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Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld joined other high-ranking officials in the Bush administration March 22 in disputing claims made by a former White House counterterrorism official. Former antiterrorism chief Richard Clarke alleges in a new book and has said in interviews that President Bush and his advisers were slow to recognize the threat posed by al Qaeda before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and were too preoccupied with attacking Iraq to respond appropriately after the attacks. "The (National Security Council) began the process of working through a plan to deal with al Qaeda from the early days of the administration,"...

U.S. concentrating forces near Syrian border <!****************************Cut and Paste Headline Above*****************> SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COMWednesday, April 16, 2003 <!********************Cut and Paste Article Below********************>The United States has bolstered its military presence near the Iraqi- Syrian border. U.S. officials said Central Command has ordered a buildup of assets in western Iraq. They said the buildup is centered at Al Rutba and includes M1A1 main battle tanks, AH-64A attack helicopters and A-10 ground-support fighter-jets. The U.S. move aims to prevent the escape of Iraqi leaders and nonconventional military assets to Syria. They said U.S. forces will also ensure that Arab foreign volunteers...

ANKARA, March 22 (AFP) - Operation Northern Watch, a joint British-US force based in Turkey monitoring a no-fly zone over northern Iraq has ended, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Saturday. "The decision was made under the rules (of the operation). It is not a political decision," Gul said in an interview with NTV television. The Turkish cabinet made the decision Friday due to the "war situation unfolding in Iraq," a foreign ministry statement said. "The US and British embassies have been informed of the decision," it added. Turkish officials had said earlier that Operation Northern Watch, which is comprised...

The operation "Northern Watch" ended, announces Ankara The operation américano-British "Northern Watch", of monitoring of the zone of air exclusion of the north of Iraq, ended because of the war in this country, announced to Saturday the Turkish Minister for the Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul. "This decision was made in agreement with the rules" laid down for this operation and does not constitute a "political decision", affirmed Mr. Gul with television NTV. The operation had been setting-up after the war of the Gulf in 1991 to prevent the Iraqi forces from crushing the Iraqi Kurdish rebels in the north...