White House could release more memos on treatment of detainees

As President Obama approaches day 100 of his administration, some in Washington caution that the torture tug-of-war could be a costly distraction.

Leg restraints await detainees at Guantanamo Bay in this 2006 photo.

Earlier this month, the Obama administration released four Bush-era memos detailing "enhanced interrogations" of suspected al Qaeda members. Now, the White House is reviewing former Vice President Dick Cheney's request to make more memos public.

Two weeks before Obama released any memos, Cheney submitted a request to the National Archives calling for the release of other documents.

He says that what he requested will prove that the Bush interrogation tactics -- which critics have called a torture program -- worked.

"I haven't talked about it, but I know specifically of reports that I read, that I saw, that lay out what we learned through the interrogation process and what the consequences were for the country," Cheney said in an interview with Fox News last week.

The White House is signaling that not only is it considering honoring Cheney's request, it may go even further.

"I think the president, as you know, is a big believer in transparency," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I think one of the things that will have to be examined is whether there are additional memos that have to be released that give a broader picture of what's gone on in enhanced interrogation techniques."

The almost daily revelations are dividing Democrats between those calling for full disclosure and those urging caution.

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"We don't just turn the page without reading it. We want to make sure what the mistakes were so that the Obama administration doesn't make these mistakes," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont. said Sunday.

But Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, warned Sunday against moving to quickly.

"We need to find these things out, and we need to do it in a way that's calm and deliberative and professional, because I think all of this, on the front burner, before the public, does harm our intelligence gathering, it does harm America's position in the world," she said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Across the aisle, Republicans are insisting the Justice Department drop any investigation of Bush administration officials who authorized harsh interrogations.

"I think that would be a stab in the back. I think he has already demoralized the CIA, put them in a CYA mode," Sen. Kit Bond, R-Missouri, said Sunday on Fox News.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the former Republican presidential candidate, said prosecuting those who gave legal advice is wrong.

"I don't think those memos should have been released, but the fundamental point now is whether to prosecute people who gave the president, in my view, legitimate advice, even though it was wrong," he said. "We should not be prosecuting people who gave legal advice. It's wrong to do that to them, and it sets a terrible precedent for the future."

Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, and House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio are calling on the White House to release a list of who was briefed about the interrogation programs.

"Congress and the American people deserve a full and complete set of facts about what information was yielded by CIA's interrogation program, and they deserve to know which of their representatives in Congress were briefed about these techniques and the extent of those briefings," Boehner said in a statement Monday.

"To date, the administration has fallen short in providing this information. ... The American people have been provided an incomplete picture of exactly what intelligence was made available by the interrogation program," he said.

But Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-independent, said the whole debate over the memos is "moot."

"What do we gain, first, by releasing the memos; but, secondly, what do we gain from indicting lawyers for their opinions, if that is a possibility here? ... It will poison the water here in Washington. It will achieve nothing. It will make it harder for President Obama to do some of the big things he wants to do for the country," he said.

Pakistan launches offensive against Taliban

Pakistani security forces and Taliban militants traded fire Sunday in the country's volatile northwestern region, and reports of battle casualties have emerged, the military said.

Pakistani army soldiers on patrol.

This comes as Pakistan's Frontier Corps launched an offensive against suspected militants and their hideouts in Lower Dir, which neighbors the violence-plagued Swat.

The suspected militant hideouts targeted by the military are in Islampura and Lal Qila in Lower Dir. A "heavy exchange of fire" was reported at both Kala Dag and Lal Qila.

There were reports of many Taliban deaths, including an "important local commander." One security force member was killed and four others were wounded, the military said.

Army Col. Attiq Ahmed told CNN about the military operation, and a Taliban spokesman in the area confirmed it.

Taliban spokesman Mullah Mansoor Dadullah said the militants were "resisting the army operation."

The Taliban "know who the people are who raise their voices for the operation," Dadullah said. "We know them, they are on our hit list and we will target them."

Lower Dir is one of the districts included in the recent peace deal between the government and the Taliban.

The peace deal encompasses the Malakand Division, which includes the following areas: Swat, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Buner, Shangla, Chitral and Malakand. Kohistan, which is not in Malakand division, is also covered under the deal.

Thai capital under state of emergency

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced a state of emergency Sunday in the capital city, Bangkok, and surrounding areas in an attempt to contain days of intensifying anti-government protests.

Protesters surround a damaged car inside the interior ministry compound in Bangkok.

Immediately after the prime minister's announcement, dozens of protesters stormed the country's interior ministry and pelted Abhisit's car with rocks, chairs, flags and sticks as he escaped.

Protesters climbed atop two military armored cars after laying down on the road and blocking its path. A police officer was also led away by demonstrators and later beaten, said Sathit Wongnongtoey, an official in the prime minister's office.

The emergency measure will allow officials to arrest and detain protesters without a court order and restrict gatherings, authorities said. Watch more about the attacks »

Also Sunday, police arrested a leader of the "red shirt" movement -- named for the color of their demonstrators' attire. The leader, Arismun Pongruengrong, was charged with inciting people to break the law, police said.

Arismun led demonstrators who forced their way into a hotel Saturday where Asian leaders were to meet.

The action prompted the indefinite postponement of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in the southern coastal city of Pattaya, authorities said.

Thousands of "red shirt" protesters have rallied for days to demand Abhisit's resignation.

The red shirts have given the prime minister repeated deadlines to resign, but those have come and gone.

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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was disappointed by the summit's delay.

"I understand the circumstances that led the Thai government to take this difficult decision. While I had hoped to have exchanges with the leaders of ASEAN and its dialogue partners, I continue to look forward to engaging again with them in the near future," Ban said.

The protesters are loyal to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.

They have said Abhisit's government was not democratically elected and want him to resign and schedule elections.

Abhisit, who has held the position for four months, has rejected calls to step down.

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China: Trade showing signs of recovery

China's exports increased last month, but still were down 17 percent year-on-year, according to figures released by the government Friday.

Exports totaled $90.3 billion in March -- a $25 billion increase from the previous month -- according to China's General Administration of Customs. Imports to China dropped 25 percent year-on-year to $72 billion.

While still less than last year, government officials note total trade has been on the rise in recent months and "shows obvious signs of recovery," according to a statement on a government Web site.

Total trade was $162 billion in March, compared to about $142 billion in January.

China's trade driven economy has been decelerating in recent years, with an annual growth rate of 17.8 percent last year compared to 35.7 percent in 2004, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

U.S. not lined up to defeat al Qaeda, top official warns

The nation's chief counterterrorism official says despite a "seriously diminished" threat to the homeland, the U.S. government is still not properly organized to support the "team" effort needed to defeat al Qaeda.

Pakistani soldiers watch area where al Qaeda operates. A top U.S. official says al Qaeda grows stronger there.

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Mike Leiter, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said the government has made vast improvements since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but budgets, plans, programs and personnel are still set up along individual departments and agencies.

"This is a team sport, but the structures are not organized to support the team," explained Leiter.

Leiter discussed the current state of al Qaeda, and future threats, during a conference Thursday at the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington.

The threat al Qaeda poses to the United States homeland from its safe haven along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has "seriously diminished" over the past year, according to Leiter. But in its base region, the local threat from al Qaeda "is probably as bad as we have ever seen."

The recent attack against a police facility in Lahore, Pakistan, was cited by Leiter as an example of how militant groups in the region have aligned themselves with al Qaeda to try and undermine the stability of the weak Pakistani government. Some of those groups have also launched attacks against U.S. and coalition forces operating out of Afghanistan.

The director reiterated the often-stated concern that Pakistan wasn't doing enough to help the situation.

"There are many times the U.S. government wished the Pakistani government -- intelligence and military services -- had the greater willingness and capability to do some of the things we think need to be done," said Leiter.

Leiter attributed the reduced threat to the U.S. homeland to a series of successful actions taken by the United States.

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Over the past year, the CIA has launched missile strikes from unmanned planes against suspected terrorists operating out of the ungoverned regions of Pakistan.

According the counterterrorism chief, the ability of al Qaeda leadership to train and deploy crews to attack the U.S. has diminished.

"Al Qaeda and its ability to project threats to Western Europe and the U.S. is much lower than it was last year and lower than it has been for some time," he said, but he warned, "lower does not mean the threat is not alive."

Leiter expressed concerned about the resurgence of al Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula in the past six to 12 months. He cited the increasing number of attacks by terrorists in Yemen and the growing influence of al Qaeda and the Islamist group al Shahab in Somalia.

The Mumbai, India, attacks late last year, where a group of terrorists used more conventional means to attack multiple locations, showed a change of tactics and raised the question of how the terrorist threat might manifest itself in the future. Leiter said the focus has been on suicide bombers, but, "Mumbai reminds us that old-school tactics like AK 47s (rifles) can be effective."

Should the United States continue to refer to the efforts against jihadists as the war against terrorism? That's what the Bush administration called it, but many in the Obama administration have been reluctant to do so.

Leiter said there has been an evolution of understanding about terrorism. Immediately after 9/11, he said, it was impossible to think of this in terms other than a war.

The battle against terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan could still be considered a war, but Leiter said the terminology can be counterproductive. He referred to it as a campaign against terror.

Iraq suicide bombing kills five U.S. soldiers

Five U.S. soldiers were killed Friday in a suicide bombing in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the U.S. military said.

A suicide truck bomber breached the outer security barrier of Iraqi National Police headquarters in southern Mosul, and detonated his explosives, killing eight people and wounding 60 others, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said. A U.S. soldier was also among the wounded, the U.S. military said.

The ministry said those killed include five Americans, two Iraqi policemen and an Iraqi soldier. At least two individuals suspected of being involved in the attack were detained, the U.S. military said.

Despite a number of military operations in this volatile city during the past year, Mosul remains one of the most violent places in Iraq. Last year the U.S. military said Mosul was the last urban stronghold of al Qaeda in Iraq.

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Mosul is the provincial capital of Nineveh and is about 260 miles, or 420 kilometers, north of Baghdad.

U.S. and Iraqi military forces plan to pull out of Mosul to allow Iraqi police to control security in the city. But police are not quite ready yet, according to an Iraqi general.

"We need to bring the police to the required level. The deadline is the end of July, and it's not enough time to prepare the police," said Gen. Hassan Karim, commander of Nineveh operations for the Iraqi army. "(That) means we'll need U.S. forces to stay in Mosul.

Thousands mourn Italian quake victims

The youngest hadn't lived half a year. The oldest had lived nearly a hundred.

A rescue worker Friday kisses the coffin of a child killed by this week's earthquake in central Italy.

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The official government list of victims from this week's earthquake in central Italy reached 287 on Friday, as Italians held a mass state funeral to lay the victims to rest.

They included Antonio Loavan Ghiroceanu, who was born December 11. He would have been 6 months old on Saturday.

The oldest-known victim of the quake was Evandro Testa, 96, who was born in 1913.

More than 200 caskets were lined up at the funeral, draped with flowers. At least one small white coffin belonging to a child sat atop a larger coffin, a baby's pastel outfit hanging off the side.

The funeral was being held outside a hangar in Coppito, a town adjacent to the earthquake's epicenter of L'Aquila.

Officials elected to hold the Mass in the open air to avoid the risk of injury from falling debris. Aftershocks continue to shake the region more than four days after the earthquake, and some were even felt during Friday's funeral.

All of the area's cardinals and bishops, along with 100 priests, attended the special funeral Mass. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was also there, greeting and embracing some of the thousands of mourners before the service.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone presided over the Mass as an envoy from Pope Benedict XVI, who plans to visit the region after Easter. Watch Italy bury its dead »

Bertone said the funeral was a "precious moment" to understand the meaning of life and death.

"Everything can stop in a second -- projects, plans -- everything finishes. All that remains is love," he said. Watch more on funeral

Mourners, who were transported to the funeral on buses, dabbed their eyes and noses. Some stared at the ground or held each other. Few appeared focused on anything but remembering the victims.

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"I feel rebirth in the heart, because below that rubble there is a will to rebuild, to start again, to plan and to dream," Bertone said, offering a message of hope.

The towns of L'Aquila and the surrounding region, he said, "will come back stronger, will have more courage and give life to these places with that power and strength and dignity of the soul that distinguishes them."

As well as sending Bertone to deliver his message, the pope sent holy oils to L'Aquila and a chalice with which to take Communion.

Archbishop Giuseppe Molinari of L'Aquila also planned to deliver a message.

The 6.3-magnitude quake Monday morning left about 30,000 people without their homes. Almost 20,000 of them are braving chilly nights in tents while about 11,000 others are staying in hotels, said Agostino Miozzo, a spokesman for the Italian Civil Protection Agency. Watch more on the aftermath

Recovering from such losses and rebuilding the city of L'Aquila will take several years, according to Miozzo. The medieval city is about 120 km (75 miles) northeast of Rome.

Berlusconi has said rebuilding will cost several billion euros.

Aftershocks have heightened anxiety in the area -- including a moderate 5.6 magnitude tremor that struck the area Tuesday.

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"The mood is a little bit afraid," said Marco Volponi of the Civil Protection agency. He was working in a tent camp, housing people whose homes were inhabitable.

In the nearby village of Onna, 40 people -- more than one out of every eight residents in the town of 300 -- were killed in the earthquake. On some streets, every single home was destroyed.

Anna Rita Difilice lost her son, Fabio, 20, to the quake -- the deadliest to strike Italy in decades and the first major quake in the country in seven years.

She said she doesn't know what comes next for her. Her village has become populated with tents, fold-up beds and feeding stations handing out food, water and other supplies for survivors.

But she said she knew one thing: she's not going anywhere.

"My son died here," she said. "There is no way I'm leaving this town -- not ever.

Osteens: Obama doing great job, loves the Lord

Joel Osteen is the senior pastor for the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. It's America's largest congregation. His wife, Victoria Osteen, is the co-pastor there.

Joel and Victoria Osteen appear on "Larry King Live" Tuesday night.

The Osteens, known for their optimistic outlook on life, visited "Larry King Live" Tuesday night for a wide-ranging interview that covered President Obama, same-sex marriage, the recent outbreak of mass shootings, the state of religion in America and more.

The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity:

Larry King: Since you were last on, we have sworn in our first African-American president. What are your impressions [of Barack Obama]?

Joel Osteen: Well, I think he's doing a great job. I'm impressed with his skill, his calmness, his just strength under pressure. These are tough times for him.

King: And you, Victoria?

Victoria Osteen: I've been really impressed. In fact, I've been impressed [with] the first lady. She stepped up, and she's done a remarkable job.

King: Recent polls show 12 percent of Americans still believe Obama is a Muslim, and 35 percent say they don't know his religion, but to most of them it don't matter. Should it matter?

Joel Osteen: Well, it matters to me. It matters to me that I know he loves the Lord, and I think it's important that he has convictions from his faith. So to me, it matters when I'm making my personal decisions.

King: Does it matter to you, Victoria?

Victoria Osteen: It does. It matters to me. ... I believe he is a Christian.

King: The "Hope for Today Bible." This is a new Bible [from you]. How is this different from other Bibles?

Joel Osteen: It's a living translation of the Bible, which is an easy version to read. And then it's got our notes besides certain passages. And it's just to help people maybe to understand the Bible a little bit easier.

King: Do you think that eventually many more states are going to allow same-sex marriage?

Joel Osteen: You know, I don't know where it's all going ... I'd love to see it stay between a male and a female, not knocking anybody else.

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King: Supposing there were more states that had it. What would be the harm?

Victoria Osteen: We really want to see marriage between a man and a woman. There [are] going to be people who get together and have relationships and have what they call their families. But I just think marriage should be sanctified by the church. It should be between a man and a woman.

King: Should a gay couple be allowed to adopt?

Joel Osteen: I think that, again, it's best for a male and a female. I'm not saying that gay people aren't good people. ...

King: Or good parents. Watch Larry King's interview with the Osteens »

Joel Osteen: Yeah, exactly. But again, I like to shoot for God's best, and that is a father and a mother in the home. It doesn't always happen. I know a lot of people raised by single parents. And you know what? We bless them and pray for them as well. But I think God's best is a male and female.

King: In the new issue of Newsweek, the lead story by Jon Meacham is "The Decline and Fall of Christian America." Just off the premise of that headline, do you accept that? That Christian America is in trouble?

Joel Osteen: I'm trying to think where he's coming from. ... I see faith in America at an all-time high.

King: The Newsweek article quotes our Albert Mohler Jr. And he's president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. And he said, "The so-called Judeo-Christian consensus of the last millennium has given way to a post-modern, post-Christian, post-Western cultural crisis which threatens the heart of our very culture."

Joel Osteen: Well, he's a smart man and I respect him. You know, maybe what he's saying is true. ... America is more diverse than it was 50 years ago. And I don't know that that means we as Christians are any less. I would like to think our influence is still there. ... And I'm sure I'm an optimistic by nature.

King: What do you make of these mass shootings?

Joel Osteen: You know, it's really sad. People get deranged. People get confused. ... I believe there are dark forces in our world. There are evil forces that, unfortunately, we can give into. And some of it is just from depression, just that mental illness.

King: Do you pray for them, Victoria? The shooters?

Victoria Osteen: Oh, absolutely. You've got to pray for them. They're obviously tormented. They're deceived and not cherishing life. ... So yeah, we do pray for them.

King: We've had a mass depression in this country, recession. Do you think that might be at the core of some of these things?

Victoria Osteen: I think it is. When you've lost your job and you've just been beaten down and you don't see any future, it's easy to start letting those negative thoughts play. ... You don't have anything to live for. It's never going to get any better. And I think that if you don't watch it, you'll just spiral down and down and down.

And that is why we feel so strongly about just giving people hope. Even at your lowest moment, you never know what God can do. He can turn any situation around. You can be just one night from getting the break you need, getting the job you want.

King: How do you deal with death, having to console people [who are] dying?

Joel Osteen: Well, it's difficult. But Larry, we have the hope of heaven. We believe we'll see our loved ones again. And as hard as it is, we'll just try to encourage people that death is just a separation. ... I lost my dad 10 years ago, and he was my best friend. But it's amazing the peace that God gave me. So I believe that God can give you a strength and a new beginning.

King: Where do you believe he is?

Joel Osteen: I believe he's in heaven.

King: Which is a place. ...

Joel Osteen: I believe it's a real place. ... You've had people on a lot about near death experience, and I've talked to them too, how they've had an accident and all of a sudden, they're up watching themselves. And I believe that our spirit's on the inside.

My belief as a Christian is when we receive Christ as salvation that that gives us a guarantee for heaven.

Michelle Obama wax figure wows adoring fans

First lady Michelle Obama was not in Washington on Tuesday, but one might have thought so from the commotion on F Street.

Crowds lined up around the block to see the new Michelle Obama wax figure at Madam Tussauds in Washington.

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A likeness of the first lady was unveiled at Madame Tussauds, the world-famous wax museum, with all of the fanfare that typically follows Obama in real life. A line stretched down the block outside the museum by noon, while inside, a circus of media and visitors swarmed around the exhibit for its grand opening.

Dressed in a custom-designed red sleeveless dress and black cardigan, the life-size wax figure stands in the museum's replica Oval Office. The figure is beside President Obama's likeness, which was unveiled in February 2008.

"The dress that she's wearing today is inspired by the purple dress that she wore the night that her husband clinched the nomination," said Shameka Lloyd, a museum spokesperson. Watch visitors greet the wax Michelle Obama »

The museum's artists began working on the wax figure in late December, Lloyd said. While Obama did not pose for the artists, they were able to achieve a lifelike representation of the first lady by poring over photographs and video footage of her.

"The hardest thing to capture is the essence," Lloyd said. "Every time you see Michelle Obama walk into a room, she just kind of takes the oxygen out of the room. She's so fashionable, she's a loving mother, loving wife, so we really hope that we capture that essence of a first lady."

A quick crowd survey seemed to suggest the artists were successful, as most museumgoers thought the likeness was dead-on.

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"Exactly like her," said Felecia Bryant of Tampa, Florida. "I do think it captures her essence... she is a people person. She likes to go around talking to everyone. She's not too untouchable. She has a heart for people."

Michelle Obama is one of only three first ladies to be immortalized by the wax museum. Figures of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Hillary Clinton are also on display. The museum decided to make the figure because of the high public interest in Michelle Obama, Lloyd said.

"We had tons of feedback from visitors that told us, OK, you have President Obama. Where is the first lady?" Lloyd said.

Since her husband has taken office, Obama has garnered unprecedented popularity, experiencing a level of interest in her fashion choices usually reserved for supermodels, and even drawing comparisons to royalty.

Many of the onlookers at the museum seemed to appreciate the public's fascination with the first lady.

"She's a great role model for young girls. I have two daughters, and I'm pleased that she's coming across as a strong, powerful woman," said Sandra Motusesky of Robbinsville, New Jersey. Motusesky brought her three children to the exhibit.

Eleven-year-old Madelyn Tuck, however, thought the media frenzy at the museum might not have been a good idea.

"It's only wax. It can melt," she said.

At least 150 killed in Italian earthquake, officials say

Rescuers worked into the early morning hours Tuesday in hopes of finding survivors of a powerful earthquake that ripped through Italy's mountainous Abruzzo region, killing scores of people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

People cue in line to receive aid in L'Aqulia following Monday's earthquake.


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Tearful survivors, many of them clad in pajamas and blankets, watched as bodies were pulled from the rubble in the medieval city of L'Aquila, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) northeast of Rome.
The magnitude 6.3 quake killed at least 150 people, L'Aquila's fire department said late Monday. Italy's Civil Protection agency reported at least 1,500 injured and 50,000 without shelter.
"I can say there's hardly a building which was left without some sign of what has happened in the historical center of L'Aquila," Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said during a visit to the region. "All the public buildings have been affected."
Berlusconi said 4,000 people were working on the rescue effort. Civil defense officials said they are prepared to house up to 30,000 people, but many of those displaced have gone to hotels.
Of the 150 dead, about 100 bodies have been identified, the officials said.
The quake, which struck about 3:30 a.m. local time, is the deadliest to strike Italy in decades and the first major temblor to strike the country in almost seven years.
Joshua Brothers, an American missionary in L'Aquila, said the quake "sounded as if a 747 [jet] was actually coming in to land."
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The quake left stone buildings in heaps, with rubble spilling over parked cars and into alleyways. Frightened residents rushed into the streets, many of them bringing luggage with them, Brothers said. See images of the destruction »
"If you look along the way, there are many palazzi that are cracked, walls have fallen in on some of them," he said. Watch Brothers describe devastation »
L'Aquila's hospital was damaged as well, forcing doctors to evacuate the most seriously hurt. Agostino Miozzo, the director-general of Italy's Civil Protection agency, called it "a disaster on a huge scale." iReport.com: 'The house shook for such a long time'
Berlusconi declared a state of emergency and canceled a trip to Russia to oversee the rescue efforts.
Journalist Delia Gallagher said rescuers were forced to use their hands to dig through ruined buildings in the hunt for survivors.
She described how one woman was pulled alive from the wreckage of a building that had collapsed. Ten hours after the quake hit, rescuers were trying to listen for more survivors.
Gallagher said she saw residents carrying their remaining possessions in battered suitcases as they walked away from ruined areas.
L'Aquila is the capital of the Abruzzo region. With some areas yet to report the extent of the damage, the death toll was expected to rise.
Part of the region is without electricity, and crews were checking for gas leaks. See map showing epicenter »
Three significant aftershocks -- ranging from magnitude 4.3 to 4.8 -- shook the area within six hours of the 6.3 quake. Learn more about how earthquakes are measured »
The 6.3-magnitude earthquake came less than six hours after another quake hit the northern part of the country, the U.S. Geological Survey said. That quake registered 4.6 and happened about 55 kilometers (35 miles) southeast of Bologna.
Italy is close to two major geological fault lines, making it one of the most earthquake-prone countries in Europe.
A 6.5-magnitude quake in southern Italy in 1980 killed nearly 3,000 people. Other quakes in 1908, 1915 and 1930 killed tens of thousands.
In 1997, an earthquake killed 10 people in the Umbria region, left tens of thousands homeless and seriously damaged monuments and artwork, including the town of Assisi's famed Basilica of St. Francis.
Pope Benedict XVI was praying for the "victims, especially the children," killed in Monday's quake, the Vatican said, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

North Korea launches rocket, sparks international criticism

North Korea followed through Sunday on its intention to launch to a long-range rocket, defying a series of warnings from the international community and setting off a firestorm of criticism.

Conservative activists protest the North Korean rocket launch on Sunday in Seoul, South Korea.

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The North Korean government characterized the act as a successful, peaceful launch of a satellite into orbit. U.S. and South Korean officials condemned the launch as a provocative act. American military sources said the launch was a failure, saying that the rocket's payload failed to enter into orbit.

North Korea's news agency, KCNA, said that "scientists and technicians of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] have succeeded in putting satellite Kwangmyongsong-2, an experimental communications satellite, into orbit by means of carrier rocket Unha-2 under the state long-term plan for the development of outer space."

"We are happy, we are happy," said Sin Son Ho, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations. "It was successful."

Officials from the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, and the U.S. Northern Command countered that the rocket's payload cleared Japanese airspace but later fell into the Pacific Ocean.

"Stage one of the missile fell into the Sea of Japan. The remaining stages along with the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean," according to a statement from NORAD and the Northern Command, read by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. See details of the rocket and its path »

"No object entered orbit and no debris fell on Japan," the statement added. "NORAD and [the Northern Command] assesses the launch vehicle as not a threat to North America or Hawaii and took no action in response to this launch."

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• World reacts to launch of rocket
• In Depth: North Korea: Nuclear tension

It is unclear whether the rocket's payload was a satellite. The United States and South Korea had disputed North Korea's claims that the rocket would be used for a peaceful satellite launch. A number of countries expressed concern that the launch could be a missile with a warhead attached.

An emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council concluded Sunday without an official reaction to North Korea's launch.

"Consultations will go on among members to see what is the appropriate position that the council will take," said Claude Heller, the current head of the council's rotating presidency, and Mexico's U.N. ambassador. When the council would reconvene wasn't clear.

President Obama, in what may be the most significant international crisis since the start of his administration, was quick to condemn the launch.

"Now is the time for a strong international response," Obama said in a speech before a huge crowd outside the medieval Prague Castle in the Czech Republic. "And North Korea must know that the path to security and respect will never come through threats and illegal weapons. All nations must come together to build a stronger global regime. That's why we must stand shoulder to shoulder to pressure the North Koreans to change course."

In a statement after the launch, Obama said, "With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint and further isolated itself from the community of nations."

He said, "We will immediately consult with our allies in the region, including Japan and [South Korea] and ... bring this matter before the [Security] Council. I urge North Korea to abide fully by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and to refrain from further provocative actions." World reaction to the rocket launch

The rocket -- launched at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday (10:30 p.m. ET Saturday) -- was a "provocative act in violation" of a Security Council resolution on North Korea's weapons program, State Department spokesman Fred Lash said.

An October 2006 resolution condemned North Korea for missile launches in the summer and a nuclear test that month.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said his country's military was not forced to intercept any missile, which it had pledged to do if necessary.

CNN correspondent Kyung Lah said that Japan is "breathing a sigh of relief."

Japanese ships were moving Sunday to the area they believe rocket parts fell in an effort to retrieve them, government officials said. Watch Japan's reaction to the launch »

Kawamura said his government's position is that even a communications satellite would be in violation of the Security Council resolution, saying Japan "formally denounces" the move.

A representative for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he "regrets that, against strong international appeal, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea [DPRK] went ahead with its planned launch. Given the volatility in the region, as well as a stalemate in interaction among the concerned parties, such a launch is not conducive to efforts to promote dialogue, regional peace and stability."

Chinese and Russian officials had a softer response, calling for restraint and calm. Russian officials also appeared to differ from the U.S. military in terms of their assessment of the launch's success.

"North Korea sent an artificial satellite into an Earth orbit on the morning of April 5. The parameters of the satellite's orbit are being specified now," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said in a statement on the ministry's Web site.

The South Korean president's office condemned the launch, calling it a "serious threat" to world peace, the state-sponsored Yonhap news agency reported.

"We cannot withhold our regrets and disappointment that North Korea has caused such a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the world by firing a long-range rocket when the entire world is joining efforts to overcome the global economic crisis," presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said, according to Yonhap.

Earlier Sunday before the launch, South Korea's national security council called an emergency meeting amid concerns that a North Korean rocket launch was imminent, a presidential representative said.

Retired Lt. Gen. Henry Obering, former director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, said the launch apparently involved a "multistage rocket," with possibly up to three stages, referring to reports that debris fell off Japan. Watch questions concerning the rocket's payload »

"That means it was able to go through the staging event," signaling success in the rocket reaching long-range capability.

Stephen Bosworth, the Obama administration's special envoy to the six-party talks, said last week that it didn't matter if the North Koreans were trying to put a satellite in space or testing a ballistic missile that could threaten Japan or the United States.

"Whether it is a satellite launch or a missile launch, in our judgment makes no difference. It is a provocative act," Bosworth said. Watch analysis of possible motivations for the launch »

U.S. Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement late Saturday.

"It is alarming that North Korea carried out this missile launch in direct defiance of the international community," Berman said. "The test is an unnecessary provocation that raises tensions in the region, and I urge the North Koreans to stop using their missile and WMD programs to threaten their neighbors and the rest of the world."

U.N. fails to reach accord on rocket launch

An emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council concluded Sunday without an official reaction to North Korea ignoring repeated international warnings and launching a long-range rocket, the council president told reporters.

South Koreans watch broadcast reports in Seoul of a North Korean rocket launch.

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"Consultations will go on among members to see what is the appropriate position that the council will take," said Claude Heller, the current head of the council's rotating presidency, and Mexico's U.N. ambassador. When the council would reconvene wasn't clear.

The launch, at about 11:30 a.m. Korean time on Sunday, set off an immediate firestorm of criticism, inflamed tensions in the Far East, and heightened fears over the North Korean regime's potential ability to undermine nuclear non-proliferation efforts.

The North Korean government said the act was a peaceful launch of a satellite, but a U.S. State Department spokesman declared it a "provocative act in violation" of a 2006 Security Council resolution prohibiting North Korea from conducting ballistic missile launches.

"The launch constituted a clear-cut violation" of the resolution, said Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. North Korea's action "merits a clear, strong response" and in the U.S. view, that would come in the form of a council resolution, Rice said. Watch analysis of Sunday's launch »

Japan's U.N. representative, Yukio Takasu, who requested the emergency meeting, agreed, saying the council's response should be clear and unified.

Still, the U.N. ambassador from China -- a council member and ally of North Korea expected to resist a resolution -- said the formal reaction to the reclusive nation should be "cautious and proportionate."

"We are now in a very sensitive moment," the ambassador said. "All countries concerned should show restraint and refrain from taking action that could lead to increased tension."

The North Korean government claimed the launch put a satellite into orbit. American military sources, however, said the launch was a failure, adding that the rocket's payload cleared Japanese airspace but failed to enter into orbit.

The following is a sampling of reaction to the launch from world leaders before the Security Council meeting:

• U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: "The Secretary-General regrets that, against strong international appeal, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea [DPRK] went ahead with its planned launch," said a spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a prepared statement.

"Given the volatility in the region, as well as a stalemate in interaction among the concerned parties, such a launch is not conducive to efforts to promote dialogue, regional peace and stability. The Secretary-General urges DPRK to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, and all countries concerned to focus on ways to build confidence and restore dialogue, including the early resumption of the six-party talks."

• Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura: "We have been urging North Korea to cancel their rocket launch. However, it went ahead with the launch, we regard this as a violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution[s] 1695 and 1718. This is very unfortunate, and ... the Japanese government has demanded an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to be convened and we have denounced North Korea's action." Watch Japanese reaction to reports of at launch »

• Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry: "We hope all countries will remain calm and restraint will resolve this in appropriate way." The government referred to the North Korean rocket launch as one that carried a satellite.

• Russia's foreign minister also called for restraint after the launch, the Russian Interfax news agency reported Sunday, saying that Russian officials would examine whether it violated any U.N. Security Council resolutions.

• South Korea's government condemned the launch, calling it a "serious threat" to world peace, the state-sponsored Yonhap news agency reported.

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"We cannot withhold our regrets and disappointment that North Korea has caused such a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the world by firing a long-range rocket when the entire world is joining efforts to overcome the global economic crisis," Lee Dong-kwan, a presidential spokesman said, according to Yonhap.

Earlier Sunday, before the launch, South Korea's national security council called an emergency meeting amid concerns that a North Korean rocket launch was imminent, a presidential spokesperson told CNN on Sunday.

• U.S. President Barack Obama, in Prague, Czech Republic, for a meeting with European Union leaders, criticized the reported launch.

"With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations," Obama said in a statement after the launch.

"We will immediately consult with our allies in the region, including Japan and [South Korea], and members of the U.N. Security Council to bring this matter before the Council," Obama added. "I urge North Korea to abide fully by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and to refrain from further provocative actions."

• British Foreign Secretary David Miliband: "I strongly condemn North Korea's action in conducting a satellite launch earlier today. Pyongyang [North Korea] continues to pursue a hostile policy towards the rest of the world, it cannot hope to take its rightful place within the international community."

• Joint U.S.-European Council statement released by the White House: "The launch of a missile by North Korea defies U.N. Security Council resolutions and harms peace and stability in northeast Asia.

"We call on North Korea to honor its commitment to abandon all nuclear weapons programs, to abide by recognized norms of international relations, and to work to promote peace and stability in northeast Asia.

"North Korea's development of a ballistic missile capability, regardless of the stated purpose of this launch, is aimed at providing it with the ability to threaten countries near and far with weapons of mass destruction." Watch analysis of what North Korea's motivations may be from the launch »

• The European Union presidency, currently held by the Czech Republic, said in a statement: "The EU strongly condemns the 'experimental communications satellite' launch performed on 5 April 2009 by the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in breach of the UNSC Resolution 1718.

"These actions place additional strains on regional stability at a time when the unresolved nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula requires mutual confidence building. Such actions are also a matter of more general concern due to their global proliferation implications."

"The EU urges the DPRK to comply with the UNSC Resolution 1718 and immediately to suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme, and abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."

North Korea's news agency, Korean Central News Agency, reported Sunday that the launch was applauded by political parties and organizations in various countries -- despite criticism by the U.S. and other nations

A secretariat of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union blasted the United States on Tuesday for its "outrageous interference in the internal affairs" of North Korea, the agency reported. Trade organizations in the Czech Republic also hailed the projected launch, KCNA said.

Romania's targets at the NATO summit: maintaining commitments for Ukraine and Georgia, neutrality regarding Kosovo

NATO must uphold the commitments it made to Georgia and Ukraine during the summit in Bucharest, with the clear mention that the two states must "prove conscientiousness in reform" and fulfill the accession criteria,, said president Traian Basescu, who will participate in the 60th NATO summit on Friday.

In the Western Balkans area, Romania wishes to maintain its neutrality towards Kosovo: "We don't wish for a political commitment, only for a military one, when it comes to Kosovo", said Basescu.

Romania's main objectives:

- The final statement of the summit must include a message of opening towards Serbia's accession to the NATO structures;

- The statement must mention the Black Sea area as a region of interest and a strategic security element within NATO's security policy;

- Maintaining the commitments the Alliance made on full coverage of the NATO territory by the anti-missile shield;

- Maintaining the commitment to protect the energy infrastructure;

- Romania supports the re-launching to the NATO - Russia cooperation;

- The final document must encourage Montenegro and Bosnia in their intention to join NATO.