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.

The New York Sun

WESTERN EUROPE


BLAIR DEFENDS IRAQ POLICY


BRIGHTON, England – Prime Minister Blair issued a defiant defense of his policies in Iraq and his close alliance with America yesterday, speaking before a nation and a political party skeptical of both.


“I never doubted after September 11th that our place was alongside America, and I don’t doubt it now,” Mr. Blair said at the annual conference of his Labour Party, where he told an auditorium full of party faithful that while civilians “tragically die” in Iraq, “the way to stop the innocent dying is not to retreat, to withdraw, to hand these people over to the mercy of religious fanatics or relics” of the rule of Saddam Hussein.


– The Daily Telegraph


DEBATE RAGES OVER TURKEY’S ADMISSION TO THE E.U.


BRUSSELS, Belgium – Britain’s championing of Turkey as a member of the European Union provoked a showdown within the bloc yesterday. The 25 nations appeared unable to agree final terms for Turkey to begin entry talks.


Diplomats from several countries said they were fearful Britain would have to call an emergency summit of foreign ministers in Luxembourg as late as Monday morning. That would leave ministers still wrangling just hours before the Turkish delegation is due to fly to Luxembourg for a “celebratory” lunch to mark the start of talks. A last-ditch ambassadorial meeting has been scheduled for Thursday.


– The Daily Telegraph


MIDDLE EAST


ISRAEL LAUNCHES AIR STRIKES ON GAZA


JERUSALEM – Israeli military aircraft carried out a fourth day of air strikes in the Gaza Strip yesterday, as Israel’s defense minister suggested that leaders of the terrorist Palestinian Arab group Hamas might be assassinated if rocket fire into southern Israel did not stop. Shaul Mofaz singled out Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyya and Mahmoud Zahar in his warning.


– The Washington Post


SOUTHEAST ASIA


TYPHOON SLAMS VIETNAM


THANH HOA, Vietnam – After killing at least 31 people in China and the Philippines, Typhoon Damrey slammed ashore yesterday in Vietnam, forcing the evacuation of nearly 300,000 people along the coastal region.


The most powerful typhoon to hit northern Vietnam in a decade injured nine people after it landed in Thanh Hoa province, packing winds of up to 60 mph, said Le Van Thao of the National Meteorology Center. Thanh Hoa is 100 miles south of Hanoi.


Some 950 homes were destroyed and another 9,000 were badly damaged.


– Associated Press


EAST ASIA


SCIENTISTS CAPTURE GIANT SQUID ON FILM


TOKYO – The giant squid can be found in books and in myths, but for the first time, a team of Japanese scientists has captured one of the most mysterious creatures of the deep-sea on film in its natural habitat.


The team, led by Tsunemi Kubodera from the National Science Museum in Tokyo, tracked the 26-foot-long Architeuthis as it attacked prey nearly 3,000 feet deep off the coast of Japan’s Bonin islands.


– Associated Press


CENTRAL ASIA


AFGHAN INTERIOR MINISTER RESIGNS


KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghanistan’s interior minister announced his resignation yesterday after struggling to combat Afghanistan’s drug trade. President Karzai’s office played down Ahmad Ali Jalali’s decision to quit, ostensibly to pursue an academic career in America.


With 9.2% of ballots counted from Kabul province, Mr. Karzai’s top challengers in last year’s presidential election – Mohammed Mohaqeq and Yunus Qanooni – had the most votes, according to results from the September 18 election posted on the Web site of the U.N.-Afghan election board.


– Associated Press


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