October 3, 2003

=October 3, 2003=

* Near-Earth asteroid: Confirmation on the closest near-miss of a natural object ever recorded. The asteroid (designated 2003 SQ222), about the size of a small house, flew past Earth at a distance of around 88,000 kilometres. It would have made a fireball had it entered the atmosphere. [http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994228]
* Iraq and weapons of mass destruction: The world continues to digest David Kay's report that finds very little evidence of WMD in Iraq, although the regime did intend to develop more weapons with additional capabilities. Such plans and programs appear to have been dormant, the existence of these were also concealed from the United Nations during the inspections that began in 2002. Weapons inspectors in Iraq do find clandestine "network of biological laboratories" and a deadly strain of botulinum. The US-sponsored search for WMD has so far cost $300 million and is projected to cost around $600 million more. [http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20031003-104756-7758r.htm] [http://www.etaiwannews.com/World/2003/10/05/1065322964.htm]
* California recall: Arnold Schwarzenegger denies admiring Hitler. Arnold Schwarzenegger's denial comes days before the vote for the next governor of California. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3160706.stm]
* Politics: General Wesley Clark has made a bold political move and arguably a risky one by suggesting that members of the Bush administration may be liable to criminal charges in connection with the Iraq war. Mr. Clark alleges that the plans for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and other interventions in the Middle East (possibly including Lebanon and Syria), pre-dated the inauguration of the President and that the reasons for the war were misleadingly presented to the US people.
*Evo Morales has said that Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, president of Bolivia, may be preparing a coup. [http://www.lapatriaenlinea.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1246] (in Spanish)
* Missiles: Polish soldiers of the United States-led Coalition have discovered four advanced missiles around central Iraq in the Hilla region near a highway. The Roland-type French-made missiles (which are fired from a mobile launcher vehicle against low flying aircraft) are believed to have been manufactured earlier this year. Arms exports to Iraq had been barred by the United Nations after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. France says it last shipped Roland missiles to Iraq in 1986. The Polish soldiers are later found to have misinterpreted markings that read 07-01-KND 2003 as a date on the missiles. [http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/index.cfm?id=1099272003] [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/middleeast/view/50640/1/.html] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3558401]