UPI NewsTrack TopNews
Published: March 10, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Three blasts kill soldiers, tribal sheik
BAGHDAD, March 10 (UPI) -- A bomb, believed to be from a suicide vest, killed five U.S. and Iraqi coalition soldiers on foot patrol Monday in central Baghdad.
Three other U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were also injured in the blast, Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff of the Multi-National Division in Baghdad, said in a statement.
"Five soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the Iraqi and American people," Batschelet said. "We remain resolute in our resolve to protect the people of Iraq and kill or capture those who would bring them harm."
Elsewhere, a pro-government tribal sheik died Monday in one of two suicide bombings in the volatile Diyala province in Iraq, police said.
Sheik Thaer al-Karkhi died in the blast that killed three other people, including his 5-year-old niece, reported KUNA, the Kuwaiti news agency. An 18-year-old woman reportedly set off a bomb in front of the sheik's home.
Karkhi lead an Awakenings Council group, a largely Sunni local security group that fights insurgents.
Police said a suicide bomber neared several Iraqi security forces and set off his bomb and killed two civilians and wounded 20 people after the security forces began shooting at him, CNN reported.
Israel, Hamas deny informal Gaza truce
GAZA, March 10 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has denied reports Monday that Israel and Hamas have an informal agreement on truce in Gaza.
"There is no agreement and there are no direct or indirect talks," Olmert said, referring to reports of understandings regarding Israel and Hamas backing away from hostile activities in Gaza, Ynetnews reported.
An understanding that Israel won't attack Gaza as long as Hamas doesn't fire at Israel was reported by several media outlets.
The Israeli army "enjoys complete freedom of action," Olmert said, adding that, to the best of his knowledge, he understood that Egypt has no mandate to secure a Gaza cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Ynetnews said.
"(If) terror stops, if Qassams cease to land in Sderot and Grad rockets in Ashkelon, and the incessant arms smuggling and infiltrations end -- Israel would hold its fire," the prime minister said during a news conference following a meeting with the Czech Republic prime minister.
A Hamas spokesman also denied an informal truce was reached.
"Hamas' position regarding a tahdiyah (calm) has not changed," said Muhammed Nasr, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip. "Any tahdiyah must be mutual and comprehensive."
Cheney to visit Middle East, Turkey
WASHINGTON, March 10 (UPI) -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney will visit Turkey and several Middle Eastern countries to discuss "issues of mutual interest," Cheney's office said Monday.
Cheney will visit Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank and Turkey beginning Sunday "for discussions with these key partners on issues of mutual interest," the statement said.
Among dignitaries Cheney is scheduled to meet are Sultan Sayyid Qaboos bin Said bin Taimur al 'Bu Saidi of Oman, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Emud Olmert of Israel, President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad of the Palestinian Territories, and President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.
Iran open to nuclear talks, decries WMD
DAMASCUS, Syria, March 10 (UPI) -- Iranian officials said they want compensation for the suspension of their nuclear work while stressing Islam forbids nuclear weapons.
Speaking in Syria, Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili said at the International Conference on Iran's Peaceful Nuclear Program that "those who made us stop uranium enrichment based on false accusations will have to pay compensation as a result," the Kuwaiti news agency reported Monday.
An intelligence compendium produced by the United States in November suggested Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
Jalili hinted that Tehran wanted to return to the negotiating table with Western powers but noted those talks "must come with conditions."
Meanwhile, Ayatollah Mojtaba Hosseini, a spokesman for the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, praised his country's "indigenous manpower" in developing its nuclear technology, the Islamic Republic News Agency said.
He referred to the civilian nature of Iran's nuclear activities saying, "Iran is not to produce atomic bomb as production of weapons of mass destruction is forbidden in Islam."
Obama favored to win Mississippi
JACKSON, Miss., March 10 (UPI) -- The latest polling indicates U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is expected to win handily when Mississippi holds its Democratic presidential primary Tuesday.
Obama leads U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., 58 percent to 34 percent in the latest poll conducted by American Research Group, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
The Friday poll gave Obama an even stronger advantage among registered Democrats in the state with 66 percent compared to Clinton's 31 percent. However, Clinton leads by 13 points among independents and Republicans, who are allowed to vote in the Democratic primary.
Both Obama's and Clinton's campaigns are running ads in Mississippi.
A radio ad put out by the Clinton campaign reminds voters of the senator's "18 years as our neighbor in Arkansas" while Obama's radio ad touts his "Christian faith."
Obama campaigned in Mississippi Monday while Clinton made two stops in the state last week.
BAGHDAD, March 10 (UPI) -- A bomb, believed to be from a suicide vest, killed five U.S. and Iraqi coalition soldiers on foot patrol Monday in central Baghdad.
Three other U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were also injured in the blast, Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff of the Multi-National Division in Baghdad, said in a statement.
"Five soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the Iraqi and American people," Batschelet said. "We remain resolute in our resolve to protect the people of Iraq and kill or capture those who would bring them harm."
Elsewhere, a pro-government tribal sheik died Monday in one of two suicide bombings in the volatile Diyala province in Iraq, police said.
Sheik Thaer al-Karkhi died in the blast that killed three other people, including his 5-year-old niece, reported KUNA, the Kuwaiti news agency. An 18-year-old woman reportedly set off a bomb in front of the sheik's home.
Karkhi lead an Awakenings Council group, a largely Sunni local security group that fights insurgents.
Police said a suicide bomber neared several Iraqi security forces and set off his bomb and killed two civilians and wounded 20 people after the security forces began shooting at him, CNN reported.
Israel, Hamas deny informal Gaza truce
GAZA, March 10 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has denied reports Monday that Israel and Hamas have an informal agreement on truce in Gaza.
"There is no agreement and there are no direct or indirect talks," Olmert said, referring to reports of understandings regarding Israel and Hamas backing away from hostile activities in Gaza, Ynetnews reported.
An understanding that Israel won't attack Gaza as long as Hamas doesn't fire at Israel was reported by several media outlets.
The Israeli army "enjoys complete freedom of action," Olmert said, adding that, to the best of his knowledge, he understood that Egypt has no mandate to secure a Gaza cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Ynetnews said.
"(If) terror stops, if Qassams cease to land in Sderot and Grad rockets in Ashkelon, and the incessant arms smuggling and infiltrations end -- Israel would hold its fire," the prime minister said during a news conference following a meeting with the Czech Republic prime minister.
A Hamas spokesman also denied an informal truce was reached.
"Hamas' position regarding a tahdiyah (calm) has not changed," said Muhammed Nasr, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip. "Any tahdiyah must be mutual and comprehensive."
Cheney to visit Middle East, Turkey
WASHINGTON, March 10 (UPI) -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney will visit Turkey and several Middle Eastern countries to discuss "issues of mutual interest," Cheney's office said Monday.
Cheney will visit Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank and Turkey beginning Sunday "for discussions with these key partners on issues of mutual interest," the statement said.
Among dignitaries Cheney is scheduled to meet are Sultan Sayyid Qaboos bin Said bin Taimur al 'Bu Saidi of Oman, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Emud Olmert of Israel, President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad of the Palestinian Territories, and President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.
Iran open to nuclear talks, decries WMD
DAMASCUS, Syria, March 10 (UPI) -- Iranian officials said they want compensation for the suspension of their nuclear work while stressing Islam forbids nuclear weapons.
Speaking in Syria, Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili said at the International Conference on Iran's Peaceful Nuclear Program that "those who made us stop uranium enrichment based on false accusations will have to pay compensation as a result," the Kuwaiti news agency reported Monday.
An intelligence compendium produced by the United States in November suggested Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
Jalili hinted that Tehran wanted to return to the negotiating table with Western powers but noted those talks "must come with conditions."
Meanwhile, Ayatollah Mojtaba Hosseini, a spokesman for the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, praised his country's "indigenous manpower" in developing its nuclear technology, the Islamic Republic News Agency said.
He referred to the civilian nature of Iran's nuclear activities saying, "Iran is not to produce atomic bomb as production of weapons of mass destruction is forbidden in Islam."
Obama favored to win Mississippi
JACKSON, Miss., March 10 (UPI) -- The latest polling indicates U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is expected to win handily when Mississippi holds its Democratic presidential primary Tuesday.
Obama leads U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., 58 percent to 34 percent in the latest poll conducted by American Research Group, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
The Friday poll gave Obama an even stronger advantage among registered Democrats in the state with 66 percent compared to Clinton's 31 percent. However, Clinton leads by 13 points among independents and Republicans, who are allowed to vote in the Democratic primary.
Both Obama's and Clinton's campaigns are running ads in Mississippi.
A radio ad put out by the Clinton campaign reminds voters of the senator's "18 years as our neighbor in Arkansas" while Obama's radio ad touts his "Christian faith."
Obama campaigned in Mississippi Monday while Clinton made two stops in the state last week.
© 2008 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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