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U.S. concerned about Iran missile tests

TEHRAN, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- The United States is concerned about reported missile tests by Iran, saying they violate U.N. resolutions, the State Department said Wednesday.

Besides violating U.N. Security Council resolutions, the reported test-firings "certainly are not in accordance with (Iran's) international obligations," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said during a news briefing.

"It's very much a concern of ours," Wood said. "And so we will talk with our allies, see that we can bring broad international pressure on the Iranians to stop conducting these types of tests."

Iran's state-sanctioned media reported the Iranian military Wednesday test-fired surface-to-air missiles designed for defensive purposes. The test-firing involved the next-generation missile called the Sejil and used solid-fuel propellants, the government's English-language Press TV said on its Web site. Reports on Press TV and state television provided no details about the missile's range.

News of the Sejil test-firing came a day after Iranian media said the Revolutionary Guard had test-fired another new missile, called a Samen, Monday near the Iraqi border, The New York Times reported.

Wood said the test highlights the need for a European missile defense shield, a position Russia opposes.

"This is a growing threat that we need to be able to deal with," Wood said. "And we need Russia's cooperation. And missile defense is a critical component of what we're trying to do, in terms of building regional stability."

White House says bailout not for Big 3

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush would consider more aid for automakers if Congress acts, but isn't inclined to use Wall Street bailout funds, a spokeswoman said.

Noting Congress reconvenes its lame-duck session next week, White House press secretary Dana Perino said Wednesday if lawmakers wanted to accelerate release of an already approved $25 billion loan package, "we will certainly listen to their ideas and work with them."

Analysts have said the auto industry is on track to file for bankruptcy if companies don't receive governmental financial help soon. President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats expressed interest in providing aid to the Big Three.

When asked about the change of focus for using the $700 billion bailout from buying toxic mortgages to investing in bank securities and why couldn't the funds be used for the auto industry, Perino said the bailout funds were "very must focused on financial institutions."

She noted U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson explained the tools available under the Troubled Asset Relief Program during a news conference Wednesday.

"But helping specific companies or specific industries outside of the financial sector were not included in that discussion," she said.

Perino said the administration wasn't saying that U.S. automakers don't fit that criteria or that they're too big to fail, an argument used to aid insurance giant AIG and mortgage financers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The administration focused on "the systemic problems that we felt we had with Fannie and Freddie and AIG and others because of the way that they're interconnected," she said. "And we've got those credit markets open again so that money is starting to flow."

Ex-congressman says he's not a pedophile

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Former Rep. Mark Foley, the Florida Republican who was driven from office in 2006 amid scandal, said Wednesday he is not a pedophile.

Foley left Congress after the revelation that he had exchanged sexually charged instant messages and e-mails with former male congressional pages, The Hill reported Wednesday.

"You know, people are juxtaposing e-mails to 17-year-olds to putting it in the common parlance of calling it pedophilia, which is absolutely wrong," Foley told West Palm Beach's NBC affiliate WPTV in an interview recorded Nov. 6 that was aired Wednesday.

"They were like drunk dialing, drunk text messaging," Foley said in the interview. "They were wrong, and I assume full responsibility. I'm not trying to excuse my behavior."

Foley said the years since the scandal broke have been difficult.

"There's times when you look back and say, 'That's a blur,' but at the same time you realize it was such a horrific part of my life, (I) wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, and yet there were positive moments when you had a chance to reflect on your life and adjust to the circumstances," Foley said.

Palin says she'd help Obama administration

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Sarah Palin said Wednesday she would be honored to help U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on such issues as energy or services for special needs children.

"It would be my honor to assist and support our new president and the new administration," the former Republican vice presidential nominee told CNN.

Even so, the Alaska governor said she remains concerned about Obama's ties to former Weather Underground member William Ayers.

"If anybody still wants to talk about it, I will," she said. "Because this is an unrepentant domestic terrorist who had campaigned to blow up, to destroy our Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol."

CNN reported that 49 percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey say they have a favorable opinion of Palin, while 43 percent say they view her unfavorably.

"In early September, just after the GOP convention, her favorable rating among registered voters was 57 percent, and only a quarter of all registered voters had an unfavorable view of her," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said.