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U.S. urges Hamas to stop firing on Israel

CRAWFORD, Texas, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel and work toward a "sustainable and durable" cease-fire, a spokesman for U.S. President Bush said Monday.

"In order for the violence to stop, Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel and agree to respect a sustainable and durable cease-fire," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said during a news briefing at Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch.

The administration also is concerned about the ability for humanitarian aid to reach Gazans, Johndroe said, adding, "We ask that all parties involved to allow food and medical supplies to reach the people there."

Israel launched an air assault on Gaza during the weekend, saying it was defending its citizens from rocket and mortar fire from Hamas militants. Since the airstrikes began, more than 300 people have died and more than 650 have been wounded. On Monday, militants fired at least 40 rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel.

"We have urged the Israelis to avoid civilian casualties, but they are working on decreasing the number of Israeli citizens that are vulnerable," Johndroe said.

Bush has been in contact with leaders from the region as has Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, he said.

Israel is targeting terrorists "who are firing rockets and mortars into Israel. And they are taking the steps that they feel are necessary to deal with the terrorist threat," Johndroe said. "Now, no one wants to see violence, but what we're going to need to see in order to end this is Hamas needs to stop firing rockets into Israel. And we all need to get to a sustainable cease-fire."

Suicide bombers kill 4 in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Two suicide bombers struck in Afghanistan's Parwan and Kandahar provinces Monday, killing at least four people and injuring many more, authorities said.

Afghan officials said two people died and 15 others were hurt when a car loaded with explosives detonated in front of the Parwan province government building in Charikar about 8 a.m., The New York Times reported.

The two who died in the blast were Afghan civilians, the BBC quoted officials as saying.

The BBC report quoted a U.S. military spokesman as saying two U.S. soldiers were among those injured. The British network said the attack occurred when a unit of U.S. troops from the Bagram base near Kabul was meeting the provincial governor.

Hours later, a remote-controlled bomb was set off in a marketplace in Spin Boldak district in Kandahar province, the Times said. That blast also claimed two civilian lives and wounded 19 more people, the newspaper said.

A provincial government spokesman said the bomb was meant for a passing police vehicle, but missed.

On Sunday, 16 people, including 13 Afghan children, died when an explosives-laden truck exploded outside a government building in Khost province in southeastern Afghanistan.

Automatic Congress pay raise protested

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A Utah congressman says he has joined forces with a government watchdog group to protest an automatic congressional pay raise of $4,700.

The 2.8 percent increase over the current $169,300 salary for most members occurs Thursday, the Deseret Morning News reported Monday.

Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, and the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste say the raise is unconscionable at a time when so many people are suffering from the failing economy.

"The notion that Congress should be having an automatic pay raise without even a vote just doesn't pass the smell test," said Matheson.

Tom Schantz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, said Congress should be "mortified" to accept a raise when it allowed the deficit to swell and the economy to swing so badly out of control.

"If congressional leaders believe that the taxpayers should give pay raises to this rogues' gallery of ineptitude and venality, they ought to step away from the spiked eggnog," Schantz said, urging an emergency vote against the raise.

U.S. attorney wants to give panel wiretaps

CHICAGO, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A U.S. attorney asked a court Monday to allow the release of wiretap evidence to the panel considering the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

In a motion filed in U.S. District Court, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said he had received a bipartisan request for the release of the secret evidence from the the Special Investigative Committee of the Illinois House of Representatives, which must submit a report to the General Assembly by Jan. 14.

The U.S. attorney has charged Blagojevich with attempting to sell appointment to state offices and President-elect Barack Obama's empty U.S. Senate seat in exchange for personal gain, among other things.

Fitzgerald and the FBI surreptitiously collected a large amount of wiretap evidence, but specifically wants to release the edited contents of four phone calls. Part of the evidence would deal with Obama's seat.

The U.S. attorney said in the motion that the law does not require him to get the court's permission, but he is doing so out of "an abundance of caution."

Besides a ruling that says the release of the evidence is lawful, Fitzgerald is also asking the court to declare that the state panel may use the evidence in the performance of its duties.