USA
If President Bush orders military action against Iraq, he will explain the decision to the American people and US allies clearly, and will seek support from Congress, White House communications director Dan Bartlett told ABC-TV Sunday. He stressed that no decision had been made yet. The administration accuses Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein of supporting terrorism and trying to develop weapons of mass destruction. On NBC, Sen. Richard Lugar (R) of Indiana, said allied support is crucial, warning, "Unless we plan this carefully, we're likely to destabilize other countries in the Middle East."
The president of a company that conducts counterterrorism training was arrested after federal agents found more than 2,300 small missiles and 4,000 pounds of explosives at its facility in Roswell, N.M. At present, the criminal complaint against David Hudak and High Energy Access Tools is "a licensing and regulation issue, not a terrorism issue," said Assistant US Attorney Norman Cairns. The complaint also accuses Hudak, a Canadian national, of being in the US illegally.
Authorities in Bassett, Va., suspended the search for missing Jennifer Short Saturday, but said they still were pursuing leads in the girl's disappearance. Her murdered parents were found by a coworker Thursday at their home, near the North Carolina line. In San Diego, meanwhile, a jury is to resume deliberations in the Danielle van Dam case today. Neighbor David Westerfield is charged with her kidnapping and murder last February. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
A rally to demand that the government pay reparations for slavery drew an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people to the Mall in Washington Saturday. Organizers said although the turnout was small, it showed the grass-roots movement was gaining momentum. US Rep. John Conyers (D) of Michigan urged supporters to raise pressure on Congress. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan told the crowd: "We need payment for ... destruction of our minds and the robbery of our culture."
An annual festival to celebrate black culture in Cincinnati was disrupted when 2,000 youths clashed with police Saturday night. At least eight people were arrested, a police spokesman said. He blamed the unrest on hot weather and large numbers of unsupervised youths.
