talks end in failure Govt denies Aust intelligence divided over Iraq policy Bush urges Korea talks but acts tough Asian forum plan for N Korea crisis PM hides from war protests Another Phil bombing It's a jungle out there Fijians don't like dented cans Woomera jail to close Aussie "terrorist" remains in Cuba Flogged Aussie to be released Dengue outbreak Markets Dollar suffers in pre-war jitters Washington. THE FRENCH CORRECTION! With Senate cafeterias renaming items on the breakfast menu to "Freedom Toast" and "Freedom Fries" following a suggestion from some freedom-loving Republicans, the French Emb in Washington has pointed out so-called "french fries" actually are "Belgian fries". But they had no official come-back on the fried bread. Sydney (SMH). OPINION POLLS! Are you now more persuaded by the US case for war? 75% of the 4,348 respondents said "Less", 20% said "More". Should protesting students be treated as truants? Of the 3,028 respondents 59% said "Way too harsh", and 37% "Absolutely". Ratio close to fertility rates. Does AUS need a missile defence system? 70% of the 2,570 respondents said No, 25% Yes. Are you in favour or against the injecting room trial? 65% of 1,530 voting said "In favour" and 13% were "Against". [What are] Peace protests are more likely to? 61% of the 5,229 respondents said "Pressure leaders for peace", 31% elected "Comfort Saddam", while 6% said "Divide the community". Will Howard's stance on Iraq affect your NSW election vote? 55% of 4,549 respondents said "Yes: we're going to vote against the Liberals" (fed govt), 30% said "No", and 11% said "Yes: we're going to vote against Labor" (fed Opp'n). Would you support a UN-backed war? 50% of 4,859 voters said "No"; 44% said "Yes". What is the best option on Iraq? 48% of 6,085 voters nominated "Bring the troops home", 25% elected "Give Iraq more time", 14% insisted "Time is up" and 13% indicated "Request a new UN res authorising force". Which plan do you think the UN should back? An overwhelming 78% of the 1,567 people responding went for the German-French plan, and 17% backed the US idea. Do you now understand the US, Brit and AUS case for using military force? 65% of 4,080 respondents said "No". Should the UN now back the use of force? 61% of 7,001 respondents indicated "No" and 35% said "Yes". Who did you think was most convincing in the Parl'y debate on Iraq yesterday? A majority of 64% of the 4,596 voters said Simon Crean, while 22% said PM John Howard had won. 14% said neither had won. Would you support AUS involvement in war with Iraq with UN backing? The majority -- 52% -- of 4,272 respondents said "No". 29% said "Yes", while 18% remained to be convinced either way. Is the Govt's [$A15 mn] terrorism kit a waste of money? A massive 84% of the 3,133 respondents said "Yes". Who has been the better Labor PM? Of the 2,193 respondents, 41% voted for Paul Keating, 36% for Bob Hawke, while only 24% remembered Gough Whitlam. For some reason, Gough appeared twice on the ticket. There was also a ringer on the list -- Mal Fraser. No-one voted for him. Opp'n to invasion strongest for 6 m Sydney. Opp'n to an invasion of Iraq without UN approval has strengthened as Aussies' opinions on the war harden, a new poll has found. The level of AUS opp'n to a US-led attack has grown to 59%, its highest in 6 m. While support for unilateral action is holding in the US at 55%, in Brit, the latest polls show only 15% in favour. As the PM, John Howard, begins preparing the country for war without UN backing, a big majority of men opposed to that prospect has emerged for the 1st time. It has grown from 43% in Nov to 55% this m. The survey, conducted by UMR Research for the Hawker Britton political consultancy, found that the proportion of women opposed to a US-led strike grew over the same period from 59% to 63%. At the same time, support also grew for the now-unlikely prospect of a multilateral military action conducted with UN sanction. Of the 1,000 people polled last wk, 64% said they would support such an action while 31% were opposed. The proportion of respondents undecided about war plummeted to just 4%. The division between Coal'n and Labor voters grew on the question of whether AUS should follow the US into war without UN approval. The poll showed 75% of Labor voters opposed to unilateralism and 54% of Coal'n voters in support. There was also a strong shift in the number of swinging voters voicing their opp'n. It rose from 55% in Nov to 68% this wk. In Brit, the PM, Tony Blair, faced a hostile TV audience as he tried to win support for disarming Saddam. The host asked how it felt to be called George Bush's poodle. The latest British poll showing only 15% support for an attack on Iraq without UN backing is the 1st published in Brit since last Fri's report by the UN chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, and the proposal for a 2nd resolution setting a Mar 17 deadline for Iraq to disarm. It showed 68% would support a war with UN backing, up from 52% less than 2 wk ago. But the poll also found 78% of these believed there must be a 2nd UN resolution for their support to hold. In the US there is growing impatience with the UN and half say they would support military action against Iraq even if the Sec Council refuses to support an invasion, according to the latest NY Times/CBS News Poll. But a majority of respondents, 52%, say inspectors should be given more time to search for evidence of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons on the ground in Iraq. Still, that number has dropped over the past m, and there has been an increase in the number of Americans who say the US has done enough to find a diplomatic solution in Iraq. Now, 55% say they would support an American invasion of Iraq, even in defiance of a vote by the Sec Council. Al-Jazeera bridges Gulf of opinion Doha. A 1/2 hr drive from the huge military base outside Doha where US cmdrs are completing their plans for Iraq, a much smaller HQ is gearing up for a different sort of air war. The crammed studio and head office of Al-Jazeera, the Arabic news channel, is preparing to compete with CNN and the other big broadcasters for Iraq war scoops to follow its past world exclusives, such as broadcasting tapes of OBL and live coverage from Kabul during the bombing of Afghanistan. Al-Jazeera is also battling with the mostly undemocratic govts of the Middle E for the right to let Arabs know what is really going on in their region. Beamed to 35 mn homes worldwide -- AUS's 177,000 Arabic speakers can watch it on Optus pay TV -- Al-Jazeera in just 6 y has become the most important news medium in an Arab world that previously had only govt-controlled broadcasters. Public opp'n to a war is one of the main reasons Saudi Arabia and most other Arab states are offering the US less co-operation than during the 1991 Gulf War, and Al-Jazeera is the forum for influencing that public opinion. According to Maha Azzam, a Middle E expert at London's Royal Institute of International Affairs, Al-Jazeera's broadcasts will be one of the biggest differences between the 1st and 2nd Gulf wars. While CNN was alone in broadcasting live from Baghdad last time, Al-Jazeera will now be on the air with its superior Iraqi contacts, and its unmatched credibility and market reach among Arab audiences. Footage of Iraqi casualties will translate into public sympathy, Dr Azzam warns, forcing local govts to increase resistance to the US-led campaign. And, unlike in the 1st Gulf War, the people of the region will have access to views critical of their own govts. The local dictators and hereditary monarchs are already nervous about George W Bush's talk of bringing democracy to a region where dissent is stifled. Al-Jazeera, which means The Lighthouse, has infuriated those leaders with its uncensored news programs, call-in shows and aggressive debates airing diverse opinions. Its reporters were expelled from Kuwait last y, and are banned from Jordan, Algeria, Bahrain and Syria. The stn has not even bothered asking for permission to operate in Saudi Arabia, which recalled its ambassador from Doha last y after one program criticised its royal family. Al-Jazeera was initially dismissed by Whitehouse officials as a mouthpiece for OBL after it aired tapes of the extremist. But the network says it was just doing its job as a news network. The US has since implemented a plan to provide Arab-language "news and information" via its own network, courtesy the President's new Office of Global Communication. US, Brit forced to retreat on UN vote NY/London (The Age). The US and Brit have been forced to delay their push for a UN res authorising war against Iraq after France and Russia vowed to defeat it. UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan also intensified the pressure on Washington, warning that conflict would be illegitimate without a new resolution authorising it. Mr Annan said that without the resolution military action would be "seriously impaired" and not conform to the UN charter. Reacting to the French and Russian objections, Brit has circulated a compromise document that would give Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein 12 tests to avoid war. Tony Blair also told Parl today the deal will involve Saddam Hussein being forced to go onto Iraqi TV to admit he has concealed WMD for the past 10 y. Officials conceded the new proposal could set back by a few days the March 17 ultimatum proposed by the US and Brit last wk. Diplomats said there were signs that the so-called "middle 6" nations on the Sec Council were open to the compromise. Russia and France, both of which have veto powers, are engaged in frantic lobbying to head off American moves to win UN sanction for war. The statements from France and Russia sent officials from the US rushing back to the text of the resolution, to see what changes might be made, to encourage both countries to abstain, rather than veto. Desperate US officials were also studying the text of the French and Russian statements, hoping for some clues that either nation was bluffing and might still be persuaded to abstain. AUS Def Min Robert Hill condemned France's stance, and said Mr Chirac's prediction that war would shatter the internat'l coal'n against terrorism was wrong. Sen Hill also said war appeared the only option to force Iraq to disarm. PM John Howard continued to back the 2nd British and US res to the UN authorising the use of force against Iraq, stating Saddam Hussein needed to be confronted. Mr Howard said his speech to the National Press Club tomorrow would lay out the arguments for the world "getting behind the resolution". The PM rejected claims that his stance was driven by a "blind, automatic loyalty to the US". Mr Howard said it was right to rid rogue states of chem and bio weapons. Mr Blair has been rocked by resignation threats by ministers, and faces dwindling public support for his stance. A poll in The Times newspaper this wk also found only 52% of Britons -- down 10 points from a m ago -- believed Mr Blair should join a US military strike even with a second resolution. Mr Annan warned the US not to launch a strike without UN approval. "The charter is very clear on circumstances under which force can be used," Mr Annan said. "If the US and others were to go outside the council and take military action, it would not be in conformity with the charter." We'll go to war without Brit: Rumsfeld Washington (AFP). The US is making plans to fight a war against Iraq without Brit if domestic pressure forces PM Tony Blair to back out of a US-led conflict, US Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld said today. Brit is the main ally of the US in the showdown with Iraq, having sent 1000s of troops to the Gulf, and is still strongly lobbying for a new resolution that would set a deadline for Iraq to disarm. But with Blair under mounting pressure over his aggressive pro-US stance, and Brit diplomats looking at ways to amend the UN resolution to get greater internat'l support, Rumsfeld said it was unclear what role Brit would play in a US-led war on Iraq. Blair is facing increasing resistance -- both at parl'y level and among the public -- to Brit participating in strikes on Iraq without UN approval, putting his own leadership under severe strain. The US today left the door ajar to a UN compromise on a Mar 17 deadline it has placed in the 2nd resolution for Baghdad to disarm or face strikes, with UN member states mostly opposed to preemptive action. Rumsfeld also mentioned a possible Brit role in Iraq after military action. "There's a 2nd issue of their role in a post-Saddam Hussein reconstruction process or stabilisation process, which would be a different matter," he said. The news their US ally was prepared to go it alone reportedly sent shock waves through Number Ten. It also came as a surprise to the 20,000 Brit troops currently moving in on the Iraqi borders. Rumsfeld was later forced to back-peddle, saying later he expected Brit to be part of the multi-lateral force that would disarm Saddam Hussein. We must take on Saddam, even without the UN, says Howard Canberra. The PM has launched a spirited final campaign to persuade Aussies of the case for war in Iraq, as a new poll reveals firming opp'n to conflict without UN backing, The complications for the Fed Govt grew last night with the public resignation of one of its intel analysts, who proclaimed the move towards war as "dumb" and "unjustified". And a former Liberal leader, John Hewson, last night predicted that cabinet and party solidarity was about to break with a significant number of snr Liberals opposed to John Howard's pro-American stance. He told SBS the PM was taking AUS on a journey with no idea where it was leading. As the prospects of a unilateral action against Iraq grew yesterday, Mr Howard said the world faced "a crucial moment" in its history and indicated that the US-led forces could not back down against Iraq. He also downplayed the significance of winning the legal case for war in the UN, as the chances of securing a new Sec Council res appeared to evaporate. Mr Howard has consistently argued that there is sufficient legal authority in the 17 resolutions already imposed on Iraq to justify war. However, that view was rejected yesterday by the UN Sec Gen, Kofi Annan. Mr Howard has recognised in recent wks that public opinion is not on his side in backing the US, but has said "the jury is still out" and people have not made up their minds. Polls shows people are beginning to finalise their opinions and that a growing number do not support a unilateral invasion. As Mr Howard and his snr advisers prepared for a statement to the National Press Club tomorrow on the case for war, an analyst at the ONA dealt them a blow by quitting his job with a public denunciation of the Govt's stance. Andrew Wilkie, who prepared a govt paper on the likely humanitarian impact of a war on Iraq, said Saddam Hussein's regime did not pose a serious enough threat to justify war. He said attacking Saddam would provoke the Iraqi leader into the sort of reckless use of chemical and biological weapons that the world sought to avoid. Mr Howard stressed that the UN would be unable to deal effectively with N Korea if it did not act forcefully with Iraq. But the Opp'n Leader, Simon Crean, said an un-sanctioned invasion would tell N Korea that it was acceptable to defy the UN's authority. Hey -- even regime changing other countries against world opinion, to show everyone what your kind of democracy is all about -- is OK, provided you have enough nukes! Iraq appeals to UN to stop 'imminent catastrophe' NY (AFP & AP). Iraq appealed today to the UN Sec Council and to UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan to prevent what it called the imminent catastrophe of war led by the US. Iraq's amb to the UN, Mohammed Al-Douri, told an open meeting of the council that the goal of the US and its ally, Brit, was not Iraqi disarmament, as demanded by the council, but "to lay their hands on our oil". The 2-day public debate was adjourned after 4 hours today, having heard 28 of the 47 speakers scheduled to take the floor. It will resume tomorrow at 3 pm. Al-Douri declared that his country had taken "the strategic decision to rid itself of its weapons of mass destruction", adding that it had completed its disarmament before the previous UN arms inspectors left Iraq in 1998. Today's session was the 3rd of its kind since US Pres George W Bush challenged the UN General Assembly in a speech on Sep 12 to enforce Sec Council resolutions. It was the 2nd since Nov 8, when the council unanimously adopted Resolution 1441, demanding that Iraq make full and honest disclosure of its weapons of mass destruction and that it cooperate fully with the inspectors. Kuwait's amb to the UN, Mohammad Abulhasan, said Iraq's cooperation with the UN inspectors was "superficial and merely procedural". Malaysia's acting ambassador, Zainuddin Yahya, urged the council "in the name of humanity" not to vote for war. S African ambassador Dumisani Kumalo quoted the opening words of the UN Charter: "We the peoples of the UN, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war..." and urged the council to keep them in mind in its deliberations. "Resolution 1441 is about the disarmament of Iraq through inspections," Kumalo declared. "It is not a declaration of war." Siding unambiguously with France and Russia, which have threatened to veto the US-British draft, Kumalo said there was no justification for an ultimatum to Iraq and no need for another resolution until the arms inspections process was exhausted. Reuters reported that Canada's UN ambassador called for a 3-wk ultimatum for Iraq to comply with UN demands to disarm or face the possibility of war. The proposal by Ambassador Paul Heinbecker, a revision of an earlier suggestion, would give Iraq more time to meet UN demands than the US-British-Spanish resolution that calls for a March 17 deadline to comply. Canada is not a council member. Should Iraq comply with some of the demands, the UN Sec Council should set a series of rolling deadlines that would ensure Iraq continued cooperating, he said. Canada's earlier proposals influenced 6 undecided members of the council in asking for the Mar 17 deadline to be extended and Brit is considering asking for a few extra days. Oil supply limits to stay: OPEC Doha. OPEC oil producers have agreed to leave official supply limits unchanged at 24.5 mn bpd. Algerian Oil Min Chakib Khelil says the Organisation has also decided against any formal contingency plan for the suspension of output limits, should the US launch war on Iraq. Oil prices are currently around $US37.00 for US crude and within striking distance of the $US41.00 a barrel high recorded during the 1991 Gulf War. Mr Khelil, has made the announcement in Vienna, after an informal meeting of OPEC oil ministers. Before the meeting, it was generally believed the cartel would not raise its output quotas because of the looming threat of war in Iraq. US firms set for postwar contracts Washington. The American govt is on the verge of awarding construction contracts worth $100s mn to rebuild Iraq once Saddam Hussein is deposed. Halliburton, one of the companies in the running for the deals, was headed by the US vice-Pres Dick Cheney between 1995 and 2000. Halliburton has already been awarded a lucrative contract, worth $100s mn, to resurrect the Iraqi oilfields if there is a war. Other companies have strong ties to the US Admin, incl the construction giant Bechtel, the Fluor Corp, and the Louis Berger Group, which is presently involved in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Both Bechtel and the Fluor Corp undertake construction and project management work for the US govt. Only US companies are on the shortlist of 5. The US agency for internat'l development (USAID) defended the narrow shortlist. A rep said: "Because of the urgent circumstances and the unique nature of this work, USAID will undertake a limited selection process that expedites the review and selection of contractors for these projects." The rep said that it was a policy of USAID to use US companies for projects funded by the American taxpayer. Non-US companies were free, through their govts, to organise their own business, she said. The winning company would get about $900 mn to repair Iraqi health services, ports, airports, schools and other educational institutions. Sources at the companies said the invitation was unusual in that USAID did not ask them to set a price for defined services but rather asked them to say what they could do for $900 mn. However, the winning company could expect to make a profit of about $80 mn from the deal. All 5 bidders have submitted their proposals or are preparing to do so after USAID "quietly" sent out a detailed request soliciting proposals from the likely bidders. According to WSJ, the Iraq reconstruction plan will require contractors to fulfil various tasks, incl reopening at least 1/2 of the "economically important roads and bridges" -- about 1,500 miles of roadway -- within 18 m. The contractors will also be asked to repair 15% of Iraq's high-voltage electricity grid, renovate several 1000 schools and deliver 550 emergency generators within 2 m. Construction industry executives said the handful of firms are competing fiercely in part because they believe it could provide an inside track to postwar business opportunities. The most highly sought-after prizes are oil industry contracts. The US govt is believed to be wary of any backlash against an invasion and is preparing plans for a "hearts and minds" operation that will swing into place as soon as the country is occupied. The govt is mindful of the longterm benefits of feeding hungry Iraqis, delivering clean water, and paying teachers and health workers. It remains unclear whether Iraqis, Americans or an internat'l consortium will manage the oil industry during an early post-conflict period. Steven Schooner, a George Washington Uni law professor, said many $bns are at stake. He estimated that $900 mn would barely last 6 m given the scope of the projects the Admin has sketched out. Questionable 'evidence' obscures Iraq debate Washington (USA Today). Turning the UN Sec Council into a closed-door courtroom, the US argued Mon that UN inspectors had clear evidence proving Iraq has failed to disarm: at least one unmanned aircraft that could drop weapons of mass destruction. The illegal drone was revealed in a written report by chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix on Fri. Yet he skimmed over it in his much-anticipated update on Iraq's disarmament progress the same day. Nor did Blix discuss inspectors' discovery of a new type of Iraqi cluster bomb that could be filled with chemical or biological agents. As the council debate intensifies over whether to go to war against Iraq, such findings have sparked heated arguments over the credibility and completeness of the evidence being used to decide whether combat is justified to disarm Saddam Hussein. Such a crucial decision requires solid facts. Too often, though, evidence presented by UN inspectors, Brit and the US has been based on incomplete info or questionable conclusions. [As is this latest drone furphy!] The stakes in this argument run as high as the emotions. Proof that UN inspectors have soft-pedalled Iraqi violations could win needed supporters for a new US-backed resolution that the Security Council is expected to vote on this wk. Blix shrugs off US charges that he buried damaging findings about Iraqi weapon discoveries in his written report rather than highlight them in last wk's speech. Yet the 173-page document presents devastating descriptions of Iraq's illegal arsenal. Besides confirming details of the drone aircraft, inspectors increased their estimates of the anthrax stockpiles Saddam is believed to be hiding, from 8,500 L to 10,000 L. The report also warned that the number of shells and bombs filled with mustard gas that Saddam failed to account for is likely higher than an earlier estimate of 1,000. But the US and Brit have had their own credibility problems. On Fri, UN nuclear weapons inspector Mohamed ElBaradei disputed US and Brit assertions that Iraq bought uranium from Niger, saying the claims were based on forged documents. Aluminium tubes that Washington and London had insisted were for a nuclear program were the wrong dimensions for that purpose, he said. And a Brit report of Iraqi arms violations had to be retracted after revelations that it was plagiarised from a college paper posted on a public Web site. Neither side bolsters its case by hyping or hiding evidence. An honest evaluation of the facts can best unite a fractured Sec Council around an inescapable conclusion: Saddam continues to defy the UN, and a broad alliance prepared to use force is needed to prompt him to disarm. [I detect internal inconsistency!] Aust urges UN to 'face up' over Iraq NY. Members of the UN Sec Council have been unable to reach agreement about how to proceed on Iraq. Iraq's ambassador to the UN, Mohammed Al-Douri, spoke first. The Brit amb to the UN looked over the top of his glasses as country after country said "no" to war. Most of the 28 speakers who took the floor on the 1st day of the debate called on the council to vote against military action and instead to pursue more arms inspections. However they also urged Iraq to do more to save itself from war. AUS's ambassador to the UN John Dauth has urged the council to face up to its responsibilities. Mr Dauth spoke before an open meeting of the UN Sec Council, representing one of the few nations firmly behind the US position. He said the UN's future hangs in the balance. Six undecided Sec Council members are reported to be working on a proposal to give Iraq between 30 and 45 days to comply with UN demands. In Washington, Whitehouse rep Ari Fleischer has said any suggestion to extend the Mar 17 deadline by one m is a non-starter. Russia's UN ambassador Sergei Lavrov also seems unreceptive. "Any resolution resolution which contains ultimatums and which contains automaticity for the use of force is not acceptable to us," he said. The UN says it has pulled out more than 30 weapons inspectors throughout Iraq. But it is refusing to confirm if the pull-out is part of an evacuation plan ahead of possible war. The UN says about 70 weapons inspectors remain in Iraq, down from a high of more than 100. It is understood the UN is ready to evacuate its remaining weapons inspectors within 3 hours of being ordered to pull out of Baghdad. Meanwhile, Russia has flown all its nationals out of Iraq apart from 70 diplomats and specialist workers. Pope offers Saddam 72 hours to go into exile Vatican. The Pope is trying to broker a deal to have Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein accept exile and avoid war at the last minute. Under the secret plan -- the existence of which Vatican officials confirmed yesterday -- Mr Saddam and his family have 72 hrs from yesterday to accept. The exile proposal comes as veteran AUS peace activist Helen Caldicott mounts a worldwide campaign to have the Pope go to Baghdad as a human shield -- the only one US Pres George Bush would not bomb, she says. The Pope's proposal, brokered by the Vatican with Saudi Arabia and moderate Arab states, was reportedly tabled by Pakistan during a meeting of the 10 non-permanent members of the UN Sec Council. The Glasgow Sun Herald reported that the proposal could become part of a 2nd Sec Council resolution. The report said that under the plan the UN would establish and oversee a new Iraqi govt and the UN would take stewardship of Iraq's oilfields. 50 Iraqi military leaders would be offered amnesty for co-operation. Meanwhile, Dr Caldicott said from the US yesterday that she had been overwhelmed by the response to her campaign, which began on Mar 1. Yesterday she said she was getting 100s of emails daily. She said the Pope had been active in opposing war. "I think he feels passionate. He's an old man who is very sick with nothing to lose." She said some who rang the Vatican were told by telephone operators: "It's you stupid Americans who voted George Bush in." There is precedent for a pope halting an invasion. In 452 Pope Leo the Great visited the camp of Attila the Hun and persuaded Attila not to invade Rome. Cyprus reunification talks end in failure Cyprus. Talks to reunify Cyprus have failed, the UN Sec-Gen, Kofi Annan, announced today as he left all-night negotiations with Greek and Turkish leaders. "We have reached the end of the road," Mr Annan said, signalling the end of m of intense efforts to reunite the Med Is split into Greek and Turkish sides after being divided by war in 1974. Observers say the failure will force the EU to put Turkey's plan to join the organisation on hold for the foreseeable future. Mr Annan had used Cyprus's impending entry into the EU to pressure the Greek Cypriot Pres, Tassos Papadopoulos, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, to agree on a federation plan that would bring the 2 sides together under a single weak central govt. However, the Turkish prime minister, Abdullah Gul, said he believed UN efforts to reunite Cyprus had not completely ended and that Turkey still sought a solution on the island. If the UN plan had been approved by the Greek and Turkish communities, Cyprus could have signed an accession agreement with the EU on Apr 16 as a united country. Without agreement, the whole of Cyprus will be accepted as a member, but with provisions for EU laws to apply to the breakaway Turkish N only after the island is reunited. The talks stumbled over Turkish insistence that their breakaway Cypriot state win full recognition, and demands by the Greeks for the right of refugees to return to homes in N Cyprus that they left 29 y ago. Govt denies Aust intelligence divided over Iraq policy Canberra. The Fed Govt says there is no division in the intel community about its policy on Iraq. A snr analyst with the Office of National Assessments, Andrew Wilkie, has resigned in protest over the Govt's position. But Foreign Min Alexander Downer says he has not heard the concerns in all his dealings with the ONA. Opp'n Foreign Affairs rep Kevin Rudd says the Govt's credibility is now at stake. Mr Rudd says the resignation is a significant and highly unusual development. Similar views Former Def Dept head, Paul Barratt, has told the ABC TV's Lateline program there are many former and current defence personnel who hold similar views. One of Mr Wilkie's former colleagues, David Wright-Nevill who left his job as an ONA analyst a y ago and now runs the global terrorism centre at Monash Uni has told ABC TV's Lateline program there are many in the field who share his views. Bush urges Korea talks but acts tough Tokyo. Pres George Bush has urged Japan and China to find a diplomatic solution to the N Korean nuclear crisis, refusing to be provoked by Pyongyang's latest missile launch. In telephone calls to Japan's PM Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese Pres Jiang Zemin, Mr Bush urged an internat'l approach to resolving the crisis over N Korea's pursuit of nuclear arms. Both leaders had agreed to work for an "internat'l approach" to ending N Korea's nuclear arms program. In his call to the Chinese leader, Mr Bush had reaffirmed the importance of "seeking peaceful means" to manage the stand-off. The calls by Mr Bush were a further sign that Washington will not to accede to N Korea's demand for direct talks. The Whitehouse was dismissive of Mon's test by N Korea of an anti-ship missile into internat'l waters in the Sea of Japan, apparently another attempt by N Korea to raise tensions and force the US into direct talks. China, N Korea's mentor, holds the key to applying pressure on Pyongyang. So far, the US has been frustrated over Beijing's lack of action. Japanese Def Min Shigeru Ishiba reacted to Mon's missile launch by saying that the time had come for Japan to decide whether to deploy a missile defence system with the US. Japanese leader Mr Koizumi declared his confidence that N Korea would not launch a missile attack on Japan. Asian forum plan for N Korea crisis Jakarta. AUS is lobbying for the key multinational security organisation in SE Asia to play a central role in resolving the deteriorating standoff over N Korea's nuclear program. For Min Alex Downer said yesterday he had won support from his Indonesian counterpart Hasan Wirayuda for a meeting of the ARF to debate ways of cooling tensions on the Korean peninsula. Ways of solving the dispute over Pyongyang's nuclear program featured during discussions in the Indonesia-AUS Minial Forum in Jakarta over the past 2 days. Mr Downer has proposed a meeting of snr officials be held soon to discuss ideas about possible ways of tackling the crisis. He said he was told in a one-on-one meeting with Mr Wirayuda yesterday that Indonesia would support the concept of a meeting of officials during the talks of ASEAN foreign ministers next wk. The meeting of officials would then feed into the mid-y annual ARF minist'l meeting. The ARF is regarded by AUS as a valuable and poorly used mechanism for dealing with N Korea, which has been resistant to multilateral approaches. The advantage of the ARF, according to Mr Downer, is that it is a ready-made multilateral group, which N Korea joined in 2001. The AUS Min's suggested the co-operative approach to the N Korea issue was illustrative of the general mood at the minist'l forum in Jakarta. Created in 1992, the minist'l forum has had a bumpy ride because of diplomatic disputes and occasional paucity of important agenda items. After the E Timor crisis, ministers did not meet for 2 y. The talks in Jakarta showed significant dialogue was back on track. Canberra. PM HIDES FROM WAR PROTESTS! PM John Howard has moved the venue of a key televised speech from the CBR Press Club to the Parl. The change comes amid security concerns and advice from the AFP. A widely-publicised protest organised by the AUS Greens was due to be held outside the Press Club. Police pointed out demonstrators could prevent people coming in and out of the venue. The Greens have put the PM on notice they will protest against his pro-war views every time he makes a public appearance. Commentators have ridiculed the PM for "bunkering down in Parl House" while the govt is out of session to escape from public protests. Pagadian. ANOTHER PHIL BOMBING! Officials say a bomb has exploded at the construction site of a foreign-funded road project in the latest of a series of suspected rebel attacks on civilian targets in the S Philippines. Local military cmdr Col Ignacio Obligacion says last night's blast has destroyed heavy equipment and set back an Asian Devel Bank-funded 61-km road project connecting Pagadian city with the impoverished hinterlands. No one was injured in the blast. Auckland. ITS A JUNGLE OUT THERE! A NZ zoo is unapologetic about feeding horse's heads to lions -- a sight that's left many tourists feeling just a LITTLE queazy. Auckland Zoo says it's just "reality". In the jungle, where lions live, they normally bring down horses and bite their heads off! A group of architects at the zoo as part of a corporate function "felt a bit squeamish" at the sight of the lions enjoying a good breakfast. Zoo rep Glen Holland says the horses heads are fed to the lions to give them the right balance of meat and bone. And we all know how important vitamin HH is to a growing lion! Suva. FIJIANS DON'T LIKE DENTED CANS! It's been revealed more than 1,000 cans of food donated by the French Polynesian govt for Fiji cyclone victims were discarded at a local tip last m because they were damaged. The Fiji Times exports the Fijian govt was trying to keep the matter quiet, for fear of offending French authorities and re-starting nuclear tests. A snr govt official told the newspaper the food items were mainly corned beef and sardines which were infected by worms by the time they were off-loaded in Fiji. Canberra. WOOMERA JAIL TO CLOSE! The Woomera foreigners jail in SA will close next m. Imm Min Phil Ruddock says all prisoners currently in Woomera's jail will be moved to Baxter, the new prison camp outside Pt Augusta, by mid-Apr. Mr Ruddock says his strategy to kill anyone  trying to come ashore has seen the number of survivors in Woomera fall to only 77, such a low number the property can be returned to a dump for rad and toxic waste and the criminals moved elsewhere. Adelaide. AUSSIE "TERRORIST" REMAINS IN CUBA! The case to free one of AUS's alleged Taliban fighters from a Cuban US prison camp will go toe the US Supreme Court. Lawyers for David Hicks say their case in a lower appeals court in the US has been dismissed. In the unanimous decision, the 3-judge panel upheld an earlier District Court ruling that US courts do not have jurisdiction in US military prisons in other countries. The appeals court dismissed the cases of 16 people taken prisoner from Afghanistan incl Hicks, another Aussie Mamdouth Habib, 2 Brits and 12 Kuwaitis. Mr Hicks' lawyers say they have never spoken to their client, and the last letter his family received from his arrived in Nov. It was undated, and they said it may have been posted anytime in the preceding 3 m. The subject matter of the letter was heavily censored and conveyed little info. Canberra. FLOGGED AUSSIE TO BE RELEASED! The family of an Aussie sentenced to jail in Saudi Arabia along with regular floggings, say he's been granted n early release due to the public outcry in AUS over the sentence. And they know who we're fighting for! MEL father-of-3 Robert Thomas was sentenced to 16 m jail and 300 strokes of the cane to his feet last Jun after his wife was convicted of theft from the hosp where she worked. AUS consular officials have belatedly made several representations to Saudi officials of to get Mr Thomas' release. Cairns. DENGUE OUTBREAK! The number of dengue fever cases in FNQ has doubled since yesterday. The Tropical Pub Health Unit says there are now 30 people suffering from the disease, and they expect the number to climb further. Yesterday there were only 16 confirmed cases, although authorities said there were 60 other people showing signs. Sydney. MARKETS! The Aussie share market staged a late recovery, but still managed to close a new 4-y lows. Skittish investors were still nervous about the war. The All Ords gave back another 5 pts to close at 2,687. The Dept of Empl and Workp Rels Leading Ind of Empl for Mar fell to -0.114 from -0.033 in Feb, signalling a slowdown in jobs growth by the middle of the y. Official numbers for empl will be released tomorrow. The AUD has fallen 2.5% in the last few hrs to 59.80 US cents. Analysts claims the fundamentals are in place for the Battler to rise to 65 by the end of the y. Unknown whether the markets appreciate the same fundamentals. Gold is still falling, and was $US349/oz at 10 pm. Oil was $US36.77/bbl. Dollar suffers in pre-war jitters Sydney. Global currency markets look to have been manoeuvring for war with the AUD a significant casualty overnight. The local currency is almost 1 c weaker this morning. From a close yesterday of 61.41 US cents, the AUD is now down to 60.46, after being being as low as 60.15. The currencies of nations with relatively high int rates, incl NZ and Canada, have enjoyed recent strong gains. But Macquarie Bank division director of foreign exchange Geoff Bowmer says all have been hit overnight. "The markets [will] generally get square into the weekend in case war with Iraq develops," Mr Bowmer said. ---------------------------------------- Thu, 13 Mar 2003. Markets Tony's 6-point plan Iraqi surrender Protest tomorrow US has 8 votes PM assassinated Serbian PM gunned down by ex-police chief Gun-battle 26 die in bus crash Bombing Libya takes civil resp for Lockerbie Quuuuuake Drug boss re-arrested Parents charged with murder PM to give key speech Over 30 hacked to death in central Nigeria unrest Canada Urges France to Reconsider UN Veto Threat US claims new support for UN resolution US seeks UN vote on Iraq on Fri US sticking to Iraq deadline Blair committed to see Iraq crisis through: Downer Billions lost since "axis of evil" speech Sec Council meets on Iraq draft Military might to crush Iraq in days Saudi hints US troops may be cut after war Turkish fury as Kurdish leader's trial ruled unfair World markets take fright at war talk War crimes court opens without US Strategic alliance system "in decay" John Howard delivers his address to the National Press Club PM says war in nat'l interest Canberra restarts links with Kopassus US to resume N Korea reconnaissance N Korea uranium bomb advance, missile test feared "Costs and benefits" weighed on radiation sources that can go from benevolent to bomb material Judge quits radiation case over doubts Supreme court stops 300th Texas execution Chinese try mobile death vans to improve justice system Unemployment rate falls to 6% Go-it-alone plan "dangerous" Pine gap -- terror target Craig weakens Aged care under funded One for Mosley Jones Another one for Mosley Jones Third time's the charm Vic opinion polls Markets Sydney (midday). MARKETS! The All Ords is largely unchanged at midday despite falls elsewhere o'night. In Europe, the markets were down 4% yesterday, bringing losses to 13% for the wk. The Dow closed up 28 pts o'night. Bucking recent trends, AMP Ltd was up 4% yesterday, and seems to be holding onto the gains today. Oil has hit a 12 y high, up 3% to $US37.80 on reports US levels have reached 4-y lows. [Later in the morning, it was at $US38.10/bbl]. The AUD has taken another big hit in the past 12 hr, down 1/2 c to 59.3 US cents on profit taking. London. TONY'S 6-POINT PLAN! With his own leadership on the line, PM Tony Blair has announced a final chance for Saddam Hussein to avoid war. Under increasing pressure over his support for the Bush War Plan, the PM has proposed a new plan that will be presented to the UN as part of a 2nd Res. Head of the list, Pres Saddam must declare on Iraqi TV he is disarming, and that will involve admitting he has been lying about WMD all along. Iraqi scientists and their families are to be allowed out of the country to be interviewed by UN inspectors. All anthrax must be accounted for. Alleged portable bio and chem weapons labs must be surrendered. All banned missiles are to be destroyed. Iraq must hand over all drone aircraft capable of delivering chem or bio weapons. Mr Blair didn't say anything about manned Iraqi aircraft, like ag sprat aircraft. It's also reported Blair has said Saddam can remain in power to avoid civil chaos. The Blair proposals have already been rejected by Baghdad. The US said it "appreciates" the plan, but didn't publicly endorse it. Meanwhile, Spain has wondered whether it's worth putting forward any Res at the UN, given France and Russia say they will veto any plan the threatens war. But the US says it would be put forward a 2nd Res even if it faces certain defeat. US officials say they have 8 of the 9 votes required for a "moral victory" with Pakistan now saying it will support the US. The Blair proposals have been met with "frustration" in CBR. Preparing to deliver a key speech to support war, Mr Howard says the Blair plan plays into Saddam's hands. He told morning radio there was still a "faint hope of peace". The Sec Council must vote for "strong action", he said. Other govt officials have indicated if the "Blair compromise" is necessary to get Sec Council approval, then so be it. Washington. IRAQI SURRENDER! The US is reportedly working on secret surrender negotiations with key Iraqi military officials in the hope that some units won't fight if there's war. [If!?] Citing sources, CNN says communications with the Iraqi military are not being handled by the Pentagon, but by "other elements" of the US govt. A US State Dept rep dismissed the reported surrender negotiations saying they don't make sense. Sydney. PROTEST TOMORROW! 1000s of NSW workers are expected to demo opp'n to the war in a statewide day of protest tomorrow. Unions Work For Peace Day, organised by the NSW Labor Council, has the support of transport, hospitality and public sector workers, who will wear peace badges for the day. In addition, peace assemblies will be staged in public and private schools across the state. Flags at SYD fire stns will fly at 1/2 mast and Taronga Zoo will be designated a "peace park" for the day. NY. US HAS 8 VOTES! The US says it now has 8 of the 9 votes it needs to authorise a new res, ignoring the 2 threatened vetos. Pakistan is now said to be on side, with only Chile and Mexico from the "middile 6" Sec Council members wavering. The US needs support from 5 of the group to get a majority. The US and both its 2 military allies, Brit and Aus, have indicated they feel a moral majority would be enough to go ahead with an attack. But all 3 have also experssed the viwe that res 1441 also gives them complete authority to regime-change Iraq. Internat'l lawyers are not so sure, and UN Sec-Gen Kofi Annan yesterday warned military action without explicit authorisation from the Sec Council is contrary to the UN Charter, and would not be legitimate under internat'l law. Belgrade. PM ASSASSINATED! Serbian PM Zoran Djindjic has died after being shot twice by a sniper attack in Belgrade. The Pres declared a state of emergency, suspending civil rights. She said it would remain in place until all those responsible were brought to justice. Djindjic was a key playing in bringing down former Yugoslav strongman Slobodan Milosevic. He was seen as a reformer by some, and a pain in the ass by the "old guard" who'd benefitted under the corrupt Milosevic regime. The Serbian govt says the former commander of a Serbian special police unit led the group which carried out the assassination. 3 people have been detained by police. Djindjic had survived other attempts on his life. Last y a truck-driver was arrested after he swerved into a motorcade carrying the PM. The man was later released by Milosevic-era judges. The present govt had made moves to re-arrest the driver, perhaps trying "too hard" say some observers. Serbian PM gunned down by ex-police chief Belgrade (AFP). The former commander of a Serbian special police unit led the group which carried out the assassination of Serbian PM Zoran Djindjic, who played a key role in the downfall of former Yugoslav strongman Slobodan Milosevic, the govt said in a statement today. Milorad Lukovic, better known as Legija, former commander of a special police unit, was among 20 people suspected by the govt, the statement said. It said the alleged gang had "tried to spark chaos and fear in Serbia" by killing the prime minister. Djindjic was assassinated after escaping an attempt on his life last m. Djindjic was gunned down in the car park of a Serbian govt building in Belgrade in an attack that immediately triggered fears that the region, still scarred by y of bloody conflict, could once again be destabilised. Independent Belgrade radio B92 said the Serbian govt was meeting in emergency session and was expected to issue a statement soon. The radio said 2 people had been arrested following the attack, the 2nd in less than a m against Djindjic, a reformist who became the head of Serbia's 1st non-communist govt in Jan 2001. [Late reports say warrants have also been issued for 20 others]. Djindjic had many enemies because of his campaign against rampant organised crime, his push for economic reform and his role in Milosevic's handover to the UN court in The Hague where he is on trial for war crimes over the Balkans wars of the 1990s. Witnesses said the prime minister had been shot at from a nearby ruined building that was once a military HQ but was destroyed in the 1999 NATO bombings on Belgrade. Police armed with automatic rifles sealed off the hospital where Djindjic was taken as well as the building where the shooting occurred. Reporters were not allowed to approach the scene. The trail of blood from political and underworld assassinations in recent y stretches to the top ranks of the Serbian elite. Police say there have been 45 murders linked to mafia gangs since Milosevic was ousted 2 y ago. Victims since 1997 have incl former police chief Radovan Stojicic, Yugoslav defence minister Pavle Bulatovic and notorious warlord Zeljko Raznjatovic Arkan. All 3 were shot dead in public places in the capital. Jerusalem. GUN-BATTLE! A soldier and a militant have been killed in a gun-battle nr the W Bank city of Tulkarm. The Israeli army says soldiers were pursuing a group of armed men when they came under fire in a field on the outskirts of the Palestinian-ruled village of Saida. A soldier and one of the gunmen were shot dead in the exchange of fire. Another soldier was wounded. Troops eventually captured 2 gunmen. Khartoum. 26 DIE IN BUS CRASH! A head-on collision between 2 buses S of Khartoum, Sudan, has claimed the lives of 26 people, incl the coast of Al Merreikh Club football team. Police and hosp officials say a bus carrying the football club members and other passengers crashed into a minibus coming from the other direction. They say the crash happened when the bus tried to overtake a truck. The accident happened on the Khartoum-Wad Medani rd, about 60 km SE of the capital. Jammu. BOMBING! At least 17 people have been wounded, some critically, by a bomb which exploded nr a bus in Indian Kashmir. The incident occurred NW of Jammu, winter capital of the Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir where Muslim guerrillas have been fighting Indian rule since 1989. The blast came 2 days after another blast in a busy market in the same town -- Rajouri -- which killed 2 men and injured 8. Police say the army has been called out to boost security after angry men took to the streets and began pelting stones at security forces. Washington. LIBYA TAKES CIVIL RESP FOR LOCKERBIE! Libya has agreed to take some resp for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and pay $bns in compensation to the families of the victims. However, US officials say that an announcement of a deal to lift UN and US sanctions against Tripoli in exchange is not imminent. US Asst Sec of State for Nr E Affairs William Burns, who attended a London meeting with Brit and Libyan officials, is to brief relatives of US victims on the progress later today. Tokyo. QUUUUUAKE! An earthquake strong enough to sway large buildings has shaken the Tokyo area, but there are no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Japan's Met Agency says the quake had a prelim mag 5.1 and was centred 50 km NE of Tokyo. Police nr the epicentre say they've received no injury or damage reports. Bogota. DRUG BOSS RE-ARRESTED! Colombian police have arrested one of the country's most notorious drug lords, 4 m after a controversial court ruling set him free. Prosecutors say former Cali cocaine cartel boss Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela has been arrested on drug-trafficking charges. It's understood the action follows pressure from the US. The Cali cartel run by Gilberto and his brother Miguel was once thought to control 80% of the world supply of cocaine, mostly exported to the US. Brownsville. PARENTS CHARGED WITH MURDER! A couple in Texas has been charged with murder after police discovered the bodies of a decapitated 1 yo boy and 2 siblings aged under 5 in the family's apartment. Texas police say the 1 yo was found on a bed, and the others were in garbage bags outside. They had apparently been dead since Mon night. Police say they found a bloody mess when they entered the run-down appt, which they described as among the worst living conditions they've seen in Texas. Canberra. PM TO GIVE KEY SPEECH! PM John Howard will deliver an hr-long nationally televised speech today, pushing the case for AUS's involvement in war against Iraq. It's expected Mr Howard will stress the danger of internat'l terrorists getting WMD from "rogue states", and down-play the possibility of stealing anthrax or uranium from the US, Russia or other non-rogue countries as has happened in the recent past. Observers say the PM will present selected intel evidence of terrorist groups in the region trying to obtain WMD. It's also believed Mr Howard will push the regime-change for humanitarian reasons. The PM has already been criticised for his unconcern that civilians will die under the proposed 3,000-bomb attack the US has announced it will launch on Baghdad. Mr Howard has indicated such deaths are regrettable, but necessary. He is likely to argue today that Iraqis are better off without Saddam as their leader, even if 10s of 1000s of them die in the bombing or disease later, during the expected period of civil chaos. A similar argument has been used to justify UN sanctions, which have mostly impacted the health of millions of ordinary Iraqis. The PM may be undermined by comments from Brit o'night indicating it may now not be necessary to remove Saddam from power, provided he moves to completely disarm, meeting Tony Blair's "6 point plan". Security concerns have forced Mr Howard to move the speech from the National Press Club to Parl's Great Hall. Apparently this has never been a concern in the past, so no-one thought of it before the speech was originally announced! Over 30 hacked to death in central Nigeria unrest Jos, Nigeria (Reuters). At least 30 villagers have been hacked or shot to death in communal fighting in central Nigeria that has cut off entire communities for days, local residents said on Wed. The clash in Kadyal village, in the Kanam district of Plateau state, is the latest incident in relentless violence threatening Nigeria's nat'l elections next m, the 1st polls since military rule ended in 1999. Survivors said the killings followed an invasion of Kadyal village on Sat. Clashes are common in central Nigeria, where mostly Christian and animist farmers jostle for land with nomadic herdsmen, most of them Muslim. Their rivalry has been fueled by political differences. Ethnic and regional rivalries that have dogged Nigeria since independence from Brit in 1960 have re-emerged in the runup to the polls. Many Nigerians are openly expressing fear for the very survival of their country of over 120 mn people. Well over 10,000 people have been killed in ethnic, religious and political violence in nearly 4 y since Obasanjo's elected govt took over from the military. Canada Urges France to Reconsider UN Veto Threat Ottawa (Reuters). Canada urged France on Wed to reconsider its threat to veto any UN res that authorizes the use of force against Iraq, saying Paris should instead consider a Canadian initiative to bridge the deep splits between Sec Council members. Ottawa put forward a proposal on Tue under which Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein would be given a 3-week deadline for Baghdad to comply with UN demands to disarm or face the possibility of war. For Min Bill Graham said this could avoid a war by making it clear to Saddam that Iraq would not be invaded if he fulfilled the demands being made upon him. The 6 swing votes on the Sec Council -- Chile, Mexico, Pakistan, Cameroon, Guinea and Angola -- back the proposal but it could still founder on opp'n from France, which made clear on Mon that it would use its veto to block a res authorizing war. Washington and its allies aim to present such a res to the Sec Council in the very nr future. If France did cast a veto, it is widely expected the US would then decide to attack Iraq. PM Jean Chretien and Graham have been working the phones constantly in a bid to gain backing for Ottawa's proposal, especially from the 6 swing voters, who Graham said could help find a solution. Chretien, who told reporters that he had spoken to Brit Prime Min Tony Blair on Wed, said he could not predict what the fate of the Canadian proposal would be. Although the US, Britain, Spain and Bulgaria are working to amend their res authorizing the use of force against Iraq, Spain said the document might be withdrawn because of a likely veto by France. Graham played down this idea. He said the chances of getting the 9 votes needed to pass any res at the Sec Council "become greater the closer one comes to having a resolution which reflects the concerns of parties not to automatically go to war but rather give Saddam Hussein a chance to respond". US claims new support for UN resolution NY (Reuters). The US appeared to be moving closer on Wed to a UN Sec Council majority for a resolution authorizing war against Iraq, as Britain proposed confronting Pres Saddam Hussein with a set of tough new demands to avoid a military onslaught. A snr US official said the US had positive responses from 3 African members of the Sec Council -- Angola, Cameroon and Guinea -- which had previously been uncommitted. If confirmed, that would bring support for the war resolution in the 15-member Sec Council up to seven, 2 short of the 9 votes needed for passage. A veto from France, Russia or China, all of which are on record as opposing the resolution, would still kill it. Although Bush has vowed to take military action against Iraq with or without the UN, abandoning attempts to get the approval of the world body would carry a heavy price, especially for Brit PM Tony Blair, whose political future could be at stake. Much of the diplomatic activity on Wed focused on the new British proposals, which incl requiring Saddam to address his nation on Iraqi television and confess he had in the past tried to hide weapons of mass destruction but had made a strategic decision to give them up. US and Brit officials also said they might move their proposed ultimatum to Saddam from Mar 17, possibly to Mar 21 or Mar 24. Britain's UN Amb Sir Jeremy Greenstock said he would only formally present the new proposals if they appeared to attract support. "If it attracts attention and interest, we will develop that concept. If it doesn't, we remain exactly where we are now," he said. British officials said they wanted to present the conditions as a side statement but not an integral part of a fresh resolution. Apart from the African trio, the other uncommitted Sec Council nations were Mexico, Pakistan and Chile. In another sign of the intense diplomatic pressure Washington was bringing to bear, the US Amb to Russia, Alex Vershbow, warned Moscow to think twice and "carefully weigh all the consequences," before using its UN veto. US officials said there was still a chance Russia and China would abstain, but France was seen as a definite "no" vote. However, that outcome would allow Washington to argue that it had internat'l legitimacy and that France was the country defying the world community. Diplomats thought the list of Brit conditions would be next to impossible for Saddam to accept without fatally weakening the basis of his power. US seeks UN vote on Iraq on Fri Washington. With intense personal lobbying by Pres Bush, the US appeared headed for a wk's end showdown at the UN on a proposed resolution backing the use of force to disarm Iraq. Needing the support of at least 9 of the 15 members of the Sec Council, the Admin was trying Wed to persuade fence-sitters to come over to the US side. A snr US official told The Associated Press late in the day there were strong indications 3 African countries would vote with the US. However, For Min Francois Fall of Guinea, a special target of the US diplomatic drive, has at times given conflicting signals on how his country would vote. The Admin probably would seek a vote by the council on Fri, according to US officials. However, one snr Admin official said the White House was not ruling out pulling the resolution or putting the vote off beyond Fri. The State Dept has publicly criticized French Pres Jacques Chirac as sending "precisely the wrong signal to Baghdad" by threatening to veto the resolution. Rep Richard Boucher said Chirac's stand was making it less likely that Iraq could be disarmed. The White House suggested for the 1st time that voting against the resolution in the UN Sec Council could damage a country's relationship with the US. The resolution expected to come before the Sec Council would extend the deadline beyond the previously envisioned date of Mar 17, diplomats said. Brit plans to lay out the Iraqi conditions in specific detail, incl demanding that Saddam Hussein make a televised broadcast stating that Iraq will not produce or retain weapons of mass destruction, according to a draft of the conditions, obtained by The Associated Press. The draft could be revised to try to attract support or, Boucher said, a separate statement could be approved. The US Amb to Moscow, Alex Vershbow, said a Russian veto of the resolution would damage Moscow's economic and political interests. Amid the growing tensions, Russian Pres Vladimir Putin and Bush talked by telephone Wed. Bush also talked to Press Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines and Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of the UAE, Brit PM Tony Blair, Spanish PM Jose Maria Aznar and Lithuanian Pres Rolandas Paksas. Both the White House and the State Dept dropped hints that the Admin was closing in on the minimum of 9 votes required for approval of the resolution. Def Sec Donald H Rumsfeld, meanwhile, sought to smooth over any rough spots he may have caused with Brit by suggesting on Tue that Brit troops in the Persian Gulf region might not fight in a war with Iraq. Rumsfeld said Wed the Admin "has every reason to believe Brit would make a serious contribution to any war." On Capitol Hill, 12 Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to Powell saying an attack on Iraq would not meet the standards Powell himself set in 1992 to determine whether the US needed to resort to war. Among the points mentioned were whether nonviolent means had been exhausted and whether internat'l support existed. The 12 lawmakers, incl Rep John Conyers, the snr Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, requested a meeting with Powell. US sticking to Iraq deadline NY. The US has told other UN Sec Council members it is sticking by its Mar 17 deadline for Iraq to comply with council demands on disarmament. Diplomats from 2 countries which take fundamentally different views on the Iraq crisis say the US Amb John Negroponte has told the council the deadline is firm. But a Brit official says Brit is willing to agree to a brief extension of the deadline in an effort to muster support for a draft res to force Iraq to disarm. The rep for Britain's UN Amb Jeremy Greenstock says Mar 17 was "a very credible deadline" when the draft was submitted on Mar 7. But "time has clicked on since then" she said. "We recognise that there is some limited give on that." Mr Greenstock presented the new proposals designed to maximise support for the draft res on behalf of Brit alone. The Sec Council will continue its consultations tomorrow. "It was a very preliminary discussion," Pakistan's UN Amb Munir Akram said as he left the consultations. Asked how Pakistan might vote, Mr Akram said he thought it was premature and perhaps wrong to ask whether countries are on board for a res which could change. He said the Pakistani Govt was studying the Brit proposals but added they were not taking a decision because they did not know what they were being asked to vote for. Blair committed to see Iraq crisis through: Downer Canberra. For Min Alex Downer has declined to entertain the prospect of Brit pulling out from the coal'n for military action against Iraq. US Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld has had to clarify remarks he made yesterday suggesting Brit may not be able to take part in an initial attack on Iraq. Mr Downer says despite his domestic problems, Brit PM Tony Blair is committed to seeing the process through. On ABC TV's Lateline program he has declined to say how AUS might respond if Brit did withdraw, while repeating the terms of AUS's deployment of troops. Mr Downer says he does not think the US will lose Brit from the military coalition. Mr Downer says it may still be possible to assemble a clear majority for the next res in the UN Sec Council. Billions lost since "axis of evil" speech London (The Guardian). Millions of small investors have seen their pensions, endowments and shareholdings caught in the crossfire of Pres George Bush's war against terrorism. Since Jan 29 last y when Pres Bush put the "axis of evil" in his sights, 40% has been wiped off the value of the average Brit investment trust and 30% off the average unit trust. Someone who put 1,000 pounds into the typical unit trust on Jan 29 last y has seen it fall in value to 710.30, according to S&P's, and that is before dealing charges are taken. The payout on the typical endowment is down by more than a fifth over the same period, with more than 4 out of five of Britain's 10m policies now "off-track" and unlikely to generate enough cash to repay a mortgage. Pensioners have suffered more than most. Many invested in what were thought to be safe income bonds from blue-chip companies such as Scottish Widows, Abbey National and Scottish Life. When they were launched, "back- testing" of markets showed they could not go wrong. But underlying these bonds are complex derivatives which result in total capital losses in extraordinary market conditions. But what was held to be unthinkable has occured, and many are now on the verge of collapse. This m a 3-y Canada Life income bond matured but its holders were told their capital had been completely wiped out. Around 1 bn pounds is tied up in tranches of a Scottish Widows bond where holders, mostly elderly, are staring at massive losses. But it is not all gloom. Investors who opted for bond funds rather than equities have enjoyed inflation-beating gains. Since Jan 29 last y, the average bond fund has increased in value by 4.5%, according to S&P's figures. Gold, the traditional haven in times of internat'l crisis, has jumped from $278 to $350 since Jan 29, although the gains have been less for British holders, because the dollar has fallen in value. As for the super-rich, many have sidestepped plummeting markets. Hedge funds, open to investors with 100,000 pounds cash to spare, have largely avoided the stock market rout. According to CSFB, the average hedge fund in 2002 saw a loss of just 1.6%, with many using short-selling techniques to make large profits as the market has fallen. Sec Council meets on Iraq draft NY. UN Sec Council members are meeting for a last-ditch effort by Brit and the US to muster support for a draft res to disarm Iraq by force unless it complies with UN demands. Diplomats say the US and UN are expected to suggest a brief extension to the draft's Mar 17 deadline, in the hope of persuading 6 countries whose backing is vital if it is to secure the 9 votes needed for adoption. The consultations began after the end of a 2-day public debate called to enable non-members of the council to express their views on the crisis. There was no indication how long the consultations might last. Britain says a Sec Council vote is likely at the end of this wk. That is despite a suggestion by its co-sponsor, Spain, that the res could be withdrawn because of France's determination to veto it. Military might to crush Iraq in days Baghdad. Snr AUS military planners expect the invasion of Iraq to be over within days, and they have predicted widespread defections by Iraqi officers once hostilities begin and casualties increase. As Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard digs in on the outskirts of Baghdad, and dust storms wreak gritty havoc with US and Brit troops massing in Kuwait, military sources say AUS special forces troops will not set foot in the Iraqi capital at any stage of the campaign. One snr source said the planned area of operations for the soldiers from the Perth-based SAS regiment, and their support troops from the SYD-based 4 Commando Regiment, was nowhere nr the Iraqi capital. It is understood that Aussies will be deployed in W Iraq, near the border with Jordan. The source also denied that any AUS SAS soldier had so far crossed into Iraq. Military experts are debating the tactics likely to be employed by the Iraqi forces. The Pentagon has said it wants to avoid casualties and have asked Iraqi soldiers to point their guns away and "come over" when fighting begins. That plea is unlikely to impress Hussein's 50,000-strong Republican Guard, which has pledged to fight to the death. The guards are reportedly digging trenches around Baghdad and filling them with oil to create smokescreens against the invading forces. If the campaign becomes a street-fight for Baghdad, analysts believe US commanders would pull their troops back and bomb large areas of the city to rubble. The US claims it wants to avoid damaging civilian infrastructure as part of its plan to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. That could prove difficult, given the unpredictable nature of the Pentagon's so-called precision guided missiles, and the Iraqi military's efforts to confuse coal'n pilots and troops. Saudi hints US troops may be cut after war Jeddah (Reuters). Saudi Arabia said on Wed it would work to maintain its long-standing ties with Washington, but hinted the number of US troops based in the kingdom might be reduced after the Iraq crisis was over. The kingdom has repeatedly said it would not allow attacks on neighboring Iraq to be launched from its soil, and that several 1000 US airmen at its Prince Sultan Airbase nr Riyadh were only patrolling a no-fly zone in southern Iraq. In reply to a question, For Min Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah that this role would remain unchanged in the event of a US attack on Iraq, which the Saudi govt strongly opposes. A buildup of foreign troops at the Prince Sultan base in the past few wk and reports of American forces arriving at Arar and Tabuk in the N have fueled speculation that they may play a more active role in a possible war in Iraq. Saudi Arabia said on Sat that US troops were using the 2 N airports nr the Iraqi border for defense and to prepare for any flood of refugees in the event of war. Prince Saud said civilian traffic had been stopped at these airports to allow for the influx of experts and equipment, and that Saudi Arabia expected 100,000 refugees to converge on its borders -- far more than during the 1991 Gulf War. The presence of W troops in the kingdom since the 1991 Gulf War has irked many Saudis, already angry with the US over its perceived support for Israel. Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden has seized on their presence as a rallying cry for attacks. Prince Saud warned that a war could fuel terrorism and divide Iraq. "A divided Iraq in the geo-political situation of the region is the most volatile," he said. He said a team of Arab foreign ministers going to Iraq soon would tell Baghdad it must take "a very dramatic step toward implementation of the UN resolution if war is to be averted." Turkish fury as Kurdish leader's trial ruled unfair Istanbul (The Guardian). Turkey came under intense pressure yesterday to retry its most prized prisoner -- the Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan -- after the European court of human rights ruled that his original trial had ignored his legitimate rights of defence. [Translation: you wanna join the EU then dump US-style trials]. In an eagerly awaited ruling that angered Ankara and inflicted fresh damage on Turkey's internat'l reputation, the Strasbourg court said Ocalan's 1999 conviction for leading a 16-y separatist insurgency against the Turkish state was unsafe and deeply flawed. Yesterday's judgment, which Ankara has vowed to appeal, is a bitter pill for Turkey since it regards Ocalan, the founder of the now outlawed Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK), as its enemy-in-chief and originally sentenced him to death, a sentence which was subsequently commuted to life. The jailed leader was also awarded 66,000 pounds in costs. Although non-binding, the ruling is a setback for Ankara's long-cherished hopes of joining the EU. EU officials are closely monitoring Turkey's human rights record in the run-up to membership talks, and the judgment comes just days after negotiations on Cyprus collapsed -- talks which Brussels has stipulated Turkey must support if it is to join the EU. Nor did the court pull any punches. The applicant, it said, "did not have a fair trial". The Ankara state security court which convicted Ocalan of leading a revolt that claimed the lives of up to 37,000 people had not, it said, "been an independent and impartial tribunal", due to the presence of a military judge. It added that Ocalan's recourse to a proper defence had also been ignored. He had been granted only late and restricted access to his lawyers, he had been interrogated for at least 7 days without being brought before a judge (during which time he made several self-incriminating statements) and he had initially been denied full access to his case file. The court, however, rejected several complaints from Ocalan -- notably his claim that his prison conditions were inhumane and degrading. That was not enough to appease Turkey, and reaction from Ankara was swift and laced with anger. "Our conscience is clear," said Judge Turgut Okyay who presided over the initial trial. "The European court of human rights has once again shown how it uses double standards against Turkey." Yasar Yakis, Turkey's foreign minister, said if Ocalan were tried again he would have the same punishment. But Ocalan's legal team, many of whom are British, hailed the judgment as a real breakthrough. A panel of 5 judges will now consider whether Turkey's appeal has any merit. World markets take fright at war talk NY (AFP). Global financial markets took fright at the US march to war today, when stocks plunged to 7-y lows in Europe, oil prices jumped and the USD gyrated. Investors gave stocks a wide berth amid worry that the US could launch an assault on Baghdad without UN backing or even the participation of its staunchest ally, Britain. European stocks bore the brunt of the pounding. The Brit FTSE 100 index tumbled 4.8% to close at 3,287.0 points in late deals -- the lowest level since June 1995 and more than 50% below its peak of almost 7,000 points seen in late 1999. The German DAX 30 index dropped 4.8% to 2,195.9 points, a 7-y low, in late trading and the French CAC 40 index fell 3.6 per cent to close at 2,403.0 points. US markets also suffered, though to a lesser degree. In NY, the Dow Jones industrials lost 0.6% to 7,481.1 points while the Nasdaq fell 0.4% to 1,265.9 points. There was some respite for investors in Japanese share prices, which bounced 1% higher off a 20-y low on renewed hopes for govt action to support the market. Stocks gained 0.2% in HK. But analysts warned the Japanese gains were more likely to be a blip in the market's long downturn and provided little cheer on a global scale. Oil prices forged higher on news that US commercial stocks of crude oil unexpectedly slumped last wk to match a 27-y low struck in early Feb. NY's benchmark light sweet crude Apr dated futures contract rallied 66 cents to 37.38 dollars a barrel. Pressure on the USD abated as currency dealers speculated that the US might be forced to delay military action against Iraq because of stiff internat'l opp'n. News that the US trade deficit shrank 8.4% in Jan from a record shortfall in Dec also gave the US currency a boost. The single European currency dipped to $US1.1021 dollars from $US1.1041 in NY late yesterday, easing away from recent 4-y highs. War crimes court opens without US The Hague (WashPost). The world's 1st permanent war crimes tribunal was inaugurated on Tue in this Dutch seat of govt, despite efforts by the Bush Admin to hamper its creation and exempt Americans from its provisions. UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan presided as 18 internat'l judges of the Internat'l Criminal Court took the oath of office at a ceremony attended by Queen Beatrix and internat'l dignitaries representing some of the 89 countries that back the court's establishment. Notably absent was an official rep of the US, although the American embassy is 2 blocks from the 13th-century grand hall where the ceremony took place. The court is the culmination of a concept that had its genesis in the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals after World War II, and that gained currency recently during ongoing tribunals created to consider charges of genocide in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. A 1998 accord, known as the Rome Treaty, established the Internat'l Criminal Court and was ratified by the US during the Clinton Admin. But Pres George Bush withdrew US support, expressing concern that an independent court could be used for frivolous or politically based prosecutions of American citizens. A snr US official said that the precise case of an impending and unpopular US invasion of Iraq was the kind of situation in which there were concerns about internat'l court proceedings. In the event of a war in Iraq, there was also a possibility of charges against Pres Saddam Hussein, who is accused by the US, Brit and other countries of war crimes in his own country. US officials have suggested a special tribunal inside Iraq would try Mr Saddam and other Iraqis accused of such crimes after a US-led invasion. Since abrogating the Clinton Admin's signature last y, the Bush Admin has convinced 24 countries to sign bilateral agreements with the US, pledging not to surrender to the court US nat'ls or foreigners working under US contract. Congress has since passed legislation authorising the Pres to take "all means necessary" to free Americans taken into custody by the court. Strategic alliance system "in decay" Canberra. The world is witnessing a rapid breakdown of the US-led multilateral alliance system built up since World War II and with it the demise of the UN, according to a leading strategic analyst. "It's a defining moment," argues Francois Heisbourg, chairman of the London-based Internat'l Institute of Strategic Studies, and one of Europe's most respected strategic analysts. "We are witnessing a sea change vis-a-vis everything which has been built up since the Second World War." Dr Heisbourg says the new US unilateralism pursued by the Bush Admin means even AUS cannot take the ANZUS alliance for granted. "This is the new America. It does not have permanent alliances, it has partners of convenience. You may believe that you have an alliance with the US. I am not sure the Americans believe they have an alliance with you." Dr Heisbourg says the changes now under way in the internat'l security system are occurring at "breakneck pace" and on the back of the US's war of choice in Iraq. Dr Heisbourg, who is on a six-day trip to AUS, met For Min Alex Downer and Def Min Robert Hill yesterday as well as snr defence and intel officials. He said the ongoing debate over a 2nd res in the Security Council had already highlighted the marginalisation of the UN. "The only reason why the Americans are pressing forward with the second resolution, apart from giving political assistance to Tony Blair, is to get each member to show their cards," Dr Heisbourg said. "This was about forcing people to identify themselves as friend or foe, not about global governance." According to Dr Heisbourg, Washington now has a "purely instrumental" view of its alliances whether they are bilateral or multilateral. John Howard delivers his address to the National Press Club Howard states case against Iraq Canberra. The PM has appealed to Aussies who oppose a war with Iraq to support moves to disarm Saddam Hussein's regime. Mr Howard has delivered a nat'l address in CBR, warning AUS is a target for terrorism. He says he understands why some people do not agree with the Govt's stance on Iraq. He says it is a challenging and perplexing issue and has asked those who are opposed to war to accept the depth of commitment he feels for the disarmament of Iraq. Mr Howard says there's plenty of evidence terrorists are trying to get so-called weapons of mass destruction, which he says Iraq has stockpiled. Earlier, Opp'n leader Simon Crean told Adel commercial radio the PM has not convinced him. "That's his assertion but he's produced no proof," Mr Crean said. 100s of demonstrators have made their way to the front lawns of Parl House despite a last-minute change of venue for Mr Howard's speech. Among them is Andrew Wilkie, the snr intel officer who quit his position at the Office of National Assessments so he could speak out against the Govt's stance on Iraq. He has told a supportive crowd if war proceeds Saddam Hussein is likely to use weapons of mass destruction. Canberra. PM SAYS WAR IN NAT'L INTEREST! PM John Howard says it's in the AUS nat'l interest to disarm Iraq to stop terrorists getting their hands on WMD and threatening Aussies. In his address to the nation, Mr Howard says he understands opp'n to his position, but called on opponents to realise he had security concerns in mind. He says if Iraq gets away with having such weapons, other rogue states will believe they can do the same because they'll have seen a world effectively stand by and allow it to happen. Canberra restarts links with Kopassus Jakarta. AUS has quietly begun to restore links with Indo nesia's discredited army special forces Kopassus, by proposing to share info on counter-terrorism techniques and capabilities. At this wk's Indonesia-AUS ministerial forum in Jakarta, Indonesian ministers and military leaders were sounded out on liaising between the AUS military and police, and the Kopassus counter-terrorism unit, sources said. Although a modest start compared with past joint training exercises conducted between Indonesian and AUS special forces troops, any connection to Kopassus is highly sensitive because of its poor human rights record. This was reflected this wk in a joint ministerial statement in which AUS and Indonesia announced counter-terrorism co-operation but made no mention of any desire to re-establish a link to Kopassus. The AUS Govt suspended ties to Kopassus in 1998 because of human-rights concerns. At the time, Kopassus troops had been implicated in the disappearance and murder of political activists in the dying days of former Pres Suharto's regime. The unit's record has not improved since, having been named in a number of human rights crimes from Aceh to Papua. But the decision to seek to reopen formal contacts with Kopassus has been based on the pragmatic calculation that its counter-terrorism unit could eventually be called in to respond to a terrorist action against AUS citizens. The fed Govt is anxious to ensure Indonesia's security forces could respond effectively. Def Min Robert Hill has repeatedly signalled the desirability of some slow restoration of contacts with Kopassus, suggesting the need to protect Aussies meant "working with the most effective counter-terrorism elements". Despite severing training ties in 1998, the AUS military has continued some informal contact with Kopassus commanders. Several govts are working to build an emergency terrorism response capability within the Indonesian police -- a less politically risky option than dealing with Kopassus. US to resume N Korea reconnaissance Washington. The Air Force prepared Wed to resume reconnaissance flights off the coast of N Korea, 10 days after Korean fighter jets intercepted an Air Force plane equipped to monitor missile tests, a snr US official said. It was not immediately clear whether the Air Force planned to use fighter jets to escort the reconnaissance flights, but officials said earlier this wk that escorting was highly unlikely. The US has always asserted its right to conduct aerial surveillance in internat'l airspace without armed escort, and rarely has encountered hostile interference. The Pentagon said the Mar 2 intercept was the 1st such incident with N Korea since Apr 1969, when a N Korean plane shot down a US Navy EC-121 surveillance plane, killing all 31 Americans aboard. On Capitol Hill, the commander of the 37,000 US forces in South Korea, Gen Leon J Laporte, said he expected N Korea to "continue to politically escalate the situation" but not attack South Korea. He said additional provocations of US surveillance planes were possible, as well as missile tests and additional steps toward producing nuclear weapons. At the same hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, Adml Thomas Fargo, cmdr of US Pacific Command, whose area of responsibility incl Korea, said he saw the probability of war on the Korean peninsula as "low right now." Separately, Asst Sec of State James Kelly told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that for the US to fully engage with N Korea, it must agree to eliminate its nuclear weapons programs and meet US requirements in five other areas: human rights, terrorism, missile development and export, and conventional forces nr South Korea's border. Kelly held out little hope that N Korea would give up its nuclear ambitions. In recent m, N Korea has expelled UN monitors, withdrawn from a key nuclear arms-control treaty and restarted a nuclear reactor that had been mothballed for y under UN seal. N Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Wed that the Bush Admin was "watching for a chance to mount a pre-emptive attack on the nuclear facilities." The US and N Korea have no formal diplomatic relations. N Korea uranium bomb advance, missile test feared Seoul/Washington (Reuters). US officials said spyplane flights will resume nr N Korea and the communist state is m away from making nuclear bombs, while a report said the North may soon launch a ballistic missile. With the US preoccupied with a possible war with Iraq, Pyongyang has used belligerent rhetoric and provocative moves to press for direct talks with Washington to defuse a crisis over 2 suspected N Korean nuclear arms programs. Asst Sec of State James Kelly, the American point man on N Korea, said on Wed Pyongyang could produce highly enriched uranium as fuel for nuclear weapons in m -- not y as experts had previously estimated. That means the reclusive state could get nuclear weapons capability in the short term from both its uranium and plutonium programs, Kelly told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In a separate reminder of Pyongyang's potential threat to its neighbors, a Japanese newspaper reported on Thu N Korea may be poised to launch a Rodong medium-range ballistic missile that is capable of reaching nearly all parts of Japan. The Yomiuri Shimbun daily, quoting govt sources, said army vehicles had gathered around several launch sites but it had not been determined if N Korea had started to fuel the missiles. The paper's sources said it could be wks before a launch, depending on how far preparations have gone. N Korea has fired 2 short-range non-ballistic missiles since late Feb, apparently as part of training exercises. Military analysts say N Korea has about 100 Rodong missiles, which have a range of about 800 miles. It shot off a Rodong in May 1993 that splashed down in the Sea of Japan, and shocked the world in 1998 by firing a longer-range Taepodong missile that flew over Japan. The North has made preparations to begin reprocessing spent nuclear fuel at Yongbyon, which would set the country on the road to full production of nuclear weapons. The USAF in South Korea said it expected shortly the arrival of 6 F-117A "Stealth" warplanes to take part in annual war games, the 1st deployment of the radar-avoiding jets to South Korea in a decade. "Costs and benefits" weighed on radiation sources that can go from benevolent to bomb material Vienna. An irradiator, a large, cabinet-like piece of equipment, can instantly kill mns of infectious microbes in meat and other foods, the job being done by cesium chloride powder or another rad material packed inside. But those powerful isotopes could also be used by a terrorist making a "dirty bomb." "It's a question of costs and benefits," said Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the UN nuclear agency. "We'd like to maximize the benefit and minimize the risk." The question is one of many being pondered by participants at the 1st high-level global conference on the threat of radiological dispersal devices, also known as dirty bombs, a 3-day meeting that got under way Tue beneath the soaring frescoed ceilings of an old Hapsburg palace. Some 600 scientists, law enforcement officials and others, an overflow crowd, filled a vast rococo ballroom to discuss something that hasn't even materialized yet. A nuclear physicist testified at a US Senate hearing last y that a dirty bomb of just 1,000 curies -- the basic unit of radioactivity -- might contaminate a large area of a city. A typical radiation therapy device for cancer patients contains 2,000 curies. A food irradiator, by contrast, might hold over 2 mn curies. There are 300 irradiators worldwide, says ElBaradei's Internat'l Atomic Energy Agency. But the massive bulk of the heavily shielded equipment and the deadly untouchability of the isotopes inside are considered deterrents to tampering by outsiders. Last y, nonetheless, US authorities instructed users and transporters of irradiators to step up security. The US energy secretary, a cosponsor with the Russian atomic energy minister of the Vienna conference, told reporters he believed such powerful radiation sources can be controlled "without taking any action we see as prohibition." But Spencer Abraham also said risks are being evaluated "on an ongoing basis," and that if internat'l concerns grow about some commercial uses of radiation, "I think every nation here would be prepared to have that discussion" -- about banning some such uses. Another ranking US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said cesium chloride has been identified as among the most dangerous candidates for use in a radiological bomb, since its talc-like powder would spread quickly and its radiation would last y. A recent report by non-govtal US experts concluded that worldwide "several 10s of 1000s" of dangerous radiation sources may be insufficiently protected. ElBaradei said that of medical radiotherapy units alone, about 10,000 are in use. "Cradle-to-grave control is essential for these powerful rad sources," he told the conferees. Before wrapping up Thu, the meeting will have discussed ways to identify the most vulnerable and threatening rad materials, how to find abandoned sources, keeping better inventories of sources in use, combatting smuggling, and how much the news media should disseminate on such a sensitive subject. Judge quits radiation case over doubts Spokane (AP). A fed judge who spent 13 y hearing a massive radiation lawsuit involving the US nuclear weapons program has bowed out over questions about his objectivity. US District Judge Alan McDonald on Mon recused himself after plaintiffs said his ownership of land nr the Hanford nuclear reservation damaged his ability to decide whether radiation was harming residents. McDonald, who is semiretired, proclaimed his objectivity, but said the issue had become a distraction in the case filed in 1990. The case will be reassigned, probably sometime next wk. Taxpayers have already spent more than $60 mn to defend Hanford contractors against claims of "downwinders," residents who say their health was damaged by rad releases from the plutonium production site in the early y of the Cold War. McDonald said he had done nothing wrong by buying an orchard nr the Hanford site in 1999 and certifying to a bank the land was free of radiation contamination. But legal wrangling over whether he had prejudged the case could have delayed it for y and sparked appeals, he wrote. Hanford is located in south-central Washington, and was created to make Pu for the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki. The site for decades made Pu for the nation's nuclear arsenal. Especially in the early y, rad emissions went up smokestacks and were pushed by winds into a wide area of E Washington. About 5,000 people who lived nr Hanford contend in the lawsuit that their health was damaged by the emissions between 1944 and 1972. Most of the releases involved rad iodine-131, which has been linked to diseases of the thyroid, incl cancer. Attorneys for defendants General Electric [maker of those friendly "Life is Good" products] and other contractors hired to run Hanford during the Cold War opposed the judge's request to step aside. But Dick Eymann of Spokane, a lawyer for 283 Hanford plaintiffs, said McDonald did the right thing. Supreme court stops 300th Texas execution Huntsville, Texas. The Supreme Court blocked Texas on Wed from executing its 300th inmate since the state resumed capital punishment in 1982, granting a stay just minutes before the condemned man was to be put to death. Delma Banks' claims that he was wrongly convicted of a murder 23 y ago had been backed by 3 former fed judges. His lawyers told justices he was poorly represented at trial, prosecutors improperly kept blacks off the jury and testimony from 2 prosecution witnesses was shaky. Banks is black, his victim was white and the jury was all-white. Relatives of Banks who were waiting outside the prison jumped joyously and hugged as word spread. Prosecutors said they would continue to seek Banks' execution. Defense attorney George Kendall said in a statement that Banks' case was "fraught with material and intentional state misconduct. ... We are hopeful that this delay will allow a meaningful review of the serious crimes in his case." The high court issued the stay without comment about 10 minutes before Banks, 44, was to be readied for execution for the 1980 murder of 16-y-old Richard Wayne Whitehead, a co-worker at a restaurant. Banks has been on death row 22 y. Texas accounts for more than 1/3 of the 835 executions in the US since the Supreme Court in 1976 allowed capital punishment to resume. Virginia has the second-highest total, with 87. Chinese try mobile death vans to improve justice system Beijing. China is equipping its courts with mobile execution vans as it shifts away from the communist system's traditional bullet in the head, towards a more "civilised" use of lethal injection. Intermediate Courts of the S prov of Yunnan were issued with 18 new execution vans on Feb 28 and a court official said some have already been used. Chinese authorities keep execution numbers a secret, but Western human rights monitors believe it is about 15,000 pa, more than the rest of the world's judicial executions combined. The death penalty can apply for serious crimes against the person, armed robbery, drug trafficking, major cases of corruption and political violence. Many public executions have been held in football stadiums so traditional execution methods [a bullet to the back of the head] are no secret. China's legal system allows only one appeal and lawyers say that less than 20% of defendants have professional legal representation. When appeals against the death penalty are rejected, the sentence is carried out immediately, sometimes within hours. In Yunnan, as well as in the cities of Harbin and Shanghai, death on the road has replaced death row. The execution vans are converted 24-seater buses. The windowless execution chamber at the back contains a metal bed on which the prisoner is strapped down. A police officer presses a button and an automatic syringe plunges a lethal drug into the prisoner's vein. The execution can be watched on a video monitor next to the driver's seat and be recorded if required. Court officials say the lethal drug was devised by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences to meet 2 criteria: that it causes no sharp pain or emotional upset for the prisoner and that it works within 30 to 60 seconds. Although the vans cost about 500,000 yuan ($US60,000) each, officials say the method is cheaper and requires less manpower than traditional executions, because land for traditional execution grounds is not cheap. But the main impetus was a law passed in 1995, making lethal injection an alternative to the bullet. Yunnan officials say most prisoners and their families prefer the injection. "When they know they can't be pardoned, they accept this method calmly, and have less fear," one official told the Chinese Life Weekly. Unemployment rate falls to 6% Canberra. There has been an improvement in the nat'l jobless rate even though the number of people officially in work has dropped a little. AUS's labour force figures continue to surprise with their strength. After Jan's surge of 94,000 in total employment numbers, last m had been expected to see a downward correction of 30,000. However, there have been just 12,000 fewer jobs filled in the m and with fewer people looking for work, the nat'l jobless rate has dipped to 6.0%. Fed Treas Peter Costello has welcomed the improved rate. Youth unemployment has also fallen, with the number of teenagers looking for full-time jobs dropping by just over 1%. After climbing in Jan to one of its highest levels in a y, the youth jobless rate has dropped to 22.2% seasonally adjusted. In Feb, there were close to 66,000 15- to 19 yo looking for a full-time job and more than 150,000 trying to get part-time work. State by state In NSW, the jobless rate is 5.9% seasonally adjusted, down by 0.1%. Vic's jobless rate is 5.2% seasonally adjusted, down 0.3 per cent. The participation rate has fallen slightly in both states. Qld's jobless rate is up 0.1% to 6.9% seasonally adjusted, while the participation rate has also risen slightly there. In SA, the rate is a seasonally adjusted 6.3%, up 0.2 per cent. WA's jobless rate has slipped 0.4% to 5.6% seasonally adjusted. Tasmania has a figure of 9.2% in trend terms, but seasonally adjusted it has increased to 9.7%. The participation rate has grown in all 3 states. Canberra. GO-IT-ALONE PLAN "DANGEROUS"! Opp'n leader Simon Crean says the Rumsfeld "go it alone" gaffe signals a dangerous course of action for the world. If the US signals it is prepared to ignore the UN and even its allies, it was setting a dangerous example for other countries, Mr Crean said. In Brit, Tony Blair was also reportedly "sensitive" to Mr Rumsfeld's announcement yesterday the US had contingency plans in place if Brit was forced to withdraw its 40,000 troops for political reasons. Blair has laid his political life on the line to support the US plan. Rumsfeld later back-peddled on the remark. Mr Crean also says the PM must "tell the truth" about Australia's commitment to the US in a key speech today. Crean and other critics have maintained AUS was committed to military action as soon as troops were deployed to the Gulf. Some suspect AUS was committed even earlier. PM Howard has always denied this, saying he has yet to make the decision to order military action. But the PM has also hinted that it was impossible for him to return AUS troops without US approval. Canberra. PINE GAP -- TERROR TARGET! A defence expert says AUS's Pine Gap spy base in C AUS could play a vital role in any war against Iraq. Dr Ron Huisken, a former Dir-Gen of alliance policy at the Def Dept which oversees Pine Gap, says the facility could have immediate operational use. Also def expert Prof Des Ball of the Strategic and Def Studies C at the ANU says the facility, nr Alice Springs, has doubled in size since Gulf War I. Brisbane. CRAIG WEAKENS! Cape York communities have avoided the Wrath of Craig as the storm weakened o'night. The Bur of Met has downgraded the TC to a tropical low, but will continue to monitor conditions in case it re-develops into a cyclone. The storm crossed the coast about 10 pm last night, before weakening and changing direction. Craig is now moving slowly N nr Kowanyama. Canberra. AGED CARE UNDER FUNDED! Now here's news! A new report says aged care in AUS could have been under-funded by almost $400 mn since reforms were intro'd in 1997. The report says the reforms have improved funding for resid'l care, but they don't properly compensate for annual cost increases, particularly labour. The fed govt re-organised resid'l care funding in 1997, combining nursing homes and hostels into one system. The govt is now reviewing long-term fin'l options for aged care. Canberra. ONE FOR MOSLEY JONES! Treas Peter Costello has down-played reports that Cabinet will debate plans next wk to set the avg level of ethanol in petrol at 2%. Newspaper reports say Ind'y Min Ian MacFarlane will ask Cabinet to approve an annual subsidy of $150 mn for the oil ind'y in exchange. However, Mr Costello says that as far as he knows, there's no such plan. Brisbane. ANOTHER ONE FOR MOSLEY JONES! Vets have backed a Qld govt plan to ban cosmetic docking of dogs' tails across AUS. Qld Prim Ind Min Henry Palazszczuk has declared he'll push for a nat'l ban on tail docking. Aus Vet Assoc nat'l Pres Jo Toia welcomed the proposal, saying the association's been calling for the ban for more than 3 y. Sydney. THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM! People with mental illnesses will enjoy greater protection from discrimination by life and income insurers under a major agreement. The mental health sector and the Investment and Fin'l Services Assoc signed the agreement in SYD today. Mental Health Council chief Grace Groom says discrimination against people with mental illnesses by the insurance ind'y has been a major problem. She says people have had problems purchasing policies and making claims, particularly for life and income protection insurance. Melbourne. VIC OPINION POLLS! A new poll shows support for the major parties dipped slightly in Vic last m, while the popularity of the Greens, Dems and even Nationals all edged higher. The Morgan Poll shows that despite a drop in support for the ALP, if an election was held last m the Bracks govt would be returned with a comfortable margin. The results show support for the ALP down 1.5 pts since Jan to 51.5%, but support for the Libs was down by 1/2 pt to 28.5%. Sydney. MARKETS! The AUS share market sunk further today, despite bargain hunters swooping on AMP. The All Ords gave back another 14 pts to close at 2,673. AMP Ltd started at a record low of $5.88 but rose to gain 5% at $6.45 by the end of the session. The AUD was still being hit and was trading at 59.39 US cents at 10 pm. Gold was trading at $US343/oz even. Oil at $US37.89/bbl, up 9 c. ---------------------------------------- Fri, 14 Mar 2003. Sydney (6 am). MARKETS! Following an ugly in Asia the Dow is up 136 to 7,688 with 2 hrs to trade. And it is likely to close higher. [By 9 am the Dow was up 384 pts -- around 5%! US retail sales were down 1.6% last m -- 4 times expectations. But the markets are shrugging it off]. The European markets are also higher. The FTSE saw its biggest gain in 15 y. In Japan yesterday, the Nikkei closed down to new 20 y lows. Other Asian markets were also lower. The USD has seen a big surge against the Euro and yen o'night following a key report. Gold is trading around $US335/oz after diving more than $US11, and oil is $US37.09/bbl. The little Aussie battler is still falling, last seen at 59.43 US cents. AMP shares bounced back yesterday to the $A6.50 range. Former CEO Paul Batchelor reportedly has rejected a $A1.6 mn payout that was home-delivered. It's equiv to 18 m salary. But he's holding out for up to $20 mn. The company has announced if he wants more, he can take them to court. And Batchy says that's agreeable. Sydney. ABARE REVIEW! A review of the fed govt's economic forecasting agency could lead to substantial retrenchments and significant budget cuts. The Aus Fin Review reported a fed review of Aus Bur of Ag and Res Economics may spell the end of the organisation's mineral and energy modelling role. The review was ordered by the Sec of the Dept of Ag, Fisheries and Forestry, Michael Taylor. The review might see the bureau merge with the Bur of Rural Sciences, which is also being examined for fat. The resources ind'y fears the merger could bring about significant downgrading of independent economic modelling. London. NEW IDEA! The Brit govt has dropped point 1 of its list of tests that Iraq must meet to avoid war with the US. Officials say they no longer demand Saddam Hussein admit on TV he has WMD. But France has re-iterated it will kill any UN Res that may lead to war. Translation: you silly English are still leaving in the bit we are complaining about! Brit For Sec Jack Straw is furious, demanding France back the latest "compromise" proposals. French officials have also complained that Res 1441, passed unanimously last Nov, was accompanied assurances from the US and Brit it did not involve "triggers" for military action. They've pointed to speeches where it was claimed there was no "hidden trigger" for war. It was just "not a core promise", as we say in AUS! The US, Brit and AUS now argue that 1441 does authorise military action. Meanwhile, French officials in NY are now saying they want to maintain the unanimity of the Sec Council. "The French have made their point.... have ensured Chirac is on the list for a Nobel peace prize... now they're ready to co-operate", said one commentator. Meanwhile, Labour back-benchers say a number of legal opinions about "unilateral action" have been gagged by Tony Blair. One rebel told ABC TV some of the legal opinions allegedly say it is definitely illegal for Brit to go to war without a 2nd Resolution explicitly authorising military action against Iraq. In Washington, officials are now indicating a vote on a 2nd Res has been put off till next wk, despite insisting all wk the vote would definitely occur by Fri, 14 Mar. The Whitehouse is still saying the Mar 17 deadline for the start of US military action is not flexible. NY (Ch 7). FRANCE SOFTENING! There's been a savage reaction from the Whitehouse to France's latest rejection of a new Sec Council Res authorising force against Iraq. US officials complain France knocked back the latest proposal even before Iraq. Mr Bush reportedly phoned Tony Blair o'night to offer his support for the embattled Brit leader. But France now says the UN must reach "consensus" on Coal'n proposals. This is seen as a softening in its previous position. France has until now maintained it would veto any move toward an attack on Iraq. Elsewhere, Whitehouse mouth Ari Fleischer says the French position contradicts Res 1441. France says it would not support a ultimatum, Fleischer says, but Res 1441 was an ultimatum. He questioned France's support for the Res that it approved last Nov. The Whitehouse also thanked PM Howard for his speech yesterday, repeatedly linking Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. Canberra. UNDECIDED! PM John Howard says he believes the jury is still out on whether the Aussie public will support a war against Iraq. He says the public is still listening to the rhetoric for and against war. Yesterday Mr Howard laid out his best case for joining US-led military action in a nationally televised address to the nation. Mr Howard said it was in Australia's long-term interest to join the US in disarming Iraq by force, before terrorists got hold of WMD. NY. US MAY PULL OUT OF UN NEG'S! The US has indicated it might not put a draft UN Res on Iraq to a Sec Council vote. US Sec of State Colin Powell told a US congressional committee the option remains "open" to got for a vote. The US is still lacking the necessary Council support to obtain even a "moral majority". If passed, the new Res would give Iraq only a few days to disarm or face attack. Pres Bush meanwhile says he'll launch military action with or without UN support. Jenin. CLASHES IN W BANK! 4 people have been shot dead by Israeli troops during fierce clashes in the N W Bank. Palestinian sources say the men were killed during heavy fighting that broke out as troops pushed into the town of Tammun, some 20 km S of Jenin. Israeli military sources later confirmed the report, adding 4 gunmen had opened fire as troops entered the village, sparking a heavy exchange of fire in which all 4 attackers were killed. Hebron. SETTLERS SHOT! Israeli soldiers are saying "sorry" after they mistakenly killed 2 settlers. Reports say troops opened fire on a vehicle nr Hebron, riddling it with bullets. It was later found the occupants were 2 Israeli settlers. The army says soldiers are on edge after recent attacks. Washington. SPY FLIGHTS RESUMED! The USAF has resumed reconnaissance flights in internat'l airspace off the coast of N Korea. The flight on Tue was the first since the Mar 2 incident in which 4 MiG's approached a US aircraft over the Sea of Japan. The latest flight was not escorted by fighter jets, but was closely-monitored on radar. Japan. SO SORRY! At least 2 people are dead after a building collapsed on their car as it waited at traffic lights. Officials say the demolition of an office building went horribly wrong, when a collapsing section of fell outward, inside of collapsing inward, as planned. With real estate in Japan still expensive, buildings are demolished progressively. It's common that demolition of high-rise buildings proceeds over a number of weeks. ======================================== (*) Who is responcible for W.A.R.S? A small group of dedicated sandgrubbers, bannana-lickers and 5th columnists on the run from support payments and sundry legalese in their home countries. Mention us at any Uncle Harry's Suburban Bunker and get a 10% discount on cop-killers! All speling macroizated for correctitood by Mcrosotf Speelchek. *** Please stand by for further orders from The Leader ***