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| "Liles, Val" lilesv | FW: DHS News Clippings for 4/27/04 | Thu, 29 Apr 2004 10:19:05 -0400 |
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DHS NEWS BRIEFING
sCongressAdmi
SDHSNEWSDHS NEWS
hBushDirectiveSpellsOBush Directive Spells Out Agencies' Responsibilities
For Defending Against Bioterrorism. The Washington
Post
(4/29, A23, Mintz) reports, "President Bush recently signed a classified
directive governing how the nation should defend itself against biological
attacks, and yesterday the administration released an unclassified version
that laid out some of the responsibilities of federal agencies." According
to the Post, "The directive contains 59 separate 'taskings' of agencies,
such as ordering the Environmental Protection Agency to develop detailed
plans for decontaminating cities after a strike. An unclassified summary
also said the U.S. intelligence community is under orders to carry out
studies examining the types of genetically engineered 'bugs' terrorists
could be working on to mount an attack. 'This directive makes sure
important things don't fall through the cracks,' said a senior Homeland
Security Department official who briefed reporters on the condition of
anonymity. 'Now every single agency knows what its job is, and we don't
think there are any gaps.'" The Post adds, "Yesterday's gathering at the
Department of Health and Human Services to unveil Bush's directive was, for
this sensitive topic, characteristically vague and short on details. The
eight-page declassified summary contained hardly any examples of specific
responsibilities given to specific agencies. ... The presence at
yesterday's news conference of three top administration officials -- HHS
Secretary Tommy G. Thompson, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz -- plus dozens of top aides
underlined the issue's importance." The Post goes on to report, "Ridge said
various agencies have been aggressively pursuing biological defenses, but
now their responsibilities are defined by the president. The directive was
coordinated by retired Air Force Gen. John A. Gordon, who heads the Homeland
Security Council and coordinates the numerous agencies with a role in
countering biological pathogens such as anthrax, smallpox and ebola."
The AP
(4/29, Riechmann) reports, "President Bush, who has made national security
the centerpiece of his campaign for re-election, has signed an order to help
protect America from hostile states or terrorists who might attack with
biological agents. ... The classified directive works to coordinate what
the government is already doing to protect food and water supplies, for
example. And it instructs agencies on how to better plug holes in the
nation's defenses against biological attack. ... 'From the creation of a
biological attack warning system, to an improved distribution system of
critical antibiotics and vaccines, this plan charts the course toward our
goal of a strong and robust bioterrorism defense,' Homeland Security
Secretary Tom Ridge said Tuesday."
Scientists Claim Proposed DHS Research Would Violate Weapons Treaty.
The Baltimore
oll=bal-home-headlines> Sun (4/29, Shane) reports, "As President Bush issued
a sweeping order to boost the nation's defenses against bioterrorism, arms
control advocates contended yesterday that research planned for a new
Department of Homeland Security laboratory at Fort Detrick would violate the
international ban on biological weapons and could touch off a global
biological arms race. The research plan for the $200 million National
Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) includes laboratory
studies of genetically engineered germs and methods to disseminate them as
an aerosol spray, according to a February presentation by Lt. Col. George
Korch, the center's deputy director. Such work has not previously been
conducted at the Army's biodefense research center at Fort Detrick, partly
to avoid any hint of treaty violations. 'If any other country presented
this list of tasks, the U.S. intelligence community would say it's an
offensive program,' said Milton Leitenberg, a University of Maryland scholar
who has studied biowarfare for more than 30 years. Such programs are
prohibited by the international Biological Weapons Convention, which the
United States ratified in 1975." The Sun adds, "Homeland Security
spokeswoman Michelle Petrovich said yesterday that everything proposed by
NBACC is strictly defensive in purpose, not offensive. The center will
study bioforensics, the emerging science of tracing a germ weapon back to
its source, and will build a large database of information on all possible
biological weapons threats, she said. But to be able to counter all future
biological threats, Petrovich said, the center must explore how
bioterrorists might use genetic engineering to make viruses or bacteria more
deadly or contagious. Only then can scientists develop new vaccines, drugs
or other measures to avert a potential biological catastrophe. 'The mission
is actually to identify threats so we can defend against them and protect
the American people,' she said." According to the Sun, "the aggressive
research proposed by the Homeland Security Department on engineered germs
and their dispersal marks a significant break with past practices,
particularly at Fort Detrick. ... The dispute over Homeland Security's
proposed research began when Richard H. Ebright, a Rutgers University
biochemist, discovered a Powerpoint presentation of Korch's presentation on
an obscure Web site. He sent the information to several biological arms
control experts who share his view that high-tech research on germ weapons
is ill-advised."
Critics Say Biodefense Initiatives Are Underfunded. The Atlanta
Journal
Constitution (4/29, McKenna) reports, "The strategic plan orders changes and
additions at the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense and Health and
Human Services, including at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
in Atlanta. But it commits no additional money to biodefense beyond the $6
billion per year currently budgeted for the three agencies, an omission that
brought criticism. 'The good news here is that public health emergency
preparedness absolutely needs to be higher on the radar screen -- it has
been an enormous gap and we consider it the weakest link in homeland
security,' said Shelley Hearne, executive director of the nonprofit group
Trust for America's Health. 'I pray this is not just a fancy new paint job
on this broken car we are driving. We really need an engine overhaul.'"
hFBIWarnsLosAngelesPoFBI Warns Los Angeles Police Of Possible Terrorist
Threat. The AP
(4/29) reports, "Federal officials have warned the Los Angeles Police
Department about an unspecified potential threat to a Los Angeles-area mall
and said an attack may have been planned for today." In a statement the
police department said, "As of now, the information is uncorroborated and
the credibility of the source is unknown." The AP adds, "No specific
shopping mall was named, but the warning indicated a mall near the Federal
Building in West Los Angeles could be targeted." The AP notes, "FBI
spokesman Matt McLaughlin said the source of the information was of
'undetermined reliability.'" McLaughlin said, "This particular threat, just
because of the nature of it, had a little more information in it, albeit
unsubstantiated information. ... That doesn't necessarily make it really
distinctly different from some of these other threats we've heard."
McLaughlin "said authorities are obligated to aggressively investigate all
threats they can't immediately dismiss." He added, "You have to make the
public aware of certain dates, locations, threats that you're aware of."
hNYTimesPraisesDHSAndNYTimes Praises DHS And DOJ For Allowing Battered Women
To Apply For Asylum In The US. The New York
Times (4/29)
editorializes, "Women who have been threatened with rape, mutilation or
other horrors deserve protection from the barbarians who do such things and
the societies that allow or encourage such behavior. So it is welcome news
that the Department of Homeland Security is drafting rules for allowing
asylum for women who flee to this country after suffering from such extreme
cases of abuse elsewhere. At the same time, Attorney General John Ashcroft
is now considering a particularly poignant appeal for asylum by a woman from
Guatemala. Mr. Ashcroft should grant her request and then support the
adoption of the new, enlightened guidelines for helping other abused women
seeking asylum in America. ... Asylum is granted for exiles in danger of
persecution back home because of their race, religion, ethnicity or
political associations, or for being in a particular social group. It is
that last category that should cover people like the woman from Guatemala,
Rodi Alvarado Peña, who fled to this country after a decade of abuse and
whose case is now before the attorney general. Mrs. Alvarado says that her
husband repeatedly used her head to break glass and that officials in
Guatemala told her they would not protect her from him. ... Mr. Ashcroft
and the Department of Homeland Security should make certain that such
persecuted women who flee to the United States have a chance to stay."
hReportNotesQuestionaReport Notes "Questionable" Uses Of Preparedness
Grants. The Washington
Times (4/29,
McCaslin) reports in its "Inside the Beltway" column, "Let's get this
straight: Since September 11, 2001, $6.3 billion in federal funding for
terrorism preparedness has been granted in a timely manner to all 50 states.
Yet here we are, almost three years since the terrorist attacks, and roughly
$5.2 billion of the funding remains in the administrative pipeline. ... A
lack of risk-based funding formulas, coupled with the absence of clear
preparedness guidelines, has led to some 'questionable' uses of the
terrorism preparedness grants at the state and local levels, a report by the
House Select Committee on Homeland Security finds. ... The committee says
that at the state and local levels, no federal terrorism preparedness
standards were ever set in stone 'to guide the spending of funds, leading to
many instances of questionable expenditures.'"
DHS To Merge Offices That Coordinate Aid For Local Agencies.
Government Executive
(4/29, Strohm) reports, "Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge
will soon announce a merger of offices that aid state and local governments
in an effort to better administer billions of dollars in grants to first
responders, officials said Wednesday. The department will consolidate the
Office of Domestic Preparedness and the Office of State and Local Government
Coordination into a new Office of State and Local Government Coordination
and Preparedness, ODP Director Suzanne Mencer told House lawmakers. She
said a 60-day review of the proposed merger has been completed, and Ridge is
expected to announce its official implementation 'any day now.' ... The
merger will provide a "one-stop shop" for state and local governments to
access grants by placing 25 state and local assistance programs and
initiatives into a single office. It is expected to eliminate duplication
and link funding to strategic plans that states recently submitted to DHS.
A Homeland Security official said the merger would not result in staffing
changes. He added that personnel in both offices have been working closely
together to make the transition smooth." Government Executive goes on to
report, "On Wednesday, lawmakers criticized the process by which first
responder grants are doled out. 'Our concerns at the federal level
[involve] the basis for allocating these funds,' said Rep. Christopher Cox,
R-Calif., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. 'The basis is
not [an assessment of] risk or need. Rather, these dollars are being
allocated in accordance with a congressionally mandated arbitrary political
formula.' ... Rep. Jim Turner of Texas, the Homeland Security Committee's
ranking Democrat, criticized DHS for not yet compiling a national
vulnerability assessment or a list of essential capabilities needed at the
state and local levels."
hUniversityPresidentsUniversity Presidents Press Ridge To Relax Visa
Requirements For Foreign Students. The Financial
c=StoryFT&cid=1083180146897&p=1012571727088> Times (4/29, Grimes) reports,
"US universities, alarmed by a dramatic decline in overseas applications,
are lobbying Washington for changes in student visa requirements. At a
meeting last week with Tom Ridge, homeland security secretary, four
university presidents put forward proposals to streamline the process which,
some say, has become bureaucratic and unwelcoming. The recommendations
included one that foreign students and scientists receive a security
clearance for the duration of their studies." The Times adds, "The
representations follow growing concern that higher education is losing out
to foreign competitors. The danger, some argue, is that the US is
forfeiting its successful tradition of educating and befriending the world's
brightest students and probable future leaders. Foreign applications to US
graduate schools have fallen 32 per cent drop this year. Applications to
study in Britain, Canada and Australia have risen over the same period. ...
The proposals included allowing students to renew their visas before leaving
the US to attend academic conferences or visit family, according to a draft
seen by the Financial Times. The officials voiced concern that delays in
the visa process - waits of 60 days or more are not uncommon - were made
worse by students' inability to track their applications. They asked Mr
Ridge and the State Department to create a system that would overcome this."
hTTICStrugglesToIntegTTIC Struggles To Integrate Agency Databases. The
Washington
Post
/Reuters (4/29, Zakaria) reports, "As the U.S. government debates changing
the intelligence structure, a fledgling center created to provide 'one-stop
shopping' for terrorism information is wrestling with issues of technology
and secrecy. The Terrorist Threat Integration Center, which hits the
one-year mark on Saturday, was established to address the failure of
intelligence agencies to 'connect the dots' and uncover the Sept. 11 plot."
The TTIC "is trying to meld the cultures, technology and secrets of various
agencies so that its analysts can sift through terrorism information
scattered around the government and try to piece together a coherent
picture." It "combines personnel from the CIA, FBI, and departments of
defense, state and homeland security as well as other agencies. It
maintains a database of known and suspected international terrorists that
has over 100,000 names in it and a top secret Web site available to 2,600
users who can search through 3.5 million documents. ... But it still must
overcome hurdles in technology and secrecy. The agencies that collect
intelligence information on terrorism have different computer systems," and
"TTIC analysts cannot yet conduct one computer search for information that
will span across all the agencies."
hIndonesiaToExtendImpIndonesia To Extend Imprisonment Of Alleged Jemaah
Islamiyah Leader. The AP
2347.story?coll=sns-ap-topinternational> (4/29, Djuhari) reports, "The
suspected spiritual leader of the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terror
group will be re-arrested after he is released from jail on Friday, a police
spokesman announced. The cleric's supporters have vowed to resist the move.
Indonesian authorities earlier said Abu Bakar Bashir would walk free when
his 18-month term for minor immigration offenses ends Friday, despite
protests from the United States and Australia, which insist he's a
terrorist. National police spokesman Maj. Gen. Bashir Ahmad Barmawi said
Thursday that there is new evidence against Bashir, including witness
testimony about him attending a ceremony at a militant training center in
the southern Philippines in April 2000." According to the AP, "In March,
the Supreme Court overturned a harsher treason conviction that would have
kept the 66-year-old cleric behind bars for three years. Any move to detain
him could likely lead to protests by his supporters, who have vowed to
resist any attempt keep him behind bars. Dozens of Bashir's supporters have
kept an around-the-clock vigil outside Jakarta's Salemba prison. They claim
the United States wants him to remain in jail because of his vehement
criticism of U.S. policy in the Middle East. ... Many of Indonesia's top
Muslim groups and politicians have spoken in Bashir's defense and demanded
that Washington stop meddling in the country's domestic affairs." The AP
notes, "U.S. Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge claimed Bashir had 'intense
and deep involvement in the planning and execution of terrorist activities'
and should be put on trial again. Australia's foreign minister, Alexander
Downer, called Bashir a 'loathsome creature' and urged Jakarta not to
release him."
hKerryOutlinesPlansPlKerry Outlines Plans Plan To Secure Chemical Plants.
The AP
ction=autowire%2F30day&vql_string=%27homeland+security%27%3Cin%3E%28article%
2Dbody%29> (4/29) reports, "Democrat John Kerry, accusing the Bush
administration of failing to protect chemical plants, says he would require
them to assess their risks of catastrophic attack and use less dangerous
chemicals when possible. Kerry's plan, which he was expected to outline in
a speech Thursday in Philadelphia, closely mirrors legislation he
co-sponsored in early 2003 with Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., and other
Democrats. It stalled in the Senate over opposition from Republicans, who
said it sought to inappropriately micromanage the nation's $450 billion
chemical industry. Kerry was to say that President Bush -- who has
emphasized voluntary efforts by chemical plants to improve security -- has
accommodated the industry because of campaign contributions from
executives." According to the AP, "The Bush campaign responded that
Congress is already considering many of the proposals Kerry cited."
hUSOfficialsSayNoPlanUS Officials Say No Plans To Pulling Out Of Athens
Olympics. ABC World News Tonight (4/28, story 6, 2:40, Gibson) reported on
"the threat of terrorism at the summer Olympics in Greece. A number of
American athletes are worried about their safety. In a radio interview
today, the gold-winning swimmer Mark Spitz said: 'With the current world
affairs [the possibility of a US pullout from the Olympic] becomes more
probable than not.' Well, he's the only one saying that. But plenty of US
athletes are expressing concern about security." ABC (Woodruff) added,
"Although no American Olympic athlete has announced they will not go to
Athens, many have expressed worry." In "recent days, those fears have given
rise to speculation that the entire US team may skip the Athens games
completely. Today, US Olympic officials here in Colorado categorically
denied that." Darryl Seibel, US Olympic Committee: "There is absolutely no
consideration being given to the United States pulling out of the Olympic
Games. We have every intention, and every expectation that our team will be
in Athens for the 2004 games." Woodruff: "The security budget in Athens
has now soared to more than $1 billion, three times what was spent in Sydney
four years ago. The Greeks will provide 45,000 police, 35,000 troops. NATO
will patrol with jets and AWACS surveillance planes. ABC News has learned
that more than 250 American security agents from the FBI, ATF and the State
Department will also be in Athens."
NBC Nightly News (4/28, story 9, 2:35, Hager) reported, "To guard
against terrorist attacks, Greece is spending $1.2 billion on security, and
it's an all-time record. George Voulgarakis, the Minister of Public Order."
Minister Voulgarakis: "That is a huge amount for our country. It is much
higher than was spent in the Salt Lake or any other Olympic games." Hager:
"40,000 Greek police will be deployed, 15,000 Greek troops, maybe more, and
biochemical specialists. Already, there's joint training with the US and
NATO troops, and both of which will stand by at a distance, on call, during
the games. NATO AWACs planes will patrol the skies and surveillance cameras
will watch, 1,400 of them." Still, there "are real concerns -- crowded
streets, buses and trains. The nearby port where eight cruise ships,
including the Queen Mary II, will house visitors and VIPs, all hard to
protect. And in a nation not used to the rigors and discomfort tight
security."
hGuardsRoleInThwartinGuard's Role In Thwarting Al Qaeda Leader's Escape
Attempt Noted. ABC World News Tonight (4/28, story 9, 2:50, Gibson)
reported on "exclusive details tonight about an attempted prison break that
took place in New York City. The prisoner who tried to get out was an Al
Qaeda leader. The man who stood between him and freedom was a prison guard.
And that guard paid a high price for doing his job." ABC (Ross) added the
New York City Federal prison building has "a special Al Qaeda section known
as '10 South.'" That is "where prison guard Louis Pepe was assigned when he
single-handedly fought off a vicious escape attempt that left him blind in
one eye and seriously brain damaged." Months "before it happened, prison
officials were warned by the FBI that a jail break was being planned in 10
South, according to former FBI agent, Jack Cloonan, now an ABC News
consultant." Cloonan: "We had learned there might be the possibility of a
plan for them to break out." Ross: "And did you tell the Bureau of
Prisons?" Cloonan: "We did tell the Bureau of Prisons." Ross: "But that
did not stop a top imprisoned Al Qaeda leader, Mamdouh Salim, from launching
a bloody escape attempt from 10 South in November 2000. His notes show he
had marked an escape route and intended to take guards and his own visiting
lawyers as hostages. His plan was to take the cell block keys away from his
intended victim, Officer Pepe, known even by the prisoners as a sweet guy."
Cloonan: "He was regarded as one of the only guards that actually treated
these people, in their view, with respect. So, immediately, he emerges as a
soft target. That's the reason they went after Officer Pepe." Ross:
"Salim first blinded Pepe with hot sauce stored up in these empty, plastic
honey bottles. Then, using a sharpened plastic comb he somehow hid in his
cell, Salim stabbed Pepe in the eye as defense lawyer, Charles Adler watched
in horror." As "this X-ray shows, the comb went deep into Pepe's brain.
But he never gave up the keys and somehow survived." Still "facing a tough
recovery, and having difficulty getting the government to pay for all the
treatment his family says he needs, Pepe says he's proud of how he stood up
to the Al Qaeda leader." Pepe: "And like I said, if I had to do it again,
I would do it again." Ross: "Next Monday, Officer Pepe will return to the
Federal courthouse complex in New York City for the first time since the
attack. He's scheduled to testify in court, as his attacker is sentenced by
a Federal judge."
hHouseAppropriatorsCrHouse Appropriators Criticize Police Presence On
Capitol Grounds. Roll
Call (4/29,
Yachnin) reports, "House Appropriators asserted Wednesday that numerous
security measures have created a 'fortress' on the Capitol grounds and
suggested reducing the presence of law-enforcement on the Hill, including
the possibility of closing the Capitol grounds to vehicular traffic." Roll
Call adds, "The panel's ranking member, Rep. Jim Moran (R-Va.), suggested
the Capitol now resembles a 'walled-in military camp under siege.' ...
Among the recommendations made by lawmakers, Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.)
proposed closing the Capitol campus and surrounding streets - likely
including Independence and Constitution avenues - to vehicular traffic."
hDHSToPostOnlineLexicDHS To Post Online Lexicon. Government
Computer News (4/29,
Dizard) reports, "The Homeland Security Department's Advisory Council plans
to recommend that the department post an online lexicon of important terms
used in the homeland security field to help officials and the public avoid
confusion when discussing key concepts. Christopher Furlow, the council's
executive director, said the proposal would go to Homeland Security
secretary Tom Ridge in a matter of days. 'With some folks, their eyes glaze
over when you first start talking about lexicon,' Furlow said. 'But all it
takes is a few examples.' He described how the acronym CERT can refer to a
computer emergency response team, a civil emergency response team or a
community emergency response team. 'That describes entities that would have
vastly different roles in an emergency,' he said. ... Furlow said the
council would recommend that DHS hire a lexicographer to gather key acronyms
and terms from important documents and maintain an online database that
would be available to the public and updated continuously. 'DHS can't
mandate that other agencies use this,' Furlow said. 'But it is important
that DHS take this role and promote it among other stakeholders, including
the Hill,' he said, referring to Congress."
hDavisRequestsSpecifiDavis Requests Specifics On TSA's Rail Inspection Pilot
Program. Federal
Computer
Week (4/29, Chourey) reports, "Transportation Security Administration
officials have some answering to do before they launch their pilot for the
Transit and Rail Inspection Program (TRIP) next month, according to the
chairman of the House Government Affairs Committee. In a letter to David
Stone, TSA acting administrator, this week, Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) said he
supports the rail inspection program to be tested at the train station in
New Carrollton, Md., but asked TSA for additional specifics on a range of
topics related to TRIP by the second week of May. Specifics about how TSA
will staff TRIP checkpoints, and how it plans to decide which luggage to
test for explosives are also in question, according to Davis' letter. ...
TSA officials will brief members of Congress so they are fully aware of the
program before it's implemented, TSA spokeswoman Deirdre O'Sullivan said."
SBORDERANDTRANSPORTATBORDER AND TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
hAirlinesOpposeNewSecAirlines Oppose New Security "Tax." The Washington
1322r> Times /AP (4/29, Miller) reports, "The government wants $435 million
more from the airline industry for passenger screening, but the airlines
said yesterday they don't think they should have to pay it. Air Transport
Association President James May said the carriers already give the
government about $2 billion every year to prevent terrorist attacks. 'It's
a tax, a new tax, and one we will vigorously oppose,' Mr. May told
reporters. Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the
Bush administration simply wants the airlines to pay their fair share for
national security. 'Since September 11, the federal government has
significantly improved aviation security in a very short period of time,
with nearly all the costs associated with security improvements being borne
by the taxpayers,' he said." May "said financially struggling airlines
can't pass new taxes onto passengers because of intense competition. The
$435 million could mean the difference between the industry breaking even
and losing money this year. Air carriers tack a $2.50 security tax onto
passenger tickets, which amounts to about $1.6 billion that goes to the
government annually. Airlines also are assessed $315 million every year for
passenger screening, a responsibility the government assumed from the
airlines soon after September 11."
Reuters
0428/ts_nm/airlines_security_dc_2> (4/29, Crawley) reports, "The U.S.
airline industry says its slow recovery from a financial tailspin in the
wake of the 2001 hijack attacks is at risk because the Bush administration
wants carriers to come up with an additional $400 million for security
measures. ... Already unhappy that the Homeland Security Department makes
carriers and their passengers pay close to $2 billion for security annually,
May is fiercely opposing an arcane budget procedure advanced by the
administration over the past month to add at least $400 million to the
airline security tab." Reuters adds, "Some in Congress and industry critics
complain that airlines have done well by the government since the attacks,
with important financial assistance coming via a $15 billion package of cash
and loan guarantees in 2001 and short-term pension relief this spring."
hAirTransportAssociatAir Transport Association Head Says CAPPS II
"Not Ready For Primetime." ATWOnline.com
(4/29, Flint) reports
this morning that Air Transport Association President/CEO James May says US
airline passenger boardings should "return to pre-9/11 levels this summer, a
development that is both gratifying and a 'big concern.'" May "reiterated
the industry's worry over the potential for long lines and delays at airport
security checkpoints -- particularly since the Transportation Security
Administration has 6,000 fewer screeners this year than last -- as well as
FAA's ability to handle increased air traffic during the coming peak travel
period. Noting that the highest total for any month in 2003 was 58 million
passengers, May said airlines will average 65 million passengers monthly
'for a sustained period' over the summer season." May also said "much
remains to be done to get the so-called Registered Traveler program off the
ground and admitted that the industry is unsure whether it will ease
security-related delays because TSA has not been forthcoming with details.
CAPPS II is 'not ready for primetime' and airlines will not provide
confidential passenger data to the government 'unless they demand it.'"
hProposalToEquipUSAirProposal To Equip US Airliners With Anti-Missile
Technology Spurs Heated Debate. The AP
(4/29, Miller) reports, "As Israel and Singapore move ahead to outfit their
commercial airliners with anti-missile defenses, the United States is still
trying to decide whether to adopt such countermeasures. Last week, Israel
said El Al Israel Airlines would begin testing a system to guard its 30
aircraft against the shoulder-fired, lethal missile launchers. ... 'Other
nations are going faster with their studies,' said James Shilling, a
full-time pilot for a major cargo carrier and spokesman for the Coalition of
Airline Pilots Association. 'Their systems are very much on a par with our
systems. Let's not study and look and ponder so six years down the road
somebody shoots something.' In the United States, security experts say an
attack by an anti-aircraft missile is statistically improbable, potentially
catastrophic and very expensive to prevent." According to the AP, "Homeland
Security officials believe the biggest threat lies outside the United
States. 'We remain most concerned about this threat overseas,' said
Homeland Security spokesman Brian Roehrkasse. 'We do not have threat
information that indicates al-Qaida is planning an attack at a specific
location in the United States.' ... Air Transport Association President
James May said on Wednesday that the cost of outfitting the commercial
aviation fleet -- about 6,800 planes -- with missile defenses would be
between $50 billion and $100 billion over 20 years. He urged the government
to go slow on developing the countermeasures because they haven't been
proven effective." The AP notes, "Some members of Congress think the threat
is too urgent to ignore. Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., chairman of the
subcommittee that controls Homeland Security funding, pressured the Bush
administration last year to commit to spending $120 million over the next
two years to develop missile defenses for commercial airliners. ... Rep.
John Mica, R-Fla., thinks the Bush administration needs to move faster. The
House aviation subcommittee, which Mica chairs, was expected to approve a
bill on Thursday that speeds the development of anti-missile systems for the
commercial airline fleet. The bill would require the Federal Aviation
Administration to expedite approval of missile defense systems."
hHutchinsonAttemptsToHutchinson Attempts To Repair Relations With The EU
After Disagreements On Aviation Security Measures. The Wall
s_whats_news> Street Journal (4/29, D4, Michaels) reports, "The U.S. is
working to mend trans-Atlantic relations on aviation security, but Europeans
remain wary. Asa Hutchinson, U.S. undersecretary for border and
transportation security in the Department of Homeland Security, is visiting
Brussels and France to meet with European counterparts on air and maritime
security." According to the Journal, "The trip...comes after a series of
security moves by the U.S. administration that irked Europeans. ... Some
Europeans complain the U.S. is heavy-handedly trying to push its security
policies on other countries." The Journal notes, "The European
Parliament...is challenging on privacy grounds a deal to share
airline-passenger data that the U.S. and the European Union's executive arm,
the European Commission, agreed upon. The two sides have been working to
improve cooperation since early January. Mr. Hutchinson said meetings such
as consultations with EU officials in Brussels Monday concerning border and
transportation security are 'very positive' and are 'increasing
communications.' He acknowledged that some Europeans felt the U.S. handled
the security alerts around New Year's in 'a unilateral fashion,' but said he
has explained the U.S. 'acted on an emergency basis.' Since then, he said,
the two sides have worked to develop protocols for handling such
situations."
hTSAEmployeesChargedWTSA Employees Charged With Stealing And Reselling
Passengers' Computers. The AP
(4/29) reports,
"Four former employees of the Transportation Security Administration have
been charged with stealing and reselling laptop computers and other
electronic devices from passengers' luggage at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Tawann Alek Hayes, 21, of Westland;
Shawn Edward Gordon, 21, of Southfield; Edwin Joshua Sturdivant, 22, of
Detroit; and Joseph Byron Reynolds, 46, of Detroit. Reynolds was not a TSA
employee at the time, but participated in the ring by reprogramming the
computers and digital cameras for resale, the indictment states. The others
were baggage screeners at the airport. ... Each defendant is charged with
conspiracy to commit conversion, or theft, which carries a maximum sentence
of five years in prison. The defendants are also charged with possession of
property stolen from interstate shipments, which is punishable by up to 10
years in prison."
The Detroit
News (4/29,
Shepardson) reports, "The U.S. Attorney's Office said this was the first
prosecution for thefts at Detroit Metro in recent memory - though three TSA
employees in New York and Miami were arrested for stealing last year. ...
At least nine people -- mostly other TSA employees -- bought stolen items,
according to the indictment. None was charged. They apparently didn't know
the merchandise was stolen. When Hayes and Gordon screened the bags, a
light went off alerting them that an electronic item was in a bag,
permitting them to search it. The two then placed the item in a personal
backpack, the government said. Passengers didn't know the items were
missing until they arrived at their final destinations, and then had no way
of knowing where they were stolen. Some of the items were stolen from
international residents, including at least one flier from Japan. The area
at Metro Airport was not monitored by surveillance cameras - but that's now
fixed, the government said. TSA spokeswoman Amy Von Walter said the agency
has made changes and initiated the investigation after receiving a tip. 'We
have implemented some changes of procedures in this baggage area to ensure
that this doesn't happen again,' Von Walter said."
hDenverScreenerAllegeDenver Screener Alleged To Have Stolen Cash From
Passenger's Wallet. The Denver
Post (4/29)
reports, "A security screener at Denver International Airport was arrested
this week, after a passenger complained the screener stole $400 from his
wallet. The suspect is 21-year-old Lemuel Williams of Denver. The theft
happened Saturday morning at the south checkpoint, as luggage screeners were
searching passengers waiting to get out to the concourse. The victim, a
Lakewood man, says he put his wallet through the X-ray machine. A few
minutes later, he noticed he was missing four $100 bills and complained to a
supervisor. At that point, the suspect's shift was already over and he had
left the airport. ... The Transportation Security Administration has 800
screeners at DIA. This is the second theft arrest of a screener since the
beginning of the year."
hCanadianFightersEscoCanadian Fighters Escort Flight Landing In Vancouver.
The AP
(4/29) reports, "Two Canadian CF-18 fighter planes escorted an Air Canada
jet as it landed in Vancouver after a threat, but police said passengers
were never in danger. Officials were tightlipped about the type of threat
that prompted the two fighter jets from Canadian Forces Base Comox to
scramble and intercept the Boeing 767 on Tuesday as it flew to Vancouver
from Toronto. 'The emergency landing took place as a result of an
unspecified threat,' Cpl. Peter Thiessen of the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police told a news conference. 'It was a safe, routine landing and the
passengers deplaned as normal.' ... British Columbia Solicitor General Rich
Coleman told radio station CKNW that Air Canada received a threatening
e-mail, but Thiessen would not comment on that. No passengers were detained
by police or other officials, he said."
hUndocumentedImmigrathIllegalImmigrationSaIllegal Immigration Said To Be On
The Rise. The Wall
s_whats_news> Street Journal (4/29, A5, Millman) reports, "The US and Mexico
are no closer to a deal that would allow 'guest workers' to fill unwanted US
jobs than they were in January when President Bush unveiled a plan to
transform current immigration policy." The Journal adds, "Yet despite the
dearth of political movement, there has been plenty of labor movement.
Illegal-alien apprehensions are surging along the Southwestern border, and
law-enforcement officials say it is largely because Mexican border-jumpers
think they will enjoy a broad amnesty. ... After a 2 1/2-year
lull...illegal immigration from Mexico is back to levels approaching the
peak years of the 1990s."
hUndocumentedImmigranUndocumented Immigrants' College Tuition Status Becomes
An Election-Year Issue. The Wall
5Fprimary%5Fhs> Street Journal (4/29, B1, Jordan) reports, "About 65,000
undocumented students are graduating from high school this spring, many of
whom have been in the country for most of their lives. (Ms. Segura's family
crossed the border from Mexico nine years ago.) Because of their illegal
status, these students don't qualify for federal and state grants and loans
or work-study programs." The Journal adds, "Only one out of 20 undocumented
high-school seniors ends up attending college, according to the Urban
Institute in Washington, D.C., which specializes in social-policy research."
The Journal adds, "The plight of students illegally brought into the US as
children by their parents is emerging as a hot potato in the run-up to a
presidential election in which Hispanic voters represent a swing vote in
several states."
hThreeFaceChargesOverThree Face Charges Over Discovery Of Watts Drop House.
The Los Angeles Times (4/29, Moore) reports, "Federal officials announced
criminal smuggling charges Wednesday against three alleged operators of a
small Watts house where authorities discovered 110 people from Mexico,
Ecuador and Guatemala last week. Marvin Raul Soto-Chavez, Fernando Morocho
and Silvia Espinoza-Fajardo were charged in federal court with smuggling
illegal immigrants and holding them in the Hickory Street bungalow until
family members paid fees ranging from $3,000 to $10,000." The Times
continues, "The announcement followed a meeting of representatives from the
U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Los Angeles Police
Department and state legislators at the Watts office of Los Angeles
Councilwoman Janice Hahn. Hahn organized the meeting after the Watts raid
led to interagency accusations and complaints that federal and local
authorities weren't working together. The discovery of such a large
operation highlighted the scale of the human smuggling trade in Los Angeles
and the government's limited resources to combat it. Hahn pledged to seek
additional help from Washington." The Times adds, "Immigration officials
have said they needed more help from local law enforcement, which has a
long-standing policy against investigating people's immigration status.
Loraine E. Brown, head of the immigration agency's office in Los Angeles,
said it was vigorously tracking human smuggling. Brown said there were not
enough agents in the area to respond to every referral from the much larger
Los Angeles Police Department. ... Immigration agency spokeswoman Virginia
Kice said the three suspects wre low-level 'bit players' in what is likely a
much larger operation. 'The goal is always to get the guys farther up in
the organization,' she said."
hCongressmenPushForRaCongressmen Push For Raising Cap On H2B Visas. The
Boston
ries_on_workers/> Globe (4/29, Kittredge) reports, "As New Hampshire tourism
businesses scramble to fill hundreds of seasonal jobs, the state's
congressional delegation in Washington is pushing to expand a temporary
worker visa program curbed by the government. Last month, the US Department
of Homeland Security cut off this year's program of temporary H2-B visas for
foreign workers, declaring, without warning, that the country had reached
its 66,000 limit. Under H-2B visas, foreign workers are only allowed to
work temporarily in jobs for which the government is sure no American
workers are available, according to information from the Congressional
Research Service provided by Republican New Hampshire Senator John Sununu's
office. An H-2B visa is good for up to one year, and a foreign worker cannot
stay in the United States more than three consecutive years. A J-1 visa is
good for 18 months and is mainly for students. ... As the Seacoast becomes
a year-round tourist destination, finding enough workers to staff businesses
catering to tourists is increasingly pressing, said Peter Hamelin, president
of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce. On March 29, US Senator
Edward M. Kennedy and Representative William Delahunt, Massachusetts
Democrats, filed the Save the Summer Act of 2004, which would raise the cap
on H-2B visas from 66,000 to 106,000 workers this year alone. The bill,
which has bipartisan support, is being cosponsored by Gregg and Sununu, and
has the backing of US Representative Jeb Bradley of New Hampshire. Without
the temporary visas, 'companies would be severely restricted during their
busiest season, and the New Hampshire tourism industry would be severely
affected,' said Gregg in a statement. ... Despite the alarm, several
Seacoast businesses say they expect a full staff of foreign college students
this summer."
hImmigrantAdvocatesCrImmigrant Advocates Criticize CIS Fee Hike. The AP
22221717179dfw::kgalvin|
e|Y> (4/29, Gamboa) reports, "Immigrants will pay $50 to $65 more beginning
Friday to become Americans or to live as a legal resident in the country.
The Bush administration said it raised filing fees for immigration-related
paperwork to cover the costs of increased security checks on applicants and
rising administration expenses. But one Hispanic group says the increases
will hit Hispanic immigrants hardest and make becoming a citizen more
difficult for millions of Hispanic legal permanent residents who are
eligible to be Americans. ... Bush officials first announced the fee
increases in January. 'Congress requires us to do a fee study to determine
if we are covering the cost of doing business. When we did we found we are
losing $1 million a day,' said Chris Bentley, Citizenship and Immigration
Services spokesman. Critics of the fee increase say the agency should first
fix problems in the agency that have led it to have more than 6 million
pending applications, because those problems could be contributing to the
higher expenses for the agency. The increases, without improved service,
will keep people from pursuing citizenship, said Larry Gonzalez, Washington
director for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed
Officials Educational Fund."
hSanDiegoCollegeOfficSan Diego College Officials Discuss SEVIS With DHS
Assistant Secretary. The San
> Diego Union-Tribune (4/28, Taylor) reports, "A new visa database keeps
better tabs on foreign students and researchers but the federal program is
still plagued by technical problems, San Diego college representatives told
a Homeland Security official yesterday. Representatives from nine Southern
California colleges and universities, including San Diego State University
and the University of California San Diego, voiced their concerns yesterday
in a closed-door meeting in San Diego with Michael Garcia, an assistant
secretary with the Department of Homeland Security." Garcia, who is
"overseeing the program's $36.8 million first phase, acknowledged that there
are technical problems but said his agency is working quickly to fix them."
The Union-Tribune notes colleges "cannot enroll international students on
visas unless they participate in the SEVIS program. Nine months after the
Department of Homeland Security launched the system, nearly 737,000 college
students and researchers have enrolled nationwide. A pilot tracking system
was launched in 1996 but never received funding for a computerized database
until after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks." The SEVIS database
"contains names, nationalities, addresses, ages, courses of study and the
academic standing of all students attending college on a visa. The list is
updated each semester. Of the almost 8,000 foreign college students
registered in the new tracking system in San Diego, only one has been
arrested after enrolling, according to Homeland Security."
hICEAndPhoenixPoliceSICE And Phoenix Police Said To Have Engaged In Racial
Profiling. The Arizona
t29.html> Republic (4/29, Wingett) reports, "Phoenix police have conspired
with federal immigration agents to illegally stop and profile Latinos,
according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by the family of a 13-year-old boy
who was detained and forced to produce a birth certificate. The civil suit
filed against the city in U.S. District Court claims that police violated
Esteban Fierro's civil rights last month by detaining and arresting the
American citizen without a warrant and reasonable suspicion, and that a
Phoenix officer threatened him with deportation. Police said they do not
get involved in immigration issues, and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said he
wasn't sure all the facts of the detention are known." According to the
Republic, "Phoenix police have denied in earlier interviews that they
arrested Fierro and have said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
agents took him into custody. ... ICE agents released him from the
detention center on Central Avenue in Phoenix about 3 a.m. the next day
after a family member took his birth certificate to the center. Russell
Ahr, a spokesman for ICE, said it would be inappropriate to comment on the
detention and suit."
hFBIICEUrgeCooperatioFBI, ICE Urge Cooperation Between Industry And Agencies
To Combat Counterfeiters. The AP
(4/28,
McLaughlin) reports, "At Wednesday's meeting of government and industry
experts to discuss ways to combat counterfeiting, Vance Lommen didn't quite
fit in. With his long hair, goatee and black T-shirt adorned with the
phrase 'Social Outcast' above a skull and crossbones, Lommen looked more
like a sunglass counterfeiter than the legal and security director for
Oakley Inc. ... Lommen said the war on terrorism has drained many of the
U.S. Customs resources normally focused on counterfeiting." The AP notes,
"The inaugural meeting between the public and private sectors, hosted by the
National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, was intended to
address problems like Lommen's. At the same time, officials with the FBI
and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, urged the importance of
industry and government working together." AP states, "In testimony last
week before a Senate committee, F. Gary White, ICE's chief of
commercial-fraud investigations, said 5 to 7 percent of world trade in 1998
involved counterfeit goods. ... Not only are the companies producing the
original goods suffering, but the profits from the spurious commodities are
used to fund other illicit enterprises, such as organized crime and
terrorism, White said."
hBorderPatrolResumesBBorder Patrol Resumes Boating Patrols Of The Rio
Grande. The AP
062803030983dfw::kgalvin|
Ke|Y&is_rd=Y> (4/29, Brezosky) reports, "After years of being docked by
historically low water levels and propeller-clogging river weeds, U.S.
Border Patrol boats are again plying the waters of the lower Rio Grande.
The Border Patrol's Brownsville station resumed patrols along the river's
southernmost section last week, U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection
spokesman Eddie Flores said. Prolonged drought, worsened by an epidemic of
the thirsty nonnative plants hyacinth and hydrilla, had by 2001 caused the
river to peter out before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. ... But tropical
storms last fall continued into a rainy spring and summer, caused renewed
river flow. The Rio Grande is again meeting the Gulf." Brezosky continues,
"'The river is the highest I've seen since we started boat patrolling,'
Flores said. ... Boat patrols are the best way to spot where illegal
immigrants are trying to cross into the U.S., Flores said. 'You're driving
along the river, you can't see the landing points,' he said. 'These points
can better be determined through murky waters, the debris they leave
behind.'"
hPhoenixsIncreasedEnfPhoenix's Increased Enforcement Forces Smugglers To
Other Cities. The AP
(4/29) reports, "A crackdown on migrant smuggling has forced some smugglers
to avoid Phoenix. Instead, some smugglers have moved into other communities
that in the past didn't serve as stopover points for illegal immigrants.
That's according to Patricia Schmidt, acting special agent in charge of
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's office in Phoenix. She says pressure
from authorities over the last seven months made business harder for
smugglers and reduced related violence in Phoenix. But the heat also
prompted some smugglers to establish stopover points in Tucson and other
communities and find other cities where they can put illegal immigrants on
planes. The crackdown that led to 189 smuggling-related arrests will
continue in Phoenix and be expanded to Tucson and Yuma."
hThreeMenDetainedAfteThree Men Detained After Entering US Through Underwater
Pipeline. The KFOX-TV El
Paso (4/28, Carpio) reports, "Three men are in custody after entering the
U.S. illegally. Meanwhile two others were left behind, launching an
emergency water rescue. Three of the men were caught, geared up to
allegedly smuggle drugs. Two others thought to be stuck underneath. With
those two suspects believed to be caught within the dark and dangerous
pipeline it was time for rescuers to jump in. As we showed you in a Team
Fox Special Assignment this is a common scenario along our border city. El
Pasos Fire Departments Captain John Davis says the task is dangerous for
everyone involved, 'They need to have safety lines and things like that so
they don't get lost because as you can probably guess they're no lights in
things like that so its a pretty dangerous situation.' The 3 men who were
found had burglary tools and other unusual equipment. Border Patrols Doug
Mosier says its a first for border patrol agents, 'this is the first time
that I can remember in my 16 years we've encountered you know scuba gear and
underwater apparatus being used in the tunnel.' Mosier says this is a sign
that those attempting to cross are getting bolder in their attempts and more
sophisticated. ... The drain was pumped early this afternoon where trained
agents went in and found nothing and no one inside. Agents believe their
presence interrupted the smuggling. The two Mexican Nationals are being
processed at the Ysleta Port of Entry and the U.S. Citizen that was found
with them is also being questioned."
hBusCarryingImposterTBus Carrying Imposter Tourists, $1.5 Million In
Marijuana Stopped At Nogales Port Of Entry. The Tucson
> Citizen (4/28, Rico) reports, "A bus purported to be bound for California
filled with imposter tourists and $1.5 million worth of marijuana was
stopped at a Nogales port of entry last weekend. The 'tour' from Mexico was
a ruse to get 1,534 pounds of the drug into the United States, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said. 'I've never seen
anything involving so many paid people as window dressing,' said Matthew C.
Allen, resident agent in charge of the ICE office in Nogales. 'It doesn't
seem like there were any unwitting passengers.' Driver Eduardo Cortes
Amezcua of Mexico City, 55, and the 'tour guide,' Laura Encarnacion Valencia
Guerrero, 41 of Mazatlan, were arrested and charged with importation of a
controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled
substance. They are in federal custody. The 23 'tourists' were returned to
Mexico, said Roger Maier, Customs and Border Protection spokesman." Rico
adds, "'These groups are going to new levels of sophistication every day,'
Allen said. 'It's very much the proverbial cat-and-mouse game.' ... The
bus, marked 'Executive Tourists,' arrived at the Mariposa port of entry
Saturday afternoon, Maier said. Customs and Border Protection officers from
the Anti-Terrorism/Contraband Enforcement Team 'identified several
anomalies' in the appearance of the bus. They said Columbo, a drug-sniffing
dog, alerted them to the marijuana."
hICEAgentsDetainImmigICE Agents Detain Immigrant After He Post's Bail In
Rhode Island Murder Case. The Providence
Journal (4/29, People) reports, "Minutes after murder suspect Roger Graham
posted bail last week, he was detained by federal Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agents and is now being held at the Wyatt Detention Facility, a
federal prison in Central Falls. Graham, 29, a native of Barbados, had been
jailed at the Adult Correctional Institutions since his February 2002
arrest. He was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit
murder following the shooting death of Sanjeev Patel at the Founder's Brook
Motel and Suites on New Year's Day 2002. Federal immigration authorities
'put a detainer' on Graham, marking him as an illegal immigrant shortly
after his initial arrest, according to ICE spokeswoman Paula Grenier. 'The
bottom line with us is that he's here illegally; he overstayed his visa,'
she said. 'And he'll be seen before an immigration judge who will decide
whether or not he stays in the country.' ... Grenier said that Graham would
probably go before a federal immigration judge in the coming weeks to
determine whether he should be deported. 'There are a couple different
things going on, so it's impossible to speculate what the outcome will be,'
she said. '[Graham] has an immigration case pending now; if he has a
criminal case with the state . . . he can be turned over to Rhode Island
authorities so they can pursue those charges. But the next step will depend
on what the judge decides.' The attorney general's office plans to petition
the immigration judge to ask that Graham stand trial in Rhode Island before
being deported, according to Mike Healey, spokesman for the attorney
general's office. ... As a condition of his bail, Graham is required to
appear at the Newport Superior Court every three weeks. His first scheduled
appearance is Monday, May 3, at which time a hearing with Thunberg is also
planned. 'He should be in court that date,' said Assistant Attorney General
John Sullivan, who is prosecuting the case. 'If he's not in court because
he's being held by [ICE], he's technically in violation of his bail. . . . I
don't know what the judge will do.'"
hMesaPoliceArrestManFMesa Police Arrest Man For Smuggling, Rape. The East
Valley Tribune (4/29, Smith)
reports, "Mesa police have arrested a 23-year-old Mexico resident accused of
smuggling nine people across the border and raping one of them. Octavio
Luis Perez confessed to raping the youngest member of the border crossers, a
17-year-old girl, said Mesa detective Michael Melendez. Police received
three 911 calls about 3:45 a.m. Thursday from people who reported seeing a
partially dressed girl crying and running barefoot near Main Street and
Extension Road, Melendez said. When police found her, she told them she had
been raped by the coyote who had brought her and eight others across the
border a few hours earlier, Melendez said." Smith continues, "'She was taken
to a motel with the others, but at some point she was told she was going to
be taken to another motel where there were some other females,' he said.
Once at the other motel, the girl was raped, Melendez said. 'After he's
done, she goes into the bathroom and is able to get out through a window,'
Melendez said. ... Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement are
investigating the smuggling. The girl is in the custody of Child Protective
Services and arrangements are being made so she can stay in the United
States until trial, Melendez said. Perez is being held without bail in the
Maricopa County's Madison Street Jail in Phoenix on suspicion of two counts
of sexual assault."
SINFORMATIONALANALYSIINFORMATION ANALYSIS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION
hACLUChallengesSecretACLU Challenges Secret FBI Letters Requiring Internet
Providers To ID Customers. The AP
5Fprimary%5Fhs> (4/29) reports, "The American Civil Liberties Union is
challenging the Federal Bureau of Investigation's use of expanded powers to
compel Internet service providers to turn over information about their
customers or subscribers. A lawsuit challenging secret FBI national
security letters was filed April 6 in U.S. District Court in New York but
not made public until Wednesday because of its extraordinary sensitivity.
The FBI can issue national security letters, or NSLs, without a judge's
approval in terrorism and espionage cases. They require telephone
companies, Internet-service providers, banks, credit bureaus and other
businesses to produce highly personal records about their customers or
subscribers." According to the AP, "People who receive the letters are
prohibited by law from disclosing to anyone that they did so. Because of
this legal gag order, the ACLU was forced to reach an agreement with the
Justice Department before a heavily edited version of the lawsuit could be
unsealed. ... The lawsuit challenges as unconstitutional one of several
types of national security letters used by the FBI in counterintelligence
and counterterrorism investigations."
The Washington
Post
(4/29, A17, Eggen) reports, "The bureau has issued scores of the letters
since late 2001 that require businesses to turn over electronic records
about finances, telephone calls, e-mail and other personal information,
according to previously released documents. The letters, a type of
administrative subpoena, may be issued independently by FBI field offices
and are not subject to judicial review unless a case comes to court. The
ACLU's complaint focuses on the use of national security letters to obtain
information held by 'electronic communication service providers.' The group
says the letters could force Internet providers to turn over names, screen
names, e-mail addresses and other customer information without proper notice
to the people involved. The lawsuit names as defendants Attorney General
John D. Ashcroft, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III and FBI Senior Counsel
Marion E. 'Spike' Bowman. A second plaintiff has joined the ACLU in filing
the lawsuit, but that plaintiff's identity has been redacted from the public
copy of the complaint."
SCOASTGUARDCOAST GUARD
hStatenIslandFerryCapStaten Island Ferry Captain Lied To Boss After Crash.
The New York Post
(4/29, Smith, Lisi) reports, "The captain of the Staten Island Ferry boat
that slammed into a pier last fall, killing 11 passengers, lied to a
supervisor 30 minutes after the disaster, telling him he was in the
pilothouse when the boat crashed, sources said yesterday. Capt. Michael
Gansas told Director of Ferries Patrick Ryan that he was in the wheelhouse
of the Andrew J. Barberi Oct. 15, and that pilot Richard Smith was slumped
over the controls as the vessel approached Staten Island. Ryan told
National Transportation Safety Board probers that Gansas said he pushed
Smith aside and took over the controls, but not before the ferry rammed into
the pier near St. George Terminal, sources said. The Post has reported that
two witnesses saw Gansas on the other side of the boat, and not in the
pilothouse. Ryan, who has come under fire for the way he has run the ferry
system, told investigators he asked Gansas if he was in the pilothouse with
Smith at the time of the crash, and the captain said, 'Yes.' The Brooklyn
U.S. Attorney, the Coast Guard and the city Department of Investigation are
also probing the disaster. Investigators have entered the probe's 'home
stretch' and are closing in on who was responsible, sources said. A review
of ferry operations by the Global Maritime and Transportation School
recommended several changes, including having three licensed pilots on every
boat, one more than was required at the time of the crash."
hCapeCodEmergencyTeamCape Cod Emergency Teams Participate In Terrorist
Training Exercise. The Cape Cod
Times (4/28, Lehmert)
reports, "The men in fatigues had their weapons trained on the pilot house
door on the uppermost deck of The Islander. Inside, Ahmed Arachnophobia and
Mark Milktoast, whose plot to hijack the ferry was foiled by police, still
had one bargaining chip with negotiators: three hostages. ... Below deck,
the mayhem was spreading. A suspicious backpack. An unknown substance. ...
The Coast Guard and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency yesterday
wrapped up a two-day training exercise with a massive mock terrorism event
involving more than 100 emergency officials. The scenario was designed to
test numerous agencies, including police from Falmouth, Barnstable and
Yarmouth, the state police bomb squad, the regional hazardous materials
response team and local emergency medical workers. In a real-life
situation, more than one group would have a role to play, said Pete Popko,
who helped organize the event for the Coast Guard. 'It's really a
cooperative effort. I think in this world everyone realizes they can't do it
by themselves,' Popko said. 'It's good to bring the folks together.' 'You
work with all kinds of agencies. That's how we do our jobs,' said Capt. Mary
Landry, head of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Providence. ...
Meanwhile, the bomb squad sent in their man, wearing a massive green
80-pound 'turtle suit.' From behind his oxygen mask, he checked out the
backpack. ... On the other side of the ferry dock, the Massachusetts
District One Hazardous Materials unit arranged the three-stage
de-contamination area. ... Later, in large yellow protective suits and
orange boots, they entered the ferry to pick up another contaminated victim,
and test the suspicious substance. Although the groups went to great
lengths to make the scenario seem realistic, no real shots were fired and
guns had special safety devices."
SSECRETSERVICESECRET SERVICE
hLawEnforcementAndTraLaw Enforcement And Transit Officials Will Discuss
Rail Security For DNC. The Boston
Herald
(4/29, Washington) reports, "Representatives of transit and law enforcement
agencies will join a group of Bay State congressmen tomorrow in an effort to
get security concerns on the same track. 'Where we have different agencies
- MBTA, Amtrak - I think it's important to get everyone together and make
sure there are no gaps in the system,' said Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-South
Boston), who called the Boston meeting. Transport Workers Union of America
official Charlie Moneypenny welcomed the dialogue and plans to attend. 'Our
on-board (Amtrak) service personnel have never been trained how to evacuate
from the tunnels of New York,' he said. Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said
some efforts are already stepping up, with the Transportation Security
Administration conducting a pilot screening program at Amtrak's New
Carrolton, Md., station, likely next week. 'The pilot project is going to
include the Washington Metro and a regional commuter rail service,' he said.
MBTA chief Michael Mulhern, who also will attend, said much of rail security
depends on high-tech devices, including a multimillion-dollar fiber optic
upgrade. 'Unfortunately some of those investments are 12 to 18 months from
completion,' he said, adding in the meantime, the T will stress training.
'My goal is to have five to six hundred front-line employees all trained
before the (Democratic National Convention) in anti-terrorism
(responsiveness),' he said."
hFederalJudgeWillHearFederal Judge Will Hear Sentencing Plea Of Teen
Convicted Of Arson. The AP
(4/29) reports, "A
federal judge will hear arguments Thursday on the prison placement of a
Kennebunk boy serving 30 months for setting a fire that destroyed an Arundel
boatyard and an engine belonging to former President George Bush. The 16
year old was convicted of setting a fire that caused 700-thousand dollars in
damage in 2002. He was sentenced to serve time in the federal prison system.
His parents have questioned why the federal government took over the case,
and said they suspect it is because the fire destroyed a Secret Service
dinghy and a speedboat engine that belonged to former President Bush. After
an appeal of the teen's sentence, the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in
February ordered that the sentencing judge take a more active role in
determining where he should be incarcerated. The teen is expected to appear
at the closed hearing before U.S. District Judge George Singal."
SEMERGENCYPREPAREDNESEMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
hFEMAAuthorizesFundsFFEMA Authorizes Funds For Costs Incurred Fighting
California Wildfire. The Southwest
tml> Riverside Press-Enterprise California (4/28) reports, "The Federal
Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal funds to help
pay for the cost of fighting the Pleasure Fire, which burned 2,300 acres in
the Aguanga area Sunday and drew more than 750 firefighters from throughout
the state. The federal assistance will pay for 75 percent of the costs the
state incurred to fight the fire, according to an announcement made Tuesday
by the Department of Homeland Security, which overseas FEMA. The funds can
be used to pay for equipment, field camps, tools, repairs, supplies and
mobilization and demobilization activities. The fire, which began at about
1 p.m. Sunday, was started when a motor home traveling on Highway 371caught
fire near Foolish Pleasure Road. The fire destroyed five mobile homes and
32 vehicles before it was contained by fire crews Monday."
hResidentsBusinessOwnResidents, Business Owners Of 5 Massachusetts's
Counties May Apply For Flooding Assistance. The Danvers
.htm> Herald (4/28, Moore) reports, "As a result of Essex County being
declared a disaster area after the April 1 flooding, residents and business
owners are now able to apply for federal assistance to help cover any losses
or other disaster-related expenses. On April 22, President George W. Bush
issued a disaster area declaration for Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk
and Worcester counties. The declaration allows residents and business owners
- but not municipalities - to obtain reimbursement for costs associated with
the flooding that resulted from the heavy rains on and after April 1. ...
'There are no restrictions,' said Kevin Galvin, spokesman for the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 'Anybody who had flooding damage to
their basement can apply. There was a lot of basement flooding, and a high
concentration of it in the Danvers-Beverly-Peabody area.' Galvin encouraged
everyone with flooding damage or losses to apply for the aid, even if they
have private insurance." Moore adds, "'That's the most important thing that
people can do,' said Galvin. 'It's the only way into the state and federal
assistance system.' The deadline for applications is 60 days after the date
of the declaration, or approximately June 21. Once a resident or business
owner places a call to FEMA, an inspector will arrive within about seven
days to survey the damage. If the inspector determines that reimbursement is
warranted, FEMA will put a check in the mail within two weeks. 'We're an
emergency agency, this is how we operate,' said Galvin in reference to the
relatively quick turnaround. 'It's a very efficient system.' ... Because
Gov. Mitt Romney did not include municipalities in his request for
assistance, the presidential declaration only extends to private citizens
and business owners. That comes as bad news to David Lane, director of
operations for public works, who said he was hoping for some federal aid to
repair culverts - pipes that go under roads to carry stormwater. ... Lane
added that the town still has not received FEMA relief funds due from the
December 2003 snowstorm, which was the last time Danvers was an official
disaster area."
SSTATEANDLOCALHOMELANSTATE AND LOCAL HOMELAND SECURITY
hKYDHSAwards35MillionKY: DHS Awards $35 Million Grant To Aid "First
Responders". The Lexington Herald-Leader (4/28) reports, "An additional $35
million in federal money is now available to help Kentucky 'first
responders,' such as police and firefighters, plan for and deal with threats
and emergencies, the deputy secretary of the federal Department of Homeland
Security announced yesterday. Admiral James Loy said that with the $35
million, Kentucky has gotten $121 million in homeland-security money over
the last two years. The state will use some of the latest allocation for a
new mobile-command unit for use at emergencies, Loy said. Loy attended a
news conference in Somerset yesterday with U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers -- head of
the subcommittee with purview over homeland-security spending -- to stress
how important it is for citizens, companies and first responders to be
vigilant and united in efforts to protect the country. ... 'Homeland
security really begins with hometown security,' Loy said. ... This
Saturday's Kentucky Derby is the type of large gathering that his department
has been concerned about as a potential terrorist target. Police and others
have probably gone to 'unprecedented' lengths to protect the event, Loy
said."
hNYPortAuthoritySuperNY: Port Authority Supervisor To Resign After Misuse Of
Homeland Security Equipment. The AP
(4/28) reports, "A maintenance supervisor for the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey plans to resign after an investigation revealed his personal
use of a $155,000 boat intended for homeland security patrols. The report
by the authority's inspector general also found that employees spent
$130,000 to build a permanent floating dock and ramp for the boat at Port
Newark, after first spending $14,000 for a dock that could not accommodate
the boat. Authority workers also approved purchases of inappropriate,
optional equipment on the boat, including fishing rod holders, a bait well
and tackle box. The agency bought the 27-foot Shamrock 270 Mackinaw in
August 2002 to patrol New York and New Jersey ports in search of suspicious
activity. The authority's board never approved the dock or boat payments
because the sum was too low to require its approval -- a policy that is now
being reviewed, authority spokesman Steve Coleman said. Four Port Authority
workers, who were not named, face disciplinary action ranging from loss of
vacation time to loss of pay. The supervisor, John Panikiewsky, was not
accused of using the boat for fishing trips, Coleman said, but he would not
specify the 'personal use' uncovered in the investigation. Panikiewsky told
The Star-Ledger of Newark the matter was a misunderstanding. 'If they had
proved that I had used the boat for recreational purposes, they would have
terminated me immediately,' he said. Panikiewsky agreed to leave the agency
as of May 7, and he said he will get his full pension. No criminal charges
have been filed."
hNYCitizenshipNowsPhoNY: Citizenship Now's Phone-In Program Has Received
3,500 Callers. The New
York
Daily News (4/29, Casimir) reports, "Naana Awuku is from Ghana. Wojciech
Kornacki from Poland. Jim McGovern from Scotland. They are just three of
the nearly 100 immigration experts who are volunteering this week to answer
questions over the phone as part of Citizenship Now, a joint project of the
Daily News and the City University of New York. Like the thousands of
callers who have flooded the paper's phone lines seeking advice, most of the
experts are themselves immigrants who have gone through similar hassles and
frustrations to become U.S. citizens. McGovern had to fight for a year to
get his naturalization case reopened after leaving the U.S. for a month-long
vacation. His citizenship interview notice came in the mail and was set for
two days prior to his return. 'I called them, I sent them copies of the
plane tickets: Nothing, nothing, nothing helped - and I'm familiar with the
process!' said McGovern, 51. 'Nothing helped until I contacted my U.S.
senator.' ... In the first three days of the phone-in program, 3,500
callers have received free advice. The lawyers, paralegals and counselors
answering the phones will take calls from 9 a.m. through 7p.m. today and
tomorrow."
hTNDriversCertificateTN: Driver's Certificate Bill Aims At Deterring
Illegal Immigrants From Obtaining Licenses. The Nashville
2700> City Paper (4/29, Tackett) reports, "Gov. Phil Bredesen's driver's
certificate bill, which would give Tennessee the strictest driver's license
policy in the nation, moved forward in Senate and House committees this
week. The bi-partisan bill, sponsored by senators Jerry Cooper (D-Morrison)
and Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro), allows only U.S. citizens and lawful
permanent residents to carry a Tennessee driver license. ... People without
a visa could obtain a certificate of driving that would be valid for one
year. ... Only limited driver license testing stations will give out the
certificates. Legal aliens would have to give proof of their temporary
status. Tom Moore, deputy commissioner with the Department of Safety, said
his department is in the process of developing a plan to find illegal aliens
who have already been issued driver's licenses under the old law." Tackett
adds, "Immigrant advocates said they doubt many illegal immigrants would
sign up for a certificate of driving for fear they may be reported to the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within the Department of Homeland
Security. Major General Jerry D. Humble, director of the Governor's Office
of Homeland Security, said with this legislation Tennessee would send 'a
signal to anybody who wishes to do us wrong.' 'We've got a coordinated,
bi-partisan, pro-active counter terrorism program. We intend the terrorists
to stay away,' Humble said."
hTXHighTechEmergencyRhHighTechEmergencyResTX: High Tech Emergency Response
Previewed. The Ft. Worth Star
Telegram (4/28, Dickson)
reports, "A suicide bomb explodes in a crowded convention center, and in
moments paramedics hustle in with medical bags, stretchers and tiny video
cameras that record the action as it unfolds. Ten miles away, an emergency
room doctor clicks on a computer screen and picks up the video feed. Across
town, local police and the FBI also are watching. ... This high-tech version
of an emergency response, which was demonstrated Wednesday at a technology
convention in San Antonio, may seem futuristic. But it can be done now at
relatively little expense, using equipment available on the nation's highway
system, experts say." The Star Telegram reports, "It could save countless
lives in a natural disaster or terror strike, and could be in place in many
U.S. cities by 2010, they say. The demonstration Wednesday was a highlight
at the annual convention of the Intelligent Transportation Society of
America."
STERRORISMINVESTIGATITERRORISM INVESTIGATIONS
hSpanishIndictmentClaSpanish Indictment Claims Moroccan Was Involved In
Planning Both 9/11 And Madrid Bombings. NBC Nightly News (4/28, story 4,
:30, Brokaw) reported, "In Spain, a Moroccan fugitive previously wanted in
connection with the deadly train bombings of March 11 was indicted today on
charges of helping coordinate the September 11 terrorist attacks in this
country. Amer Azizi is accused of organizing a critical July, 2001 meeting
in Spain to finalize the details with the 9/11 hijackers, including Mohammed
Atta. He's indicted but Azizi remains at large tonight."
The Washington
3092r> Times /AP (4/29, Prades) reports, "A Moroccan fugitive sought in
connection with the March 11 train bombings in Madrid was indicted yesterday
on charges of helping to plan the September 11 attacks in the United States
-- the first suspect linked to both attacks. Amer Azizi, 36, helped
organize a meeting in northeast Spain in July 2001 that key plotters in the
U.S. attacks, including suicide pilot Mohamed Atta, used to finalize
details, Judge Baltasar Garzon said in the indictment. Azizi was also
included in an indictment Judge Garzon handed down in September against al
Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and 34 other terror suspects. Azizi was
charged then with belonging to a terrorist organization. ... In the new
indictment, Azizi is charged with multiple counts of murder - 'as many
deaths and injuries as were committed' on September 11, 2001 -- for helping
to plan the attacks." Garzon "said the new indictment is based on
information provided by authorities in Britain, Turkey and the United
States."
The Washington
Post
(4/29, A22) reports, "In the new indictment, Azizi is charged with multiple
counts of murder - 'as many deaths and injuries as were committed' on Sept.
11, 2001 -- for helping plan the attacks on the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon using hijacked airliners. The indictment accuses Azizi of
providing lodging for people who attended the July 2001 meeting in the
Tarragona region of Spain and acting as a courier between plotters.
European investigators have said that Mohamed Atta, one of the suicide
pilots, attended the July 2001 meeting along with al Qaeda operative Ramzi
Binalshibh. Binalshibh, who allegedly provided money to many of the
hijackers, is now in U.S. custody at an undisclosed location."
US Intelligence Agencies Cannot Confirm Azizi's Involvement In 9/11
Plot. The Washington
6833r> Times (4/29, Gertz) reports, "U.S. intelligence agencies have not
been able to link an Islamist extremist wanted in the Madrid train bombings
to the September 11 attacks, as an indictment released yesterday in Spain
charges. 'We're still waiting to see what the Spanish government has,' a
senior Bush administration official said yesterday of Amer Azizi's
involvement in the September 11 attacks. Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon
yesterday said Azizi, a Moroccan fugitive, helped organize a meeting in
northeastern Spain in July 2001 that key plotters, including suicide pilot
Mohamed Atta, used to finalize details of the U.S. attacks later that year.
A second U.S. official said that the government knew about Azizi's
involvement in an al Qaeda cell in Spain, but that his direct role in
planning the September 11 attacks has not been confirmed."
sInternationalTerrori
hGrassleyAsks911PanelGrassley Asks 9/11 Panel To Probe Saudi Diplomats' Bank
Transactions. The Wall
5Fprimary%5Fhs> Street Journal (4/29, Simpson) reports, "The Senate Finance
Committee chairman has asked the 9/11 commission to look into transactions
totaling tens of millions of dollars at two US banks by Saudi Arabian
diplomats." Sen. Charles Grassley "sent letters to members of the
commission investigating the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, detailing
'suspicious' activity by Saudi officials and citizens at FleetBoston
Financial Corp. and Riggs National Bank. People familiar with the letter
said Mr. Grassley cited Saudi Embassy payments for Saudi citizens'
flight-training and payments to Islamic groups suspected of supporting
terrorism." The letters, "which one person close to the 9/11 commission
said were delivered Tuesday, summarize the senator's concerns. Details were
placed in a confidential addendum." Grassley also "asks the commission to
review how both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Treasury
Department handled inquiries into the Saudi transactions."
hJusticesExpressConceJustices Express Concern About US Policy On Enemy
Combatants. ABC World News Tonight (4/28, story 4, 2:25, Gibson) reported,
"At the Supreme Court today, an issue debated during many wars. Can the
President detain US citizens without charges them with a crime? Two cases
were argued, involving US citizens suspected of being involved in terrorism.
Each has been held, now, for two years." ABC (Medrano) added, "The
government's lawyer said these so-called 'enemy combatants,'" Yaser Hamdi
and Jose Padilla, "could be detained indefinitely." Attorneys "for Hamdi
and Padilla disagree, saying the Constitution does not allow the President
to detain American citizens without access to the courts." In comments "by
the justices that could apply to both cases, Justice Scalia agreed with the
government, that the president has broad power to kill or detain enemy
combatants." Justice Scalia: "Is it conceivable that he has the right to
kill them but not to detain them?" Medrano: "Justice O'Connor observed
that President Bush might have another legal ground to detain enemy
combatants: Congress' approval to use military force after 9/11."
NBC Nightly News (4/28, story 5, 2:30, P. Williams) reported, "During
today's arguments, a majority of the Supreme Court seemed to question that
open-ended detention." Justice Sandra Day O'Connor: "If we ever had a
situation like this, where presumably this war-like status could last for 25
years, 50 years, whatever it is?"
CBS Evening News (4/28, story 6, 2:10, Rather) reported,
"Presidential power, and claims by some that President Bush has abused it in
the war on terror, were issues before the United States Supreme Court today.
The case in question involves two US citizens denied legal rights because
they are accused of being enemy combatants." CBS (Andrews) added, "Several
justices, looking for middle ground asked, asked 'Why not let the men claim
innocence in military courts?' The government's answer: Let them talk all
they want during questioning." Deputy Solicitor General Clement: "He has
an opportunity to explain it in his own words." Justice Souter: "During
interrogation?" Deputy Solicitor General Clement: "During interrogation.
During the initial screening." Andrews: "Lawyers for the combatants say
the President has an unchecked power the courts must review."
USA
Today (4/29, Biskupic) reports, "Several Supreme Court justices on Wednesday
challenged the Bush administration's claim that it can lock up a US citizen
indefinitely as an 'enemy combatant' without any hearing to determine
whether he was seized by mistake." Justices O'Connor and Kennedy, "often
the deciding votes on the divided, nine-member court...noted that after
Sept. 11, Congress gave President Bush authority to use 'all necessary and
appropriate force' against those behind the attacks. Dunham countered that
Congress didn't mean to endorse detentions 'with no opportunity to be
heard,' or 'solitary confinement for as long as (captives) might live.'"
USA
Today (4/29, Biskupic, Locy) reports, "Some justices suggested that the
administration should have held hearings traditionally used to determine a
captive's status. In such hearings, a captive appears without a lawyer
before a tribunal of three military officers and can introduce evidence and
call witnesses." But "most of the nine justices also suggested by their
questions that they believe the president has some power to take
extraordinary actions against U.S. citizens suspected of fighting with the
enemy."
The New York
Times (4/29,
Greenhouse) reports, "The Bush administration yielded no ground before the
Supreme Court on Wednesday in arguing that the open-ended military detention
of United States citizens as enemy combatants, without criminal charges or
access to lawyers, was justified both in law and as policy. ... A majority
of the justices expressed some degree of concern over the breadth of the
administration's position."
The Wall
s_whats_news> Street Journal (4/29, Bravin) reports, "The outcome of both
cases rests on interpreting a terse congressional resolution passed on Sept.
14, 2001, that authorized Mr. Bush to use 'all necessary and appropriate
force' to 'prevent acts of international terrorism against the United
States.' ... Both sides cited congressional silence as support for their
claims." Deputy Solicitor General Paul Clement "argued that if Congress
disapproved of Mr. Bush's policies, it could pass new legislation."
Jennifer Martinez, "a Stanford law professor representing Mr. Padilla,
countered that if Congress wanted to grant Mr. Bush such powers, it could
have suspended the right of habeas corpus or adopted regulations for
preventive detention of suspected terrorists, as Britain and Israel have."
The Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette (4/29, McGough) reports, "Several justices seemed to be
searching for a compromise that would both provide the two men with an
opportunity to contest their imprisonment before what Justice Stephen Breyer
called a 'neutral decision maker' and respect the US military's interest in
protecting the nation and acquiring intelligence."
The Dallas
nnatpadilla.50969.html> Morning News (4/29, Pusey) reports, "Several
justices expressed concern - not for the military detention, but for the
idea of indefinite incarceration without review."
hDamascusBombingSaidTDamascus Bombing Said To Show Vulnerabilities Of
Islamic States. The Christian
Science Monitor (4/29,
Blanford) reports, "When suspected Islamic militants set off a bomb in the
heart of Damascus Tuesday night and fought with Syrian security forces, it
demonstrated that no Arab country can consider itself immune from terrorism.
The attack, the first of its kind in Damascus for over two decades, came
days after Jordanian officials announced they had foiled a potentially
devastating chemical-bomb plot in Amman. It also came a week after a
suicide car bomb destroyed a Saudi security forces building in Riyadh,
killing four people and wounding 150 others." The Monitor notes, "The
attack in the Mezze suburb of Damascus, home to several embassies and
international agencies, appeared to be amateurish. ... Ahmad al-Haj Ali, an
adviser to the Syrian information minister, told the Arabic Al Jazeera
television channel that the attackers 'wanted to give the impression that
there is no area or place safe from these acts, particularly as Syria has
been enjoying a state of stability.'"
The New
York Times (4/29, Sachs, MacFarquhar) reports, "Retreating into
characteristic silence on security threats, Syrian officials disclosed no
new information on Wednesday about the identities or possible motives of the
gunmen who set off a bomb near the center of the capital, Damascus, on
Tuesday. While the dearth of details was not unusual for Syria, it deepened
the uncertainty surrounding the incident, a rare burst of violence in a
country that keeps tight control over its citizens and deploys several
security agencies to quell all forms of dissent. Authorities continued to
say it was 'terrorists' who detonated an explosive device under a car in
Mazza, a well-to-do residential neighborhood, and lobbed grenades at the
police officers who chased them."
hWSJournalSaysJordaniWSJournal Says Jordanian Terror Plot Story Has Been
Downplayed By US Media. The Wall
Fmain%5Freview%5Fand%5Foutlooks> Street Journal (4/29, A16) editorializes,
"Jordanian authorities say that the death toll from a bomb and poison-gas
attack they foiled this month could have reached 80,000. We guess the fact
that most major media are barely covering this story means WMD isn't news
anymore until there's a body count. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- the man cited
by the Bush Administration as its strongest evidence of prewar links between
al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein, and the current ringleader of anti-coalition
terrorism in Iraq -- may be behind the plot, which would be al Qaeda's first
ever attempt to use chemical weapons. ... Yet as of yesterday, most news
organizations hadn't probed the story, if at all, beyond the initial
wire-service copy." The Journal continues, "Perhaps the problem here is
that covering this story might mean acknowledging that Tony Blair and George
W. Bush have been exactly right to warn of the confluence of terrorism and
weapons of mass destruction. ... Anonymous U.S. officials have been quoted
playing down the WMD wrinkle, suggesting the chemicals may have been meant
to merely amplify a conventional explosion. But then much of our
'intelligence' bureaucracy is still wedded to the discredited notion that
secular tyrants and fundamentalist terrorists don't cooperate (see
Hezbollah). They may also be defensive about their earlier, dismissive
assessments of Zarqawi's significance." The Journal concludes, "Prime
Minister Blair has said it's simply 'a matter of time unless we act and take
a stand before terrorism and weapons of mass destruction come together.'
According to Jordanian authorities, that sometime was intended to be last
week. That strikes us as news."
hInterceptsIllustrateIntercepts Illustrate Hussayen's Relationship With
Suspect Charity. The Idaho
4290327> Statesman (4/29, Orr) reports, "Prosecutors spent the entire day
entering foundation evidence to illustrate Al-Hussayen's business
relationship with the Islamic Assembly of North America -- a group they say
provides material support, such as funding and recruiting, for terrorist
organizations including Hamas. The e-mail exchanges and phone conversations
between Al-Hussayen and members of IANA indicate the University of Idaho
graduate student was deeply involved in the daily financial matters of the
organization and supervised much of the technical support of their Web
sites. The evidence also indicates Al-Hussayen was involved in agreements
to publish IANA books and magazines in the U.S. and in Saudi Arabia, and was
critical of the spending habits of IANA officials." The Statesman reports
prosecutors will later introduce evidence to "show IANA's link to organized
terror." The Statesman reports, "FBI agent John Pulcastro spent the entire
day on the witness stand reading intercepted e-mails, phone calls and
letters between Al-Hussayen and IANA officials. Most of the material was in
Arabic, so Pulcastro read translations done by FBI agents."
hFBIAccusedOfNeglectiFBI Accused Of Neglecting Terrorist Financing Through
Diamond Trade, Smuggling. The Washington Times/UPI (4/29, Waterman)
reports, "U.S. counterterrorism agents have visited war-torn Liberia to
investigate accusations of terrorist involvement in the West African diamond
trade, the FBI reports. Paul Cariker of the FBI told a Howard University
symposium this month that the small team of financial specialists from the
FBI's counterterrorism division left late last year to investigate the
shadowy trade in so-called conflict diamonds. . 'The investigation is
continuing,' another counterterrorism official told UPI. 'To my knowledge,
there's no smoking gun yet, no proof one way or the other.'" UPI states,
"Karl Wycoff of the State Department told a congressional panel recently
that he was not aware of any evidence to support contentions that there was
an al Qaeda presence in West Africa. ... But in November, a report by
congressional investigators said the FBI and other law-enforcement agencies
weren't even trying to gauge the size of the problem, if any. 'U.S. law
enforcement agencies, and specifically the FBI which leads terrorist
financing investigations, do not systematically collect and analyze data on
alternative financing mechanisms,' such as cigarette smuggling,
counterfeiting and illegal drugs, said a report of the General Accounting
Office. ... Neglecting the prospect of terrorist involvement in the diamond
trade is just one way in which the United States is ignoring Africa, which
some fear could become the next theater in the global war on terrorism, said
Vance Serchuk, a researcher who tracks U.S. foreign policy at the American
Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research."
hRadicalImamsRecruitiRadical Imams Recruiting For Al Qaeda In East Africa.
The Washington
Times /AP (4/29,Tomlinson) reports, "Twisting an old and respected tradition
of spreading the faith, Muslim extremists from the Middle East and Central
Asia are traveling as missionaries in East Africa to recruit young men for
holy war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In places such as Pemba, part
of the Zanzibar island group 50 miles off the coast of Tanzania, part-time
preachers go from mosque to mosque spouting sermons of hate -- sometimes
scripted by radical groups in Saudi Arabia, said moderate Muslim leaders.
The groups also pay for the fundamentalists' travel, other Muslims and a
Western diplomat said, on the condition of anonymity." The AP states, "The
tabligh's recruiting drive has yielded significant results. At least 25
percent of the several hundred foreign fighters captured in Iraq have come
from East Africa, U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Mastin Robeson said in the fall
from his new base in Djibouti. Two Zanzibari tabligh purportedly were
involved in the 1998 car bombing of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania
that killed 234 persons. A U.S. court convicted Khalfan Khamis Muhammad in
2001, and Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani remains on the FBI's list of most-wanted
terrorists."
SNATIONALSECURITYNEWSNATIONAL SECURITY NEWS
hBushVowsToDefeatFallBush Vows To Defeat Fallujah Insurgents As Fighting
Continues. ABC World News Tonight (4/28, story 2, 2:00, Gibson) reported,
"The failure, as yet, to neutralize the enemy in Fallujah is becoming a
political problem for the Bush Administration. From a military standpoint,
the US is under pressure to get the job done. But almost everywhere the
Administration turns, there is pressure to go about it another way." ABC
(Moran) added, "In the Oval Office this morning, President Bush described
the situation in Fallujah as 'improving.'" President Bush: "Most of
Fallujah is returning to normal." Moran: "But the fierce fighting in
Fallujah, and the prospect of an all-out assault by Marines on insurgents
there, has put the Administration on the defensive at home and abroad."
Syrian President Bashir Asssad "declared that violent attacks on US forces
were legitimate, because he claims they represented the attitudes of a
majority of Iraqis. With US troops being attacked by insurgents, firing
inside mosques, Secretary of State Powell, in Berlin, strongly defended the
US response." Secretary Powell: "We're being as careful as we can, not to
injure civilians and not to damage holy places." Moran: "And in
Washington, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld said there was proof of the
insurgents' tactics." Secretary Rumsfeld: "This is a mosque in Najaf. As
you can see, they have all kinds of religious instruments called
rocket-propelled grenades, Ak-47s, that's what they do in their mosque. So,
that isn't in the paper." Moran: "White House aides say the President is
now receiving daily briefings from military commanders in Iraq. And he has
given those commanders all the authorities and discretion they need to
finish the job in Fallujah, either through continued negotiations or, if
they see fit through military operations."
CBS Evening News (4/28, lead story, Rather) reported, "Bush has sent
the orders to US military in Iraq to 'take whatever action is necessary to
secure Fallujah.' And the President expressed confidence that US Marines
there can deal with the situation." CBS (Pizzey) added, "President Bush
said any action had his blessing." President Bush: "Our military
commanders will take whatever action is necessary to secure Fallujah on
behalf of the Iraqi people." Pizzey: "Insurgents inside Fallujah are now
doing their best to make the fight as political as possible. At an
anti-American demonstration inside the besieged city they posted a $10
million reward for the assassination of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
and Generals Ricardo Sanchez and Mark Kimmitt. They burned the widely
unpopular new Iraqi flag chosen by the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council.
And the council member sent to Fallujah to negotiate a settlement tried to
avoid responsibility." Hamid al-Kafaie, Iraqi Governing Council: "But as
everyone knows that the security portfolio is in the hands of the Americans
and they are dealing with it."
NBC Nightly News (4/28, lead story, Miklaszewski) reported, "Bush
indicated today that American military commanders have the green light to
attack." President Bush: "There are pockets of resistance, and we will --
and our military, along with the Iraqis, will make sure it's secure."
The Washington
1629r> Times (4/29, Sammon) reports, "Bush cautioned that the violence will
only intensify as that date draws near. 'What you must realize is happening
in a place like Fallujah is, the closer we come to passing sovereignty, the
more likely it is that foreign fighters, disgruntled Ba'athists or friends
of the Shia cleric will try to stop progress,' he said. ... 'Most of
Fallujah is returning to normal. There are pockets of resistance, and we
will -- our military, along with Iraqis -- will make sure it's secure.'"
USA
Today (4/29, Michaels) reports, "Commanders in Iraq said the Marines were
responding to guerrilla attacks and that the military was sticking to a
2-week-old halt in offensive operations to allow negotiations in the city of
300,000. 'Even though it may not look like it, there is still a determined
aspiration on the part of the coalition to maintain a cease-fire and solve
the situation in Fallujah by peaceful means,'" Kimmitt said. "'What's going
on are some terrorists and regime elements have been attacking our forces,
and our forces have been going out and killing them,' Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld said in Washington. ... President Bush said attacks across
Iraq were fewer than in the first half of April and that Fallujah was
returning to normal. 'Our military commanders will take whatever actions
necessary to secure Fallujah,' Bush told reporters in Washington." USA
notes, "Syrian President Bashar Assad said on al-Jazeera satellite TV that
attacks against U.S.-led troops in Iraq are legitimate resistance against
foreign occupation."
The AP
s_news_us> (4/29) reports, "Gun battles between US forces and insurgents
resumed in Fallujah...with an AC-130 gunship firing its cannons on targets
in the Iraqi city after a day of fighting in several areas. ... During the
day, fighting erupted in at least three parts of the city. In the
afternoon, U.S. forces dropped 10 laser-guided bombs, including a
1,000-pound bomb, against buildings guerrillas were firing from, Lt. Col.
Brennan Byrne said." The AP adds, "Despite three days of heavy battles,
U.S. officials said Wednesday they are pushing ahead with negotiations to
resolve the Fallujah standoff rather than launch an all-out offensive.
'We're going to continue to push the political track as far as it's going to
take us. And if it doesn't take us far enough, we're prepared to use
military means,' Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt told ABC's 'Good Morning America.'"
In a front-page story, the Washington
Post
(4/29, Chandrasekaran, Chan) reports, "The airstrikes...were the most
aggressive American response to guerrilla attacks since U.S. commanders and
Iraqi officials signed a cease-fire deal earlier this month. With tensions
on the rise, Marine commanders postponed plans to conduct joint patrols of
the city on Thursday with Iraqi policemen and civil defense troops. ... The
delay was a setback to U.S. attempts to address the insurgent threat in
Fallujah with methods other than a resumption of full-scale Marine raids."
Kimmitt "insisted the cease-fire agreement reached April 19 was still in
effect," but added that "civic leaders who agreed to the cease-fire...'have
not delivered.'" The Post adds, "In Washington, President Bush said, 'There
are pockets of resistance, and our military along with Iraqis will make sure
it's secure.' He also said, 'Most of Fallujah is returning to normal.' But
in Fallujah, the situation appeared anything but normal on Wednesday."
The Financial
c=StoryFT&cid=1079420680414&p=1012571727088> Times (4/29, Drummond) reports,
"A ceasefire remained in place in the besieged town of Falluja on Wednesday,
US military spokesmen in Baghdad insisted, even though warplanes were
targeting insurgents there for a second day. ... Gen Kimmitt said that the
pyrotechnic images of Tuesday night were caused by an air strike against two
vehicles that had moved with lights dimmed through an area associated with
the insurgents, dropping off 'bundles and personnel'. The vehicles were
hit, he said, and proved to be carrying ammunition."
ABC World News Tonight (4/28, lead story, 2:40, Gibson) reported, "US
military officials say they are still trying to negotiate an end to the
standoff in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. But a look at that city's night
skyline would indicate they're not getting very far. For the
second-straight night, US war planes attacked and explosions lit up
Fallujah. Meanwhile, Marines broadcast Arabic over loudspeakers, telling
insurgent in the city, if they don't surrender, they'll die. The Fallujah
siege continues." ABC (Wright) added, "Tonight, US war planes hammered
targets in northwest Fallujah, the same corner of town they hit last night."
There were "multiple air attacks. At least ten laser-guided bombs dropped
in one day." A "day of heavy fighting in three, different parts of the
city. The Marines seized a train station they say the insurgents have used
to stage attacks."
CBS Evening News (4/28, lead story, 2:35, Rather) reported, "In Iraq
today, Marines again held back from an all-out assault on Fallujah. But
there was much brutal fighting throughout the day, and into the night." CBS
(Pizzey) added, "Insurgent positions in Fallujah were pounded again tonight
by an AC-130 gunship, lighting the night sky with flashes. Secondary
explosions indicated an ammunition dump may have been hit." A Marine
Captain "who has fought running battles with insurgents said real combat has
not even started." Capt. Douglass Zembiec: "We've been playing patty-cake
with these guys so far. We have not begun to do offensive ops."
NBC Nightly News (4/28, lead story, 2:30, Brokaw) reported, "The
fight for Fallujah is turning into the longest single battle of the Iraqi
war, and certainly one of the most critical for political as well as
military reasons. It's going on again tonight, although the US Command in
Baghdad insists that the American Marines are simply defending themselves.
But the UN Secretary General warned that the Fallujah fighting could make
matters worse politically." NBC (Miklaszewski) added, "For the second
straight night, American AC-130 gunships pounded enemy targets in Fallujah.
By day, combat helicopters rocketed Fallujah's train station, a suspected
staging area for insurgent attacks. Despite all this firepower, this is not
the much-anticipated major offensive." A senior Pentagon official "tells NBC
News that the offensive will begin within days to 'kill the enemy.' It will
not be an all-out assault on Fallujah, but precision attacks aimed at the Al
Jolan section in the northwest part of the city, where they say some 1,500
insurgents and foreign fighters are dug in."
Blair Defends US Action In Fallujah. The AP
s_news_us> (4/29) reports, "British Prime Minister Tony Blair defended U.S.
tactics in Fallujah, rejecting opposition legislator Sir Peter Tapsell's
assertion that the attack amounted to the 'murder or mutilation of hundreds
of women and children.' Mr. Blair said there were large numbers of
well-armed insurgents in Fallujah and 'it is right that the American forces
try to make sure that order is restored to that city.'"
Marine Commanders See Evidence Of Progress From Delaying All-Out
Assault. The Christian
Science Monitor (4/29,
Peterson) reports, "US Marine commanders battling insurgents in Iraq say the
destruction of a large weapons cache Tuesday night -- and further airstrikes
Wednesday -- reinforces their belief that putting off an all-out assault on
Fallujah is, for now, paying dividends. ... Iraqi sheikhs from around Iraq
are reportedly converging on Fallujah to mediate, and Iraqi police bolstered
their presence on the street Wednesday in anticipation of joint US-Iraqi
patrols supposed to begin later this week. ... 'The military solution is
always there, but we have a lot of different arrows in our quiver,' says
Col. John Coleman, chief of staff of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force that
controls western Iraq. 'The key is to decide which one to notch, and when.
... More and more, people are beginning to come to us. It's a subtle
change, but that shift is beginning to happen.'"
The New
York Times (4/29, Wong) reports that Bush "said American military commanders
'will take whatever actions necessary to secure Falluja,' where marines have
maintained a three-week siege of what has been a center of resistance to the
American-led occupation. ... 'Although this is a cease-fire, they're not
purely defensive rules of engagement,' Maj. Gen. John Sattler, director of
operations for the United States Central Command, said in a conference call
from Qatar, in the Persian Gulf. 'In other words, if in fact the insurgent
forces start to make attempts to set up weapons systems, to resupply units
that are within the town, the marines have it within their rights to go in
and take pre-emptive measures, i.e., strike against these units.' ... A
Lebanese photographer reported seeing a long column of tanks and Humvees
rolling into Falluja past a checkpoint on the western outskirts even as
families fled in the other direction, trying to make their way to the
relative calm of Baghdad."
US Forces Using Cease-Fire To Identify, Isolate, Monitor Insurgents.
In a front-page story, the Washington
2203r> Times (4/29, Scarborough) reports, "The U.S. military is using the
tenuous cease-fire in Fallujah to monitor insurgent movements and then
strike with air power inside the city when provoked. The tactic is killing
scores of Iraqi holdouts and their foreign allies, as U.S. forces capitalize
on intelligence assets and night-vision equipment to hit enemy guerrillas
when they cluster in one or two buildings. ... The net result today is that
the Marines have a large cluster of insurgents -- likely 1,500 or more --
bottled up in certain sectors of the city that can be monitored. ... Far
from a passive stance, Lt. Gen. James T. Conway, the 1st Marine
Expeditionary Force commander, is using the timeout to methodically thin the
enemy." The Times notes, "Retired Air Force Col. Robert W. Chandler, who
has authored four books on national security issues, sees the battle for
Fallujah in a much bigger light. 'This could be one of the most important
events that happens in the war on terror,' Col. Chandler said. 'If you
believe as I do the only way to win the war is to democratize the region ...
you can't kill them all. If I can't help change the face of the Middle
East, then I lose the war.'"
US Official Calls All Options For Fallujah, Najaf "Unpalatable." In
a front-page story, the Washington
Post
(4/29, Chandrasekaran and Robin Wright) reports that not in Fallujah, Bagdad
or Washington "is the solution to the Fallujah problem clear. Although
American officials and Iraq's U.S.-backed leaders agree that the insurgents
should be captured or killed, preferably before the Americans hand over
limited sovereignty on June 30, no good options exist to accomplish that
goal, according to U.S. officials familiar with the issue. ... 'There are a
lot of different proposals on the table, but all of them are fraught with
problems,' said one senior U.S. official in Iraq, who spoke on the condition
of anonymity. ... As military commanders and civilian administrators
scramble to craft solutions to the crises in Fallujah and Najaf, 'all the
choices are unpalatable,' said a senior U.S. official in Washington who
spent several months in Iraq last year and who declined to be identified
because of the sensitivity of the subject." The Post notes, "U.S. military
officials in Iraq said that because of political sensitivities, overall
policy decisions about the standoff in Fallujah are being made by the White
House, and Marine commanders have been reluctant to make public
pronouncements about what should be done. But privately, many say they
believe the only way to eliminate the insurgency is through a series of
large raids."
Esprit De Corps High At Camp Fallujah. The Christian
Science Monitor (4/29,
Peterson) reports from Camp Fallujah, "The scene here...is a mixture of the
sacred and the profane. Fighting dovetails with rest and laughter,
providing a window into the daily lives of US occupation forces on Iraq's
front lines. ... Haircuts are free -- and short. There is jocular
jostling, and the telling of war stories, and language as salty as it comes.
And there is the kind of bonding that you find among GIs, who have endured
much together. That bond was evident beside the stretcher of Cpl. Eugene
Koushnir, whose 19th birthday was marked with an in-and-out bullet wound to
the back. He was carried in with a 'Happy B-Day'sticker on his forehead,
vowing to return immediately to the fight, to kill more militants."
Pentagon Ignorance Of Tribal Element Seen As Root Of Fallujah
Conflict. To In a New York
Times (4/29) op-ed,
author Sandra Mackey writes, "The United States is in a no-win situation in
Falluja. ... Even if American forces storm and subdue the town, it is
unlikely that there will be peace there anytime soon. It didn't have to be
this way. Had the United States taken more time to understand the city -- a
place where even Saddam Hussein ventured cautiously -- it might have been
able to avoid the current showdown." The Pentagon describes "those holed up
there as either die-hards of Saddam Hussein's regime or foreigners promoting
the ideology of Al Qaeda. What the Pentagon is neglecting is a third group,
one that could prove more deadly to the occupation: the tribes of central
Iraq. They are a tough lot with a long history of resistance to any outside
authority." Mackey concludes, "In Falluja, the policymakers failed before
the war began. Those in the field, along with the occupation itself, will
pay the price."
Uprisings Test Iraqi-Staffed Emergency Medical Relief Operation. The
Wall
Fpage%5Firaq%5F1> Street Journal (4/29, A15, Fassihi) reports that the CPA
is sponsoring "an unprecedented emergency-relief operation, operated by the
ministry of health. It coordinates and responds to requests for ambulances,
medical supplies and volunteer teams in incidents with a large number of
casualties. The operating room, set up at the Health Ministry in Baghdad
and staffed entirely by Iraqis, consists of dozens of public-health
specialists and clerks who coordinate with ministry representatives in most
cities throughout the country." The Journal adds that "the center's first
real crisis has turned out to be orchestrating a relief effort amid the
prolonged battle between insurgents and the U.S. military in Fallujah. ...
Officials at the center worry their job could get even tougher if a U.S.
standoff with the militia of Muqtada al Sadr, a Shiite cleric in the
southern city of Najaf, should erupt into major violence. ... Preparing for
the worst, the center already has sent trailers, oxygen cylinders,
anesthetic and generators ahead to Najaf, along with refrigerators to
preserve corpses."
hDIAReportFindsFormerDIA Report Finds Former Saddam Agents Behind Many
Insurgent Attacks, Bombings. In a front-page story, the New York
Times (4/29, A1m
Shanker) reports that a DIA "intelligence report has concluded that many
bombings against Americans and their allies in Iraq, and the more
sophisticated of the guerrilla attacks in Falluja, are organized and often
carried out by members of Saddam Hussein's secret service, who planned for
the insurgency even before the fall of Baghdad. ... Its findings were based
on interrogations with high-ranking M-14 members who are now in American
custody, as well as on documents uncovered and translated by the Iraq Survey
Group. While the report cites specific evidence, other important
assessments of American intelligence on Iraq have been challenged and even
proven wrong. ... It provides a more detailed portrait of the insurgency.
In the past, American officials have typically described the insurgents as a
rudderless guerrilla movement of foreign fighters, Islamic jihadists, former
Baathists, and common criminals. ... The report does not imply that every
guerrilla taking up arms against the Americans is under the command of the
M-14, nor that every Iraqi who dances atop a charred Humvee is inspired by a
former Iraqi intelligence agent. But the assessment helps explain how only
a few thousand insurgents, with professional leadership from small numbers
of Mr. Hussein's intelligence services and seasoned military officer corps,
could prove to be such a challenge to the American occupation."
hPowellDefendsUSAttacPowell Defends US Attacks On Insurgents In Mosques.
The AP
(4/29) reports, "Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday defended
American attacks on mosques and other holy places that are used by
insurgents in Iraq, a tactic that has drawn complaints from U.N. officials.
'We have an obligation to protect our men,' Powell said." Powell "rejected
criticism by U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi about attacks by American helicopter
gunships and tanks at a mosque on Monday in a Fallujah suburb. Powell said
when dangerous people desecrate holy places by using them as weapons
storehouses or vantage points for attacking U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians,
the United States will fight back. ... Powell said 'we are being very
careful' not to injure people or holy places in the struggle with
insurgents. He appealed for understanding of the U.S. dilemma. He also
suggested Brahimi devote himself to planning an interim government in
Baghdad, a job Powell said the former Algerian foreign minister was doing
well."
Rumsfeld Shows Photos Of Armed Insurgents In Najaf Mosques. NBC
Nightly News (4/28, lead story, Miklaszewski) reported, "In Najaf today,
Shiites burned the new Iraqi flag. And on Al Jazeera TV, masked Shiite
militants warned if the US forces attack insurgents inside mosques, Iraq
will be 'turned into a hellfire.' But Defense Secretary Rumsfeld flashed a
photo he says proved some mosques have become armed camps." Secretary
Rumsfeld: "This is the mosque in Najaf, and you can see they have all kinds
of religious instruments called rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47's."
Miklaszewski: "The recent violence could threaten the transfer of authority
to the Iraqis. One senior Pentagon official warns that the June 30 deadline
could very well slip."
Powell Viewed As More Similar To Haig Than To Eisenhower. In a USA
Today (4/29) column, DeWayne Wickham writes, "Back in 1995, when Colin
Powell's star was at its apex, Vanity Fair called him 'The Great Black Hope'
and the 'next Eisenhower'" but "now, nine years later, Powell -- the
nation's first black military leader and a black Republican who doesn't
cause large numbers of blacks to hyperventilate whenever his name comes up
-- is this country's top diplomat. But his political star is in decline.
Instead of the next Dwight D. Eisenhower...Powell resembles Alexander Haig,
the last Army general to be secretary of State before him." Wickham adds,
"In a round of media appearances last week, Powell said he never considered
resigning over the Iraq war and never wavered in his support of the
president's decision to send U.S. troops into battle. Instead, he said he
merely warned Bush of the difficulties such a military action would create
for this country. ... In using military jargon, Powell seemed to be trying
to portray himself as a good soldier. But, of course, Powell is no longer a
soldier. He's a politician, which is something many Americans had hoped he
wouldn't become -- at least not in the way that he has."
hPentagonSendingAdditPentagon Sending Additional Tanks, APCs To Iraq. CBS
Evening News (4/28, story 2, 2:30, Rather) reported, "A Marine general said
today more tanks and other armored vehicles are being rushed to Iraq. This
is partly a response to heavy casualties suffered by troops traveling in the
versatile but vulnerable Humvee, a favorite target of roadside bombers and
rooftop snipers. The military is now scrambling to make them safer." CBS
(Martin) added, "At a plant in Ohio, an armored door goes on a new Humvee in
what has literally become a race against death and dismemberment, a near
frantic effort to reduce the fearsome toll ambushes and roadside bombs are
taking on soldiers riding in the thin skinned vehicles." Humvees "are now
in the middle of combat, and the fact that the armored version is only
beginning to arrive in Iraq in substantial numbers speaks volumes about how
unprepared the Pentagon was for the conditions it found after the fall of
Baghdad. So far, 2,000 armored Humvees have been shipped to Iraq but there
are more than 12,000 Humvees there, and this is the only plant that makes
the armored version. It's turning out 300 a month. To fill the gap, the
Army has been rushing these armor kits into Iraq that soldiers can install
themselves on their Humvees. It won't stop a rocket propelled grenade but
for two soldiers whose Humvee hit a landmine, armor made the difference."
USA
Today (4/29, Squitieri) reports, "This month, at least 115 U.S. troops have
died, nearly as many as the 138 who died during the 'major combat' phase of
the war in March and April a year ago. Many were killed in roadside attacks
on their Humvees, essentially light trucks that often have little armor. ...
Marine Corps Maj. Gen. John Sattler, director of operations for U.S. Central
Command, told reporters Wednesday that parts of the 1st Marine Expeditionary
Force and the Army's 1st Infantry Division have already received some of the
heavy armored vehicles. More are on their way, he said. The growing
insurgency and the rising number of U.S. casualties resulted in the shift,
Sattler said. ... Sattler's acknowledgement Wednesday marked the first time
a Pentagon official has publicly confirmed reports that the Pentagon had
agreed to requests to send more armor to Iraq."
The New York
Times (4/29,
Schmitt) reports, "Commanders' urgent requests for the armor underscore how
the military misjudged the scope and ferocity of the recent insurgent
attacks, which have killed at least 115 American troops in April, the
deadliest month since the United States invaded Iraq in March 2003. ...
Senior officers characterized the new equipment as a minor adjustment, an
example of how the American military adapts quickly to the tactics of the
enemy. 'It's not a major change in philosophy, but it's a modest amount,'
Gen. Richard B. Myers...told reporters on Tuesday."
hIraqisSaidToBeUncertIraqis Said To Be Uncertain, Skeptical About Power
Transfer. The New
York Times (4/29, Fisher) reports, "For the moment, the tension that seemed
to position most everyone in the capital as a potential American enemy has
ratcheted back, as the military standoffs in Falluja and Najaf have so far
failed to widen into full fighting. ... And, once again, it is even
possible to find Iraqis who will cautiously say good things about the
American presence. But judging from interviews around Baghdad in recent
days, most Iraqis seem to be waiting, uncertain and with less tolerance than
before the violence of the last weeks. They want to see how much power they
will actually receive in the transfer of some sovereignty on June 30;
whether fighting will flare again in Falluja or, worse, in the holy Shiite
Muslim city of Najaf; whether American soldiers can contain any new burst of
fighting without killing innocent Iraqis. This last point seems the crucial
one, capable of forcing even those sympathetic to American aims here into a
choice between occupier and fellow Iraqi. ... No Iraqi interviewed here
believed that the new plan to transfer power on June 30...would amount to
the full right to rule themselves."
Chalabi Spokesman Calls For Elected Interim Government. The
Washington
4081r> Times (4/29, Behn) reports, "Iraq will not accept any government that
is directed by the United Nations, a spokesman for Ahmed Chalabi, a senior
member of the Iraqi Governing Council, said yesterday. 'Iraqis have fought
and died for this day, and it is not acceptable that we replace [U.S.]
occupation with U.N. supervision,' spokesman Entifadh Qanbar told reporters
at the National Press Club. 'They are not ready to receive cooked deals
behind closed doors, or even semicooked deals,' he said. ... 'Either
Brahimi does what the Iraqi people want or he will fail,' said Mr. Qanbar,
who is also a spokesman for the Iraqi National Congress, a party lead by Mr.
Chalabi. ... Mr. Qanbar said a national conference or ballot should be held
before June 30 to select the transitional government, which is to remain in
power until elections scheduled for January. He insisted that Mr. Chalabi,
who would be sidelined from the new government along with the other 24
members of the Governing Council under the U.N. plan, would continue to play
a key role in the country."
Governing Council Members Criticize "Limited Sovereignty" Plan. The
New
York Times (4/29, Wong) reports that "some members of the Iraqi Governing
Council criticized a plan developed by the United Nations and the Bush
administration to form an interim government after June 30 that will have
only limited authority. Mohsen Abdul Hameed, a member of the council and
head of the Iraqi Islamic Party, said at a news conference that some members
want 'all sovereignty' and 'independence' to be given to the Iraqis on June
30." The Times adds, "The precarious sense of national identity here was
underscored when Massoud Barzani, director of the council this month, said
at a news conference on Wednesday that a new and much-criticized design for
the Iraqi flag was only temporary and that 'it will stand for a few months
until we decide on a new flag for Iraq.'"
Sectarianism Said To Have Undermined Governing Council. The
Christian Science
Monitor (4/29, Murphy) reports, "The much-vaunted council was supposed to
put an Iraqi face on the occupation. ... But today, Lakhdar Brahimi...is
writing a transition plan for Iraq that, if he gets his way, will freeze
Governing Council members out of Iraq's transitional government. To council
member Ghazi al-Yawar, the conclusion is simple. 'We've failed,' he says.
With a trace of disgust, he complains that a sectarian council, more focused
on survival than on serious issues, has simply added to the country's
problems. ... 'Unfortunately, the Governing Council has failed to play a
constructive role in fixing Iraq's deep and important problems,'' says
Ayatollah Imad al-Deen Awadi, a Shiite cleric, who believes the unpopularity
of the council has driven many Iraqis to religious figures for political
leadership, like Shiite cleric Sadr, whose anti-US militia control the
shrine city of Najaf."
hIraqiNationalCongresIraqi National Congress Members Suspected Of Criminal
Actions. NBC Nightly News (4/28, story 3, 2:25, Brokaw) reported, "Now to
an NBC News investigation and a scandal involving members of the Iraqi
National Congress, a group supported by the United States before the war and
since. We have learned that several members of the INC are now under
arrest, accused of serious crimes in Iraq." NBC (Myers) added, "Members of
the Iraqi National Congress and its leader were airlifted into southern Iraq
the day that Saddam's government fell. Ahmad Chalabi was the President's
guest at the State of the Union. Even today, the INC gets $340,000 a month
from the Pentagon to feed the US intelligence information. But NBC News has
learned that members of the group are now under investigation by Iraqi
police in Baghdad. Allegations of abduction, robbery, stealing 11 Iraqi
government vehicles, and assaulting police by firing on them during a
search. ... Iraqi authorities tell NBC News that three operatives are under
arrest and an arrest warrant is issued for the INC Chief of Intelligence.
The INC confirms that its offices were searched six times and 11 cars
seized, but officials say they have done nothing illegal."
hKimmittAppalledByPhoKimmitt "Appalled" By Photos Of US Abuse At Iraqi
Prison. The AP
Fpage%5Firaq%5F1> (4/29) reports, "U.S. soldiers stacked Iraqi prisoners in
a human pyramid, and attached wires to one detainee to convince him he might
be electrocuted, according to photographs obtained by CBS News which led to
criminal charges against six Americans. CBS said the photos, to be shown
Wednesday night on '60 Minutes II,' were taken late last year at Abu Ghraib
prison near Baghdad, where American soldiers were holding hundreds of
prisoners captured during the invasion and occupation of Iraq. ... At the
time, U.S. military officials declined to provide details of the evidence
against the six soldiers. But on Wednesday, at a news briefing in Baghdad,
Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said the investigation began when an American
soldier reported the abuse and turned over evidence that included
photographs. ... In an interview with CBS correspondent Dan Rather, Gen.
Kimmitt said the photographs were dismaying. 'We're appalled,' Gen. Kimmitt
said. 'These are our fellow soldiers, these are the people we work with
every day, they represent us, they wear the same uniform as us, and they let
their fellow soldiers down.'" The AP notes, "A senior U.S. official,
speaking on condition of anonymity, said investigators have recommended
administrative punishment for a number of commanders at Abu Ghraib."
The New York
Times (4/29, Risen)
reports, "Of the six people reported in March to be facing preliminary
charges, three have been recommended for court martial trials, having
completed the military equivalent of a grand jury proceeding, a senior
Pentagon official said late Wednesday. The decision on convening courts
martial is now up to Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, the senior American
commander in Iraq. ... The CBS News program reported that poorly trained
American reservists were forcing Iraqis to conduct simulated sexual acts,
among other things, in order to break down their will before they were
turned over to others for interrogation. ... Gary Myers, the lawyer for one
of the enlisted men charged, said in an interview that the military had
treated the six soldiers as scapegoats and had failed to address adequately
the responsibilities of senior commanders and intelligence personnel
involved in the interrogations."
hAdministrationProtesAdministration Protesting "Inflammatory" Coverage On
Arab Satellite Networks. The New
York Times (4/29, Marquis) reports, "The Bush administration, frustrated by
what it calls 'inflammatory' reports by Arabic television channels, has in
recent days protested to foreign government officials, confronted Arab news
executives and put together a list of supposed abuses. Secretary of State
Colin L. Powell brought up American concerns about Al Jazeera...with Qatar's
foreign minister earlier this week, saying 'the friendship between our two
nations is such that we can also talk about difficult issues that intrude in
that relationship, such as the issue of the coverage of Al Jazeera.' ...
The administration's dissatisfaction is not new, but the complaints have
recently increased, as the American occupation seeks to rout rebels and
transfer sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30. ... With satellite-TV dishes
sprouting on rooftops in major cities like Baghdad, Mosul and Basra, allied
commanders say they have few defenses in the information air wars against Al
Jazeera's reporting. 'All people are seeing is the minaret hit by American
fire and falling,' said one senior American officer. 'They're not seeing
the pictures of the fighters shooting at us from those mosques and
minarets.'"
hPentagonInvestigatinPentagon Investigating Senior Official For Alleged Iraq
Contract Fraud. The Los Angeles Times (4/29, Miller) reports, "A senior
Defense Department official is under investigation by the Pentagon inspector
general for allegations that he attempted to alter a contract proposal in
Iraq to benefit a mobile phone consortium that includes friends and
colleagues, according to documents obtained by The Times and sources with
direct knowledge of the process. John A. Shaw, 64, the deputy
undersecretary for international technology security, sought to transform a
relatively minor police and fire communications proposal into a contract
allowing the creation of an Iraq-wide commercial cellular network that could
generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue per year, the sources
said. ... The consortium, under the guidance of a firm owned by Alaskan
natives, consisted of an Irish telecommunications entrepreneur, former
officials in the first Bush administration and such leading
telecommunications companies as Lucent and Qualcomm, according to sources
and consortium members. Shaw's efforts resulted in a dispute at the
Coalition Provisional Authority that has delayed the contract, depriving
U.S. military officials and Iraqi police officers, firefighters, ambulance
drivers and border guards of a joint communications system."
hHalliburtonPostsLossHalliburton Posts Loss, But Iraq Contracts Boosted
Revenue By 80%. The Wall
_page_one> Street Journal (4/29, A8, Gold) reports, "Halliburton Co. posted
a first-quarter loss after taking a charge for its proposed asbestos
settlement. But its revenue surged 80% over the year-earlier period,
largely reflecting U.S. government defense-contract work in Iraq. ... The
company said its U.S. government contracts in Iraq to support troop
deployment and to rebuild oil fields pushed up first-quarter revenue to $5.5
billion from $3.1 billion, including some work for which Halliburton hasn't
yet been paid. ... Halliburton said it intends to line up a new credit
facility to finance working capital needs for its Iraq work."
hUSInspectorsSaidToBeUS Inspectors Said To Be Finding Evidence Of Iraqi WMD.
Under the headline "Saddam's WMD Have Been Found," Insight
.Wmd.Have.Been.Found-670120.shtml> Magazine (4/26, Timmerman) reports, "New
evidence...suggests that the U.S. effort to track down Saddam Hussein's
missing" WMD "is having better success than is being reported. Key
assertions by the intelligence community that were widely judged in the
media and by critics of President George W. Bush as having been false are
turning out to have been true after all. ... In virtually every case --
chemical, biological, nuclear and ballistic missiles -- the United States
has found" concealed "weapons and the programs." Insight adds, "The Iraq
Survey Group...has found 'hundreds of cases of activities that were
prohibited' under U.N. Security Council resolutions, a senior administration
official tells Insight. 'There is a long list of charges made by the U.S.
that have been confirmed, but none of this seems to mean anything because
the weapons that were unaccounted for by the United Nations remain
unaccounted for.' ... 'Where were the missiles? We found them,' another
senior administration official told Insight. 'Saddam Hussein's prohibited
missile programs are as close to a slam dunk as you will ever find for
violating United Nations resolutions,' the first official said." Insight
notes, "Senior administration officials stress that the investigation will
continue as inspectors comb through millions of pages of documents in Iraq
and attempt to interview Iraqi weapons scientists who have been trained all
their professional lives to conceal their activities from the outside world.
'The conditions under which the ISG is working are not very conducive,' one
official said. 'But this president wants the truth to come out. This is
not an exercise in spinning or censoring.'"
Kerry Said To Have Flip-Flopped On WMD Preemption. In a Washington
8344r> Times op-ed (4/29), Peter Huessy, president of GeoStrategic Analysis,
says that John Kerry, "during the secretary of state confirmation hearings
for James Baker" in 1989, "called for 'acid rain' issues to be put on an
equal footing with the reduction of nuclear weapons between the United
States and the Soviet Union. No doubt Mr. Kerry was somewhat confused about
the seriousness of the Soviet nuclear threat to the United States, or maybe
he thought acid rain was really bad. But either way, his contempt for the
Reagan and Bush administrations' work on nuclear-weapons reductions efforts
came through when he complained at a subsequent hearing to the Arms Control
and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) director that the US INF treaty proposal to
eliminate all Soviet SS-20 nuclear- tipped missiles, as well as US-deployed
ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCMS) and Pershings, was 'was put out
fundamentally as a joke -- as a stopper to talks.' He then credits Soviet
leader Mikhail Gorbachev, not President Reagan, for making the deal happen."
But "less than a month later, at another hearing, Mr. Kerry proposed
something that made much sense -- that the president might very well have to
take pre-emptive action against weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in order
to forestall either their use or their proliferation. The senator began by
discussing with the director of ACDA the premise that even though
arms-control agreements on chemical weapons couldn't be perfect, we
nonetheless should sign such agreements. Warming to his subject, the
senator urged that a 'range of options' that should be available to a U.S.
president 'include the potential of some kind of pre-emptive action that
could eliminate the capacity of Libya to further develop, similar to what
happened with Iraq and the nuclear power plant with Israel.'" But "more
recently, when the Iraqi weapons programs were just as serious of those in
Libya in 1989, Mr. Kerry took the opposite view. Pre-emption is now bad.
And now that the senator's views have taken a marked turn for the worse, how
are we to determine who is the real John Kerry?"
hUNSeeksToCriminalizeUN Seeks To Criminalize WMD Transfer To "Non-State
Actors." The Washington
Post
(4/29, A21, Lynch) reports, "The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a
resolution Wednesday that will compel governments to make it a crime to
transfer nuclear, biological and chemical weapon materials to terrorists and
black-market arms dealers. The vote was a diplomatic success for President
Bush, who appealed in a September speech to the 191-member U.N. General
Assembly for a Security Council resolution that would criminalize the
proliferation of such weapons and strengthen export controls to prevent
smuggling across international borders. ... U.S. and U.N. diplomats
conceded that it could take years to determine what practical impact the
resolution will have on the campaign to keep the world's deadliest weapons
out of the hands of terrorists. The agreement follows nearly seven months
of intense negotiations in the 15-nation council over the scope of the
resolution. The talks concluded after Pakistan, the most vocal critic of
the U.S. initiative, dropped its opposition, saying that the United States
had assured it that the resolution would not increase international scrutiny
of its own nuclear weapons program."
The New
York Times
(4/29, Hoge) reports, "The Security Council unanimously approved a
resolution Wednesday to keep chemical, biological and nuclear weapons out of
the hands of terrorists. First proposed in a United Nations General
Assembly speech by President Bush in September, the resolution extends the
reach of non-proliferation treaty power beyond states alone to 'non-state
actors' -- diplomatic language for terror groups. ... China ended a threat
to use its veto when language was dropped that had called for the
interception of ships at sea suspected of carrying banned weapons."
hUNRefusedToShareOilFUN Refused To Share Oil-For-Food Program Audits, GAO
Reports. The Washington
1334r> Times (4/29, Sands) reports, "Dozens of internal United Nations
audits of the troubled oil-for-food program in Iraq were routinely shown
only to the U.N. official now at the center of an international scandal over
kickbacks from the regime of Saddam Hussein, a congressional investigator
said yesterday. Joseph A. Christoff, director of international affairs and
trade at the General Accounting Office, told a House hearing that U.N.
auditors had refused to release the internal audits to GAO investigators
probing the scandal that poured an estimated $10.1 billion from secret oil
sales and inflated contracts into Saddam's coffers under the U.N. program."
Rep. Jeff Flake "said he was considering legislation that would tie the U.S.
contribution to the U.N.'s budget...to cooperation in the oil-for-food
probe." The Times notes, "Meeting with reporters in New York, normally
low-key U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan lashed out at what he called
'outrageous and exaggerated' press reporting on the scandal, saying the
United Nations was being blamed for things -- including vast Iraqi oil
smuggling operations -- that were widely known at the time and over which
U.N. officials had no direct control."
hBattlefieldBaptismsRBattlefield Baptisms Routine Among Front-Line Soldiers.
The Los
.story?coll=la-home-headlines> Angeles Times (4/29, Perry) reports, "On
Monday, Echo Company battled insurgents for two hours. One Marine was
killed and 15 were wounded in the latest and bloodiest of numerous
skirmishes. Then four Marines...asked a Protestant chaplain to arrange a
battlefield baptism. 'I've been talking to God a lot during the last two
firefights,' said Lance Cpl. Chris Hankins, 19, of Kansas City, Mo. 'I
decided to start my life over and make it better.' ... Battlefield baptisms
are not unusual among front-line troops, said Navy Lt. Scott Radetski, the
battalion's Protestant chaplain. So many service personnel on deployment
request to be baptized that the military even has a two-page sheet on how to
create a battlefield baptismal font, called the Field Immersion Baptismal
Liner Instructions."
hReporterCallsIraqHaiReporter Calls Iraq "Hairy Place" For Journalists.
Michael Weisskopf of Time Magazine, on MSNBC's Hardball (4/28), said Baghdad
"is a hairy place for reporters...And reporters can go about business one of
two ways. You can stay within a fairly safe area around the hotels and
operate in what's known as the Green Zone, which is protected...It reminds
me a lot of a Washington look-alike after the King assassination when there
were riots here and there were barricades all over and barbed wire all over
and, of course, troops in that case, our National Guard standing with
rifles, with automatic rifles." Weisskopf added, "And the other way, of
course, you can cover this is by going out with American troops and then you
become embedded. And when you become embedded, you have about the same odds
of getting hurt as a soldier. ... Going out with a unit is safer, simply
because you've got men in uniform and armed, and their experience at this
point in watching out for the danger spots in a place like Baghdad."
Time Reporter Describes Losing Hand In Grenade Blast. Michael
Weisskopf of Time Magazine, on MSNBC's Hardball (4/28), spoke about the
incident when he was embedded and lost his hand, and said, "I was driving on
a brisk night in early December in a roofless Humvee in a patrol. At the end
of the patrol, we stopped in traffic, still within a -- within the Iraqi
community. Somebody lobbed a grenade into the Humvee...It was not like a
pineapple. And when I first heard it, I thought it was a rock. I looked
down, in fact it was not. I picked it up to throw it out...and it must have
just left my hands when -- my right hand - when it exploded and took off my
right hand."
hTalibanSeizeGovernorTaliban Seize Governor's Palace, Security HQ In Central
Afghanistan. Aljazeera
.htm> (4/29) the state funded broadcast media of Qatar reports, "Taliban
forces have taken control of the governor's residence and security
headquarters in central Afghanistan. Aljazeera's correspondent in Kandahar,
Hashmat Allah Muslih, reported exclusively on Thursday that Taliban have
taken control of the second largest district in Uruzgan province. The raid
began at 03:00 (11:30 GMT) and resulted in the death of two government
soldiers and the destruction of numerous military vehicles." Aljazeera
adds, "No spokesman at Kabul's Interior or Defence ministries were prepared
to comment when contacted. But the attack follows the detention of dozens
of Taliban suspects during the week. Afghan and US-led forces have taken 58
people suspected of planning attacks in Kabul." One of the detainees "was
believed to be a senior member of the outlawed Hizb-i Islami -- an Islamist
party run by former Afghan premier Gulb al-Din Hekmatyar and in alliance
with Taliban. The arrests have lead to an increasing concern that
anti-government forces are growing in confidence and might be moving towards
as an 'urban insurgency' in Kabul. Last Sunday, some 48 new 107 mm
Chinese-made rockets were found in the mountains southwest of the capital in
Vardak province."
hUNSecurityCouncilAppUN Security Council Approves Measure Criminalizing
Transfer Of WMDs To "Non-State Actors." The Washington
Post
(4/29, A21, Lynch) reports, "The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a
resolution Wednesday that will compel governments to make it a crime to
transfer nuclear, biological and chemical weapon materials to terrorists and
black-market arms dealers. The vote was a diplomatic success for President
Bush, who appealed in a September speech to the 191-member U.N. General
Assembly for a Security Council resolution that would criminalize the
proliferation of such weapons and strengthen export controls to prevent
smuggling across international borders. ... U.S. and U.N. diplomats
conceded that it could take years to determine what practical impact the
resolution will have on the campaign to keep the world's deadliest weapons
out of the hands of terrorists. The agreement follows nearly seven months
of intense negotiations in the 15-nation council over the scope of the
resolution. The talks concluded after Pakistan, the most vocal critic of
the U.S. initiative, dropped its opposition, saying that the United States
had assured it that the resolution would not increase international scrutiny
of its own nuclear weapons program."
The New
York Times
(4/29, Hoge) reports, "The Security Council unanimously approved a
resolution Wednesday to keep chemical, biological and nuclear weapons out of
the hands of terrorists. First proposed in a United Nations General
Assembly speech by President Bush in September, the resolution extends the
reach of non-proliferation treaty power beyond states alone to 'non-state
actors' -- diplomatic language for terror groups. ... China ended a threat
to use its veto when language was dropped that had called for the
interception of ships at sea suspected of carrying banned weapons."
TheBigPicturehBombExplodesInGazaBomb Explodes In Gaza. The AP
(4/29)
reports, "A large bomb went off early Thursday at the house of Gaza police
chief Ghazi Jabali shortly after he left the site, witnesses said. No one
was hurt in the 2:30 a.m. blast, but there was considerable damage at the
house in the Rimal district of Gaza, they said." The explosive "appeared be
detonated by remote control. Witnesses said they found an 80-foot-long wire
leading from the scene of the blast, attached to a switch."
Americans Urged To Leave Gaza. The Washington
2301r> Times (4/29) reports, "The State Department yesterday urged Americans
to leave Gaza immediately and defer travel to Israel because of security
concerns since Israel's killing of a top Hamas leader earlier this month.
The travel warning was described as an update of one the department issued
March 23 after Israel's assassination of Hamas leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin.
On April 17, Israel assassinated his successor, Abdel Aziz Rantisi."
Hamas Releases Video Of Attempted Suicide Bombing. ABC World News
Tonight (4/28, story 5, :20, Gibson) reported, "In the Palestinian Gaza
Strip, the militant group, Hamas, released this video of an attempted attack
near a Jewish settlement. A suicide bomber was inside that jeep with what
Israeli authorities say was about 600 pounds of explosives. The jeep blew
up when Israeli soldiers fired at it. Four soldiers were wounded."
CBS Evening News (4/28, story 7, :20, Rather) and NBC Nightly News
(4/28, story 8, :20, Brokaw) also reported the story.
hIsraeliTVSaysProsecuIsraeli TV Says Prosecutors Do Not Have Evidence To
Indict Sharon. NBC Nightly News (4/28, story 7, :20, Brokaw) reported, "In
Israel today, state television reported that the Justice Ministry does not
have enough evidence to indict Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for bribery on a
real estate deal involving Sharon's son and a real estate developer. The
ministry would have to prove criminal intent to by Sharon to get an
indictment. Sharon says he is completely innocent."
The New
York Times (4/29, Myre) reports, "Investigators are trying to determine
whether Mr. Sharon was being bribed when a wealthy developer, David Appel,
made payments of about $700,000, beginning in 1999, that went mostly to Mr.
Sharon's son Gilad, according to court documents." The deal "was arranged
when Ariel Sharon was foreign minister, and Mr. Appel was trying to develop
a resort and casino on a Greek island. Mr. Appel hired Gilad Sharon to
promote the project and proposed payments of up to $3 million, though Gilad
Sharon had little business experience."
hElBaradeiToTravelToIElBaradei To Travel To Israel. The AP
(4/29)
reports, "The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency, who has been working
for a Middle East that is free from nuclear weapons, is set to travel this
summer to Israel, the only country in the region believed to have a
stockpile of such weapons." Israel "is not a member of the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty, but does belong to the International Atomic Energy
Agency, which conducts regular inspections of some of Israel's nuclear
facilities." Israel "maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity, neither
confirming nor denying it has nuclear weapons. But international experts
estimate the country holds at least 200 nuclear weapons." The AP adds, "The
exact date and agenda for Mohamed ElBaradei's trip has not yet been set,
said Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the Vienna-based International
Atomic Energy Agency."
hThaiForcesKillAtLeasThai Forces Kill At Least 107 Islamic Militants As
Conflict Escalates. The Wall
s_whats_news> Street Journal (4/29, Crispin) reports, "In a sharp escalation
of a simmering sectarian conflict, Thai security forces killed at least 107
suspected Islamic militants in fighting across three provinces in the
country's heavily Muslim southern region." Thai "troops and police
assaulted the insurgents -- mainly teenagers armed with machetes -- after
they attempted predawn attacks Wednesday on at least 15 government targets,
including police stations, village defense posts and offices, according to
Thai government spokesman Jakraphop Penkair."
The Financial
c=StoryFT&cid=1079420663925&p=1012571727088> Times (4/29, Kamin) reports,
"The Buddhist-dominated government in Bangkok has been struggling to contain
rising violence in three volatile, mainly Muslim, provinces since January,
when martial law was declared after raiders killed four soldiers and stole
rifles when they attacked an army post." However, "Wednesday's
violence...was the worst to hit the region, the scene of a separatist
insurgency in the 1970s and 1980s." Thaksin Shinawatra, prime minister,
"described those killed on Wednesday...as drug-fuelled bandits attempting to
steal weapons. He added their acts were 'not linked with international
terrorists.'" However, "Panlop Pimanee, deputy secretary general of the
internal security office, said the disciplined attackers appeared to be
trained adherents of a resurgent Islamic separatist movement, which seems to
have gained fresh followers among the region's young Malay-speaking
Muslims."
The New
York
Times (4/29, Nydans) reports that "the defense minister, Chetta Thanajaro,
said the attacks were carried out by Muslim separatists who may have
received training abroad. No group claimed responsibility and there was no
evidence on Wednesday of a direct link to international terrorist groups."
But "the main terrorist group in southeast Asia, Jemaah Islamiyah, which is
connected to Al Qaeda, has had a presence in Thailand."
The Washington
Post
(4/29, A19, Sipress) reports, "The clashes were the latest in a series of
nearly daily attacks that began in early January when unidentified gunmen
stormed an army weapons depot in the southern province of Narathiwat and
killed four soldiers." That raid "and subsequent violence prompted Thaksin
to dispatch troops to Thailand's southern region, home to the country's
three majority-Muslim provinces." Despite the imposition of martial law in
the south, government forces have been largely unable to stem the attacks,
including the killing of policemen and burning of schools and other public
buildings, which before Wednesday had left at least 60 people dead.
STHEBIGPICTURETHE BIG PICTURE:
hHeadlinesFromTodaysFHeadlines From Today's Front Pages.
Los Angeles Times:
"Supreme Court Curbs AQMD in Smog Battle"
"Iraq Cellular Project Leads to U.S. Inquiry"
"The Best Cakes on the Block"
"Shriver Wields Growing Influence"
"Battle for Fallouja Seen as Inevitable"
"Comcast Withdraws Offer for Disney"
"Justices Question Denial of Hearings for Detainees"
"Kinsley, Veteran Commentator, Is Named Times Opinion Editor"
USA Today:
"Poll: Iraqis Losing Patience"
"Justices Question Denying Detainees Hearing"
"More Students Left In Limbo On College Wait Lists"
New York Times:
"Support For War Is Down Sharply, Poll Concludes"
"Hussein's Agents Behind Attacks, Pentagon Finds"
"Court Hears Case On U.S. Detainees"
"Comcast Abandons Disney Bid But Pressure On Eisner Remains"
"An Answer, But Not A Cure, For A Social Disorder"
Washington Post:
"Warplanes Pound Sections Of Fallujah"
"New Jobs Signal Stronger Recovery"
"In Two Sieges, U.S. Finds Itself Shut Out"
"Comcast Walks Away From Bid For Disney"
"WWII Memorial Opens"
"Vote Quiets Anti-Tax Clarion Call In Virginia"
"Hatchery Salmon To Count As Wildlife"
Washington Times:
"Permanent Tax Cut Ok'd"
"Fugitive Indicted On 9/11 Charges"
"U.S. Planes Pound Fallujah With Bombs"
"Cease-Fire Strategy Spurs Strikes On Iraqi Insurgents"
"Maximum Sentence For D.C. Ticket Fixer"
"Memos Show Gorelick Involvement In 'Wall'"
"GAO Denied Access To Oil-For-Food Audits"
Detroit Free Press:
"4 Oakland Men Cited In 1st U.S. Spam Case"
"Grant A Child's Summer Wish"
"Low-Key Works For Pistons' Davidson"
"Intruder's Killer: 'I Had No Choice'"
"Hyundai Rockets Up In Auto Quality Study"
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
"'She Was My Sweet Pea'"
"Suspect, If Convicted, Would Go Free As A Teen"
"Police Probe Fire Department"
"Justices Ask If Detentions Went Too Far"
"Palate For The Powerful"
Houston Chronicle:
"First American To Log A Year In Space Is Headed For Home"
"Federal Workers Rack Up Charges"
"Drug Discount Program In Flux"
"Wheelchair Audit Shows Many Didn't Need Device"
"Revised House Plan Saves Array Of Services Form Tax"
"Saddam's Agents Behind Bombings, Pentagon Says"
Story Lineup From Last Night's Network News:
ABC: Fallujah fighting; Bush-Fallujah; 2004 race-Vietnam; Supreme
Court-enemy combatants; Hamas bombing attempt; Greece-Olympic preparations;
Kerry-VP background checks; Bush, Cheney-9/11 panel; Al Qaeda jailbreak
attempt; Google IPO.
CBS: Fallujah fighting; Armored Humvees; Iraq poll; 2004 race-Vietnam; 2004
race poll; Supreme Court-enemy combatants; Hamas bombing attempt;
Shreveport-cabby beaten; House-marriage penalty; Stock markets; PETA ads;
New Zealand ram; Criminals-body armor.
NBC: Fallujah fighting; Iraq insecurity; Iraq-INC criminals; Spain-9/11
indictment; Supreme Court-enemy combatants; Fake military medals; Sharon-no
indictment; Hamas bombing attempt; Greece-Olympic preparations; D-Day
training deaths.
Story Lineup From This Morning's Radio News Broadcasts:
ABC: Iraq-Fallujah; Iraq-US KIA; Basra shooting; Bush, Cheney-9/11
Commission; California-shopping mall terror threat; Bryant case.
CBS: Bush, Cheney-9/11 Commission; Iraq-Baghdad explosion; Iraq-prisoner
abuse allegations; SCOTUS-enemy combatants; Bryant case; Wall Street;
NPR: Iraq-Fallujah; Rice-House Democrat briefing; Bush, Cheney-9/11
Commission; Wall Street; NASA-Mars Rover; House-marriage penalty vote.
WASHINGTONSSCHEDULESWASHINGTONSSCHEDULEWASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE:
hTodaysEventsInWashinToday's Events In Washington.
White House:
PRESIDENT BUSH - Testifies before the 9/11 Commission. White House.
Closed.
VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY - Testifies before the 9/11 Commission. White
House. Closed.
US Senate: 9:30 a.m. COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION _ Full
Committee. Hearing on the telecommunications industry from the industry
perspective. Location: Room 253, Russell.
9:30 a.m. JUDICIARY _ Full Committee. Markup of pending legislation
and nominations. Location: Room 226, Dirksen.
10 a.m. APPROPRIATIONS _ Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State,
the Judiciary and Related Agencies. Hearing on Intellectual Property. Jack
Valenti, CEO, Motion Picture Association; Doug Lowenstein, president,
Entertainment Software Alliance; Robert Holleyman, CEO, Business Software
Alliance; Mitch Bainwol, CEO, Recording Industry Association of America;
Grant Aldonas, Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade
Administration; John Dudas, Acting Undersecretary of Commerce for
Intellectual Property and Acting Undersecretary of U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office; Earl Wayne, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business
Affairs. Location: Room 192, Dirksen.
10 a.m. BANKING, HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS _ Full Committee. Hearing
on counter terrorist initiatives. Deputy Treasury Secretary Samuel W.
Bodman; William J. Fox, director, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; R.
Richard Newcomb, director, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of
the Treasury; Nancy J. Jardini, chief, Criminal Investigation, IRS.
Location: Room 538, Dirksen.
10 a.m. BANKING, HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS _ Full Committee. Meeting
to vote on pending nominations. Location: Room 538, Dirksen.
10 a.m. COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION _ Oceans, Fiseries and
Coast Guard Subcommittee. Oversight hearing on NOAA. Commerce Undersecretary
Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr. Location: Room 253, Russell.
10 a.m. GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS _ Full Committee. Confirmation hearing
on pending nominations. Location: Room 342, Dirksen.
10 a.m. INDIAN AFFAIRS _ Full Committee. Hearing on pending
legislation. Location: Room 485, Russell.
2:30 p.m. FOREIGN RELATIONS _ International Operations and Terrorism
Subcommittee. Hearing on Mideast broadcasting. Kenneth Y. Tomlinson,
chairman, Broadcasting Board of Governors; Norman J. Pattiz, governor,
Broadcasting Board of Governors; Mouafac Harb, news director, AlHurra,
Middle East Television Network; Jess T. Ford, director, International
Affairs and Trade, GAO; Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland; William A.
Rugh, Georgetown University; Edmund Ghareeb, American University. Location:
Room 419, Dirksen.
2:30 p.m. SELECT INTELLIGENCE _ Full Committee. Markup of pending
legislation. Closed. Location: Room 219, Hart.
US House: 9 a.m. ARMED SERVICES _ Full Committee. Hearing on security and
reconstruction in Afghanistan. Assistant Defense Secretary Peter Rodman. Lt.
Gen. Walter Sharp, director, Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Chiefs of
Staff. Location: Room 2118, Rayburn.
10 a.m. APPROPRIATIONS _ Transportation and Treasury Subcommittee.
Hearing on FY05 appropriations for the Federal Highway Administration.
Administrator Mary Peters. Location: Room 2358, Rayburn.
10 a.m. APPROPRIATIONS _ Foreign Operations, Export Financing and
Related Programs Subcommittee. Hearing on FY05 appropriations. Deputy
Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
Wolfowitz. Location: Room 2359, Rayburn.
10 a.m. ENERGY AND COMMERCE _ Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection
Subcommittee. Hearing on spyware. FTC Commissioner Mozelle W. Thompson;
Howard Beales, FTC; Ari Schwartz, Center for Democracy and Technology; Dave
Baker, EarthLink; Jeffrey Friedberg, Microsoft. Location: Room 2123,
Rayburn.
10 a.m. FINANCIAL SERVICES _ Housing and Community Opportunity
Subcommittee. Markup of pending legislation. Location: Room 2128, Rayburn.
10 a.m. GOVERNMENT REFORM _ Hearing on the role of the National Guard
in national security. Paul McHale, assistant secretary of Defense for
homeland defense; Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of Defense for reserve
affairs; Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum - chief, National Guard Bureau; Maj. Gen.
John A. Love, special assistant to combatant commander for National Guard
Affairs, Northern Command; Janet A. St. Laurent, director, Defense
Capabilities and Management, GAO; Lt. Gov. Wayne D. Marty, state adjutant
general of Texas; Maj. Gen. Timothy J. Lowenberg, state adjutant general of
Washington; Maj. Gen. Bruce Tuxill, state adjutant general of Maryland.
Location: Room 2154, Rayburn.
10 a.m. JUDICIARY _ Immigration, Border Security and Claims
Subcommittee. Oversight hearing on the diversity visa program. Location:
Room 2141, Rayburn.
10 a.m. RESOURCES _ National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands
Subcommittee. Hearing on pending legislation. Location: Room 1334,
Longworth.
10 a.m. RESOURCES _ Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans
Subcommittee. Hearing on international aspects of fish and wildlife
conservation and management. Secretary of State Powell, Interior Secretary
Norton, NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr. Location: Room 1324,
Longworth.
10 a.m. RULES _ Full Committee. Hearing on the problem of mass
incapacitation of members of the House and the quorum requirement within the
continuity of Congress issue. Location: Room H-313, Capitol.
10 a.m. TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE _ Aviation Subcommittee.
Hearing on implementation of the Cape Town Treaty, allowing foreign aircraft
buyers to be sligible for low-cost Export-Import Bank financing. Location:
Room 2167, Rayburn.
10 a.m. TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE _ Transportation and
Treasury Subcommittee. Hearing on FY05 appropriations for the Federal
Highway Administration. Administrator Mary Peters. Location: Room 2358,
Rayburn.
10 a.m. VETERANS AFFAIRS _ Benefits Subcommittee. Hearing on pending
legislation. Location: Room 334, Cannon.
10 a.m. WAYS AND MEANS _ Human Resources Subcommittee. Hearing on the
Supplemental Security Income program. SSA Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart.
Location: Room B-318, Rayburn.
10:15 a.m. APPROPRIATIONS _ Labor, HHS and Education Subcommittee.
Hearing on FY05 appropriations for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Research and Services. Charles G. Curie, administrator, Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration; Deborah A. Price, director, Office of
Safe and Drug Free Schools; Ting-Kai Li - director, National Institute of
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; Nina D. Volkow, director, National Institute
of Drug Abuse; Thomas R. Insel, director, National Institute of Mental
Heath. Location: Room 2358, Rayburn.
10:30 a.m. EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE _ Employer-Employee Relations
Subcommittee. Hearing on defined benefit pension systems. Kenneth A. Kent,
vice president, Pension Issues, American Academy of Actuaries; Greg Heaslip,
vice president, Benefits, PepsiCo Inc.; J. Mark Iwry, Brookings Institution;
Timothy Lynch, president and CEO, Motor Freight Carriers Association;
attorney John S. ``Rocky'' Miller; Teresa Ghilarducci, University of Notre
Dame. Location: Room 2175, Rayburn.
10:30 a.m. ENERGY AND COMMERCE _ Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee.
Hearing on ultradeep water research and developments. Howard Gruenspecht,
Deputy Administrator, Energy Information Administration; John Riordan,
President and CEO, Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, Ill.; Dr. Michelle
Michot Foss, University of Houston; Dr. Arthur B. Weglein, University of
Houston. Location: Room 2322, Rayburn.
10:30 a.m. SMALL BUSINESS _ Workforce, Empowerment and Government
Programs Subcommittee. Hearing on the minimum wage. Paul Kersey, Heritage
Foundation; Craig Garthwaite, Employment Policies Institute; Todd McCracken,
president, National Small Business Association; Mike Fredrich, Manitowoc
Custom Molding, Manitowoc, Wis; Jared Bernstein, Economic Policy Institute.
Location: Room 311, Cannon.
1:30 p.m. WAYS AND MEANS _ Trade Subcommittee. Hearing on sub-Saharan
Africa trade. Location: Room 1100, Longworth.
Other: PRESIDENT IBRAHIM RUGOVA ORF KOSOVO _ Highlights: 12:30 p.m. Holds
news conference hosted by Voice of America. Cohen Building, 330 Independence
Ave. SW. Event contact: Michelle Harris, 202-401-7000.
CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER PAUL MARTIN _ Highlights: 12 p.m. Speaks to
the Center for Global Development and the Wilson International Center for
Scholars, discussing the G-20 agenda. Amphitheatre, Reagan Trade Center.
Event contact: Sharon McCarter, 202-691-4016. Note: All cameras must be in
place by 11:40 a.m. RSVP required. 2:30 p.m. Photo opportunity before
bipartisan meeting with House Speaker Rep. Dennis Hastert. Room H-232,
Capitol.
ANTI-NARCOTICS _ 9:30 a.m. The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control
Commission, a specialized agency of the OAS, holds its 35th regular session.
Location: Ruben Dario Room, OAS General Secretariat, 1889 F St. NW.
EX-IM BANK ANNUAL CONFERENCE _ The Export-Import Bank of the United
States (Ex-Im Bank) holds its Annual Conference. Highlights: 9:20 a.m.
Keynote address, Treasury Secretary John Snow. 12:30 p.m. Luncheon keynote
address, Commerce Secretary Don Evans. Location: Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500
Calvert St. NW.
STATE MEDICAL BOARDS _ The Federation of State Medical Boards holds
its 2004 Annual Meeting. Highlights: 12:30 p.m. Tom Ridge, Secretary, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security. Note time change. Location: Marriott
Crystal Gateway, 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Va.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES _ State lawmakers from
around the country gather for the National Conference of State Legislatures
Spring Forum. Highlights: 4 p.m. Opening plenary, Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas,
Majority Leader, House of Representatives. 5:15 p.m. Steering Committee
meeting, honoring Sens. Susan Collins, Maine; Ben Nelson, Neb.; Jay
Rockefeller, W.Va.; Grodon Smith, Ore.; Olympia Snowe, Maine. Location:
Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave. NW.; Washington Court Hotel,
525 New Jersey Ave. NW.; Hall of States, 444 North Capitol St. NW.
ARABIC-BROADCASATING _ 9 a.m. The Broadcasating Board of Governors
holds a news conference to announce developments with Alhurra and Radio
Sawa. Location: 330 Independence Ave. SW.
EUROPEAN UNION ENLARGEMENT _ 9 a.m. The European Institute and the
Irish Presidency of the European Union hold a special program with members
of the International Relations Subcommittee on Europe under the chairmanship
of Congressman Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., and Noel Fahey, Ambassador of Ireland
to the U.S., along with Gunter Burghardt, head of the Delegation of the
European Commission, as participants. This is followed by a panel discussion
examining the business impact of an enlarged Europe on the transatlantic
relationship and its security implications at a key international juncture,
with Charles Ries, State Department, and representatives of U.S. and
European industry, members of the academic community, members of Congress,
and officials from the U.S. Administration. A keynote luncheon address
follows by Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on an American perspective
on the European Constitution. Location: The European Institute, Suite 200,
5225 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
SAUDI ARABIA _ 9:30 a.m. The Center for International Private
Enterprise holds a discussion with Usamah Al-Kurdi of the Saudi Consultative
Council discussing opportunities and economic reform in his nation.
Location: Suite 700, 1155 15th St. NW.
WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL _ 9:30 a.m. Washington: Opening ceremonies for
the National World War II Memorial. More than 100,000 people have requested
free tickets to the 90-minute dedication ceremony. Media wishing to do live
stories reporting the Memorials actual opening to the visitor at 9:30 a.m.,
may do so beginning at 8 a.m. Limited parking will be made available for
microwave trucks only on South Elm Walk. South Elm Walk is the pedestrian
sidewalk accessed only from southbound 17th Street. The entrance to South
Elm Walk is at the traffic signals that permit pedestrian traffic to cross
17th Street. There is NO crew car parking at the World War II Memorial. All
crew car parking is on your own. Location: The National Mall, between 17th
Street and the Reflecting Pool.
LABOR DEPARTMENT WEB SITE _ 10 a.m. The Department of Labor
celebrates the second anniversary of its government-to-citizen eGov
initiative ``GovBenefits.gov'' at an event featuring Steven Law, deputy
secretary of labor; Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla.; and Patrick Pizzella,
assistant secretary of labor. Location: Labor Department Auditorium, 3rd
and C Streets, NW.
INDIA _ 10:15 a.m. Sens. John Cornyn and Hillary Rodham Clinton hold
a news conference to announce creation of a Senate caucus dedicated to
relations with India. Location: Room S-219, Capitol.
PELOSI _ 10:45 a.m. House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi holds her
weekly news conference. Location: Room H-206, Capitol.
GREENBERG-ELECTION POLL _ 11 a.m. Stan Greenberg, pollster to
President Bill Clinton, Move On and the Media Fund will release the poll
results on a conference call with reporters. Notes: Call-in :
1-800-247-5110. Pass code: 81307618.
HOME AFFORDABILITY _ 11 a.m. Fanie Mae Foundation holds news briefing
on home ownership affordability. Location: Fannie Mae Foundation, 4000
Wisconsin Ave. NW.
MINIMUM WAGE _ 11:15 a.m. Sen. Edward Kennedy, Reps. George Miller
and Major Owens and actor Ben Affleck hold a news conference to call for an
increase in the minimum wage. Location: Room S-211, Capitol.
AVIATION SECURITY _ 11:30 a.m. Representative Edward Markey will
joins Representative Jim Turner to discuss the Aviation Security Enhancement
Act, which Turner is introducing. Location: Outside Room 2212, Rayburn.
MERCURY RULE _ 11:30 a.m. The National Campaign Against Dirty Air
holds a news conference and rally to mark the end of the public comment
period on the new mercury rule by the EPA. Participants include Sens.
Patrick Leahy, James Jeffords, Joseph Lieberman and Reps. Tom Allen and
Betty McCollum, others. Boxes of comments also will be displayed. Location:
Upper Senate Park.
DISCOUNT CARDS _ 10 p.m. Reps. Rahm Emanuel, Bernie Sanders, Marion
Berry, Rosa DeLauro, Sherrod Brown, and Mike Ross hold a news conference to
comment on Medicare discount cards and call for Senate passage of
importation. Location: House Radio-TV Gallery.
ENERGY SECURITY _ 12 p.m. Physicians for Social Responsibility holds
a briefing on the consequences of energy policy on public health, the
environment and global security. Location: Suite 1012, 1875 Connecticut
Ave. NW.
MEXICO-ECONOMIC _ 12 p.m. The National Economists Club hosts a
luncheon address by Sidney Weintraub of CSIS. Topic: ``The Economic
Challenges Facing Mexico.'' Location: Chinatown Garden Restaurant, 618 H
St. NW.
DEMOCRATS-HUGHES COMMENT _ 12:30 p.m. Members of Congress who
attended the March for Women's Lives, along with representatives from
leading women's organizations, will hold a press conference to reiterate
their call for either a clarification or an apology from Bush campaign
advisor Karen Hughes, who they say implied that pro-choice Americans are
like terrorists. Location: Cannon Building terrace.
GUANTANAMO DETENTIONS _ 12:30 p.m. Experts from New York Universitys'
Center for Law and Security hold a briefing on the pending Supreme Court
cases dealing with Guantanamo Bay detainees. Location: Room B-354, Rayburn.
SPAM E-MAIL _ 1 p.m. The Federal Trade Commission, Justice Department
and Postal Service hold a news conference to announce joint civil/criminal
law enforcement involving spammers charged with mail fraud and violating the
newly-enacted CAN-SPAM Act. Location: Room 432, FTC, 600 Pennsylvania Ave.
NW.
TRADE _ 2:25 p.m. Sens. Jon Corzine and Maxa Baucus hold a news
conference to discuss the administration's failure to enforce trade
agreements and to announce legislation to strengthen trade enforcement
efforts. Location: Senate Radio-TV Gallery.
HASTERT-JAPANA _ 3:30 p.m. House Speaker Rep. Dennis Hastert holds
photo opportunity with Japanese LDP Secretary Gen. Kinzo Abe. Location:
Room H-232, Capitol.
US-JAPAN _ 4 p.m. The American Enterprise Institute holds a
discussion with Shinzo Abe, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic
Party of Japan, who will unveil his vision of U.S.-Japanese relations.
Location: 12th floor, AEI, 1150 17th St. NW.
9/11 COMMISSION _ 5:30 p.m. 9/11 Commission Vice Chairman Lee
Hamilton receives a recommendation to help guide private sector emergency
preparedness and business continuity at a reception honoring the commission.
Location: Fairview Marriott, 3111 Fairview Park Dr. South, Falls Church.
IRAQ _ 5:30 p.m. The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs
holds a forum with Michael Rubin of AEI discussing the challenges ahead in
Iraq. Location: Root Room, 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
MIDDLE EAST-LEWIS _ 6 p.m. George Washington University's Elliott
School of International Affairs hosts Middle East scholar Bernard Lewis
discussing the prospects for freedom and democracy in the region. Location:
George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs, Room
213, 1957 E St. NW.
KELLY AWARD _ 6:30 p.m. Presentation of the First Annual Michael
Kelly Award, honoring reporter Michael Kelly who died while covering the
Iraq war last year. Location: Watergate Hotel, 600 New Hampshire Ave. NW.
DISTINGUISHED EXECUTIVES _ 7:15 p.m.The Senior Executives Association
Professional Development League holds its civil service award dinner, with
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge as the dinner speaker. Location:
Diplomatic Reception Room, State Department.
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