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SACRAMENTO -- Assemblywoman Nicole Parra on Tuesday gave beleaguered Secretary of State Kevin Shelley two more days to decide whether to testify voluntarily before her audit committee about his handling of federal election funds. At the conclusion of a committee hearing late Monday night, Parra said she would seek a subpoena if Shelley had not agreed by noon Tuesday to appear before the committee's next hearing. Tuesday afternoon, she released an exchange of letters between herself and Shelley in which the secretary of state asked for more time to consult with his attorneys before responding. "As you might imagine, your...

France refuses Iraqi kidnappers' ultimatum Associated Press Monday August 30, 2004 The French government today refused to bow to the demands of militants who have kidnapped two French journalists in Iraq, insisting that a law banning Muslim headscarves in school would go ahead. Government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope told Canal Plus television that France would not compromise its values to win the release of the journalists. Militants claiming to hold them demanded the law be overturned within 48 hours, a deadline that expires later today. "The law will be applied," Mr Cope said, rejecting the militants' warning. The law, which bans...

Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr has rejected an Iraqi government ultimatum to renounce violence and disband his militia, says a senior aide. The head of al-Sadr's office in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriya, Aus al-Khafaji, told Aljazeera Thursday afternoon that the Shia leader had refused to accept a list of tough conditions set out a few hours earlier by Minister of State Kasim Daud. The rejections raises the prospect of a major assault by US and Iraqi forces to retake the area of Najaf where al-Sadr and his al-Mahdi Army militia are holed up. At least five people have been...

US Saudi hostage ultimatum looms People in Mr Johnson's hometown are rallying round his family Saudi authorities are stepping up their search for a US hostage whose captors have threatened to kill him on Friday if their demands are not met. Paul Johnson, 49, was seized in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, last Saturday. The group said on Tuesday he would be killed within 72 hours if al-Qaeda members in Saudi jails were not freed. Mr Johnson's Thai wife, Thanom, pleaded for his release on Arabic TV, as the US and Saudi Arabia insist they will not negotiate with hostage-takers. Door-to-door...

Assad given weapons ultimatum By Anton La Guardia, Diplomatic Editor (Filed: 07/01/2004) America and Britain rebuffed President Bashar Assad of Syria yesterday, telling him bluntly that Damascus must give up its weapons of mass destruction or face ostracism - even if neighbouring Israel keeps its nuclear arms. "Israel is in a unique position as the only state whose very existence is threatened," said a senior British Government source yesterday. "There is no point in asking for a WMD-free Middle East while there are countries parading missiles with a sign up the side saying Death to Israel."Isolated since the fall of...

Israel gives Arafat reform ultimatum By Toby Harnden in Herzliya (Filed: 19/12/2003) Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, delivered a stark ultimatum to Palestinians last night, demanding that they dismantle the apparatus of terrorism within "a few months" or face a "disengagement plan" that would redraw the de facto borders of Israel.He told a security conference in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, that unless there was a transformation of Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority Israel would take "unilateral steps" in its own interests. Yasser Arafat (Deeply saddened) The "new security lines" would result in dismantling some Israeli settlements on the West Bank...

TEL AVIV, Israel - Palestinians reacted with anger at Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites)'s warning that Israel might seize land if peace negotiations fail, though Sharon also said Israel must give up territory for peace. "You do not have unlimited time," Sharon told a news conference on Thursday, addressing the Palestinians. He added that if he feels the Palestinians are not serious about negotiating a peace deal, he may take unilateral steps. "Maybe (the Palestinians) can get things now that they won't be able to get then." The Palestinians, who claim all of the West Bank...

Qureia gives Arafat final ultimatum By Eric Silver in Jerusalem 13 October 2003 Ahmed Qureia, the Palestinian Prime Minister, told Yasser Arafat yesterday that he will resign in another three weeks if the men fail to resolve a dispute over control of Palestinian security services. He would be the second Prime Minister to throw in the towel within two months - his predecessor, Abu Mazen, lost a power struggle with the President. Mr Qureia, who has a reputation as a more skilled political operator, tried to avoid a clash, but Mr Arafat is still refusing to take a back seat....

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 14 — A Shiite Muslim group on Thursday demanded that U.S. troops withdraw from a Baghdad neighborhood within 24 hours, a day after American forces fired on protesters and killed at least one person. A senior U.S. officer issued an apology and promised to “punish” those responsible, but the commander of coalition forces in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, later appeared to defend how U.S. troops handled the incident. Sanchez said troops try to keep Iraqi culture in mind but must remain aggressive in light of recent attacks. On Thursday in southern Iraq, a British soldier was...

MOSUL, Iraq - Kurdish paramilitary forces have been given an ultimatum: Halt armed patrols around Mosul by Monday, or the U.S. Army will stop them by force. Col. Joe Anderson, commander of the 101st Airborne's 2nd Brigade, said his troops are prepared to enforce the edict against fighters from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Militia members will be allowed to keep their weapons at their headquarters or militia compounds but will be banned from bringing them on patrol, Anderson said. Anderson said Kurdish patrols carrying weapons after 10 a.m. Monday will be forcibly disarmed. Militia...

TRENTON -- Hispanic leaders, still steamed over Gov. James E. McGreevey's failure to nominate one of their own to the state Supreme Court, gathered on the Statehouse steps yesterday to give the governor and lawmakers an ultimatum: Count us in, or we'll take you out. "Our message to elected politicians is clear: If you seek the support of the Latino community, we will hold you accountable, and you shall reap what you sow," said Martin Perez, president of the Latino Leadership Alliance, a collection of community, church and business organizations. "Those who want our support will have to earn it,...

Demanding handover of wanted Iraqi regieme leaders, including Saddam Hussein's top biological and chemical warfare scientists.Earlier DEBKAfile revealed that many of Iraq's 55 most wanted leaders were granted asylum in Syria.

Powell Issues Warning to Iran, Syria By BARRY SCHWEID .c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell says Iran must stop its drive for weapons of mass destruction and Syria must end its support for terrorism. In a strongly worded speech to a pro-Israel lobby, Powell bracketed Iran and Syria with Iraq as promoters of terrorism and suggested they faced grave consequences. His tough words matched those last week of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and served to signal unity within the Bush administration on the anti-terror front. Both Iran and Syria have shown no inclination...

<p>March 31, 2003 -- WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell last night issued a new warning to Syria to end its support for "the dying regime of Saddam Hussein" in next-door Iraq, or face the consequences.</p> <p>Powell's warning came two days after Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld threatened to hold Syria accountable for "hostile acts" in allowing military gear to be shipped to Iraq.</p>

<p>PRESIDENT BUSH and his Azores allies yesterday gave the United Nations one day to agree to decisive action on Iraq. In the event that there is no such decision today, Mr. Bush will probably announce a second deadline, this time addressed to Saddam Hussein. If neither ultimatum proves effective, which seems likely, tens of thousands of American military personnel will be ordered on a mission to disarm Iraq and remove its dictator by force. In our view, military action has been made necessary by Saddam Hussein's repeated defiance of U.N. disarmament orders; we believe Mr. Bush is right to go forward despite opposition from France and other nations. Mr. Bush spoke angrily about France's threats of vetoes in the Security Council, but he and Prime Ministers Tony Blair of Britain and Jose Maria Aznar of Spain also committed themselves to preserving the transatlantic alliance and the United Nations, which Mr. Bush stressed would have a role in the postwar reconstruction of Iraq. "I understand the wars of the 21st century are going to require incredible international cooperation," Mr. Bush said. If the Security Council fails to act, he said, "all of us need to step back and try to figure out how to make the U.N. work better."</p>

President George W. Bush has been delivering ultimatum speeches to Saddam Hussein for at least six months. Back on September 12, 2002, he told world leaders at the United Nations that the Iraqi regime is a "grave and gathering threat," and that "we cannot stand by and do nothing while dangers gather." Last night the president delivered his final ultimatum to Saddam & Sons: either get out of Dodge within 48 hours or face a hanging posse. The speech was a textbook example of Aristotle's "three modes of persuasion": ethos, logos, and pathos. In his famous treatise on rhetoric,...

BAGHDAD, March 18. George Bush is the greatest enemy of the Iraqi and the American population. As a Rosbalt correspondent reports, this announcement was made by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri at a press conference in Baghdad today. He warned that America's aggressive policy in the Persian Gulf could bring a new wave of terrorist acts in the US. 'George Bush must resign,' said the Iraqi foreign minister, 'and only then will the American people be able to sleep at night and only then will the Iraqi people be able to live in peace.' Representatives of the Iraqi foreign office...

Paris, Mar 18, 2003 (EFE via COMTEX) -- French President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday described the U.S. ultimatum to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as "contrary to the will of the U.N. Security Council and the international community." A statement from Chirac's office also argued that only the Security Council was capable of legitimizing the use of force against Iraq. The statement came after U.S. President George W. Bush announced in a televised speech to the nation that he was giving Saddam and his sons 48 hours to leave Iraq or face a military attack. Chirac's statement noted that the ultimatum...

Mar 17, 2003Asian Stock Markets Higher After Bush Delivers War Ultimatum to SaddamBy Dirk BeveridgeThe Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) - Shares in Asia's biggest stock markets rose more than 2 percent Tuesday morning, as many traders bet a war in Iraq will be short and decisive after U.S. President George W. Bush's ultimatum to President Saddam Hussein. Still, some traders remained cautious and some shares failed to hold on to all early gains after Bush delivered a live television address that gave Saddam and his sons 48 hours to quit Iraq or face war. "Most people think that...

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Australia kicked out Iraqi diplomats while Canada and Indonesia called for more diplomacy after President Bush gave Iraqi President Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave or face war. Oil prices fell, the dollar was firm and Asian stock markets galloped higher after Bush, in a grim 13-minute televised address to his people, said, "The tyrant will soon be gone." Bush set the clock ticking to war, which could start as early as early Thursday morning Iraq time, after abandoning diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iraqi crisis through the bitterly divided U.N. Security Council. Australian Prime Minister John...