Religious coalition looks to White House
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Only the United States has the responsibility and power to implement the Middle East peace process, a Muslim cleric said at an interfaith conference Tuesday.
"The U.S. has been chosen by God as a superpower. With that power also comes responsibility," said Iftekhar A. Hai, founding director of interfaith relations at the organization United Muslims of America.
"The people of this land are like a mosaic of all religions and all traditions. Only this country can do it. I have faith in that."
Hai was one of 14 high-ranking rabbis, priests, ministers and imams -- representing nearly 100 million constituents worldwide -- speaking at the conference to issue a plea for peace between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Speakers at Tuesday's conference, part of the Walk the Road to Peace interfaith campaign, all urged the United States to continue with the "road map" peace initiative, proposed last year by the Quartet -- United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.
U.S. officials deny capturing Saddam aide
KIRKUK, Iraq, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. military officials Tuesday denied reports they had captured Saddam Hussein's former second-in-command during a raid in northern Iraq.
A member of Iraq's Governing Council said earlier Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the highest-ranking former regime official still at large aside from Saddam himself, had been caught during the raid near Kirkuk.
But Major Doug Vincent of the 173rd Airborne Brigade told reporters al-Douri was "definitely not captured in today's mission".
The United States has posted a $10 million reward for the capture or death of al-Douri, believed one of the key guerrilla organizers of recent attacks around Samarra and Tikrit.
Saddam Hussein biographer Simon Henderson told the BBC the capture of al-Douri would be "a considerable victory for the Americans and a considerable defeat for the insurgency".
Al-Douri was one of the key plotters who carried out the coup that brought the Baath Party to power in 1968. In later years, he served as vice chairman of the powerful Revolution Command Council.
Muhammad's first wife testifies for Malvo
CHESAPEAKE, Va., Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The first wife of convicted Washington-area sniper John Allen Muhammad testified Lee Boyd Malvo asked for help to get away from her ex.
Carol Williams testified Tuesday at the trial of Malvo, Muhammad's alleged accomplice in the October 2002 shooting spree that left 10 dead.
The Washington Post reported Williams, married to Muhammad from 1980 to 1983, said that during the summer of 2002, before the sniper shootings began, Malvo sent a letter to her niece indicating he needed help getting out of his "situation."
She said her former husband brought the teenager to her Louisiana home in the summer of 2002.
The Post said Williams described Malvo as a perfectly behaved young man. But later that summer Williams said her niece received a letter from Malvo and shared it with her mother and Williams.
"Me and my sisters got together because Lee was asking for help to get out of the situation he was in," Williams said.
Malvo has pleaded innocent by reason of insanity to capital murder charges in the slaying of Linda Franklin, one of the 10 Washington-area 2002 sniper fatalities.
Malvo's trial is being held in Chesapeake on a change of venue from Fairfax, Va.
Pakistan offers to pull out of Kashmir
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- India's foreign ministry was silent Tuesday after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf proposed both Pakistan and India withdraw their troops from Kashmir.
Musharraf told the BBC Monday Pakistan would immediately withdraw the 50,000 troops it maintains if India were to do the same across the Line of Control with its 700,000 soldiers.
He also pledged to award Pakistan's highest civilian honor to India's prime minister if he helps solve the Kashmir dispute.
Pakistan and India have fought two wars for total control over divided Kashmir.
Asked about Musharraf's comments during a Tuesday news conference in New Delhi, Indian Foreign Secretary Shashank's only comment was: "I don't think we are giving reactions to each statement made by Pakistan."
Shashank, however, expressed India's willingness to press ahead on other bilateral issues, including the restoration of train links, saying New Delhi has proposed holding technical talks with Pakistan later this month on resuming train service.
Shashank also confirmed Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee would attend next month's regional Saarc summit in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
Vajpayee has already said he hopes to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali during the summit.
Bush stays silent on steel tariffs
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush refused Tuesday to say whether he'd keep or scrap protective tariffs on steel imports, the White House said.
Spokesman Scott McClellan, speaking to reporters en route to a presidential appearance in Pittsburgh, said the issue was still "under review."
"We have been listening to producers, to consumers, to members of Congress and others about their views on the issue," he said. "The president still has not made a decision ..."
The World Trade Organization, under European prodding, declared the tariffs illegal. The Europeans threaten retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, which could harm the U.S. economy.
U.S. steel manufacturers want the tariffs to remain. Steel-using companies want them scrapped since they increase the price of production.
"He's in a no-win situation," said University of Virginia Professor Larry Sabato. "He is going to alienate somebody ... no matter what he does."
