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WASHINGTON (AP) — As the U.S. prepares to send up to 300 special operations forces into Iraq, the Pentagon says it wants a written agreement with the Iraqi government to make sure those forces will have appropriate legal protections. Iraq's refusal to sign that type of agreement led to the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country in 2011 after eight years of war. The Pentagon wants assurances that the Americans would be subject to the U.S. military justice system if needed, and not the Iraq judicial system.
MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin is dismissing the peace plan being put forward today by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. He ordered his forces to cease fire and to stop military operations for a week against pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine. The week-long cease-fire is just a first step -- and the Ukrainian leader wants it to be followed by joint security patrols, and new local and parliamentary elections. Russia says the plan looks like an ultimatum -- and that it contains no offer of talks with the insurgents.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is entering the debate over legalizing recreational drugs. Speaking to delegates attending a Rome drug enforcement conference, Francis said the move toward legalization is a flawed and failed experiment. He said, "The problem of drug use is not solved with drugs." The movement to legalize marijuana has been gaining ground in recent years, particularly in the U.S. and South America.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Texas Gov. Rick Perry says it was a mistake for him to compare alcoholism and homosexuality. Perry told a forum hosted by The Christian Science Monitor that he "stepped right in it" after being asked during a trip to California last week if homosexuality is a disorder. Perry said at the time that if he had the "genetic coding" to be an alcoholic, he still has the choice not to drink. And he told the Commonwealth Club of California that he looks "at the homosexual issue as the same way." Perry now says tolerance should be extended to all groups.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan has been moved from a hospital to a rehabilitation facility in New Jersey. He's recovering from injuries including a broken leg and broken ribs that he received in a serious auto accident two weeks ago. A spokesman says Morgan has a long road to full recovery, but he's showing signs of improvement. Yesterday, a report by federal transportation safety investigators said the driver of the truck that hit Morgan's limo was speeding before the crash.
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