2nd British general attacks Rumsfeld
LONDON, Sept 2 (UPI) -- A second British general Sunday attacked U.S. planning for the Iraq invasion, calling it "fatally flawed."
In an interview with The Sunday Mirror, Major Gen. Tim Cross -- who led British pre-invasion planning and was deputy head of the Coalition Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance in 2003 -- said he endorsed comments made by Gen. Sir Mike Jackson in a his autobiography.
Cross, like Jackson, put much of the blame on former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
"Right from the very beginning we were all very concerned about the lack of detail that had gone into the postwar plan -- and there is no doubt that Rumsfeld was at the heart of that process," said Cross.
He said that during lunch in Washington with Rumsfeld shortly before the invasion he raised the question of internationalizing the post-war reconstruction and of the need for more troops to secure the country.
"He didn't want to hear that message,” Cross said. “The (United States) had already convinced themselves that Iraq would emerge reasonably quickly as a stable democracy. Anybody who tried to tell them anything that challenged that idea -- they simply shut it out."
Hurricane Felix nears Caribbean islands
MIAMI, Sept 2 (UPI) -- Hurricane Felix, a Category 2 storm with 100 mph winds, was just north of Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao Sunday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.
The Hurricane Center said Felix, the second named hurricane of the season, could become a "major" storm in the next 24 hours.
At 5 a.m. Sunday, the storm was located about 400 miles south-southeast of the Dominican Republic and about 85 miles east-northeast of Aruba. It was headed to the west at 18 mph.
Felix is expected to approach Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao later Sunday with winds exceeding 74 mph. Two to four inches of rain are expected to accompany the winds.
Dems warn Florida on primary date
WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (UPI) -- Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and other Democratic presidential hopefuls have pledged not to campaign in states that break party rules.
Obama, Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson have signed a pledge not to campaign or compete in Florida if it breaks party rules by following through on a plan to hold primaries Jan. 29, CNN reported.
"As I have campaigned across America over the last six months, it’s become clear that Governor Dean and the Democratic National Committee have put together a presidential nomination process that’s in the best interests of our party and our nation," Obama said.
"We believe Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina play a unique and special role in the nominating process," Clinton's campaign manager said in a statement. "And we believe the DNC’s rules and its calendar provide the necessary structure to respect and honor that role. Thus, we will be signing the pledge to adhere to the DNC approved nominating calendar."
Solomon Islands quake may cause tsunami
KIRA KIRA, Solomon Islands, Sept 2 (UPI) -- A tsunami bulletin was issued Sunday for the Solomon Islands after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck under the Pacific ocean.
The tsunami bulletin was issued for the Santa Cruz Islands in the Solomon Islands province of Temotu after the earthquake struck 22 miles below the Pacific Ocean, 275 miles east-southeast of Kira Kira, Solomon Islands, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Seismic data collected from the earthquake indicated it "may be the kind of earthquake that ruptures more slowly and has an increased potential to generate tsunami waves that could be damaging near the epicenter," the tsunami bulletin said.
No information on damage resulting from the quake was available Sunday.
LONDON, Sept 2 (UPI) -- A second British general Sunday attacked U.S. planning for the Iraq invasion, calling it "fatally flawed."
In an interview with The Sunday Mirror, Major Gen. Tim Cross -- who led British pre-invasion planning and was deputy head of the Coalition Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance in 2003 -- said he endorsed comments made by Gen. Sir Mike Jackson in a his autobiography.
Cross, like Jackson, put much of the blame on former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
"Right from the very beginning we were all very concerned about the lack of detail that had gone into the postwar plan -- and there is no doubt that Rumsfeld was at the heart of that process," said Cross.
He said that during lunch in Washington with Rumsfeld shortly before the invasion he raised the question of internationalizing the post-war reconstruction and of the need for more troops to secure the country.
"He didn't want to hear that message,” Cross said. “The (United States) had already convinced themselves that Iraq would emerge reasonably quickly as a stable democracy. Anybody who tried to tell them anything that challenged that idea -- they simply shut it out."
Hurricane Felix nears Caribbean islands
MIAMI, Sept 2 (UPI) -- Hurricane Felix, a Category 2 storm with 100 mph winds, was just north of Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao Sunday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.
The Hurricane Center said Felix, the second named hurricane of the season, could become a "major" storm in the next 24 hours.
At 5 a.m. Sunday, the storm was located about 400 miles south-southeast of the Dominican Republic and about 85 miles east-northeast of Aruba. It was headed to the west at 18 mph.
Felix is expected to approach Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao later Sunday with winds exceeding 74 mph. Two to four inches of rain are expected to accompany the winds.
Dems warn Florida on primary date
WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (UPI) -- Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and other Democratic presidential hopefuls have pledged not to campaign in states that break party rules.
Obama, Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson have signed a pledge not to campaign or compete in Florida if it breaks party rules by following through on a plan to hold primaries Jan. 29, CNN reported.
"As I have campaigned across America over the last six months, it’s become clear that Governor Dean and the Democratic National Committee have put together a presidential nomination process that’s in the best interests of our party and our nation," Obama said.
"We believe Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina play a unique and special role in the nominating process," Clinton's campaign manager said in a statement. "And we believe the DNC’s rules and its calendar provide the necessary structure to respect and honor that role. Thus, we will be signing the pledge to adhere to the DNC approved nominating calendar."
Solomon Islands quake may cause tsunami
KIRA KIRA, Solomon Islands, Sept 2 (UPI) -- A tsunami bulletin was issued Sunday for the Solomon Islands after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck under the Pacific ocean.
The tsunami bulletin was issued for the Santa Cruz Islands in the Solomon Islands province of Temotu after the earthquake struck 22 miles below the Pacific Ocean, 275 miles east-southeast of Kira Kira, Solomon Islands, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Seismic data collected from the earthquake indicated it "may be the kind of earthquake that ruptures more slowly and has an increased potential to generate tsunami waves that could be damaging near the epicenter," the tsunami bulletin said.
No information on damage resulting from the quake was available Sunday.
© 2007 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
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