RI police identify

RI police identify 2 suicide bombers (2x15)

Police identify two suicide bombers in last month's attacks on Bali island

Police said on Wednesday they had identified two of three suicide bombers killed in last month's attacks on crowded restaurants on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. The pair were identified by their initials MN and MS, said police spokesman Aryanto Budihardjo. Both come from Java island, which neighbors Bali, he said. Aryanto gave no more information on the pair, saying the police chief would hold a news conference on Thursday. Police have released pictures of the heads of three bombers, which were recovered from the scene of the Oct. 1 attacks that killed 20 people, not including the bombers. They have so far announced few leads in their investigation into the attacks, which were blamed on the al-Qaeda linked terrorist group Jamaah Islamiyah. -- AP

Blair cites foiled terror plots (2x15)

Blair cites foiled plots in appeal on anti-terror laws

Prime Minister Tony Blair said two plots had been foiled since the July 7 bombings in London as he tried to win over opponents to his antiterrorism laws ahead of a high-stakes vote on Wednesday. The government meanwhile summoned home early two senior Cabinet ministers from overseas to bolster its chances of winning the vote amid opposition to the proposals from both inside and outside the ruling Labour Party. A rejection of the measures -- including one that extends the period for which suspects can be held without charge from the current 14 days to 90 days -- would be Blair's first legislative defeat since coming to power in 1997. The legislation also calls for a ban on those who glorify terrorism, sell extremist books, receive or provide terrorist training, or prepare to commit attacks. -- AFP

Assad speech chance to avert showdown (2x15)

Assad speech may be last chance to avert showdown (2x15)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will make an address to the nation on Thursday that may be his last chance to avert a showdown with the United Nations over the killing of Lebanon's former prime minister. Members of the ruling Baath Party said Assad would call for progress on domestic political reforms and declare his desire to work with a UN probe into the killing of Rafik al-Hariri, in which the UN has implicated Syrian officials. But Baath sources said they did not expect Assad to respond explicitly to a demand by chief UN investigator Detlev Mehlis to be allowed to question six Syrian officials in Lebanon over the Feb. 14 assassination. -- Reuters