WASHINGTON

RUMSFELD SAYS HE OFFERED TO RESIGN TWICE

Defense Secretary Rumsfeld disclosed yesterday that he had offered President Bush his resignation twice during the height of the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal last year. He said he wanted the decision on his future to be placed in Mr. Bush’s hands.

“He made that decision and said he did want me to stay on,” Mr. Rumsfeld told CNN’s “Larry King Live,” according to a transcript provided by CNN before the program aired last night. In the CNN interview Mr. Rumsfeld asserted, as he has many times in the past, that as defense secretary he could not be expected to know all that takes place in war zones halfway around the world. But he also indicated that he could have done more to head off the trouble.

The release of photographs last spring depicting American soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib triggered worldwide outrage, particularly in the Arab world. Mr. Rumsfeld told Congress at the time that he would quit if he felt he could no longer serve effectively, but he also said then that he would not resign simply to please his critics and political opponents.

– Associated Press

MARINE GENERAL CALLS FIGHTING, SHOOTING SOME PEOPLE ‘FUN’

A decorated Marine Corps general said, “It’s fun to shoot some people” and poked fun at the manhood of Afghans as he described the wars American troops are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His boss, the commandant of the Marine Corps, said yesterday that the comments reflected “the unfortunate and harsh realities of war” but that the general has been asked to watch his words in public. Lieutenant General James Mattis, a career infantry officer who is now in charge of developing better ways to train and equip Marines, made the comments Tuesday while speaking to a forum in San Diego.

According to an audio recording, he said, “Actually, it’s a lot of fun to fight. You know, it’s a hell of a hoot. … It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right upfront with you, I like brawling.”

He added, “You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway. So it’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them.”

His comments were met with laughter and applause from the audience. General Mattis was speaking during a panel discussion hosted by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, a spokeswoman for the general said.

Yesterday, General Michael Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps, issued a statement saying, “Lieutenant General Mattis often speaks with a great deal of candor. I have counseled him concerning his remarks and he agrees he should have chosen his words more carefully.”

– Associated Press

NORTHEAST

JURY GETS CASE IN RAPE TRIAL OF PRIEST

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A jury yesterday began deliberating the fate of defrocked priest Paul Shanley, who is charged with raping a boy at his church outside Boston in the 1980s.

The jury got the case after lawyers clashed over the validity of the repressed memories Mr. Shanley’s accuser said came to him three years ago, when the Boston church abuse scandal broke. The jury deliberated for all of 30 minutes before the judge sent them home for the day. They were to return today.

The defense earlier presented a sole witness: a psychologist who argued that some people’s repressed memories are really false. Mr. Shanley’s lawyer said the accuser’s claims of sexual abuse were lies orchestrated by personal injury lawyers.

But prosecutor Lynn Rooney said the accuser had no reason to lie, particularly since he was required to endure three days of intense questioning on the witness stand. Mr. Shanley faces life in prison if convicted.

– Associated Press

ICE PROBED IN CORPORATE-JET CRASH

TETERBORO, N.J. – Federal investigators yesterday tried to determine whether it was ice on the wings that caused a corporate jet to careen across a highway and slam into a warehouse.

About 20 people were taken to the hospital after Wednesday’s crash at Teterboro Airport, outside New York City. A passenger in a car that was hit by the plane was in critical condition yesterday, and the pilot and co-pilot were in fair condition.

A 16-member team from the National Transportation Safety Board was examining possible causes, including whether ice formed on the wings or tail of the Bombardier Canadair Challenger CL-600, NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said. “That’s definitely one of the issues we are looking at,” Mr. Holloway said.

– Associated Press

SOUTHWEST

DEPUTIES FINGERPRINT DRIVERS DURING TRAFFIC STOPS

PHOENIX – Sheriff’s deputies in the Phoenix area yesterday began asking drivers they were ticketing for certain traffic violations to provide their fingerprints, drawing criticism from civil rights activists.

The fingerprinting is part of a pilot program that Sheriff Joseph Arpaio says will help fight identity theft in Phoenix. The city has the highest per-capita rate of identity theft complaints in the country, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The fingerprinting would help identify people with stolen or falsified driver’s licenses, the sheriff said. Deputies started carrying inkless fingerprint pads and were asking for a thumbprint from drivers given criminal tickets – such as those issued for excessive speeding. Most moving violations are civil offenses and thus not part of the program.

Mr. Arpaio stressed that giving fingerprints would be voluntary, but constitutional law experts and civil rights groups were quick to point out problems with the program. Many doubted whether drivers would understand that they were not required to give their fingerprint. They also questioned how fingerprints would ultimately be used.

– Associated Press