Virginia: Suspect wants trial televised
Zacarias Moussaoui, the man charged as an accomplice in the Sept. 11 attacks, asked a judge Friday to allow his trial to be televised to make sure the proceedings are fair.
The government opposed the idea, saying that broadcasting the trial might lead to terrorist retaliation against witnesses.
Moussaoui's request backed a motion by Court TV to televise the trial. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema has scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday on whether to depart from rules banning cameras in federal courtrooms.
Washington: Hustler publisher demanding access to military missions
A lawyer for Hustler publisher Larry Flynt asked a federal judge Friday to order the Pentagon to let the magazine's reporters accompany American troops on combat missions in Afghanistan.
"The press has always been able to accompany troops into battle," Flynt said after the hearing before U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman. "If I win, everyone wins."
Flynt first asked Oct. 30 for access to U.S. military ground operations in Afghanistan, and repeated his request Nov. 12. He filed his lawsuit Nov. 16.
The lawsuit asks the court to establish that the Constitution's guarantee of a free press means reporters have a right to document hostilities firsthand, albeit subject to rules that might limit the number of reporters allowed or censor some of what they write. The case is Flynt v. Rumsfeld.
Washington: U.S. suspends funding to Iraqi opposition group
Despite the growing drumbeat to expand the war on terrorism to Iraq, U.S. officials this week suspended key funding to the leading Iraqi group opposing President Saddam Hussein because it has failed to account for tens of millions of dollars in U.S. aid.
The Iraqi National Congress, based in London, was formally notified Thursday that a new audit of the group had revealed serious "financial management and internal control weaknesses" in its handling of the U.S. funds, according to the State Department.
Concerns about the Iraqi National Congress' use of U.S. aid underscore the difficulty the Bush administration faces as it debates what to do about Hussein's regime.
Pakistan: Security agencies arrest dozens of Islamic militants
In an attempt to defuse tensions with India, Pakistani security agents have detained more than 130 Islamic militants, including leaders of two groups India blames for a suicide attack on its Parliament.
The arrests announced Friday are the most serious effort by Pakistan's military government to curb Islamic militant groups, which India accuses of waging a guerrilla war in Kashmir.
Key leaders of the main militant groups, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, were among those detained, but no names were immediately made public.
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