AP News in Brief

pennlive.com The Associated Press 2/15/03 7:32 PM

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Rattled by an outpouring of anti-war sentiment, the United States and Britain began reworking a draft resolution Saturday to authorize force against Saddam Hussein.

Diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the final product may be a softer text that does not explicitly call for war.

Before Friday's dramatic Security Council meeting, where weapons inspectors gave a relatively favorable accounting of Iraq's recent cooperation, U.S. and British diplomats said they had been preparing a toughly worded resolution that would give them U.N. backing for military action.

British diplomats had said then that any resolution would have to include an authorization of force. They described working versions of the draft as short, simply worded texts that found Iraq in "material breach" of its obligations and reiterated that Saddam now faces "serious consequences" as a result.

In diplomatic terms, coupling the consequences with material breach would be tantamount to an authorization.

Mass marches in London, Rome, Berlin and Damascus, clashes in Athens on day of global protest

LONDON (AP) -- Millions of protesters -- many of them marching in the capitals of America's traditional allies -- demonstrated Saturday against possible U.S. plans to attack Iraq.

In a global outpouring of anti-war sentiment, Rome claimed the biggest turnout -- 1 million according to police, while organizers claimed three times that figure.

In London, at least 750,000 people joined the city's biggest demonstration ever, police said. About 660,000 people protested in Madrid, Spain, police said, while organizers said three times that number gathered.

Berlin had up to half-a-million people on the streets, and Paris was estimated to have had about 100,000.

Peace activists hoped to draw 100,000 demonstrators in New York for a protest near the United Nations.

Emboldened Iraq stages huge marches, says it can fight for 10 years

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- An emboldened Iraq held huge demonstrations Saturday and boasted of having "men and supplies to fight for 10 years" as the United States and Britain sought to recover from a diplomatic setback to their hard-line stance against Saddam Hussein.

On a worldwide day of anti-war protests, tens of thousands of people marched in cities across Iraq, many brandishing assault rifles and waving giant pictures of Saddam.

On Saturday, a senior member of the ruling Baath Party presided over a central Baghdad demonstration and other party figures greeted demonstrators from a stage erected for the occasion.

Chief U.N. weapons inspectors indicated Friday that Saddam has shown increasing cooperation with their mission to make sure Iraq has eliminated its weapons of mass destruction. That assertion dashed U.S. and British hopes of galvanizing council support for a threat to disarm Iraq by force.

The inspectors continued their work Saturday, visiting a dozen sites across the country.

Authorities search for Americans allegedly abducted by Colombian rebels

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- Hundreds of Colombian soldiers and U.S.-donated Black Hawk helicopters scoured rebel territory Saturday for three Americans allegedly kidnapped by a rebel group after their plane crashed in the region while on a spy mission, the army said.

Rebels shot and killed a fourth American and a Colombian army sergeant who were also on the plane, the country's top military commander, Gen. Jorge Mora said.

The U.S. aircraft was on an intelligence mission when it went down Thursday in a drug-producing area crawling with fighters from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The pilot of the single-engine Cessna reported engine trouble shortly before the crash.

Bolivia calls for human rights investigation of shooting deaths during protests

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) -- Bolivia called on international human rights groups Saturday to investigate the shooting deaths of 13 people in rioting that swept the capital last week.

Government officials said President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada would appeal to activists to probe the deaths of four soldiers and nine police officers killed during demonstrations in La Paz's central plaza Wednesday.

Rights groups in Bolivia blasted the government's heavy-handed response to the protests, criticizing the use of live ammunition and tanks to break up the demonstrations.

Witnesses and reporters said unidentified gunmen fired into the crowd from nearby rooftops.

Clashes between soldiers and striking police and protesters left 22 people dead and about 140 people injured. Protesters also torched 12 government buildings.

Four Israeli soldiers killed in bomb attack on tank

JERUSALEM (AP) -- A roadside bomb in the Gaza Strip turned a passing Israeli army tank into a fireball Saturday, wiping out its four-man crew in an attack claimed by the militant Palestinian Islamic group Hamas.

The blast from the 220 pound device detonated the U.S.-made Patton tank's fuel and ammunition, setting the vehicle ablaze, the military said.

In a statement faxed to news agencies Hamas said the bombing was revenge for the deaths of two of its activists who were killed in the same vicinity in a clash with Israeli troops earlier this week.

The attack, near the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, occurred Saturday morning but the Israeli military censor delayed publication for nearly 10 hours until relatives were informed.

U.S. ally Bahrain arrests five men allegedly planning terror attacks

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) -- Bahraini authorities have broken up an alleged terrorist ring suspected of planning attacks in this Gulf kingdom, home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, officials said Saturday.

Five Bahraini men aged 31-41 were arrested for plotting terrorist acts against the island's "national interests and endangering the lives of innocent people," the official Bahrain News Agency reported.

Police also seized weapons and ammunition that the detainees were planning to use "for carrying out acts of terrorism targeting the security of the country and the people," the agency reported.

Bahraini officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the arrests -- the first terror-related detentions inside this close U.S. ally since Sept. 11 -- occurred in the past two days.

It was not clear if the men were part of a larger terrorist network.

Belgium proposes steps to end bitter NATO deadlock over Turkey aid

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Belgium offered a compromise Saturday to end a bitter dispute within the NATO alliance over providing military aid to Turkey in advance of a possible war against Iraq.

Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said Belgium, France and Germany would endorse a U.S. proposal for such help if NATO makes clear the aid is defensive in nature and must not be seen as making the alliance a participant in war preparations against Iraq.

NATO called an urgent session of the ambassadors of its 19 member states for Sunday to discuss the proposal.

Verhofstadt said his government has been consulting with France and Germany on language letting the three countries drop their vetoes against plans to deploy early-warning aircraft, missile defenses and anti-biochemical units to Turkey, the only NATO country bordering Iraq.

Oliver Stone films Castro documentary in Cuba

BERLIN (AP) -- Oliver Stone says Fidel Castro's charm did not cause him to lose his objectivity when filming a documentary of the 76-year-old Cuban president.

Nevertheless, the three-day encounter with the communist leader left a deep impression. "We should look to him as one of the Earth's wisest people, one of the people we should consult," Stone said at a press conference after "Comandante" was screened Friday at the Berlin Film Festival.

"The film is an attempt to portray the human figure," Stone said of the HBO documentary in which Castro talks about late fellow revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara and the assassination of President Kennedy, and offers a rare glimpse into his private life.

Stone, director of "Platoon" and "Nixon," said Castro's regime has achieved much, such as providing schooling and basic services lacking elsewhere in Latin America. He said he hoped the film helps lead the United States to drop its long-standing embargo against Cuba.

A dream final round: Tiger leading, playing with Mickelson

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The return of Tiger Woods is shaping up to be a real treat. Not only is he leading the Buick Invitational, he gets to spend the final round with Phil Mickelson trying to chase him down.

With a dazzling array of shots and a diet of crucial pars on the back nine, Woods ended an entertaining day by hitting into a corporate tent and still making birdie for a 4-under 68, giving him a one-stroke lead over Brad Faxon.

"I'm excited about even having a chance after taking off as much time as I did," said Woods, who was at 12-under 204.

In his first tournament since Dec. 12 surgery on his left knee, Woods didn't waste any time getting back into a familiar position. The next test is whether he can hold the lead, something he does better than anyone.

Woods is 26-2 on the PGA Tour when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead, and the last one to beat him from behind was Mickelson, in the 2000 Tour Championship at East Lake.