Week Ending: Saturday 31st July 2004

Key al-Qaeda suspect arrested
Pakistan has arrested a key suspect in the bombings of two US embassies in East Africa in 1998. He has been named as Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, an alleged al-Qaeda militant with a $5m American bounty on his head.

Unreported war: US document reveals scale of conflict - Robert Fisk
Iraq, we are told by Mr Blair, is safer. It is not. US military reports clearly show much of the violence in Iraq is not revealed to journalists, and thus goes largely unreported. This account of the insurgency across Iraq over three days last week provides astonishing proof that Iraq under its new, American-appointed Prime Minister, has grown more dangerous and violent.

British MOD has been buying a new stimulant in bulk
Soldiers in the field go for days without rest. Now, an investigation has found the British Ministry of Defense has been buying a new stimulant in bulk. The authorised use of drugs by military forces is rarely acknowledged by officials, but despite accidents like the one in Afghanistan, interest in using drugs to improve performance remains high.

Fresh appeal to Iraq kidnappers
The Kuwaiti company negotiating with a militant group threatening to kill seven hostages in Iraq is due to make a fresh appeal to the captors. The appeal for the release of the men, who include three Indian truck drivers will be shown on an Arab television station, a company spokesperson said.

'Terror' Against the Press
The the FBI's Boston field office faked a threat of domestic terrorism just before the start of the Democratic National Convention by leaking "unconfirmed" reports of white supremacist groups readying an attack against media vehicles in Boston. Fox News, for one, reportedly was wildly trying to disguise its trucks by covering up its logos.

The Unbearable Costs of Empire
Since September 11, 2001, the phrases "American empire" and "America as an imperial power" are being heard a lot more. But in contrast to the 1960s and 1970s, when such terms were brandished by an angry domestic anti-war movement or by developing nations in U.N. debates, the concept they represent has now at least partially entered the mainstream.

Soldier who helped commandeer sheik's SUV convicted
A military jury found a soldier guilty of armed robbery Thursday for taking an Iraqi sheik's sport utility vehicle at gunpoint. The panel also convicted Sgt. 1st Class James Williams of willful dereliction of duty for allowing his soldiers to consume alcohol in Iraq. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

Fear of Attacks by Jewish Fanatics Mounting in Israel
As opposition to Prime Minister Sharon's Gaza disengagement plan escalates in tone and volume, fears are mounting among security officials of a cataclysmic act by Jewish zealots opposed to the Israeli withdrawal.

Unhappy Workers Should Take Prozac - Bush Campaigner
A campaign worker for President Bush said American workers unhappy with low-quality jobs should find new ones - or pop a Prozac to make themselves feel better. "Why don't they get new jobs if they're unhappy - or go on Prozac?" said Susan Sheybani, an assistant to Bush campaign spokesman Terry Holt.

US Arabs 'fear for their family'
Almost 60% of Arab Muslims living in the US fear for the future of their families, according to a new report. Almost a quarter of those asked said a family member had been insulted because of their race or religion.

Woman Arrested, Cuffed for Eating Candy
A government scientist finishing a candy bar on her way into a subway station where eating is prohibited was arrested, handcuffed and detained for three hours by transit police.

Slain Iraqi’s brother seeks death penalty for soldier who killed him
An Iraqi man on Thursday demanded the death penalty for a U.S. soldier charged with murdering his wounded brother after a May car chase here. Capt. Rogelio M. Maynulet, the first soldier charged with murder in Iraq, is facing a military hearing in Germany accusing him of the close-range killing of a wounded “unidentified paramilitary leader.”

Fox urges end to Mexico violence
Mexican President Vicente Fox has ordered a state governor to stop clashes between rival political parties which have left two men dead. The fighting happened in the southern state of Oaxaca ahead of key governorship elections on Sunday.

Iraqis Say U.S. Air Strike Destroys House in Falluja
A U.S. air strike destroyed a building in the Iraqi city of Falluja late on Thursday after a gunbattle between insurgents and U.S. Marines on the edge of the city, residents said. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Amazon will not handle book on Bush-Saudi links
Amazon.co.uk was last night criticised for refusing to stock a controversial book which examines the links between George Bush's circle and rich Saudis. Major bookstores including Waterstone's and WH Smith are carrying House of Bush, House of Saud, which was published in Britain yesterday after becoming a bestseller in the US.

'Ten dead' in Belgium gas blast
At least 10 people are reported killed and many others injured in a huge explosion at a gasworks in Belgium. The blast happened at the Ghislenghien industrial park near Ath, about 30km (20 miles) south-east of Brussels at about 0700 GMT on Friday.

Under-the-skin ID chips move toward U.S. hospitals
VeriChip, the company that makes radio frequency identification-RFID-tags for humans, has moved one step closer to getting its technology into hospitals. The 11-millimeter RFID tags are implanted in the fatty tissue below the right tricep. When near one of Verichip's scanners, the chip wakes up and radios an ID number to the scanner.

Vanunu: Israel behind JFK assassination
According to an interview which appeared in its Arabic supplement Al-Wassat, Vanunu said that according to "near-certain indications", Kennedy was assassinated due to "pressure he exerted on then head of government, David Ben-Gurion, to shed light on Dimona's nuclear reactor."

Anti-Bush movie plays to Texans
Hundreds of people flocked to a screening of Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11 at a Texan town near President Bush's ranch on Wednesday. While many had come to watch the anti-Bush film at a car park in the small town of Crawford, others came to pledge their support to the president.

Al-Qaeda-Linked Group Says Berlusconi Its First Target
"We will shake the cities of Europe and we will start with you Berlusconi, and we will make it bloody until you return to the correct path. Wait for us Berlusconi and your other allies as well, wait for our promise which we have revealed to you and are now revealing to Europe," said the statement signed by Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades and posted on an Islamist Web site.

Report from Boston: Stay Out of the "Free Speech Zone"
Last night, I had my first direct experience with the so-called free speech zone. It left me with one conclusion: whatever you do, do NOT go inside. It’s not only a blatant offense to free speech, but also highly dangerous and unsafe. I would suggest protesting anywhere in Boston but inside of it.

The tiny chip that can do just about everything
Ten years ago, few imagined how pervasive the Net would be, let alone how it would change commerce, culture and communication. Today it's RFID (radio frequency identification), the tiny communicating chip that you can stick on or in just about anything - like Canada's new e-Passport that we heard about this week.

An Analysis of the Attack of the Pentagon
The events of September 11, 2001 are undeniably and inarguably the most significant acts of terrorism and aggression ever perpetrated against this country. It is indisputable that the three destructive occurrences at the World Trade Center's north tower, south tower and the Pentagon, were well-planned, orchestrated and coordinated events and are inescapably tied to one another.

Iran: The Next Big Lie
There has been no evidence produced that Iran knew of the 9/11 attacks or assisted them. The Bush Administration still has not published the White Paper promised by Colin Powell in late 2001 proving Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida were behind 9/11. What we have seen is a faked tape of bin Laden, a lot of faked documents produced by the Afghan communists who run the so-called Northern Alliance, and more fakery from the Chalabi group in Iraq.

Israel takes in 200 French Jews
A plane carrying 200 French Jewish immigrants has landed in Israel, at a time of strained diplomatic relations between Israel and France. They were personally greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who recently urged French Jews to flee to Israel to escape rising anti-Semitism.

New Records Indicate Gap in Bush Military Service
According to Bloomberg news service, newly released computerized records provide no record of Bush's whereabouts between July 1972 and September 1972 when he was supposed to be serving in the Alabama National Guard. Earlier this month, the Pentagon said those documents had been "inadvertently destroyed."

Greenland ice-melt 'speeding up'
First you hear a savage cracking sound, next the rolling crash of thunder.
Then as the icebergs rip away from the margin of the ice-sheet they plunge into the grey waters of the Atlantic with a roar that echoes around the mountains. Nothing prepares you for the sheer scale and drama of events in this forbidding terrain and all the signs are that the changes at work here are gathering pace

World Bank Challenged: Are Poor Really Helped?
Wealthy nations and international organizations, including the World Bank, spend more than $55 billion annually to better the lot of the world's 2.7 billion poor people. Yet they have scant evidence that the myriad projects they finance have made any real difference, many economists say.

Suicide car blast kills at least 68 in Iraq
A suicide car bomb exploded on a busy downtown boulevard in Baqouba shredding a bus full of passengers and nearby shops and killing at least 68 people - almost all Iraqi civilians - in one of the deadliest single insurgent attacks since the U.S. invasion.

Democratic Delegates Differ with Kerry on Iraq
Many delegates at the Democratic national convention appear to be at odds with the man they hope to put into the White House on whether America should have gone to war in Iraq. Although John Kerry has criticized President Bush's handling of the war, he stands by his vote in the U.S. Senate to authorize it. But the sentiment among delegates is strongly anti-war.

A 'heartbreaking' decision
Vickie Hawkins was the acting head of the Médecin Sans Frontières mission in Afghanistan when a Toyota Land Cruiser that had been carrying five of her colleagues was dragged back to the agency's compound without them. The five aid workers had been gunned down in an attack that shocked MSF and ultimately led to the announcement today that the organisation is pulling out of Afghanistan.

Parents Sue Over U.S. Citizen Held in Saudi Arabia
The parents of a 23-year-old U.S. citizen on Thursday claimed in a lawsuit that U.S. government officials had their son detained unlawfully in Saudi Arabia for more than a year without any charges. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, demanded the release of Ahmed Abu Ali and his return to the United States.

Bush Using Drugs to Control Depression, Erratic Behavior
President George W. Bush is taking powerful anti-depressant drugs to control his erratic behavior, depression and paranoia. The prescription drugs, administered by Col. Richard J. Tubb, the White House physician, can impair the President’s mental faculties and decrease both his physical capabilities and his ability to respond to a crisis.

Ex-dictator's lawyer says he had brain scan and could die
Saddam Hussein has suffered a minor stroke and could die before his trial, his defence lawyers claim. The multinational legal team is still awaiting permission to visit the deposed Iraqi ruler. A letter demanding their doctor be given access to the former dictator was yesterday sent by Jordanian lawyer Mohammed al-Rashdan to Salem Chalebi, the head of the Iraqi prosecuting authorities.

Give Up 'Delusional Hope' of Iraq WMD, Kay Says
U.S. officials should give up the "delusional hope" that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction so they can move forward with reform, David Kay, who once led the U.S. hunt for banned weapons, said on Wednesday. "I think it's most important that the president of the United States recognizes that in fact the weapons are not there".

Why the US granted 'protected' status to Iranian terrorists
The US State Department officially considers a group of 3,800 Marxist Iranian rebels - who once killed several Americans and was supported by Saddam Hussein - "terrorists." But the same group, under American guard in an Iraqi camp, was just accorded a new status by the Pentagon: "protected persons" under the Geneva Convention.

Pakistan angry at hostage deaths
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has called the killing of two Pakistanis held hostage in Iraq a crime against humanity. A videotape from a group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq showed the bodies of hostages Azad Hussein Khan and Sajjad Naeem.

Soldier says he was ordered to push Iraqi into river
One of four soldiers charged with pushing two Iraqis into the river, where one of them drowned, says he was ordered to do so and told what to say to officials looking into the death, an Army investigator testified today. Spc. Terry Bowman said he "was told by his chain of command what version to give".

Saudis propose Muslim Iraq force
Saudi Arabia has proposed that a new international military force drawn exclusively from Muslim countries be sent to Iraq. The plan was raised in talks between US Secretary of State Colin Powell and senior Saudi officials in the city of Jeddah.

Officer 'ordered Iraq carjacking'
A US army sergeant accused of carjacking a sheik's sport utility vehicle in Iraq testified that an officer told him to do it, and that he did no't think it was a criminal act."I was a soldier fulfilling my duties to my lieutenant within the rules of engagements," Sgt 1st Class James Williams, 37, of rural Westmoreland County, Virginia, testified.

Tiny science's future laid out
The risks and benefits in pursuing the tiny science of nanotechnology are assessed in a report due on Thursday. The Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering have reviewed the current UK status of this developing research field and will propose new regulations.

Troops accused over killing
British soldiers were accused in the High Court yesterday of torturing and shooting civilians in post-war Iraq.The allegations were made in witness statements lodged as part of a legal challenge to the Ministry of Defence brought by the families of six Iraqis who say their loved ones were unlawfully killed by British troops.

Privacy foes named and shamed
The organisations and individuals doing the most to erode personal privacy in 2004 have been named and shamed. MP Margaret Hodge, the NHS and the Office of National Statistics have all won prizes in the annual Big Brother awards organised by Privacy International.

Hostages' relatives threaten to kill company owner if Iraq operations continue
Relatives of two Jordanian drivers abducted in Iraq threatened Tuesday to behead the director of the company the hostages work for and to kill all the firm's employees if the director fails to immediately comply with the kidnappers' demands to cease operations in Iraq.

'US is not a Charity - They Came to Steal from Iraq' - Robert Fisk
Outside on Sayed Ayatollah Ahmed Hassani al-Baghdadi's little lawn, the temperature is touching 60C. But inside his spacious library with its shelves of leather-bound volumes of Islamic science and law, the political heat soars between 3,000 degrees and minus 20.

The Whole Truth About The Iraq War - Video
An impressive roster of experts is assembled to provide a generally withering commentary on the quality of evidence and possible motivations of the Neo-conservatives who provided the momentum and muscle behind America's venture into preemptive war.

Scores killed in Iraq bomb attack
At least 51 people have been killed in a car bomb explosion outside a police station in Iraq, exactly one month after the transfer of sovereignty. Witnesses said a suicide bomber drove a car into a crowded market area, as men queued to join the police.

Kerry convention sparks al-Jazeera row
No sooner had Arabic news network al-Jazeera arrived at the US Democratic party convention in a blaze of publicity than officials realised the risk of having the controversial network's logo looming over John Kerry's shoulder as he took to the stage. Convention organisers have irked the Arabic network by whisking away the 20ft, $30,000 sign.

A conspiracy of silence on Darfur ... in Beirut
It was a fine idea - to issue Amnesty International's latest report on Darfur, "Rape as a Weapon of War," not in London but in the Middle East and Africa. In Africa, because Sudan is part of Africa; in the Middle East, in Amnesty's own words, "because northern Sudan is part of the Arab-Islamic world, and the government and government-supported militias which are committing horrific human rights violations in Darfur have benefited from the support or silence of Middle Eastern countries."

US security alert in Kuwait after arrests of alleged Iraq-bound fighters
The United States has told US citizens in Kuwait to boost security precautions in the Gulf state following the arrests of 11 people in connection with a purported campaign to recruit volunteers to fight US forces in Iraq, the State Department said.

At Ports, Cargo Backlog Raises Security Questions
evere cargo congestion and labour shortages at American seaports are creating long delays in delivering goods and potential threats to national security, dockworkers and security experts say.

Moore says "9/11" success helping new film
The success of "Fahrenheit 9/11" is making Michael Moore's life a bit easier on his next film. With "Fahrenheit 9/11" becoming the first documentary to cross the $100 million mark at the domestic box office, director Moore expects a smooth path on raising money to make "Sicko," his critique of health-maintenance organizations.

New militia atrocities in Sudan
Sudanese militias have burned civilians alive in the Darfur region, say African Union military observers. Men rode into a village on horseback, looted the market and chained people up before setting them on fire, they say. They are "believed to be Janjaweed" - the pro-government militias accused of ethnic cleansing against non-Arabs.

Lost Record of Vote in '02 Florida Race Raises '04 Concern
Almost all the electronic records from the first widespread use of touch-screen voting in Miami-Dade County have been lost, stoking concerns that the machines are unreliable as the presidential election draws near.

Hostages taken at Chilean embassy
Four people have died at the Chilean embassy in Costa Rica, after a policeman took a number of hostages. When police entered the building after a seven-hour stand-off, they found the policeman and three hostages shot.

US charity accused of Hamas ties
A US-based Muslim charity and seven of its employees have been charged with conspiring to support Palestinian militant group Hamas. The indictment against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development and the seven men also alleged tax fraud and money laundering.

Athens installs Patriot missiles
Dozens of Patriot missiles have been put in place around Athens as the Greek capital began rolling out its security operation for next month's Olympics. Anti-aircraft missiles are in place at three Athens sites, including Tatoi airfield near the athletes' village, and elsewhere around Greece.

Suicides increase in Russian army
The Russian military says 109 soldiers have committed suicide in the first six months of this year - a 38% rise over the same period in 2003. Chief military prosecutor Alexander Savenkov said at least 60 of those were "driven to suicide" because of bullying by their superiors.

High Court reviews Iraqi deaths
The families of six Iraqi civilians who say their relatives were unlawfully killed by British troops are beginning a judicial review. They are challenging the UK government's refusal to hold an independent inquiry into the deaths.

Skin Embedded Computer Chips for Airport Security
A Florida technology company is poised to ask the government for permission to market a first-ever computer ID chip that could be embedded beneath a person's skin. For airports, nuclear power plants and other high security facilities the immediate benefits of the computer ID chip that could be embedded beneath a person's skin could be a closer-to-foolproof security system.

French inmates leave Guantanamo
Four French nationals held at the United States military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been handed over to their home country. The detainees, captured in Afghanistan, are being flown to Paris and are due to arrive around midday, a lawyer for two of them told French radio.

Questions Persist Despite 9/11 Investigations
The release last week of the final report of the independent 9/11 commission offered the nation a comprehensive overview of the origin and execution of the attacks. What the nation does not have are answers to all the outstanding questions, some of them fundamental

Democrats bar Nader from convention
Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader was rejected Friday in his bid to try to attend the Democratic National Convention. "Given that Nader is running on the Pat Buchanan Reform Party ticket and is openly accepting both financial and organizational help from Republicans and their allies, the answer is no," Democratic National Committee spokesman Jano Cabrera said.

Israelis link up against Gaza pullout
Tens of thousands of Israelis linked hands in a human chain between the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem on Sunday to protest against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to move settlers and soldiers out of Gaza.

French Activists Attack Genetically Modified Crops
Hundreds of activists opposed to genetically modified crops tore out rows of maize in south-western France Sunday and threatened similar future actions of "civil disobedience" to stop the cultivation of bio-engineered food.

Eclectic crowd for annual Bohemian gathering
Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the CEO of Bechtel Corp., former Grateful Dead bandmates and vintner Robert Mondavi are all scheduled to attend the Midsummer Encampment of the Bohemian Club of San Francisco.

Chernobyl invalid fasts to death
An invalid from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster has died holding a hunger strike to demand new housing. Pyotr Budyonny, 58, died in the Krasnodar region. "He had both his legs amputated due to a failure of blood circulation, a disease most typical among Chernobyl veterans," said Vyacheslav Grishin president of the Russian Chernobyl Union

British MPs Call for World Court Ruling on Iraq War
Forty British parliamentarians have asked U.N Secretary-General Kofi Annan to seek the opinion of the U.N.'s International Court of Justice on the legality of the Iraq war, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported. They believe Prime Minister Tony Blair's government breached the U.N.'s charter when it joined the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Terror by video - by Robert Fisk
As the heads of Iraq's kidnap victims are sawn off, Koranic recitations - usually by a well-known Saudi imam - are played on the soundtrack. At the beheading of an American, the murderer ritually wipes his bloody knife twice on the shirt of his victim, just as Saudi officials clean their blades after public executions in the kingdom. Terror by video is now a well-established part of the Iraq war.

How to Lose the War on Terror
One of the striking things about the Iraq War is the extent to which American foreign-affairs professionals - intelligence analysts, diplomats, and high-ranking military officers - recognize it is a tragically misguided venture.

U.S. 'Correctional Population' Hits New High
The number of Americans under the control of the criminal justice system grew by 130,700 last year to reach a new high of nearly 6.9 million. The total includes people in jail and prison as well as those on probation and parole. This is about 3.2 percent of the adult population in the United States.

Castro rebuffs Bush's 'sex lies'
Cuban President Fidel Castro has denied recent charges by US President George W Bush that the communist island has become a destination for sex tourists. Speaking at a Revolution Day ceremony, Mr Castro said "Bush's lies" were made up to justify last month's restrictions on travel to Cuba by Cuban-Americans.

Two Jordanians Kidnapped in Iraq -Videotape
Militants have kidnapped two Jordanian drivers in Iraq and are threatening them with execution, according to a videotape obtained by Associated Press Television News.

Talks start as WTO deadline looms
Ministers are gathering in Geneva for the start of talks aimed at reaching agreement on global free trade. Members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are meeting for renewed talks on the Doha round of negotiations.

Terror Group Sentences Hostages to Death
An Iraqi militant group announced it had taken hostage two Pakistanis working for US forces and had sentenced them to death because their country was discussing the possibility of sending troops to Iraq, according to a video shown on the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera television station.

Powell kicks off whirlwind tour
US Secretary of State Colin Powell is in Budapest to start a week-long visit to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. His first stop in Hungary and the last in Poland are seen partly as thank you gestures from the US towards the allies still contributing troops in Iraq.

Poll reveals Arabs' true feelings on US
In yet another blow to the Bush administration's efforts to counter anti-American sentiments in the Middle East, a new poll shows rising bitterness in the region toward US foreign policy.

US 'protects' Iran rebels in Iraq
The US has granted "protected status" under the Geneva Conventions to 3,800 members of an Iranian opposition group interned in Iraq. This meant that People's Mujahideen's fighters were not considered belligerents during the Iraq war, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said.

Israeli troops kill schoolgirl
A 12-year-old Palestinian schoolgirl was shot dead by Israeli soldiers at a refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip today, medical sources said. The circumstances surrounding the killing of Sara Zarob in the Khan Yunis refugee camp were not immediately clear.

Doctor killed at Iraqi hospital
Unidentified attackers have killed a deputy hospital director in the Iraqi town of Mahmudiya while a mortar attack caused one death in Baghdad. The attackers shot Dr Qassem el-Obaidi from a car as he was driving home from work.

Soldiers tell stories about Iraq
What he was about to say required deliberation. "We shot a man with his hands up," he said, "We even shot women and children." Massey was one of three Iraq War veterans to speak yesterday at a forum sponsored by the Veterans Education Project and the American Friends Service Committee. 

Guerrillas snatch Colombia bishop
A Colombian Roman Catholic bishop has been kidnapped by suspected rebels.
Misael Vacca Ramirez, Bishop of Yopal, was seized north-east of Bogota by the National Liberation Army guerrilla group (ELN), church leaders said.

Terror advice pamphlet unveiled
An £8m government campaign to help the public prepare for terror attacks and other emergencies is being launched. Advice booklets will be sent to every UK household and there will be a series of radio and television adverts.

Temple Mount activist says blowing up Dome of Rock is “worthy act”
“ Blowing up the Dome of the Rock is a worthy act”, Yehuda Etzion, one of the leaders of the Movement of the Temple Mount Loyalists and a former convicted member of the “Jewish underground”.

Vanunu ordered to stay in Israel
Israel's Supreme Court has rejected a petition by former nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu to be allowed to leave the country. Mr Vanunu was released from prison in April after serving 18 years for treason over his disclosures about Israel's nuclear weapons programme.He says that he has no more secrets to reveal and that the travel ban infringes his civil rights.

Israel plant a second Chernobyl: Vanunu
Israel's nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu has warned that the Middle East is at risk of a "second Chernobyl" in the event of an accident at the Jewish state's aged Dimona plant. The London-based Al-Hayat also quoted Vanunu as implicating Israel in the assassination of US president John F Kennedy in 1963.

Philippines blasts Australia over Iraq withdrawal criticism
The Philippines lashed out yesterday at Australian accusations that its troop withdrawal from Iraq sparked a new wave of kidnappings in the war-ravaged country, saying it should focus instead on the reasons fuelling the insurgency.

Mystery of 9-11 financing remains
Despite nearly three years of digging through the "money trail" in the September 11 attacks, investigators are still largely in the dark about who financed the deadly assault on the United States.

Darfur pressure mounts on Sudan
Sudan's leader says he is ready to work with the international community to resolve the Darfur conflict, that has left up to 50,000 dead. President Omar al-Bashir, facing growing pressure and the threat of sanctions, said he believed dialogue could resolve the crisis.

Iran rejects claims of 9/11 links
Iranian officials have dismissed allegations in the report of the 9/11 Commission of links between Iran and Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda movement. A foreign ministry spokesman said some claims were US election propaganda. Last week's report on the 11 September 2001 attacks stirred speculation about relations between Tehran and al-Qaeda.

Bin Laden comes home to roost
At the CIA, it happens often enough to have a code name: Blowback. Simply defined, this is the term that describes an agent, an operative or an operation that has turned on its creators. Osama bin Laden is the personification of blowback. And the fact that he is viewed as a hero by millions in the Islamic world proves again the old adage: Reap what you sow

Killings by pirates on the rise
The body that monitors piracy around the world has reported a sharp rise in the number of ships crew killed in the first half of 2004. The International Maritime Bureau says 30 crew members were killed. It is the highest number of piracy related killings for a decade, despite a global fall in the number of attacks.

The complex politics of lying
When the Flood report into the performance of Australian intelligence services was released, John Howard found in it the definitive proof that, in leading Australia into war against Iraq, he had not lied. According to Howard, Flood had found that Australia's intelligence services generally accepted that the WMD threat was real.

Karzai to stake presidential bid
The Afghan leader Hamid Karzai is due to announce on Monday that he is officially standing as a candidate in the presidential elections due on 9 October. Mr Karzai still struggles to exert his authority over the country. At least 20 other people are expected to challenge Mr Karzai

Saddam's life in prison revealed
Saddam Hussein is being held in solitary confinement with no access to media, but he has books, studies the Koran daily and writes poetry. He has also developed a taste for American snacks.

Family dismay at Iran 'cover-up'
The family of an Iranian-Canadian photographer killed in Iran say Ottawa should pursue Iran for justice, after an agent was cleared of her killing. Mohammad Reza Aghdam Ahmadi was cleared of killing photographer Zahra Kazemi, who died in custody in Iran last year.

Doubts over 'honour killing' book
A controversial book about the "honour killing" of a Jordanian woman has been withdrawn by publishers in Australia after the author was accused of fabricating the story. It is a first-hand account of a Muslim woman's death, murdered by her father over her relationship with a Christian.

2,000 U.S. troops killed in Iraq: Russian expert
The United States suffers far heavier casualties in Iraq than it officially admits, a Russia military diplomat claimed. The actual U.S. military losses in Iraq may have reached 2,000 personnel, more than twice the official figure of 900, as Washington badly understates its casualty statistics.

Congress quietly keeps School of the Americas alive
The House quietly passed a renewed appropriation that keeps open the U.S.’s most infamous torture-teaching institution, known as the School of the Americas, where the illegal physical and psychological abuse of prisoners of the kind the world condemned at Abu Ghraib and worse has been routinely taught for years.

Protesters To Be Caged At Democratic Convention
An area designated for organized protests appears enclosed by mesh and chain link fencing near the site of the upcoming Democratic National Convention, in Boston. A new federal lawsuit has been filed against the city over the fenced-in protest area that has been called a 'demonstration zone,' and a 'free speech zone.'

Kill scientists, says animal rights chief
Fury as former surgeon calls for selective assassinations. A top adviser to Britain's two most powerful animal rights protest groups caused outrage last night by claiming that the assassination of scientists working in biomedical research would save millions of animals' lives.

9/11 Traitors Absolve Themselves
The "Independent" 9/11 investigation says the attack could not have been prevented. Considering who really launched it and why, this is true. The people charged with defending the country are the people responsible for allowing the attack. Otherwise they would have been sacked.

Butler 'wrong' on Iraq uranium link
A leading nuclear expert has pointed out a technical error in the Butler report on WMD intelligence in Iraq, and criticised the committee's finding that intelligence on Saddam Hussein seeking uranium from Africa was "credible".

Children to get jabs against drug addiction
A radical scheme to vaccinate children against future drug addiction is being considered by ministers. Under the plans, doctors would immunise children at risk of becoming smokers or drug users with an injection.

Hanegbi: Jewish extremists may attack Temple Mount
Internal Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi warned Saturday that Jewish extremists may try to carry out an attack against Arabs on Jerusalem's Temple Mount in order to torpedo Israel's planned unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Second Madrid bombing car found
Police in Spain have found a second car used in the train bombings in Madrid in March, reports say. The abandoned rental car was discovered in the town of Alcala de Henares, where several of the bombs are thought to have been loaded on to trains, in June.

'P2OG' allows Pentagon to fight dirty
"Run away from the light": Such might be the motto of a new, covert policy that the Bush administration is considering implementing. According to recent news reports, it would be the largest expansion into the world of black ops and covert action since the end of the Vietnam War in the 1970s.

Al-Qaida Statement Threatens Australia
An online statement by a group representing itself as al-Qaida's European branch threatened on Saturday to turn Australia into "pools of blood" if it doesn't withdraw its troops from Iraq. It was the second statement in a week by the Tawhid Islamic Group.

Iraq Hostage Crisis Spirals; Clashes North of Baghdad
Two Pakistanis working for a Kuwait-based company were feared kidnapped on Sunday as Iraq's hostage crisis deepened, with at least 22 countries affected by the wave of abductions

Bin Laden 'suicide' virus on net
A virus purporting to show images of Osama Bin Laden's suicide has been unleashed onto the internet, security experts are warning. The virus was attached to a message posted on thousands of Usenet newsgroups, security firm Sophos said.

Arafat denies he is facing crisis
Yasser Arafat has insisted there is no power struggle among the Palestinian leadership, in the wake of another armed protest against him. He said there was "no problem" between him and Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, who wants more say over security services.

Head of Iraq Construction Group Seized in Baghdad
Gunmen kidnapped the head of an Iraqi state-owned construction company on Saturday as he drove from his home in a southern Baghdad suburb to work. Raad Adnan Mahmoud, director of the al-Mansour Contracting Company, was seized after the gunmen blocked his car in a busy street in the Zaieuna neighborhood

U.S. Air Raid Goes Astray, Hurts 8 Afghan Soldiers
Eight Afghan soldiers have been wounded in an erroneous aerial bombardment by U.S. forces in central Afghanistan, a Defense Ministry spokesman said. Four of the soldiers, all from the newly U.S.-trained Afghan National Army, have returned to duty.

Outsourcing War Crimes
Agents of the National Security Directorate, Afghanistan's new intelligence agency, say they found eight starved Afghan detainees-three of them hanging by their feet-in Idema's rented house in central Kabul, along with a few AK-47 rifles and blood-soaked clothes.

Israelis advance into Gaza town
Israeli troops have moved into the centre of the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, sparking exchanges of fire with Palestinian gunmen. A Palestinian man was wounded and is in a critical condition in hospital.