World briefs 6/26/06

Saddam believes U.S. will beg for his help

AMMAN, Jordan -- Saddam Hussein believes the United States will have to seek his help to quell the bloody insurgency in Iraq and open the way for U.S. forces to withdraw, his chief attorney said Sunday. Khalil al-Dulaimi argued in an interview that the former leader is the key to returning stability to Iraq. "He's their last resort. They're going to knock at his door eventually," the lawyer said. Saddam is "the only person who can stop the resistance against the U.S. troops." There is no indication U.S. officials have considered seeking his help. Al-Dulaimi said Saddam brought up the topic during a meeting Tuesday and indicated he would be willing to help the United States -- "for the sake of saving both peoples -- the Iraqis and Americans." Although he would not say exactly what Saddam might ask in return for helping, al-Dulaimi said it would not necessarily involve being reinstated as president of Iraq -- a nation he ruled brutally and plunged into three devastating wars.

Japan: 'All options' if N. Korea tests missile

SEOUL, South Korea -- Japan to North Korea: You risk sanctions on food and oil sales if you go ahead with the test launch of a long-range missile that could reach the United States. The government in Pyongyang has given no hint whether it will fire a missile, said Jane Coombs, New Zealand's ambassador to the Koreas, who met with top North Korean officials. U.S., Japanese and South Korean officials have said there is cause for grave concern. Pyongyang has said it is willing to talk to the United States about its missile concerns, repeating its long-held desire for direct meetings with the Americans. Washington, however, has refused, insisting it will meet the North only amid six-nation talks aimed at ridding Pyongyang of its nuclear weapons program.

Two U.S. soldiers charged in killing of civilian

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The U.S. military has charged two soldiers in the February killing of a civilian near Ramadi, the military said Sunday. Spec. Nathan B. Lynn was charged with one count of voluntary manslaughter for allegedly shooting an unarmed man Feb. 15, the military said. Lynn and Sgt. Milton Ortiz Jr., both of the 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry (Mechanized) of the Pennsylvania National Guard, were each charged with one count of obstructing justice for allegedly conspiring with another soldier who allegedly put an AK-47 near the body of the man in an attempt to make it look as though he was an insurgent. Both soldiers are being held in Baghdad while awaiting Article 32 hearings to determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a court-martial.

Iran urges patience as it considers incentives

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran said Sunday it was seriously considering incentives to halt its nuclear program and that the United States and other nations should be patient about getting a response. Meanwhile, the oil minister warned again that petroleum-rich Iran could disrupt the world's supply if the standoff led to open conflict. "If the country's interests are attacked, we will use oil as a weapon," state television quoted Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh as saying. That would drive oil prices above $100 a barrel, he said. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters that specialized committees in key state agencies were studying the nuclear incentives offered June 6 by the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany. "The package contains legal, political and economic dimensions. All its dimensions have to be studied," Asefi said. "We recommend to Europeans that accuracy should not be sacrificed for the sake of speed."

-- From wire reports