150,000 protest Iraq invasion in London

LONDON -- More than 150,000 Britons from all regions, ages and social backgrounds, marched in central London Saturday, urging Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush not to invade Iraq.

As they wound their way from Embankment on the River Thames to Hyde Park, many of the marchers stopped to shout through the gates of Blair's 10 Downing St. residence.

"Tony Blair, shame, shame, no more killing in my name," went one chant.

"We believe it would be wholly immoral and wrong and criminal for the United States and Britain to attack Iraq and inflict casualties upon innocent people," Tony Benn, a former Labor Party legislator, told a huge crowd seated in Hyde Park. "We must see it is not allowed to happen."

Tam Dalyell, a senior Labor Party legislator, said the confrontation with Iraq was the most dangerous standoff since the Cuban missile crisis.

"We are sleepwalking to disaster," he said, to thunderous applause from the crowd.

Police said only three people were arrested for minor offenses and said demonstrators were dispersing peacefully.

Report: Iraq training Palestinian militants

JERUSALEM -- Palestinian militants have been trained in Iraq by a group supported by Saddam Hussein to carry out terror attacks against Israel with the knowledge of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, the Associated Press reports.

AP cites a senior Israeli official as saying on Saturday that Iraqi-backed Palestinian militants were arrested as they tried to enter Israel recently with plans to carry out attacks at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport.

Palestinian ties to Iraq and Iran will be the focus of a 60 Minutes report to be broadcast tonight on CBS Television (WTSP-TV Ch. 10). CBS said in a statement that its report will present what Israel says is proof of these ties.

The men were arrested trying to enter Israel allegedly were trained by Mohammed Abbas, known by the nom de guerre Abul Abbas -- an Iraqi-based ally of Arafat who oversaw the 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro.

Peres asks his colleagues to stop talking about Iraq

JERUSALEM -- Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on Saturday criticized his government for talking too much about a possible U.S. strike on Iraq, saying it is creating a false impression that Israel is pushing for the attack.

Peres did not single out politicians he felt were too talkative. Israel's prime minister, defense minister, army chief and others have spoken in detail about the dangers posed by Iraq and Israel's possible role in a U.S.-Iraq war.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suggested in a weekend interview with the Jerusalem Post that Israel would retaliate for an Iraqi attack if there are Israeli casualties or Saddam Hussein uses non-conventional weapons.

Peres told Israel Radio on Saturday that Israel should simply state it will defend itself, if attacked.

"We don't need to create the impression that we are the ones pushing for this (U.S.) campaign (against Iraq)," Peres said.

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