JIM LEHRER: The U.S. military today announced another
investigation of charges American troops killed innocent civilians in Iraq. Five
U.S. Army soldiers allegedly raped a young Iraqi woman in a town south of
Baghdad last March.
Officials said they then killed the woman and three
relatives. The Associated Press reported the soldiers were from the same
platoon as the two Americans kidnapped and beheaded this month.
Four more Americans were killed in Iraq over the last 48
hours. For the month of June, the total was 61 U.S. dead. Since the war began,
more than 2,500 Americans have been killed.
In another development, radical Shiite cleric Muqtada
al-Sadr insisted on a timetable for U.S. forces to leave. He rejected a reconciliation
plan because it lacks any deadline.
Osama bin Laden was heard from again today. In a new audio
message, he praised Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The al-Qaida leader in Iraq was
killed in a U.S. air strike three weeks ago. Bin Laden also said the fight will
continue in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere until U.S. forces are exhausted and
go home.
The standoff in Gaza showed no signs of easing today. Israel
kept up military pressure, demanding Hamas militants return a captured soldier.
We have a report from Julian Manyon of Independent Television News.
JULIAN MANYON, ITV News Correspondent: In a city already
blacked out by Israeli air strikes on the power grid, an air force missile hit
the interior ministry. It started fires in offices that Israel claims were used
for planning terror attacks.
More air strikes cratered main roads and destroyed a Hamas
cultural center. A militant from Islamic Jihad was killed by an Israeli bomb.
It had been rumored that the Hamas prime minister had gone
into hiding, but Ismail Haniyeh attended Friday prayers in spite of Israeli
threats. Haniyeh accused Israel of using the captured soldier as an excuse to
wage total war against the Palestinians. He made no mention of reports that
Hamas might agree to a conditional release and said there would be no
concessions.
Large sections of Gaza are now without running water or
power. People already in squalid conditions are living in a state of siege.
JIM LEHRER: Yesterday, the Israelis rounded up eight Hamas
officials in the Palestinian cabinet. And today, the Palestinian prime minister
indicated he would not ask militants to trade the Israeli soldier for the
ministers.
Mexico made ready today for Sunday's hotly-contested
presidential election. Polls showed a tight race between the conservative
ruling party's candidate and a leftist challenger. The winner will succeed
President Vicente Fox who is barred from seeking re-election.
We'll have Ray Suarez's on-the-ground preview right after
this news summary.
The story of the U.S. government's collecting phone records
took a new turn today. USA Today reported phone companies did not cooperate as
much with the National Security Agency as first believed.
The newspaper said the bulk of its original story last May
holds up, but the editors acknowledged they cannot confirm that BellSouth or
Verizon contracted with the NSA to hand over records.
Last night, the U.S. House condemned news organizations for
reporting a secret program to track terror financing. It was a mostly
party-line vote. Republicans singled out the New York Times for criticism,
while Democrats protested the issue was turned into a political football.
REP. PETE HOEKSTRA (R-MI), Chair, Intelligence Committee: I
would like the New York Times to do an expose of their program and their review
process that led them to this decision to publish this program.
I'd also like to see the expose of the process that they
went through and the deliberative process and the information that they shared
when they made the decision to go public with the terrorist surveillance
program.
I think it would be enlightening to the American people to
understand their process as they make these very, very critical decisions that
have an impact on our national security.
REP. STENY HOYER (D-MD), House Minority Whip: Neither the
New York Times, nor the Los Angeles Times, nor the Wall Street Journal raises
their hands and swears to defend the Constitution and protect the laws of the
United States of America. We do that, and we have processes to determine how
best to do that.
And we are at war, and we ought to be united. And I lament
the fact that the Republican leadership continually presents resolution
designed to divide rather than to bring us together.
JIM LEHRER: Later, the New York Times issued a statement
again defending its reporting. It said the Bush administration did not make a
convincing case to keep the banking data program secret.
The House also voted last night to lift a ban on oil and gas
drilling in most coastal waters. It's been in effect for 25 years.
Supporters said ending the ban would reduce dependence on foreign
energy. Some senators from coastal states have threatened to filibuster the
measure when it gets to the Senate. They fear oil spills could ruin tourism and
recreation.
Floodwaters began to recede today across parts of the
Northeast, but the swollen Delaware River continued to threaten towns in New
Jersey and Pennsylvania.
About 6,000 evacuees from Northern New Jersey were told to
wait at least another day before heading home. The floods are blamed for at
least 16 deaths; overall damages could go well over $100 million.
NASA moved ahead today with plans to launch the Shuttle
Discovery tomorrow. It will be the first mission in nearly a year and just the
second since Columbia was destroyed in 2003.
Administrator Michael Griffin acknowledged today two top
managers still have concerns about chunks of insulating foam breaking off a
fuel tank.
MIKE GRIFFIN, NASA Administrator: Flying the shuttle is not
without risk for many reasons way beyond foam, and, in fact, I worry that we
spend so much time worrying about foam that we won't worry about other things
which could get us.
We've tried to address them all. Foam is a concern, but I
very strongly feel that we are not risking crew for foam in this case or I
wouldn't feel comfortable launching.
JIM LEHRER: A chance of thunderstorms at Cape Canaveral,
Florida, could delay tomorrow's launch.
Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik
pleaded guilty today to ethics violations. He drew national attention during
9/11, and later he was nominated to be U.S. secretary of homeland security. He
withdrew over legal issues involving a nanny.
Today, Kerik pleaded to misdemeanors for accepting thousands
of dollars in gifts in an earlier city job. He'll pay $220,000 in fines.
Three top European contenders were pulled today from the
Tour de France in a doping scandal. It came a day before the world's best-known
cycling race begins. American Lance Armstrong is not competing this year, after
winning the title seven years in a row. He has repeatedly denied doping
allegations.
On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost
40 points to close at 11,150. The Nasdaq fell two points to close at 2,172. For
the week, the Dow gained about 1.5 percent; the Nasdaq gained more than 2
percent.
