NO, NOT THE OIL! #30.1

[R Kym Horsell]

From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia
Reserch Senter(*)
OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS #30
===============================
In the Run-Up to World War III, Reliably Reporting the News Relevant
to Extreme Right-Wing Democratic Socialists Everywhere
(validated for RiteThink(tm) by the Office of Our Man in Can-berra).

Visit Our Home Page At:
http://www.chickenhead.com/loserscopes/

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http://www.iraqbodycount.net/

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Selecting latest news stories and other data for you...
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I think the coalition has to play the central role in leading the way forward.
-- US Sec of State Colin Powell, Brussels, 3 Apr 2003.
Translation for the frogs: bugger off -- it's ours.

I don't think there are any particular points of disagreement.
-- AUS For Min Alex Downer, 3 Apr 2003.
Translation for the Yanks: Roger wilco.

Some may have gone back to their homes... some are ready to fight
another day... some are dead through combat action... some have been
captured... some are flat unaccounted for.
-- Brig Vince Brooks, daily briefing, 3 Apr 2003.
Explaining to reporters where the Rep Guards have
disappeared to.

I'm afraid that's an historic problem with Iraq.
-- For Min Alex Downer, 4 Apr 2003.
Describing how the Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish politicians
will not be embracing each other immediately.

If he's found or not is almost irrelevant.
-- Colin Powell, 4 Apr 2003.
Speaking after Saddam apparently goes on a walk in Baghdad.

This time we won't abandon you.
-- Brit propaganda cartoon, nr Basra, 4 Apr 2003.
Showing friendly armed Brit trooper shaking hands with local.

Propaganda is a dirty word for us.
-- Brit propaganda cartoonist, nr Basra, 4 Apr 2003.
Didn't want to have his face on TV.

In Iraq, we will need whatever sized force is required.
-- Gen Peter Pace, Dep Ch of Joint Chiefs, Meet the Press, 6 Apr 2003.
Explaining why 100,000 troops are enough to control Iraq.

It's too early to say what the effect will be.
-- Dr Paul Wolfowitz, Dep Def Sec, Meet the Press, 6 Apr 2003.
Explaining that his plan to change the structure of the
Middle E has been carefully thought through.

We are not occupiers, and not colonisers.
-- Dr Paul Wolfowitz, Dep Def Sec, Meet the Press, 6 Apr 2003.
Stressing his plan's about regime change! And only 10,000
US troops are needed to maintaining the change in Afghanistan.

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Fri, 04 Apr 2003.

Cigarettes killed 72 miners
Floods, mudslides in Indonesian island claim 45 lives
22 killed in India
Israel accused of "exploiting" war
3 killed in fighter crash
Iraqi officials scoff as invaders eye Baghdad
US troops storm Baghdad airport
US forces fight off tanks
Brit troops set up camp in Basra
The tomato regime
Clinton backs troops but urges friendly persuasion
RAN sends out special mine clearing equipment
Air chief fears urban warfare
US soldier mistaken for Iraqi shot dead
War commanders report 3 deadly accidents
Special forces slip into Baghdad during blackout
Syria still helping Iraq: Rummy
Wives, children of Uday aides killed by coal'n bombs
Fleeing civilians hamper Allies
US network says buses of Iraqis fleeing Baghdad
9,000 Iraqis now POW's, says Brit
Baghdad's fall may not be end
Watchdog slams Iraqi treatment of journalists
Powell offers role to UN -- on his terms
War delays recovery: World Bank
Fresh signs buildup to war took its toll
$bns voted in airline welfare
20 "Taliban" killed in fresh Afghan offensive
Looking for 2nd bomb suspect: Phil
Flu investigations
3 Canadian children on SARS list in Vic
US must ditch "inferiority complex": Murdoch
Hollow threats to combat terrorism
Downer tackles N Korea crisis
Downer's mother receives hate mail
Aussies will get some
Vic farmers qual for assist
Credit card medicine
Crossbow attack injures 2 schoolgirls
Global plan needed to stem cancer tide
Russia avoids space station closure for time being
CBR reviews sex slave policing
Payout stripped from quadriplegic
Markets
Continuous war news

Beijing. CIGARETTES KILLED 72 MINERS! China says workers smoking
cigarettes in a gas-filled put sparked a massive underground blast
that killed 72 coal miners in the country's NE last m. The Communist
Party's People's Daily newspaper says open cigarette packs were found
on the bodies of 2 dead miners at the Mengnanzhuang mine. The paper
says the find shows that mgt of the coal mine was "extremely chaotic".
The paper says a short circuit disabled the mine's ventilation system
before the blast, causing a dangerous buildup of coal gas.

Floods, mudslides in Indonesian island claim 45 lives
Jakarta. At least 45 people have been killed after torrential
rainstorms caused floods and mudslides on the mountainous eastern
Indonesian island of Flores, officials said. As of Thu local time, a
total of 30 people had died in the central district of Ende, district
chief Paulinus Domi said. He says all but one were residents of
Ndunga village which was hit by a mudslide early Mon. The other was a
fisherman caught in a storm on Wed.
Around the eastern town of Larantuka, mudslides killed 10 people and
swept away 81 homes early Wed, district rep Kunradus Liwo said. 3
people were killed by a mudslide in Sikka district on Wed, a policeman
said. In Besar island off the N coast of Flores, 2 people were killed
and 2 others missing after a mudslide hit the area.
Poverty-stricken Flores island is prone to natural disasters. 5
people were killed last wk when a cliff collapsed on them after they
fled their homes during an earthquake.

22 killed in India
Amritsar. 3 KILLED IN FIGHTER CRASH! An Indian AF fighter jet has
crashed in a civilian area in the N Indian state of Punjab, killing a
family of 3 and injuring 5 others. Police say the MiG-23 hit 4 houses
and set them on fire on the outskirts of Ludhiana, a city 260 km S of
New Delhi. The pilot ejected safely. The cause of the accident is
unknown, although India's aging MiG fleet is prone to accidents. In
the past 6 y, the govt has reported more than 100 crashes that have
killed more than 50 pilots.

Guwahati. 22 KILLED IN INDIA! Police in NE India have found the bodies
of 22 tribal people abducted by militants from a rival group. A
police rep in the state of Assam says the bullet-riddle bodies were
recovered from thick forests in Cachar, in S Assam. More than 30
Dimasa people from 3 remote villages were kidnapped during a night
raid on Wed. Police suspect a local militant group, the Hmar Peoples
Conference, is behind the massacre. Assam has been plagued by
separatist and tribal unrest for over 20 y.

Israel accused of "exploiting" war
Tel Aviv. Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat today accused
Israel of using the war in Iraq as cover to attack the Palestinians.
His comments came after 4 Palestinians were killed in a raid on a Gaza
Strip refugee camp, a suspected Hamas leader was shot dead in Nablus
and a teenager killed by an Israeli army patrol late last night in Qalqiliya.
One of the men in the Gaza Strip refugee camp, nr Rafah on the
Gaza-Egypt border, died when an Apache attack helicopter fired on
Palestinian fighters shooting at Israeli soldiers, the Israeli army
said. The 3 others were killed in an exchange of gunfire. 7
people were also wounded in the clashes, doctors and witnesses said.
The army said the raid was meant to uncover weapons-smuggling tunnels
under the border. None were discovered, but 4 soldiers were wounded
when a bomb went off under a tank.
In the W Bank city of Nablus, Israeli troops this morning shot and
killed Khaled Rayyan, 28, a suspected Hamas leader, who was hiding in
a relative's house with his wife and child. Mr Rayyan was killed when
he tried to attack the troops with a pistol, his wife, Salam, said.
Israeli troops searching for Palestinian militants in Qalqiliya late
last night shot and killed a 14-yo Palestinian when he opened his door
to look at troops outside, witnesses said. The army said the boy
tried to run away from troops, and was shot after he ignored calls to stop.
Israel denies Palestinian claims that it has taken advantage of world
attention on Iraq to wage excessive force, saying its actions have
been steady and targeted against militants.
The latest clashes came after Mahmoud Abbas, the recently named
Palestinian prime minister, met yesterday with political leaders in
the Gaza Strip to discuss the formation of his new cabinet. Mr Abbas,
who is widely known as Abu Mazen, also met recently with leaders of
Islamist militant groups in Gaza, in an effort to persuade them to
end, at least for a period, attacks against Israelis.
Israeli security officials met for the 1st time in m with Palestinian
security officials, according to Ribhi Arafat, a Palestinian
commander. 2 meetings took place last Tue and Thu, in Israel nr the
Gaza border, he said.
The Palestinians asked for Israel's eventual withdrawal from the W
Bank, while the Israelis asked for an end to attacks, Mr Arafat said.
Under interim peace accords, the Palestinian Authority is supposed to
control about 40% of the W Bank. But in a series of incursions
launched in reprisal for suicide attacks, the Israeli military has
gradually re-taken most of the areas -- incl all but one of the main
Palestinian cities and towns.
A rep from the Israeli def min'y would neither confirm nor deny
that the security meetings took place. Both sides are under
internat'l pressure to find a way to end the violence and resume peace talks.

Iraqi officials scoff as invaders eye Baghdad
Baghdad. Iraq remains unbending, at least verbally, in the face of
coal'n forces besieging Baghdad from the air and the ground. The
capital will "swallow whole" the invading forces, says Maj-Gen
Hazem Al Rawi. He told Iraqi satellite television the city's walls
are mighty and, in his words, "filled with men, weapons and chivalry".
Since the war started 2 wks ago, Iraq has repeatedly claimed it has
been beating back coal'n advances and even bogging down ground troops
in battle. US Marines reportedly are fighting for control of Baghdad
Airport, 20 km from the city centre, and the capital itself is under
renewed air bombardment.
[This report came from the morning the airport was captured].

US troops storm Baghdad airport
Baghdad. (AFP) US troops have captured part of Saddam Internat'l
Airport, 20 km SW of Baghdad. In the village of Furat, nr the
airport, dozens of Iraqis incl some civilians have been killed in what
witnesses say was a barrage of US artillery and rocket attacks.
Capt Michael McKinnon of the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Div
says the US has "seized a foothold". "US troops control about a 3rd
of the airport," he said.
US planes have bombarded the airport amid Iraqi anti-aircraft fire but
fighting on the ground appears to have stopped, with only sporadic
gunfire being heard, Capt McKinnon said.
US officers at the airport say coal'n troops met little
resistance. But they came under RPG and mortar attacks as they made
their push towards the strategic goal, according to correspondents
travelling with them.
Iraqi officials say their forces have captured 5 US tanks, one
helicopter and either seized or killed their crews during fighting nr
Baghdad airport. They say the Iraqis made their gains around the
village of Radhwaniyah, near the airport. The officials say Iraqi
television will show footage of the captured equipment but gave no
more information.
More than 1,000 US troops from the 1st Brigade were active in and
around the airport, US officers said, but had not taken the terminal
or any other buildings in the airport.
Master Sgt Russ Carpenter, a US air force liaison officer on the
scene, says F-15E and F18 fighter jets dropped "smart bombs" as the
1st Brigade attacked the airport from the ground. The air strikes hit
"at least 40, and that's a conservative estimate" Iraqi armoured
personnel carriers, artillery pieces and tanks, Master Sgt Carpenter
said, adding that they also hit Iraqi anti-aircraft guns but did not
take all of them out.
US military sources says positions of Saddam Hussein's crack Republican
Guard troops inside the airport were also bombed.
Maj Gen Buford Blount, commander of the 20,000-strong 3rd infantry
division, says US troops are within 15 km of downtown Baghdad and
control the S approaches to the capital.
Iraqi officials put the death toll in and around Furat village at 83
but this could not be independently confirmed. Reuters correspondent
Nadim Ladki said more than 120 people were wounded in the attack on
the village, which lies between the airport and the Iraqi capital.
US forces advancing on the Iraqi capital launched an assault on
Baghdad's main airport on Thu evening, military sources said.
Fawziya Kazem, who was being treated for head injuries at Baghdad's
Yarmouk Hospital, said: "US warplanes came and hit our house."
Another patient, Ali Zubaei, said: "This is an area inhabited by
innocent people. To hell with Bush. Iraq will be victorious."
Iraq is said to be moving elements of Republican Guard divisions south
to defend the city but they have so far not attempted a full-scale
battle with US forces. Iraq's Information Min has denied the coal'n
is making the headway it claims nr Baghdad, or anywhere else in Iraq.
The Min, Mohammed al-Sahaf, says the Iraqi military is inflicting
heavy casualties on the invaders.
[This speech was given the morning before the attack began].

Nr Baghdad. US FORCES FIGHT OFF TANKS! US troops fighting for Baghdad
airport have fought off a counter-attack by Iraqi tanks, destroying 5
and a number of armed pick-up trucks in a fierce firefight. Reuters
corresp Luke Baker says he saw a number of Iraqi vehicles mount what
was effectively a suicide charge on the Americans. The attack
happened in an are that the US forces had previously considered secure.

Brit troops set up camp in Basra
Basra (AP). For the 1st time since war began, Brit troops established
camp Thu inside the S city of Basra, where fierce battles have raged
between the Brit, Iraqi fighters and residents who oppose Saddam
Hussein's regime. Brit soldiers, deployed outside Iraq's
2nd-largest city for more than 2 wks, crossed the Shatt al-Basra
waterway, a 45-foot-deep man-made canal nr the S city limits. Infantry
accompanied by armoured personnel carriers, tanks and helicopters
rumbled over Bridge 4, the most direct route into the city.
By nightfall, an undisclosed number of troops from the 1st Battalion
Irish Guards were a few miles from the heart of the city of 1.3
mn, according to Brit pool reports. Iraqis soldiers and
militiamen, who previously kept Brit forces at bay with daily barrages
of rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, fled outlying positions,
lighting oil trench fires as they went, said coal'n military officials.
Brit Royal Engineers fought to extinguish the smoky fires along the
south, which obscured the city from advancing coal'n troops. Iraqi
soldiers dug similar ditches outside Baghdad, filled them with oil and
set them ablaze before running away.
Maj Tom Scott said Thu that Royal Engineers were "trying to basically
put the trench out and cut the supply of oil into the trench." Basra,
nr the rich S oilfields, is also strategically important because it is
connected by a web of footbridges and canals that empty into the Shatt
al-Arab river, which flows to the Persian Gulf.
Members of Saddam's Fedayeen militia and his Baath party have been
fighting Brit troops since last wk. Early reports said Shiite
residents were also battling Saddam's soldiers inside Basra.
Residents were without water and electricity as the killing raged
on. Brit troops had been stationed around Basra while American-led
troops pressed toward Baghdad.
Insisting they were not surrounding the city, Brit troops did not
attempt to occupy it because of intense Iraqi resistance -- and
because they weren't sure how they would be greeted by Basra
residents. But some advancing Brit soldiers said Thu they had been
welcomed by people in Basra -- who hoped the fleeing Iraqi soldiers
signified a regional trend.
The Brit entry into the city followed a coal'n leaflet campaign
depicting a Brit soldier shaking hands with an Iraqi man. The leaflets
promised the Brits wouldn't betray the Shia this time.

The tomato regime
Nr Basra. On the dusty and wind-torn flats that lead into Zubayr, a
market town nr Iraq's 2nd largest city Basra, local farmers can often
be seen tending to their tomatoes. The tomatoes are large and sweet,
rendered bright red with natural fertilisers. Each morning, wooden
carts pulled by donkeys and laden with these ripe tomatoes make their
way into the town centre. The tomatoes of S Iraq are famed in the
region for their taste. And the farmers here, unused to modern
agriculture methods, diligently raise their plants to face the
sun. Watching the field men work, and eventually tasting their
produce, one realises the benefits of natural farming.
The farmers, for the most part, are fascinating in their indifference
to our presence. As we roar by in armoured vehicles, spitting up large
clouds of dust, the farmers seem to pay no mind. 3 wks ago, the tanks
darting past their fields would have been those of the Iraqi
Republican Guard. Similarly, the farmers would have ignored them
also. Their latest neighbours have provoked no curiosity.
As the war in Iraq builds to a crescendo, with campaigns in both
Baghdad and Basra at its centre, these farmers remain unaffected by
our arrival. For nearly 50 y, perhaps longer, they have diligently
tended fields and harvested their tomatoes. We see them walk around
abandoned Iraqi tanks. Soon, perhaps, they will walk round the rubble
left behind by coal'n forces.
Politicians, wars and all the trappings of W democracies are beyond
them. In that way, they enjoy a more fulfilling version of
freedom. Zubayr's tomato farmers have come to expect nothing from the
Ba'ath party: they have no interest in accepting what we, the coal'n
invaders, have to offer them.
As W conglomerates line up to "civilise" the countries at the heart of
the American-defined "axis of evil", containers of W branded goods
will soon land at the nearby Basra Internat'l airport. I hope the
farmers will reject their contents in favour of their own lifestyles.
This is undoubtedly a dilemma in the forthcoming rebuilding of
Iraq. The farmers of Zubayr, for example, do not use toothpaste --
they are accustomed instead to using the herbal wood, sakh, favoured
by Muslims in this part of the world. The benefits of sakh are
multiple, and well documented. Similarly, they have had no need for
soap, TV's, cars, pesticides and tractors. That may rapidly
change as the west imposes its values on them. And while the elder
generation of Zubayr's farmers will undoubtedly flinch at such modern
accoutrements, their offspring, unfortunately, may not display such a
strong affection for history.
It would be a nightmare to return here in 30 y time to find it
littered with shopping centres, cafes, US tourists and electrical
goods shops. Life here has always managed to survive the onslaught of
invading armies in the past. To some it might appear medieval. To
others it possesses a certain harmony.
Still, as we drive past each morning, in a sandstorm of motorised
rumbles and English chatter, the farmers continue to ignore us. They
have yet to come forward and ask for aid. They have yet to stop our
tanks and our trucks to plead for modern medicines. Instead, they are
concerned with their own economic survival. Life revolves not around
politicians, non-govt'al organisations, "shock and Awe" or the legal
machinations of the UN.
There are more pressing matters in hand. Namely, the prompt delivery
of those delicious, plump red tomatoes to the bustling local market.

Clinton backs troops but urges friendly persuasion
Miami. The US should use the power of friendly persuasion to defuse
hostility in the world, former Pres Bill Clinton said today,
describing the Bush administration as relying foremost on the power of
the military. Clinton took care from the start of a 40-minute address
at the University of Florida to avoid direct criticism of the sitting
Pres's war with Iraq. Indeed, Clinton told the crowd of 9,000
that it is essential to support not only US troops but also their
leader at war.

RAN sends out special mine clearing equipment
Canberra. The Royal Navy had rushed an AUS-developed mine clearing
system into service nr the Iraqi port of Umm Qsar, the AUS Def Force
said today. ADF rep Brigadier Mike Hannan said AUS Navy clearance
divers working in the area noticed the Royal Navy using the equipment,
which was still in the scheduled testing phase. The equipment is known
as SWIMS -- Shallow Water Influence Mine Sweeping Systems.

Air chief fears urban warfare
Canberra. The war in Iraq would drag on for some time if coal'n
forces became involved in urban warfare, the Royal AUS Air Force chief
Angus Houston said today. "I would hope that the regime sees the
hopelessness of the cause and capitulates in the short term but if it
doesn't there could still be a lot of hard fighting to go," he told
ABC radio

US soldier mistaken for Iraqi shot dead
Nr Baghdad. A US serviceman mistaken for an Iraqi soldier has been
shot dead by his own troops in central Iraq, the US Central Command
announced early today. "A V Corps soldier was killed by friendly fire
at approximately 4.30 pm (2330 AEST)" today in central Iraq, the
statement said. "The soldier had been investigating a destroyed enemy
tank when he was mistaken as an enemy soldier and fired upon by
friendly forces operating in the area."

War commanders report 3 deadly accidents
Washington (AP). American forces in Iraq had 3 deadly accidents, 2 of
which may have been caused by friendly fire, officials said Thu.
Defence Dept officials said they were looking into the possibility
that one US fighter jet was downed by an US Patriot missile and that a
2nd jet fired on Army ground forces.
Statements on the 2 accidents followed word that an Army Black Hawk
helicopter went down over central Iraq on Wed, killing 6 soldiers and
injuring 4 and leaving one missing. Officials said Thu it was unclear
what brought down the helicopter, which was hovering above a firefight
between US and Iraqi forces.
All the cases were being investigated.
The Pentagon reported that the number of US service members killed in
action since the war began March 20 has risen to 53, of which 41 were
hostile deaths. The others were the result of accidents or other
non-hostile circumstances. The number of troops missing is 16 and 7
are prisoners of war. The death toll does not incl the 6 killed in
the Apache crash because the Pentagon has not formally announced the
number or identities.
An operation was under way to find the pilot of a US Navy F-18C Hornet
downed over Iraq late Wed, Iraq time. It was flying a mission from
the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier, and missile firings were reported
at the time nr where it was lost.
One Army soldier was killed and several were injured or missing after
a possible friendly fire accident in which an F-15E Strike Eagle fired
on ground forces. It happened Wed night nr Karbala, 50 miles south of
Baghdad, officials said.
In the 1991 Persian Gulf War, 36 of the 148 American dead were killed
by their own comrades. This time, friendly fire has caused 5 of 27
Brit deaths. Dozens of US troops have been injured by their own
forces, and the military is still investigating the combat deaths of 9
Marines near Nasiriyah on Mar 23.

Special forces slip into Baghdad during blackout
London. US and Brit special forces slipped into Baghdad during a
blackout and have begun covert operations incl an assessment of the
threat posed by Iraq's elite Republican Guard, the Brit press said
today. The electricity cut at about 9pm local time last night
coincided with a major incursion by SAS and US special forces
personnel into the Iraqi capital, newspapers in London said. Iraq is
now 4 hrs ahead of GMT. The Guardian, quoting military sources in
Qatar, said that dozens of Brit and US special forces teams poured
into Baghdad after the power went down. "Power went off in most of
Baghdad for the 1st time since the start of the conflict, as military
sources said that special forces were active in the city," said The
Financial Times.

Syria still helping Iraq: Rummy
Washington. US Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld said today he believed Syria
had ignored US warnings and was still providing supplies to Iraq. "We
have seen that Syria is continuing to conduct itself the way it was
prior to the time I said what I said," Rumsfeld told a news
conference. Last wk, Rumsfeld told reporters the US would hold the
Syrian govt responsible for reported shipments of materiel, incl night
vision goggles, to Iraq, calling them hostile acts.

Wives, children of Uday aides killed by coal'n bombs
Baghdad. The wives and children of close aides to Pres Saddam
Hussein's elder son Uday were killed by US-Brit missiles on a farm N
of Baghdad, relatives said today. Two missiles yesterday slammed into
a farm in Ishaqi, about 80 km N of Baghdad, killing the 2 families,
they said. Uday's 2 aides were not at the farm at the time of the
bombings. The 2 men are Acyl Tabra, 1st VP of the Iraqi
Nat'l Olympic Committee chaired by Uday, and Bashar Hisham, another
member of the board, the relatives said.

Fleeing civilians hamper Allies
C Iraq. Iraqi deserters and civilians were flooding out of Baghdad by
the busload today and surrendering to US forces advancing on the Iraqi
capital, said a US television reporter travelling with the Marines.
"There are so many people on the road now that it's impossible to
further conduct military operations and so our unit has stopped now
and set up a hasty prisoner of war compound," said ABC correspondent
Mike Cerre. Reporting from central Iraq, south of Baghdad, with the
1st Marine Division, Cerre said US support aircraft had counted more
than 60 buses filled with Iraqis fleeing Baghdad.

US network says buses of Iraqis fleeing Baghdad
C Iraq. Iraqi deserters and civilians are flooding out of Baghdad by
the busload and surrendering to US forces advancing on the Iraqi
capital, a US television reporter travelling with US Marines said.
"There are so many people on the road now that it's impossible to
further conduct military operations and so our unit has stopped now
and set up a hasty prisoner of war compound," US ABC correspondent
Mike Cerre said. Reporting from central Iraq, south of Baghdad with
the 1st Marine Division, Mr Cerre said US support aircraft had counted
more than 60 buses filled with Iraqis fleeing Baghdad. "What is
stopping us now is the flood of deserters and civilians, on buses,
trucks, taxicabs and whatever they can catch a ride on, trying to make
their way south to their families or US forces to surrender" he said.
US ABC TV showed grainy television footage of scores of Iraqis walking
toward US forces with their hands up. The footage also showed several
large touring buses on the road.

9,000 Iraqis now POW's, says Brit
London. More than 9,000 Iraqis had been taken prisoner of war by
US-Brit troops, Brit Def Sec Geoff Hoon said. He told Parliament Brit
forces now held key suburbs of Iraq's 2nd city, Basra, and would foray
further into the city when they judged the time to be right. He said
UK servicemen were focused on winning the hearts and minds of the
Iraqi people as much as military action.

Baghdad's fall may not be end
Washington (WashPost). Many observers of the war with Iraq anticipate
that the battle for Baghdad will be the culminating event, and it may
in the end be so from an American perspective. But in the Iraqi
leadership's view, it may be only the end of a 1st stage in a greater
Iraqi plan.
Gen George Patton said the only way to truly get to know an enemy
is to fight him. After 2 wks some patterns have emerged that indicate
the Iraqi plan may differ from the US world view. A conflict with
Iraq has been war-gamed countless times in the past 12 y. Iraqi use of
asymmetric "dirty tricks" has been a feature of virtually every game I
have been associated with. These tactical actions should have come as
no surprise. The question is how to turn asymmetric tactics into a
coherent strategy.
The assumption that Pres Saddam Hussein is looking at the battle of
Baghdad as a glorious last stand is inconsistent with his
character. There is likely to be a greater game afoot. Saddam is an
admirer of Ho Chi Minh. He has also studied the US debacles in Lebanon
and Somalia. He and his staff have had 12 y to think about how to
fight. This is how I believe he thinks.
Begin with a desired strategic end state. I believe he views the war
as an opportunity to defeat the Americans and hijack leadership of the
anti-W wing of the Arab and Muslim world from Islamic fundamentalists
such as Osama bin Laden. Against overwhelming US and Brit conventional
military superiority, he must develop a 3-pronged strategy.
Phase one assumes eventual defeat in a conventional war. If defeat is
inevitable, he must make the most of it. Anwar Sadat of Egypt
reclaimed a measure of Arab pride in 1973 in a war that, while lost
tactically and operationally, was fought with enough skill to regain
an Arab sense of honour and pride lost in 1967. The next precept is to
make the conventional phase last as long and be as bloody as possible
for the coal'n.
The final sub-phase will be to attempt to turn Baghdad into an Arab
Alamo, making "Remember Baghdad" a battle cry, for future generations
and the rest of this war. At this point Saddam will go into hiding or
exile, portraying himself as having led a glorious struggle against
imperialism and vowing to continue. If he uses chemical weapons, I am
wrong. There will be no sanctuary.
The 2nd phase is a protracted guerilla war against the occupation (or
liberation). The Ba'ath party has seeded the pop'n centres with cadres
designed to lead a guerilla movement. This is not a last-minute
act. Americans have overrun facilities that have been in place for
some time. The war will be an attritional struggle against occupying
forces and any Iraqi interim govt. The strategic objective is to tire
the coal'n, which will turn Iraq over to the UN.
Phase 3 aims to amass enough semi-conventional power to overwhelm the
UN and interim govt -- a combination of Black Hawk Down and the 1975 N
Vietnamese offensive that crushed S Vietnam. A success would transform
Saddam into a darling of the Arab world; a high-risk strategy, for a
high-risk kind of guy.
I write this to suggest that the US be prepared to react to an enemy
game plan that may be different from its own.

Watchdog slams Iraqi treatment of journalists
Paris. Media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without
Borders) has accused the Iraqi Govt of showing contempt for foreign
journalists. 100s of journalists are in Iraq to cover US-led bid to
topple Pres Saddam Hussein, either working from Baghdad, "embedded"
with US and Brit forces or on their own.
The Iraqi authorities monitor reports by journalists working in
Baghdad and insist they are accompanied at all times by official
minders, who decide where they may or may not go.
In a letter to the Iraqi interests section in France, the Paris-based
RSF described the attitude of Iraqi authorities to foreign journalists
covering the war as "scandalous, contemptuous and hostile". "Guided
bus tours organised by the authorities are insufficient and do not
meet the minimal criteria of media freedom we expect," RSF Sec-Gen
Robert Menard said.
On Tue, a Brit-born reporter for the US magazine Newsday and 3
photographers from Denmark, Peru and the US arrived in Jordan after
being detained in an Iraqi prison for about a wk and interrogated.
They were made to sign statements before being released and taken to
the border.
The Iraqi authorities have also expelled reporters working for the
Qatar-based Arabic-language channel Al Jazeera and the US
CNN from Baghdad. Several more, incl 2 AUS journalists and
an interpreter, are being detained by authorities in a Baghdad hotel.

Powell offers role to UN -- on his terms
Brussels (The Guardian). Europe and the US yesterday took a 1st step
towards healing bitter divisions over Iraq but failed to agree on a
precise role for the UN once Saddam Hussein has been overthrown.
Colin Powell, the US Sec of State, told 23 European foreign
ministers in Brussels that Washington wanted a "partnership" with the
world body, though he made it clear that Washington and its allies,
who had expended money and lives on the war, would make the key decisions.
France, Germany and Russia insist the UN must be the key player, with
the US wanting an interim administration run by US officials and Iraqi
advisers. The Brit position, as so often, lies between the European
mainstream and the US.
One Brit diplomat said: "We're not getting recriminations of the 'you
bombed it so you rebuild it' type we had at the last EU summit. People
are talking seriously."
Mr Powell signalled a wish for reconciliation after wks of furious
exchanges, especially between the US and France. But some EU govts
doubt whether he can win arguments against hawks like Donald Rumsfeld,
the US def sec, and Dick Cheney, the VP.
Brit believes UN backing is vital to ensure internat'l financial
institutions share the reconstruction burden.
George Robertson, NATO's Sec-Gen, also sought to emphasise
the positive, talking of the "unbreakable bonds" which held the old
and new continents together. Mins discussed a possible role for NATO
but made no decisions. Significantly, however, no objections were
raised, not even by France or Germany, which triggered a crisis in Feb
by refusing to defend fellow ally Turkey in the event of an attack by Iraq.
Diplomats said govts were looking at the experience of Bosnia, Kosovo
and Afghanistan as they ponder arrangements for Iraq. In Kosovo,
military matters are run by the NATO-led K-For, which is mandated by
the security council, while civilian affairs are run by the UN, with a
big role for the EU.
George Papandreou, foreign minister of Greece, which holds the union's
rotating presidency, said a European-US consensus was now emerging.
"The importance we place on the UN role is recognised by the US," he
said. "Obviously the UN itself has not yet had this discussion, but
it's very important in our transatlantic relationship to make this a
point of consensus rather than a point of division."

War delays recovery: World Bank
Paris (AFP). The Iraq war was delaying a global recovery just as the
authorities run low on ammunition to stir growth, the World Bank
warned yesterday. The war had cast a shadow over the economic and
political landscape for m, said the Bank's Global Development
Finance 2003 report, drawn up in the run-up to combat.
Economic growth would be sluggish even if the Iraq war was resolved
quickly. World economic output was expected to expand 2.3% in 2003,
up from 1.7% growth last y, it said. Growth in rich countries was
set to rise to 1.9% this y from 1.4% last y. In developing
countries, growth would accelerate to 4% in 2003 from 3.1%.
Industrialised nations had boosted fiscal stimuli and cut interest
rates, cushioning the world from an even sharper slump, the bank said.
These measures, however, had also deepened deficits. The US current
account deficit had expanded to an unprecedented 5% of annual GDP.
Policy makers now had less space to cut taxes, boost spending or lower
interest rates. Fed Reserve policy makers would probably hold US
interest rates steady at a 4-decade low for the rest of 2003 if growth
rebounded, as expected, the report said. The European Central Bank
had more room to cut rates and could trim rates slightly in the 1st
half of this y. The Bank of Japan, which had no more room to lower
short-term rates, was expected to step up its already aggressive
approach to add liquidity.
Central banks must be alert to the danger of deflation, particularly
because it could increase the cost of servicing debts. Next y,
world economic growth was forecast to pick up to 3.2%, with the rich
countries growing 2.9% and the developing countries growing 4.7%. The
world growth potential had been boosted by the lowering of barriers to
cross-border trade and financial flows, investment in people, and
improved productivity, the bank said.

Fresh signs buildup to war took its toll
Washington (Reuters). Dismal data spilled out of Europe and the US on
Thu as US forces closed on Iraq's capital, but the Internat'l Monetary
Fund stoutly maintained a US recession is unlikely. The number of
Americans seeking jobless benefits last wk reached the highest level
in nearly a y and the US service sector shrank unexpectedly in March
as the build-up to war and the start of fighting in Iraq took an
economic toll.
Nor was the news out of Europe much better although the European
Central Bank held interest rates steady, saying it was impossible to
know the economic future right now. A survey suggested the euro zone
services sector was contracting while a separate report showed German
unemployment jumped to a 5-y high last m.
However, the gloomy US numbers had some economists looking for further
rate cuts from the Fed Reserve, particularly if the closely watched
employment report on Fri shows an unexpectedly large slide in nonfarm
payrolls. Economists in a Reuters survey forecast, on average, that
payrolls slid 29,000 last m. The unemployment rate was seen rising
to 5.9 percent from 5.8% in Feb.
The IMF put on a brave face saying the chances of the US economy
falling back into recession have dropped to just 15%, according to
leading economic indicators.
Some economists said the numbers made the case for a further
interest-rate cut by the Fed stronger. Fed officials have stressed it
will take time to gauge the real health of the economy amid the fog of
unease about the war.
The European service sector contracted as well. The Reuters eurozone
services purchasing managers' index for March fell further below the
50 level that divides growth from shrinkage to 47.7 from 48.9 in Feb.
The survey followed one on Tue showing manufacturing was also
shrinking in the euro zone, after the index stuck its head above the
magic 50 level in Feb. A parallel services sector survey in Brit
showed that it shrank last m for the 1st time since Dec 2001 with the
index of business activity covering everything from restaurants to
software consulting at 49.0 in March.
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, whose Feb survey had
given a reading of 50.2, blamed the fall on continuing uncertainty
about the short to medium term outlook. While the news was grave
across Europe, it was particularly so in Germany. The German
purchasing managers' index hit a 6-y low at 43.3, and the jobless
figures showed 4.414 mn Germans were out of work, the highest since
Feb 1998. The jobless rate now stands at 10.6%.
Meanwhile in Asia, govts trying to steer their economies through a
global downturn exaggerated by the war in Iraq have an additional
scourge to contend with -- disease. But Southeast Asian trade
ministers, meeting in Laos on Thu, said the economic impact of the
flu-like SARS would be short term.
The disease which originated in S China and has now killed 80 people,
most of them in Asia, could however hurt tourism, they admitted.

Washington. $BNS VOTED IN AIRLINE WELFARE! The US Congress has
approved more than $A5 bn in aid for the country's airlines over
objections from the Whitehouse. Airlines are still reeling after the
Sep 11 attacks and facing more losses due to war in Iraq. The $multi
bn plan in the Reps and a slightly larger proposal in the Senate
cleared the respective chambers easily as components of separate leg'n
for Iraq war spending. The Bush Admin has called the price tag of
each plan "excessive".

20 "Taliban" killed in fresh Afghan offensive
Kandahar (AFP). Pro-govt militia forces killed 20 suspected Taliban
in a new offensive in S Afghanistan while US warplanes pounded
extremists holed up nearby. "Following the interrogation of suspects
captured in the operation N of Kandahar we could identify a new
base in the Haba mountains," said Gul Agha, governor of the S province
of Kandahar. "We launched a raid on this base, 20 Taliban were killed
and 3 of our soldiers were killed in the fighting."
Last wk Agha launched operations against suspected Taliban N of
Kandahar city following the murder of Red Cross worker Ricardo Munguia.
Meanwhile US warplanes bombed a group of 40 suspected Taliban fighting
Agha's forces in the adjacent Torghar mountains, a military rep told
reporters at Bagram Air Base N of Kabul. The dozen Special Forces
troops and around 250 soldiers loyal to governor Agha Thu cleared the
suspected Taliban dug in at the mountains N of the town of Spin
Boldak on the border with Pakistan.
An Afghan soldier was evacuated with a gunshot wound to his abdomen
but there were no reports of US casualties.
Kandahar was the heartland of the hardline Taliban militia until it
was ousted by US-led forces in late 2001 following the Sep 11 attacks
masterminded by al-Qaeda leader and Taliban "guest" Osama bin Laden .
At Bagram a de-miner lost his right foot while working on the east
side of the base Wed afternoon. The de-miner, who worked for Ronco
Consulting Corp -- a de-mining firm contracted by the US military, was
in a stable condition.
Meanwhile, Chapman Air Field in Khost, eastern Afghanistan, came under
attack from 3 suspected rockets Wed night. There were no injuries or damage.
US and Afghan pro-govt forces frequently come under attack from
suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters. Some 11,500 coal'n troops,
incl 8,500 US forces, are engaged in hunting down al-Qaeda and Taliban
remnants, mostly in S and E Afghanistan.

Davao. LOOKING FOR 2ND BOMB SUSPECT: PHIL! Philippines police say
they're looking for a 2nd man who may have been involved in a bombing
that killed 16 people and injured 55 in the S city of Davao. Police
have put out the sketch of 2 suspects, 1 described as a man in his
mid-30s with close-cropped hair and the other a man about 25-27. The
sketches have been based on a description given by an 11 yo boy who
was among the victims of the bombing.

Guangzhou. FLU INVESTIGATIONS! A team of internat'l scientists in S
China are seeking clues as to how SARS started and spread as new
deaths from the flu-like illness are reported. The WHO specialists
plan to spend the weekend in Guangdong prov interviewing doctors,
visiting hospitals and going to the town where the first case surfaced
in Nov. Team rep Chris Powell says provincial officials have provided
info indicating new cases of SARS are diminishing in the region.

3 Canadian children on SARS list in Vic
Melbourne. 3 children from a Canadian family are being treated at
MEL's Monash Medical Centre as probable sufferers of SARS. A 3-yo
girl was the 1st to show symptoms and undergo tests. She was
transferred from Shepparton in the Goulburn Valley last night after
arriving from Toronto for a visit with her grandparents. The girl's
siblings, aged 18 m and 6 y, also are under observation, says Monash
Medical Centre director of infection control Stephen Blaimey, who
described all 3 as probable SARS cases. "They have overnight
developed symptoms to suggest that they may also be involved with this
illness as well," he said. "At least one of them is febrile
[feverish]. There are some chest X-ray changes as well and of course
they have the history of contact [with the disease]."

US must ditch "inferiority complex": Murdoch
LA. AUS-born media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has shown true US patriotism
by declaring that it was important that the world learned to "respect"
America. Referring to the US people as "we", Mr Murdoch said the
public was far too worried about what the rest of the world thought of
the US's declaration of war on Iraq. He said he believed Americans
had an "inferiority complex" about world opinion and that Iraqis would
eventually welcome US troops as liberators.
"We worry about what people think about us too much in this
country. We have an inferiority complex, it seems," he said at the
Milken Institute Global Conference yesterday. "I think what's
important is that the world respects us, much more important than they
love us," added Mr Murdoch, who is AUS but took American citizenship
in 1985 to get around ownership rules that barred foreigners from
owning TV stations.
Mr Murdoch, who is based in NY, said a long war could heavily
influence the US and global economies, while creating political
instability in the Middle E and elsewhere. He suggested a decisive
US effort for a quick end to the conflict would be better than a
protracted battle.
Mr Murdoch also warned that the world should be prepared for more
terrorist attacks.
Mr Murdoch has been a staunch supporter of war and has given several
interviews in the run up to the attack on Iraq expounding his beliefs.
All of his newspapers back the war, which he believes is the only way
to rid the Middle E of Saddam Hussein.
In his SYD Daily Telegraph earlier this y, he said he thought "Bush
is acting very morally, very correctly, and I think he is going to go
on with it".

Hollow threats to combat terrorism
Canberra. A scar has appeared on the face of AUS democracy,
literally. Eyesore lines of white plastic barriers cut crookedly
across the grey granite and green grass vistas that sweep up and over
the roof of Fed Parliament House. The freedom to stroll on the grassy
roof and look down through the glass skylights of the parliamentary
chambers, intended by the architects to be symbolic of our egalitarian
democracy, is now limited to those who take security checks inside the
building and ascend to the roof by an internal lift.
The barriers are an anti-terrorist measure, ordered on the advice of
the security agencies after AUS forces went to war in Iraq. How they
would stop a determined terrorist is difficult to say. They look more
like the acts of vandals than a security measure, flimsily constructed
and protected by a single security officer with a 2-way radio.
These barriers are one of the few domestic manifestations of the
consequences of our involvement in the war in Iraq. They appeared 2
wks ago in spite of the Govt's insistence that there was no evidence
AUS faced an increased threat of terrorist attack because of the war.
In marked contrast to the US and Brit, where security agencies have
assessed that the military actions being undertaken by US and Brit
forces in Iraq have increased the risk of retaliatory action by
terrorist groups on targets at home and abroad, AUS's security
services have advised the Govt there is no such danger for AUS.
Just how and why this is so has not been explained. Despite the
relatively small military contribution to the war, knowledge of AUS's
involvement is widespread. It has been noted regularly by Saddam
Hussein's regime and it has been venomously taken up by Islamic
anti-war protesters in our region. It beggars belief that this
knowledge has not fuelled anti-AUS sentiment among the fanatics most
inclined to use violence to seek revenge for AUS's military alliance
with the great US infidel.
When the war is over and community fears linked to the war subside,
you can be sure the leg'n will come back and the Govt will try to use
it to show Labor is soft on terrorism. Meanwhile, the Govt has gambled
that there will be no terrorist attacks on AUS soil or AUS targets
elsewhere. It is cynical, high-risk politics. But it seems to be working.

Downer tackles N Korea crisis
Washington. AUS has floated the prospect of a regional security
agreement between the US, N Korea and other NE Asian nations as a way
of defusing the crisis that has Pyongyang poised to build and possibly
sell nuclear weapons. The move by For Min Alexander Downer, in
Washington for talks with the Bush administration, came as the UN Sec
Council announced it would consider on Apr 9 N Korea's decision to
withdraw from internat'l nuclear arms agreements.
Relations between S and N Korea have reached their lowest point since
the nuclear crisis erupted in Oct with S Korean Pres Roh's decision to
send non-combat troops to the US-led war in Iraq being condemned as a
"criminal act" by Pyongyang, which has also criticised joint S
Korea-US military exercises which ended on Wed. Mr Downer suggested
one way of convincing N Korea to scrap its nuclear programs could be
with a regional agreement.
While the Bush administration has signalled it may be prepared to put
some kind of non-aggression agreement in writing, it has said it would
be unlikely to win support from Congress for a treaty.
But Mr Downer pointed to some encouraging developments that he
believed could lead to talks between the N Koreans and the US in a
small multilateral group involving 2 other countries, China and
Russia. "Whether it would involve S Korea and Japan, or a country
like AUS, that would be more questionable," he said.
This fits with a little-reported comment last wk by the US Assistant
Secretary of State for east Asia, James Kelly, to a Congressional
hearing when he said there were signs N Korea might be easing its
insistence on direct talks with the US.

Downer's mother receives hate mail
Adelaide. For Min Alexander Downer today confirmed his mother had
received hate mail since the start of war against Iraq. "She's a bit
upset about it," Mr Downer told ABC radio. "She's an extremely
vigorous and strong woman, but she's 78. She's not a political person
at all even though she's my father's widow and my mother. "She rang me
about it and she was pretty upset."

Canberra. AUSSIES WILL GET SOME! For Min Alex Downer says he's
confident Aussie companies will snare some lucrative Iraqi
reconstruction projects, despite US insistence it will oversee all
post-war reconstruction. US Sec of State Colin Powell told
Washington's EU allies the US -- and not the UN -- would have the
"dominant" role in Iraq's reconstruction. Powell's comments clash
with the view in EU capitals that Iraq's recon must be guided by the UN.

Canberra. VIC FARMERS QUAL FOR ASSIST! Almost 7,000 Vic farmers have
qualified for drought assistance after a ruling by fed ag min warren
truss. Farmers in 31 drought-affected shires and 4 regional centres
in Vic's Wimmera, NE, C and CE regions will be able to gain
assistance. Mr Truss says he was satisfied a prima facie case had
been found for the areas to gain Exceptional Circumstances assistance.

Canberra. CREDIT CARD MEDICINE! State and terr'y health mins say
Aussies will have to swap their Medicare cards for credit cards to pay
for doctors' visits under possible changes to the public health
system. Following a meeting in SYD, the ministers called on Fed
Health Min Kay Patterson to return to the negotiating table to resolve
problems with Medicare before the May Budget. Latest figures show
that fewer than 70% of GP visits are now bulk-billed, down from a peak
of 80.6% in 1996/7.

Crossbow attack injures 2 schoolgirls
Newcastle (Newcastle Herald). It was the day terror came to the
playground. Students at a high school N of Newcastle watched
appalled as a youth who smuggled a crossbow and petrol bombs on to the
grounds shot 2 girls before class yesterday.
16-yo Tamara Sharp, a y 10 student at Tomaree High, nr Port Stephens,
collapsed to the ground with blood pouring from a chest wound after
the arrow passed clean through her body. The bolt then struck the
Salt Ash teenager's friend, 16-yo Courtney Bennett, in the legs. It
went through one limb and embedded itself in the other, pinning the 2
together.
Other students leapt on to the youth to try to prevent him re-loading
the crossbow. They said he had thrown a molotov cocktail against a
wall of the science block where the girls were sitting and was
attempting to light the fuel as they struggled with him.
Last night Tamara was in a serious but stable condition at John Hunter
Hospital after escaping death by centimetres, the arrow missing vital
organs in its path. Courtney was in a satisfactory condition after
she underwent surgery to remove the arrow.
Police would not comment about a so-called "hit list" containing
students' names that was allegedly found nr the scene. But DS Peter
Fox said it "did not appear to be one of those random-style attacks on
students".
A boy, 16, will appear in Worimi Childrens Court, Broadmeadow, this
morning on 4 charges, incl attempted murder.

Global plan needed to stem cancer tide
Geneva. Cancer rates could soar by 50%, or 15 mn new cases per y by
2020, a World Health Organisation (WHO) report released that called
for a global strategy to stem the rise. Despite the grim forecast
backed up by a litany of trends and unhealthy lifestyles that promote
the disease, the report carried a message: things could be different.
Fighting some of the main cancer-causing agents -- tobacco consumption
and infections, and promoting healthy diet could head off a 3rd of new
cancer cases while another 3rd could be cured by early detection and
treatment, it said.
The report cited smoking as a key example, noting "tobacco consumption
remains the most important avoidable cancer risk". "In the 20th
century, approximately 100 mn people died worldwide from
tobacco-associated diseases," it said. It said half of regular
smokers are killed by their habit, and that smoking rates were
"particularly worrying" in Central and Eastern Europe, developing and
newly industrialised nations, and among youth worldwide who are
picking up the habit younger and younger.
Worldwide, cancer prevention activities should be focused on 2 main
areas -- tobacco use and diet, Dr Rafael Bengoa said, who heads WHO's
management of non-communicable diseases section. Such factors
accounted for 43% of all cancer deaths in 2000, or 2.7 mn deaths, and
40% of all new cancer cases, which totalled 4 mn, he said.
Studies suggest that simple measures, like encouraging consumption of
500 grams of fruits and vegetables per day, could help cut new cases
of cancers of the digestive tract by up to 25%, the report said. It
also advocated testing for early detection, notably of cervical and
breast cancers in women, to successfully treat tumours that in 2000
alone were responsible for 12%, more than 6 mn, of the estimated
56 mn deaths worldwide from any cause.
In many countries, more than a quarter of all deaths are due to
cancer, said the IARC, based in the central French city of Lyon. It
said rising cancer rates were due to a steadily aging pop'n and the
prevalence of smoking but also "the growing adoption of unhealthy
lifestyles".
The report singled out the dangers of "the W lifestyle" with its
fat-rich diet and little exercise, warning: "Obesity is spreading
epidemically throughout the world." Poverty also played a role.

Russia avoids space station closure for time being
Moscow. Russia's space chief has said he has secured govt funds to
avoid moth-balling the $95 bn Internat'l Space Station this y, but
said the outpost's long-term future was still uncertain. Russian
Soyuz and Progress craft have become the only means of sending up
cosmonauts and servicing the orbiting station since the US space
shuttle Colombia disintegrated in Feb, causing the US shuttle fleet to
be grounded indefinitely.
Russia, hard-pressed for funds, has been lobbying Washington to fork
out more cash to help keep manned flights running. But Washington has
baulked at the request for foreign policy reasons and niggles over
whether Moscow had carried out its launch obligations under the program.
An official said the govt's agreement to dispense money ahead of
schedule had doubled the agency's funds for the 2nd quarter and would
allow it to carry out all the launches planned for 2003 as well as
start building spacecraft for the next y. But additional funding
would be needed in the future to keep the station permanently manned,
he said. On top of that, Russia needs $250 mn to develop its part of
the ISS station over the next 3 y.
Since it was 1st manned in 2000, the station has been managed by
permanent crews of Russians and Americans. Currently, the ISS is
operated by 2 US astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut, in orbit since Nov.

CBR reviews sex slave policing
Canberra. Fed Justice Min Chris Ellison has ordered a review into the
policing of sex slavery after revelations of widespread trafficking
and problems between law enforcement agencies tackling the trade. Sen
Ellison said yesterday there was "still room for improvement" in
combating the "appalling trade in human beings".
After the review, he would write to the Australasian Police Mins
Council with "some proposals about improving the nat'l response to
this issue". His promise came as stringent new leg'n outlawing sexual
slavery was introduced into the WA parliament.
WA A-G Jim McGinty said the criminal code offence was created and
introduced into parliament yesterday following reports in The AUS of
exploitation in other states. The AUS has revealed there may be 1000
"contract women" in the country at any one time. Brought here by
organised syndicates, enslaved and exploited, they are forced to work
off huge debts by having sex with 100s of men.
The fed Govt insists that as most women know they are coming to AUS
for prostitution, they are not technically being trafficked. But a UN
protocol AUS has signed defines trafficking far more broadly as "the
recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of
persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of
coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception".
Immigration Min Philip Ruddock said there would be no internal
investigation into the case of Noi, a Thai woman who claims
immigration officers refused to listen when she tried to tell them of
her plight. Nor would he ask if the officers knew the precise
definition of trafficking. "We are not there to investigate the
crimes," Mr Ruddock said. "I don't expect my officers to know all the
nuances of an offence."

Payout stripped from quadriplegic
Sydney. A man who dived into a Bondi sandbar, was rendered a
quadriplegic and successfully sued a local council for $3.7 mn,
has had his damages stripped from him on appeal. The NSW Court of
Appeal found yesterday that Guy Swain, who inspired the NSW Govt's
crackdown on public liability payouts, was not entitled to the money
because Waverley Council was not negligent.
Mr Swain, 28, dived into a sandbar located between lifesaving flags
while swimming at the beach in SYD's east in 1997. But judges David
Ipp and Kenneth Handley held that the council was not liable because
"there was no evidence that could sustain a finding of negligence on
the part of the council in the placement of the flags".
Chief Justice James Spigelman dissented on the decision, saying Mr
Swain should keep the damages. Justice Ipp wrote a report last y
advising the NSW Govt to make a raft of amendments to public liability
laws, incl placing a cap on damages payouts.
After Mr Swain was awarded the damages by a judge and a jury of 4,
Prem Bob Carr held a press conference at Bondi Surf Life Saving Club,
announcing laws to rein in insurance payouts. During the Court of
Appeal case, lawyers for Mr Swain played video footage of Mr Carr, arguing
their client faced a bias because of the publicity following his case.
Mr Swain's solicitor, Hugh Macken, said he was considering seeking
leave to appeal the case to the High Court. Mr Swain has been ordered
to pay the council's costs.

Sydney (close). MARKETS! The All Ords closed up 25 pts (0.8%). The
banks were all up, but News was down 0.4%. The Nikkei also closed up
a similar amount. Wall St closed down 0.5% this morning. The AUD is
trading around 60.10 US c. Gold is down to $US322/oz. Oil is also
down 2% to $US28.20/bbl.

{{ CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS

6 pm
A US soldier has been shot dead when he investigated a burned-out
Iraqi tank, S of Baghdad. He was mistaken for an Iraqi irregular.

Kurdish leaders have declared the N front "open". But both Mosul and
Kirkuk are believed to have 10s of 1000s of Iraqi Rep Guards still
dug-in. Iraqi villagers hit by Coal'n missiles have been brought to
hosp in Mosul. 18 were killed in airstrikes around the area. Kurds
say they have 1 civilian death and a number of injuries from Iraqi shelling.

Brits have taken control of a factory compound just outside Basra. The
complex was used to fire mortars on Brit troops at a nearby
checkpoint. There's not much left of it, now. In the W outskirts of
the city they found Chemical Ali's villa. And an empty garrison
nearby. There was a big sandpit map, complete with model tanks.

PM Howard says he's getting regular telephone calls from Bush and
also Blair. They tell him how the war is going and suggest things for
him to tell the Aussie public. The PM says there is no place for AUS
in post-war Iraq. He says the US should take command and transition
to a civilian puppet govt ASAP. The PM said Bush had "highest praise"
for Aussie armed forces.

Aussie reporters have complained they get more info from the Pentagon
about Aussie SAS troops than they get from the Canberra daily
briefings.

The Malaysian media has reported the Israeli For Min in AUS has
thanked AUS for the protection SAS troops are giving Israel in the W
desert of Iraq. The ANU briefing today asked Aussies to think about
what that says about the way AUS is being profiled in the region.

In Jenin, 1000s of Palestinians marched to pay respects to Iraqis who
defended Jenin in 1948. 100 Iraqis died. It's the anniversary of the
1st Israeli incursion. As they marched, Israel came into Jenin again.

CMO Richard Smallwood says there is "no SARS in Australia". What he
meant -- while there are 6 suspected cases, there has been no
transmission of the disease in AUS. 4 children are presently in MEL
hosp with suspected SARS. A 3 yo Singapore boy was taken to the Royal
Children's late today. 3 Canadian children at the Mon Med Cent are
making good recovery. A rep at Monash said they didn't have confirmed
SARS. This may be a tautology. There is no diagnostic test yet. From
tomorrow the fed govt will station teams at all airports. This comes
after suggestion by the shadow health min. The Fed Health Min had rejected
the idea yesterday, and told the shadow Min to mind his own business.

7 pm
Coal'n forces are tightening the noose around Baghdad. They are
trying to isolate the capital and the regime from the rest of the
country. Heavy air bombardment around Baghdad is continuing. US
ground forces are consolidating their positions in the SE. 1st Marine
Div is 40 km from Baghdad. 3rd Div is coming from the SW. After
heavy fighting, much of the int'l airport is under control. 300
Iraqi soldiers were killed in the fierce battle o'night. There's now
a push to the S outskirts of the capital. 3rd Inf arm is on its
way. They have experienced short and fierce artillery barrages on the
way. But the Iraqis were soon in tatters as Americans edged their
way to Baghdad. They invading forces took 100s of POW's. 500 Iraqis
were killed. There's speculation the blackout is probably associated
with US covering special forces ops. Overwhelming force of the
Americans made this a military mismatch. Many US cluster bombs have
killed another 18 people in the S of the city. N of Baghdad, the
search for Saddam goes on. In Tikrit a palace was raided o'night.
No-one found. But some docs were removed. Most likely, he's in
Baghdad -- besieged just like the mns he claims to lead.

Cox & Thomson. On the road to Baghdad. It's a morning for war. We
had a nasty awakening -- Rep Guard calling. The US artillery opened
up. Capt Phil Bragg launched an artillery then an infantry attack
against the enemy. They moved off. So the column moved on toward
Baghdad. Our artillery and armour are leapfrogging their way N. The
column keeps finding civilians who try to surrender. No-one has
uniforms. A US soldier tells the reporters he wants to see more
explosions. He doesn't like his job just firing the canon.
Maybe when he gets to Baghdad, he says, he'll see what happens at the
other end of the artillery fire. Along the way, they see the charred
remains of resistance. Burning tanks and mortar trucks. Civilians in
the small towns along the way appear to welcome the invaders.

Peter Lloyd. Helicopter gunships fly above the Brits as they fought
to a new position, just inside Basra. But an all-out assault on the
enemy in the city may be days away. We're based in a compound
littered with Iraqi bodies. Nearby, Iraqis are confused who is in
charge. A hosp dir has a picture of Saddam on his wall. It's his
President, he says. But this is Iraqi Liberation! The Brits took the
picture down and smashed it, trying to eliminate the cult of
personality that will not be tolerated by the West in a free Iraq.
The S of Iraq is far from secure. Chopper gunships over
Nasiriyah conduct lightning raids on traffic travelling in the
area. Anything suspicious. They found men with a large sum of
money. This is suspicious. The Brits think it's bribe money to make
locals attack the Coal'n forces. S of Basra, Royal Marines played
soccer with the locals. The Marines lost. They don't care, as long
as they win the war.

9.30 pm
Fighting continues at the airport. Iraq is sending in
re-enforcements. The Coal'n say they control 80% of the place. And
they say they're in full control of the S outskirts of the city.
Residents of Baghdad are getting little rest.
The allies say they have 9,000 POW's.
In Basra, the Brits have made gains.
US troops have entered Najaf after support from the Grand Ayatollah
Sistani. He issued a Fatwah saying Shias should not resist Coal'n forces.
There's been a clash nr Mosul, at a "strategic junction".
In Baghdad, the US is calling on Iraqis to rise up against their Pres.
More tanks and infantry have moved in o'night to the airport after a
devastating wave of air strikes. The Rep Guard in the S has vanished.
In Washington, Don Rumsfeld says the snr Iraqi leaders now have no way
out. There's nothing like cornering an enemy that is supposed to have
WMD! But other leaders are invited to surrender, he says. Previously
he's indicated there will be war-crimes trials for everyone.
Iraqi TV has shown new pictures of Saddam outlining his strategy to
the top leaders. But it's not live. Saddam has called on Baath party
activists that can't fight to stand aside for others that can.
On the streets of the capital there's fear. Armed civilians and
regime supporters are preparing for street-to-street fighting.
Reporters talking to those men on the streets find they are ready to
defend themselves. But they are even more mis-matched than the Rep
Guard have been. They are lightly armed militia and no match for the
array of firepower coming up from the S.
Americans tonight are waiting for re-enforcements. The backup was
held up by large number of surrendering soldiers, down S.
Gen Myers says Baghdad is now irrelevant and no longer controls the
country. It's probably the opening salvo before declaring a new govt
is operating, somewhere else in the country. Or, perhaps, from
Washington.

9.40 pm
2,500 Rep Guard have given themselves up to Coal'n forces nr Kut. The
war is over for them.

An embed with US forces nr the S approaches of Baghdad. On the rd 2
men were shot when they refused to stop at a checkpoint. One was shot
in the chest. The other was shot in the eye. US medics are giving
them first aid. They are now POW's.

9.45
Baghdad. Paul McGeough (ABC). Civilians are not arming themselves,
despite news of Americans approaching the city and in residence at the
airport. In the S there was organised resistance. My hunch is
that's what will happen here. There is no sign of the Rep Guard or
other regular units. We still don't know what caused the blackout
last night. The Americans deny it was them. The power is back on
now. There is presently no moon, and the oil smoke which continues to
shroud the city means it's absolutely black after dark. Each side can
watch the other in the darkness. The food sit'n is OK, with
oil-for-food before the war providing rations for several m to city
residents. Some have sold their food. It's the only income they
have. Shops still have some food in them. So it's a little while
before we get to crisis point. There's vegetables, eggs and milk.
There have been no deliveries into city since the start of the war.
It's now just a waiting game to see what will happen next.

10 pm
There's been another suicide bombing. Centcom said a van has exploded
NW of Baghdad, killing 3 soldiers, a pregnant woman and the driver.
2 other soldiers were reported injured in the attack. The incident
happened at a checkpoint nr the Haditha dam, NW of Baghdad and 130 km
from the Syrian border. Gen Brooks said the van approached the
checkpoint, and a woman got out showing obvious signs of distress. As
troops approach, the van exploded, killing the woman and 3 soldiers.

Centcom has admitted the Coal'n has used cluster bombs nr civil areas.
The admission reportedly comes after claims from Iraq and Iraqi TV
showing soldiers disarming the weapons nr towns in N and C Iraq. The
claims were initially down-played or denied by Coal'n military officials.
Cluster bombs can be delivered in many ways. Rockets shown arcing
into the night sky in images from embeds were one form. The weapons
have been used outside several towns incl Basra, Nasiriyah, and
Hillah. 100s of civilians were injured at Hillah, and dozens killed.
Experts say each bomb can contain up to 100 bomblettes. About 16%
of the bomblettes don't explode -- at least, not at first. They
are generally brightly-coloured, which attracts children. And it's a
deadly attraction.
Aid organisations estimate about 1,600 Iraqi civilians were killed in
GWI by cluster bombs.

11 pm
Gen Brooks says the Coal'n will go into Baghdad, not just sit on the
outskirts. Analysts say the US will separate combatants and
non-combatants, and "eliminate" the former.

}} CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS

=== end of part 1 ===