The America's Intelligence Wire articles from February 2005

The America's Intelligence Wire archives from February 2005

WORLD SPORTS at 0000 GMT.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) SOCCER: GERMANY-MATCH FIXING: Player received 'bonus' money before match, club president says FRANKFURT, Germany _ The captain of a third-division soccer team has been suspended as part of the investigation...

Struggle over Fiat's auto division expected to end in cash settlement.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: AIDAN LEWIS With postponed deadlines and secret meetings, Fiat SpA and General Motors Corp. have kept everyone guessing about the Italian group's option to force the U.S. carmaker to buy its troubled auto...

Sudan says U.N. report concludes genocide was not committed in Darfur.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DANIEL BALINT-KURTI U.N. investigators have concluded that genocide was not committed in the country's war-racked western Darfur region, Sudanese officials said, as the government and rebels committed to...

Wall of water came from half a world away.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ALEXANDRA ZAVIS On a wind-swept beach, fishermen patch their boats, shopkeepers pick through the debris of their businesses and school children shout out English vowels under a billowing green tent. ...

Two provincial German towns emerging as unlikely center of Islamic extremism.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID RISING The towering Ulm cathedral brought pilgrims for centuries to this town on the Bavarian border, but today security officials say a nondescript mosque in an old factory is the new magnet,...

Allawi calls for unity as insurgents vow more violence after Iraq vote.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BASSEM MROUE Prime Minister Ayad Allawi urged Iraqis to unite behind democracy in the wake of the country's historic elections, but al-Qaida's arm in Iraq vowed to press ahead with its "holy war" despite...

Much-prized Iraqi vote may not resolve the Sunnis' dilemma.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: HAMZA HENDAWI Just how many Sunni Arabs voted in Iraq's election might not be known for a long time. But one thing already is certain: A lot did not. Hailed the world over as a triumph of democracy,...

State calls off Connecticut execution again.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: PAT EATON-ROBB The state postponed plans to execute a serial killer after he agreed to have his mental competency examined, delaying for at least a month what would be New England's first execution in 45...

Formula One could be facing split between Ferrari and rest.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: STEPHEN WADE Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone had his moment last month, persuading Ferrari to break from the other nine teams and sign a long-term deal to stay with his series. By...

Jury selection begins in Michael Jackson child molestation case.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LINDA DEUTSCH Dressed in a bright white suit and a jewel-trimmed vest and belt, Michael Jackson stood before the first group of prospective jurors who could decide his fate on charges he molested a teenage...

In election year in Mideast, Iraqi election may affect other Arabs.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: SAM F. GHATTAS Iraq's election, however imperfect, could increase pressure on other authoritarian Arab countries to begin political reforms and hold free balloting. "The Americans were able to hold...

Conn. Again Delays Serial Killer Execution.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: PAT EATON-ROBB The state postponed plans Monday to execute a serial killer after he agreed to have his mental competency examined, delaying for at least a month what would be New England's first execution in 45...

Six months after attack on Pakistani premier, suicide bomber buried.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ASIF SHAHZAD It was a funeral like many others in Pakistan. The coffin was shrouded in green and the family wept as mourners with upturned palms offered prayers for the departed. But the gossip on the...

Insurgents' failure to keep Iraqis from polls raises questions about their influence.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: SALLY BUZBEE They sent nine suicide bombers, killed more than 40 people, claimed to have shot down a British military plane and threatened to wash the streets with blood. Insurgents' threats against...

Israeli, Palestinian security officials discuss restoring truce after death of girl, mortar fire break lull.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MARK LAVIE Top Israeli and Palestinian security officials discussed restoring calm after a Palestinian girl was killed by gunfire and militants retaliated with mortar shelling of Jewish settlements,...

Flu forces pope to skip audiences for first time in more than a year.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: VICTOR L. SIMPSON Pope John Paul II has influenza, forcing him to cancel scheduled audiences for health reasons for the first time in more than a year, the Vatican said. The frail 84-year-old pontiff...

Yugoslav General Sentenced for War Crimes.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: ANTHONY DEUTSCH U.N. war crimes judges sentenced an ailing, 71-year-old Yugoslav general to eight years in prison Monday for failing to punish subordinates who carried out the deadly 1991 shelling of the...

Bus Left No Skid Marks in Fatal N.Y. Crash.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: BEN DOBBIN A charter bus that swerved off a highway and rammed a parked tractor-trailer, killing four people and injuring 19, left no skid marks before the collision and had no obvious mechanical problems,...

Professor Quits Dept. Post After 9/11 Stir.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: BEN DOBBIN A University of Colorado professor who provoked a furor when he compared victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks to Nazis resigned as a department chairman Monday but will retain his...

Wrecked Barge Removed From Ohio River Dam.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: BEN DOBBIN The last of three wrecked barges that have closed a 42-mile stretch of the Ohio River for nearly two weeks was removed Monday, and barge traffic was expected to resume by midweek. The closing...

Professor resigns as department chair amid furor over 9/11 remarks.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BEN DOBBIN A University of Colorado professor who provoked a furor when he compared victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks to Nazis has resigned as a department chairman but will retain his...

Mideast governments and newspapers concerned by low Sunni turnout in Iraqi elections.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: PAUL GARWOOD Middle Eastern governments hope to establish positive relations with whatever government emerges from Iraq's landmark polls, but some observers expressed concern over the low Sunni Muslim...

Buildup of Iraqi security forces far from complete.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JOHN J. LUMPKIN Iraqi security units remain far from achieving expanded U.S. goals in numbers and capabilities, despite mounting pressure to turn them rapidly into a force able to defend the country's...

HP researchers propose alternative to transistors.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MATTHEW FORDAHL Challenging a basic tenet of the semiconductor industry, researchers at Hewlett-Packard Co. have demonstrated a technology that could replace the transistor as the fundamental building...

Mexican state oil company calls for greater investment in upkeep after petroleum spills.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIGUEL HERNANDEZ Work crews mopped up an underground oil spill on Monday in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, while Mexico state oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos has requested US$9 billion (A6.9 billion)...

Habitat for Humanity fires founder following sexual harassment allegations.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LOUISE CHU Habitat for Humanity International said it has fired its founder after months of dispute over allegations of his inappropriate conduct toward a female staffer. In a statement Monday, the...

Kuwaiti police nab suspected terror leader in raid that kills at least five people.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DIANA ELIAS Police burst into suspected terrorist hideouts throughout a tranquil suburb, arresting a reputed terror boss and setting off a ferocious gunbattle that killed at least four of his followers and...

Habitat for Humanity Fires Its Founder.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: LOUISE CHU Habitat for Humanity International said Monday it fired its founder after months of dispute over allegations of his inappropriate conduct toward a female staffer. In a statement, the board's...

U.N. settling in for long-term food distribution in Indonesia.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BETH GARDINER Aid helicopters are such a frequent sight that children in the tsunami-hit Acehnese town of Lamno fashion chopper-style toys from sticks, banana leaves and plastic water bottles. ...

Conductor Killed in Calif. Crash Mourned.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: GILLIAN FLACCUS Hundreds of people gathered Monday for a memorial for a conductor killed in a train wreck last week, with a child's simple remembrance bringing tears to the eyes of the veteran trainmen who...

Mexican judge rejects extradition appeal by Basques.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: GILLIAN FLACCUS A federal judge has rejected an appeal against the extradition of six alleged members of the Basque separatist group ETA to Spain to face terrorism charges, a lawyer for the inmates said....

Sex Abuse Case Against Ex-Priest Wraps Up.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: DENISE LAVOIE Prosecutors wrapped up their case against defrocked priest Paul Shanley on Monday after a psychologist testified that it is not uncommon for adults who suffer trauma as children to repress...

Stocks up in Mexico, Brazil, Chile; down in Argentina.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DENISE LAVOIE Mexican stocks rose to a new record closing high Monday, backed by gains in U.S. equities. The market's IPC index of leading shares rose 0.4 percent or 56.59 points, to 13,097.12. Volume...

U.N. commission says Sudan violated international law in Darfur, but no genocide.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DENISE LAVOIE A U.N. commission has concluded that the Sudanese government and militias committed "serious violations" of international law in the Darfur region and strongly recommended an investigation...

Tokyo stocks open higher, dollar up against yen.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DENISE LAVOIE Tokyo stocks edged higher early Tuesday following overnight gains on Wall Street. The U.S. dollar was up against the Japanese yen. The benchmark Nikkei Stock Average of 225 selected...

Captain McEnroe hopes to lure Agassi back.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: KEN PETERS United States captain Patrick McEnroe hopes to lure one of tennis' biggest stars back to his Davis Cup team. Swinging by on his way home from the Australian Open, McEnroe planned another...

Accused Sergeant Needs Sleep Disorder Help.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: ESTES THOMPSON Defense lawyers said Monday that an Army sergeant facing a court-martial on charges alleging he killed two officers in a grenade attack in Kuwait needs further treatment for a sleep disorder. ...

Professor Quits Dept. Post After 9/11 Stir.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: ESTES THOMPSON A University of Colorado professor who provoked a furor when he compared victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks to Nazis resigned as a department chairman Monday but will retain his...

Hillary Clinton collapses during public speech, apparent result of flu.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CAROLYN THOMPSON Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton fainted during a speech after complaining of flu-like symptoms, but was given medical attention at the scene and went on to give another speech in the...

Annan will improve U.N. accountability in response to lax management of U.N. oil-for-food program, chief of staff says.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: EDITH M. LEDERER Secretary-General Kofi Annan, under fire for the world body's lax management of the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq, is taking steps to improve the accountability of the world body,...

U.N. official says 800,000 will need food aid in Aceh; tsunami death toll in Indonesia rises.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CHRIS BRUMMITT The throngs of survivors needing food aid in Indonesia's tsunami-devastated Aceh province are expected to skyrocket to nearly 800,000 as isolated villages are reached and the economic...

Calif. Secretary's Defense Fund Now $250.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: JIM WASSERMAN As Secretary of State Kevin Shelley struggles to keep his job, he has received only a single $250 contribution to his three-month-old legal defense fund, according to contribution reports released...

France recalls deadly Mont Blanc tunnel fire as trial begins after six-year wait.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: THIERRY BOINET A long-awaited trial opened into the Mont Blanc tunnel inferno of 1999, with 16 defendants facing manslaughter charges for the blaze that killed 39 people. Bonneville, an Alpine town on...

Dollar slightly up against yen in early Asian trading.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: THIERRY BOINET The U.S. dollar was only slightly higher against the Japanese yen in early Tuesday trading as many investors grew cautious ahead of upcoming key events that could move the markets. The...

Elephant Death Revives Cold-Weather Debate.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: TARA BURGHART The memorial service was held outside, with a few mourners, bunches of flowers and a framed photo of the 55-year-old deceased, an elephant named Peaches. She was the oldest African elephant...

African leaders in Nigeria push for more peacekeepers in conflict hotspots.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DANIEL BALINT-KURTI African leaders ended a continent-wide summit, pledging to send more peacekeeping troops to conflict zones and to boost their role in world affairs. At least 40 heads of state at...

U.N. commission says Sudan violated international law in Darfur, but stops short of calling violence genocide.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NICK WADHAMS A U.N. commission concluded that the Sudanese government and militias carried out mass killings and probably war crimes in the western Darfur region, but stopped short of calling the violence...

Doctors: Recovery chances good for Marine with mystery ailment.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: GREG RISLING A Marine who returned from Iraq with a mysterious near-fatal infection requiring a liver transplant was expected to make a full recovery, doctors said. Lance Cpl. Chris LeBleu remained in...

Rice reaffirms U.S. desire to restart six-way Korea talks.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: GREG RISLING U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reaffirmed on Monday a continuing U.S. desire to restart suspended six-party talks to end North Korea's nuclear weapons program. In telephone...

Tourism officials, agencies ready to endorse tsunami revival plan.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DANIEL LOVERING Tourism officials and executives on Tuesday prepared to finalize plans to revitalize their industry in southern Asian nations struck by the Dec. 26 tsunami, believed to be the global...

Former Crematory Operator Gets 12 Years.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: HARRY R. WEBER Former crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh was sentenced to 12 years in prison Monday after relatives of some of the 334 people whose bodies he left to decay on his property confronted him on the...

Crews Clearing Ga. Roads, Restoring Power.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: LOUISE CHU Cleanup crews worked Monday to clear toppled trees from roadways and restore electricity to neighborhoods that were still without power after a winter storm spread sheets of ice up to 2 inches thick...

DNA Sought to ID Jamestown Skeleton.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: LINDA DEUTSCH The Church of England has agreed to allow researchers using radar to look beneath two churches for remains that could determine whether a skeleton found at Jamestown is that of one of the colony's...

N.Y. Co. Recalls Chicken, May Be Tainted.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: LINDA DEUTSCH A New York firm is recalling about 5,760 pounds of chicken products because of possible listeria contamination, the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Monday. ...

South Korean president to visit Moscow in May.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LINDA DEUTSCH South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun will visit Russia in May to take part in a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, his office said Tuesday. Russian...

Upcoming talks between leaders of Colombia and Venezuela key to resolving crisis.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANDREW SELSKY A meeting this week between Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is key to ensuring that Colombian leftist rebels are denied sanctuary in the neighboring...

Award-winning filmmaker Chuck Olin, known for documentary about all-Jewish fighting unit in World War II, dies.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANDREW SELSKY Chuck Olin, an award-winning filmmaker known for his 1998 documentary about the only all-Jewish fighting unit during World War II, died Jan. 20. He was 68. Olin died of complications...

Rice says a viable Palestinian state is key to Middle East peace.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BARRY SCHWEID There can be no Arab-Israeli peace unless the Palestinians gain a state that satisfies their aspirations for independence, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said before meeting with a...

Els doesn't see Tiger Woods being as dominant again.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DENNIS PASSA Ernie Els says golf technology and a more competitive tour means Tiger Woods won't be as dominant as he once was. "Everybody has become better players, technology has brought everybody...

Relief organizations warn United States on counter-narcotics strategy.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: STEPHEN GRAHAM Leading relief groups urged the United States to reconsider its strategy to counter Afghanistan's illegal narcotics industry, the world's largest, warning that destroying farmers opium crops...

Defense says soldier accused in Kuwait killings needs treatment for sleep disorder.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ESTES THOMPSON Defense lawyers said that an Army sergeant facing a court-martial on charges alleging he killed two officers in a grenade attack in Kuwait needs further treatment for a sleep disorder. ...

Prosecutors wrap up case against defrocked priest from Boston.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DENISE LAVOIE Prosecutors wrapped up their case against defrocked priest Paul Shanley after a psychologist testified that it is not uncommon for adults who suffer trauma as children to repress memories of...

Turnbull bashes plan for federal financial overseer in U.S. Virgin Islands.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MAT PROBASCO Pointing to an improved financial outlook and cuts in government spending, Gov. Charles Turnbull railed against calls for a financial officer to oversee spending in the cash-strapped U.S....

UMass Medical School signs deal with Norwegian company that could lead to male birth control pill.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MARK JEWELL A Norwegian company seeking to develop a male birth control pill has signed a licensing agreement with the University of Massachusetts Medical School covering research that could lead to a drug...

Sudan says U.N. report concludes genocide was not committed in Darfur.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DANIEL BALINT-KURTI Sudan's government and rebels committed to reopening peace talks within weeks, as a United Nations report concluded that the mass killings in the country's Darfur region did not amount...

Professor resigns as department chair amid furor over 9/11 remarks.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DANIEL BALINT-KURTI A University of Colorado professor who provoked a furor when he compared victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks to Nazis has resigned as a department chairman but will...

Detroit Mayor Clashes With Reporters.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: SARAH KARUSH Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick clashed with reporters Monday at the first weekly news conference intended to mend fences with the media. Kilpatrick refused to take questions on the issue that...

Oil From Ruptured Line Gets in Ohio River.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: SARAH KARUSH Oil from a pipeline that ruptured last week moved into the Ohio River on Monday, but the size of the spill was not immediately known. The pipeline rupture sent 63,000 gallons of crude into the...

Man With Knife Arrested at Oregon Senate.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: CHARLES BEGGS A man ran into the nearly empty Oregon Senate chamber Monday and sat at the podium for nearly an hour, holding a 12-inch butcher knife to his chest, before police arrested him. Boyd A. Owens,...

New Cell Phone Responds to Shakes, Jiggles.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: YURI KAGEYAMA Tired of pushing all those buttons on your cell phone? Japanese handsets slated to hit stores next month are designed to solve that problem: They respond to shakes, tilts and jiggles. The...

Ill. Comptroller Refuses to Honor Flu Deal.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: MAURA KELLY LANNAN Illinois' chief financial officer said Monday his office would not pay for the flu vaccine that Gov. Rod Blagojevich ordered from Europe but never got federal approval to import. State...

State Democrats Back Dean for DNC Post.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: WILL LESTER State party leaders gave their backing Monday to Howard Dean in his bid to be chairman of the Democratic National Committee, putting the former presidential candidate in a strong position to win the...

Kerry Has Money Left From Presidential Run.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: SHARON THEIMER John Kerry's unsuccessful presidential campaign left him with millions of dollars in seed money for a 2008 Senate or presidential bid. The Democrat transferred $4 million in leftover money...

Police Make Arrest in NYC Actress Slaying.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: SHARON THEIMER A man was arrested Monday for allegedly killing an aspiring actress during a holdup on Manhattan's Lower East Side, a once-gritty neighborhood now known for its hip nightspots. Rudy Fleming,...

First Amendment No Big Deal, Students Say.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: BEN FELLER The way many high school students see it, government censorship of newspapers may not be a bad thing, and flag burning is hardly protected free speech. It turns out the First Amendment is a...

WORLD at 0200GMT.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BEN FELLER HIGHLIGHTS: Update: IRAQ. Allawi calls for unity as insurgents vow more violence after Iraq vote. New: IRAQ-THE INSURGENCY. Insurgents' failure to keep Iraqis from polls raises...

Iraqi-American Voters Celebrate Election.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: GILLIAN FLACCUS Wahab Murad, 43, flew in from Denver with his 20-year-old son, Dana, to cast absentee ballots in Iraq's first independent election in nearly 50 years. As in many polling places across America,...

Isolated La. Town Now Has Phone Service.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Online) Byline: MARY FOSTER After living almost 50 years without a telephone, 83-year-old Alma Louise Bolton can now plan on spending a little less time on the road. "If we needed to borrow something, like a cup of sugar,...

Born from a bus company, Brazil's Gol airline spreading wings in South America.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ALAN CLENDENNING In a country where domestic air travel meant free whiskey in coach class only a few years ago, an airline born from a bus company is attracting travelers in droves to flights where such...

Despite industry lobbying, Wall Street firms cautious on Social Security.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL J. MARTINEZ There's been a curious silence on Wall Street since President George W. Bush proposed that the U.S. state pension system known as Social Security be privatized. It might seem that...

Teaching computers to read no ABC affair.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL HILL Among the handiest villains in science fiction are Computers That Know Too Much. Think of the dream-weaving despots of "The Matrix" or murderous HAL in "2001: A Space Odyssey." But in...

Lawmakers, CIA in dispute over release of documents about Nazi war criminals.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MALIA RULON Members of Congress are urging the CIA to comply with a 1998 public disclosure law and release documents about Nazi war criminals hired by the U.S. government's intelligence agency during the...

Bankruptcy judge approves new United contracts, imposes pay cuts.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIKE COLIAS United Airlines' flight attendants and pilots ratified new contracts, agreeing to additional givebacks as the struggling carrier tries to emerge from more than two years of bankruptcy. A...

Chertoff denies advising CIA on specific torture techniques.
February 1, 2005... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LARA JAKES JORDAN Homeland Security Secretary-designate Michael Chertoff privately told congressional staffers that he did not advise the CIA on the legality of using specific torture techniques on terror...