Newser Story Index from August, 2007
Welcome to the Newser Story Index. Here you find stories written by Newser writers and editors, assembled with supporting photos and videos from the files of the news story.
French Minister Visits Iraq, Forges US Bond
BBC
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Aug 19, 2007 5:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
France tipped a symbolic hat to the US today by sending its foreign minister on a visit to Baghdad. Bernard Kouchner is the first French minister to visit Iraq since the US invasion of 2003 and comes at a time when analysts say that US-French relations are warming. Kouchner, who refused to condemn the US at the war’s outset, called the trip a...
Joan Rivers Gets Ready for Her Close-Up
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 19, 2007 5:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Having been relieved of red-carpet duty, Joan Rivers is busy workshopping an autobiographical comedy in San Francisco. It's the 74-year-old Barnard grad's third play, and she's planning to take it off-Broadway once she figures out "what's funny and poignant and what isn't." The LA Times pays a call and finds the veteran comic in a nostalgic,...
Dems Pal Around in Iowa
Washington Post
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Aug 19, 2007 4:45 PM CDT
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In a more-amiable-than-usual war of words, the Democrats debated this morning in Iowa, the locale of the pivotal first primary. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards dominated the 90-minute discussion moderated by ex-Bill Clinton aide George Stephanopolous, the Washington Post 's Chris Cillizza reports, playing it safe as the lower-tier...
Israel Rejects Refugees from Darfur Region
Associated Press
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Aug 19, 2007 4:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Israel has turned back 48 Africans to Egypt and says it will no longer accept Darfur refugees who illegally enter the country, the AP reports. Some of the 50 migrants a day who have already snuck into the country will be allowed to stay, Israel says, but all others will be returned to Africa even if they face poverty or death. Critics are prompting...
Midwestern Floods Takes 4 Lives
Associated Press
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Aug 19, 2007 4:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Floodwaters have taken at least 4 lives today and plowed through bridges and roads in the MidWest, the AP reports. Dozens of National Guardsmen are braving severe storms as helicopters are rescuing people trapped by the flooding. Governors have declared states of emergency in Minnesota and Wisconsin and urged people to evacuate their homes in both...
Hitler's Bubbly Sparkles at UK Auction
BBC
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Aug 19, 2007 3:16 PM CDT
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A bottle of bubbly nabbed from Hitler’s wine cellar has drawn the equivalent of almost $3,000 at a British auction, the BBC reports. A Swedish television company bought the 1937 Moet and Chandon, which a soldier gave to a lawyer as thanks for legal work some 15 years ago. An allied serviceman probably purloined it amid looting in the Reich Chancellery...
Iran Executes 30 in Past Month
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 19, 2007 1:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Iran executed up to 30 people in the past month, mostly in public hangings, in a nationwide crackdown on murderers, sex offenders, drug traffickers, and other threats to "social security," reports the Observer . Human rights advocates say the sweep, also advertised as countering an alleged surge in US-backed plots to subvert the government,...
The Karl Rove Question: Were Federal Assets Used to Further GOP?
Washington Post
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Aug 19, 2007 12:54 PM CDT
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In the wake of Karl Rove's resignation, the Washington Post does a detailed account of the political strategist's use of the White House to pursue his dream of insuring GOP dominance for the foreseeable future. While all administrations send senior officials out to help party members get elected, the Post finds that Rove micromanaged these...
Harry Potter and the Murdered Heiress?
Times (UK)
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Aug 19, 2007 12:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
J.K. Rowling has been spotted writing something in an Edinburgh cafe like the one where she penned the first Harry Potter book, and fellow author Ian Rankin says she's moving in on his territory—crime fiction. Rankin admits he hasn't personally talked to Rowling about her next project; it was his wife who saw her "scribbling away."
Breast Cancer Vaccine Passes Safety Test
Reuters
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Aug 19, 2007 12:05 PM CDT
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A breast cancer vaccine is one step closer to FDA approval after a study found it produced no harmful effects in 18 women treated, and showed some signs of slowing tumors, Reuters reports. Neuvenge is meant to treat people who already have cancer by triggering the immune system to fight the disease; it must be tailored for each patient.
Navy Squelches YouTube Vid
Associated Press
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Aug 19, 2007 11:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Navy removed an airman's video from YouTube because it showed a "lack of propriety" in the use of safety equipment aboard the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan , the AP reports. The video, set to Shania Twain's "That Don't Impress Me Much," showed a sailor dancing in a full-body radiation suit.
Heat Wave Claims 49 Lives
Associated Press
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Aug 19, 2007 11:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The heat wave sweeping across the Midwest and Southeast has claimed at least 49 lives over the past week. Officials in Alabama and Memphis reported the 10 most recent deaths on Saturday, mostly elderly citizens. The weather forecast for next week predicts some relief from the triple digit-temperatures that has baked the two states for more than a week...
Mystery Illness Kills Camels
Reuters
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Aug 19, 2007 11:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In Saudi Arabia, hundreds of camels have suddenly died for unknown reasons—232 were counted in the last four days in the Dawasir Valley, 250 miles south of Riyadh, Reuters reports. The Agriculture Ministry denies that an infectious disease is behind the deaths and blames problems with animal feed. Owners have been promised compensation...
Global Warming Protesters B-r-r All on Glacier
Associated Press
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Aug 19, 2007 10:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hundreds of naked people bared all on a Swiss glacier to protest global warming yesterday. The arresting demonstration was photographed by New York artist Spencer Tunick, known for his photos of nude gatherings, as temperatures hovered around 50 degrees.
Jamaica Steels for Hurricane
CNN
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Aug 19, 2007 10:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Residents of Jamaica hunkered down today waiting for Hurricane Dean, packing winds as high as 155 mph. Forecasters described the storm that has already claimed as least six lives as "extremely dangerous." It ripped past Haiti and the Dominican Republic yesterday as panicked Jamaican packed supermarkets and tourists mobbed airports to flee...
Desperate Survivors Flee Quake Towns' Chaos
Reuters
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Aug 19, 2007 9:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Desperate residents of Peruvian towns destroyed by a powerful quake and taken over by looters are fleeing to seek resources, Reuters reports. Lines of trucks piled with furniture rumbled to relatives and friends for help. Some 1,000 soldiers are now safequarding aid trucks in the area where more than 500 have died, but many survivors still have...
Sarko Kicks Back on Moguls' Dime
BBC
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Aug 19, 2007 8:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Caving in to media pressure, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has revealed that his recent luxurious vacation in the US was paid for by deep-pocket pals. The $60,000 two-week rent on a lakeside estate near Boston was covered by Agnès Cromback, the head of Tiffany-France, and financier Roberto Agostinelli, whose wife, Mathilde, runs public...
Becks Draws Monster Crowd, Boos & Cheers
Associated Press
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Aug 19, 2007 6:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A record crowd of more than 66,000 turned out yesterday to watch soccer star David Beckham make his first US Major League Soccer start at Giants Stadium. New York Red Bulls fans booed him when he battled for his Los Angeles Galaxies—but cheered the shirtless Becks at game's end. “I’ve had that at many grounds—and worse,”...
Top 10 US Business Schools
Forbes
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Aug 19, 2007 5:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Forbes ranked these business schools not only on their prestige but for their return on investment. Dartmouth (Tuck) Stanford Harvard
Key Suspect Nabbed in Schoolyard Executions
Star-Ledger
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Aug 19, 2007 5:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A principal suspect and his teenage half brother have been arrested in the New Jersey schoolyard executions of three college students in a crime that has shattered the Newark community. Nicaraguan immigrant Rodolfo Godinez, 24, and the teen were arrested in two separate apartments near Washington, D.C., and were preparing to flee the country, reports...
Michigan to Shift Primary to Jan. 15
MSNBC
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Aug 18, 2007 9:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Michigan is about to move its 2008 presidential primary to January 15th, sources inside the state Democratic and Republican parties tell MSNBC. A bill shifting the date will go before the state senate next week. The move will provoke other early states to move to earlier—as early as December—or to push to have the Michigan contest disqualified.
2 Die in Fire at Ground Zero
Associated Press
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Aug 18, 2007 9:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two firefighters died in a blaze that broke out this afternoon in a skyscraper being demolished at the edge of ground zero in Lower Manhattan. The fire broke out in the partially dismantled Deutsche Bank building, which had been vacant since 9/11, condemned because health officials ruled that it was too contaminated with toxic dust and debris to be...
American Airlines Sues Google for Linking to Rivals
Associated Press
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Aug 18, 2007 9:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Googlers who type in trademarked keywords like “Aadvantage” will get links to American Airlines – but also to the company’s rivals, and that’s prompted AA to file a linking lawsuit. The airline tried to settle but Google is confident that legal precedent is on their side. "When done right, search is a great tool,"...
Obama Brushes off Fall Debates
Politico
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Aug 18, 2007 9:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama's campaign declared forum fatigue today, announcing that the presidential hopeful will decline requests to speak at debates and forums for the rest of this fall, beyond those they've already committed to. “Unfortunately, we simply cannot run the kind of campaign we want and need to," campaign manager David Plouffe wrote on the...
Dems Afraid They've Let in Big Brother
New York Times
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Aug 18, 2007 6:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Americans who phone friends or shoot emails overseas could have business records snatched up or be subject to searches whenever Washington wants, the Dems worry – after passing new surveillance powers that they may not have fully understood. Yet the White House swears that “the intent here was pure,” to legalize US operations against...
Chaos in Peru After Quake
Associated Press
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Aug 18, 2007 6:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Troops were called in today to earthquake-ravaged Peru to restore order after looters, desperate for food and water, threatened supply depots and deliveries. In hard-hit Pisca, southeast of the capital, homeless families huddled in a makeshift camp in a soccer field, and more than 500 rushed a truck attempting to deliver packages containing food and...
Four Square Gets Serious in Silicon Valley
San Francisco Chronicle
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Aug 18, 2007 5:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The latest craze to take root in Silicon Valley doesn’t involve codes or algorithms, just squares. That is, four squares, taped onto a carpet, or painted onto asphalt, for the classic elementary school game of four square. The game requires four players to hit a rubber ball back and forth with their hands. Played competitively, it can be brutal:...
Storm Forces Shuttle Home Early
Associated Press
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Aug 18, 2007 5:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
NASA managers worried about the wrath of Hurricane Dean have ordered shuttle Endeavour home a day earlier than planned, the AP reports. Astronauts wrapped up a space walk today and prepared for a trip that would leave tomorrow and land in Houston on Tuesday. One astronaut clearly saw the hurricane’s eye from 214 miles over the Caribbean: "Hooo,...
Reagan Aide Michael Deaver Dead at 69
Associated Press
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Aug 18, 2007 5:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The man who crafted Ronald Reagan’s public persona died today of pancreatic cancer at age 69, the AP reports. Michael Deaver, part of the so-called “troika” that directed the Reagan presidency, specialized in managing the president’s image in the media. His own image was damaged by a 1987 perjury conviction, which temporarily...
Michael Vick (and His Jersey) Go to the Dogs
WEBTV
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Aug 18, 2007 4:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Deluged with jerseys of fleet-footed number 7, a humane society is putting them all to good use – in wiping up dog doo and keeping canines comfy, nestling their heads as they doze in their cages. The Atlanta Humane Society says it didn’t know what to do with the donated Michael Vick jerseys at first, until they decided to use the high-priced...
Victims of Stuttering Study Get $1M Each
BBC
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Aug 18, 2007 3:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Five orphans who suffered months of harassment in a stuttering study have been awarded almost $1 million each, the BBC reports. Dubbed “The Monster Study,” it involved Iowa University researchers harassing children to make them develop speech impediments in 1939. None became stutterers, but they filed suit a few years ago after a California...
Britney's Lawyer Wants a Divorce
New York Daily News
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Aug 18, 2007 3:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Britney's hot-shot divorce lawyer is on the verge of jumping ship, the New York Daily News reports. Laura Wasser seems to think Britney's become bad business; she referred the pop star to other legal talent for continuing help with her her messy custody battle over her two sons with Kevin Federline.
Cubs Sign Zambrano to Mammoth Deal
Chicago Tribune
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Aug 18, 2007 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After months of negotiations, the Cubs finally signed Carlos Zambrano to a 5-year, $91.5-million extension yesterday, with a no-trade clause and a performance-based option for a sixth year. No pitcher will earn more per year than Zambrano’s $18.3 million average annual salary, but Zambrano says the decision is based less on money than his desire...
Bullfighting Dustup Has France on Guard
Independent (UK)
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Aug 18, 2007 3:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Animal activists and bullfighting fans in France are butting heads over an anti-bullfighting ad that shows bulls being speared and slaughtered. The French government banned the ad as too violent, prompting cries of hypocrisy from a well organized group of celebrities and dignitaries who have been protesting the gruesome "corrida" Spanish...
Moscow Boots BBC from Airwaves
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 18, 2007 3:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Moscow thrust the BBC into the geopolitical limelight yesterday by axing its radio service from Russian airwaves. Media pundits are blaming the decision on rising anger between Moscow and Britain as the head of Russia's BBC called the radio silence “highly irregular and extremely disappointing.” But a Russian regulator denied any political...
Puerto Rican Pacifists Say No To Pentagon
Washington Post
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Aug 18, 2007 1:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Anti-war sentiment is pulsing through Puerto Rico, the Washington Post reports, even rattling dormant talk of independence. Pacifists have been giving high schoolers leaflets with instructions for avoiding Pentagon recruiters who have been ravenous in the poor island territory; an independence activist said the forms helped prevent young Puerto Ricans...
Rookie Gymnast Vaults Her Rep
Washington Post
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Aug 18, 2007 12:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The USA Gymnastics team is rolling out a new megastar for Beijiing 2008: Shawn Johnson, a 4'10" 15-year-old who's been racking up gold medals at national and international championships even while finishing high school. But Johnson has only been on the national team for 10 months, and she's still getting used to being in the spotlight, the Washington...
CBS Reality Show Abused Kid Stars: Parents
New York Times
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Aug 18, 2007 12:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
CBS is defending its upcoming reality show “Kid Nation” against claims of child abuse and neglect, the Times reports. At least one participant’s parent complained to authorities in New Mexico, where CBS filmed 40 youngsters living alone in a ghost town, that her 11-year-old daughter’s face was burned with hot grease while...
Korean Hostage Talks Fail
Reuters
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Aug 18, 2007 11:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As the 19 remaining Korean hostages await news of their fate, negotiations to secure their release have failed, according to a Taliban spokesman. The terror group says its principal demand—the liberation of insurgents being held by coalition forces—was not met; South Korean officials have insisted Seoul has no power to release captured...
Dean Could Become Category 5
Reuters
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Aug 18, 2007 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hurricane Dean is now expected to strengthen into a Category 5 as it barrels toward Jamaica and Mexico. Forecasters say Dean, powered by 150-mph winds, will hit the Dominican Republic and Haiti today, after ploughing through homes and banana plantations on St. Lucia and Martinique yesterday.
Rudy After 9/11: Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Salon
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Aug 18, 2007 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, who likes to capitalize on the hours he clocked at Ground Zero after 9/11, actually spent more time with the Yankees than he did with rescue workers, Salon reports. In a 40-day period following 9/11 Giuliani spent some 58 hours traveling to games, watching them and partying with his beloved Yankees, who made...
Floods Trap 180 Chinese Miners
AFP
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Aug 18, 2007 9:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Flash flooding complicated efforts in eastern China today to rescue 180 miners trapped underground, and officials warned the men had little chance of survival. Pummeled by hours of downpour, an overwhelmed river breached its levee and gushed rushing waters into the Shandong coal mine, where 756 people had been working. Most were able to escape, leaving...
Hijacking Ends Peacefully in Turkey
BBC
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Aug 18, 2007 9:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Two hijackers of a Turkish plane claiming to be protesting US foreign policy surrendered yesterday after nearly all 136 people on board fled from the tarmac unharmed and the rest were released, the BBC reports. The men, believed to be a Turkish national and a Palestinian, tried to force their way into the cockpit after the Atlas Jet took off from northern...
Moms Warned of Codeine Risk in Breast Milk
Washington Post
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Aug 18, 2007 8:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Federal Food and Drug Administration has warned nursing mothers using codeine to be on the lookout for any signs of unusual drowsiness in their babies. A significant number of women have a gene that can concentrate high levels of the painkiller in their breast milk. Last year, a Canadian newborn died of a morphine overdose traced to a mother with...
Russia Relaunches Cold War Patrols
BBC
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Aug 18, 2007 8:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In a resumption of some of the tension reminiscent of the Cold War and a message to the US, Russian President Vladimir Putin has relaunched long-range Russian bomber patrols after a 15-year hiatus. Fourteen bombers took off yesterday just days after Russian jets buzzed the skies off Guam and began exercises over the North Pole.
Tribes Sell Memberships to Illegal Immigrants
Associated Press
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Aug 18, 2007 7:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Two unofficial Indian tribes have sold thousands of memberships to illegal immigrants with the promise that the paperwork will make them legal. Some buyers have reported paying as much as $1,200 for the memberships, which federal officials warn don't offer any protection from deportation. "You can't just decide to become a member and legalize...
9 Best Places to Spoil Yourself
Conde Nast Traveler
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Aug 18, 2007 7:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The nine most delicious getaway spa experiences, from the readers of Condé Nast Traveler . Mayflower Inn & Spa, Washington, Conn. Lake Austin Spa Resort, Austin, Texas Cal-A-Vie: Vista, Calif.
Beyond Chavez: The Other Latin America Is Booming
Economist
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Aug 18, 2007 7:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Despite the rhetorical drumbeat from Hugo Chavez, not all of Latin America is mired in poverty exacerbated by free-market extremes exported from the US, the Economist writes. Led by giants Brazil and Mexico, much of the region is actually better off now than at any time in 30 years; the area is enjoying its fourth straight year of growth, averaging...
She'll Strip but She Won't Talk
CNN
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Aug 17, 2007 8:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Britney Spears was the soul of cooperation when it came to sitting for Allure's September cover, on which she appears topless. The unpredictable pop star showed up "on time and ready to work," says the mag's editor in chief. She stripped to the waist before being asked—even before sitting for hair and makeup. But the cover story was,...
Saddam's Eldest Daughter Sought by Interpol
BBC
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Aug 17, 2007 6:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Accusing her of terrorism and other related offenses, Interpol is on the hunt for the oldest daughter of Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi leader executed last December for crimes against humanity. Raghad Saddam Hussein left Iraq when US forces invaded and was believed to be living in Jordan as recently as last year. But her current whereabouts are...
