THE WORLD TODAY
Bush pledges Iran 'will be dealt with'
April 22, 2004
WASHINGTON -- President Bush told newspaper editors in Washington yesterday that Iran ''will be dealt with, starting through the United Nations" if it does not stop developing nuclear weapons and begin total cooperation with international inspectors. Bush said he will encourage allies to insist to the Iranians that they live up to commitments to cooperate with UN inspectors and end any enriching and reprocessing of uranium. ''The Iranians need to feel the pressure from the world that any nuclear weapons program will be uniformly condemned -- it's essential that they hear that message," he said. ''The development of a nuclear weapon in Iran is intolerable, and a program is intolerable. . . . Otherwise, they will be dealt with, starting through the United Nations." Earlier this month, Iran pledged to speed up cooperation with the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, but called for an end of inspections by June. (Washington Post)
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Taiwan gets warningon independence WASHINGTON -- The United States warned Taiwan yesterday that unilateral moves toward independence could destroy its economic and democratic ''miracle" and urged President Chen Shui-bian to take China's threats of military retaliation seriously. Laying down a stern marker after Chen won a tight reelection campaign, Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly said, ''We in the United States see these risks clearly and trust they are well understood by [Chen] and others in Taiwan." But under questioning by members of Congress, Kelly also said that if China moved militarily against Taiwan, President Bush's three-year-old promise to ''do whatever it took" to defend Taiwan would come into play. (Reuters)
HAITI
Two rebel leadersagree to surrender PORT-AU-PRINCE -- Two rebel leaders who helped oust President Jean-Bertrand Aristide promised yesterday to surrender to face Haitian justice for earlier murder convictions. Louis-Jodel Chamblain and Jean-Pierre Baptiste will turn themselves in to police today, Chamblain and rebel leader Winter Etienne announced. ''Chamblain is not scared of this affair. He knows he's innocent. He trusts this country's justice system now" that Aristide has been ousted, Etienne told reporters. Chamblain has denied he was pressured to surrender. ''If I could take up arms to fight Aristide's dictatorship, then I have to have the courage to do this," Chamblain said. Chamblain was convicted in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1993 murder of Aristide financier Antoine Izmery, who was dragged from church and shot to death. Both Chamblain and Baptiste were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for a 1994 massacre of more than a dozen Aristide supporters in the northern town of Gonaives, where Haiti's latest rebellion erupted Feb. 5. (AP).
Student killed during police recruiting drive PORT-AU-PRINCE -- A student was killed and 23 people were hurt when job applicants stormed Haiti's police academy during a recruiting drive, police said yesterday. Authorities used tear gas and riot batons on thousands of job hunters who crashed through the police academy gates and past French guards. US Marines helped control the crowd and blocked the academy entrance with Humvees. (AP) 
© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
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