Victory in Iraq certain but not complete: On Tuesday, President Bush announced, “the regime of Saddam Hussein is no more.” Following the successes of Allied troops in major Iraq cities, the United States is using its new position to put pressure on Syria and Iran. Syria has been accused of harboring Iraqi fugitives and preparing chemical weapons. Secretary of State Colin Powell insisted that the United States has no current war plan against Syria, but will take economic and diplomatic sanctions. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfield said the United States is taking action to cut off an oil supply line between Iraq and Syria. Bush said, “Our victory in Iraq is certain, but it is not complete.” He announced that Gen. Tommy Franks, senior commander in the war theater, would have to determine if all of Washington’s military objectives had been met before an official victory could be declared. The United States is currently seeking potential government leaders among the Iraqi people.
U.S. and North Korea to talk: President Bush has agreed to hold talks with North Korea early next week in Beijing, which will be the first discussion between the two countries since North Korea, “threw out international inspectors and restarted its main nuclear weapons plant.” This agreement came after North Korea persisted that they only spoke with the United States on the issue. The United States sought to avoid these one-on-one talks because U.S. officials feared that such talks would separate the United States from its Asian allies and argued that the North Korea nuclear program concerned all of Asia. North Korea agreed to let China sit in on the negotiations, but Japan, South Korea and Russia will not participate. A senior U.S. official said that the United States may bring in other countries as the talks proceed. A New York Times article said, “In the six months since the United States and North Korea last met, the North Koreans ejected inspectors, withdrew from the nuclear nonproliferation treaty and restarted the plutonium reprocessing facility that was frozen under a 1994 agreement with the United States.”
Fire leads to death of five students: Officials have determined that arson was the cause of a fire that broke out at Ohio State University and led to the deaths of five students. According to a New York Times article, “The fire began early Sunday hours after a 21st birthday party for one of the dead in a student rooming house one block east of campus on E. 17th Ave. It was estimated that 80 people attended the gathering, but the fire happened after the party and most of the residents were asleep.” Those who died in the fire were Alan Schlessman, 21, of Sandusky, Ohio, whose birthday was being celebrated, and Kyle Raulin, 20, of West Chester, Ohio, and three sorority sisters from Alpha Gamma Delta at Ohio University: Christine Wilson, 20, of Dublin, Ohio; Andrea Dennis, 21, of Cincinnati; and Erin DeMarco, 19, of Canton, Ohio. The homicide investigation has not turned up any suspects, but $15,000 rewards are being offered for information that would lead to the arrest and possible conviction of suspects.
Data compiled by Paige Wassel with information from the New York Times.