The CNN Wire: Wednesday Aug 22

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.

Hurricane Dean withers to tropical depression after 2nd landfall

TUXPAN, Mexico (CNN) -- Once a powerful Category 5 hurricane, Tropical Storm Dean was rapidly losing its punch Wednesday evening after battering Mexico's eastern coast in its second landfall near the key port city of Veracruz.

As of 10 p.m. (11 p.m. ET), Dean's maximum sustained winds had dropped to 35 mph, making it a tropical depression as it moved over the mountains of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving west at near 21 mph.

"Dean is forecast to dissipate on Thursday," forecasters said, in the last advisory issued on Dean.

Dean made landfall near Tecolutla about 11:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) as a Category 2 storm with top winds of 100 mph. Although its winds were no longer much of a threat, officials continued to worry that the massive storm and heavy rainfall could trigger flooding and landslides.

Southern and central Mexico are expected to be inundated with 5 to 10 inches of rain -- while some areas could see 20 inches -- according to the NHC. (Posted 10:35 p.m.)

6th bore hole will be last try to find missing Utah miners

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Rescuers trying to find six central Utah miners missing for more than two weeks will begin drilling a sixth and final bore hole down into the Crandall Canyon mine Friday, and the search effort will stop if no signs of life are found, the coal mine's co-owner said Wednesday evening.

"This is the last hole," said Bob Murray, CEO of Murray Energy. "If we don't find anybody alive in that hole, there's no where else that anyone ... would know where to drill any more holes to try to find these trapped miners."

Murray said work on the sixth hole, which will go down into the area where the miners were known to be working when the mine collapsed Aug. 6, should be completed by Saturday. However, he expressed little optimism that the effort would be successful, saying it was "totally unlikely" any signs of the miners will be found.

Murray also said that he has already filed paperwork with federal regulators to permanently close and seal the Crandall Canyon mine. (Posted 9:37 p.m.)

Suicide bombers strike military base near Baghdad; 4 Iraqi soldiers dead

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Two suicide vehicle bombers struck a U.S.-Iraqi military outpost in Taji on Wednesday night, the U.S. military said in a statement.

The attack killed four Iraqi soldiers, the military said, and wounded 11 U.S. soldiers and four Iraqi soldiers.

The incident occurred at 8:45 p.m., according to an Iraqi Interior Ministry official.

Eight Iraqis suspected of having information concerning the attack have been detained, the U.S. military said. (Posted 8:49 p.m.)

Hurricane Dean withers to tropical storm after 2nd landfall

TUXPAN, Mexico (CNN) -- Once a powerful Category 5 hurricane, Tropical Storm Dean was rapidly losing its punch Tuesday evening after battering Mexico's eastern coast in its second landfall near the key port city of Veracruz (prono: ver-ah-KROOS).

As of 7 p.m. (8 p.m. ET), Dean's maximum sustained winds had dropped to 45 mph, meaning it was barely clinging to tropical-storm status, the National Hurricane Center said. The winds are confined to a small area over the center of the storm.

Dean made landfall near Tecolutla about 11:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) as a Category 2 storm with top winds of 100 mph. Although its winds were no longer much of a threat, officials continued to worry that the massive storm and heavy rainfall could trigger flooding and landslides.

Southern and central Mexico are expected to be inundated with 5 to 10 inches of rain -- while some areas could see 20 inches -- according to the NHC. (Posted 7:51 p.m.)

Florida nears end of Foley investigation

(CNN) -- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement expects to complete a criminal investigation of former Rep. Mark Foley by the end of August or the beginning of September, a spokeswoman for the department said Wednesday.

Authorities have been investigating whether Foley might have used computers in Florida to engage or solicit minors in any illegal activities. Foley's attorneys have categorically denied that the former congressman ever engaged in sexual activity with minors.

Foley, a Republican, represented Florida's 16th District in Congress before his resignation in September, a day after suggestive e-mails and instant messages he had written to teenage male House pages surfaced in the media.

Spokeswoman Heather Smith said that the results of the probe would be turned over to State Attorney Bill Eddins in Pensacola, where one of the young men he is alleged to have communicated with lived.

-- From CNN Correspondent Susan Candiotti (Posted 6:24 p.m.)

Feds push for ignition locks for repeat DUI offenders

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal officials want more car-mounted breath analyzers used to keep convicted drunken drivers from getting behind the wheel, arguing that suspending or revoking drivers licenses fails to deter many offenders.

Nicole Nason, the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, met with judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and probation officials Wednesday to push for wider use of ignition interlocks, which tests a motorist's alcohol consumption before allowing their car to start.

Ignition interlocks require drivers to blow into the device before starting the engine. If the device records a breath-alcohol level beyond the state's legal limit, the device prevents the engine from starting.

The device also reports the violation to its manufacturer when the driver takes the interlock into a service center for a monthly test. Those violations are reported to the court or the driver's probation officer.

NHTSA says 45 states allow interlocks to be required for some offenders. The devices cost anywhere from $70-$100 for installation and about $65 for monthly maintenance. (Posted 5:40 p.m.)

Hurricane Dean withers to tropical storm after 2nd landfall

TUXPAN, Mexico (CNN) -- Hurricane Dean, once a powerful Category 5 storm, was reclassified as Tropical Storm Dean Wednesday, rapidly losing strength after battering Mexico's eastern coast in its second landfall, which came near the key port city of Veracruz (prono: ver-ah-KROOS).

Dean made landfall near Tecolutla about 11:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) as a Category 2 storm with top winds of 100 mph, but shortly afterward its winds dropped to 85 mph, making it a Category 1 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of 4 p.m. (5 p.m. ET), the NHC said Dean's winds had dropped to 70 mph, or below hurricane force. (Posted 4:48 p.m.)

Millions of Holocaust documents released

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The release of millions of pages of documents detailing life in World War II-era concentration camps to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Yad Vashem Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem began Tuesday, officials said.

The keepers of a 50-year-old Nazi archive released four computer hard drives, which contain electronic images of more than 18 million pages, to the Washington museum and the authority after more than a year of pressure from the museum to publicize the documents.

A representative of the International Tracing Service (ITS) archive in Bad Arolsen, Germany, delivered the hard drives to the museum Tuesday in the first of at least three installments of documents detailing the incarcerations, displacement lists and slave labor records from the Nazi camps. (Posted 4:36 p.m.)

Study unveils sex habits of older adults

(CNN) -- Older Americans consider sexuality to be an important part of life, with the incidence of sexual relations dropping only slightly from the 50s until the early 70s, according to a study published Wednesday.

"From a societal perspective, I would say that old people are young people later in life," said Dr. Stacy Tesler Lindau, lead author of the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, in a telephone conference call with reporters.

Still, sexual activity reported among the 3,005 men and women in the United States who participated in the survey did fall, particularly among the oldest participants -- from 73 percent among those 57 to 64 years of age to 53 percent among those 65 to 74 years of age to 26 percent among those 75 to 85 years of age.

Co-author Linda Waite, a sociologist at the University of Chicago, sought to explain the latter figure. "There comes a point in people's lives where health declines, where they become frail and, even though they may still have a partner, they are not having any kind of sexual activity with this partner," she said. (Posted 4:07 p.m.)

Authorities find $352 million in cocaine aboard 'semi-submerged smuggling vessel'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Authorities arrested four people and seized some $352 million in cocaine earlier this week aboard a self-propelled submersible vessel "designed to avoid detection" in the eastern Pacific, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Wednesday.

A P-3 aircraft from Customs and Border Protection's Office of Air and Marine spotted the semi-submerged vessel while patrolling the ocean on Sunday as part of ongoing Western Hemisphere tracking operations, according to a CBP statement. The aircraft guided a U.S. Navy ship to the vessel. The suspects attempted to intentionally sink the vessel along with the drugs aboard, authorities said, but were arrested by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Eleven cocaine bales, or some 1,210 pounds, were found aboard the sub, CBP said. (Posted 3:44 p.m.)

NTSB to investigate near collision at LAX

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The National Transportation Safety Board announced Wednesday it would investigate a runway incursion last week at Los Angeles International Airport in which two airliners came within 40 feet of each other.

The incident took place Thursday, after a WestJet Airlines Boeing 737 landed on a runway at the northern part of the airport and switched from the air traffic control radio frequency to a ground-control frequency before receiving taxiing instructions, according to the NTSB.

Thinking the WestJet pilot had clearance to cross the runway to the gate, the ground controller gave him instructions to proceed, the NTSB said.

Meanwhile, the air traffic controller, thinking the WestJet pilot was holding between runways, cleared Northwest Airlines Flight 180, an Airbus 320, to take off. (Posted 3:30 p.m.)

'Barbie bandit' pleads guilty to Atlanta bank heist

ATLANTA (CNN) -- One of two young women dubbed the "Barbie Bandits" pleaded guilty Wednesday to theft and marijuana possession charges stemming from a giggly heist at a suburban Atlanta bank branch.

Heather Johnston, 19, admitted to stealing nearly $10,000 from the Bank of America branch in an Acworth, Ga., supermarket in February. She apologized for her role in the crime, but said she would have been "dead or just not good off" if she had not been arrested.

Johnston and co-defendant Ashley Miller were dubbed the "Barbie Bandits" after police released bank video they said showed them laughing and joking behind fashionable sunglasses before handing a holdup note to the teller.

Investigators said Johnston and Miller, who worked as dancers at an Atlanta-area strip club, planned to split the money with two other co-defendants -- one of whom, 22-year-old Herman Allen III, was the teller who accepted their demand and handed over the money. (Posted 3:12 p.m.)

Analysts reject president's comparison of Iraq to Vietnam

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush Wednesday told a convention of veterans that America's experience in Vietnam should be a lesson to those who want U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq. It's a contention that some analysts reject.

"The similarities are greatly overplayed," said Lt. Gen. Daniel Christman (Ret.). "Iraq is, frankly, far more complex than Vietnam, given the internal religious and political dynamics, and externally, the region has far greater strategic significance for the U.S. than Vietnam and Southeast Asia ever did for the U.S. in the 1960s."

Christman, now with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was a company commander with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam.

He calls Vietnam one of the greatest U.S. strategic blunders of the 20th century. "The ending of the war was in many respects preordained by how we entered the conflict to begin with -- by a severe miscalculation of our strategic interests, and by misjudging the fundamental nature of the conflict from the get-go. We failed to view it, as did our antagonists, as a war of national liberation."

David Gergen, a former adviser to four presidents, says Bush stirred up a hornet's nest among historians. "By invoking Vietnam he raised the question, if you learned so much from history, how did you ever get us involved in another quagmire?" Gergen told CNN.

-- From CNN Pentagon Producer Larry Shaughnessy (Posted 3:04 p.m.)

Virgina Tech releases internal review on school's response to deadly shooting spree.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An internal review of the actions taken by Virginia Tech in the hours following a shooting spree by student Seung-Hui Cho that left 33 dead in April makes suggestions to improve security but assigns no blame for the tragedy.

The more than 77-page report, requested by Virginia Tech president Charles Steger, was released Wednesday by the university and comprises reviews of the university's security systems, communications and counseling services that dealt with at-risk students.

CNN obtained a four-page overview ahead of the 2:30 p.m. release time of the full report.

The review recommends many improvements, ranging from locks on classroom doors to overhauling the campus communications system, but doesn't blame any university or police officials for the way they handled the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.

-- From CNN Producer Eric Fiegel (Posted 2:38 p.m.)

Hurricane Dean downgraded to a Cat 1 shortly after 2nd landfall

(CNN) -- Hurricane Dean was downgraded to a Category 1 storm Wednesday with maximum sustained winds near 85 mph, shortly after coming ashore near the Mexican town of Tecolutla, about 100 miles north of Veracruz city, according to the National Hurricane Center's 2 p.m. ET update.

The storm's maximum sustained winds were 100 mph, a Category 2 storm, when its center made landfall at 12:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. local time).

It was the second landfall for Dean since striking Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 5 storm early Tuesday. (Posted 2:02 p.m.)

Co-owner: Utah mine to be closed if final rescue efforts unsuccessful

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- The Utah coal mine where six miners have been trapped for more than two weeks will be closed if a final effort to find signs of life is unsuccessful, its co-owner said Wednesday.

Rescuers have completed boring a fifth hole into the underground space where the men were last believed to have been located, and a sixth hole will be started soon, Murray Energy CEO Bob Murray told CNN. But if those fail to turn up any sign of life, the Crandall Canyon mine will be shut down and turned into "a site for perpetuity," a tomb for the missing workers, he said. (Posted 1:58 p.m.)

Hurricane Dean makes 2nd landfall on Mexico's eastern coast

TUXPAN, Mexico (CNN) -- The strong winds of Hurricane Dean battered Mexico's eastern coast Wednesday as the Category 2 storm's center came ashore near the key port city of Veracruz (prono: ver-ah-KROOS).

The storm's center officially made landfall at 11:30 a.m. local time (12:30 p.m. ET) near Tecolutla, about 100 miles north of Veracruz.

As Dean approached the coast, the force of the maximum sustained 100 mph winds bent the tall palm trees in Nautla (prono: nah-OOT-dlah) -- a town of about 3,000 people some 20 miles south of where Dean made landfall.

During his live report near Nautla, CNN's Karl Penhaul struggled to stand in the strong winds, as the torrential rain pelted the reporter and clouded the camera.

Meanwhile, it was eerily calm in Tuxpan (prono: TOOK-span) where a group of three people strolled across the bridge spanning the Tuxpan River minutes after the storm made landfall approximately 45 miles to the south. (Posted 1:26 p.m.)

Pentagon backtracks on prediction for delivery of armored vehicles

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The number of Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles delivered to Iraq will fall far short of a goal announced just last month, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said that goal of getting 3,500 hundred of the heavily armored vehicles to Iraq by year's end had been pared back to what he called a more realistic estimate of 1,500.

Morrell said it was taking longer to equip and ship the vehicles than had been anticipated.

He said the industry is on track to produce the 3,900 vehicles promised last month, and that they now expect to have delivered 3,500 of them to Iraq by late February or early March.

At a July 18 Pentagon news conference, John Young, head of the Defense Department's MRAP task force said, "We should have 3,900 in hand by the end of the year and some part of that -- it's my estimate -- hopefully more than that 3,500 in theater." (Posted 12:49 p.m.)

Amid chaos in Iraq, American officials ratchet down vision for democracy

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Nightmarish political realities in Baghdad are prompting American officials to curb their vision for democracy in Iraq. Instead, the officials now say they are willing to settle for a government that functions and can bring security.

A workable democratic and sovereign government in Iraq was one of the Bush administration's stated goals of the war. But for the first time, exasperated front-line U.S. generals talk openly of non-democratic governmental alternatives, and while the two top U.S. officials in Iraq still talk about preserving the country's nascent democratic institutions, they say their ambitions aren't as "lofty" as they once had been.

"Democratic institutions are not necessarily the way ahead in the long-term future," says Brig. Gen. John "Mick" Bednarek, with Task Force Lightning in Diyala province -- one of the war's major battlegrounds.

The comments reflect a practicality common among Western diplomats and officials trying to win hearts and minds in the Middle East and other non-Western countries where democracy isn't a tradition. (Posted 12:34 p.m.)

NAACP official: Don't ban Vick from football permanently

ATLANTA (CNN) -- The president of the NAACP's Atlanta chapter Wednesday called on the National Football League and the Atlanta Falcons to refrain from banning star quarterback Michael Vick from football permanently.

Monday, Vick accepted a deal to plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges involving an illegal dogfighting operation. He's expected to make that plea in federal court Aug. 27 in Richmond, Va.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell have said they will not make a decision on Vick's future immediately. (Posted 12:01 a.m.)

Bush administration reiterates support for al-Maliki

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CNN) -- President Bush on Wednesday underscored his support for Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a vote of confidence despite recent American concerns about the effectiveness of the Iraqi government's efforts to get the country's divisive political process on track.

"Prime Minister Maliki's a good guy, a good man and I support him," the president said during an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

"It's not up to the politicians in Washington D.C. to say whether he should remain in his position. That is up to Iraqi people who now live in a democracy and not a dictatorship."

A day before, President Bush acknowledged a mood of "frustration" hanging over Iraq's fractious, paralyzed government, but said it was up to Iraqis to replace their leadership. His remarks and similar comments by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and Sen. Carl Levin were seen as evidence of American displeasure for al-Maliki's government. (Posted 11:49 a.m.)

Pentagon backtracks on prediction for delivery of armored vehicles

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The number of Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles delivered to Iraq will fall far short of a goal announced just last month, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said that goal of getting 3,500 hundred of the heavily armored vehicles to Iraq by year's end had been pared back to what he called a more realistic estimate of 1,500.

The problem, Morrell said, was that three of nine companies that were given contracts to build the vehicles -- known by the acronym MRAP -- have been unable to get their assembly lines up and running.(Posted 11:37 a.m.)

14 U.S. soldiers die when helicopter crashes near Kirkuk in northern Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Fourteen U.S. soldiers died Wednesday when their helicopter crashed in northern Iraq -- apparently the result of a "mechanical malfunction" and not an attack, the U.S. military said.

"Two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were on a night operation when one of the aircraft crashed," the military said in a statement. "Initial indications are that the aircraft experienced a mechanical malfunction. There were no indications of hostile fire."

The crash occurred near Kirkuk, according to a U.S. military intelligence source.

The dead were all members of the Army's Task Force Lightning, which operates across northern Iraq, and included four crew members and 10 passengers. The military has launched an investigation into the accident, the deadliest since January 2005, when a Marine helicopter crash in western Iraq killed 31 troops.(Posted 11:34 a.m.)

Union president says fire department told not to inspect standpipe after 9/11 due to asbestos

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The president of New York's firefighters union says the New York Fire Department was told not to inspect the standpipe in an abandoned building that caught fire and killed two firefighters last weekend.

Authorities are investigating why the standpipe -- which could have supplied water to firefighters inside the building -- was not operating at the time of the blaze.

The Uniformed Firefighters Association President Stephen Cassidy said the FNDY stopped sending inspectors into the abandoned building after 9/11 because the air quality was poor due to asbestos.

"The local fire company is normally responsible for inspecting that building and over a year ago they were told they should no longer do that because the air quality in that building was not safe," Cassidy said in a news conference Tuesday night. "The question is who in the fire dept decided not to let them inspect the building ... who did they decide is responsible to make sure that the building was inspected and that the standpipe was operational. "

In a written statement on Monday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said "A section of the standpipe was not attached and was lying on the floor."

Cassidy called on New York's attorney general to conduct an independent investigation, seperate from the one being conducted by city hall.

"We need an investigation to find out what led up to Saturday's fire, why the building wasn't inspected, why the standpipe system wasn't operational, and why the New York City Fire Department did not know it was not operational. And certainly those questions need to be answered. That's why we're calling for an independent investigation," said Cassidy. (Posted 11:32 a.m.)

Dean gains strength in Gulf of Mexico as it eyes 2nd landfall

TUXPAN, Mexico (CNN) -- Hurricane Dean regained some strength Wednesday over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico as it set its sights on Mexico's eastern coast for a second landfall in the coming hours.

The storm's top wind speed increased to 100 mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center's 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET) update.

Dean had quickly dwindled to a Category 1 storm after striking Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula early Monday as a rare but most powerful Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph.

Officials in Mexico have warned residents that the coastline near the state of Veracruz was particularly prone to flooding, as a number of rivers flow from the mountains to the sea.

When the mountains receive heavy rainfall, mudslides could result. (Posted 11:29 a.m.)

At least 37 killed in suicide truck bombing in Baiji, latest in string of deadly incidents in northern Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A suicide truck bomber slammed into a police compound in a northern Iraq town on Wednesday, killing at least 37 people and wounding 81 others, police told CNN.

The incident occurred in Baiji, located in Salaheddin province. Police and civilians were among the casualties and the civilians included women and children.

Police in Baiji said the incident occurred at 10:30 a.m. when the explosives-packed truck drove into the Baiji police directorate's compound in the central section of the town.

There are homes in the compound and a number of them were destroyed. The police building was badly damaged and 15 vehicles were destroyed.

A curfew has been imposed and U.S. and Iraqi forces are patrolling the town. (Posted 11:18 a.m.)

Bush administration reiterates support for al-Maliki

(CNN) -- The Bush administration on Wednesday underscored its support for Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a position that it says hasn't changed despite recent American concerns about the effectiveness of the Iraqi government's efforts to get the country's divisive political process on track.

Gordon Johndroe, White House spokesman, said al-Maliki is the elected prime minister, making him the person that the administration deals with on Iraq. The Iraqi government, Johndroe said, is working to achieve political reconciliation, and the differences between the administration and al-Maliki have been overblown in media reports. (Posted 10:50 a.m.)

U.S. soldier killed in combat west of Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier was killed and three others were wounded in combat west of Baghdad on Wednesday, the U.S. military said. The troops were from Multi-National Division-Baghdad.

This was the 15th American troop death on Wednesday. In northern Iraq, 14 soldiers died in a helicopter crash that was the apparent result of a "mechanical malfunction."

The U.S. military death toll in the war now stands at 3,722. So far this month, 64 American troops have died. (Posted 10:48 a.m.)

Hurricane Dean increases to a Cat 2 storm

(CNN) -- Hurricane Dean has reached Category 2 strength with top wind speeds of 100 mph as it approaches landfall on Mexico's eastern coast, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday in its 11 a.m. ET update. (Posted 10:47 a.m.)

Iraqi PM shoots back at criticism of his government

(CNN) -- Iraq's embattled prime minister on Wednesday shot back at criticism of his government, including pointed remarks from a U.S. senator who called Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's administration "non-functioning" and urged Iraq's parliament to turn it out of office.

Speaking at a press conference in the Syrian capital of Damascus, al-Maliki characterized such comments as "irresponsible" and said they "overstep the bounds of diplomatic and political courtesy."

"Everyone knows that the Iraqi government is one elected by the Iraqi people and no one puts timetables or restrictions other than the Iraqi people who elected the government," said al-Maliki, who has been criticized in Washington for presiding over a government that is failing to foster the key goal of political reconciliation. (Posted 9:25 a.m.)

2 Afghan soldiers killed, 11 NATO soldiers wounded in attack on NATO base

(CNN) -- Two Afghan soldiers were killed and 11 NATO soldiers were wounded on Wednesday when insurgents clad in military garb attacked a NATO base in eastern Afghanistan, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.

The incident occurred around 5 a.m. at an ISAF forward-operating base in Nuristan province.

"The Taliban extremists who attacked were wearing ANA uniforms, which allowed them to approach the base," said Lt. Col. Claudia Foss, ISAF spokeswoman. The ANA is the acronym for Afghan National Army.

"This is another example of the Taliban extremists ignoring international law of armed conflict." (Posted 9:10 a.m.)

At least 28 killed in suicide truck bombing in Baiji, latest in string of deadly incidents in northern Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A suicide truck bomber slammed into a police compound in a northern Iraq town on Wednesday, killing at least 28 people and wounding 91 others, police told CNN.

The incident occurred in Baiji, located in Salaheddin province. Police and civilians were among the casualties and the civilians included women and children.

Police in Baiji said the incident occurred at 10:30 a.m. when the explosives-packed truck drove into the Baiji police directorate's compound in the central section of the town.

There are homes in the compound and a number of them were destroyed. The police building was badly damaged and 15 vehicles were destroyed. (Posted 8:48 a.m.)

Dean gaining strength in Gulf of Mexico as it eyes 2nd landfall

TUXPAN, Mexico (CNN) -- Churning steadily in the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 1 storm, Hurricane Dean closed on Mexico's eastern coast early Wednesday for a second landfall later in the day.

The storm is expected to hit central Mexico after crossing Campeche Bay, which lies in the southwestern corner of the Gulf of Mexico.

At 7 a.m. local time (8 a.m. ET), the National Hurricane Center reported Dean's center was about 100 miles (160 km) north-northeast of Veracruz and about 120 miles (195 km) east-southeast of Tuxpan. It was moving west-northwest near 20 mph.

Dean quickly lost strength after striking Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula early Monday as a rare but powerful Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 165.

After emerging in the Gulf, the storm regained some of its punch: at 7 a.m., Dean's maximum winds were near 90 mph, up from 80 mph several hours earlier.

The storm has also increased in size. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 70 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extended up to 200 miles.(Posted 8:47 a.m.)

At least 28 killed in suicide truck bombing in northern Iraq, latest in string of deadly incidents in northern Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A suicide truck bomber slammed into a police compound in a northern Iraq town on Wednesday, killing at least 28 people and wounding 91 others, police told CNN.

The incident occurred in Baiji, located in Salaheddin province. Police and civilians were among the casualties and the civilians included women and children.

Police in Baiji said the incident occurred at 10:30 a.m. when the explosives-packed truck drove into the Baiji police directorate's compound in the central section of the town.

There are homes in the compound and a number of them were destroyed. The police building was badly damaged and 15 vehicles were destroyed.

This is the latest in a string of deadly incidents over the last 24 hours in northern Iraq.

A roadside bomb targeting a police convoy killed at least two civilians and wounded 12 others when it exploded on a road in Salaheddin province on Wednesday, Tikrit police told CNN.

Of the 12 wounded, seven were police officers and five were civilians, police said.

The blast occurred on a road between Tikrit and Tuz Khurmato, located about 55 miles (90 km) north of Tikrit. (Posted 7:01 a.m.)

Nearly two dozen killed, many wounded in bomb attacks waged in northern Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- In Iraq's capital city four people were wounded when a car bomb exploded in a residential area shortly before noon Wednesday, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry.

The attack in Baghdad's Mansour district targeted civilians, the ministry said. (Posted 6:49 a.m.)

14 U.S. soldiers die when helicopter crashes in Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Fourteen U.S. soldiers died Wednesday when their helicopter crashed in northern Iraq -- apparently the result of a "mechanical malfunction" and not an attack, the U.S. military said.

"Two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were on a night operation when one of the aircraft crashed," the military said in a statement. "Initial indications are that the aircraft experienced a mechanical malfunction. There were no indications of hostile fire."

The dead were all members of the Army's Task Force Lightning, which operates across northern Iraq, and included four crew members and 10 passengers. The military has launched an investigation into the accident, the deadliest since January 2005, when a Marine helicopter crash in western Iraq killed 31 troops.(Posted 6:47 a.m.)

Dean heading steady towards Mexico's east coast

VERACRUZ, Mexico (CNN) -- Churning steadily in the Gulf as a Category 1 storm, Hurricane Dean closed on Mexico's eastern coast early Wednesday for what forecasters said would be a second landfall later in the day.

The storm is expected to hit central Mexico after crossing Campeche Bay, which lies in the southwestern corner of the Gulf of Mexico.

At 5 a.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center reported Dean's center was about 120 miles (190 km) northeast of Veracruz and about 175 miles (280 km) east-southeast of Tuxpan. It was moving west-northwest at near 20 mph.

After raking Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, making landfall as a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 165, Dean entered the bay Tuesday as a Category 1 storm.

Early Wednesday, Dean's maximum sustained winds were near 80 mph. As the storm had weakened, it also decreased in size. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 35 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extended up to 140 miles. (Posted 5:10 a.m.)

American scholar released from Iranian prison

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- American Haleh Esfandiari -- arrested nearly four months ago by Tehran officials on charges of harming national security -- was released Tuesday from an Iranian prison after her mother posted bail, her family said.

"I'm very happy, I mean, it was very unexpected," Esfandiari said in an interview on Iran's state-run IRINN TV.

Esfandiari's husband, Shaul Bakhash, said Esfandiari's mother, who lives in Tehran, received a call from Iranian authorities telling her to post bail of $330,000, which she did.

Esfandiari was arrested while she was in Iran visiting her ailing mother, who is in her 90s.

There was no official government statement about Esfandiari, and it was not clear what restrictions, if any, would be imposed on her. (Posted 11:05 p.m.) E-mail to a friend