May
1-15 Stories
U.S.
President Bush Proclaims End to
Major Combat Ops in Iraq
WASHINGTON,
May 1, 2003 – Major combat operations in Iraq are over, and America
and her allies have prevailed, President Bush said this evening
on the flight deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.
"In this battle we have fought for the cause of liberty and
for the peace of the world. Our nation and our coalition are proud
of this accomplishment," Bush said aboard the deck of the
USS Abraham Lincoln as the sun set on the Pacific Ocean. "Yet
it is you, the members of the United States military, who achieved
it. Your courage, your willingness to face danger for your country
and for each other made this day possible. President George W.
Bush makes his way to the stage to address the nation and sailors
from the flight deck of USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003. (Full
Story)
US
Administrator Approves Lists of Former Iraqi Servicemen Ready
to Stay in the Ranks
BAGHDAD,
4 May 2003. /from RIA Novosti correspondent Pavel Davydov/. -Head
of US postwar administration in Iraq, retired general Jay Garner,
has approved the lists of former Iraqi servicemen ready to stay
in the ranks.
According to a report published Sunday in Iraq’s Al-Zaman newspaper,
the lists of former Iraqi servicemen of various ranks had been
compiled by "a committee of independent Iraqi servicemen"
on the basis of a questionnaire each of them had to complete.
The questionnaire required each serviceman to state whether he
wished to stay in the ranks or to seek employment in the civil
sector.
With regard to "desired salary", former servicemen cited
amounts ranging from 100,000 to 900,000 Iraqi dinars (an equivalent
to $50 – $450). In Saddam’s army officers used to get from 90,000
to 250,000 dinars a month.
Sir
David Weatherall of Oxford to Provide Expertise in Research
BETHESDA,
MARYLAND — Sir David Weatherall famed for his work in human genetics
and scientific reports to the World Health Organization will work
with a top U.S. health agency to bring his expertise in the fight
against dangerous diseases in first and third world countries.
"We are particularly interested in discussing the potential
follow-up to Sir David’s landmark report to the World Health Organization,
"Genomics and World Health", published last year, and
its focus on diminishing the great and increasing divide between
investments in research focused on first world and third world
diseases," said Gerald Keusch, M.D of the Fogarty International
Center. (Full
Story)
Iraq’s
Future in Hands of Its Own People,
U.S. Officials Say
Three senior
U.S. government officials agreed that humanitarian efforts to
renew and restore Iraq have gone well so far, and movement will
continue to return Iraq to the Iraqi people.
Undersecretary of Defense Dov Zakheim, DoD comptroller and chief
financial officer, Undersecretary of State Alan Larson and Undersecretary
of Treasury John Taylor, updated Arab and Muslim reporters in
a press conference here May 1. Larson is in charge of economic
business and agricultural affairs at the State Department; Taylor
handles international affairs for the Treasury Department. (Full
Story)
Protecting
A Nation’s Sovereignty – U.S. Congressman Fights "Outrageous"
Belgian Notions
Last
Friday in Tirana, Albania — US Secretary of State Colin Powell
signed an agreement with Albania that would grant US and Albanian
citizens immunity from prosecution by the new International Criminal
Court.
In Washington D.C. last week U.S.
Congressman Brad Sherman, the top Democrat on the new House Subcommittee
on International Terrorism, Non-proliferation and Human Rights,
continues to call on the Belgian government to clarify their laws
concerning the prosecution of non-Belgians for crimes against
humanity. (Full
Story)
Unprecedented
Times Ahead for the International Space Station
Two
go up.
Three come down.
That’s the new math NASA and its international partners are using
for the latest crew exchange for the International Space Station.
And never before in the Station’s history have the numbers added
up like this.
At 11:59 p.m. EDT Friday, April 25th, NASA Astronaut Ed Lu and
Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko (mal entch’ en co) launched
on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from Kazakhstan. These two men make
up the Expedition 7 crew, and they’ll serve aboard the Station
until October. Malenchenko is the Commander while Lu serves as
the NASA International Space Station Science Officer. (Full
Story)
Russian
Soyuz TMA-1 Spaceship Lands With Russian and American Crew
MISSION
CONTROL CENTER (Korolyov, Moscow Region)–The spacemen of the
long-time expedition returning from the international space station
have landed north of the Aral Sea, 500 km away from the pre-set
place of landing, the mission control center reports.
It was pointed out at the center
that the An-12 aircraft, which had spotted them, could not land
at the place of spaceship’s landing. So, helicopters with a team
of rescuers and doctors on board flew to them. They are expected
to arrive at the place of the spaceship’s landing at 10:18 a.m.
Moscow time. (Full
Story)
Spain
to Syria– Talks on Iraq and the ‘Road Map’
Powell
began a three-day trip to Europe and the Middle East on Thursday
last week, in which he visited Coalition countries regarding Iraq
and stopped in Damascus and Beirut.
Before the meetings in Syria, U.S. Secretary of State Powell told
the press in Damascus that he was there to address terrorist organizations
in Syria that are a threat to Israel and the world. He wants Syria
to end support to organizations "that are headquartered in
Syria that have rejectionist agendas." And he said that also
at issue are "weapons of mass destruction development, sealing
of borders with Iraq and a number of issues that are well known."
(Full
Story)
Bush
Thanks Amir of Qatar for Support
President Bush
May 8 thanked the leader of the tiny Gulf country of Qatar for
his nation’s steadfast support.
In brief remarks at the White House after the two leaders met,
Bush said Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani "showed great leadership"
in leading his country to join the coalition that took on Saddam
Hussein’s regime.
U.S. Central Command located its forward headquarters in Qatar
before the conflict began.
Bush called the amir a "reformer" and "a strong
example of what is possible in his part of the world." Al
Thani has promoted a new constitution for Qatar that allows women
to vote and has appointed women to his cabinet. (Full
Story)
Georgia’s
Servicemen to Guard Ammo Depots in Iraq
TBILISI/MOSCOW,
May 10 RIA Novosti – Georgia’s servicemen will be dispatched to
Iraq to guard ammunition depots there, Georgian Defense Minister
David Tevzadze told journalists Saturday. He said that three battalions
(commandos, medics and military engineers) of the country’s armed
forces are to fly to Iraq within the next few days. Georgia, known
for its utter alignment with US policy, welcomed Washington’s
action against Iraq.
In turn, US Ambassador in Georgia, Richard Miles, told journalists
that the US Administration is currently holding talks with governments
of Qatar and Kuwait, Iraq’s neighbours, on the Georgian servicemen’s
status.
"It is quite possible that some Georgian servicemen duly
trained in the framework of the "Training and Equipment"
Georgian-American program will take part in the operation in Iraq,"
the Ambassador said.
‘Guardian’
Project to Bolster Force, Installation Security
WASHINGTON
– A new DoD force and installation security project targeted
against terrorist threats – to include possible use of weapons
of mass destruction — is slated to debut Oct. 1.
The $1 billion effort, named "Guardian," will ultimately
bolster anti-terrorism force protection and security at about
200 stateside installations and overseas posts over the next five
years, Army Brig. Gen. Stephen Reeves, DoD’s program executive
officer for chemical and biological defense, said in an interview
May 6. (Full
Story)
Eastern
European Nations Join NATO
WASHINGTON
– The U.S. Senate voted today to support NATO admission
for seven central and eastern European nations, President Bush
said.
During a November summit in Prague, Czech Republic, NATO invited
the seven former-communist nations – Estonia, Bulgaria,
Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia – to join
the alliance. But member states must still ratify the expansion.
"It was here, 58 years ago
today, that President Harry Truman announced the end of the war
in Europe, and the people of America and Europe celebrated that
victory together," Bush said today at the White House, flanked
by the seven nations’ foreign ministers and several high- ranking
American dignitaries. "This year on V-E Day we mark another
kind of victory in Europe." (Full
Story)
Britain
Indicts Tel Aviv Bomber’s Family
British
authorities indicted on Thursday the brother, sister and wife
of Omar Khan Sharif, the would-be homicide bomber involved in
last week’s homicide attack on a Tel Aviv cafe. Sharif managed
to flee when his explosive belt malfunctioned. (Full
Story)
Mrs.
Anthrax – Member of ‘Iraqi Top 55’
Out of Play
CAMP
AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar – Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash was taken into
the custody of Coalition forces last week. She was a Ba’ath
Party Regional Command Member and weapons of mass destruction
scientist. She is No. 53 on the U.S. Central Command ‘Iraqi Top
55’ list.
The high ranking female scientist known as "Mrs. Anthrax"
is believed to have had a lead role Iraq’s biological warfare
programs. Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, incredibly was educated in
the United States. (Full
Story)
Act
of Terror in Chechnya Kills 40 People
MOSCOW–The
Chechen Prosecutor’s Office has reported that the act of terror
in the Znamenskoye village killed 40 people, RIA Novosti learned
in the Chechen Prosecutor’s Office.
Information concerning the number of those wounded is currently
being checked, the Prosecutor’s Office stated.
According
to preliminary estimates, as many as 100 people may have been
wounded.
So far, the rescuers have managed to extract two dead bodies and
two living people from under the debris, the Prosecutor’s Office
informed. (Full
Story)
Coalition
Aids Iraq’s Security and Recovery
In
yet another sign of Coalition confidence in the stability of Iraq
and efforts there to rebuild, British diplomats have returned
to their embassy in Baghdad that had been vacated since 1991.
British diplomat Christopher Segar said, "I see this as a
symbol of the commitment of our government to working with Iraq
and the Iraqi people."
Meanwhile, the U.K., U.S., Italy,
Spain, Poland, and other members of the Coalition, are continuing
to carry out efforts to bring about stability and security during
the rebuilding process.
Removing boxes full of weapons
from schools that Saddam had used for storage is only one of the
many tasks to bring about the reconstruction for the people of
Iraq. (Full
Story)
Security
Still Most Serious Concern for
U.S. Forces in Iraq
WASHINGTON,
May 15, 2003 – Security is currently the most serious concern
of U.S. forces in Iraq, and commanders are taking substantial
steps to stem lawlessness, several American officials said today.
Maj. Gen. Buford Blount, commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry
Division, which is responsible for maintaining the peace in and
around Baghdad, said 90 percent of the problems his unit deals
with stem from common criminals. The rest comes from attacks by
forces loyal to deposed dictator Saddam Hussein, he said in a
video teleconference from Baghdad with reporters in the Pentagon.
(Full
Story)
May
16-31 Stories
International
Community Condemns
Acts of Terror in Morocco
BRUSSELS,
17 May 2003 -Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council
of Europe, has condemned the acts of terror in Morocco’s largest
city, Casablanca, that have claimed lives of dozens of people.
"These infamous acts have been committed by people having
no respect for the basic values of the civilized world,"
Walter Schwimmer says in a special statement issued in Strasbourg.
He points out that he expresses his deep indignation on behalf
of the Council of Europe’s 45 member states. (Full
Story)
Greatest
Security Risk
WASHINGTON–Weapons
of mass destruction in the wrong hands are the "greatest
security risk of this decade," said deputy defense secretary
Paul Wolfowitz while at special Conference on Counterproliferation
last week.
The United States will continue to have a requirement for a "robust
WMD elimination capability" even after the discovery and
the destruction of Iraq’s WMD capabilities, he noted. (Full
Story)
Bombings
Show ‘The War on Terrorism Goes On’
WASHINGTON–Before
the recent terror bombings in Morocco, Condi Rice U.S. National
Security Adviser told reporters last week at the Washington Foreign
Press Center, that the terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia and Chechnya
demonstrate that the war against global terrorism isn’t over.
Reports from the region are that about 30 people were killed and
200 injured, including eight American dead and 40 wounded, on
May 12 in three suicide bombings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Full
Story)
U.S.
Indicts 2 Al Qaeda Members in USS Cole Attack
WASHINGTON–Two
Yemeni nationals were indicted on charges for plotting the attack
on the naval destroyer USS Cole in the Gulf of Aden in Yemen in
2000, officials said.
Attorney General John Ashcroft
and FBI Director Robert Mueller unsealed a 50- count indictment,
naming Jamal Mohammed Al-Badawi and Fahd Mohammed Ahmed Al- Quso
for their roles in the Cole attack that killed 17 sailors and
wounded more than 40 others. The two were also charged with a
previous failed attempt to bomb another destroyer, the USS The
Sullivans, in early 2000. (Full
Story)
Terror
In Casablanca
MADRID–The
Spanish embassy in Morocco reported that, according to more precise
information, two Spaniards, entrepreneur Manule Albiace and Joan
Aliei, vice-president of the House of Catalonia, died as a result
of the explosion in the Casa de Espana in the Moroccan city of
Casablanca.
Head of the Moroccan Ministry of
the Interior Mustapha Sahel reported that at the moment of the
explosion there were more than 100 people in the restaurant of
the Casa. In total, 16 people, mostly Moroccans working with Spaniards,
were killed in the Casa de Espana and 6 people were wounded. (Full
Story)
Eu
Hr Denounced Terrorist Acts in Casablanca
BRUSSELS, 17 May, 2003 /from RIA Novosti correspondent Viktor
Onuchko/ — Secretary General of the Council of the European Union
and high commissioner for the Common Foreign and Security Policy
(CFSP) Javier Solana denounced terrorist acts in morocco.
Solana’s statement disseminated in Brussels runs that he denounced
terrorist acts committed in Casablanca and expressed his condolences
to families of the dead, Morocco authorities and His Majesty king
Mohammed VI as well as to governments of the countries affected
by these terrorist acts.
Solana indicated that those shameful acts again reminded everybody
that the struggle against terrorism was a constant priority demanding
long-term efforts, active and close international co-operation
in which the Kingdom of Morocco was already involved.
According to the EU Secretary General, that anti-terrorist struggle
was one of the elements of European-Mediterranean partnership
and the European Union was prepared to intensify its co-operation
in this sphere with Mediterranean partners.
Prince
Michael of Kent Will Lead Tercentenary Rally
LONDON/YEKATETINBURG,
May 19 — A member of the British Royal Family, Prince Michael
of Kent is to lead the St. Petersburg Tercentenary Rally, a vintage
car race starting on May 20 in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg.
Prince Michael, who is known for his charitable work around the
world and who patronizes a whole range of charities in Russia
and beyond, is the main driving force behind the rally. His opinion
is that organizing the race is an opportunity to forge close ties
between the two countries and learn more about Russian culture
and history. (Full
Story)
Why
Terror Threat Level Was Raised
WASHINGTON
– Federal law enforcement organizations — and some state
and local authorities — ramped up vigilance when the Department
of Homeland Security’s color-coded national terror alert level
was raised May 20 from "elevated," or yellow, to "high,"
or orange, the top domestic anti-terrorism official said today
on Capitol Hill.
When the terror alert level went to orange, Homeland Security
Secretary Tom Ridge remarked in testimony before the House Homeland
Security Select Committee, the amount of protection at federal
government buildings and facilities nationwide was enhanced and
increased. (Full
Story)
Intelligence
Agencies of Georgia and France to Deepen Co-Operation
TBILISI,
24 May 2003. /from RIA Novosti correspondent Marina Kvaratskhelia/.
-Intelligence agencies of Georgia and France will deepen their
co-operation in the sphere of information exchange. An agreement
to this effect has been reached during the one-day visit of Pierre
Brochard, head of the French intelligence service, to Tbilisi.
Archil Chkhartishvili, the official
spokesman for Georgia’s Department of Intelligence, told RIA Novosti
that Pierre Brochard has paid a return visit to Georgia.
Chkhartishvili ruled out any link
between Brochard’s visit to Tbilisi and a recent statement made
by French Interior Minister Nicholas Sarkozy at the meeting of
G8 Interior and Justice Ministers in Paris. Nicholas Sarkozy said
then that he did not exclude a possibility that Al-Qaeda terrorists
might have moved base from Afghanistan to Georgia.
Four
Hurt in Spanish Post Office Blast
VALENCIA, Spain
(AFP) – The explosion of a booby-trapped parcel in a post office
in Spain’s Mediterranean port of Valencia injured four people,
one seriously, police said, as the country prepared for local
and regional polls.
The seriously injured person suffered wounds to an arm and was
rushed to hospital. (Full
Story)
Disguises
Aid Wave of Terror Attacks
(Updated
Disguised as a religious Jew wearing a traditional prayer shawl
and head covering, the 18 year old terrorist for Hamas boarded
a bus that was filled with innocent men, women, and children and
then detonated the heavy explosives he was wearing Sunday. The
impact of the bomber’s blast was so fierce, the bus was blown
back several feet. 7 people were killed: an American, several
Israelis, and reportedly 3 CIS citizens.
On Monday, at a shopping mall in Northern Israel (Afula a homicide
bomber exploded while trying to gain entrance to the busy mall.
According to the latest report from the IDF, a female bomber that
looked like a shopper was the terrorist. 3 Israelis were killed
by the bomber and over 70 were wounded. Reportedly, the male security
guard at the scene was new on the job and a new immigrant from
the former Soviet Union. The female mall security guard had only
been on the job 2 days, yet she also tried to stop the homicide
bomber when the doorway metal detector went off. The male guard
was killed instantly, and at last report, the female guard who
also performed an act of heroism to save the innocent inside the
shopping mall is in critical condition, suffering with serious
burns and wounds. Islamic Jihad and Arafat’s terror group, have
claimed responsibility. Israeli officials arrested the bomber’s
parents on Tuesday after the bombing.
(Full
Story)
Coalition
Progresses in Iraq, Challenges Remain on the Path
WASHINGTON
– Each day the conditions in Iraq are improving and the
life for the Iraqi population is starting to return to the "normal
pre-war standard," said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
In his briefing to the Pentagon
press, the secretary also said the department has no objection
to officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency going
back to Iraq. (Full
Story)
U.S.,
Bahraini Defense Officials Tackle Terror
WASHINGTON
– Terrorists are the enemy of free people everywhere, and
Bahrain welcomes U.S. leadership in the struggle against global
terrorism, Bahraini Defense Minister Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa
said following a meeting at the Pentagon.
During a short question-and-answer
period after a session with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld,
the shaikh told reporters that Bahrain is committed to working
against terror cells in the Persian Gulf region and around the
world. (Full
Story)
Arafat
Linked with Weapons Ship
According to the Israel Defense Forces, two Palestinian officials,
Adel Al Mughrabi and Fathi Razam – a naval commander and a military
aide to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat respectively
– worked with terror group Hizbullah to have weapons shipped to
the Gaza Strip. Mughrabi and Razam – who were involved in the
smuggling Karine A episode, where Israel intercepted a boat in
the Red Sea with a cargo of 50 tons of weapons destined for the
Palestinian Authority in January 2002 – are now linked to another
arms smuggling attempt. (Full
Story)
Young
and Old, America Remembers Our Heroes…
After a week
of meeting with foreign allies, President Bush joins all Americans
in remembering those who have fought bravely to not only secure
our freedoms but to give the gift of freedom to others around
the world:
"Throughout our history, the decency, character, and idealism
of our military troops have turned enemies into allies and oppression
into hope. In all our victories, American soldiers have fought
to liberate, not to conquer; and today, the United States joins
with a strong coalition in the noble cause of liberty and peace
for the world. On this day, America honors her own, but we also
recognize the shared victories and hardships of our allied forces
who have served and fallen alongside our troops.
"The noble sacrifices of our service men and women will not
be forgotten. Every name, every life is a loss to our military,
to our Nation, and to their loved ones. Americans stand with the
families who grieve, and we share in their great sorrow and great
pride. There will be no homecoming on this Earth for those lost
in battle, but we know that this reunion will one day come. "
(Full
Story)