Domenici breaks with Bush on Iraq
ALBUQUERQUE, July 5 (UPI) -- Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., Thursday broke with President George W. Bush's Iraq War policy, calling for a major U.S. troop withdrawal by early next year.
Domenici, a six-term member of the Senate who is up for re-election in 2008, endorsed legislation designed to withdraw nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq by March 2008, The Washington Post reported.
Domenici is the fourth senior Senate Republican to challenge Bush's war strategy in recent weeks. Republican Sens. Richard Lugar of Indiana, George Voinovich of Ohio and John Warner of Ohio have recently said they favor a change in policy in Iraq.
Domenici told reporters in Albuquerque Thursday he would co-sponsor legislation to adopt the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group -- which called for withdrawing all but a limited number of troops from in Iraq.
"I have carefully studied the Iraq situation, and believe we cannot continue asking our troops to sacrifice indefinitely while the Iraqi government is not making measurable progress to move its country forward," he said.
Domenici said he does not support an immediate withdrawal.
"But I do support a new strategy that will move our troops out of combat operations and on the path to coming home," he said.
Online doctors claim to plan U.S. attack
LONDON, July 5 (UPI) -- A group of Muslim doctors threatened in an Internet chatroom to attack the United States with car bombs and other weapons, a newspaper reported Thursday.
"We are 45 doctors and we are determined to undertake jihad and take the battle inside America," one of the doctors wrote in an online discussion, The Telegraph of London reported.
"The first target which will be penetrated by nine brothers is the naval base which gives shelter to the ship Kennedy."
The U.S.S. John F. Kennedy is often docked at the Mayport Naval Base in Jacksonville, Fla.
The Telegraph reported that a message discussed possible targets at the base: "These are clubs for naked women which are opposite the First and Third units."
Another referred to using six Chevrolets, three fishing boats and rocket-propelled grenades in the planned attack.
The chat was disclosed in a London courtroom where three men pleaded guilty to charges related to spreading to terrorism propaganda on the Internet. They were expected to be sentenced Thursday.
White House knocks Clinton criticisms
WASHINGTON, July 5 (UPI) -- The White House Thursday criticized former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton for remarks on the commutation of I. Lewis Libby's sentence.
Libby, a former vice presidential aide, was convicted of lying to investigators in the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison, two years probation and a $250,000 fine. U.S. President George Bush Monday threw out the jail time but left the probation and fine intact.
Senator Clinton, D-N.Y., who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination accused Bush of issuing the pardon to keep Libby from revealing White House machinations while the former president denied any of the pardons he issued were for self-preservation.
"I would say that it is amazing to me that they can -- with what they did on Jan. 20, 2001, they can criticize the president for issuing a commutation -- his fourth -- insomuch as they issued -- President Clinton issued 141 pardons on Jan. 20; over 200 in the period -- in the post-election period in 2000. It sort of pales in comparison," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel told the daily press briefing.
Heat, floods challenge U.S. West
LAS VEGAS, July 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. West baked in extreme heat Thursday while parts of Texas and Oklahoma braced for thunderstorms that might bring more flooding to the region.
The National Weather Service issued an excessive-heat warning Thursday for the area west of the Rocky Mountains -- with temperatures expected to reach 116 degrees in Las Vegas Thursday and Friday. Highs of 115 to 122 were expected along the Colorado River valley, The New York Times reported.
KVBC-TV reported Thursday's high temperature in Las Vegas was 116.
The high in Needles, Calif., Wednesday was 120 -- breaking the previous record of 188, set in 1985.
The excessive heat warning was to remain posted through 9 p.m. PDT Friday. Authorities urged people to take precautions against possible health effects from extreme heat.
The area stretching from Dallas to Oklahoma City was expecting as much as 3 to 5 inches of rain -- which could produce flash flooding, coming on the heels of heavy rains last week that saturated large areas of ground.
