SENTIDO > DAILY INTERCEPT > NEWS BRIEF ARCHIVE > APRIL 2004

30 April: Sinclair Broadcasting refuses to air Nightline tribute to fallen troops, claiming it is politically motivated... New report says Bush plans to list farmed fish as endangered species to inflate numbers, reduce enforcement... Scotsman cites Daily Mirror photos showing UK soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoner: 8 British soldiers under investigation, Blair, military say actions are shameful...

29 April: Bush, Cheney appear before 9/11 Commission in oval office; victims' families call for public hearing of testimony,.. Pentagon admits 6 Americans being charged with abuse of Iraqi prisoners; Bush says alleged abuse is disgusting... Village Voice reports on 9/11 historic timeline research...

27 April: FOX News reports Fallujah now scene of "full-blown war", as Marines clash with insurgent militia... New open letter by US diplomats criticizes Bush for biased, ill-advised, historically inconsistent policies in Middle East... Supreme Court hears arguments about Bush claim to extraconstitutional powers over US citizens detained as terror suspects... NBC reports INC members arrested by Iraqi police on suspicion of abduction, armed robbery, corruption...

26 April: Justice Department opens criminal investigation into theft of Democrats' internal memos by Republican staffers, after Senate sergeant-at-arms found 2 to have improperly accessed 4,670 priveleged documents...

25 April: 500K-1M assemble on National Mall in Washington, DC, to rally for women's rights...

23 April: Train collision in populous N. Korean area causes massive explosion, thousands feared dead... Airline employee photographs flag-draped coffins of US soldiers en masse, is fired after distributing photos to press... Chilean poet Gonzalo Rojas receives Premio Cervantes from Spanish Academy...

20 April: Kim reported to be in Beijing for low-profile talks with Hu, Jiang on N. Korea denuclearizaion...

19 April: Secret Bush-Saudi pact to lower oil prices by November election rumored; White House denies charge... New Pentagon reports mean 100 US killed since 31 March...

18 April: CNN reports tens of thousands of outraged Palestinians protest extra-judicial killing, bury Rantisi; EU Pres-holder Ireland, along with UK, France say killing was unlawful; US, Russia acknowledged defense right, but say method is counterproductive; Arab League says latest assassination ends all hope for peace... Absent UN control, Rodríguez Zapatero calls for Spanish troops to withdraw "as soon as possible"...

17 April: Israel assassinates new Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi, only days after Sharon wins Bush backing on Gaza plan...

16 April: Thabo Mbeki's ANC, known for fight against apartheid, wins S. Africa elections by stunning margin, winning 70%...

15 April: 3 Japanese hostages released to Muslim clerics in Iraq; AP reports Iranian diplomat killed by gunmen in Baghdad... IMF warns US deficits threaten prosperity worldwide... Cuba buys $13M in food, farm goods from US... Alleged Bin Laden tape offers truce to Europe, conditioned on pullout from Muslim nations...

14 April: 1 Italian hostage has been killed in Iraq; French journalist released; 93 US troops killed in April to date... Tenet tells 9/11 Commission he didn't meet with Bush in August 2001, because Pres. spent month on vacation in TX... Bush says he is willing to send more troops to Iraq; annonces support for Sharon's Gaza pullout, but maintains West Bank settlements...

13 April: 40 hostages from 20 countries now held by Iraq insurgents; Al-Sadr agrees to withdraw from government buildings... Fmr. FBI director Freeh told 9/11 Commission attacks could have been prevented, said security planning for '96 Olympics included possible planes-as-weapons threat; fmr. acting FBI director Pickard accused Ashcroft of saying he did not want to hear terrorism warnings, documents include list of AG priorities, excluding counter-terrorism; Cofer Black said he feared he would find himself testifying about terrorist incident upon taking his position in counter-terrorism...

12 April: ABC News reports 34 foreign civilians, including 6 Americans, gone missing today in Iraq... 9/11 Commission reveals administration deleted passages on Al Qaeda threat from briefings to top officials...

11 April: Last night, Bush administration released 6 August PDB referring to Al Qaeda threats; cites 70 FBI investigations related to Bin Laden, uncorroborated "sensational threats"... Ancient water management tunnel discovered under 18th Century dam in Bhopal, India...

10 April: Women, children evacuated from Fallujah; ceasefire negotiations ongoing; Iraqi interior minister says he plans to resign; Gen. Kimmitt says all Coalition activities in Fallujah, since noon yesterday, are defensive... Germany says two of its security forces are missing, en route to Baghdad; reports suggest Japanese hostages may be released tomorrow; Coalition in tough fight with Al-Sadr forces for control of Al-Kut, currently with 60% controlled...

9 April: Fallujah descends into violent confrontation; minarets destroyed in Coalition defensive action, IGC declares siege illegal, temporary ceasefire broken as violence continues; CNN reports insurgents attacked Red Crescent aid convoy; 2 soldiers, several civilian contractors reported missing, after ambush on Baghdad outskirts; Tokyo protesters call for Japanese withdrawal; fig ting rages in Al-Kut, Baqouba, Muqdadiyah... 'PDB' of 6 August 2001 reportedly contained 3-month-old warning Al Qaeda was pursuing explosives attack on US soil... FCC launches 'decency' offensive against Howard Stern, issuing multiple fines for a single offending episode, prompting ClearChannel to drop Stern...

8 April: 3 Japanese civilians kidnapped by insurgents who threaten to burn them alive if Japan doesn't pull troops; 2 Arab-Israeli aid workers are being held separately... AP reports 35 Americans, 230 Iraqis killed since Sunday... Condoleezza Rice testifies under oath before 9/11 Commission... Paris closes main suburban rail line due to CIA terrorism warning; all clear declared after extensive search... Reliant accused of manipulating CA energy markets in 2000, to create energy crisis, drive prices up... Bush campaign reportedly selling banned products made under brutal Burmese dicatorship...

7 April: Rwanda genocide began 10 years ago; current Pes. Kagame led rebels who took capital, ended killing, has initiated local reconciliation hearings... AP reports 160 killed in yesterday's violence; Coalition drops 500 lb. Bomb on outer walls of Fallujah mosque in effort to flush out militants; Rumsfeld tells press holy city of Najjaf is not under Coalition control... Vanity Fair reports State Dept. did not trust Libby intel report, fmr. Tenet deputy says CIA was pressured on WMD... Kerry announces "wage recession", plan to create 10 million new jobs... Proposed Walmart megastore (17 football fields in size) rejected by Inglewood voters, 2-1...

6 April: 12 marines killed yesterday in Ramadi as insurgents temporarily sieze buildings; firefights in Fallujah, Nasiriyah: total 13 US soldiers killed, minimum 70 Iraqis... Iran announces it will stop building uranium centrifuges; IAEA will inspect to ensure follow-through... Al-Sadr moves to holy site in Najjaf, to avoid capture; militia influence growing... Biden, Lugar tell press "no one's talking" to them, no clear plan proposed for Iraqi sovereignty on 30 June... CNN reports Al-Sadr taking control of sections of Najjaf; MSNBC reports Al-Sadr threatens kidnappings... Army agrees to test troops exposed by Army to depleted Uranium... ACLU announces suit on behalf of citizens wrongfully banned from air travel... Barcelona city government votes to ban bullfighting...

5 April: 7 US troops killed yesterday, dozens injured in firefight, reports of 5,000 shi'a militia in uprising on behalf of radical cleric, Moqtada Al-Sadr; Bremer declares Sadr outlaw, issues arrest warrant; violence ongoing; closure of Al-Sadr's newspaper suspected spark for uprising... Utah citizens demand halt to development of new nuclear weapons; Bush budgeted $25 million to accelerate readiness for new testing; Gulf War general says new nukes are unnecessary, dangerous... Sen. Kennedy tells Brookings Bush allowed extended unemployment benefits to expire, even as unemployment rate climbs, new jobs pay 21% less than jobs lost...

4 April: South Africa's elections ... Spanish officials say suspected 11-M ringleader, El Tunecino, 4 associates, committed suicide by bomb in yesterday's apartment blast... NY Daily News reports finding 'depleted' Uranium poisoning in Iraq war troops, says contamination is permanent, says Army reported risks as early as 1990...

3 April: Large bomb explodes in apartment block in Madrid, killing at least 3 11-M suspects, and a woman possibly linked to them, as police moved to arrest them... Pakistan tightens security in Karachi, after unknown gunmen killed 5 at police station...

2 April: Spanish train inspector finds explosive device on high-speed train; no damage or injuries... Washington Post reveals White House withholding thousands of pages illustrating Clinton urgency on terrorism from 9/11 Commission, despite Clinton urging to release them...