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. . . Day by Day with VOA .. . Muslims Throughout Middle East, Indonesia Begin Observing Ramadan . VOA News 06 Nov 2002, 11:17 UTC   . Muslims around the world are observing the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims in the Middle East, the United States and Indonesia - the world's most populous Muslim country, began Ramadan observances Wednesday. However, millions of Muslims in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are to begin their observances Thursday, after local religious authorities said they were not able to see the new moon on Tuesday evening. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and observances begin the day after the sighting of the crescent moon. President Bush has sent his Ramadan greetings to the world's Muslims. He calls Islam a peace-loving faith and says Muslims reflect this through caring for those in need and strengthening family ties. Devout Muslims observe fast and abstinence from sunrise to sunset during the month that marks the revelation of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, to the Prophet Mohammad more than 14 centuries ago. In Iran, President Mohammad Khatami said fasting will begin on Wednesday morning in the Islamic Republic. He sent his Ramadan wishes to other Islamic leaders and called upon God to help all Muslims foster peace, justice and friendship in the Muslim world. While in Jordan, the country's top cleric said Muslims must remember the Palestinians living under Israeli occupation during this holy month.
. Anti-Globalization Activists Meet in Italy . .
It is a security nightmare for the Italian authorities. They would gladly have avoided holding the anti-globalization forum in the Renaissance art city of Florence. Border controls were stepped up in the days leading up to the five day meeting. Italy's interior minister, Giuseppe Pisanu, voiced his concern, saying there was good reason to fear violent demonstrations. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said the police would not stand back in the face of violent protests. Thousands of police officers have been deployed in Florence to patrol the streets, and closed-circuit cameras have been installed throughout the city. Authorities do not want a repeat of the havoc witnessed on the streets of Genoa last year. Many fear violent protesters will target some of the city's art treasures. But Culture Minister Giuliano Urbani said this week that everything was being done to ensure that the monuments in the city would not be put at risk. Ten thousand antiwar demonstrators staged a sit-in outside the U.S. military base of Camp Derby in Pisa. Organizers blame the United States for war and terrorism in the world. European anti-globalization groups will hold discussions until Saturday when a mass demonstration will be held in Florence. Although organizers say it will be peaceful, they have conceded violent groups may attempt to create chaos. The anti-globalization movement was born at a World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle three years ago. Activists protest against a range of issues including genetically modified foods and market brands such as McDonald's. In Florence, one McDonald's restaurant was busy installing protection in front of its glass windows ahead of this week's meeting.
. As Ramadan Begins, Muslims Choose Dates to End Daily Fast . . .
During Ramadan, Muslims follow a tradition that was set by their prophet Mohammed more than 14 centuries ago. After fasting from sunrise to sunset, Mohammed broke his fast by eating dates and drinking goat's milk. In Egypt, traders in Cairo have started their own tradition regarding the dates. They give them names to indicate their quality. And the names are often tied to current events. Last year the best quality dates were called bin Laden, named after the al-Qaida leader. The worst quality were called Bush, after the American president who, at the time, had launched military strikes in Afghanistan. This year Egyptians breaking their fast can chew on Ariel Sharon. That's what traders are calling their worst quality dates. The best quality dates are being called Leila's eyes. Five times the price of the Sharons, they are named after Egyptian film star Leila Alwi.
. Bush Accepts SEC Chairman's Resignation . . . The embattled chairman of the government agency that regulates America's securities industry resigned under pressure Tuesday evening. Only the timing of Harvey Pitt's resignation was a surprise.
It had been a tumultuous 15 months for the former law professor and lobbyist for the accounting industry. Mr. Pitt's resignation as the country's top securities regulator comes with markets still reeling under a spate of corporate accounting scandals that led to the bankruptcy of leading companies like Enron, Global Crossing and WorldCom. Opposition Democrats have long been seeking Mr. Pitt's resignation. President Bush lost confidence in Mr. Pitt after the disclosure last week that the person he chose to head a panel to clean up the accounting industry was himself involved with a firm tarnished by accounting irregularities.
. Former US Official Says N. Korea Supports Dismantling of Nuclear Weapons . . .
During his visit, former ambassador Donald Gregg asked North Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Kang Sok Ju about the 1994 Agreed Framework. The agreement with the United States required Pyongyang to scrap an earlier nuclear program. "Kang's response was 'It is hanging by a thread,'" Ambassador Gregg said. "Meaning it was in a very tenuous state but that the North Koreans were still supporting it." However, North Korea a few weeks ago declared the 1994 accord void because of delays in building two light-water reactors. It is to receive the reactors in return for dismantling the earlier program, which could have generated plutonium for bombs. Last month, the United States reported that Pyongyang had admitted to enriching uranium for use in nuclear weapons. At a press conference in Seoul Wednesday, Mr. Gregg says North Korean officials were vague about the matter.
The United States, South Korea and Japan demand that North Korea swiftly and visibly dismantle its nuclear weapons program. North Korea argues it has a right to develop nuclear weapons as protection against what it describes as a hostile United States. It demands that Washington sign a non-aggression pact and guarantee the North's sovereignty to resolve the dispute. Ambassador Gregg said he detected some possible flexibility in Pyongyang's stance. "There seemed to be a movement from their assertion that the United States had to take a first step to break the current impasse, to an assertion that simultaneous actions should be taken to resolve current issues," he said. "And this we regarded as possibly a step toward progress." Mr. Gregg, a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, says he spent four days in Pyongyong as a private citizen.
. Ivory Coast Peace Talks to Resume Wednesday . . .
Rebels agreed to return to negotiations Wednesday after twice postponing the resumption of talks, which are being brokered by the government of Togo and a group of West African countries. The insurgents had threatened to pull out of negotiations unless the government agreed to hear all their demands. The rebels insist that President Laurent Gbagbo resign and that new elections be held.
The rebel delegation returned to the Togolese capital, Lome, on Tuesday after a four day trip to the insurgent stronghold of Bouake in Ivory Coast. Rebel and government delegations consulted with Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema, the main mediator of the talks, early Wednesday before the scheduled start of negotiations. Togolese officials said Mr. Eyadema is trying to salvage the negotiations by persuading both sides to discuss all of the issues, regardless how intractable the negotiators' positions may be at the outset. Rebels and government officials reached a partial agreement last week in which the government said it would push laws granting amnesty to renegade soldiers. The insurgents agreed to open routes to allow the delivery of humanitarian supplies and services in rebel-held areas. Ivory Coast, the world's top producer of cocoa, is an economic anchor in West Africa. West African governments have been pressing for a speedy solution, fearing the conflict may destabilize the region. A number of nations in the region are currently working to assemble a multinational peacekeeping force that is to deploy in the coming weeks. The multinational force is to monitor a ceasefire that has been in place for nearly three weeks.
. Netanyahu Sworn In as Israel's Foreign Minister . . Israel's former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in Wednesday as the country's new foreign minister to serve until early elections expected in late January. Mr. Netanyahu agreed to join the outgoing government after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed to call early elections. While in the cabinet, Mr. Netanyahu will also challenge Mr. Sharon for the leadership post of the right-wing Likud Party in a primary race to elect a candidate to head the new government. Israeli public opinion polls indicate that a majority of voters want Ariel Sharon as the country's prime minister. According to the polls, Mr. Sharon will beat Mr. Netanyahu in internal Likud Party primaries, and then beat the moderate Labor Party in general elections. The polls, by the Geocartographia Institute and the Dahaf-Yediot Ahronot, were conducted Tuesday, after Mr. Sharon announced his decision to call early elections after failing to rebuild a new coalition government. His earlier coalition collapsed last week, when the Labor Party pulled out mainly because of differences over funding for Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. However, political analysts say there are a large number of undecided voters and that a lot could change before the Likud Party holds its primary election - expected late this month or early December. Meanwhile, a Palestinian gunman killed two Israelis and wounded two others in a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip Wednesday. The settlement's security chief shot dead the assailant. The militant Islamic group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. Tuesday, Palestinian gunmen and Israeli soldiers clashed in the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. At least two Palestinians were killed and 19 others wounded in the fighting. Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
. Pakistan Parties Negotiating Coalition Agreements . . . More than three weeks after national elections in Pakistan, it is still not clear which parties will form a coalition government. There are signs political parties are making progress. Pakistan's three largest parties, divided on ideological lines, still are struggling to cobble together a coalition. A pro-military government political party, the Pakistan Muslim League, which won the most seats, has named Zafarullah Khan Jamali, its candidate for the prime minister. The party says it has held successful talks with smaller parties in the National Assembly and is in a position to form a government. On Tuesday, leaders of pro-democracy parties and an alliance of six religious groups, Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal, or MMA, said they are ready to form a government. Nawabzadah Nasrullah Khan is the head of the multi-party Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, ARD. The alliance includes the political party of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the Pakistan People's Party, which has emerged as the second largest party in Parliament. "As far as MMA and ARD, these two alliances are concerned, they are absolutely unanimous, particularly the issue of these two offices, the prime minister and the speaker [of the national assembly], that has been settled," he said. Mr. Khan would not name the candidate for prime minister. Leaders of the MMA, however, have said it is likely to be the head of the fundamentalist Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, Fazlur Rehman. The 342-seat national assembly is scheduled to be inaugurated Friday - a simple majority of 173 seats, is needed to form a government. Politicians dismiss criticism that efforts to form a government have deadlocked. "The constitution and the rules provide for a clear cut methodology by which a government can be put together even if it cannot be made on the first round of voting. It allows for multiple rounds," said Naveed Qamar, an assembly member elected from Ms. Bhutto's party. "It allows for parties to get together in Parliament and form a coalition." "At the moment, what is really happening in Pakistan is that the PPP and the Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal, they are trying to define and clarify as to what can be the basis for their coming together," said Ayaz Amir, a leading columnist and political commentator. "So things are not getting more confused, things are becoming more clear." No date has been announced for the election of the prime minister, which usually comes several days after the Parliament is sworn in.
. Palestinian Gunman Kills 2 at Jewish Settlement in Gaza . . . A Palestinian gunman has shot dead two Israelis at a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip before being killed by security guards. The Israeli army says that the Palestinian gunman entered greenhouses in the Gush Katif area Wednesday and opened fire on farmers working there. The attacker pulled out a grenade when challenged, but he was shot before he could detonate it. The militant Islamic group Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier, three Palestinian mortars landed in the Gush Katif settlement bloc without causing injuries. The incidents followed clashes Tuesday in the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip between Palestinian gunmen and Israeli soldiers. At least two Palestinians were killed and 19 more injured in that fighting. Meanwhile, Israeli police have arrested several Palestinians near Tel Aviv's international airport, allegedly on their way to carry out a terrorist attack. It was not immediately clear if the group had plotted to strike the airport itself. The arrests came during an intense dragnet for suspected terrorists that shut down major highways as police set up roadblocks and patrols throughout central Israel. The security alerts came one day after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced an early election, throwing the country into three months of political instability as it prepares for a poll early next year. The Israeli parliament is due to fix a date for the elections on Wednesday and also swear in former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has agreed to serve as foreign minister until the elections. Mr. Netanyahu has announced he will challenge Mr. Sharon for the leadership of the Likud Party, which is tipped to win the most seats in the next parliament.
. Reports: Terrorists Killed in Yemen with Sanaa's Approval, White House Authorization . . U.S. newspapers say a missile strike against al-Qaida members in Yemen Sunday was carried out under broad new authority President Bush has given the CIA to pursue terrorists worldwide. The Washington Post and The New York Times, quoting Bush administration officials, say the remote-controlled Predator drone that fired the missile was being operated under a presidential finding that authorizes covert actions against Osama bin Laden's terrorist network. According to the reports, Mr. Bush did not authorize the specific decision to fire the missile, because he had delegated control of such operations to his military and intelligence teams. The officials say this is intended to avoid a repeat of last year's failure to use such a missile to kill ousted Taleban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar in Afghanistan. The press reports say the operation that killed six suspected al-Qaida members was carried out with the approval of the Yemeni government. Current and former U.S. officials say the Yemen attack illustrates the broad new rules for fighting that are required by the worldwide war on terrorism. Tuesday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz described the missile strike as a "very successful tactical operation." In an interview with the Cable News Network (CNN), Mr. Wolfowitz said one hopes each successful military strike not only eliminates somebody dangerous, but also changes an organization's tactics, operations and procedures. Sunday's missile strike on a car on Yemen's Marib province killed a suspected top al-Qaida operative, Ali Qaed Senyan al-Harethi. The United States has linked him to the terrorist attack in Yemen two years ago on the U.S.S Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors. The five others killed were his suspected associates. Some information for this report provided by AFP.
. Republicans Gain Control of US Congress . . .
It was an announcement by Democratic Senate incumbent Jean Carnahan of Missouri, who fought a tough campaign against Republican Jim Talent, that put Republicans in control of the Senate. Ms. Carnahan had been appointed to the Senate two years ago in place of her husband, who won election after dying in a plane crash. Republican victories in the House and Senate are a triumph for President Bush, who campaigned vigorously for Republicans in the final days before the vote. In a conference call with reporters, Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer savored the victory, noting that, historically, the party that controls the White House loses Congressional seats in a midterm election. "This is the first time since the Republican Party was founded, around the Civil War, that the Republican Party has gained seats in the president's first midterm election. That is historic," he said. The president spent Tuesday night on the telephone, congratulating Republican victors. Republican control of Congress will make it easier for Mr. Bush to achieve his legislative agenda, including initiatives on homeland security, federal judicial appointments and tax reform.
In North Carolina, former Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Dole defeated Democrat Erskine Bowles, who served as chief of staff for former President Clinton. "I intend to be a Senator for all of North Carolina," said Mrs. Dole. In Texas, Republican Attorney General John Cornyn won the seat of retiring Senator Phil Gramm, in a closely contested race. Many incumbents won easy reelection, including Virginia Senator John Warner, a key Republican on the Armed Services Committee, and Delaware Democrat Joe Biden, ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee. Voters chose all 435 House of Representatives, 34 of the 100 Senators, and 36 of the nation's governors. As vote counting continued into Wednesday morning, Republicans appeared to be making gains in races for state executive mansions. Jeb Bush became the first Republican Florida governor to win a second term, in an electoral victory that is seen as a positive sign for the 2004 re-election prospects for his brother, President Bush. Republicans also scored a win in overwhelmingly-Democratic Maryland, where they reclaimed the governor's mansion for the first time in 36 years. Robert Ehrlich defeated Democrat Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, daughter of slain Senator Robert Kennedy.
. Train Fire Kills 12 in France . . At least 12 people have died in a fire on board a train in eastern France. The train was en route from Paris to Vienna via Strasbourg. The cause is thought to be a faulty heating system. The fire began in the middle of the night in the first sleeping car near the front of the train and was not immediately discovered. An officer of the National Police said employees of the rail system saw the car on fire as it passed through the station in Nancy, 250 Kilometers east of Paris, and stopped the train as quickly as they could. The victims died of smoke inhalation before rescue workers could get to them. The dead are reported to include French, British, German and American citizens. The location of the fire, at the end of one carriage, suggested to officials that it had been caused by a problem with the heating system. There were 150 passengers on board the express train, which makes an overnight trip from Paris to the Austrian capital, Vienna.
. US Defends Alleged Attack in Yemen, Remains Opposed to Targeted Killings. David Gollust State Department 06 Nov 2002, 00:40 UTC .  Listen
to David Gollust's report (RealAudio) Gollust
report - Download 348k (RealAudio) . The United States says it still opposes Israel's policy of targeting Palestinian militants for assassination even though the CIA apparently used the same tactic in killing a senior al-Qaida operative and five others in Yemen Sunday. Administration spokesmen have not admitted, for the record, that the United States was behind the rocket attack that shredded a car carrying a top al-Qaida figure and five associates on remote highway in northwestern Yemen. But they are making no effort to deny news reports quoting U.S. officials at that a missile fired from a CIA drone aircraft caused the explosion that killed Qaed Senyan al-Harethi, an al-Qaida operative who had been linked to the lethal attack on the U.S. Navy destroyer the USS Cole two years ago.
"I'm not drawing a distinction between anything and anything else," he said. "I'm just saying that if you look carefully, if you look at what we have said about targeting killings in the question of the Israeli-Palestinian disputes, you will see first of all, as I've said today, that our position has not changed. And second of all, that the factors that we cited for our opposition to targeted killings were particular to that set of circumstances." The United States has argued in the past that the targeted killings, defended by Israel as pre-emptive self-defense, contribute to a cycle of violence and undermine prospects for regional peace talks.
Mr. Fleischer said the president is waging that war on political, diplomatic and military fronts and that "sometimes the best course is a good offense." There has been some international criticism of the Yemen attack. Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh said suspected terrorists should be accorded due process of law, and that, if the United States was behind the incident with Yemen's consent, it was a "summary execution" that violates human rights. State Department officials say that in the aftermath of the attack, security at the U.S. embassy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa had been stepped-up, though the mission remained open Tuesday.
. US Offers New Draft of UN Iraq Resolution . . The United States is presenting a new draft of its Iraq resolution to the full Security Council, hoping to win approval after two months of tough negotiations to disarm Iraq. U.S. officials say the proposed draft contains some changes to reflect the views of other nations, but gives President Bush room to deal with Iraq's defiance. France, which opposes military action against Iraq, is said to have agreed with most of the changes. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov told Russia's Itar-Tass News Agency Wednesday the new draft takes several steps which take into account Moscow's position. The new resolution threatens Iraq with "serious consequences" if it does not comply with U.N. demands, sets up a tough regime for U.N. weapons inspections and calls on the Security Council to consider any serious violations by Iraq. The resolution declares Iraq in "material breach" of its obligations to get rid of weapons of mass destruction, but also gives Baghdad "a final opportunity to comply." The new draft, the third version of the U.S. sponsored resolution since early last month, has already been circulated privately among Council members. Reuters quotes the official Iraqi press Wednesday as saying Baghdad would reject any U.N. resolution that violates its independence, sovereignty and security. Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
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. . . Day by Day with VOA .. . 2 Candidates in the Running for House Minority Leader Position . Dan Robinson Capitol Hill 09 Nov 2002, 00:38 UTC . Listen
to Dan Robinson's report (RealAudio) Robinson
report - Download 409k (RealAudio) . A Democratic lawmaker from the state of California says she has enough support from her party to become the new leader of the minority Democrats in the House of Representatives. If formally selected in balloting next week, Nancy Pelosi would become the first woman to become leader of either party in either house of Congress. The jockeying for power reflects differences between ideological wings of the party over the course Democrats should take to repair the damage from the mid-term elections.
"I think it says everything about our seriousness to be rigorous in our understanding of the economic issues, in putting forth our message, to be rigorous in winning the elections, and to be rigorous in making the future better for the American people. And I take their vote of confidence as a compliment to me as a leader, as an organizer and a person committed to Democratic values," she said. Mrs. Pelosi received a boost Friday when the strongest challenger, Texas Democrat Martin Frost, withdrew from the race. He had announced his candidacy only a day earlier, saying Mrs. Pelosi could alienate conservative and moderate Democrats. A last minute challenge to Mrs. Pelosi has been launched by Congressman Harold Ford, a 32-year-old African-American from the southern state of Tennessee. He emphasized that Democrats need what he calls "radical change."
Mrs. Pelosi says she is not worried about the challenge from Mr. Ford, saying she has confirmed support from a majority of Democrats in the House. The senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee, Mrs. Pelosi has been a strong supporter of the war on terrorism, but voted against the resolution authorizing President Bush to take military action against Iraq. She says she will continue to support the president whenever possible, but will not hesitate to take a stand against administration positions when necessary. "The Democrats must seek our common ground for the good of the American people. But where we do not have our common ground, we must stand our ground," she said. "And I will work with my colleagues to develop that message from everyone from across the spectrum in the Democratic party in the caucus in the House." Meanwhile, there appears to be no contest for Democrat party leadership in the Senate, where Tom Daschle of South Dakota is seeking another two-year term as Democratic leader but now in the minority after the mid-term election. Mr. Daschle told reporters: "We intend to work closely with the president when we think he's right, but stand up and fight for our principles when we think he's wrong."
. China's Expected New Leader Vows Country Will Stay Communist . . Hu Jintao, China's apparent leader-in-waiting, says his nation will not waiver from its socialist path while it works to bring economic affluence to its citizens. China's official news agency, Xinhua, quotes Mr. Hu as saying China will continue to apply Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and Jiang's "Three Represents" to advance socialism with, what Mr. Hu called, "Chinese characteristics." Analysts say the 59-year-old Mr. Hu is expected to pursue, what the Communist Party calls a "socialist market economy." Mr. Hu made his comments Friday after the 16th Communist party congress opened in Beijing. Mr. Hu is expected to replace President Jiang Zemin early next year. He is expected to take over the party's leadership from President Jiang at the end of the week-long party congress. Mr. Hu said China, under the leadership of President Jiang, has made an historic breakthrough by opening up the country in a modernization drive. He praised Mr. Jiang's speech Friday to open the party congress. Mr. Jiang told more than 2,000 delegates that China's rulers must let go of outdated notions, practices and systems. He said reform and opening up are the ways to a powerful China. The 76-year-old president told his audience that the party must try to attract more capitalists in order to move forward. But he stressed that communists must remain in firm control of China, and that the country should never copy any Western political models. On the touchy subject of Taiwan, Mr. Jiang said the two sides should put aside their political differences and resume talks. But he said Beijing will not renounce its threat of force to reunify with the island. The week-long party congress is expected to change its constitution to include Mr. Jiang's theories in its doctrine. He is among a string of leaders expected to shed their party jobs at the congress. Outside Beijing's Great Hall of the People, where the congress is meeting, police detained several women who scattered leaflets, but there were few signs of other protests. Authorities have tightened security throughout Beijing and have closed off the normally crowded Tiananmen Square. Some information for this report provided by AP.
. Bush Wants Congress to Create Homeland Security Department This Year . . .
The first thing President Bush wants from this week's Republican electoral wins is a new cabinet-level department of Homeland Security to better coordinate border patrols, emergency response teams, and research into surviving chemical or biological attack. The legislation passed the Republican-controlled House, but was blocked by Senate Democrats, who refused to give the president authority to over-ride civil service work rules in times of national emergency. It now falls to soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott to try and get that bill through next week's "lame-duck" session of Congress, which includes legislators who lost re-election. President Bush had lunch Friday with Mr. Lott and House Majority Leader Dennis Hastert to push for Homeland Security. Mr. Hastert said, now that congressional elections are over, the country cannot afford to wait any longer to reorganize homeland defense. "The political games are over," Dennis Hastert. "We need to get done what's right for the American people, and pass this piece of legislation. So, we hope we can reach-out to our friends on the other side of the aisle, that we can get some cooperation." Senator Lott says, if the legislation is not completed now, before this session of Congress adjourns, it would be several months before it could be acted on by a new Republican-led Congress next year. "We have to do what the American people deserve to have done," said senator Lott. "Homeland Security is important. If we leave town not having achieved that, it would be four or five months then before that could be done. We need to have better efficiency and more flexibility, and we need to get this process underway. We are talking about security for the American people here at home." A new Department of Homeland Security would be the biggest government re-organization in more than 50 years, with 170,000 employees from the Secret Service to the Coast Guard working to prevent another terrorist attack.
. Bush Welcomes UN Unanimous Vote on Iraq Resolution . . President Bush says Iraq will face "severe consequences" if it does not fully comply with a U.N. resolution ordering the country to give up its weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Bush said that if Iraq does not meet U.N. demands, the United States and other nations will, in his words, disarm Saddam Hussein. The U.N. Security Council approved the U.S.-sponsored resolution Friday with a unanimous vote, giving Iraq seven days to accept the disarmament order and 30 days to make a full accounting of its weapons program. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the resolution sends a strong signal to Iraq that the United Nations is united on the issue. He said Iraq must comply. In Washington, the U.S. Defense Department said American troops are ready to move quickly if President Bush decides military action against Iraq is needed. But, China, France, and Russia issued a joint statement saying the resolution excludes any automatic use of force. The three countries said the Security Council must decide what to do if Iraq fails to meet the U.N. demands. Iraq's government has not officially reacted to the Security Council vote. But Iraqi radio and satellite television both called the resolution "unwarranted." In Cairo, foreign ministers from the 22 Arab League nations will discuss the U.N. action at meetings Saturday and Sunday. An Arab League spokesman Hisham Youssef said he believes the U.N. resolution will be "respected." Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix said weapons inspectors will go back to Iraq on November 18th. They then have two months to compile a report for the Security Council. The resolution, the result of weeks of negotiations, gives weapons inspectors the right to search anywhere for banned weapons, including Iraqi President's Saddam's Hussein's palace compounds. Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
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