The United States and the Iraqi government are launching a new diplomatic initiative to invite Iran and Syria to a ``neighbors meeting'' on stabilizing Iraq, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday. ``We hope that all governments seize this opportunity to improve their relations with Iraq and to work for peace and stability in the region,'' Rice said in remarks prepared for delivery to a Senate committee. Excerpts were released in advance by the State Department. The move reflects a change of approach by the Bush administration, which previously had resisted calls by members of Congress and by a bipartisan Iraq review group to include Iran and Syria in diplomatic talks on stabilizing Iraq. ``I am pleased to announce that we are also supporting the Iraqis in a new diplomatic offensive: to build greater support, both within the region and beyond, for peace and prosperity in Iraq,'' ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk
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Editor - 10:25:00 02-27-07
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 Hail damages shuttle on launch pad |
A hailstorm left hundreds of divots in the space shuttle Atlantis’ external fuel tank late Monday, and NASA managers were considering whether the damage was severe enough to postpone next month’s launch to the international space station.A decision was expected later Tuesday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, sources at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida told NBC News that a postponement appeared likely.The storm Monday evening passed over the launch pad where Atlantis was being prepared for a March 15 launch, NASA spokesman Bill Johnson said. “Right now, the big deal is how many divots? How deep are they? Can they be repaired at the pad? Can they not be repaired at the pad?” Johnson said....
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17362178/
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Editor - 10:21:00 02-27-07
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| Audit Shows U.N. Official Provided False Birth Date in Job Application |
The head of the U.N. intellectual property agency gave an apparently false birth date that made him nine years older when he applied to join the body, an inaccuracy that may have helped him get hired and win promotions, a United Nations audit showed.The confidential report, obtained by The Associated Press, said Kamil Idris changed his age back to the younger one last year — more than two decades after he had joined the World Intellectual Property Organization — a change that could enhance his retirement benefits. He has headed the agency since 1997.The audit also raises questions about whether Idris gave incorrect information about his work history and college degrees before joining the U.N....
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,255027,00.html
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Editor - 10:15:00 02-27-07
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| In Rush To Iraq, Army Units Skip Training Two Combat Brigades Being Deployed To Baghdad Without Usual Desert Training |
Rushed by President Bush's decision to reinforce Baghdad with thousands more U.S. troops, two Army combat brigades are skipping their usual session at the Army's premier training range in California and instead are making final preparations at their home bases. Some in Congress and others outside the Army are beginning to question the switch, which is not widely known. They wonder whether it means the Army is cutting corners in preparing soldiers for combat, since they are forgoing training in a desert setting that was designed specially to prepare them for the challenges of Iraq. Army officials say the two brigades will be as ready as any others that deploy to Iraq, even though they will not have the benefit of training in counterinsurgency tactics at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., which has been outfitted to simulate conditions in Iraq for units that are heading there on yearlong tours....
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/27/iraq/main2519878.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._2519878
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Editor - 10:13:00 02-27-07
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| Bomb kills or wounds 19, mainly children, in Iraq |
A bomb attack near a soccer field in the volatile Iraqi city of Ramadi on Tuesday killed or wounded 19 people, most of them children, police said.State television Iraqiya said 18 children had been killed by a car bomb at the field. Police said it was a roadside bomb. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military. Iraqiya gave no more details. Police said the field was near an American military base. Ramadi is the capital of Anbar province, the heart of the Sunni Arab insurgency in Iraq. A truck bomb near a Sunni mosque in Ramadi killed 52 people on Saturday, a day after the mosque's imam had made a speech criticizing Sunni al Qaeda, which is entrenched in the area. ...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2908190
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Editor - 10:06:00 02-27-07
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| Hamas wins Moscow embargo pledge |
Russia says it will work to lift sanctions which western governments imposed on the Palestinian Authority after Hamas won elections last year. The announcement came as Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal was visiting Moscow. Russia risked the wrath of the United States and Israel when it decided to hold talks with Hamas. This is the second time in less than a year that the group has been invited to Moscow, and Russia is unrepentant. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomed the recent proposals to form a Palestinian government of national unity. Mr Meshaal thanked Russia for its support and advice. But neither he nor Mr Lavrov gave any details of what actual steps Russia might take to lift the economic blockade. Russia, the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union have demanded that Hamas renounce violence and recognise Israel....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6401995.stm
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Editor - 10:04:00 02-27-07
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