Iraq Notebook
Attack kills key official, bodyguards

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The official, Mussab Awadi, was deputy chief in the tribal-affairs department of the Interior Ministry.

At least six ranking officials in the interim government have been assassinated this year, in addition to a number of councilmen, a local head of the Iraqi Red Crescent, the dean of law at Mosul University, an oil-company official and dozens of security police.

Fighters opposed to the U.S. presence have declared they consider anyone who works with U.S. interests in Iraq a target, although some of the assassinations apparently have been motivated by individual or tribal grievances.

Philippines president defends withdrawal

MANILA, Philippines — President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday defiantly rejected criticism from the United States of her decision to withdraw Filipino troops from Iraq to save the life of a captive Filipino truck driver.

"The Philippines has no policy that demands sacrifice of human lives," Arroyo said in her annual "state of the nation" address.

"I cannot apologize for being a protector of my people," she said. "Sacrificing Angelo dela Cruz would have been a pointless provocation. It would have put the lives of 1.5 million Filipinos in the Middle East at risk by making them a part of the war.

"Ask yourself this, if Angelo dela Cruz had been sacrificed, what would have changed for the better in Iraq today?"

No plans for Iraq-Israel ties, Allawi says

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Baghdad will not make any moves to normalize relations with Israel before other Arab nations do so as part of a Mideast settlement, interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said yesterday.
 
"Future relations with Israel are determined by two issues: international resolutions and a just and comprehensive peace that has been adopted by Arab leaderships, including the Palestinian leadership. Iraq will not take any unilateral action on a settlement with Israel outside those two frameworks," he said.

In Washington, deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the Bush administration would not comment on the decision. The United States is a strong supporter of both Israel and the interim Iraqi government.

"I think it's up to Iraq and the government of Iraq to determine how best to move forward with its diplomatic relations," Ereli said. "And we'll leave it to them to do that."