US Marines raring to go after Bush speech

CAMP GRIZZLY, Kuwait (AFP) — US Marines listened stoically to President George W Bush’s ultimatum to Saddam Hussein in the early morning hours today, as they packed up their camp for war game exercises.

The Marines, who had been awoken in surprise at 1:00 am and told to grab their bags, stared at the ground and clasped their hands as they heard the president’s fiery speech come in over the radio.

“I’m happy it’s finally starting and going to end soon,” said Corporal Sophina Burnside, 22, from Arizona, expressing a sentiment common among Combat Service Support Company 115 which has been bunkered in the northern Kuwaiti desert since January.

“I’m nervous. I don’t really know what it’s going to be like.”

Corporal Dan McDonald, 22, from Michigan, was pumped up by Bush’s speech.

“It gave me a lot of confidence that the president and my government have the willpower to go through with this mission,” McDonald said.

Sergeant Kes Anderson, 23, was also revved up.

“I’m really excited. I’m glad we’re not backing down,” he said.

First Sergeant Ed Eagan, 42, a 23-year Marine veteran from New York called the president’s speech a good one.

Although he was nervous for his wife and three children, Eagan was ready to roll.

“It’s about time,” he said.

Terror alert raised to orange

WASHINGTON (AP) — Worried that war in Iraq could lead to terrorist reprisals at home, the Department of Homeland Security raised the terror alert yesterday to orange, indicating a high risk of attacks, and implemented enhanced security measures nationwide.

“Operation Liberty Shield” was announced just as President George W Bush completed his speech giving Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq.

The homeland security plan includes more border patrol officers, stepped-up patrols at seaports, airports and nuclear power plants, and increased safeguards over the nation’s food supply.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge also called on governors to deploy National Guard troops or extra state police to protect bridges and other key infrastructures.

The terror alert was raised from yellow, or elevated, to orange, the second-highest level on a five-colour scale. Counter-terrorism officials said the decision was based on threats from al-Qaeda, Iraqi operatives and freelance terrorists.

Blix spells out exactly what Iraq must do

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Chief UN inspector Hans Blix spelled out exactly what Iraq must do to prove it has disarmed and avoid US-led military action, even as war looms.

In a report to the Security Council yesterday, Blix said if Saddam Hussein co-operates, the dozen key remaining disarmament issues could be resolved in months.

France, Russia and Germany have seized on Blix’s presentation of the disarmament tasks to call for a council meeting tomorrow to set a “realistic” timeline to complete the tasks.

But with efforts to disarm Iraq peacefully apparently at an end, the exercise appeared futile to many diplomats.

Blix whittled down a 173-page dossier on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, which he gave to the council earlier this month, to pick a dozen key remaining disarmament tasks, each with questions Iraq must answer.

The list, obtained by The Associated Press, includes many of the key issues in the dossier — anthrax, VX nerve agent, mustard gas, missiles, chemical and biological munitions and warheads, drones and Scud missiles.