World in brief

Bomb suspect talked of plot to attack U.S.

PARIS - A suspected ringleader of the March 11 Madrid train bombings who was arrested Tuesday took credit for orchestrating the attacks and boasted that plans were afoot for an attack on American interests, according to intercepts of his conversations monitored by Italy's antiterrorism unit.

The conversations were recorded from telephone wiretaps and from electronic bugs in the residence outside Milan of Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed, a 32-year-old Egyptian.

In a May 26 conversation with Yahia Payumi, a 21-year-old Egyptian who was arrested with him, Ahmed boasted that plans were under way for some sort of chemical attack against American interests. After lamenting the fact that a female operative involved in the project named "Hotaf" had been "discovered," he added, "There are other women."

Among them is one who has been "prepared with many medicinal products," he said. "If they toss a stick, they destroy an entire American neighborhood." One named "Amal," he said, is "ready."

WASHINGTON - Interim Haitian Prime Minister Gerard Latortue and several members of Congress are pressing Bush administration officials to leave at least some American soldiers behind after their scheduled withdrawal at the end of this month.

"Even if we have 100 it is better than nothing," Latortue said, after a meeting Thursday with Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla.

The hope is that a small American force could stay in Haiti to protect the U.S. Embassy and American workers in the country. The force would not be under the command of the Brazilian-led U.N. mission that is taking over security. But Latortue and others believe that American troops serve as a stabilizing influence.

"This is the only force in the world they will respect," Latortue said.

CUBAN REFUGEES: A group of 22 Cubans who arrived in Honduras by boat asked the Central American country for political asylum on Thursday. The group left Cuba in two boats on May 24, but lost both motors. A fishing boat found them, and they arrived at the Honduran coast Saturday. They are held in the coastal town of La Ceiba.

World and national headlines

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact the Times | Privacy Policy Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright