Second thoughts by allies on Iraq troops
Some members of President Bush's "coalition of the willing," are having second thoughts about sending troops to Iraq because of increasing danger.
Both Japan and South Korea initially committed themselves to troops, but have since delayed making a final decision.
Latest to voice concern is Filipino President Gloria Arroyo, who said troops from her country now in Iraq would be withdrawn if the security situation threatened their safety. Her remarks are certain to unsettle Washington as Arroyo is its most vocal Southeast Asian ally.
Arroyo promised the Iraqi Governing Council last month to boost the number of troops to 500 in early 2004. There are now 96 Filipinos serving in Iraq -- 56 soldiers, 26 policemen and 14 health and social workers.
Peacekeeping a strain for Canada
Canada is suffering from global peacekeeping fatigue and could withdraw from Bosnia by next year.
Canada has 1,200 peacekeeping troops in Bosnia and more in Afghanistan.
Canadian Defense Minister John McCallum said during a visit to Camp Julien in Afghanistan, "We, as a country, I believe, have had enough of (Bosnia), and I clearly am trying to get us out as fast as I possibly can."
McCallum noted that discussions are ongoing "on an urgent basis" to switch over the responsibility for Bosnia to the European Union.
"I'm hoping that will allow Canada to have a total or near total withdrawal within a year," he said. Canada intends to slash its troop commitment in Bosnia by 50 percent before April.
New U.S. envoy to Iraq can talk
Ambassador Chris Ross, the new U.S. envoy to Baghdad, is one of a rare breed in the State Department, a fluent Arabic speaker.
A lack of fluent Arabic speakers has long stymied Foggy Bottom's efforts to reach out to the Arab world. Of 279 Arabic-speaking State Department employees, fewer than 60 were found to be fluent, and of these, only five had sufficient mastery of Arabic to engage in commentary on Middle Eastern television programs.
Ugly Americans cause tension in Japan
U.S. bases in Japan have been a U.S. strategic asset since the Korean War but criminal behavior by service personnel is causing tension, and second thoughts.
Many Japanese are increasingly disturbed by their presence.
Tired of the problems created by American servicemen, the Japanese port cities of Sasebo, Yokosuka, Maizuru and Kure are asking Tokyo to revise the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement.
Air Force Col. Victor Warzinski, U.S. Forces Japan spokesman, said, "We believe that the SOFA agreement, as it's currently written, provides appropriate framework for managing the relationship between our military forces and the government of Japan."
Warzinski said talks were ongoing about crimes committed by U.S. servicemen on Japanese soil.
Perle:US broke law on Iraq, but was right
Pentagon hawk Richard Perle startled a London audience this week when he appeared to endorse the view that the Iraq war violated international law.
During President Bush's state visit Perle was addressing an audience at an event organized by the Institute of Contemporary Arts at the Old Vic theatre when he said about Iraq: "I think in this case international law stood in the way of doing the right thing. International law ... would have required us to leave Saddam Hussein alone."
A Pentagon spokesman quickly tried to contain the damage by noting that Perle was not formally a Department of Defense employee, but a member of the unpaid advisory Defense Policy Board.
Now that the Pentagon's inspector general has cleared Perle of conflict of interest charges stemming from his consulting business, perhaps he will regain his position as chairman of the Defense Policy Board.
Pitcairn Islanders not British says lawyer
New Zealand lawyer Paul Dacre is mounting a unique legal defense for 13 Pitcairn Islanders facing decades-old sex charges by saying British law doesn't apply.
Dacre is challenging Britain's sovereignty over the remote Pacific island, 1,350 miles southeast of Tahiti.
Dacre's clients face a range of charges, which first surfaced in 1999, including rape and indecent assault. A recent New Zealand law allows the Pitcairn court to sit in New Zealand and to try the islanders under British law.
But Dacre maintains the accused cannot be tried under British law, as the island was settled by mutineers and lived under its own rules and regulations for more than 200 years.
Dacre says the community is recognized by the United Nations as an indigenous people and exercises sovereignty over itself. The Pitcairn Islanders are descendents of participants of the most famous mutiny in history against Captain William Bligh of HMS Bounty in 1789.
