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    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. "Posted" times are Eastern Time. Maoists attack, burn police post in central India; 20 feared deadNEW DELHI (CNN) -- Maoist rebels attacked and burned a police special forces camp in central India late Wednesday, leaving dozens dead and wounded, a police official in Raipur said. According to Director General of Police O.P. Rathore, about 20 police officers were feared dead, with 12 more wounded. The rebel forces hit the security post in Raniputli in the central Indian state of Chattisgarh, about 300 miles (500 km) southeast of New Delhi. The rebels, known as the Naxalites, say they are fighting to defend the rights of the poor and are active in several Indian states. The insurgents often attack landlords, police and sometimes government officials. The rebels claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong. (Posted 1:58 a.m.) Sen. Clinton sidesteps question on whether homosexuality immoralWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Less than two weeks after telling a gathering of gay rights activists that she was "proud" to stand by their side and would give them an "open door" if she wins the White House, Sen. Hillary Clinton raised eyebrows Wednesday by sidestepping a question about whether she thinks homosexuality is immoral. Clinton was asked the question by ABC News, in the wake of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Peter Pace's controversial comment that he believed homosexual acts were immoral. Her response: "Well, I'm going to leave that to others to conclude." Clinton's presidential campaign quickly tried to undo any damage. Spokesman Philippe Reinns said she "obviously" disagrees with Pace and that everyone, including the general, "has the right to be wrong, but should not inject their personal beliefs into public policy." Then Wednesday night, the campaign released a statement from the senator herself, saying, "I disagree with what he said and do not share his view, plain and simple." "It is inappropriate to inject such personal views into this public policy matter, especially at a time in which there are young men and women in such grave circumstances in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and around the world," Clinton said. (Posted 9:34 p.m.) Schwarzenegger to sign law moving presidential primary to FebruarySACRAMENTO, Calif. (CNN) -- After trooping through the snows of Iowa and New Hampshire early next year, America's quadrennial gaggle of would-be presidents will be singing a new tune -- "California, Here We Come." The Golden State's presidential primary will move to Feb. 5, under a measure Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will sign into law Thursday, setting up an expensive, high-stakes showdown for delegates in the nation's most populous state. Legislators hope the move will increase the influence of California's presidential primary, which had been in June -- so late in the process that the state's voters usually had little effect on the nomination battle in either major party. Party primaries for state and congressional offices will remain in June. However, the impact of California's calendar change may be blunted by the fact that nominating contests will also held Feb. 5 in seven other states -- and proposals are rattling around in 15 others to move contests to the very same Tuesday. The possible result? A quasi-national primary that could largely settle nomination battles before the first piece of Valentine's candy is even eaten. In addition to California, other states with contests on Feb. 5 include Arkansas, Delaware, Missouri, Oklahoma and Utah, while New Mexico Democrats and West Virginia Republicans will also have contests on that date. The list of states where proposals are afoot to join the mega-Tuesday pack includes some of the largest in the union -- New York, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and Georgia. And although that may blunt the impact of California's move, the delegate-rich Golden State would still remain the night's largest prize. Candidates on the Republican side of the ballot may even have more at stake than their Democratic counterparts, thanks to the peculiar rules under which GOP delegates are picked in California. In the Republican primary, the winner of the most votes in each of the state's 53 congressional district gets all of the delegates up for grabs in that district. So a candidate with enough money and name recognition to do well across California can walk away with a major chunk of the 173 available delegates. This is particularly true in Los Angeles and San Francisco, expensive media markets that cover many congressional districts -- including some that have very few Republicans but still get a number of delegates equal to districts across the rest of the state. -- CNN's Robert Yoon and Bill Schneider contributed to this report. (Posted 9:29 p.m.) Alleged 9-11 mastermind admits to planning attacks on U.S.ASHINGTON (CNN) -- Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, admitted to those attacks and numerous others during a U.S. military hearing on Saturday, according to an edited transcript of the hearing released by the Pentagon Wednesday. In a statement from him, read by a U.S. military representative, he said, "I was responsible for the 9-11 operation, from A to Z." The transcript continues with the list of operations he was responsible for, including the Richard Reid shoe bomber attempt to blow up an airliner over the Atlantic Ocean, the Bali nightclub bombing in Indonesia, the 1993 World Trade Center attack and other attacks that did not play out. The latter included surveying the Panama Canal for an attack to destroy it and surveying suspension bridges and high rises in New York City and Chicago to bring them down as well. The list of some 29 operations he was responsible for is followed by a shorter list of operations he was partially responsible for, including an assassination attempt against then-Pope John Paul II while he was visiting the Philippines. -- From CNN Pentagon Producer Mike Mount (Posted 8:43 p.m.) Coast Guard revokes contract for new patrol boats after criticismWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Coast Guard has revoked a contract with two major defense contractors to build a new generation of patrol boats and has put the project back out for bidding, the service announced Wednesday. The project involved 12 Deepwater Fast Response Cutters to be built by Integrated Coast Guard Systems, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. The Coast Guard said Wednesday they were set for delivery beginning in 2010. But the Government Accountability Office noted in a critical June report the cutters initially were to be ready in 2007, and that design problems have prompted the delay. (Posted 8:27 p.m.) Chiquita pleads to doing business with Colombian paramilitaries, guerrillasWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Banana producer Chiquita has admitted to paying millions of dollars to Colombian paramilitaries and guerrilla groups that the United States has branded terrorist organizations, prosecutors and the company announced Wednesday. Under a plea agreement with the federal government, Chiquita Brands International will pay a $25 million fine to resolve charges that it paid money to a terrorist organization. Federal prosecutors accused the Cincinnati-based company with paying more than $1.7 million to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, a right-wing paramilitary group, in two parts of Colombia where the company grew bananas. The payments to the group, known as the AUC, went through the company's Colombian subsidiary, Banadex, the charges against the company state. They went on from 1997 to 2004. (Posted 8:23 p.m.) Rice touts possible action against SudanWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States and its allies will consider U.N. action against the government of Sudan for failing to accept an international force into Darfur, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday. "It's simply the case that the Sudanese government needs to recognize that the international community can't stand idly by while people suffer, while we're unable to deliver humanitarian assistance to people and while the violence against innocent civilians continues," Rice told reporters after a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Her comments come on the heels of a letter sent to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, in which the Sudanese leader voiced his displeasure of a U.N. plan to deploy peacekeepers to Sudan's western Darfur region. Al-Bashir had originally given his consent to the hybrid United Nations/African Union force. The plan calls for deployment of 22,000 forces to protect and provide aid to victims of the violence in Darfur, which has seen four years of civil strife. -- From CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott (Posted 7:53 p.m.) Rice to travel to Mideast next weekWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday she would travel to the Middle East next week to continue efforts for a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians. In addition to traveling to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Rice is expected to meet with moderate Arab states in the region as part of her renewed push for peace. The United States and Israel have shown renewed interest in an old Arab peace plan which gives Israel recognition by Arab states in exchange for a Palestinian state, as a way to boost prospects for a settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. After a meeting Wednesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Rice praised the plan, originally proposed by Saudi King Abdullah in 2002 and endorsed by the Arab League. -- From CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott (Posted 7:32 p.m.) Ambassadors reach 'agreement in principle' on IranUNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Ambassadors for the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany have agreed "in principle" on a new resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for its continued nuclear program, said the acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Alejandro Wolfe. "We have an agreement in principle," Wolfe said. "It needs confirmation from capitals, but it is a package approach that, if it is approved by capitals, it would be the way forward." Wolfe called the resolution a "compromise" and said he was not wholly happy with the results. The resolution still must pass muster with the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council in a vote that will likely come up next week, according to Dumisani Kumalo, the president of the Security Council and South Africa's ambassador to the United Nations. (Posted 7:31 p.m.) GOP senator wants Gonzales fired over prosecutor shakeupWASHINGTON (CNN) -- New Hampshire's John Sununu became the first Republican senator to call for the firing of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Wednesday, saying Gonzales has lost the confidence of Congress. In a written statement, Sununu said President Bush should sack Gonzales "and replace him as soon as possible with someone who can provide strong, aggressive leadership prosecuting the war on terrorism, running the Department of Justice, and working with the president and Congress on important homeland security matters." Several Democrats -- including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Judiciary Committee member Chuck Schumer and presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards -- have called for Gonzales to quit or be fired over his handling of the prosecutors' dismissals. Gonzales told CNN's "American Morning" that he had made mistakes in the process, "and we're going to take steps to ensure that doesn't happen again." But asked about the calls for his resignation, he said, "I'm focused on doing my job." (Posted 7:26 p.m.) Sen. Clinton sidesteps question on whether homosexuality immoralWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Less than two weeks after telling a gathering of gay rights activists that she was "proud" to stand by their side and would give them an "open door" if she wins the White House, Sen. Hillary Clinton raised eyebrows Wednesday by sidestepping a question about whether she thinks homosexuality is immoral. Clinton was asked the question by ABC News, in the wake of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Peter Pace's controversial comment that he believed homosexual acts were immoral. Her response: "Well, I'm going to leave that to others to conclude." Clinton's presidential campaign quickly tried to undo any damage. Spokesman Philippe Reinns said she "obviously" disagrees with Pace and that everyone, including the general, "has the right to be wrong, but should not inject their personal beliefs into public policy." But her refusal to answer the question did not sit well with some gay and lesbian activists: "I assume that Senator Clinton ... understands that gay Americans are not immoral, and she ought to say so clearly," said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, a group that advocates same-sex marriage. (Posted 6:10 p.m.) Chiquita agrees to plea deal on charges of doing business with a terrorist organizationWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Chiquita Brands International said Wednesday it has reached a plea arrangement with federal authorities under which it will pay a fine of $25 million, payable in five annual installments, to resolve charges that it paid money to a terrorist organization. The announcement came moments after the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeffrey Taylor accused the Cincinnati-based banana producer with paying -- through its Colombia subsidiary Banadex -- a right-wing paramilitary group in Uraba and Santa Marta, two areas of Colombia where Chiquita grew bananas. "From in or about 1997 though on or about Feb. 4, 2004, defendant Chiquita made over 100 payments to the AUC (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) totaling over $1.7 million," the 17-page information said. It said Chiquita had also paid money to two left-wing organizations from about 1989 until about 1997, when those groups controlled areas where the company grew bananas. It identified the groups as FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and ELN (National Liberation Army). (Posted 5:51 p.m.) Hamas, Fatah agree on make-up of Palestinian governmentGAZA CITY (CNN) -- The rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas finished negotiations Wednesday and announced that they will present a national unity government to parliament on Thursday. "Today is an occasion to celebrate," said Hamas leader and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya. "We have done everything, everything is settled." Haniya made the announcement after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is with Fatah. The two leaders agreed on a power-sharing government last month during a meeting in Saudi Arabia, but the details took weeks of negotiations. (Posted 5:46 p.m.) Senators agree to debate Democratic resolution on IraqWASHINGTON (CNN) -- With the four-year anniversary of the Iraq war looming and after weeks of deadlock, the Senate Wednesday cleared a procedural roadblock, setting up a heated debate over a binding Democratic resolution to set a date certain for U.S. troops to leave Iraq. After Republican Tuesday dropped their opposition to beginning debate on the proposal, the issue moved to the debate on a vote of 89-9. All nine no votes were Republicans. Why the Republicans decided to no longer block the vote depends on whom you ask. Democrats would say it's because Republicans no longer want to be labeled obstructionists. But Republicans realize the resolution is unlikely to pass. The Democrats' resolution calls for phased redeployment to start four months after it becomes law, with a goal of March 31, 2008, for all combat troops to leave from Iraq. Remaining troops would focus on troop protection, training Iraqi forces and counterterrorism. --From CNN Congressional Correspondent Andrea Koppel (Posted 5:39 p.m.) Jury: Couey should die for Jessica Lunsford's abduction, murderMIAMI (CNN) -- After deliberating for about an hour, a jury Wednesday on a vote of 10-2 recommended convicted sex offender John Evander Couey receive the death penalty for abducting, raping and killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford in 2005. Dressed in a coat and tie, Couey, 48, showed no reaction as the verdict was read and the jurors polled. The jury's decision followed a penalty phase that began Tuesday. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Richard Howard will make the final decision on Couey's sentence, but judges typically follow a jury's recommendation. Jessica was snatched from the bedroom of her Homosassa, Fla., home. She was found buried three weeks later at the home of Couey's half-sister, within sight of her own home. (Posted 5:37 p.m.) GOP senator wants Gonzales fired over prosecutor shakeupWASHINGTON (CNN) -- New Hampshire's John Sununu became the first Republican senator to call for the firing of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Wednesday, saying Gonzales has lost the confidence of Congress. In a written statement, Sununu said President Bush should sack Gonzales "and replace him as soon as possible with someone who can provide strong, aggressive leadership prosecuting the war on terrorism, running the Department of Justice, and working with the president and Congress on important homeland security matters." Bush spokesman Tony Snow said the White House was "obviously" disappointed in Sununu's break, but reiterated that the president still has confidence in Gonzales. And a White House official said Sununu has been a "vociferous" critic of the Justice Department in the past. Several Democrats -- including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Judiciary Committee member Chuck Schumer and presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards -- have called for Gonzales to quit or be fired over his handling of the prosecutors' dismissals. Gonzales' chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, has already resigned over the matter. (Posted 5:32 p.m.) 3 soldiers killed, 9 wounded in Diyala provinceBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Three U.S. soldiers died Wednesday and nine were injured in Iraq's Diyala province, the U.S. military said. Two of the soldiers died as a result of separate roadside bombings while they were conducting combat operations. A third died from small arms fire, the military said. All three soldiers were assigned to the Army's Task Force Lightning. The nine who were wounded in the attacks were taken to a coalition hospital, the military said. (Posted 4:24 p.m.) Clinton still Democratic front-runner, would gain votes if Gore doesn't runWASHINGTON (CNN) -- By a margin of about 15 percentage points, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton continues to lead the pack of Democratic presidential hopefuls, with Sen. Barack Obama in second place and former Vice President Al Gore and John Edwards tied for third, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday. Thirty-seven percent of registered Democrats said they back Clinton as the Democratic 2008 nominee, while 22 percent named Obama, 14 percent went with Gore and 12 percent supported Edwards. But Gore has said he has no plans to run, and with his name out of the mix, Clinton's support jumps to 44 percent -- a gain of 7 percentage points, compared with a gain of only 1 for Obama. The sampling error for these questions asked of 447 registered voters who describe themselves as Democrats was plus or minus 4.5 percent. (Posted 4:07 p.m.) Kidnapped Italian journalist appears in videoROME (CNN) -- An Italian journalist kidnapped in Afghanistan earlier this month appeared Wednesday in a video in which he called for the Italian government to "do anything possible" to obtain his release and that of two Afghan colleagues kidnapped with him. The video was posted on the Web site of the Italian daily La Repubblica, which said it came from Italian authorities. Repubblica journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo says in the video that he and the two Afghans were "arrested" by the Taliban "who believe that I ... entered illegally in their territory." "So I appeal to the Italian government, to President Romano Prodi, so that he can do anything possible, act in all directions so that we can soon be freed." (Posted 3:48 p.m.) Treasury action may unfreeze funds for North Korea, pave way for closing nuclear plantWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Treasury Department has ended an investigation into a Macau bank that holds about $25 million in frozen assets belonging to North Korea, possibly allowing some of those funds to be returned to Pyongyang, agency officials said Wednesday. North Korea has said if the money is released, it will carry though with a promise to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear facility. Treasury Department officials didn't provide any details on the amount of frozen North Korean money that could eventually be released. Earlier Wednesday, the director of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency said North Korea is "fully committed" to shutting down its Yongbyon nuclear plant once financial sanctions associated with the bank are lifted. (Posted 3:14 p.m.) Federal court rules against 'medical marijuana' userWASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that people who take medical marijuana to treat a variety of serious illnesses can be subject to arrest and confiscation of the material, under federal anti-drug laws. The case is likely to go back to the Supreme Court for a second time. The San Francisco-based 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decided against Angel Raich, a mother from Oakland, Calif., who has brain cancer, among nine other medical conditions, according to her physician. She claims the marijuana given to her by a non-profit cooperative is a life-saving treatment and her "only viable option." California law allows doctors to prescribe cannabis for patients, but the Bush administration still considers its use illegal, and has taken a strong "no tolerance" approach. In its ruling, the three-judge panel said Raich's legal claims are not strong enough to allow her to take the drug while the case is being appealed further. And the court noted, "Although changes in state law reveal a clear trend towards the protection of medical marijuana use, we hold that the asserted right has not yet gained the traction on a national scale to be deemed fundamental." --From CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears (Posted 2:42 p.m.) Albany DA ready to name names in steroid probeNEW YORK (CNN) -- Professional athletes in various major sports might be a little nervous Wednesday after Albany County's prosecutor said he plans to pass along to the leagues the names of people who bought steroids over the Internet. Those names have come up in a current investigation. A spokesperson with the office of District Attorney David Soares refused to say how many athletes' names have come up in the probe. Major League Baseball and the National Football League will get letters as early as next week, and other sports leagues may be contacted as well, the spokesperson said. Information gathered during the investigation includes the record of payments made by athletes to drug companies and pharmacies that sell steroids over the internet . The spokesperson said no charges are expected to be filed by Soares' office against the athletes since they have not committed any crimes in Albany County. --From CNN's Chris Kokenes (Posted 2:32 p.m.) Gonzales to explain prosecutor flap to CongressWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Faced with widespread criticism over a 2006 shakeup of U.S. attorneys, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will make the rounds on Capitol Hill to provide Congress with a more detailed explanation of the matter, Justice Department officials said Wednesday. Gonzales is expected to meet with lawmakers in private sessions later this week and next week. Details of the meetings remain to be worked out, the officials said. Gonzales admitted Tuesday that "mistakes were made" in the shakeup, in which eight federal prosecutors were removed between June and December 2006. Though he said he stands by the dismissals, his chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, resigned over the flap: Gonzales said Sampson failed to keep him in the loop about the issue, and Justice Department officials gave "incomplete" explanations to Congress about the issue as a result. In Mexico, President Bush said Wednesday he is unhappy with the way the Justice Department fired the attorneys, but said he still has confidence in his attorney general. --From CNN Justice Department Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 1:54 p.m.) Bush expresses unhappiness over GonzalesMERIDA, Mexico (CNN) -- U.S. President George Bush on Wednesday capped a five-nation Latin American tour focused on a controversy that has embroiled his Latino attorney general, about whose work Bush said he is not happy. "I do have confidence in Attorney General Al Gonzales," Bush told reporters about the Texan who has acknowledged making mistakes in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. "I talked to him this morning and we talked about his need to go up to Capitol Hill and make it very clear to members of both political parties why the Justice Department made the decisions it made. "He's right, mistakes were made. I'm frankly not very happy about them because there is a lot of confusion over what really has been a customary practice by the presidents. The U.S. attorneys and others serve at the pleasure of the president. "Past administrations have removed U.S. attorneys. It is their right to do so. The Justice Department recommended a list of U.S. attorneys. I believe the reasons why were entirely appropriate. And yet this issue was mishandled to the point now where you're asking me questions about it in Mexico." (Posted 1:48 p.m.) Lawyers protest Musharraf's suspension of Pakistan's top judgeLAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Wearing suits and ties, Pakistani lawyers Wednesday took to the streets in cities across the country to protest the house arrest of the country's chief justice, who was suspended last week by President Pervez Musharraf. The actions have raised questions about the state of democracy in Pakistan and outraged residents who witnessed TV images of General Musharraf, in full military uniform, chastising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. According to Pakistan's Supreme Court bar and many legal experts, Musharraf does not have the constitutional power to remove the chief justice from the bench. Chaudhry was appointed by Musharraf in 2005 but recently started asserting his judicial independence in a number of cases involving the disappearance of terror suspects and human rights activists. (Posted 1:30 p.m.) False alarm leads military to scramble to save nuclear subWASHINGTON (CNN) -- A false alarm led the Pentagon overnight to scramble to save a nuclear-powered submarine that U.S. Navy officials feared was lying helpless on the ocean floor off Jacksonville, Fla. "There were a number of events that led us to believe we had a submarine in distress," said Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn. He said communication was lost with the vessel, and Navy ships reported having seen a red flare in the area. President Bush, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace were alerted, and top military leaders hustled into the Pentagon overnight to oversee a search-and-rescue plan for the vessel and its 140 officers and crew members, whose families were alerted of the possible tragedy. But all fears were put to rest several hours later, when contact was re-established with the sub, whose officers told officials they had never been in peril and had had no idea of the hullabaloo that had been raised on their behalf. Naval authorities said Wednesday they were trying to determine why communication was lost with the San Juan, whose captain is Comdr. Michael Martin, a 24-year Navy veteran. (Posted 12:17 p.m.) Civilian deaths, attacks drop in first month of Baghdad security planBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Both the number of civilians killed in Baghdad and various styles of insurgent attacks have dropped significantly over a month's time, an Iraqi army spokesman for the Baghdad security operation said Wednesday. Brig. Gen. Qassim Atta -- speaking to reporters at a press conference marking one month into the Baghdad security plan, called Enforcing the Law -- compared incident numbers in the period from Feb. 14 to March 14 (28 days) and from Jan. 14 to Feb. 14 (31 days). The number of civilians killed in the capital city in the past four weeks was 265, compared with 1,440 in the previous period, he said. Atta also said the number of assassination incidents, roadside bombs, car bombs, kidnapping incidents and mortar attacks have dropped as well. He hailed the numbers as key indications that the security crackdown in the capital is bearing fruit.--From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq (Posted 12:02 p.m.) Sex offender, his parents, friend named suspects in Ga. boy's disappearanceBRUNSWICK, Ga. (CNN) -- A convicted sex offender, his parents and a family friend have been named suspects in the disappearance of a 6-year-old Georgia boy, who's been missing since last week, police said Wednesday. George Edenfield, his parents David and Peggy Edenfield, and family friend Donald Dale are all in custody in connection with the case, Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering announced Wednesday. The four gave information indicating that Christopher Barrios' body was in a field in the area, but a police search of that field Tuesday night turned up nothing, Doering said. Investigators returned to the area Wednesday morning to work the field again, Doering said. (Posted 10:50 a.m.) U.S. military touts signs of progress in Baghdad security planBAGHDAD (CNN) -- The newly minted Baghdad security plan is showing "positive" signs of progress, and officials expect a "discernible difference" later in the year, a U.S. military commander told reporters on Wednesday. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a U.S. military spokesman, and U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Charge d'Affairs Daniel Speckhard briefed reporters about a month after the crackdown -- which has been in development since the beginning of this year -- was officially announced. "I think the people of Iraq, especially in Baghdad, are tired of the levels of violence there. The vast overwhelming majority of people in Iraq do not want to live with this level of violence," Caldwell said. Violence still touched Baghdad on Wednesday, with six people killed in a shooting and a bombing. Fourteen corpses were found dumped in Baghdad on Tuesday, but that was a much lower number than the dozens found on a daily basis during much of 2006. (Posted 10:26 a.m.) Fatah sources: Palestinian legislators to vote on unity government this weekendRAMALLAH, West Bank (CNN) -- The Palestinian Legislative Council will vote Saturday on a new national unity government bringing together Hamas and Fatah, according to Fatah sources. "There is an agreement between both sides on forming a national unity government," according to Mustafa Barghouti, an independent council member who has been involved in talks between the Fatah and Hamas factions. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya will meet later in the day to finalize the details, including who will be named to the sensitive interior minister post. Asked whether the deal might fall apart as other announced breakthroughs have, Barghouti said this time it is "really definite" and an "important step" to forming the first national unity government and bringing Palestinian factions together in a meaningful way. (Posted 10:17 a.m.) 3 U.S. troops killed in Iraqi violenceBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A Marine and two U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraqi violence Tuesday, the U.S. military said. One soldier was killed and three were wounded in a roadside bombing while on a combat patrol in southern Baghdad, it said. Another soldier was killed in a roadside bombing while conducting security operations in northeastern Baghdad. The soldiers were assigned to Multi-National Division-Baghdad. A Marine assigned to Multi-National Force-West was killed while conducting combat operations in Anbar province. No further details were released. Names of slain military personnel are withheld pending notification of relatives. (Posted 10:10 a.m.) Talabani back in Iraq after stay in Jordan hospitalBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has returned home after more than two weeks in a Jordanian hospital, according to a representative from Talabani's Kurdish party. Azad Jandiyani, the head of the media office of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in Sulaimaniya, told CNN that Talabani arrived in Sulaimaniya in Iraq's Kurdish region. Talabani is the leader of the PUK. Thousands of people waving Iraqi and Kurdish flags packed Sulaimaniya's streets between the city's airport and the town square. Talabani was expected to deliver brief remarks to the throng. There have been conflicting reports about what prompted his hospitalization. --From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq (Posted 9:57 a.m.) U.S. military: Indications are that al-Sadr is still in IranBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr apparently is still in Iran, a U.S. military official said Wednesday. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told reporters in Baghdad: "24 hours ago, he was not here in Iraq and all indications are he is still in Iran." Al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia is thought to have been involved in the rise in sectarian violence over the past year, and the new Baghdad security plan has been targeting such Shiite armed groups. The cleric reportedly went to the predominantly Shiite nation of Iran around the beginning of the security crackdown last month. (Posted 8:42 a.m.) Gonzales rejects calls for his resignationWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Countering mounting criticism that the Justice Department's dismissal of several federal prosecutors last year was politically motivated, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales insisted Wednesday that their removal was simply part of "an evaluation process." Several of the eight U.S. attorneys were not informed about concerns regarding their performance before they were fired. While such a step is not required by law, Gonzales conceded that "as a manager we have an obligation to share that information, otherwise how is performance going to change?" As he did in a briefing Tuesday, Gonzales admitted "mistakes were made" and refused to resign over the matter, but said it is a decision for President Bush. Gonzales said he had a limited role in the evaluation process, which was directed by his chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, who resigned Monday over the controversy. But he conceded that he "absolutely" should have been more involved in the process. Gonzales said he approved the dismissals because the names "had been vetted throughout the department and they were signed off by the White House." (Posted 8:18 a.m.) Zimbabwe opposition leader freed from police custody; court case delayedHARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was freed from police custody late Tuesday and his court case delayed Wednesday morning when prosecutors did not show up in court, one of his attorneys said. Otto Saki, a lawyer for Tsvangirai, said state attorneys were not in court when his client's hearing was scheduled to start and the Attorney General's office said it was not aware of any charges against the opposition leader. "We told our clients, for as long as their is no issue before the court, they might as well go," Saki said. Tsvangirai remains hospitalized after he and fellow Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Arthur Mutambara and National Constitutional Assembly leader Lovemore Madhuk were beaten and detained Sunday when government forces broke up their prayer meeting in the Harare suburb of Highfield. (Posted 5:20 a.m.) Thai Gunmen kill 8 passengers in minibus attackBANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- At least eight minibus passengers -- including two children -- died after gunmen shot at their vehicle, causing them to careen off a road in southern Thailand Wednesday morning, a Thai army official told CNN. The bus was en route from Betong to the southern capital of Yala when the "terrorists, acting wildly" opened fire on the bus, killing two children, two women and four men, according to Thai army spokesman Col. Acra Thiproch. The driver was seriously injured. It was not immediately known how many passengers were in the minibus. In recent years the Muslim-dominated southern provinces have witnessed separatist attacks. Islamic militants have attacked government installations and claimed more than 2,000 lives -- mainly from the Buddhist population. However, Thiproch said it was not immediately known whether the victims of the attack were Buddhist. (Posted 12:45 a.m.) Kabul explosion kills at least 13, injuries 15KABUL (CNN) -- A powerful explosion ripped through the Old City section of Kabul Wednesday morning, killing at least 13 people and injuring 15 others, Kabul's chief of police said. "There were lots of ambulances taking away lots of casualties," one witness said. The source of the blast was not immediately clear, but an Afghan deputy interior minister said the explosion was not terror-related. (Posted 3:25 a.m.) |
 | Mexican gangs gun down police in seven citiesA series of coordinated attacks in at least seven Mexican cities killed three federal police officers and two soldiers Saturday in what officials are callin ... |
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