White House Won't Challenge that Bush Approved Leak
April 7, 2006 -- BUSH APPROVED CIA LEAK
Libby Says Bush OK'd Leaks, Filing Alleges
I. Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby apparently had serious qualms about leaking classified intelligence to the press, but he was quickly persuaded to drop them. There was pressure from his boss, Vice President Dick Cheney, who advised him that the president had authorized Libby to do so. End of discussion. (AP)
White House Declines to Counter Leak Claim
The White House on Friday declined to challenge assertions that President Bush authorized the leaks of intelligence information to counter administration critics on Iraq. (AP)
Sr. Administration Official Rejects Possibility Bush Illegally Leaked Intel
'It's Like Accusing a Shopkeeper of Shoplifting From Himself' (ABC News)
Q&A: Libby and the CIA Leak Case
Lewis "Scooter" Libby resigned as chief of staff to Vice-President Dick Cheney after being charged with five counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice, in an investigation into the unauthorised disclosure of a CIA officer. (BBC)
WAR ON DRUGS
News from the War on Drugs: Kingpins, Open Borders, And Shadow Wolves
Remember the war on drugs? It's still there, folks, but the narcs have taken a back seat to the war on terrorism. (US News & World Report)
Afghan Drugs Barons Flaunt Their Wealth and Power
International initiatives battle to end immunity for kingpins of the heroin trade (The Guardian)
IRAN
Unconfirmed Reports: The Leader of Jund Allah Killed
Unconfirmed reports in Iran indicate that the leader of the "Soldiers of God" (Jund Allah) group and 11 of his supporters were killed in clashes with Iranian security forces on the Iranian-Afghani borders in the governorates of Sistan and Baluchistan. Abdel Malek Righi is believed to have been close to the Taliban and al Qaeda. The group is believed to have been responsible for recent assassinations and kidnapping operations in the area. (Al Hayat)
What Iran Could Gain From US Talks
Some hardliners in Iran are calling for the cancellation of talks planned between the US and Iran over Iraq, arguing the negotiations would only legitimise the foreign occupation of Iraq. (BBC)
Iran Has Missiles To Carry Nuclear Warheads
Iran has successfully developed ballistic missiles with the capability to carry nuclear warheads. (UK's Daily Telegraph)
IRAQ NEWS
Bomb Explodes Inside a Shiite Mosque in Baghdad
A bomb exploded inside a Baghdad mosque linked to the largest Shiite political party today, a day after a car bomb killed 10 people near a mosque in a part of Najaf that Shiites consider the heart of their religion. (NY Times)
US 'In Talks With Iraq Militants'
The US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, has said US officials have held talks with some groups linked to the Sunni-led Iraqi insurgency. (BBC)
Risks and Rewards For Iraq Police
Thousands of recruits are being trained by the US army for Iraq's new police force - but with insurgent attacks, increased sectarianism and "on the job" training, the challenges are enormous. (BBC)
PAKISTAN
Tribals Demand Withdrawal Of Army
Thousands of tribesmen in Pakistan's North Waziristan region bordering Afghanistan have demanded the Pakistan military withdraw all its forces there. (BBC)
Analysis: U.S.: Imagining a Pakistan Without Musharraf
The United States would like to see the Pakistani military come under civilian control, a U.S. State Department official said April 5. (StratFor)
MADRID BOMBING CASE
Italy Resumes Trial Of Madrid Bombing Suspect
Italian investigators started presenting their case on Friday against a former Egyptian army member suspected of helping to plan the Madrid train bombings in 2004 that killed 191 people. (Reuters)
NIGERIA
Obasanjo Should Resign, VP Says
The row between Nigeria's leaders has intensified, with the vice-president urging President Olusegun Obasanjo to resign "for breaking the constitution". (BBC)
AID CAMPAIGNS
World 'Lacks 4m Health Workers'
Four million health workers are needed to combat the "chronic shortage" around the world, a report from the World Health Organization has warned. (BBC)
Aid Sought As African Misery Deepens
The United Nations has launched an appeal for $426 million to help more than eight million people hit by drought across east Africa. (Reuters)
ANALYSIS & OPINION
Deny Him the Martyrdom He Craves
Zacarias Moussaoui should be nobody's hero and no one's martyr. (The Guardian)
Syria Breaks Taboo On Violence Against Women
Syria has broken a taboo by presenting a high profile study on violence against women, which found that one in four married women gets beaten -usually by her husband or father. (Reuters)
Caught In The Middle On A Volatile Border
Khalia Daoud squats in the shade of her straw hut with hundreds of other Chadian refugees, mostly women, children and the elderly. Her one-square-metre makeshift shelter stands at the edge of Sudan's porous 1300-kilometre border with Chad. (Sydney Morning Herald)
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.