U.S. and Libya Restore Full Diplomatic Ties

May 15, 2006 -- U.S./LIBYA RESTORE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

U.S. to Renew Diplomatic Ties With Libya

The Bush administration has decided to restore normal diplomatic relations with Libya for the first time in over a quarter century after taking Moammar Gadhafi's country off a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, State Department officials said. (AP)

Full Text: Rice Statement

The US has announced that it is renewing full diplomatic relations with Libya after deciding to remove it from a list of states backing terrorism. (Read Sec. Rice Statement)

Timeline: Libya Sanctions

Libya has been subject to United States sanctions since the early 1980s over its suspected terror links, although these have now eased considerably. (BBC)

IRAQ NEWS

Hussein Is Formally Charged for War Crimes

Saddam Hussein refused to enter a plea and insisted that he remained the country's rightful president. (NY Times)

Insurgents Down U.S. Copter, Killing 2

Insurgents shot down a U.S. helicopter south of Baghdad and killed two soldiers, bringing the weekend death toll of American service members to seven, the U.S. military said Monday. (AP)

SYRIA

Syria 'Arrests Dissident Writer'

The Syrian authorities are reported to have detained prominent activist and writer Michel Kilo, though there is no official confirmation of the arrest. (BBC)

E.U./IRAN

EU To Propose 'Bold' Iran Package

The EU is preparing a new package of measures that it hopes will convince Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, top EU diplomat Javier Solana has said. (BBC)

AFGHANISTAN

'Senior Taliban' Killed In Afghan Clash

A Taliban commander and his deputy are among 11 rebel fighters killed in a clash in southern Afghanistan which also left five policemen dead, government officials say. (Al Jazeera)

Female Afghan Lawmaker Faces Death Threat

Female Afghan Lawmaker Moves Every Night After Receiving Influx of Death Threats (AP)

FBI/CIA

FBI Raids Top CIA Official's Home

US federal agents have searched the house and office of the outgoing executive director of the CIA. (BBC)

FBI Gets a Chance to Shoot Back - At a Story It Didn't Like

When I first came to Washington in the 1970s, a friend took me on a tour of the national monuments, topping it off with a stop at Harvey's, the plush restaurant where J. Edgar Hoover had a regular table with his longtime FBI sidekick, Clyde Tolson. (Congressional Quarterly)

POLYGAMIST IN HIDING

Is Eldorado the Next Waco, Texas?

Some Believe Polygamist Warren Jeffs Is Hiding in Texas Town (ABC News)

SRI LANKA VIOLENCE

Sri Lankan City Mired in Ethnic Violence

Recent violence in Trincomalee harkens back to 1983's anti-Tamil pogrom that plunged the country into war. (NY Times)

HALLIBURTON

Halliburton Accused Of Avoiding Public

Halliburton, the US oil services company which is accused of profiting from US-administered war zones, is under attack from shareholders who say it is trying to hold a secretive annual meeting. (Al Jazeera)

DARFUR

Deadline Set For Darfur Rebels

The African Union has given two holdout Darfur rebel groups a 24-hour deadline to sign a peace deal with Khartoum or face UN sanctions. (Al Jazeera)

Six Killed In Darfur Clashes

Six people have been killed after protesters in Darfur opposed to the recent peace deal between rebels and the Sudanese government clashed with police. (Al Jazeera)

EGYPT

Egypt Bomb Suspects 'Surrender'

Four men wanted in connection with a series of suicide bombings in an Egyptian resort last month have surrendered to police, officials say. (BBC)

YEMEN

Yemen 'Catches Al-Qaeda Fugitive'

Yemeni forces have arrested one of the leading al-Qaeda militants who escaped from a prison in Sanaa in February, a state-run newspaper has reported. (BBC)

NEPAL

Former Nepal Ministers Arrested

Five ministers from Nepal's ousted royalist government have been arrested. (BBC)

SAUDI CONSULATE ATTACK

Saudi Says U.S. Consulate Assailant Was Alone

Saudi Arabia said on Monday that a man who was arrested last week for firing on guards at the U.S. consulate in Jeddah appeared to be acting on his own and was not linked to any other group. (Reuters)

ANALYSIS & OPINION

Pakistan: Musharraf's Best Days Likely Behind Him

Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf called for the provision of natural gas to most of the country by the end of 2007. (Stratfor)

Africa Climate Change 'Could Kill Millions'

Developing countries must wean themselves off oil and fossil fuels and turn as quickly as possible to solar, wind and water power if they are to avoid disastrous climate change effects and continue to develop, says Christian Aid in a report. (The Guardian)

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.