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Friday, February 3

Editor's Note: The CNN Wire is a running log of the latest news from CNN World Headquarters, reported by CNN's correspondents and producers, and The CNN Wire editors.

Military identifies frozen airman as Minnesota navigator trainee

The frozen body of a World War II flier found encased at the bottom of a California glacier in October is that of a 22-year-old Army Air Corps cadet who died in a 1942 plane crash, family members told CNN, after hearing the news this week.

Leo Mustonen joined the Army during his senior year in high school in Brainerd, Minn., and was in training to become a navigator when he was reported missing on Nov. 18, 1942.

The son of Finnish immigrants, Mustonen (prono: MOO sten en) was one of four cadets aboard a training flight that crashed in the Sierra Nevada mountains east of Fresno. A Defense Department official called the family Wednesday and confirmed that the body found in October was Mustonen's, relatives said.

The National Park Service has said it is considering whether to launch a new search in the spring for the remains of the other three men aboard Mustonen's flight.

Victim at gay bar: 'I knew I was going to die'

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (CNN) -- Just two days after being attacked with a hatchet and shot once in the back, Bob Perry on Friday stood in front of the gay bar where he thought he was going to die -- a powerful symbol of pride in the face of hate.

Staring out from a black eye, the right side of his face scarred with a 4-inch laceration, Perry said he is still alive and strong.

"I'm not the best-looking guy in the world anyway, so what's a little twisted smile," Perry told reporters. "I'll do just fine."

Perry was in the bar named Puzzles late Wednesday when authorities say 18-year-old Jacob Robida, dressed in all black, entered the establishment, pulled out a hatchet and attacked Perry, before pulling a gun and opening fire on others.

Two others were wounded in the attack and remain hospitalized. Robida remains on the loose. (Posted 9:38 p.m.)

Car racing down road smashes into LA health clinic, 6 critical

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- A sports car that was racing another vehicle slammed into a health clinic south of downtown Los Angeles Friday morning, injuring 13 people -- six of them critically, including two elderly women who had to have part of their legs amputated, authorities said.

The incident happened shortly before 10 a.m. (1 p.m. ET) when authorities said a man driving a black Nissan 300 ZX plowed into the Salvador El Mundo Medical Clinic.

Search-and-rescuers combed the building, while other crews checked the structure of the building to make sure it wouldn't collapse. Of the 13 injured, 10 remained hospitalized at various hospitals.

"The most seriously injured were two elderly women who each lost a portion of a leg below the knee," a police statement said. (Posted 9:36 p.m.)

Manila stadium stampede kills at least 60, local media reports

(CNN) -- A crowd waiting to get into a stadium where a popular game show was being filmed in Manila, Philippines, stampeded Saturday morning, killing more than 60 people, according to local media reports.

Further details were not immediately available. (Posted 9:31 p.m.)

War on terror, growing Chinese military define U.S. military strategy

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Threats from a growing Chinese military and the continued war against terrorism define the U.S. military's strategic outlook, according to a Pentagon review of future threats released Friday.

The report highlights India, Russia and China as major emerging powers and considers them the key to the "international security environment."

The Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review, a congressionally mandated report, looks at future threats and the military's requirements to mitigate them. The last report was unveiled in 2001 before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

"China has the greatest potential to compete militarily with the United States and field disruptive military technologies that could over time offset traditional U.S. military advantages absent U.S. counter strategies," the report says. (Posted 7:35 p.m.)

Bush signs Patriot Act extension

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Congress and the White House will get five more weeks to try to hash out a compromise on renewing the terrorism-fighting Patriot Act, after President Bush Friday signed a bill extending its expiring provisions until March 10.

The extension was passed by the House Wednesday and the Senate Thursday.

It was the second time Congress has extended the current Patriot Act while trying to resolve a political impasse over a stalled bill to make 14 of the 16 expiring provisions permanent and extend two others until 2009. The provisions were originally set to expire Dec. 31, but the deadline had been moved to Friday. (Posted 7:32 p.m.)

Anxious relatives await news of survivors from sunken Egyptian ferry

SAFAGA, Egypt (CNN) -- Distraught relatives thronged near the port of Safaga late Friday, waiting to find out whether their loved ones were among more than 340 people who survived after an Egyptian passenger ferry and dozens of vehicles sank overnight in the Red Sea, killing dozens of people and leaving hundreds missing.

CNN's Ben Wedeman said about 1,000 family members and friends -- many of them sobbing -- had gathered, and riot police were on duty to quell any violence.

Transport Minister Mohamed Loufty Mansour said there were 343 survivors. The ferry was carrying about 1,300 passengers and a crew of about 100, Egyptian officials said

At nightfall, about 1,000 people were unaccounted for. Egypt's state-run Nile TV reported that at least 100 people confirmed dead, although in the confusion surrounding the incident Egyptian officials speaking to the media said the number was far smaller.

Rescue efforts continued late into the night, despite darkness and hazy conditions that hampered visibility. (Posted 6:16 p.m.)

Terror suspect cites NSA program as one reason in seeking plea be overturned

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An Ohio truck driver who pleaded guilty in 2003 to being an al Qaeda agent is asking a federal court to overturn that plea for several reasons, including the government's warrantless surveillance program.

Iyman Faris, a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Ohio, pleaded guilty to terrorism charges, including allegations he scouted the Brooklyn Bridge for a possible attack.

In court papers filed Friday, lawyers for Faris, now serving a 20-year prison sentence, confirm what CNN previously reported: that al Qaeda leader Khalid Shaikh Mohammed told U.S. interrogators after his arrest in March 2003 that he tasked Faris to do the scouting.

Government sources have told CNN the surveillance program run by the National Security Agency helped agents move against Faris. The sources would not provide more detail about exactly how it was used regarding Faris. --From CNN Senior Producer Kevin Bohn (Posted 6:03 p.m.)

Mitch Landrieu to challenge Nagin for New Orleans mayor

NEW ORLEANS (CNN) -- The scion of one of New Orleans' most prominent political families, Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, announced Friday that he intends to challenge New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin in the city election in April.

Landrieu -- the brother of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and son of former New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu -- said in a written statement that as mayor of the storm-ravaged city, he would "represent all of our people, not any one party, any one faction or any one political ideology."

The Democrat said he expects to formally announce his candidacy after a special legislative session ends Feb. 17.

The non-partisan election will take place April 22. It was originally scheduled for February but had to be postponed because of the extensive flood damage in the city triggered by Hurricane Katrina. (Posted 5:42 p.m.)

Authorities probing 6 church fires in Alabama

(CNN) -- The FBI has opened a civil rights case into a series of church fires in Alabama, although authorities were still investigating Friday whether the blazes -- at least five of which are believed to have been arson -- were racially motivated.

"We need to make sure this is not a hate crime," said Charles Regan, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Birmingham office. "We have opened a civil rights case in this matter and we are assisting with interviews."

Federal, state and local authorities were probing six fires at churches in two adjacent counties. Five of them were in Bibb County, about 45 miles southwest of Birmingham, at churches which are "lined up very near U.S. 82 near Centreville," the county seat, said Ragan Ingram, assistant state commissioner at the Alabama Department of Insurance, which includes the state fire marshal's office. The other church was in Chilton County. (Posted 5:20 p.m.)

Senator Clinton slams EPA, says it misled New Yorkers after 9/11

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton said Friday the federal government "failed in its duties to protect New Yorkers" after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In a press conference, Clinton criticized both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bush White House for downplaying the risks posed by the contaminated dust cloud that engulfed Lower Manhattan after the collapse of the World Trade Center.

Clinton said the EPA "misled the public about air quality on Ground Zero in the days after the attack under pressure from the White House."

The Democrat's comments came one day after a federal judge ruled against the EPA, saying the agency and its former administrator, Christie Whitman, made "deliberate and misleading statements" about air quality after the September 11th terrorist attacks. --From CNN's Chris Browne and Katy Byron (Posted 4:58 p.m.)

Sheriff's report concludes no criminal wrongdoing in deadly boat accident

(CNN) -- Sheriff's investigators have concluded there was no criminal wrongdoing involved in a Lake George tour boat accident that killed 20 elderly passengers on a foliage tour last October.

"Investigators explored every possible avenue, which involved talking to anyone that had contact with that boat or company," Sheriff Larry Cleveland of the Warren County Sheriff's office told CNN.

"Based on the information and data known at this time, the sheriff's office is declining to file criminal charges and is referring this matter to the district attorney's office for further legal review," Cleveland wrote in a 530-page report released to the media Friday.

Kathleen Hogan, Warren County district attorney, confirmed her office will be taking over the investigation. She explained she is awaiting preliminary results from tests conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board. --From CNN Assignment Editor Cheryl Bronson in New York (Posted 4:38 p.m.)

First U.S. trial for Sept. 11 attacks finally to begin

(CNN) -- Even though admitted al Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui was behind bars on September 11, 2001, the U.S. government blames him for the 2,973 lives lost in the attacks. As punishment, the United States wants him executed.

More than four years after he was arraigned in a Virginia federal courthouse about 10 miles from the Pentagon, Moussaoui goes on trial for his life Monday, when jury selection begins. Moussaoui, 37, remains the only person criminally charged by the United States in connection to the four 9/11 hijackings.

To the government, Moussaoui's culpability for September 11 rests on his evasiveness and denials to FBI agents. The agents interrogated the French national when he was initially detained in Minnesota in August 2001, for overstaying his visa.

Moussaoui has denied belonging to a terrorist group, although he had trained in an al Qaeda military camp in Afghanistan and pledged loyalty to the group's leader, Osama bin Laden. --From CNN Senior Producer Phil Hirschkorn (Posted 4:25 p.m.)

Former president pushes tax relief for Katrina victims

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Former President Bill Clinton wants impoverished victims of Hurricane Katrina to be aware they can get tax relief to help them rebuild their homes and their lives.

Clinton announced an effort Friday by his foundation to aid eligible Americans, especially the thousands displaced by Katrina, to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which reduces the federal tax bill for workers earning less than $35,000 a year. Those claiming the EITC can earn as much as $4,400 cash back.

Only three out of four Americans eligible for the tax credit claim it, Clinton said. Although 22 million taxpayers claimed $39 billion in EITC relief in 2004, another $13 billion went unclaimed, he said. --From CNN Senior Producer Phil Hirschkorn (Posted 4:10 p.m.)

U.S. pushes for quick U.N. takeover of peacekeeping in Darfur

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- During its month-long role at the head of the rotating U.N. Security Council presidency, the Bush administration wants to move quickly for a U.N. takeover of peacekeeping duties in western Sudan's Darfur region to curb an increase in violence in the war-torn region, officials said Friday.

With U.S. Ambassador John Bolton in the president's chair, the council Friday issued a "presidential statement" calling on the United Nations to begin planning to assume peacekeeping duties from the African Union.

"The purpose of today's presidential statement was to kick off contingency planning," said Bolton. "And my instructions, and my intentions are very clear -- which is to move as far and as fast as we can during the month of February."

The crisis in Darfur -- in the western part of the huge African nation of Sudan -- has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and nearly 2 million people displaced since February 2003, when people in that region began to rebel against state authority. --From CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott (Posted 3;34 p.m.)

NTSB: Truck driver awake for more than 30 hours before N. Fla. crash that killed 7 kids

(CNN) -- The trucker involved in last month's crash near Lake Butler, Fla., that killed seven children had been awake for more than 30 hours before the accident, according to an initial investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

"Except for a short nap, he was awake for 34 hours, but I'm not prepared to tell you whether or not he was exceeding the allowable hours of service," NTSB investigator David Rayburn said at a news conference Friday.

The truck driver, Alvin Wilkerson, 31, has not cooperated with NTSB investigators on the advice of his attorney, but Rayburn said investigators were able to determine he had not slept for nearly a day and a half by examining records and interviewing many people. Wilkerson's toxicology reports were negative for drugs or alcohol.

Cynthia Nicole Mann, 15, was driving the car with the six other children -- ages 20 months to 13 years -- thatwas stopped behind a school bus when the semi-truck slammed into it. (Posted 3:28 p.m.)

Family demands arrest of deputy who shot Iraq veteran

(CNN) -- Family members of an Iraq war veteran who was unarmed when he was shot and wounded by a San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy called for the deputy's arrest and prosecution on Friday, saying they were outraged he was merely placed on paid leave pending the completion of an investigation.

"My family is outraged because this man hasn't been arrested," Mariela Carrion, the wife of Air Force security officer Elio Carrion, said at a news conference held in front of the sheriff's office. "He shouldn't be out on the streets with a badge. He doesn't deserve it."

Authorities said Carrion was a passenger in a speeding car Sunday night that led deputies on a brief chase. After the car crashed, the shooting was captured on a dark and grainy amateur video.

As Carrion was on the ground, a deputy sheriff stood above him, gun drawn, asking him to get up. When Carrion followed the deputy's commands, he was shot three times in the chest, leg and shoulder. (Posted 2:49 p.m.)

Family says injured miner continues to make progress

(CNN) -- The family of Randy McCloy, the sole survivor of the Sago Mine disaster, said Friday he was continuing to progress as he receives rehabilitation.

"McCloy is still unable to speak, but has shown signs of attempting to articulate words and has demonstrated increased alertness and other neurological improvements," a statement from the family said.

"Earlier this week, with the assistance of his wife Anna, McCloy ate a full breakfast. Throughout the week he increased his food intake, with assistance, up to two to three meals per day."

McCloy was the only survivor of the Jan. 2 Sago Mine accident that killed 12 miners. He was recovered after spending 41 hours underground, and he is believed to be the longest known survivor of carbon monoxide poisoning. (Posted 2:32 p.m.)

U.S. expels Venezuelan diplomat staff member in tit-for-tat move

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States has notified Venezuela's government that one of its diplomatic staff members has 72 hours to leave the country, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday.

He identified the diplomat as Jeny Figueredo Frias, the chief of staff to Venezuela's ambassador to the United States.

The move was in response to Caracas' expulsion Thursday of John Correa, the U.S. Navy attache to the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, alleging he was involved in espionage. (Posted at 1:20 p.m.)

Feds seize weapons arsenals in Laredo

(CNN) -- Arsenals of illegal weapons and improvised explosive devices -- stockpiled in Laredo, Texas, in connection with a bloody drug trafficking battle -- have been seized by a federal task force, federal authorities announced Friday.

More than 30 IEDs were seized along with grenade components, assault weapons, silencers, machine gun assembly kits, bulletproof vests, police scanners and cash, said Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Julie Myers, who heads Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Three recent seizures in Laredo are believed to be associated with the warring Mexican drug cartels called The Federation and the Gulf Cartel. --From Justice Producer Terry Frieden in Washington (Posted 1:19 p.m.)

State Department spokesman: publishing cartoons that incite racial or ethic hatreds is 'unacceptable'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a strongly worded statement, a U.S. State Department spokesman said Friday that, despite respect for the freedom of expression, the publication of cartoons that incite religious or ethnic hatreds is unacceptable.

Thousands of Muslims around the world have demonstrated in protest of the publication in Europe of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, a practice considered blasphemy by Muslims.

U.S. State Department spokesman Justin Higgins said, "These cartoons are indeed offensive to the beliefs of Muslims. We all fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatreds in this manner is unacceptable. We call for tolerance and respect for all communities and for their religious beliefs and practices." -- From CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott (Posted 12:04 p.m.)

Israeli family wounded in rocket attack

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Palestinian militants Friday fired two rockets on Israeli targets, one of them injuring a family of four, including a 7-month-old baby who sustained serious injuries, according to the Israeli military.

The infant, his parents and another adult relative were inside their house in the Israeli kibbutz of Karmia, about five miles (eight km) north of Gaza, when the rocket struck their home, the Israel Defense Forces said. Israeli forces then fired about a dozen rockets in the direction of the rocket attack, the IDF said. There were no initial reports of casualties.

A second Palestinian rocket was fired on the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, causing no casualties but some damage.

Separately, Hezbollah rockets struck a military outpost in the disputed Shebaa Farms area, slightly wounding an Israeli soldier, the IDF said. Israeli forces returned fire at Hezbollah targets. (Posted 11:53 a.m.)

Cheney aide will go on trial in 2007 -- after congressional midterm elections

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The obstruction-of-justice trial of Lewis "Scooter" Libby -- the former chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney -- will begin almost a year from now, on Jan. 8, 2007, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Adding an even heavier political cast to the case, Libby's trial will now not take place until after the congressional midterm elections.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said, "I hate having this case linger for that long, but I guess there is no alternative."

There are very contentious issues over what evidence -- including classified documents -- can be used in the trial. In addition, Libby's chief attorney, Ted Wells, told the judge he had a case to try that would interfere with the trial schedule. --From CNN Chief National Correspondent John King (Posted 11:28 a.m.)

U.N. nuclear watchdog agency delays vote on Iran for a day

VIENNA (CNN) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors has postponed a vote on a proposal that would report Iran's nuclear activities to the U.N. Security Council, IAEA diplomats told CNN's Matthew Chance.

The 35-member board will reconvene Saturday at 10 a.m. (5 a.m. ET). It was scheduled to meet Friday, the second day of its emergency session, but delayed the session so that closed-door negotiations on the draft resolution could continue.

Diplomats said the resolution, which calls on Iran to be referred to the council, has enough support for approval, but the board wants to sign on as many countries as possible.

Egyptian negotiators want to insert a paragraph that would say any resolution on the Iranian crisis would be a step toward a nuclear-free Middle East. But diplomats said the United States -- which this month holds the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council -- objects to the wording because of its alliance with Israel, which is widely believed to have nuclear weapons. (Posted 11:12 a.m.)

U.S. commander: Aggressiveness is strength, weakness of Iraqi commandos

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. commander helping train Iraqi national police commandos said Friday "one of their strengths" is aggressiveness. And at times, he added, that's one of their weaknesses as well.

Army Col. Jeffrey S. Buchanan, who briefed Pentagon reporters from Iraq via teleconference, said one of the goals in training the fledgling commando forces is helping channel their instincts professionally.

"What we try to do is make sure their aggressiveness doesn't go over the top and that they operate in accordance with Iraqi law," Buchanan said, adding that "sometimes that aggressiveness has a potential to get them into trouble. In other words, take them across unit boundaries or things like this. And so we have had to get involved at times like that to stop it."

The commandos -- under the Iraqi Ministry of Interior -- are separate from local police forces, who have been criticized at times for lacking fearlessness. The Iraqi commandos, in contrast, include many people who served in Saddam Hussein's security forces and aren't shy about chasing down insurgents. (Posted 10:58 a.m.)

U.S. government report: More jobs in January; unemployment rate lowest since 9/11

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in nearly five years in January, the government reported Friday, as employers added a respectable 193,000 jobs to payrolls.

The Labor Department said the unemployment rate dipped to 4.7 percent from 4.9 in December, the lowest since 4.6 percent in July 2001, just before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Economists had forecast that the rate would remain unchanged from December.

The rate was the latest sign of a tightening labor market, which could put upward pressure on wages and prices in the months ahead. On Wall Street, stock futures retreated and Treasury bond prices fell, raising long-term yields, on the expectation that the report makes further interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve more likely.

The department said average hourly wage rose 7 cents to $16.41, a 0.4 percent increase that was slightly more than the 0.3 percent gain forecast by economists. During the last 12 months, average wages are up 3.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, the largest 12-month change in nearly three years. (Posted 9:07 a.m.)

Report: Iraq, Syria to exchange ambassadors after Iraq government formation

(CNN) -- Syria's foreign minister said Iraq and Syria will exchange ambassadors after the new Iraqi government is established, according to a report in the official Syrian news agency.

Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa was quoted Thursday by the Syrian Arab News Agency.

The report said an "Iraqi media delegation" met with the diplomat, who said there would be an exchange of visits "to boost ties in all fields."

"Ties between Syria and Iraq will be an example of relations among states," Sharaa was quoted as saying. The U.S. and Iraqi governments in past months have been critical of Syria over insurgents crossing the border from Syria into Iraq to stage attacks.

Syria and Iraq broke relations in the 1980s amid differences within the Baathist movement. (Posted 7:36 a.m.)

U.S. soldier killed Thursday in roadside bombing

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier was killed Thursday north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said Friday. "The vehicle he was riding in was struck by a roadside bomb at approximately 6:30 p.m.," the military said.

The incident comes a day after five U.S. troops were killed in Iraq in separate incidents.

The number of U.S. troops killed in the Iraq war now stands at 2,248. (Posted 6:40 a.m.)

Muslims protest Danish newspaper's caricature

JAKARTA (CNN) -- About 200 Muslims demonstrated Friday outside the Danish Embassy in the Indonesian capital to protest caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad originally published in a Danish newspaper, Danish Ambassador Neils Erik Andersen told CNN.

About a dozen of the demonstrators, members of Defenders of Islam, or FPI, broke through security and, once on the embassy grounds, demanded to meet with Andersen, who agreed to do so.

During the meeting, Andersen reiterated an apology made earlier by Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper, whose publication last September of the caricature offended some Muslims. Afterward, he described the meeting as productive.

The issue emerged last fall, when the illustrator of a Danish book on the life of Prophet Muhammad demanded to remain anonymous, since the cover depicted the prophet. (Posted 6:40 a.m.)

Moderate earthquake shakes northern Japan

(CNN) -- A moderate earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 shook northern Japan Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The Japan Meterological Agency put the magnitude at 5.9. The quake occurred at 4:04 a.m. (11:03 p.m. ET) and was centered near the east coast of Honchu, Japan, a geologist with the National Earthquake Information Center told CNN.

Its depth was estimated at 71 km (44 miles). "No structural damage is to be expected," said Rafael Abreu, a geologist with the center. (Posted 6:40 a.m.)

Senate approves temporary Patriot Act extension

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Congress and the White House will get five more weeks to try to hash out a compromise on renewing the terrorism-fighting Patriot Act, after the Senate voted 95-1 Thursday night to extend its expiring provisions until March 10.

The lone "no" vote was cast by Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., who was also the only senator to oppose the act when it was first approved in 2001. the House passed the extension Wednesday.

Had Congress not acted, the provisions would have expired Friday.

The Patriot Act was passed overwhelmingly by Congress as a counterterrorism measure after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. While most of its provisions were permanent, a small number were to expire at the end of 2005, unless Congress voted to extend them. (Posted 10:30 p.m.)

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