Iraqi MPs okayed a $400-million (270 million euro) compensation deal yesterday for Americans who say they were mistreated by executed dictator Saddam Hussein's regime during the 1990-1991 Gulf War.
A total of 226 lawmakers were in the Council of Representatives' main chamber, with a majority approving the agreement, which was originally signed between Baghdad and Washington in September.
MPs loyal to radical anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr walked out of parliament when the issue was put to a vote, however.
Iraq's August 2, 1990 assault on neighbouring Kuwait was rapidly met with a concerted international military response that pushed Saddam's forces out of the emirate. Hussein's reign was later ended by a US-led coalition in 2003.
Several US citizens were held by Saddam's regime during the war over Kuwait and used as human shields to deter coalition attacks, with some claiming they were mistreated and tortured by Saddam's forces.
The US embassy welcomed the vote, with spokesman David J. Ranz saying: "This decision represents an important step in our bilateral relationship, and in putting the terrible legacy of the Saddam regime in the past."
The compensation deal is part of efforts to end provisions in force as a result of Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter, which regards Iraq as a threat to international security.
In December, the UN Security Council also ended key international sanctions imposed on Baghdad, halting punishing restrictions to prevent the proliferation weapons of mass destruction.
One soldier was killed and five were wounded in an explosion at an army camp in a Pakistani administered area of Kashmir early yesterday, officials said.
The blast took place around midnight and triggered fire in Gulpar camp in Kotli district near the UN monitored line of control that divides the disputed Himalayan region between India and Pakistan, local police chief Malik Khalid told AFP by telephone.
"One body has been recovered and five soldiers injured in the incident have been admitted to hospital," he said.
Local administration chief Fareed Ahmed confirmed the incident. "We are investigating if the explosion was accidentally caused by an electrical short circuit or if it was an act of terrorism," he said.
The region is split between the two countries along the line of control and has triggered two of the three wars between the neighbours since their independence from Britain in 1947.
Overall militant violence in the region has declined since India and Pakistan began a peace process in 2004.
Since then, there have been sporadic small clashes with both sides accusing the other of violating the ceasefire.
TRIPOLI, Libya — A NATO airstrike flattened a building inside Moammar Gadhafi's compound early on Monday, in what a press official from Gadhafi's government said was an attempt on the Libyan leader's life.
Firefighters were still working to extinguish flames in a part of the wrecked building when journalists were brought on a government-organized trip to the scene, a few hours after three loud explosions shook central Tripoli. The press official, who asked not to be identified, said Gadhafi used the destroyed building for ministerial and other meetings. She said 45 people were injured, including 15 who were seriously hurt, and some were still unaccounted for after the attack. That could not be independently confirmed.
AMMAN (Reuters) – Scores of pro-democracy protesters killed by security forces will be buried across Syria in funerals expected to attract large crowds on Saturday and fuel mounting defiance against authoritarian rule.
A group of activists coordinating the demonstrations said regular forces and gunmen loyal to President Bashar al-Assad shot dead at least 88 civilians on Friday. Rights groups had earlier put the death toll at a minimum of 70.
aradical Islamist group hanged an Italian activist hours after kidnapping him in Gaza, Hamas said yesterday, as Rome denounced the "barbaric murder."
The pro-Palestinian activist was found hanged in a house north of Gaza City, the ruling Hamas government said.
"The government media office denounces the criminal kidnapping and murder of an Italian solidarity activist... who was found by security hanging in an abandoned house in northern Gaza," it said.
Hamas said two suspected kidnappers were arrested and security officials were looking for accomplices.
The pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement (ISM) named the activist as 36-year-old member Vittorio Arrigoni, who had been living in the Gaza Strip for much of the past three years.
In a video posted on YouTube, the kidnappers said Arrigoni had been taken hostage in order to secure the release of an unspecified number of Salafists detained by Hamas security forces, including Hisham al-Suedani, a leader of the radical group Tawhid wal Jihad.
The kidnappers, who identified themselves as belonging to The Brigade of the Gallant Companion of the Prophet Mohammed bin Muslima, said they would execute Arrigoni if their demands were not met by 5:00pm local time yesterday.
WASHINGTON – Barack Obama rode a wave of voter passion in 2008 fed largely by intense dislike of President George W. Bush and the Iraq war, plus excitement among young and minority voters at the notion of electing the nation's first black president.
Now, as Obama cranks up his re-election campaign, all those factors are absent.
The president has many tools, of course, for inspiring and exciting potential voters. But he faces a different landscape, one in which key supporters are disappointed by concessions he has made to Republicans, and discouraged by huge Democratic losses last fall.
Obama acknowledged the challenge last week in Boston. "Somebody asked me, how do we reinvigorate the population, the voter, after two very tough years?" he told Democratic donors. "How do we recapture that magic that got so many young people involved for the very first time in 2008?"
system loyal to Muammar Gaddafi shelled the besieged town of Misrata yesterday after the African Union said he had accepted a plan to end Libya's civil war.
Al Jazeera television quoted a rebel spokesman as saying five people died and 20 were wounded in Misrata, a lone rebel bastion in western Libya, which has been under siege for more than six weeks.
Rebels in Misrata told Reuters Gaddafi's forces fired Russian-made Grad rockets into the town, where conditions for civilians are said to be desperate.
The insurgents said they would accept no plan that allowed Gaddafi to stay in power and prepared to advance on the eastern front after repelling a major government assault on Sunday against their town of Ajdabiyah.
Prospects for a ceasefire looked remote.
South African President Jacob Zuma, head of an AU peace mission, said early on yesterday that Gaddafi had accepted a peace "road map," including a ceasefire, after talks in Tripoli.
A spokesman in the rebel capital of Benghazi said the opposition would look at the plan but Gaddafi must end his 41-year rule.
"The Libyan people have made it very clear that Gaddafi must step down, but we will consider the proposal once we have more details, and respond," spokesman Mustafa Gheriani told Reuters.
Libyan officials have repeatedly said that Gaddafi, who holds no official state position, will not quit.
The AU delegation went to Benghazi to confer with rebel leaders yesterday and was met by more than 2,000 demonstrators holding banners reading: "African Union take Gaddafi with you" and "Gaddafi has committed genocide."
Officials from Nato, which is bombing Libyan government armor under a United Nations mandate to protect civilians, said they took note of the AU proposal but the alliance would continue operations while civilians were at risk.
"It does not appear that this indication of a peace deal has any substance at this point," said one Nato official in reference to the shelling of Misrata.
The African Union does not have a good track record in brokering peace deals, having failed recently to end conflict or disputes in Somalia, Madagascar and Ivory Coast.
"The issue of Gaddafi stepping down from any political position is a closed issue ... Muammar Gaddafi does not hold a position of power," Abdel Monem al-Lamoushi, a government spokesman, told Al Arabiya television.
"No one has the right to send Muammar Gaddafi into exile out of the land of his forefathers. This man will not leave Libya."
At the front outside the eastern rebel city of Ajdabiyah, rebels buried the charred bodies of Gaddafi troops killed in air strikes and said they had been ordered to wait until noon to advance because new Nato bombing was expected .
aussie paceman John Hastings (L) celebrates with teammates after completing his hattrick during the warm-up game against BCB XI at Fatullah yesterday. Photo: Anisur RahmanAustralia were served a perfectly enjoyable buffet in their only practice game at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium yesterday with paceman John Hastings grabbing a hattrick and four of their batsmen stroking half-centuries in their 90-run win over the BCB XI side.
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