Israeli and Palestinian leaders react to suicide attacks

Israel continued retaliatory measures against terrorist attacks over the weekend that left 25 dead, confirming yesterday that they had sent rockets to attack the headquarters of Palestinian interior affairs. The offices were only yards from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's office, although Israeli army spokespersons deny that Arafat is a target. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in a national address Monday that "the Palestinian Authority and Arafat are directly responsible for [this] serious situation … the person directly responsible for the deaths in Israel and the plight of the Palestinians is Arafat. We will act accordingly." Arafat said that he was in the process of rounding up suspected terrorists, but that Israel's bombing of Palestinian security offices has only undermined his ability to do anything. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has called on Arafat to "use all of his influence, all of his authority, all of his prestige to bring these terrorist elements under control," according to CNN. At the same time, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II condemned "all acts of violence and mutual retaliation that aim to blow up peace process efforts."

Washington, D.C.

Ridge warns of heightened security risk during holidays

A "convergence of information" received over the past several days led to a government warning Monday of the possibility of another terrorist attack, according to Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge. The issuance of the third such warning since the Sept. 11 attacks has led to the tightening of already tight security around the nation after U.S. intelligence sources suspected threats from members of the al Qaeda network against U.S. targets. Ridge said the warning was not related to an article in The Washington Post that U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda have made strides toward a "dirty bomb" which coats an explosive with radioactive material for the desired purpose of instilling fear more than causing massive death. Ridge said that intelligence information, coupled with the convergence of the religious observances of Ramadan, Hanukkah and Christmas, spurred the government to issue the alert. There is also fear that, as al Qaeda and the Taliban get further backed into a corner by Allied troops in Afghanistan, "last-ditch" attacks may occur, according to the Associated Press.

New York

EPA orders General Electric Co. to dredge Hudson River

General Electric Co. (GE) dumped 1.3 million pounds of PCBs into New York's Hudson River before the substance was banned by the federal government in 1977. The company has been ordered by the EPA to dredge the river. The cleanup is expected to cost the company $500 million and be one of the largest dredging operations in history, according to the Associated Press. The decision caps a quarter-century of false starts and conflicting studies over what to do with the PCBs that are buried in the river bottom. PCBs, used as insulation and a coolant, have been linked to cancer in laboratory animals. The EPA classifies the oily substance as a probable carcinogen and says PCBs pose risks to wildlife and to people who eat fish from the Hudson. The EPA said it transmitted its decision to state officials, who now have 15 business days to review it before it is released officially. If GE refuses to go along with the cleanup, the EPA can start the work on its own and charge the company up to triple the cost. The first step is to work out engineering details of the plan to dredge 2.65 million cubic yards of sediment, enough to fill about 40 football fields 30 feet deep.