Iraq Investigates Prisoner Torture
IRAQ NEWS
Iraq Investigates Abuse of Prisoners in Government Bunker
Iraq is investigating allegations of abuse after more than 170 prisoners were found locked in an Interior Ministry bunker in Baghdad, many of them beaten and malnourished and some apparently tortured. (Reuters)
Iraqi Sunnis Demand Abuse Inquiry
Iraq's main Sunni party calls for an international inquiry into the alleged abuse of 173 prisoners in Baghdad. (BBC)
US Used White Phosphorus In Iraq
US troops used white phosphorus as a weapon in last year's offensive in the Iraqi city of Falluja, the US has said. (BBC)
British Troops May Start To Leave Iraq in May
Government plans to begin phased withdrawal by middle of next year. (The Guardian)
Terrorist Plot to Kill Foreign Diplomat In Iraq Revealed
Terrorists cells planning to assassinate a foreign diplomat and forge local currency notes have been uncovered and their members arrested, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday. (Asharq al Awsat)
INVESTIGATIONS
U.K.
Terror Suspect to Be Extradited to US
Home secretary, Charles Clarke, orders extradition of British man Babar Ahmad to America. (The Guardian)
Syria
7 Iraqi Women Arrested at Damascus Airport
Syrian authorities arrested seven Iraqi women carrying Australian passports at Damascus airport on Tuesday, Asharq al Awsat reports. One of the women had a gun hidden inside a toy and a child with her. The women were on their way to Australia through Bahrain. A Bahraini diplomatic source told the paper a man who was accompanying the women is still at large. The women are being questioned by the authorities to determine why they were hiding a gun. (Asharq al Awsat)
Spain
Spaniard Calls C.I.A. Plane Case 'Very Serious'
Spain's interior minister expressed concern on Tuesday about accusations that planes used by the C.I.A. to transport terrorism suspects had made stopovers at a Spanish airport, saying the charges were "very serious" and would not be tolerated if proved. (NY Times)
Jordan
Jordan Questions Relatives of Iraqi Woman Bomber
Jordan's security forces are questioning the Jordanian relatives of an Iraqi woman who took part in last week's triple suicide bombings that killed 54 people in Amman hotels, security sources said on Wednesday. (Reuters)
11 Top Jordanian Advisers Resign in Wake of Attacks
In an interview, King Abdullah II described the threat to his country as Iraqis "who believe they're resistance fighters." (NY Times)
Tunis
EU Attacks Police Tactics At Tunis Internet Conference
European Union makes formal complaint to Tunisian government on the eve of a world internet summit. (The Guardian)
U.S.
Document Says Oil Chiefs Met With Cheney Task Force
A White House document shows that executives from big oil companies met with Vice President Cheney's energy task force in 2001 -- something long suspected by environmentalists but denied as recently as last week by industry officials testifying before Congress. (Washington Post)
LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS
France
France to Vote on Emergency Laws
The French Senate is set to pass emergency laws a day after the lower house of parliament voted for a three-month extension. (BBC)
U.S.
Journalists Said to Figure in Strategy in Leak Case
Lawyers for I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former White House official indicted on perjury charges, plan to seek testimony from journalists beyond those cited in the indictment and will probably challenge government agreements limiting their grand jury testimony, people involved in the case said Tuesday. (NY Times)
Senators Agree on Detainee Rights
Deal Would Allow Some Court Access. (Washington Post)
ANALYSIS & OPINION
Are Iraqi Troops Prepared to Secure Their Country?
Only About 700 Troops Ready to Serve Independently. (ABC News)
Tragedy as Impetus in Jordan
The headquarters of Jordan's intelligence service sits astride a cliff in this city's western suburbs, on a road marked with a small sign that says "Jordan Nursing Council." Once you pass a series of gates and checkpoints and reach the inner courtyard, you see a stark black flag bearing the Arabic script: "Justice Has Come." (Washington Post)
'Unique Contribution to Mending This Region'
There can be no doubt that the perpetrators of the terrorist suicide attacks on three Amman hotels on Nov. 9 knew exactly what they were doing. (Jordan Times)
No Place to Talk About Internet Freedom
The irony of one of the Arab world's most autocratic regimes hosting a conference on the global exchange of ideas. (International Herald Tribune)
Giving Ben Ali Undeserved Succor
The second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) opens today in Tunis amid persistent protests from international civil society groups. They are questioning the suitability of Tunisia to host the gathering, at a time when attacks against freedom of expression and the media have been on the rise under the direction of the regime of President Zein al-Abedin ben Ali, who seized power 18 years ago. (The Daily Star)
Afghanistan's Elusive Dream of Peace
The country is making progress but the world must maintain support. (The Age)
Culture Remains Biggest Obstacle in Mueller's Bid to Remake FBI Into a Spy Agency
The FBI, whose hulking J. Edgar Hoover Building seems the very symbol of a fortress mentality, cracked its doors open just slightly a few weeks ago, inviting a group of educated consumers inside to hear how well it's doing in the war on terror. (Congressional Quarterly)
The Insider Daily Investigative Report (DIR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to investigative news, including international terrorism and developments in Iraq. The DIR is edited daily from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman and Ellen Gustafson of the ABC News Investigative Unit. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.