US Military to Conduct Tests on Two Bodies of Soldiers
The U.S. military says two bodies found near Yusufiya in Iraq are
believed to be those of two missing American soldiers. Major General
William Caldwell said in Baghdad Tuesday that DNA testing will be
conducted to confirm the identities.
An Iraqi spokesman told reporters Tuesday the two bodies bore signs of
torture and vicious mistreatment. On an Internet Web site, an Iraqi
insurgent group linked to al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the
killings. Thousands of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers and police had been
searching for the two Americans.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military says coalition forces killed 15 terrorists
and detained. several suspects during simultaneous raids north of the
troubled city of Baquba Tuesday. Local Iraqis said at least 13 civilians
were killed in the raids.
North Korea Says Previous Agreement Does Not Prevent Missile Tests
North Korea says that a 2002 agreement with Japan does not prevent it
from conducting long range missile tests. A North Korean foreign
ministry official told Japanese reporters Tuesday his country is not
bound by any previous agreement or statement. The 2002 agreement between
North Korea and Japan called for a moratorium on such missile tests. But
North Korean officials did not confirm or deny that a missile test is
imminent.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has joined leaders from Washington and
the Asia Pacific region who are calling on Pyongyang to abandon any test
plans. Mr. Annan urged North Korean to listen and hear what the world is
saying. Pyongyang called on Washington not to develop space-based
weapons and also accused the U.S. of having a deep-rooted scheme to
gratify its ambition of world supremacy.