Troops call in bomber to thwart Afghan attack

KABUL, Afghanistan -- A mammoth B-52 bomber was called into combat for the first time in five months Sunday to protect U.S. special forces battling armed Afghans outside an American base.

No U.S. soldiers were injured during the shootout in western Afghanistan, but at least 11 Afghans were killed in factional fighting, U.S. and local officials said.

The battle began when a group of U.S. special forces patrolling outside Shindand air base stopped a group of armed Afghans on the roadside, U.S. military spokesman Col. Roger King said.

When the patrol stopped, the Afghans opened fire, King said.

The Americans returned fire, then called for air support while making their escape, King said. The B-52 bomber dropped seven 2,000-pound laser-guided bombs.

Sunday's incident occurred as forces loyal to Ammanullah Khan, an ethnic Pashtun commander, and rival Ismail Khan clashed in the region. The fighting has forced thousands of residents to flee from at least 500 homes near the front line.

Kissinger, Mitchell vow to avoid client conflicts

WASHINGTON -- Former secretary of state Henry Kissinger and former Senate majority leader George Mitchell, who will head the new commission to look into the Sept. 11 attacks, said Sunday they would sever relations with any clients that are involved in their investigation.

They also said they would conduct an aggressive, wide-ranging inquiry over the next 18 months. While adding that it was "premature" before the other eight commissioners are named to say whether or not President Bush, former President Clinton or even foreign leaders or foreign intelligence agencies would be called for questioning, Kissinger did not rule it out.

"We will follow the facts where they lead," Kissinger said on CNN's Late Edition. "When there is felt to be the need that there's information that only the president might have, that's when that question will arise and that's when we will pursue the facts with the leaders," he said.

The possibility that conflicts of interest could arise between Kissinger's clients of his New York-based consulting firm and the targets of the 9/11 investigation was raised Sunday by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., appearing on NBC's Meet the Press.

"If there are any clients that are involved in the investigations, I will certainly sever my relations with them. But I cannot conceive that there will be any," Kissinger said on Fox News Sunday.

Mitchell, an attorney associated with a Washington law firm, said none of his clients or those of his firm cause a conflict, but if it turned out that they did, he would sever the relationship.

Australia ready to attack terrorists in other nations

SYDNEY, Australia -- Prime Minister John Howard said Sunday he was prepared to act against terrorists in neighboring Asian countries. He also said the U.N. charter should be changed to allow nations to strike pre-emptively against terrorists planning to attack them.

His comments were opposed by governments across Asia.

Australia has one of the most powerful militaries in its region -- with a modern air force and experienced special forces.

Howard's comments come as his nation observes how Southeast Asian countries deal with Islamic militants in the wake of the Oct. 12 bombings on Indonesia's resort island of Bali. The attack left nearly 200 people dead -- almost half of them Australian tourists.

The al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah has been blamed.

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