Austria

Ashcroft: Saddam’s behavior justified war

Saddam Hussein’s past use of “evil chemistry” and “evil biology” and the threats they posed justified the war in Iraq even if no weapons of mass destruction are ever found, U.S. Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft said Monday.

Ashcroft, in Vienna for talks with top Austrian officials on measures to fight terrorism and drug trafficking and improve air travel security, told reporters that Saddam’s arsenal remained a menace and was sufficient cause to overthrow his regime.

“I believe there is a very clear understanding that Saddam Hussein continued to pose a threat,” Ashcroft said.

Ashcroft made the comments a day after David Kay, the outgoing top U.S. weapons inspector, pressed U.S. intelligence agencies to explain why their research indicated Iraq possessed banned weapons before the invasion.

Florida

Queen Mary 2 completes 1st voyage

The Queen Mary 2, the world’s largest and most expensive passenger ship, completed its maiden trans-Atlantic voyage Monday, arriving at Port Everglades.

Accompanied by a tugboat that shot red and blue water into the air, the Cunard Line Ltd.’s ship pulled into this port next to Fort Lauderdale shortly after 7 a.m. About 2,600 passengers paid anywhere from about $2,800 to $37,499 for the first trip.

The ship sets a number of records for passenger vessels — largest, longest, tallest, widest and most expensive. It’s 1,132 feet long, which is more than twice as long as the Washington Monument.