http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080220/FOREIGN/435014368/1001
“U.S. presses N. Korea on Syria”
By Nicholas Kralev
February 20, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The United States, alarmed by mounting evidence that North Korea gave nuclear assistance to Syria, has rejected pressure from some of its partners in six-nation talks to compromise on an overdue declaration of Pyongyang’s nuclear activities, U.S. officials said yesterday.
The declaration, which was due at the end of December, would complete the second phase of an October deal aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and clear the way for promised political and economic benefits to the communist state.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080219/wl_afp/australiaattacksjusticetrial
T”error suspects discussed killing Australian PM, court told”
Tue Feb 19, 2:23 AM ET
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “MELBOURNE (AFP) - Members of a group of Muslim men who allegedly formed a terrorist cell in Australia discussed killing the then prime minister John Howard in 2004, a court heard Tuesday.
Prosecutors said two of the 12 men allegedly involved in the Melbourne-based group raised the possibility of killing Howard in September 2004, when they were discussing what actions were permitted under the Koran.
They said secretly-recorded conversations revealed that group member Abdullah Merhi asked the leader, cleric Abdul Nacer Benbrika: “If John Howard kills innocent families... Muslims, do we have to kill him?”
The prosecution said Merhi also asked if an attack on the Australian government would be wrong if it was aimed at forcing the withdrawal of the country’s troops from Iraq.
Benbrika did not give a direct reply to either question, simply saying he was passing on Allah’s teaching, according to tapes played to the court.
Benbrika allegedly then goes on to suggest the group “do a big thing”, adding” “You shouldn’t kill just one, two or three.””