PERSIAN GULF

ALLAWI: IT MAY NOT BE SAFE TO VOTE IN SOME AREAS

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Prime Minister Allawi publicly acknowledged for the first time yesterday that parts of Iraq probably won’t be safe enough for people to vote in the January 30 elections, and he announced plans to boost the size of the country’s army from 100,000 to 150,000 men by year’s end.

Violence persisted, with at least 16 Iraqis killed in two bombings and the seizure of trucks carrying new Iraqi coins. An American soldier was killed in action in Iraq’s volatile western Anbar province, the military said.

Mr. Allawi discussed preparations for the election by telephone with President Bush yesterday, and both leaders underscored the importance of going ahead with the vote as planned, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. The prime minister said at a news conference that “hostile forces are trying to hamper this event.”

“Certainly, there will be some pockets that will not be able to participate in the elections for these reasons, but we think that it will not be widespread,” Mr. Allawi said. Anbar province – a vast area that stretches from west of Baghdad to the Jordanian, Syrian, and Saudi borders – and the northern city of Mosul have seen little preparation for the vote because of tenuous security. The capital also is experiencing an increase in insurgent activity, and residents of some districts may be reluctant to vote for fear of attacks on polling stations.

– Associated Press

IRAN JUDICIARY DENOUNCES ALLEGED TORTURE

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s hard-line judiciary yesterday denounced journalists who claimed they were tortured into making confessions, saying the newsmen were inciting people against the government. More than 20 journalists from print, Internet, and other press outlets have been detained since September in a crackdown on the pro-reform press.

Several of the journalists told a presidential commission last month they were tortured into confessing to charges such as insulting sacred beliefs and endangering national security after publishing articles critical of conservatives in the government. President Khatami on Saturday ordered an investigation into journalists’ allegations, and international rights organizations expressed concern for the journalists’ safety. Judiciary spokesman Jamal Karimirad said the journalists should pursue their claims through the Tehran prosecutor’s office. “Going to unrelated and incompetent bodies that play up things is not correct,” he said.

– Associated Press

EASTERN EUROPE

YANUKOVICH TO FILE COMPLAINT CHALLENGING YUSHCHENKO WIN

The loser of Ukraine’s presidential election said yesterday he would file massive complaints in court challenging the win by Western-leaning Viktor Yushchenko, a move that could prolong the political tensions that have dominated the country for months.

Although Mr. Yushchenko was declared the official winner on Monday, former Prime Minister Yanukovich has refused to concede. He contends there was widespread fraud in the December 26 revote – a mirror of the strategy Mr. Yushchenko used to gain the annulment of an earlier election in which Mr. Yanukovich was declared winner. Mr. Yanukovich said his allies would submit the appeal to the Supreme Court to demand “the annulment of the so-called rerun.” He described the appeal as “a convincing package of evidence that would prove election fraud.”

– Associated Press

NORTH AMERICA

CANADA CONFIRMS NEW CASE OF MAD COW DISEASE

TORONTO – Authorities confirmed yesterday another case of mad cow disease in the western province of Alberta – the second animal found to have the deadly brain-wasting disease in Canada since American officials announced last month they would resume the cross-border cattle trade in March.

Canadian officials said no part of the cow – the third case of the disease ever found in Canada – has entered the human or animal feed system.

But the announcement may strengthen the position of a group of American cattlemen who have sued to block the lifting of the ban. The cattlemen say allowing the trade will hurt American producers and put consumers at risk.

U.S. Department of Agriculture officials said yesterday they are sending a team to Canada to evaluate the latest mad cow case before deciding whether to change their plan to resume imports.

– Associated Press

LEGISLATOR SAYS ANNAN SHOULD RESIGN IN PROTEST

Yet another Washington legislator added his voice yesterday to those who call for Secretary-General Annan to resign his United Nations post, but this time the demand was for a resignation as protest, if the Security Council fails to change the situation on the ground in the Sudan’s Darfur region, where Washington has determined that genocide is taking place. “I am not blaming Kofi Annan for Darfur,” Rep. Frank Wolf, a Republican of Virginia who has just returned from Sudan, said yesterday, adding, “He does not control the actions of the Security Council.” Nevertheless, if the council fails to take “meaningful action” to change things on the ground, Mr. Annan “should resign in protest.”

Mr. Wolf said that such resignation would be an “act of great moral leadership.” If it fails to act on genocide, “what purpose is the United Nations serving in the 21st century?” he asked.

The council yesterday heard a briefing by Mr. Annan’s special representative to Sudan, Jan Pronk, as American diplomats said they plan to propose a new resolution soon. Ambassador John Danforth told the Sun that several components must be part of the council’s action, including possibly “some form of sanctions.”

– Special to the Sun