Foreign Desk
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

PERSIAN GULF
IRAQ’S PRESIDENT BACKS ON-TIME ELECTIONS BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraq’s president, Ghazi al-Yawer, an influential Sunni Muslim, threw his support yesterday behind holding the January 30 election on time despite insurgent threats he said have paralyzed voter registration in some Sunni areas of the country.
Suicide bombers targeted American and Iraqi forces yesterday on the road to Baghdad Airport and near a bridge south of the capital – grim reminders of the perilous security situation.
American troops fought a half-hour gun battle with insurgents in the northern city of Mosul, and one American was wounded. Clashes also occurred between American troops and insurgents in Samarra, 60 miles north of the capital, wounding three Iraqi soldiers and two civilians, Iraqi officials said.
A rebel group, meanwhile, claimed it had abducted and killed three Iraqis who worked for the U.S. Marines in Ramadi, saying in an Internet posting that Iraqis who cooperate with American forces will face the same treatment as if they were Americans.
Prime Minister Allawi met Iraqi Sunni tribal leaders in Amman, Jordan, trying to drum up support for the election, which is seen as vital for building a democratic government in Iraq. Mr. Allawi ruled out meeting leaders of the insurgency but conferred with figures who are influential in Sunni regions of central Iraq where insurgent violence has been fiercest.
– Associated Press
MIDDLE EAST
JAILED PALESTINIAN TERROR LEADER SEEKS PRESIDENCY Jailed Palestinian Arab uprising leader Marwan Barghouti declared his candidacy for president yesterday, a stunning last-minute reversal that shook up Palestinian politics ahead of the January 9 vote for Yasser Arafat’s replacement.
Adding to the uncertainty, the terrorist group Hamas said it would boycott the election. It was the first sign of open divisions between the interim Palestinian leadership and the Islamic opposition group since Arafat’s death November 11.
The moves injected drama into what has been a smooth transition of power. Before yesterday, interim leader Mahmoud Abbas managed to win pledges of unity – if not outright support – from the disparate Palestinian Arab factions and seemed a shoo-in to win the presidency.
The fiery, charismatic Barghouti, who is serving five life terms in an Israeli prison for his role in deadly attacks, is far more popular among young Palestinian Arabs than the staid Mr. Abbas.
Last week, Barghouti sent a message from his prison cell saying that he would not pursue the presidency for the sake of unity in the ruling Fatah movement. But yesterday, he abruptly changed his mind.
Cheered by supporters who shouted, “With our blood and souls, we will redeem you, Marwan,” Barghouti’s wife, Fadwa, dropped off his registration documents at the Palestinian election headquarters ahead of a midnight deadline. “I officially registered Marwan,” she told reporters. Earlier, the campaign paid a $3,000 deposit, associates said.
– Associated Press
CARIBBEAN
WITH GUNFIRE OUTSIDE, POWELL CONDEMNS VIOLENCE Heavy gunfire rang out near Haiti’s presidential palace yesterday as Secretary of State Powell met with the country’s interim leaders. Mr. Powell said international peacekeeping troops need to come down hard on street toughs and those who carry out political violence in Haiti.
“They have to forcefully take on those armed individuals of the kind who were firing this morning,” Mr. Powell said after meetings at the National Palace with President Alexandre, Prime Minister Latortue, and other political leaders.
After Mr. Powell wrapped up his one-day trip, shots continued to echo through the streets. Four people were killed and at least 11 were injured.
Bloodied gunshot victims crowded the corridors at the capital’s main hospital, where U.N. police were standing guard. U.N. troops were also on alert at the national penitentiary, said Damian Onses Cardona, a spokesman for the U.N. force, now at more than 6,000 members.
Most of the clashes occurred in Bel Air, a slum loyal to President Aristide, several blocks away from the National Palace. Haiti is still beset with violence and political infighting as the one-year anniversary of Mr. Aristide’s ouster approaches in February. The country’s caretaker government has pledged open elections next fall, a goal Mr. Powell said Haiti can meet with outside help.
– Associated Press