U.S. unveils timeline to curb Iraq violence
BAGHDAD, Iraq Two weeks before U.S. midterm elections, American officials unveiled a timeline Tuesday for Iraq’s Shiite-led government to take specific steps to calm the world’s most dangerous capital and said more U.S. troops might be needed to quell the bloodshed.
U.S. officials previously said they were satisfied with troop levels and had expected to make significant reductions by year’s end. But a surge in sectarian killings, which welled up this past summer, forced them to reconsider.
At a rare joint news conference with the American ambassador, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. George Casey, said additional U.S. troops could come from inside or outside Iraq to “improve basic services for the population of Baghdad.”
“Now, do we need more troops to do that? Maybe. And, as I’ve said all along, if we do, I will ask for the troops I need, both coalition and Iraqis,” Casey said. There are currently 144,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.
The military has expressed disappointment over its two-month drive to cleanse the capital of Sunni insurgents and Shiite militia fighters and death squads.
But the Americans also say that for the situation to improve, the Iraqi government must make political concessions to minority Sunnis.
U.S. officials revealed neither specific incentives for the Iraqis to implement the plan nor penalties for their failure to do so.
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said Iraqi leaders had agreed to the timeline, benchmarks heavily laden with enticements to Sunni insurgents.
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No word on missing soldier
The U.S. military carried out house-to-house searches in an upscale Baghdad neighborhood for an Army translator missing after reportedly being kidnapped, but said Tuesday they had found no sign of him. The military said the U.S. soldier was last seen Monday in the heavily guarded Green Zone, after which he was believed to have left to visit relatives elsewhere in the capital.
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No apology for test
China gave its first full public account Tuesday of its mission to North Korea, saying it got no apology from leader Kim Jong Il for the atomic test but did receive assurances that there were no plans for a second one. The reclusive leader also expressed a willingness to return to six-nation talks if financial restrictions levied by the U.S. are first resolved.
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Battery recall explained
Sony executives apologized Tuesday for a global recall in laptop batteries, acknowledging that the troubles had caused worries and inconvenience to consumers. The Japanese company said improvements in production, design and inspection have been made to prevent a recurrence of laptop overheating problems.
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Taxi, truck drivers strike
Thousands of taxi and truck drivers went on strike to demand lower fuel prices in a challenge to Uruguay’s center-left government. The strikers object to a government move to impose a tax on diesel fuel to finance a subsidy on bus fares. About 20,000 truck drivers and 5,000 taxi drivers snarled traffic and ringed the legislature.
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AND FINALLY
Palace turns on outside lights
The lights came on at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night–but some tourists were less than electrified. The palace announced Monday that for the rest of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, the facade of the residence will be illuminated from sundown until 11 p.m. At dusk, a soft glow of white light outlined the building’s portico columns. “I’ve got better lights on my house,” said Wendy Spingett, visiting with her husband.
