From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia Reserch Senter(*) OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS #21 =============================== 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... ------------------------------------------------------------ The options remain... go for a vote... or not go for a vote... but there are all the options you can imagine before us... -- US Sec of State Colin Powell, 13 Mar 2003, unveiling all the alternatives for plans "C" at the UN Sec Council. Can we have a compromise between war and peace... I think we all agree the answer is "no", right? -- Sergei Lavrov, Russian Amb to the UN, 13 Mar 2003, analysing Brit "compromise" deals "B", "C" and "D". The leaders will discuss all final diplomatic options. -- Whitehouse mouth Ari Fleischer, 14 mar 2003, announcing emergency summit meeting in the Azores for Bush, and key Sec Council allies Blair and Aznar to discuss not-a-war-summit plans. Crucial days lie ahead for the free world. -- Pres George W Bush, 15 Mar 2003, explaining there is no prospect of the US not leading a unilateral attack on Iraq. The prospect of military action is much more probable... and I greatly regret that. -- Brit For Sec Jack Straw, 15 Mar 2003, telling Brit Parliament the US had made up its mind, and even its closest allies can't get it to see sense. ---------------------------------------- Circle these dates under your fridge magnets: Sun 16 Black Press Day -- 1st black US newspaper founded in 1827. First liquid-fuel-powered rocket flight, 1926. NY Times editorial "A Severe Strain on the Credulity" reported in 1920 Goddard was a fraud and his rocket principle will never work in space because there is no air to push against. My Lai Massacre, 1968. 300 to 500 non-combatant villagers killed by US infantrymen. Exposed in 1969 by Ronald L Ridenhour. Mon 17 Earth proved pear-shaped by Vanguard I, 1958. St Patrick's Day. PEACE OR WAR? Tue 18 Aleksei Leonov performs first spacewalk, 1965. Wed 19 Swallows return to Capistrano. Cf Mar 15. Thu 20 Pirate station Radio Caroline sinks, 1980. Independence Day in Tunisia. Fri 21 Johann Sebastian Bach born, 1685. Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier born, 1768. Juarez' Birthday in Mexico. Afghan New Year in Afghanistan. Sat 22 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe born, 1832. ---------------------------------------- Fri, 14 Mar 2003. US rejects real compromise Iran, you're next Inspector seeks UN compromise Iraq denies drone aircraft for biological warfare Inspector killed Where the Sec Council members stand US court rejects troops' bid to stop war The war dividend N Korea sparks Asian arms race fear Bush adjusting to break impasse on Iraq Chile says it won't vote for new US res Res vote delayed Bush considers abandoning UN res Turkey outlaws another party Ambush Armed US Navy ships move to Red Sea Aussie PM backs res vote delay AUS on verge of decl war AUS PM gets eggs Press Club: John Howard on AUS's alliance with the US French response baffles Brit, Howard hits airwaves Bishop: PM fires anti-West fervour Bombing kills 10 Bombing kills 4 Militants killed 360 civilians killed during Palestinian uprising: report Car pile-up kills 11 Protests against power-sharing Mars mission may face radiation risk McGauran wavers on N-dump NSW election Bushfire enquiry Health prems to rise again Dengue Markets US rejects real compromise Washington (USA Today). The claim that Washington has tried to go the extra mile in search of a UN Sec Council compromise flies in the face of reality. The US is insisting on cancelling inspections and choosing instead a catastrophic war, just when UN inspections and disarmament are showing real results. Brit's so-called compromise is simply a cover designed to win over reluctant Sec Council members opposed to the call for war but afraid to anger Washington. It doesn't compromise on substance, only on the date the war would begin. This war risks, according to internal UN estimates, up to 1/2 mn Iraqi civilians dead and wounded, and no one knows how many American troops will perish. And it's wrong because there is no need for war. Chief weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei told us last wk that UN teams spread across the country found no evidence that Iraq was even trying -- let alone succeeding in efforts -- to revive its destroyed nuclear-weapons program. There was no evidence that Iraq had mobile laboratories for biological-weapons production. There was no evidence that the much-hyped Iraqi attempt to purchase enriched uranium from Niger ever happened. To the contrary, the documents Washington and London gave to the inspectors turned out to be forgeries. Iraq has been contained -- by war and 12 y of cruel sanctions that damaged Iraqi civilians far more than the regime -- and it has been qualitatively disarmed. The inspectors' disarmament work is not quite finished yet; both Blix and ElBaradei said they needed a few more m to complete their tasks. Almost half of Iraq's al-Samoud missiles already have been destroyed, and as Blix said, "These are not toothpicks." Is it possible that some shreds of prohibited weapons remain? Sure it is. (Scientists say that any of the original stock of chemical or biological weapons that escaped destruction the 1st time around would likely have turned into a harmless goo by now.) But Iraq is not a serious threat. Not to its neighbours and certainly not to the US population. Still, Washington is not compromising. Instead, it is embarked on a reckless, extremist course of deadly action. And it doesn't have to be this way. A real compromise res is circulating quietly among a number of capitals. Germany is interested; other countries are as well. It sets deadlines and includes plans for human rights, finishing disarmament, democratisation and more. What it doesn't do is call for an automatic war. And it gives the US credit for putting pressure on Saddam Hussein to make the inspections work. Other dictators will acquire WMD in y to come. Unless we want a world of endless war, strong UN inspections and the serious disarmament of existing WMD everywhere are the best route to real security. Washington. IRAN, YOU'RE NEXT! US Pres Bush Jr has renewed sanctions barring US firms and citizens from oil dealings with Iran. The decree, which says Iran poses an unusual and extraordinary threat, extends by 1 y the sanctions initially imposed by then-Pres Bill Clinton in 1995. Bush accuses Iran of support for international terrorism, efforts to undermine the Middle E peace process, and acquisition of WMD and the means to deliver them. Inspector seeks UN compromise NY. The chief UN nuclear inspector has urged the Sec Council to compromise on proposed disarmament conditions for Iraq, with staggered deadlines and no ultimatum for war. "I think there's a keen desire globally to do everything before resorting to war," Mohamed ElBaradei, an Egyptian, said in an AP interview. He offered to return to Baghdad himself to help see a timetable of tasks carried out. ElBaradei, Dir Gen of the IAEA, also dismissed the US contention that Iraq intends to use imported aluminium tubes to eventually help make nuclear bombs. He reported to the Sec Council last Fri that his investigation concluded the tubes were unrelated to nuclear work. US Secretary of State Colin Powell has since said "more information from a European country" suggested they were, indeed, meant for that purpose. "We have got this information," ElBaradei said, "and it doesn't change our assessment." The IAEA chief spoke as divisions deepened at the UN in NY over the next steps in the crisis. In the latest version of a Brit res, London proposes listing 6 disarmament requirements Baghdad would have to meet or face "serious consequences". France, which opposes setting ultimatum and has veto power in the council, flatly rejected the plan. ElBaradei, who with chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has been at the centre of the disarmament effort in Iraq, said he supports the idea of setting "tasks" for the Baghdad govt. He approved of some requirements on the Brit list, such as its call for interviews abroad of Iraqi scientists and a commitment to destruction of all al-Samoud 2 missiles, recently declared illegal by UN inspectors. But he questioned Brit's demand for a televised statement by Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein that banned weapons are hidden in Iraq. He called on the Sec Council to fashion a compromise res with disarmament benchmarks, with deadline dates assigned to certain tasks. Then, he said, he would go to Baghdad if necessary. But missed deadlines must not automatically lead to war, he said: "It's a deadline to evaluate, to take stock, not a deadline to automatically say I'm going to war." Iraq denies drone aircraft for biological warfare Baghdad. Iraq says an unmanned drone aircraft being developed by its army is designed for reconnaissance and aerial photography, not spraying biological and chemical agents. But UN weapons inspectors believe it could still be illegal. UN arms experts believe the drone may be able to fly further than the permitted range of 150 kilometres. But the Iraqi army says the unmanned aircraft can travel a maximum of just 8 km [a UN mail list I'm on says "55 km"]. The US fears the drones may be capable of spraying biological and chemical agents but Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein's regime says the 100 kg planes are designed for reconnaissance, radar jamming and aerial photography. Meanwhile, Saddam and his Cabinet have reiterated their support for UN Sec Council Res 1441 on disarmament. The Iraqi leader has also praised protesters around the world for their opposition to war. Baghdad. INSPECTOR KILLED! A UN disarmament inspector has been killed and another injured in a road accident S of Baghdad. Iraqi officials say the 2 inspectors were driving in a UN vehicle when it hit a truck and plunged into a lake. Sources from the Nat'l Monitoring Directorate, which liaises with the IN inspectors, says 1 of the inspectors was seriously injured and transferred by chopper to the Al-Rashid military hosp where he later died. The 2nd inspector is in a stable condition at the same hospital. Where the Sec Council members stand US: Position remains clear: they want go to war as soon as possible, and will do so with or without a 2nd res. The new proposals have received only lukewarm support from the US as the Pres is thought to be keen to avoid being drawn into fresh diplomatic wrangling. The US has also suggested that it might be preferable not to put the 2nd res to vote at all, and rely instead on res 1441 as sufficient justification for war. Spain: Fully behind US policy, and has also suggested it might be preferable not to hold the vote at all. Prime minister Jose Maria Aznar has stated that Spain is not prepared to give any more time to disarm, and spoke of Saddam Hussein's unwillingness to do so last week, "It's not a question of longer deadlines, it's about a will to disarm, which he has not shown yet." Bulgaria: Remains a strong supporter of US policy. Brit: Tony Blair's immediate battle is to secure a fresh res, and he believes that the 6 conditions he has put forward could persuade the rest of the security council to vote in favour of it. However, Jack Straw also indicated last night that it might not be put to a vote. In any event, Brit has indicated that it will join the US attack to disarm Iraq, even if such actions fail to be endorsed by a 2nd res. Russia: The Russian foreign minister, Igor Ivanov, said Russia is still weighing how to vote on the Brit compromise proposal put forward yesterday. However, earlier in the week, Ivanov said Russia would be prepared to use its veto against any res that would automatically pave the way for war. China: China appealed again today for a "political solution" to the Iraq crisis but was non-committal in its reaction to the new Brit proposal. China, the fifth permanent member of the security council, is expected to abstain from any res that has an ultimatum and authorises war. France: Remains the chief opponent to US policy in Iraq. France stunned Washington earlier in the wk by announcing that France was preparing to use its power, as a permanent security council member, to veto the US-backed res on Iraq if necessary. Today France rejected the 6 conditions put forward by Brit, saying Baghdad must be given a realistic framework to get rid of its WMD. Germany also backed France's position today. Syria: Syria's leader, Pres Bashar al-Assad, has not changed his position on the war since his meeting with Tony Blair last Dec, when he said he was optimistic that a war in Iraq could be avoided. Angola, Chile, Pakistan, Guinea, Mexico and Cameroon: The position of the wavering 6 members still remains almost impossible to determine at this stage, as shown clearly by the wildly differing predictions offered by the US and Brit. The FO has cautiously said that it has no sign of any of the members being on board. However, the US has somewhat bullishly stated that Angola, Cameroon, Guinea and Pakistan are in the bag. US court rejects troops' bid to stop war Washington (AFP). A US fed appeals court today upheld a ruling rejecting attempts by serving military personnel and legislators to prevent Pres George W Bush initiating a war with Iraq. The development came as US citizens were warned about possible new terrorist threats in E Africa from affiliates and sympathisers of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. The State Dept "continues to receive threat information pertaining to this region," the US said in a statement that renewed an existing Jan 4 alert and added seaports to a lengthy list of possible targets. Meanwhile, the court in Boston, Massachusetts, said in a ruling posted on its website: "The district court dismissed the suit, and plaintiffs appeal. We affirm the dismissal." The complaint filed by active-duty members of the military, the parents of military personnel and members of the US House of Reps had sought a preliminary injunction to prevent Bush and Sec of Def Donald Rumsfeld from going to war without the requisite approval from Congress. However, the court upheld the lower court's decision that the complaint was "not suitable for judicial review." The war dividend Washington. The Bush Admin has never shied away from flaunting its business credentials. But the news that Halliburton, which used to be run by Dick Cheney, is in line for a slice of a $US900 mn contract from the American govt, now co-run by Dick Cheney, to start rebuilding Iraq raises questions that need to be answered. That Mr Cheney left the top job at a multinat'l for a lessor role in a larger enterprise, America, is not the problem. The issue is whether the sensitive policy of war and peace has been bent to suit the interests of US business, especially those with close ties to the Bush Admin. If George Bush sees remaking Iraq as a possible profit-centre for American Inc, then his VP is ideally placed to advise him. Halliburton, under the stewardship of Mr Cheney, often dealt with govts regarded by US foreign policy and American public opinion as more foe than friend. It profited from dealings with Libya and Iran through foreign subsidiaries and also held stakes in 2 companies that signed contracts to sell more than $US70 mn in oil production equipment to Iraq in the 90s. The use of the chaos of war to impose order on Iraq is a decision that involves weighing difficult moral, ethical and legal issues that threaten to destabilise the fragile world order. It should not become just another business opportunity. The 25 mn people of Iraq deserve better, especially considering the scope of the humanitarian assistance that will be necessary, in the event of war, to feed, house, clothe and care for refugees, the wounded and ill in Iraq, as well as those who will inevitably flee to neighbouring states. It is clear that someone, should the bombing start, will need to reconstruct Iraq, a country eking out an existence on top of the 2nd largest oil reserves in the world. But the largest nation-building effort since the 2nd world war should not just be restricted to American firms. Nation-building would be better co-ordinated through the UN, not designed by the American govt and then handed over to US firms. Dem Sen Joseph Biden pointed out this wk that reconstruction would need "billions of dollars" and "10s of 1000s of personnel over several years". Victory, he told senators, would be "won away from the battlefield" and that the UN was necessary to win over hearts and minds. In an appeal to the Admin, the Sen hoped that "we will provide the UN with the funds necessary to do their part". The problem is that Mr Cheney is the point-man for the Pres on postwar Iraq. The VP has been sketching out a road map for the political and economic reconstruction of post-Saddam Iraq. In the long term, the thinking is that there will be an Iraqi-led govt. In the short term, an American military commander will run the country, with the help of a civilian administrator. There is little said about multilateral actions to reconstruct the country or of a big role for the UN. Worse it is Mr Cheney's hard-line thinking on N Korea, Yasser Arafat and a remade, democratic Middle E which recur in Mr Bush's speeches. This should concern America's friends, who must be wondering where the $30 bn required to rebuild Iraq will come from before the US strikes elsewhere. The obvious answer is from the country's vast oil reserves. This mineral wealth was certainly a consideration in the 1st Gulf war. A measure of the truth of this can be found in Queen Noor of Jordan's recently published autobiography. In it she describes how George Bush Snr dismissed the efforts of her late husband, King Hussein, to resolve that crisis peacefully. "I will not allow this little dictator to control 25% of the civilised world's oil," he told the Jordanian monarch. Mr Cheney was a hawkish def Sec in the 1st Bush Admin. More a nat'list than an imperialist, he cannot be accused of dragging America into Iraq this time for oil. There is plenty of evidence to suggest WMD are his primary concern. However, Mr Cheney's America First policy may well ensure US companies will exploit Iraqi oil for the "benefit" of its liberated people. This could just about be squared with statements by Colin Powell, who has said the country's hydrocarbon wealth will be held in "trust for the Iraqi people". But the effect would see US multinat'ls profiting at the expense of their Russian, French and Chinese rivals. This is an appealing thought to many in the Whitehouse, largely run by oil people from an oil state. There has been much effort by Tony Blair, sensing a political minefield, to dispel any thoughts that Iraqi oil is anybody's but Iraq's. A pity then that Brit companies think the scenario so plausible that they have asked 10 Downing St to ensure they are well placed to make money from a possible black gold rush. American policy is creating a new world and it is determined that its economic and military supremacy will remain unchallenged. This may force the pace of European integration -- to produce a postnat'l entity with enough clout to tackle America. It may also see nascent industrial powers covertly try to acquire the kinds of weapons that will deter acts of US aggression. Pax Americana will then become less about global fraternity and more about the projection of US power to protect and strengthen investment and export opportunities for its industries abroad. N Korea sparks Asian arms race fear Washington. N Korea's nuclear ambitions are more advanced than the world realises and have to be stopped before they trigger an E Asian nuclear arms race, a snr US diplomat has warned. James Kelly, the State Dept's asst Sec for E Asia and Pacific affairs, told Congress yesterday Pyongyang was close to having 2 ways of producing nuclear bombs -- one with Pu extracted from spent nuclear fuel rods, and the other from highly enriched U. His comments came as the Pentagon said it would renew spy flights nr N Korea after an incident last wk in which 4 N Korean fighter jets forced a US plane packed with surveillance equipment to abandon its mission. The new flights are likely to be protected by an airborne warning and control plane and navy ships -- but not fighter jets that could precipitate hostilities. Mr Kelly told Congress earlier this y the highly enriched U program, to which N Korea admitted last Oct, would not be ready until 2005. Now he appears to be saying the material could be available later this y. The US says N Korea could reprocess the fuel rods into Pu and have 6 bombs in about 6 months. The possibility of a military response was "still on the table", Kelly said. Two dozen heavy bombers have recently been deployed to within striking distance of N Korea. But Mr Kelly was optimistic the US would be able to convince N Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions through diplomacy, although he continued to reject calls for direct talks and insisted they would have to occur in an internat'l setting. AUS could be included in the talks with N Korea, along with Brit, France, China, Russia, the US, S Korea, Japan and the European Union. Kelly suggested that N Korean nuclear weapons might be deterred by a new nuclear power nearby. It was unclear which regional countries Mr Kelly was suggesting could develop nuclear weapons in response. He was hopeful Japan and South Korea would not. Bush adjusting to break impasse on Iraq Washington (AP). Pres Bush makes threats, then backs away from them. He endorses a deadline, then abandons it. The Admin's start-and-stop diplomacy in courting UN support against Iraq reflects how far US stock has fallen in rallying internat'l opinion. Still lacking the votes for its res, the Whitehouse abruptly changed tactics again on Thu, indicating it was willing to delay a showdown until next wk in hopes of winning more support. That would render moot the Mar 17 deadline the res has for Iraqi compliance on disarmament. Despite Bush's insistence on a vote and his challenge a wk ago to Sec Council members "to show their cards and let the world know where they stand," the Admin has been delaying the vote all week. Furthermore, Sec of State Colin Powell opened the door Thu to ditching the res entirely, telling a House Appropriations subcommittee that the options are "to go for a vote and not to go for a vote." Despite all the jockeying, the US has been unable to make a persuasive case to gain the 9 votes needed to pass the res to disarm Saddam Hussein by force. Even if it does muster the 9, threatened vetoes by France and Russia could torpedo the res. The Admin's prestige in the internat'l community has eroded markedly since it won the council's 15-0 endorsement in Nov for the res that sent weapons inspectors to Baghdad and threatened "serious consequences" if the Iraqis didn't cooperate. The Admin insists that Saddam continues to violate demands to disarm while playing for more time. But public sentiment worldwide clearly favours giving the inspectors more time, and that is reflected in the hardening position of Sec Council members lined up against the US. Critics accuse Bush and some on his nat'l security team of heavy-handed tactics and clumsy diplomacy, including the president's insistence that he doesn't need UN "permission" to use force against Saddam. Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld's dismissive comments in Jan about France and Germany as part of "Old Europe" helped stiffen opposition in Paris and Berlin to the US position. And Rumsfeld's expression of doubt this wk about Brit military participation in a war with Iraq caused new problems for Bush's staunchest ally, Brit PM Tony Blair . Rumsfeld's comments, making it sound like Brit's help was not needed, were immediately seized on by Blair's opponents. Lee Hamilton, an Indiana Democrat who was chairman of the House Internat'l Relations Committee during the 1st Persian Gulf War, said such talk by the Pres and Rumsfeld may play well at home but "has a very negative ring in the internat'l community," suggesting US "arrogance and insensitivity." The Admin's shifting diplomacy underscored its frustration at being unable to seal the deal at the UN while more than 225,000 US troops are poised in the region, ready to advance. "The Admin I think has come to the conclusion that the longer this process drags on diplomatically, the harder it is to build a coalition to go to war, not easier," said Philip Gordon of the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. Sandy Berger, who was Pres Clinton 's nat'l security adviser, suggested "the French, the Russians and the Chinese are farther away from us than they were a m ago." Powell, in his congr'l appearance, conceded deep differences remain with the Sec Council. But he gave no ground, suggesting, "The day of reckoning is fast approaching." And, he insisted, "The US is not isolated on this issue." Chile says it won't vote for new US res NY. Chile will not vote for the res proposed by the US on the Iraq crisis, if it comes to a vote tomorrow, For Min Soledad Alvear said today. "If there is a vote tomorrow on the proposed res that was presented last Fri, Chile will not vote for this res," Alvear said. "We simply will not support it. We're going to reject it, if it come to a vote. But negotiations are still underway." Chile is one of the "middle six" nations on the security council, along with Angola, Cameroon, Mexico, Guinea, and Pakistan. NY. RES VOTE DELAYED! US and Brit ambassadors have told the UN Sec Council there will be no vote on their new Iraq resolution today or tomorrow. But the envoys, reporting from a closed-door council consultation on the standoff, say talks on the draft res will probably continue throughout the weekend in the hope of a vote on Mon. Brit is seeking consensus in the Council this weekend of a new res setting a deadline for Iraq to prove it has disarmed. Bush considers abandoning UN res Washington (AP). Forced into a diplomatic retreat, US officials said Thu that Pres Bush may delay a vote on his troubled UN res or even drop it -- and fight Iraq without the internat'l body's backing. France dismissed a compromise plan as an "automatic recourse to war." Amid a swirl of recrimination and 11th-hour posturing, the Whitehouse called France's position unreasonable while UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan raised the possibility of a global summit "to get us out of this crisis." Iraq braced for war, lining the streets of Baghdad with fighting positions and foxholes, while the Pentagon moved B-2 stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to bases close to Iraq. The govt of Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein exulted in the diplomatic tumult over a US-Brit backed res that would demand that Iraq disarm by Mon. "I don't think the US will succeed," said Iraqi For Min Naji Sabri. Bush spent a 4th straight day on the telephone, consulting leaders of Brit, Bulgaria, S Korea , Poland, El Salvador and Norway. But trouble loomed at every diplomatic turn. Bush sent a letter to incoming Turkish Prem Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Vice Pres Dick Cheney called the leader. But Turkey still suggested that it wants a UN res before allowing US troops to invade Iraq from its borders. The chief UN nuclear inspector urged the Sec Council to compromise on proposed disarmament conditions for Iraq, with staggered deadlines and no ultimatum for war. In Baghdad, Sabri rejected a Brit compromise plan that would list six disarmament requirements Baghdad would have to meet or else face "serious consequences." Bush had signalled he would be willing to push back the Mar 17 deadline 7 or 10 days if the gesture would help Blair. Russia said it would consider the plan. China's UN ambassador, Wang Yingfan, said he doubted the plan could lead to consensus. The French dismissed the effort outright, sparking a trans-Atlantic shouting match. Whitehouse press Sec Ari Fleischer said of France: "They rejected it before Iraq rejected it. If that isn't an unreasonable veto, what is?" Bush, meanwhile, back-peddled on his pledge to have a UN vote by Fri. Fleischer told reporters a tally could slip beyond the weekend. Aides said the Pres has pushed for a UN vote thus far out of respect for Blair, whose support of Bush has drawn severe criticism in Brit. Several top Admin officials said a growing number of advisers believe the res is doomed and they want the president to cut his losses and withdraw it. Others still hold out hope for the measure. The officials, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, agreed that a key is whether Blair wants Bush to give diplomacy another weekend. Bush and his advisers debated Thu whether to press forward with the vote or withdraw the measure and pivot quickly to war footing. Bush has long planned to address the nation shortly after the UN debate is resolved and give Saddam a final ultimatum, probably including a deadline, for war. In London, Iain Duncan Smith, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, emerged from a meeting with Blair to say the PM believed war was more likely because "the French have become completely intransigent." US officials did not dispute that reasoning. While the Brit plan would give Saddam several more days to comply, they said, Bush could move even quicker against Iraq if he abandons the UN route. They said that option was being considered more seriously than ever. Powell, testifying on Capitol Hill, said the "day of reckoning is fast approaching" for Iraq. He cited several allies that stand ready to back the US if the UN won't, including Brit, AUS, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, Japan and 8 E European countries. Bush had long been scheduled to attend a St Patrick's Day celebration at Capitol Hill, but the trip was cancelled at the last minute so he could work the phones. The Whitehouse also scuttled early planning for a potential European summit between Bush and Blair. Ankara. TURKEY OUTLAWS ANOTHER PARTY! Turkey's constitutional court has outlawed the People's Democracy Party today, ruling it has close links with Kurdish rebels. It's the latest in a long line of political parties that have been outlawed in the country, despite criticism from W allies concerned for democracy in the NATO ally and EU candidate. Const'l court chief Judge Mustafa Bumin says the court found that Hadep had aided and abetted a terrorist organisation, in reference to the Kurdistan Workers Party. Bagram. AMBUSH! A US special forces convoy has been ambushed in E Afghanistan, and 5 assailants were shot dead in a subsequent gunfight and air assault. About 20 attackers fired on the convoy with small arms and machine guns from ridges overlooking a road between the towns of Gardez and Khost. Col Roger King says 2 attackers were captured and taken into custody for questioning. The military says at least 5 others were confirmed killed, but the fate of the remaining group isn't immediately clear. Armed US Navy ships move to Red Sea Washington (AP). The US is moving about 10 Navy ships armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles from the E Med to the Red Sea, snr US officials said Thu. The move indicates weakening US confidence that Turkey will grant overflight rights for US planes and missiles. From the Red Sea the cruisers, destroyers and submarines would be able to launch their Tomahawks -- typically fired in the opening hours of a war -- for flights over Saudi Arabia to targets in Iraq. The ships are part of the USS Harry S Truman and USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier battle groups, which have been operating in the E Med for wks in anticipation of war against Iraq. No decision has been made to move the carriers from the Med, but that could be a next step, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Each carrier has about 80 aircraft aboard. It had been hoped that the Tomahawks could fly across Turkey's airspace, but the Turkish govt so far has not granted overflight rights. Tomahawks are satellite-guided missiles normally used in the opening stages of war to strike high-value, fixed targets such as govt buildings in areas where the risk of civilian casualties is relatively high. The Tomahawks are designed to evade radar by skimming the land or sea surface and were designed in the mid-1980s. Following Gulf War I, they became one of the US weapons of choice to respond to Iraqi breaches of UN sanctions. The issue of overflight rights for US missiles and planes has been overshadowed by the Bush Admin's struggle to win Turkey's approval to base 60,000 or more US troops there to open a northern front against Iraq. The Turkish Parl rejected the US request for basing rights earlier this month, and Pentagon officials said Thu it appeared increasingly unlikely that the Army would position its 4th Infantry Division in Turkey, as originally planned. About 3 dozen cargo ships with the 4th Infantry Division's weaponry, equipment and supplies have been waiting off the Turkish coast for weeks, and the troops are still at their base in Fort Hood, Texas. During the 1991 Gulf War the Navy positioned carriers and Tomahawk-launching ships in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. It now has 3 carriers in the Gulf -- the USS Kitty Hawk, the USS Constellation and the USS Abraham Lincoln. Aussie PM backs res vote delay Canberra. PM John Howard has played down a delay in putting a new res on Iraq to a vote, saying it would have seemed "too bullying" to do anything else. The US has dropped its demand that the UN Security Council vote on the res by tomorrow. It also has not ruled out withdrawing the res altogether. Mr Howard has told Channel Nine the latest delay is not significant. Opp'n leader Simon Crean says he is pleased the US has given the Sec Council more time. But Mr Crean has criticised Mr Howard's decision to raise the bombing of Pearl Harbour in his speech yesterday. Mr Howard has told Southern Cross radio he put forward a powerful case yesterday and has defended some of the imagery used. Around 50 anti-war protesters have heckled the PM and thrown eggs at his car as he arrived at Adel's Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Centre this morning. About 2 dozen police were also waiting outside. The protesters arrived over an hr before the PM. They held placards expressing opposition to any war in Iraq. Canberra. AUS ON VERGE OF DECL WAR! AUS is on the verge of committing to a war on Iraq. PM John Howard made this clear today when he said Cabinet would make a decision when the Sec Council processes are complete. While he wouldn't forecast the outcome at the UN -- where intensive diplomacy is still underway this evening -- Mr Howard says he expects the crisis would come to a head next wk. The PM also launched AUS's toughest attack on France for nearly a decade, accusing it of being a "spoiler" and more concerned with its place in the world. Adel. AUS PM GETS EGGS! Anti-war protesters have thrown eggs and a tomato at PM John Howard's car during a rolling protest which stopped city traffic in Adel. One protester was taken into police custody after charging at a Commonwealth car comtaining Mr Howard after his address at a Liberal Party luncheon. Earlier, protesters pelted the PM's car with eggs and a tomato when he arrived for a function at an Aboriginal culture centre. Press Club: John Howard on AUS's alliance with the US Canberra (AP, AAP). France and other nations had destroyed any chance of achieving the peaceful disarmament of Iraq, PM John Howard said today. Mr Howard spelt out his case for a war against Iraq in a nat'lly televised address to the AUS public yesterday, warning the world could not wait much longer before taking action. Today, embarking on the big sell of his case for war against Iraq in a series of media interviews, Mr Howard said France and others were intent on saying no to every proposal before the UN Sec Council. Mr Howard said France was more interested in positioning itself in the internat'l community than disarming Iraq. The PM again said he believed it was in AUS's interests to forcefully disarm Iraq to avoid other rogue states getting their hands on WMD. Cabinet alone would decide whether AUS troops would participate in a US-led invasion of Iraq and that decision would only be taken after the UN processes were finalised, Mr Howard said. As Mr Howard voiced his criticism Brit also lashed out at France today, suggesting that Pres Jacques Chirac's refusal to consider a 2nd UN Sec Council res on Iraq was bringing the likelihood of war closer. Brit officials suggested that Mon is their target for a Security Council vote, but also left open the possibility that there would be no vote at all. France is acting unreasonably by threatening to veto any res, "and that has meant that the likelihood of military action is therefore closer", Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith said following a 45-minute emergency meeting with PM Tony Blair. Duncan Smith suggested that Blair was becoming resigned to taking military action on the basis of Sec Council res 1441, adopted unanimously last Nov. For Sec Jack Straw said negotiations on a 2nd res would continue "until we have reached a conclusion that it is not possible, but for the time being ... this will run through today and tomorrow and maybe through the weekend." Brit officials, speaking privately, said there could be a UN vote on Mon. At a FO briefing, a rep said it could be sooner. The US, in a reversal, suggested a Mon vote was possible. Straw, who emerged from Blair's office shortly after Duncan Smith, also lambasted the French. Brit would continue to seek a 2nd res "whatever the difficulties that we face, and particularly the kind of statements which we are hearing from across the Channel", Straw said. Earlier in the morning, French For Min Dominique de Villepin rejected a Brit plan to set a series of tests of Saddam Hussein's sincerity in accepting demands for disarmament. De Villepin said Brit and the US were trying to set too short a deadline, and that Iraq should be permitted a "realistic delay". Blair believes that achieving a 2nd UN res on Iraq is "now less likely than at any time" and that French obstinacy brings the likelihood of war closer, Duncan Smith said. Straw underlined the Brit fury at Chirac's govt. Still, neither side seemed quite ready to give up on the diplomatic process. This afternoon, Straw indicated Brit was prepared to water down one of its disarmament demands -- that Saddam Hussein declare on Iraqi TV that he had been hiding banned weapons. And De Villepin told reporters in Paris that France wanted to achieve a consensus in the Sec Council. Blair's official rep said talks at the UN could continue through the weekend. Blair is facing strong opposition within his Labour Party for backing US moves to disarm Iraq. Last weekend, Internat'l Development Sec Clare Short threatened to resign from the Cabinet if Brit attacked Iraq without UN backing. She called Blair's handling of the crisis "reckless". The Cabinet held its 1st meeting today since her outburst. Asked afterward whether she remained a member of the Cabinet, Short told reporters: "Yes." [From the files of The Guardian: "Thursday August 8, 1996 Clare Short, the controversial shadow cabinet minister, last night accused her leader's advisers of jeopardising Labour's chance of victory at the general election and threatening its existence. She accused them - the 'people in the dark' - of trying to portray Tony Blair as an unprincipled 'macho man' instead of the 'fresh, principled and decent' person who took over from the late John Smith."] French response baffles Brit, Howard hits airwaves Canberra. The Brit Cabinet is meeting to discuss the Iraq crisis and in particular, France's rejection of 6 Brit proposals setting out conditions for Iraq's disarmament. The French For Min Dominique de Villepin says the ideas do not address the key issue of seeking a peaceful solution to the crisis. Brit officials say France is being illogical, extreme and unreasonable and if it persists in blocking the res, Brit will consider not putting it to a vote. PM Howard has started selling his argument for the use of military action to disarm Iraq. The PM will spend the morning trying to persuade the AUS people to back his position. Mr Howard understands a lot of people disagree with him and he has hit the airwaves in a bid to sell his argument that the world cannot stand by and do nothing. He has told the 7.30 Report he does not have the proof linking Iraq to Al Qaeda. However, Mr Howard says there is clear evidence of past links between Iraq and other terrorist organisations and he fears ultimately they will get their hands on WMD. Mr Howard will explain his argument to the AUS people this morning with a round of radio and TV interviews across the nation. Elsewhere, US Amb to the UN John Negroponte says the US is sticking by its Mar 17 deadline for Iraq to comply with council demands on disarmament. But he says it might be willing to allow "a modest extension" if council members back new Brit proposals to set out 6 concrete tests of Iraqi compliance. Brit UN Amb Jeremy Greenstock presented the new proposals designed to maximise support for the draft res on behalf of Brit alone. Mr Negroponte says he is not opposed to the Brit proposals. Pakistan's UN Amb Munir Akram says it is premature and perhaps wrong to ask whether countries are on board for a res that could change. He says the Pakistani Govt is studying the Brit proposals but adds it is not taking a decision because it does not know what it is being asked to vote for. Bishop: PM fires anti-West fervour Canberra. John Howard was too quick to swallow the "pro-Israel" rhetoric of the US and was contributing to the anti-W sentiments of the Muslim world, the Catholic Bishop of CBR-Goulburn, Pat Power, said last night. Bishop Power, who has been a leading campaigner against the war on Iraq, said Mr Howard's speech yesterday emphasised a dangerous willingness to side with Israel irrespective of the circumstances. Mr Howard referred to Israel in his speech as a "special target of terrorism" whose legitimacy had to be upheld by the US. There was no reference to the assaults by Israel against Palestinians, an omission that Bishop Power said was evidence of bias. The speech also touched on the likely humanitarian impact of the war. The Pres of Amnesty Internat'l AUS, Russell Thirgood, cast doubt on the assertion that a US-led invasion would leave Iraqis better off in the longer term. "While Amnesty Internat'l takes, in principle, no stance on the use of force to resolve issues between nations, we remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian and human rights consequences of a military attack on Iraq," Mr Thirgood said. These sentiments were echoed by AUS Medical Association president Kerryn Phelps who travelled to CBR "expecting a smoking gun". The nat'l Pres of the RSL, Maj-Gen Peter Phillips, said Mr Howard's message was "sincere". Although the RSL has advocated no AUS involvement without a UN mandate, Maj-Gen Phillips said he would support the troops "no matter what the politics of the situation". Opp'n Leader Simon Crean said Mr Howard had failed to make the case for AUS's involvement in the war. Greens leader Bob Brown condemned Mr Howard for ignoring public sentiment. "It was a speech of a bunkered PM, very out of touch with the great feeling of war in AUS," he said. Democrats leader Andrew Bartlett described the speech as "full of absolute hypocrisy". Bombay. BOMBING KILLS 10! Indian police say 10 people have been killed and 75 hurt in a bomb blast on a train packed with homebound commuters in Bombay. It's been the deadliest in a spate of blasts in India's financial capital in recent m. The explosion ripped off the roof and sides of the coach containing a women-only section. The blast tore through the carriage as the 9-coach train drew into Mulund stn, in a N middle-class suburb of the city. Jammu. BOMBING KILLS 4! An explosion has killed 4 passengers in a bus parked at a stn in India's insurgency-wracked Jammu-Kashmir state. Meanwhile, the army has been called in to halt stone-throwing protests over frequent militant attacks in the region. Police say 20 people outside the bus have been admitted to hospital with injuries from the explosion. 100s of people gathered at the bus station and hurled stones at police and soldiers, angry at the lack of protection from terrorist acts in the state. Jerusalem. MILITANTS KILLED! 5 militants on Israel's most-wanted list have been killed in the W Bank during an army op to prevent a planned terrorist attack. Palestinian security officials say 3 of the dead militants were from the Hamas group, responsible for dozens of attacks against Israelis. Another victim came from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, which is linked to Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement. The army says the men were killed after shooting at soldiers approaching a militant hideout in Tamoun. 360 civilians killed during Palestinian uprising: report Tel Aviv. An official Israeli govt report has found the army has killed more than 360 innocent civilians during the 29 mo Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. The civilians are among a total of almost 2,000 Palestinians that have been killed. The statistics compiled by the min'y of def are somewhat lower than those put forward by the Palestinians and human rights groups. They show that 130 of those killed were children aged under 16, 22% were from hard-line Islamic groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, 17% were members of Yasser Arafat's Fatah Movement and its armed wings and 17% were Palestinian policemen. The reports said some of the children killed were throwing petrol bombs and even carrying weapons but there was no justification for killing children. Venice. CAR PILE-UP KILLS 11! Italian highway police say dozens of cars and trucks have piled into each other amid heavy fog in NE Italy, killing at least 11 people and injuring about 60 others. Police say about 100 vehicles were involved in the pile-up between Venice and Treviso, 20 km to the N. A highway police official says 15 of the injured are in critical condition. He says thick fog had seriously reduced visibility during morning rush hr, when 2 trucks heading N from Venice to Treviso struck each other lightly and stopped in the middle of the highway. Yamoussoukro. PROTESTS AGAINST POWER-SHARING! Protesters in Ivory Coast have thrown up barricades this morning as politicians prepare to unveil a power-sharing coal'n incl rebels, meant to end nearly 6 m of civil war. The new govt's the centrepiece of a French-brokered peace accord stuck in Jan to end a conflict that has left 1000s dead in the world's biggest cocoa producer, but implementation of the deal has been fraught with difficulties. Mars mission may face radiation risk Pasadena (AP). NASA 's Mars Odyssey spacecraft has confirmed suspicions that the radiation on Mars is so intense that it could endanger astronauts sent to explore the Red Planet, scientists said Thu. The high radiation levels measured by the unmanned probe also suggest that any ET life that might call Mars home would have little chance of surviving unless it were shielded beneath the planet's dusty, cold surface, said Cary Zeitlin of the National Space Biomedical Research Inst in Houston. The conclusions stemmed from new data released by scientists at NASA's JPL from the 1st y of scientific results from the $US300 mn mission. Scientists also presented info on the minerals and elements that make up the planet's surface, including measurements that show its N hemisphere is richer in water than its southern half. Near the planet's N pole, frozen water makes up as much as 75%, by volume, of the top 1 m or so of soil, said William Boynton, one of the mission's scientists. NASA talks vaguely of future manned missions to Mars, where astronauts could use that ice for drinking water, fuel and oxygen to breathe. The new radiation findings suggest such a mission would be risky. Even so, possible accidents involving the spacecraft that would take astronauts to and from Mars pose a far greater risk, Robert Zubrin, president of the pro-exploration Mars Society, said in a telephone interview. The main worry for astronauts on Mars would be the periodic bursts of charged particles that stream outward from the sun. On Earth, a global magnetic field and a substantial atmosphere protect against that radiation. Observations made last y show bombardments of solar radiation can last more than a week. Presumably, astronauts on Mars would have to remain confined in some sort of shelter during such blasts of radiation, Zeitlin said. Mars Odyssey's science mission is expected to last 1.5 or more y but probably will be extended. The spacecraft has been thrifty enough with its fuel to enable it to stay in orbit 20 more y. McGauran wavers on N-dump Canberra. Science Min Peter McGauran has moved away from exclusively backing the construction of a radioactive waste dump nr the Woomera military bombing range in SA. Mr McGauran told The AUS yesterday he was "more than happy with one of the other 2 sites" considered as alternative locations for a nat'l low-level radioactive waste repository. But 2 m ago, Mr McGauran strongly endorsed an area known as Site 52a as the "preferred site". This was despite it being 3km from a military testing range in the Woomera Prohibited Area, 500km north of Adel. Since Jan, Mr McGauran has come under sustained criticism for choosing Site 52a over 2 alternate sites -- 40a and 45a -- about 30km E of the WPA. The AUS last m reported Def officials and the space industry were strongly opposed to a repository at Site 52a. They fear Site 52a's close proximity to the testing range would deter future military and commercial trials, potentially retarding the development of AUS space science and technology. Env Min David Kemp is due to make a final determination on Site 52a within the next 5 wks. Despite backing away from his preferred site, Mr McGauran said Site 52a was equally suitable for a repository. "I want to defend Site 52a because of the obstinate criticisms of it," he said. But Opp'n env't rep Kelvin Thomson said: "Increasingly, the evidence doesn't suggest that there is a basis for (Dr Kemp) to approve Site 52a." The AUS yesterday revealed Dr Kemp had ordered his dept to review risk analyses, including those associated with Site 52a. Opp'n leader Simon Crean yesterday said the site selection had been a "flawed process" and ruled out Labor building a repository in SA. He promised a Labor govt would restart the 11-y nat'l search for a radioactive waste dump site, which has so far cost taxpayers $5 mn. Mr McGauran said: "I challenge Mr Crean to find a flaw in the process." Sydney. NSW ELECTION! A poll has found primary support for the NSW Labor Party has dropped by 8.5 pts to 42%, but the govt still looks set to win a landslide against the Liberals in the Mar 22 election. The Morgan Poll found primary support for the coal'n has also dropped by 1.5 pts. The Liberals fell by 3 points, while the Nationals improved by 1.5 pts. On a TPP basis, Labor is still on a massive 62%, well ahead of the Coal'n at 38%. Melbourne. BUSHFIRE ENQUIRY! Vic Prem Steve Bracks has announced an inquiry into bushfires that burned of more than 1 mn ha. The Prem said the inquiry would be conducted by the state's Emerg'y Serv Comm'er, Bruce Esplin, with the help of 2 indep experts. He says the inquiry will cover the response to the bushfires, future bushfire management strategies and bushfire preparedness. The comm'er will report his recommendations to the govt by Sep. The state Opp'n has criticised the inquiry, which it labels "secret". Opp'n leader Doyle called for the govt to hold public hearings. Canberra. HEALTH PREMS TO RISE AGAIN! Private health insurance premiums will increase an avg of 7.4% this y, twice the rate of inflation. Despite $bns in govt subsidies, health insurers have increased premiums aggressively for the past 3 y. Aus Health Ins Assoc CEO Russell Schneider says the increase will be less than $2.80 a wk for most families after the govt's 30% tax rebate. Most of the insurers will increase premiums from Apr 1. Townsville. DENGUE! Almost 60 Cairns residents have now been diagnosed with dengue fever, and the number is expected to keep on climbing. Health officials have been forced to call in help from nrby Townsville to contain the outbreak. They fear people infected by a different strain in a 1998 outbreak could be infected again, leaving them vulnerable to deadly Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever. Sydney. MARKETS! Saddam futures fell from 85% to 76%, signalling the belief among traders the Iraqi leader was slightly more likely to survive under the end of Jun. The price of oil fell 4.6% to just over $US36/bbl. Venezuelan production is coming back and consumption in the N is decreasing now that summer is on the way. Gold was also down $US10 to $US333/oz. The AUD remained around 59.55 US cents. The All Ords came off 4 y lows, following simular rallies O/S -- esp the FTSE that tracks one of AMP's loss-making operations -- rising almost 2% to 2,724. AMP rose 80 c to $A7.25. ---------------------------------------- Sat, 15 Mar 2003. Markets Emergency meeting in mid-Atl UN orders out inspectors Bombers attack Iraq 5 more killed in W Bank Plane crash kills 4 3 hostages killed 2 die as cyclone hits India finds 6 bombs Hunt for Pres assassin 1,000 suspects under arrest Iraq scraps 65 missiles Blix gets VX report UN insp prepares report Greens want "no war" War is almost certain War crime trials New bug on the move Sandstorms v US Everything connected Travel alert Terrorist suspect arrested Quake New PM installed Hu is New China Pres Strike leader granted asylum Amazon fires out of control Peaceniks march Pro-war rally Murder suspect escapes Qld police Your taxes at work People unhappy with health schemes Insurer removes amb serv Man dies outside empty amb stn NY. MARKETS! Markets in the US and EU continued to rally o'night as war fears apparently abated. The Dow closed 38 pts higher at 7,860. The FTSE closed up 115 (3.2%) pts at 3,602 and the Dax ended up 49 pts (2%) to 2,403. But gold was up $US3 to $US336/oz. Washington. EMERGENCY MEETING IN MID-ATL! Yesterday Pres Bush told reporters he was going no-where. But today the Admin has announced the Pres will join Brit PM Blair and Spanish Pres Aznar in face-to-face talks in the Azores. The emergency meeting is also to incl Portugal. At the UN, other ambassadors have wondered why no-one else was invited. With some observers saying any new Resolution authorising war is facing certain defeat, the Bush Admin today was saying nothing at all about Iraq. Instead, the Pres and other officials have launched a new "peace initiative", and were talking peace in the Middle E. Mr Bush outlined a "road map for peace" at a press conf. Across the Atlantic, it was the same message from Tony Blair. He told Parliament that peace between Israel and Palestinians was crucial to world security. Blair also tried to cool the slanging match with Chirac. Meanwhile, legal experts have warned the Whitehouse that if a 2nd Sec Council res is vetoed it will remove any legal basis for an attack on Iraq. Baghdad. UN ORDERS OUT INSPECTORS! In a sign that an attack may be imminent, the UN has ordered more weapons inspectors out of Iraq. About 25 weapons inspectors joined other UN personnel who pulled out 24 hrs earlier, flying out to Cyprus. Elsewhere, 20,000 Brit troops were addressed by their US cmdr who tried to smooth over comments from Don Rumsfeld. He told Brit troops they were there "to defend democracy". While the yank rhetoric was not much appreciated by the boys, they told reporters they just want to get on with the job and get home. Meanwhile, CiC Gen Tommy Franks said the US now had sufficient military capacity in the Gulf "to do the job". Over the border, Iraqi's top mullah called on Iraqis to sink US ships and set Americans on fire. In the N, Kurds are also fleeing ahead of an expected attack. With Turkish troops likely to cross the border with Americans advancing on Baghdad, they fear extermination. But dust-storms are still bogging down some units advancing toward the Kuwait/Iraq border. Locals say they are the worst storms they've seen for 100 y. Washington. BOMBERS ATTACK IRAQ! For the first time, long-range US bombers have attacked Iraqi targets today. The B1's are reported to have bombed at least one Iraqi radar stn. In a sign that war is only days away, observers say the B1's may be clearing a pathway through Iraqi defences for main attacks next wk. It's a significant raising of the war stakes, they say. Stealth bombers have been moved to the Pacific outpost of Diego Garcia, from there they can reach Bagdad. Meanwhile, the Azores islands -- a mid-Atlantic outpost 1/2 way between the US and mainland Europe -- is to host a new diplomatic front from the Bush Admin. The Whitehouse stressed the summit is not a "war council". Connie Rice said the meeting was "a way to think about how to bring the UN process to a conclusion". In NY, Russian Amb to the UN Lavrov thinks the Council is being by-passed. Meanwhile, trying to delay the "show of cards", Chile tried to extend Iraqi disarmament deadline with a plan of its own. Chile has indicated it was abstain from a vote on a 2nd UN Res. But the plan was dismissed out-of-hand by the Whitehouse. The word "Iraq" wasn't on the Admin's script today. Pres Bush instead announced a "road map for peace" between Israel and Palestinians. Bush also announced the removal of coup-related sanctions against Pakistan. Pakistan indicated earlier this wk it would abstain from voting on any Res linked with a US-led war on Iraq. Large demos in Muslim-dominated Pakistan continue, calling on the govt to oppose US military action against Iraq. Jenin. 5 MORE KILLED IN W BANK! 5 armed men have been shot dead in the W Bank, brining to 10 the number of people killed by Israeli troops in less than 24 hr in the N territory. An Israeli undercover unit raided the refugee camp adjoining the N self-rule city of Jenin, shooting 4 militants dead. The army says they were all members of the radical Islamic Jihad. A 5th gunman, from an armed offshoot of Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, was killed in the following fire-fight. Hobart. PLANE CRASH KILLS 4! Investigators are examining the wreckage of a light plane that crashed after take-off on a tiny island in Bass St, killing 4 people. Civil Aviation Safety Auth'y rep Peter Gibson says the 4-seater Cessna 172 crashed on Trefoil Is off the NW tip of Tas at 5 pm yesterday. The pilot of the single-engine charter plane and 3 construction workers were all killed. Jammu. 3 HOSTAGES KILLED! A day-long siege in Kashmir has ended with the deaths of 3 hostages, 2 police and a gunman, while 15 others were wounded. The siege began when militants armed with automatic weapons shot their way into a hotel, taking 9 people hostage. They then continued shooting and tossing grenades through windows on the 3rd floor of the building. Soldiers quickly surrounded the Hotel Anand, firing mortars and rockets [!] at the building. After dark, soldiers and police stormed the hotel and found 3 hostages and 1 militant dead. Noumea. 2 DIE AS CYCLONE HITS! At least 2 people have been killed and 70 injured after Erica slammed into the French Pacific terr'y of New Caledonia. The powerful cyclone, packing winds of up to 150 kph, disrupted communication and transport links, uprooted trees and ripped roofs off houses and public buildings. A building worker was killed after falling while trying to secure sheet metal shortly before the storm hit. Another man died after suffering a heart attack when his car was swept away by a swollen R. Bombay. INDIA FINDS 6 BOMBS! Police say they've found and defused 6 bombs at the main railway stn in New Delhi, a day after a blast ripped through a commuter train, killing 11 and injuring 64. An investigation into yesterday's explosion at a suburban Bombay train stn has focused on Islamic groups, but police have declined to give other details. Police increased security today t'out Bombay, with random searches of passengers and frequent warnings to be on the alert for suspicious packages. Belgrade. HUNT FOR PRES ASSASSIN! The Serbian govt has directly accused allies of former Pres Slobodan Milosevic of organising and carrying out the assassination of the country's reformist PM Zoran Djindic. Meanwhile, a police sweep has targeted members of the Zemun Clan, a shadowy crime network named after a Belgrade suburb, whose ranks incl former paramilitaries loyal to Milosevic. Officials say they had 56 suspects under arrested by yesterday afternoon, incl 8 members of the underworld gang implicated in the killing. Belgrade. 1,000 SUSPECTS UNDER ARREST! Reports tonight say 1,000 suspects are under arrest following the assassination of the Serbian PM Zoran Djindic. Hunting down people linked with opponents of Djindic, police blocked off all roads into one Belgrade suburb, and then moved in. Code-named Operation Whirlwind, police made mass arrests and also bulldozed the luxury home of one of the main suspects. Officials say crime bosses are still the main suspects in the killing. But the govt is now also talking about links between crime gangs and hard-line nationalists. Some are talking about a nexus between organised crime, the nationalists, and internat'l terrorism. Baghdad. IRAQ SCRAPS 65 MISSILES! Iraq has scrapped another 4 of its banned Al-Samoud 2 missiles as well as 7 warheads and other components under UN supervision. It raises to 65 the number of missiles destroyed since the process began on Mar 1, out of around 100 to 120 the UN says have to be scrapped. Scrapping the missiles has been the most tangible sign Iraq is co-operating with inspectors, who are continuing to search for the country's alleged WMD. NY. BLIX GETS VX REPORT! Hans Blix has received a letter from Iraq containing details on the VX agents it says it destroyed 12 ya. Blix's rep says the 25-page letter, sent by fax, is 1/2 in English and 1/2 Arabic. In Baghdad, a foreign min'y source says the report contains the results of analyses on the quantities of chemical agents that were destroyed in 1991. Weapons inspectors have prev said there is a disparity between their estimates of what Iraq has destroyed and the quantity it produced. NY. UN INSP PREPARES REPORT! Chief UN weapons insp Hans Blix has completed a draft report of his work program, defining key disarmament tasks still required of Iraq. A UN diplomat says Blix's draft contains 12 key items covering the 3 areas of chem and bio weapons programs, and its missile production. Iraq has to account for its nuclear program to the IAEA, whose Dir-Gen, Mohammed ElBaradei, also has to submit a program of work by Mar 27. Sydney. GREENS WANT "NO WAR"! The NSW Greens have launched an anti-war election ad for their NSW campaign, saying the US-led action is "all about the oil". The party is also urging all voters to protest against the war. Regardless of how they vote, they ask everyone to put "no war" on the ballot papers. Canberra. WAR IS ALMOST CERTAIN! Treas and future PM of AUS, Peter Costello, has warned that war in Iraq is now "almost certain". Unless there is a change from Saddam. Mr Costello said the best thing that could now happen would be for the war to be over quickly. The Treas said AUS could not let AUS foreign policy be dictated by a UN vote. If the govt waited for a 2nd Res to authorise war, it would be giving the right of veto over AUS foreign policy to other countries, he said. Observers say Mr Costello has undermined the reason for any treaty. To surrender the rights in certain policy directions, for the benefits gained in others. Opp'n officials say if Mr Costello links a US-led war on Iraq with AUS foreign policy, it contradicts the govt's long-held claim it has not yet decided to commit Aussie troops to the attack. Elsewhere, Aussies joined in peace protests in 1,000 other cities world-wide. About 2,000 anti-war protesters marched in Darwin. It was the biggest demo today. About 1,000 peaceniks rallied in Hobart. 100s of anti-war demonstrators marched in SYD. There was also jostling at a rare pro-war rally in W SYD. Meanwhile, the AUS govt has been told by legal experts it can't invoke the ANZUS alliance in support of its pro-war stance. Mr Howard had previously said the military alliance between AUS, NZ and US would make it impossible NOT to support the US in its military plans against Iraq. But experts say the Treaty only allows a military response if there is an attack on AUS or its armed forces in the the region. The Treaty has previously been reduced to an AUS/US agreement, after NZ said it would not allow US nuclear-armed warships into its harbours. Opp'n rep Kevin Rudd says war can only be authorised by the UN. Other legal experts agree. But, in Brit, the Blair govt has unveiled 2 experts that say the US/Brit coal'n already has authorisation to attack from previous Resolutions. But even they say it's "open to interpretation". Other experts say the UN Charter says war must be explicitly authorised by the Sec Council unless a nation is facing imminent attack. Phnom Penh. WAR CRIME TRIALS! Cambodian and UN officials have re-opened key talks to decide whether an international tribunal should be formed to try surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge. A 6-member UN team led by UN legal counsel Hans Corell entered into the talks with Sok An, the Cambodian minister in charge of trial negotiations. The talks, which first started in 1999, are aimed at finding ways to try surviving members of the Maoist movement blamed for the genocide of up to 2 mn Cambodians between 1975 and 1979. HK. NEW BUG ON THE MOVE! Fears of a mystery disease have spread through Asia, with more cases of a-typical pneumonia reported in HK and Vietnam. Health officials have cautioned that no links between the outbreaks have been proven. They are investigating that possibility, as well as looking for connections to a form of a-typical pneumonia that killed 5 people last m in China's Guangdong prov. HK officials have insisted the general public has not been threatened and the number of pneumonia cases has not risen beyond normal levels. Kuwait. SANDSTORMS V US! Bad sand storms are bogging down US tanks and mechanised units. A military cmdr told reporters they have to be stopped during sandstorms "for safety reasons". Reporters say when the winds abate the units continue to move forward to the border and their date with Iraq. But at other times all they can do is hunker down. And that's part of the reason for urgency from the US -- the weather is getting worse as the N heads into summer. The dust is getting into everything, and all weapons had to be cleaned at least once a day. Washington. EVERYTHING CONNECTED! We're all linked together, say climate scientists. As Coal'n troops gathering in the Gulf battle sandstorms, scientists say some of the same sand could eventually make its way back to the continental US. They've spotted wind-blown dust on satellite pictures, travelling at altitudes of around 10,000 ft, that travel in huge streamers from Africa all the way across the mid-Atlantic. The dust is "a complete chemical soup", said one expert. "You name it -- it's in there". African sand arriving on the US E coast had been found to contain mercury, arsenic, and even spores of foot & mouth disease. Scientists now think sandstorms in Africa could worsen asthma rates in the US later. Wind-blown sand might also be damaging coral reefs along the Florida coast. But the dust storms are not all bad news. Some vital plankton get their only nutrients from the sand blown from N and C Africa. Nairobi. TRAVEL ALERT! The US, Brit and AUS have updated their warnings about travel to E Africa, citing continued information about potential terrorist attacks. Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti have been named as facing heightened risk of terrorist attacks, according to fresh advisories published in the past 2 days by the W nations' various For Af depts. KL. TERRORIST SUSPECT ARRESTED! Malaysian police have detained another suspected member of an Al Qaeda-linked reg'l terrorist group blamed for the Bali bombing last Oct. Police say 29 yo Mohamad Amin Musa was picked up on Sun in S Johor state and is being held under the country's Internal Security Act as a JI suspect. Malaysia is already holding more than 80 suspected Islamic militants under security leg'n that allows indefinite detention without trial. Jakarta. QUAKE! Officials say a strong mag 6 quake has rocked parts of Papua, causing panic among residents. A rep for the Met and Geophysics Agency says there are no immediate reports of injury or damage from the quake that struck around 6 pm AEDT. He says the quake was centred about 108 km W of Manokwari, a town on the N coast of Papua -- an Indon prov that covers the W 1/2 of the NG Is. Ankara. NEW PM INSTALLED! Turkey's new PM has been installed. While he's previously indicated support for the US request to allow troops to use Turkish bases to launch an attack on Iraq, there is increasing domestic pressure not to give in to Washington. As PM Erdogan was installed, protesters clashed with police in the SE of the country where the US is already massing its forces. Beijing. HU IS NEW CHINA PRES! There's a new Pres in China tonight. Hu Jiantao was elected at the annual session of the National Peoples Congress. There was only 1 candidate to choose from, so it was unanimous. The 60 yo engineer will take over from Jiang Zemin, who's been Pres since the 1989 Beijing massacre. Chinese activists hope there will be a push from the new Pres to resolve the old Jun 4 issue. While Jiang is stepping down from the Presidency, he will remain head of China's powerful military. Hu is something of a mystery man, and no-one is quite sure what he stands for. While Hu is said to be "absolutely loyal" to the Party, he also has been open to ideas of democracy. He was a member of think tanks that examined various alternatives to the present Communist rule, and is said to be attracted to models of social democracy from W Europe. Caracas. STRIKE LEADER GRANTED ASYLUM! One of the wanted leaders of a failed 2-m strike in Venezuela has been granted political asylum by Costa Rica. Labour union leader Carlos Ortega faces treason and racketeering charges in Venezuela. The CR For Min'y says he's entered the embassy, and Costa Rica has decided to grant his asylum for humanitarian reasons. Ortega has been in hiding since the strike collapsed and Pres Chavez signed a warrant on Feb 20 for his arrest for treason, rebellion and incitement. Rio. AMAZON FIRES OUT OF CONTROL! Brush fires raging out of control in Brazil's N Amazon have entered the Yanomami Indian reservation, home of the world's largest primitive tribe. Agricultural fires that got out of control due to extreme dryness are being blamed for 335 fires burning across Roraima state, which borders Venezuela and Guyana. The fires have crossed into the Yanomami reservation, but authorities are trying to determine how far they've gone. Sydney. PEACENIKS MARCH! Anti-war protests will be held across the country this weekend, rallying against AUS's support for a possible war against Iraq, as part of a global weekend for peace. In NSW, picnics, parades, protests and rallies are planned in SYD, with Newcastle will host a public meeting about a possible war with Iraq. In Vic, actions tody incl rallies and marches in Coburg, Fitzroy, Frankston, Oakleigh, Bairnsdale, Wonthaggi, Albury/Wodonga, and Geelong. In Brit, 100s of are expected to gather at Perrin Pk in Toowong. Sydney. PRO-WAR RALLY! While peace rallies met in about 1,000 cities around the world, incl SYD, some Iraqi nationals today marched in support of a regime change in Baghdad. About 50 children and their parents attended a pro-war rally in W SYD. An anti-rally protest, by another Iraqi group against the US-led war, was quelled by police. A pro-war rep for the Iraqi Association told reporters: "Saddam is like a cancer in the body of Iraq". Like a cancer, he said, the Iraqi leader had to be removed. War was the lesser of 2 evils, others said. Brisbane. MURDER SUSPECT ESCAPES QLD POLICE! A man wanted in connection with a murder has escaped from police custody. Police say the man was being taken from the murder scene to the stn when he pushed a door into one officer's face and escaped. Critics are loudly wondering why the man wasn't under restraint. Police say the suspect is believed to have army training and may be armed. He reportedly escaped into the bush. Police have launched an investigation into how the suspect got away. Sydney. YOUR TAXES AT WORK! The ACCC warns private health insurance premiums will rise significantly every y for the foreseeable future. The govt yesterday approved a 7.4% hike in premiums for this y. Last y premiums also rose by around 7%, despite more than $1 bn in assistance from the fed govt. The ACA's Martyn Goddard says the premium hike means more than just consumers being slugged to prop up inefficient health funds. He says the move also means an extra $170 mn pa will be ripped out of the public health system as part of the fed govt's health rebates. Canberra. PEOPLE UNHAPPY WITH HEALTH SCHEMES! Aussies are not happy with AUS Health insurers, especially after they announced another 7% premium rise this wk. Premiums went up almost 7% last y, and both rises came after the fed govt moved to support health insurers with a 30% rebate on private health insurance 3 ya. Critics say people now feel trapped by health funds, and the funds know it. There are penalties if anyone over 30 drops out of a scheme, even if it's only for 6 m. Observers say people with private insurance have been "trapped by govt policy". And voters are getting angry about it -- especially the over-40s. Brisbane. INSURER REMOVES AMB SERV! Medibank Private will remove ambulance cover for Qld clients from Jul 1, following the introduction of a compulsory ambulance fee in the state. The Qld govt's controversial $88 pa levy will be applied to electricity bills from the start of next FY. Medibank Private says it's decided to close its Qld Ambulance Only cover, and remove the amb cover component from its Qld ancillary products and Packages products. There was no word whether premiums would fall as a result. Brisbane. MAN DIES OUTSIDE EMPTY AMB STN! A man died from stab wounds while he waited outside an ambulance stn in Bris o'night. The stn was unmanned because officers were on another emergency call. The dead man's friends had also been stabbed in a knife attack. Police say they should have called 000 before going to the ambulance stn. A man has appeared in court, charged with the stabbing death. ---------------------------------------- Sun, 16 Mar 2003. 11 killed in kashmir Emergency summit Bush on war AUS locked into war Labor on war PM on war Iraq calls for inspectors Blix and Iraq Iraq goes onto war footing Iraqis against war Iraqis protest War protests Iraq prepares for war Brit troops prepare for war US troops prep for war AUS troops prepare for war Aid organisations prep for war Hunt for Al Qaeda WHO warns against Asian flu Killer flu NK leader congrats new China Pres New China Prem appointed Serbs remember slain leader Envoys son kidnapped World water conf Most Brits against Chuck Trains collide in N Vic Greek festival NSW election US amb still meddling FTA by end of 2004 GM protesters arrested Qld prem congrats medibank Jammu. 11 KILLED IN KASHMIR! At least 11 Indian policemen have been killed and 5 injured when suspected Islamic rebels attacked a security post in the Himalayan region of Kashmir o'night. A police rep says rebels in the Gool area of Udhampur district, 150 km N of Kashmir's capital, targeted the post with rockets and assault rifles. Rebels in Muslim-dominated Kashmir have been fighting Indian security forces since 1989, seeking an independent homeland. Washington. EMERGENCY SUMMIT! US Pres Bush Jr will join Brit PM Blair and Spanish PM Jose Maria Aznar in an emergency meeting on the Azores today. The 3 leaders are meeting on the mid-Atl Portuguese terr'y to discuss a final pursuit of a UN res authorising force to disarm Iraq. Currently, the res sets a deadline of tomorrow for Iraq to prove it has disarmed itself of WMD. The res is yet to go for a vote, but is likely to to fail to get even the 9 votes it needs for a "moral victory". France and Russia still indicate they will veto any motion that leads to war. Washington (SBS). BUSH ON WAR! Pres George W Bush looks set to invade Iraq. The most important decision of his presidency is likely to come after he hosts an emergency summit in the Azores tomorrow. In his weekly radio address today, Mr Bush indicated that war just a matter of days aware. The Pres says there is "little reason" to hope Saddam will disarm. The US says the Azores conf is a "last chance for diplomacy", except no-one will be there apart from the US, Brit and Spain. Analysts say Bush should be talking with people he disagrees with, trying to get them on side, and not simply conferencing with those already committed to his cause. They say it's a war summit. Elsewhere, there were anti-war protests around the world today. In Iraq, Saddam's generals told him the preparations for war are complete. But Baghdad also made an 11th hr bid for peace, calling for UN weapons inspectors to help accelerate co-operation to head off a US-led attack. Commentators say Iraq thinks it can still buy time. But it seems nothing will halt US action now. France and Germany have called for Iraq to be given a realistic disarmament timetable. But there has been almost no response. French officials say the US is "very determined" and probably nothing can now stop the US war machine. Canberra. AUS LOCKED INTO WAR! Opp'n leader Simon Crean says PM John Howard has locked Aussie troops into joining a US-led attack on Iraq. He says Mr Howard has left no way out if the UN Sec Council opposes a res clearing the war for war on Iraq and the US decide to go it alone. Mr Crean says what makes it worse it Mr Howard not having the courage to tell the 2,000 Aussie troops stationed in the Persian Gulf he's committed them to war. Canberra. LABOR ON WAR! Fed Labor has toughened its stand on a US-led war on Iraq. Labor would back a war only with a UN sanction, Simon Crean said today. The ALP was dropping a policy clause that war would be OK if Iraq was linked with the 9/11 attack. But there's still division on whether the war will be legal or not without a new UN res. Labor's Shadow For Min Kevin Rudd says it's not. Simon Crean told a TV audience yesterday PM Howard should call back Aussie troops. It was a mistake to have pre-deployed them, he said. The Opp'n leader said the small Aussie forces didn't increase the pressure on Saddam to comply with the UN. While protesters boo-ed the PM at a NSW election meeting, Mr Howard told those inside Labor was confused and hypocritical about Iraq. He said the ALP was hypocritical to call back Aus troops, but say it was alright to leave US and Brit troops there to apply pressure for weapons inspectors. Still on-message, the PM later told a TV audience that if it was wrong for AUS troops to be there, then it was equally wrong for US troops to be there ahead of an 18th UN Res. Sydney (SBS). PM ON WAR! The Aussie PM in SYD was under siege by protesters again. The PM was in SYD to attend a NSW LP meeting for the state election. Later, at his NSW office in SYD the PM offered a sombre appraisal of the current situation. Matters will come to a head next wk, he told the audience. After calling the Brit PM o'night, Mr Howard says Blair is not wavering in his commitment to a war. The Brit PM is "very committed to the course of action that he's taken", said Mr Howard. Mr Howard indicated Blair was "handling" his mutinous back bench. And the PM seized on comments from an ALP official, and former head of the Dept of For Af, that the 1991 Gulf War resolutions authorised future military action. The war is legal, concluded the PM. Baghdad. IRAQ CALLS FOR INSPECTORS! Iraq has invited Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei to visit Baghdad ASAP. In the lead-up to a possible attack in the next 48 hrs, Iraq has also submitted a new list of scientists involved in past chem weapons programs. The invitation to the weapons inspectors came in a letter from Gen Amer al-Saadi, who's Iraqi Pres Saddam's top scientific advisor. Amer says the aim of the visit by the inspectors would be to examine ways to accelerate co-operation between Iraq and the 2 organisations they head. NY. BLIX AND IRAQ! In NY for a new report on the progress of weapons inspections, Dr Hans Blix says he hasn't decided whether or not to accept an offer to go to Baghdad. The Iraqi govt has issued an 11th-hr bid to head off war but ramping up UN co-operation. But Blix said he was prepared to resolve important issues. Elsewhere, Pres Bush said opponent govt's in the UN were showing their actions were words alone. Meanwhile, Russia, France and Germany have issued a joint declaration saying there is no justification for war and that inspections are working. French officials acknowledged that US military pressure was working in increasing the level of co-operation from Baghdad. Baghdad. IRAQ GOES ONTO WAR FOOTING! Saddam has issued a decree officially putting Iraq onto a war footing. The war plan divides the country up into 4 military districts. The Iraqi News Agency says the country has appointed 4 chiefs of the districts under the command of Pres Saddam. It says the Pres's son Qusay has been put in charge of Baghdad and other areas in C Iraq. The agency says the move is aimed at destroying any foreign aggression. Baghdad. IRAQIS AGAINST WAR! 10s of 1000s of Iraqis have demonstrated in the Iraqi capital and provincial cities against a war that the regime fears will break out despite concerted efforts at disarmament. In Baghdad, 1000s of people joined a march, carrying portraits of Pres Saddam, banners to his glory and hostile to war. In the wealthy Al-Mansur district, men carried AK-47s and burned an effigy of Pres Bush Jr as well as US flags. Baghdad (ABC). IRAQIS PROTEST! After watching demos for peace around the world, it's now the turn of Iraqis to take to the streets themselves. But as civilians marched for peace, reporters recalled this is Baghdad. Any peace protest immediately gathers support from the army. No-one knew the name of John Howard, although one small sign showed they knew AUS was a US ally. Around the country men from their teens to their 60s have taken up arms. Most Iraqis have guns in the home. While his countrymen marched outside, one resident of Baghdad was visiting a govt-built bomb shelter. The shelter was struck by a US bomb in Gulf War I, killing more than 120 women and children inside. He was one of only 16 people sheltering there at the time that survived. He's now urging his neighbours and anyone that will listen to not seek refuge in places like that again. Whitehouse. WAR PROTESTS! On the eve of an emergency summit in the Azores, 10s of 1000s have protested outside the Whitehouse, trying to bring their message to the US Pres in a last bid for peace before war actually breaks out. Most expect a US-led attack to start next wk, without UN backing. American was setting a "poor example for other countries" and "causing global chaos", said demonstrators. US public sentiment remains deeply divided. Pro-Bush demos accused Peaceniks for being stooges to Saddam. Some hawks jeered anti-war demonstrators outside the Whitehouse. Millions marched for peace around the world, as Pres Bush put the final touches on war preparations. With hopes fading, crowds everywhere were down. In Tokyo housewives rallied for peace. There were large turnouts in Germany, in Moscow, in Paris, and elsewhere in the US. ABC TV says there was an anti-US sentiment in Paris, where 10s of 1000s were backing Pres Chirac. Police say 400,000 marched in Italy. But SBS TV says 1/2 mn marched in Milan to call for peace. Italy's PM Silvio B is a Bush advocate. In S Turkey, as US vehicles were unloaded off ships, protesters insisted the govt refuse to allow in US troops. But the arrival of American h/w shows Washington has not given up on Ankara. There were protests t'out Asia. In KL, riot police blocked protesters from reaching the US embassy. Protested burned a US flag and also released doves. In SYD, hecklers again targeted PM Howard as he attended a state LP meeting for the NSW election. In MEL, Kurds marched outside the State Library saying a war could be used as a cover for a Turkish invasion of N Iraq. They called on AUS to support an indep Kurdistan. They were also commemorating the gassing of Kurds by Iraq in past conflicts. Baghdad (ABC). IRAQ PREPARES FOR WAR! While 100s of 1000s marched through the streets of Baghdad, Saddam seemed relaxed as his Generals told him they will protect him with their own blood. On the streets there's a mixture of anger and defiance against the US and its allies. The govt says 4 mn marched, with 2.5 mn in the capital alone. Even accounting for exaggeration, reporters say 100s of 1000s in greens marched through Baghdad. Expressing an unhealthy mixture of fear and excitement, the blood is up for mayhem, said observers. Kuwait. BRIT TROOPS PREPARE FOR WAR! Nr the Iraqi border Brit paratroops were being gee-ed up by their cmdrs using yelling-in-your face and running-on-the-spot strategies. One Brit officer said they needed to get their adrenaline up, "just like it was a rea... war". Qatar (SBS). US TROOPS PREP FOR WAR! At their Qatar HQ, 60 people are preparing to run the war. Officials explain the computers and radios are manned non-stop by a total of 120 key staff. Today they're planning the war, next wk they expect to be running it. Elsewhere, troops in Kuwait are preparing to move N. At present they're mostly relaxing, pigging out on Coke and visiting the Pizza Hut that's been set up in camp. The border is now an unofficial war zone. The list of gathered men and material is impressive. While the Iraqi forces are larger, the US and allies have the undeniable edge in technology. The US have about 225,000 troops deployed in the region. The Brits have 42,000 ground troops green to go. AUS has deployed 2,000 special forces. The US has 500 tanks; the Brits have 120. There are 750 US aircraft in the theatre; there are 120 Brit warplanes. There are 14 AUS Hornets. There are 4 coal'n a/c carriers, each heading a battle group with dozens of warships, submarines and cruise missiles. AUS has 2 frigates and a transp ship. Kuwait. AUS TROOPS PREPARE FOR WAR! Aussie troops have faced a long and uncertain wait, not knowing if they're officially going to war. Breaking the ready-up-and-wait mentality of this man's special forces, the 1/2 tonne of mail arriving each wk helps. The packages from relatives and NGO's helps. Washington (SBS). AID ORGANISATIONS PREP FOR WAR! The US govt and aid organisations are at odds over how to cope with the looming humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq. Some reps from NGO's say the US hadn't done nearly enough to help cope with the expected disease and 1000s of refugees. But that's just like last time, they say. There's a squabble over who will run the aid programs. The Whitehouse doesn't want civilians in charge, and vice-versa. UN aid bodies don't want to be involved in an unauthorised action. Then there's the money angle. The UN has only 1/3 of $124 mn that was budgeted for even the early days of the conflict. Aid agencies say doners are holding back to avoid the impression that war has been inevitable for weeks. Countries neighbouring Iraq have some supplies, but not enough. Unlike the weapons, money to bind the wounds of war isn't ready. At least, not yet. Islamabad (SBS). HUNT FOR AL QAEDA! While Pakistan has announced the capture of another snr Al Qaeda member -- said to be a computer whizz -- the hunt for Mullah Omar, the former head of the Afghan Taliban, and OBL is not going so well. Pakistani officials say Yassar al-Jaziri was detained in Lahore. And they hope he will help in decoding some of the info found on the hard drives captured with Khalid earlier this m. Previously, officials had said the Al Qaeda codes were so trivial they could be practically read immediately by CIA agents. In Afghanistan the US military is having trouble hunting down Mullah Omar. The country is a rumour mill. And that's not helping the hunt. Some say both Omar and Osama headed E, toward Pakistan. But some say they split up. Omar might has shaved off his beard, or is posing as a tourist, or even as a woman -- dressed in a head-to-foot burka. The US cmdr says he's been told the Afghan govt believes if Mullah Omar came into his office, he wouldn't know it was him. The most likely rumour to be true is that the Mullah is the guest of friendly tribes-people or family in a remote area of Afghanistan. The US cmdr says if Omar or Osama make any move that makes them stand out, he'll be happy to make them a guest of the US... or send them to their choice of afterlife. Hanoi. WHO WARNS AGAINST ASIAN FLU! The WHO has issued a rare travel advisory on fears a mysterious form of pneumonia may be spreading. Most of the outbreaks have been reported in China, HK and Singapore, and unconfirmed new cases have been reported in Vietnam and Taiwan. The WHO says in the past wk it's received more than 150 reports world-wide of a-typical pneumonia, which it called acute respiratory syndrome. Frankfurt (SBS). KILLER FLU! There have been 8 deaths so far from a mystery disease causing pneumonia-like symptoms. The dead incl 2 in Canada -- people that had recently visited China. A nurse in Vietnam is the latest victim to die. The WHO has issued its first health waring in 10 y. They say the disease spreads quickly, and doesn't respond to many normal treatments for pneumonia. Authorities don't yet know whether it's a virus or bacterium. They say health workers appear most at risk. There is concern with how fast air travel appears to be spreading it around the world. At present, 150 passengers on a NY-bound flight from Singapore are under quarantine in Frankfurt after 3 people fell ill. A doctor on the flight is now being treating in isolation in hosp. It's believed he'd earlier treated someone on the flight for the disease. The doctor alerted German authorities. Officials say there's no need for panic. In AUS, John Mathews says there's no reason for alarm, but the disease could come to AUS. The symptoms incl fever, muscular stiffness, coughing, and diarrhoea. Officials say to see a doctor if you've been to Asia within last few weeks and have the symptoms. Beijing. NK LEADER CONGRATS NEW CHINA PRES! North Korea's Beleagured Leader Kim Jong Il has reached out to the new Chinese Pres, offering congratulations and expressing hope their friendship will continue. Kim was among the first world leaders to send congrats to new Chinese Pres Hu Jiantao who was elected Pres of China yesterday, replacing Jiang Zemin. Beijing. NEW CHINA PREM APPOINTED! The 3rd-ranking member of China's Communist Party has been appointed as the country's next premier. Wen Jiabao will assume control of a fast-changing economy that's carried China to new heights and created staggering problems during 2 decades of reform. 60 yo Wen replaces the retiring Zhu Rongji and becomes the country's top economic official. The legislature has approved his elevation overwhelmingly as the final rubber stamp personnel appointment of a general leadership transition. Belgrade (SBS). SERBS REMEMBER SLAIN LEADER! 100s of 1000s marched in Belgrade in a funeral of their slain Pres. The last time there was a demo this big in Serbia, it was Zoran Dinjic leading the people against Milosevic. Now the crowds are coming out for Dinjic, believed to be a victim of the Milosevic network of nationalists and criminal gangs. The funeral wound its way through the streets. There were many in tears, with many mourners carrying flowers and candles. The coffin eventually arrived at the main cemetery where the Serbian flag that had been draped on the casket was given to Dinjic's family. With a massive manhunt underway to find the killers, the country's future is under a cloud. Tbilisi. ENVOYS SON KIDNAPPED! The son of Georgian Pres Eduard Shevardnadze's special envoy for the W of the country has been kidnapped. The general prosecutor's office says un-IDed assailants abducted 39 yo Zaze Dzhikia in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, after surrounding his car and forcing him into another vehicle. Shevardnadze has ordered the police to take all necessary steps for the release of Dzhikia, who works for German-based tea company Martin Bauer. Kyoto. WORLD WATER CONF! The largest internat'l conference on water issues has started with delegates from 150 countries meeting for a wk in W Japan. The Third World Water Forum is being attended by govt ministers and heads of state. It will consider actions to help some 1.4 bn people without access to safe drinking water. More than 10,000 delegates are expected to join in events through the wk in the cities of Kyoto, Osaka and Shiga, incl a public water fair and youth forums. London. MOST BRITS AGAINST CHUCK! A new poll shows more than 1/2 of Brits polled believe Prince Chuck should not succeed QEII to the throne. The YouGov poll for London's Sun Mirror shows only 42% think Charles should become king when his mum abdicates or dies -- down from 58% last y. The poll of more than 2,000 adults show 32% want Prince Wm to become kind -- up 12% on the prev poll. Melbourne. TRAINS COLLIDE IN N VIC! A passenger train has collided with a freight train near Chiltern, in Vic's N. A Rural Amb rep says the trains collided nr Old Cemetery Rd, about 3.40 pm. It's not known whether there have been any injuries. Sydney. GREEK FESTIVAL! The m-long annual Greek Festival of SYD will kick off today with a street fair at seaside Brighton-Le-Sands. Organisers expect more than 100,000 people to attend the day-long smorobrod of food arts and entertainment. Festival chair Nia Karterus says SYD-siders who are curious about Greece ahead of the 2004 Olympics should join the Bay Street celebration, or go to MEL for a decent souvlaki. Sydney. NSW ELECTION! NSW opp'n leader John Brogden will today launch the Lib Party's state election campaign -- only 6 days before voters go to the polls. The event will be used by Mr Brogden to try to hammer home the coal'ns' key platforms on law and order, education, health and public transport. The Libs currently face a crushing defeat, with the latest Newspoll -- conducted for the Sun Telegraph -- showing the Labor govt with 47% of the primary vote. Canberra (ABC). US AMB STILL MEDDLING! US Amb Tom Schieffer is still complaining about Anti-Americanism in AUS. He says the sentiment will harm the US/AUS relationship. Schieffer said the US didn't want a situation where Aussies and Americans felt ill at ease with each other. Remember -- you can't say what you really think unless you're American! Canberra. FTA BY END OF 2004! US Amb and meddler in internal affairs, Tom Schieffer, says a free trade agreement between AUS and US could be in place by the end of 2004. He told the Ten Network that such agreements often drag on for years before the US gets what it wants. But Schieffer says the US and AUS are keen to get a deal done quickly -- and believes some farmers in both countries will be satisfied with the outcome. He denied the FTA was in any way linked with Mr Howard's unquestioning support for the US. Other reports say 40 American and 60 Aussie officials will sit down to the trade talks about the middle of the y. The govt has indicated "everything is on the table". Critics fear the govt will be prepared to negotiate away foreign ownership, public assets, and primacy of US laws for an uncertain deal on agricultural trade. Melbourne. GM PROTESTERS ARRESTED! 6 Greenpeace activists have been arrested by police after boarding a freighter in Pt Mel to prevent it unloading a shipment of GM soya beans. About 15 protesters boarded the Despina when it arrived from the US about 4.30 pm yesterday, and chained themselves to gear used to open the holds and unload cargo. Search and rescue squad members removed the group about 10 pm last night. Prev reports say Vic is the only state that is on schedule to start trials of GM crops this y. Farmers and the state govt are still considering whether to allow the trials to go ahead. Critics claim the introduction of GM crops into AUS will lose trade with Europe and other countries, saying consumers have shown a reluctance to buy GM products. Brisbane. QLD PREM CONGRATS MEDIBANK! Qld Prem Peter Beattie has appealed to private health funds to follow Medibank Private's lead and remove ambulance cover for Qld members. Medibank Priv announced it would remove the cover for Qld-ers from Jul 1 following the intro of a compulsory ambulance levy in the state. The Qld govt's controversial $88 pa amb levy will be applied to electricity bills. ---------------------------------------- Mon, 17 Mar 2003. Markets Bush signals war Leaders signal re-structure of Middle E Inspections continue Saddam threatens world NK threatens action Russian solders killed Rebels capture CAR Flu epidemic War this wk FTA Derailment inquiry Train line clear by tonight Sydney. MARKETS! Although the local markets started in positive territory, they lost ground at noon as investors responded to the 24-hr ultimatum by US Pres Bush Jr to the UN. At 12.18 the All Ords fell 15 pts to 2709. Lajes. BUSH SIGNALS WAR! After travelling 1/2-way across the Atlantic to meet with key allies, Pres Bush Jr said in a press conf that tomorrow was the moment of truth for the world on Iraq. In a 90-min meeting, Bush and 3 allied leaders agreed on one final attempt to win world backing tomorrow for the swift disarmament of Iraq under Saddam Hussein. The Pres says he hopes tomorrow the UN will do its job. He was speaking after meeting with the leaders of Brit, Spain and Portugal. Lajes. LEADERS SIGNAL RE-STRUCTURE OF MIDDLE E! US, Brit and Spanish leader have vowed to boost efforts to end the Middle E conflict, setting out a vision in which the people of Israel and Palestine live in peace. Speaking after a 90-min summit on Iraq in the Azores Is, US Pres Bush Jr, Brit PM Blair and Spanish PM Aznar welcomed the appointment of a new Palestinian PM with the authority to put an end to terrorism and consolidate necessary reforms. NY. INSPECTIONS CONTINUE! UN chief weapons inspector Hand Blix says weapons inspections in Iraq will continue for the time being. However he says his staff could be evacuated at very short notice. About 150 UN weapons inspectors are currently in Iraq. Dr Blix has also described a statement made by US Pres Bush Jr at the end of a summit on Iraq as "very threatening". Baghdad. SADDAM THREATENS WORLD! Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein has warned that if Iraq is attacked it will take the war to the rest of the world. Saddam's threat was made during a meeting with military cmdrs. His remarks were carried by the official Iraqi News Agency. The Iraqi Pres told his generals that when the enemy starts large-scale battle, it will be between Iraq and anywhere there is sky, land and water in the entire world. He denied Iraq has WMD, as the US and Brit claim, but joked Iraq -- given time -- could produce anything his enemies require. Seoul. NK THREATENS ACTION! N Korea says it can't remain a passive onlooker while the US conducts military exercises nearby. The isolated communist state says the US is pushing a nuclear crisis toward a 2nd Korean war. While vowing to counter any military attacks, NK says it wants to avoid war and has reiterated its demand for direct talks with Washington. The US military says the annual exercises, which end on Apr 2, are defensive and not related to the political situation on the Korean peninsula. Vladikavkaz. RUSSIAN SOLDERS KILLED! 6 Russian servicemen have been killed by rebels and 2 polling stations have been destroyed as Chechens get ready to vote on a new Constitution. The Mar 23 const'l referendum has been heavily promoted by the Kremlin, which contends that Chechnya's rebels are losing power. However, the insurgents continue to kill and wound Russian forces in near-daily attacks. The referendum comes 3 y after the resumption of war in Chechnya. Bangui. REBELS CAPTURE CAR! Rebel leader Gen Francois Bozize has declared himself Pres of the Central African Republic after his forces captured the capital, Bangui. In a radio address introducing himself as head of state, Bozize announced the suspension of the constitution and dissolved the legislature. He says his fighters have seized power because of the management of the country and its inability to carry out its domestic responsibilities. HK. FLU EPIDEMIC! Global health authorities are on alert for a severe type of pneumonia that's killed at least 9 people and infected more than 100, sparking a WHO warning. The spread of the disease has alarmed travellers. In HK's internat'l airport, many people arriving from Taiwan, Singapore and elsewhere were wearing surgical masks. Canberra. WAR THIS WK! For Min Alex Downer says war on Iraq could begin this wk. Mr Downer says he has little hope the UN Sec Council can agree on a new res clearing the way for military action in the next 24 hrs. In that case, he says it's more likely than not US Pres Bush Jr will give Iraq a couple of days to meet UN disarmament demands or face a massive attack. Mr Downer says that if the ultimatum is rejected, it's possible there could be military conflict very soon. Canberra. FTA! Trade Min Mark Vaile has vowed economic issues and not strategic ones will dominate negotiations for a free trade agreement with the US. Mr Vaile rejected opp'n suggestions the govt has struck a deal for a FTA with the US, in return for AUS support in the war against Iraq. Almost 100 negotiators from AUS and the US will tomorrow start talks on the agreement, which the govt believes will boost the domestic economy by $4 bn pa. Melbourne. DERAILMENT INQUIRY! The AUS Transp Safety Bur has launched an inquiry into a collision between a V/Line train and a good train in Vic's N. V/Line Passenger will also hold an investigation. The V/Line train carrying 45 people hit the Pacific National freight train yesterday, 5 km N of Chiltern. Rural Amb rep John Mullen says no passengers or staff had to be treated for injuries. The main rail link with SYD will be out of action for a few days while repairs are done. The accident ripped up about 2 km of track. Melbourne. TRAIN LINE CLEAR BY TONIGHT! The main MEL-SYD rail link should be cleared by late tonight following a train crash in Vic's N. A V/Line rep says it appears the Pacific National freight train derailed on a bend, losing much of its load. The freight was then hit by a V/Line Passenger train carrying 45 passengers. Passengers and rail staff were lucky to escape unharmed in the crash, that left carriages strewn across the tracks for 100s of m. ======================================== (*) 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 ***