A compilation of brief news reports for Tuesday, April 10, 2007.


Australia to send more troops to Afghanistan

 
Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard

Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard said he will send an extra 300 ground troops and 75 air force personnel to Afghanistan to help the NATO-run International Security Assistance Force counter Taliban insurgents. The deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan has necessitated we send this additional commitment, he said.

It is difficult, it is dangerous work and that should not in any way be underestimated. But there is a lot at stake if terrorism acquires a safe haven again in Afghanistan. That will be of direct consequence for this country and for countries in the region.
 

Sources


Moroccan police raid has deadly end

 
Pre-dawn Casablanca

Early Tuesday morning, Moroccan police raided a house in a Casablanca slum looking for a gang of militants that had been wanted for a March 11 suicide bombing at a cybercafe. During the raid, two suspects detonated a suicide belts, killing themselves. Two others led police on a rooftop chase that eventually ended with one suspect being shot by police and another blowing himself up when cornered.

Police said they believed the bombers had started wearing the belts full-time to prevent being taken alive. Two police and a child were injured in the explosions.

Sources


Russia expresses doubt about Iranian "industrial scale" claims

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, "We are not aware of any technological breakthroughs in the Iranian nuclear program recently which would change the nature of work on enrichment being carried out in the country,"

Analysts have said that past claims by Iran about progress, while glossing over technical glitches, have served to strengthen its bargaining hand with the West, while it is probably several years from being able to make a bomb.

Related news

Sources