WEDNESDAY,JULY23,2003
NEWS IN BRIEF
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 15
Saddam's two sons killed; White House praises troops
The Associated Press
MOSUL, Iraq — Saddam Hussein's sons Odai and Qusai died in a blaze of gunfire and rockets yesterday, the U.S. military said, claiming their deaths will blunt Iraqi resistance to the American occupation.
Acting on a tip from an Iraqi informant, U.S. forces mounted a six-hour operation in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez told reporters in Baghdad.
Four coalition soldiers were wounded and two other Iraqis were killed in the raid, but Saddam was not among them. The house belonged to a Saddam cousin, a tribal leader in the region.
"We are certain that Odai and Qusai were killed today," Sanchez said. "The bodies were in such a condition where you could identify them."
Both Odai (pronounced oh-DEYE) and Qusai (pronounced koh-SEYE) ranked second only to their father in the deposed regime.
They were Nos. 2 and 3 on the U.S. list of 55 top former Iraqi officials wanted by Washington.
The United States had offered a $25 million reward for information leading to Saddam's capture and $15 million
"We are certain that Odai and Qusai were killed today."
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez United States armed forces
each for his sons.
Qusai was probably intended as Saddam's successor, according to U.S. intelligence officials.
He ran much of Iraq's security apparatus, controlling several militias, internal security services and the military forces of the once-vaunted Republican Guard.
Odai controlled Saddam's Fedayeen, the paramilitary force that fought U.S. troops during the war. Many of its survivors are thought to be part of the guerrilla campaign in Iraq.
Odai also controlled information and propaganda, and was chairman of the country's Olympic committee.
The White House applauded the action.
"Over the period of many years, these two individuals were responsible for countless atrocities committed against the Iraqi people and they can no longer cast a shadow of hate on Iraq," it said in a statement.
Lynch was to make brief public remarks from a wheelchair in a park minutes after the arrival —her first public words since her ordeal.
The hospital issued a statement by Lynch in which she thanked the medical team who cared for her.
"I also thank all the well-wishers for all their cards, letters, banners and posters," Lynch's statement said. "These really raised my spirits and kept me going."
Newborn baby's toe cut off accidentally during delivery
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A hospital employee accidentally cut off part of a newborn baby's toe while trying to remove a security tag, a hospital spokesman said yesterday.
Doctors reattached the part and were waiting to see if it healed properly, family members said.
Amirona Simmons was about to be released from Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women on Monday when a
hospital worker said she "nipped" the girl's baby toe, according to the girl's mother, Sheketa Simmons.
"When I looked, her toe was cut all the way off," Simmons said.
"It is a very unfortunate accident and we regret that it happened," Brown said. "We're evaluating the course of action of what happened."
Hospital spokesman Joe Brown said only the tip of the middle toe was cut off.
N.Y. police receive funding following Sept.11 attacks
NEWYORK (AP)—In the nearly two years since the World Trade Center attack, the New York Police Department has posted detectives overseas, taught officers exotic languages and acquired a mobile lab to detect chemical or biological attacks—all of it courtesy of Pfizer, Motorola and other donors.
cated nationwide.
The money is contributed to the New York City Police Foundation, a little-noticed charity whose marriage of philanthropy and public safety is being repli-
Police departments with shrinking budgets and a growing list of duties are using nonprofit foundations to solicit donations for new, and sometimes controversial, projects.
"Running a modern police department is not a cheap proposition," said Karen Wagener, president of the Los Angeles Police Foundation. "The model of having these public-private partnerships is the way things are going."
INTERNATIONAL Liberian rebels seek cease-fire following week's bloody battle
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — Rebels announced a cease-fire as West African defense chiefs tried yesterday to work out quick deployment of a peacekeeping force, a day after mortars rained onto Liberia's wartorn capital in the worst fighting in months.
Despite the cease-fire order, government and rebel fighters continued to trade machine-gun and grenade fire near two strategic bridges connecting Monrovia's port and downtown — the symbolic heart of the country and the site of President Charles Taylor's offices.
There was also sporadic shelling downtown, with one round striking near the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy compound.
Still piled out in the street in front of the embassy were bodies, lying under plastic sheeting, killed during a furious mortar barrage the day before and dragged there by Liberians furious that American forces have not come to their rescue.
Liberians ventured from their homes to search for food and water. Defense Minister Daniel Chea said Monday's death toll was well over 600 people, after what appeared to be the bloodiest clashes in the past two months of the rebel push to oust Taylor.
Fire erupts in Eiffel tower; cause yet to be determined
PARIS (AP) — A fire broke out on a top level of the Eiffel Tower yesterday, sending smoke pouring from the 1,069-foot Paris landmark.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known, the company that operates the tower said. The blaze appeared to be in an area inaccessible to tourists, on one of the three topmost levels of the tower.
Officials said they were not sure whether anyone was on the top level, where the fire appeared to have erupted. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The best-known monument in Europe, the iron-laced Eiffel Tower has had more than 200 million visitors since it opened at the Paris Exhibition in 1889. It draws 6 million visitors a year, making it the world's most popular paying tourist attraction.
Tourists can reach the third level of the tower by elevator, and there are restaurants on the first two levels.
South Korean president denies North Korean nuclear activity
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)—South Korea's president on Monday dismissed a report that North Korea had secretly built another plutonium production plant and expressed concern that such media accounts could hurt his country's economy.
Meanwhile, a senior South Korean official predicted a possible breakthrough in the nuclear standoff, saying the United States, China and North Korea will hold talks in Beijing "quite soon."
The nations were "in the final stage of arranging a new meeting," said Ra Jongil, President Roh Moo-hyun's national security adviser.
Quoting unnamed U.S. and Asian officials with access to the latest intelligence on North Korea, the New York Times reported Sunday that strong evidence had emerged in recent weeks that the communist state had built a second secret plant for plutonium, a key material for nuclear bombs.
Roh was told by aides Monday that the Times report was "low in reliability," said Kim Man-soo, Roh's deputy spokesman.
"The president expressed concern about the phenomenon of unclear and groundless media reports throwing cold water on our economy," Kim said.
British prime minister awaits scientist suicide investigation
LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Tony Blair said he would take full responsibility if an inquiry finds the government contributed to the suicide of scientist David Kelly, who was identified Sunday by the British Broadcasting Corp. as its main source in accusing the government of hyping weapons evidence to justify war in Iraq.
Blair, dogged on his trip through east Asia by angry charges about the Ministry of Defense adviser's death, said he had no intention of resigning over the dispute, as some critics at home had demanded.
He welcomed the BBC's announcement, which temporarily shifted the angriest public criticism from his administration to the broadcaster, whose credibility came under attack.
"In the end, the government is my responsibility and I can assure you the judge will be able to get to what facts, what people, what papers he wants," Blair told Sky News.