Washington, D.C.

Congressional staffers plan landmark trip to Tehran

A delegation of congressional aides will visit Iran next month with tacit Bush administration approval — testing whether there can be a warming of the icy relationship between the two longtime antagonists.

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said the trip was arranged in a Wednesday meeting with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations and could lead to follow-up visits to Tehran by members of Congress and then by Bush administration officials.

Apparently, the visit would be the first by congressional staffers to Iran since the 1979 revolution in which the shah of Iran was overthrown and the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was overrun by religious extremists. U.S. officials from the embassy were held hostage for 444 days.

Washington, D.C.

Officials: European airliners again target of threats

New intelligence indicates that British Airways flights to Washington and Air France flights to Los Angeles could be terrorist targets, U.S. officials said Friday.

The flights are the same as those that drew increased attention when the nation’s terror alert was raised to orange, or high, just before Christmas. Two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity stressed there is no specific information about what might be planned, only that those flights are possible targets.

There are no plans to raise the terror alert because of the latest threats, Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said.

Jerusalem

Israel raids Bethlehem

Israeli forces briefly raided the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Friday and blew up the home of a Palestinian suicide bomber, an uncharacteristically restrained response to a Jerusalem bus bombing that killed 10 Israelis and wounded more than 50.

Israeli officials said they were tempering their reaction because any retaliation that worsens the plight of Palestinians “is not effective.” The restraint also appeared to be an effort by Israel not to anger U.S. officials or invite international criticism ahead of a court case on its West Bank security barrier.

Hamas declared Friday that it sent the bomber, a Palestinian policeman from the Aida refugee camp on the outskirts of Bethlehem. If true, it could mark a new round of attacks by the Islamic militant group, which had not carried out a bombing in Israel in nearly six months amid discussions of a possible Palestinian cease-fire with Israel.

Washington, D.C.

Homeland Security seeks higher immigration fees

Because of higher security and administrative costs, Homeland Security officials want to raise the fees that immigrants pay to become legal residents or U.S. citizens or get other benefits.

The department’s Citizenship and Immigration Services bureau proposed the increase in documents filed for publication in the Federal Register. The documents were on display Friday at the Federal Register office.

The fees would increase by $50 to $65, depending on the type of benefit requested.