Secret Bush memo says Maliki not in tune
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- A secret briefing written to U.S. President George Bush says Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki might not be capable of controlling sectarian violence.
The five-page memo was written by national security adviser Stephen Hadley after he met privately with Maliki Oct. 30, and a copy of it was seen by the New York Times.
Hadley wrote Maliki's "intentions seem good ... but the reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action."
Since the memo was written, sectarian violence has soared, particularly in Baghdad, and Iraq has reached out to Iran and Syria for help in quelling the insurgency.
However, Hadley wrote he sensed a weakness in Iraqi leadership.
"Maliki reiterated a vision of Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish partnership, and in my one-on-one meeting with him, he impressed me as a leader who wanted to be strong but was having difficulty figuring out how to do so."
Maliki was to meet with Bush in Jordan Wednesday.
U.S. kills Iraqi civilians for second day
BAGHDAD, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- A U.S. air attack on suspected Iraqi insurgents killed two civilian females in Baquba Wednesday, a day after five females were killed in Ramadi.
The battle in Baquba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad killed eight insurgents, and the females were found in the debris, the BBC reported.
Late Tuesday, the military said six Iraqis, including five girls ranging in age from infant to teenager, were killed during a firefight and tank shelling between U.S. soldiers and suspected insurgents in Ramadi, the Washington Post said.
Also on Wednesday, Iraqi security forces said a bomb exploded next to a bus station in the al-Nahda area of Baghdad, killing two people.
Iraq's parliament voted unanimously Tuesday night to keep the country under a state of emergency for another 30 days, which it has done every month since November 2004. The move is akin to martial law, and allows for arrests without warrants and snap nighttime curfews.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and U.S. President George Bush flew to Jordan Wednesday for a meeting on subduing the sectarian Shiite-Sunni Muslim violence.
Pope, Orthodox patriarch meet in Istanbul
ISTANBUL, Turkey, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI was mending religious fences in Istanbul Wednesday after seeking dialogue with Muslims and meeting with Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I.
The pope traveled to Istanbul from Ankara and began touring western Turkey, including the city of Ephesus, where he conducted a mass at a shrine marking the final resting place of the Virgin Mary, the BBC reported.
Benedict then met with Bartholomew, whose Orthodox church has some 250 million followers worldwide.
Benedict was to conclude his day with a visit to the Blue Mosque, added to the agenda at the last minute as an overture to Muslims, the Washington Post said.
Sunday, some 250,000 Muslims demonstrated against the papal visit over remarks Benedict made in September perceived as offensive to Islam.
The Turkish government has banned further protests during Benedict's three-day tour.
Tuesday, the pope met with Turkey's chief Islamic cleric, Ali Bardakoglu, and called for better inter-faith communication.
"The best way forward is via authentic dialogue between Christians and Muslims, based on truth and inspired by a sincere wish to know one another better, respecting differences and recognizing what we have in common," the pope said.
Australian helicopter crash kills soldier
CANBERRA, Australia, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The Australian Defense Force says a helicopter crash near Fiji has killed one soldier and left another missing.
The Black Hawk helicopter was attempting to land on HMAS Kanimbla, one of three Australian warships operating in the Pacific near Fiji because of a coup threat on the island.
Defense Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, told a news conference 10 military personnel were on board the helicopter. One died of his injuries after the crash and one is missing.
Seven of the eight members rescued suffered injuries "not of a serious nature," Houston said. He said recovery operations would continue "until all hope is lost."
The three navy vessels are standing by to evacuate any Australian from Fiji and, in a separate development, the Canberra government authorized the voluntary departure of High Commission staff from the island.
This followed an announcement by the Fijian military it was securing strategic areas of the capital, Suva, as part of an exercise "in anticipation of any foreign intervention."
Castro stays away from birthday gala
HAVANA, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Cuban dictator Fidel Castro sent a note of apology to well-wishers, saying he was too ill to attend an 80th birthday gala Tuesday in Havana.
The note was read aloud to the hundreds of people in the Karl Marx Theater, The Miami Herald reported. Castro said he was "in no condition, according to the doctors, to face such a colossal gathering."
Castro announced four months ago that he was handing power temporarily to his brother, Raul. Although the government has said he had intestinal surgery, officials have been tight-lipped about the details of his illness.
The guest list for the gala included Colombian novelist Gabriel García Marquez, Bolivian President Evo Morales, Mexican actress Maria Rojo and former Ecuadorean President Rodrigo Borja, the Herald said.
In the 700-word note, Castro attacked President Bush, saying he had "created such a crisis" that U.S. voters would not let him complete his term. He also spoke of the need for energy conservation.
The climax of this week's festivities is a military parade planned for Saturday.
