Petraeus works on plan to pull troops from Iraq

Petraeus works on plan to pull troops from Iraq

WASHINGTON — The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, has given his military superiors and Defense Secretary Robert Gates his initial recommendation on when to resume a U.S. troop withdrawal and at what pace, a senior military officer close to the process said Friday.

The officer, who spoke to The Associated Press only on condition that he not be identified, said Petraeus was still analyzing the situation and had not yet submitted a final set of recommendations.

Petraeus is widely expected to conclude that the outlook in Iraq — politically as well as militarily — has brightened enough in recent months to merit more troop cuts this fall.

Georgia’s diplomats leaving Moscow today

TBILISI, Georgia — Georgia said Friday it will sever diplomatic ties with Moscow to protest the presence of Russian troops on its territory. Russia criticized the move, pinning blame for a breakdown in relations on Tbilisi.

Georgia’s remaining diplomats in Russia will leave Moscow today, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nato Chikovani said.

Lawmakers had voted unanimously late Thursday to break off ties with Russia, branding it an “aggressor country” in their conflict over two Russian-backed separatist regions in Georgia.

Karadzic remains defiant

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic made a defiant stand before a U.N. court preparing to try him on genocide charges, refusing to enter pleas Friday and branding the tribunal a NATO proxy out to “liquidate” him.

Judge Iain Bonomy entered not guilty pleas on Karadzic’s behalf on 11 counts, which also include charges of crimes against humanity, allowing pretrial proceedings to proceed even though he rejects the court’s legitimacy.

Karadzic is charged with genocide and is alleged to be the mastermind behind atrocities, including the slaughter of more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in July 1995 and the deadly siege of Sarajevo, when he was president of the breakaway Bosnian Serb republic.

Retired NYPD detective charged in bank robbery

NEW YORK — A highly respected retired NYPD detective with inoperable liver cancer was charged with bank robbery Friday after authorities identified him as the so-called Bling Bandit, suspected of pulling off nine heists while wearing a flashy watch and ring.

Athelson Kelson, 59, was arraigned Friday in a robbery at a Queens bank July 10. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of the robbery. Judge Elisa Koenderman ordered Kelson be held and undergo a psychiatric evaluation. His next scheduled court appearance is Sept. 12.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Kelson — a former member of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and recipient of a Purple Heart during the Vietnam War — was terminally ill with cancer.

Edwards to talk politics at Hofstra University

RALEIGH, N.C. — In a return to the public stage, John Edwards has confirmed plans to talk politics a month after admitting to an extramarital affair. But his wife won’t be at his side.

A representative for the former Democratic presidential candidate confirmed Friday that he would speak alone at Hofstra University in New York on Sept. 8, school spokesman Stuart Vincent said. It was initially billed as a joint appearance to talk about the 2008 election, but Vincent said Elizabeth Edwards would not attend.

Dennis Goldford, a professor of politics at Drake University, said the rapid return to the stump could make it difficult for Edwards to overcome his former supporters’ anger. Edwards went into seclusion last month after spending the better part of the past six years on the trail — running for president twice, serving on the Democratic presidential ticket in 2004 and pushing to shrink the gap between rich and poor.

Ballot lawsuit dropped

PHOENIX — Supporters of a proposal to ban affirmative action in Arizona said Friday they were abandoning a lawsuit aimed at getting the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The Arizona Civil Rights Initiative campaign had contested the state’s conclusion that it hadn’t collected enough valid signatures, but the campaign issued a statement saying it couldn’t review all the signatures rejected by election officials in time.

Associated Press