$207 million drugs raid

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The money found hidden inside walls, suitcases and closets in one of Mexico City’s wealthiest neighborhoods came from the profits of methamphetamines sold in the United States, [DEA chief Karen Tandy] said.

Mexican law enforcement and the DEA worked for a year on the operation, she said.

Mexican federal agents also seized eight luxury vehicles, seven weapons and a pill-making machine during the raid in Lomas de Chapultepec, a neighborhood of walled compounds that is home to ambassadors and business magnates. Seven people were arrested and were ordered Monday to be held for three months while the investigation continues.

In addition to the dollars, officials found 200,000 euros and 157,500 pesos.

Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora said the money was connected to one of the hemisphere’s largest networks for trafficking pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient in methamphetamines.

Mora said the ring had been operating since 2004 and was run by a native of China who had gained Mexican citizenship. The alleged gang leader is in hiding, possibly outside of the country, Medina Mora said.

The operation should reduce the supply of methamphetamine to the United States, where Mexican drug gangs control at least 80 percent of the market, Tandy said.

Happy holi - its significance

Held in early spring at the time of full moon of Phalgun which falls in February or March, this festival for the rural northern India marks the end of one agricultural cycle and the beginning of another.

Celebrated over two days, it is initiated by kindling a bonfire and offering prayers for greater fertility in the coming harvests. Fertility is equated with prosperity and plenty.

These concepts which signify weather are not merely measured in the rural areas in terms of land and cattle but, more important, in terms of the number of progenies or sons. Without sons, the first two acquisitions are considered to be insufficient and incomplete.

The continued importance of fertility in the rural areas cannot be underestimated. For example, in a region like Haryana with its historical past of subsistence and below-subsistence-level economy, chronic and periodic famines, low population growth and even lower female population figures, the insistence on retaining and utilising the productive and reproductive potential of women has an irrefutable logic.

It is this accent on fertility which not only explains the prevalence of the custom of widow remarriage in this region, but also the continued existence and popularity of such a ritual as the basis of the Holi festival.

In the local version of the Holi legend in Haryana and western U.P. it is the cremation of the she demon Holika which is celebrated first.

Holika wanted to help her brother, King Hiranyaka, whose spiritual authority was challenged by his son Prahlad, a devotee of Lord Vishnu. King Hiranyaka can be readily recognised here as Hiranya Kashyapa of the Vishnu Puran.

Hiranyaka, enraged at what he considered the apostasy of his son, sought the assistance of his sister Holika to destroy him. Holika sat on a burning pyre with Prahlad in her lap as she had been made immune to fire through a boon. However, it was she who was consumed by fire and Prahlad came out unscathed.

The fire is now supposed to be kindled in commemoration of this triumph of good over evil. Another legend identifies Holi with the she demon Putana who attempted to destroy Krishna by suckling him with her poisoned nipple.

It is on the second day called Dulhendi that symbolically sexually riotous social behaviour involving both men and women is witnessed.

A significant fact of this day is that its celebration in rural areas is only open to married women; among married women also it is only the bahus (daughter-in-laws) and not the betis (daughters) of the village.

This taboo on betis, married or unmarried, emanates from the fact that under the still persisting stronghold of village exogamy, betis are not allowed to marry within the village.

Within the village all menfolk stand either as brothers or occupy some such similar category of relationship with whom sexual relations of village girls cannot be sanctified. The betis are, therefore, forbidden to transgress this sexual taboo even in a symbolic way which the playing of Holi would entail.

Consequently, they only help the revellers by providing them with water drawn up from wells etc, or play with womenfolk and children of the family.

The sexual considerations behind this exclusion has found reflection in a number of folk songs sung on the occasion of Holi which explicitly describe the sexual deprivation (or by reversal, sexual satisfaction) of a woman who has had the misfortune of staying in her natal village during this festival.

This non-admission of betis in the Holi celebrations underlines the distinct sexual/fertility basis of this cult practised by the peasant communities.

Commenting upon the sexual aspect of the Holi festival in northern India, William Crooke, a British civil servant, had written in the 19th century: "Finally comes the indecency which is a distinct element in the observance (of Holi). There seems to be reason to believe that... promiscuous intercourse was regarded as a necessary part of the rite."

McKim Marriott, describing the celebration of Holi in the presentday Uttar Pradesh, similarly observes it as giving explicit dramatisation to specific sexual relationships that otherwise would not be expressed at all.

In Haryana also where even widows are accepted as full participants in the public celebration of fun and revellery at Holi, the sexual aspect has significance. It clearly suggests that symbolically a widow's sexuality or potential fertility is acknowledged in view of her likely remarriage.

Indeed, sexual relationship as the basis of fertility gets emphasised as a rare open mixing of both sexes on the occasion of this festival can be witnessed. Both in the rural areas of Haryana and western Uttar pradesh, Holi is marked by mock fights between men and women characterised by rude horseplay, ribald singing and throwing of coloured powders, water and even dung.

These widely sanctioned social practices show Holi to be a derivation of ritual from fertility cult with a subconscious intuitive acceptance of its meaning. However, it is here that another important aspect of this ritual being played out gets highlighted.

In a reversal of roles, women with their veils drawn over their faces beat up men with lathis (long heavy bamboos) or with kore (a lash or whip used for flogging made up of cloth filled with stones) and hurl abuses and obscenities at them. It is for this reason in wester U.P. this festival has come to be called lathmar Holi.

Men on their part incited women with snatches of ribald rhymes or by using double entenders or by mouthing explicit sexual invitations.

Even if hurt, which they frequently are, men bear it up good-humouredly.

Marked by earthiness, pretence and laughter, Holi celebration can be seen to reverse the given social norms and difference of power equations conventionally prevailing in a man-woman relationship.

The sexual segregation, which in Haryana for example operates not in terms of performing agricultural field work but in interpersonal communication as well as well-defined public and private spaces, in observance of the veil and in deferrential behaviour, stands completely broken on this day.

Holi comes as a welcome breather to all restrictions on speech, mobility, physical contact, unending drudgery and monotony of rural life which offers few outlets of recreation to women.

It offers a brief and temporary freedom from social restraints in a tightly knit society which, under a Capitalist-consumerist thrust is increasingly getting violent and more repressive to its women.

This ritual reversal of power equation erases division of sex, age, status and class, though no longer necessarily that of caste. The rural populace of Haryana feels that Holi celebrations are getting more and more confined to the level of individual caste groups and within those castes to the level of kunba (family).

At times friendly inter-caste groups also celebrate together but differences between higher and lower caste groups are now becoming increasingly visible. The villagers, however, do remember nostalgically the inter-caste Holi playing in not too distant a past when the village population was limited.

Yet even now the lower-caste women playing Holi with higher-caste men is never taken amiss nor avoided nor so uncommon. Its reverse, however, is uncommon and greatly frowned upon.

Certain other reservations about the Holi celebrations which seek to affect a change in its observance are also increasingly visible.

Born out of the explicit sexual nature of the Holi celebrations, these moves have sought to curtail what has been described as "obscene", "crude" and "vulgar" aspects of this festival. These include not only aspects of beating and abuse of men but also sexually explicit songs and dances intimately associated with Holi.

The most concerted attack in Haryana has come from the reformers. Even under colonialism, the Arya Samaj, which had considered this festival "vulgar to an extreme", had sought to "purify" it as they had found it impossible to abolish it.

These attempts at replacing traditional songs and 'cleansing' of Holi met with no success. The attempts continue still. The ranks of the reformers have been joined by certain sections of ruralites concerned with their self image in the process of upward mobility and social acceptability. So far success has eluded them and the opposition remains limited, confined to certain sections alone.

Women, on the other hand, continued to consider Holi as the most enjoyable of festivals, with full social licence to act, speak and move after a year of repression. This one-day breach of norm enables them perhaps to accept and understand deferential norms of public, social and more private, domestic conduct.

Holi helps to articulate a protest against these norms as it also helps to contain this protest. Yes, it is this one-day release which perhaps makes rural women accept their assigned roles in life without outward protest throughout the year.

India developing N-submarines: Saran
India is developing nuclear submarines, a key official said.

"As far as nuclear submarines are concerned, I think certainly my information is that we are engaged in research and development in that area," former Foreign Secretary and India's nuclear envoy Shyam Saran said.

Saran, who is the Interlocutor with the US administration on the nuclear energy deal, was responding to a specific query from a member of audience at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, where he delivered the second annual Raja Ramanna lecture on Thursday night.

Speaking on "evolution of India's nuclear policies in the context of changing security perceptions", the Special Envoy of Prime Minister — responding to Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement — said Moscow cannot provide nuclear supplies to India unless the guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) are "adjusted".

Putin said earlier this week that Russia will "directly" help India in construction of atomic energy facilities.

Saran said, "We may enter into agreement for supply of some nuclear power plants but the transfer can take place only once the NSG guidelines have been adjusted".

Nithari accused beaten up by mob in court premises

New Delhi, Jan 25: Nithari serial killings accused Moninder Singh Pandher and Surendra Koli on Thursday faced public fury when they were produced in Ghaziabad court. Both accused were severely beaten up by an angry crowd of lawyers and public. Moninder and Surendra were remanded to 14-day CBI custody. Expressing serious concerns over the incident, Ghaziabad court has sought reply from the district administration over the security lapse.

As the duo was being brought out of the court of a special CBI judge, where they were produced for renewal of their remand, after closed-door proceedings, lawyers and a large crowd present outside pounced on them raining blows.

Pandher, the businessman in whose house in Noida the grisly killings and sexual assaults took place was particularly targeted by the crowd which pulled his hair, kept punching on his face and rained blows.

Police was seen trying to cover Pandher, who fainted as a result of the severe blows.

The policemen surrounding them had a tough time controlling the mob, giving vent to their anger over the grisly killings of women and children at Pandher`s Noida residence.

Police had a tough time in rescuing them and taking them to the lockup.

Medical check-up of the accused

Moninder and Surendra were brought to the RML Hospital here for a check-up and treatment.

While Koli was discharged after check-up and first-aid and was taken away by CBI officials, Pandher, who bore the brunt of the mob fury, was being kept under observation, hospital sources said.

Pandher, on whom the crowd had rained blows, has received injuries on his back and face, but there were no serious wounds and his condition was stable, they said.

An ECG was conducted on Pandher, who is in his fifties, and it was normal.

He is being attended by a four-member medical team headed by S K Sharma, Casualty Medical Officer.

His condition is said to be normal and could be discharged later in the day.

In the wake of the mob attack on the duo as they were produced in a local court in Ghaziabad, heavy security arrangements were in place at the RML Hospital, with policemen and paramilitary forces guarding the emergency ward where the two accused were brought.

The area around the ward was also barricaded to restrict entry of people.

Pandher, Koli remanded to 14 days CBI custody

Moninder Singh Pandher and Surendra Koli, the prime accused in the Nithari serial killings, were today remanded to 14 days CBI custody.

Special CBI Judge Sapna Misra granted fresh remand of the two accused for their further custodial interrogation.

The CBI, while seeking further remand also produced a few documents related to the investigations during the last 14 days custody of the duo before the special court.

Court discusses security lapse with senior officials

Special judge of Ghaziabad court Sapna Mishra today held a meeting with senior police officials and the District Magistrate to discuss the lapse in security after the assault on Nithari serial killings accused Moninder Singh Pandher and Surinder Koli by an angry mob.

Mishra convened a meeting with SSP Naveen Arora, District Magistrate M K S Sundaram and the Special Prosecution Officer.

Mishra discussed with officials issues pertaining to the security lapse inside the district court complex.

The CBI, which had taken over the custody of both the accused on January 11 produced them in court to seek their fresh remand. It had registered 19 cases against them.

Uttar Pradesh Police had on December 29 recovered skulls and human remains from a drain behind Pandher`s D-5, sector 31 residence in Noida unearthing the serial killings of children and women allegedly by him and his domestic help Koli.

India, Russia sign agreement for 4 nuke reactors


New Delhi, Jan 25: Russia on Thursday signed an agreement with India for construction four more nuclear reactors in Kudankulam Project in Tamil Nadu.

Announcing this, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told a joint press conference with visiting President Vladimir Putin said they have signed a joint statement on cooperation in the field of atomic energy.

"We appreciate Russia`s support in lifting international restrictions on nuclear cooperation and assisting India in expansion of our nuclear energy programme," he said.

Singh said nuclear energy security was emerging as the most important aspect of "our strategic partnership and we look forward to longtime partnership with Russia in this vital field."

He described as a "significant development" cooperation in development of the fifth generation fighter aircraft and multi-role transport plane between the two countries.

In his remarks, Putin said the two countries would continue cooperation in the area of peaceful use of atomic energy.

Putin said "we consider as extremely important completion of the construction project in Kudankulam."

On defence cooperation, Singh said that he had comprehensive discussions with Putin on joint research and development, manufacturing and marketing and joint exercises.

The Prime Minister said discussions with Putin were extremely useful and productive and confirmed once again that "our strategic partnership is based on deep convergence of vital national interests."

Though there has been a sea change in the international situation in the last few years, he said Russia remained indispensable to the core of India`s foreign policy engagement.

"We seek a comprehensive reengagement that would impart a new momentum and carry forward bilateral relationship to new heights," Singh said.

Team India’s batting gremlins vanish without a trace
Nagpur, Jan 21: Riding on a stunning opening partnership between Ganguly and Gambhir, India piled 338 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in the first one-day international against the West Indies at the VCA stadium in Nagpur on Sunday. Ganguly, India’s new comeback icon, showed what he’s made of by hitting 98 runs before getting out.

India’s latest experiment with the opening pair came good with both southpaws giving the team a great start. The Prince of Kolkata was unfortunate to miss a century by just 2 runs as he got run out reducing India to 219 for 3.

Gautam Gambhir made an impressive 69 before falling in the 25th over. India were 144-1, as a result of Gambhir’s departure. Tendulkar arrived one down to build on the good start by the openers. The Master Blaster, however, once again disappointed his fans when he departed for just 31 runs.

Dhoni was among the runs too, as he played a blistering knock scoring his 11th ODI fifty. Dravid followed suit scoring his 74th ODI fifty from the other end. Dravid was unbeaten at 54. Dhoni remained not out at 62 at the end of Indian innings.

Ganguly and Gambhir took India past the hundred run mark in 15 overs.

Earlier, West Indies won the toss and elected to field.

India left out Ramesh Powar from the 12 announced yesterday while West Indies omitted Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith and Reyad Emrit from their touring squad.

Teams:

India: Rahul Dravid (capt.), Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WK), Ajit Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, S Sreesanth, Zaheer Khan.

West Indies: Brian Lara (Capt.), Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Runako Morton, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Denesh Ramdin (WK), Ian Bradshaw, Darren Powell, Jerome Taylor.

Hours of play: 9 am to 12 30 pm; 1 15 pm to close.

Umpires: Billie Bowden (New Zealand) and Suresh Shastri (India)

Third Umpire: G A Pratap Kumar (India).

Match referee: Alan Hurst (Australia).

Shilpa does a U turn, takes back racism charge

In a complete turnaround, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty says that she did not feel any racial discrimination from her housemates on the sets of reality TV show Big Brother.

In reaction to the allegations of racism in the show, Carphone Warehouse announced that it was withdrawing its sponsorship.

"Our concern has rapidly mounted about the broadcast behaviour of individuals within the Big Brother house,” said Charles Dunstone, CEO of The Carphone Warehouse in a statement.

“We are totally against all forms of racism and bullying and indeed this behaviour is entirely at odds with the brand values of The Carphone Warehouse. We have instructed Channel 4 to remove our sponsorship name and branding with immediate effect," he added.
Soon after, the heroine of the story seemed to do an about turn. When Shilpa was asked on the show about her earlier remark on being discriminated against because of her race, she said:

"No actually I take that back. I thought it was because everybody was having an argument with me and I take that back. I don't think that is true, you know people say things in a fit of anger and, I stand corrected," said Shilpa Shetty.

"I would like you to please clarify and put this as a statement from my side if you can. That I don't feel there was any racial discrimination happening from Jade's end. I think that there are a lot of insecurities from her end but it's definitely not racial," she added.

Strong condemnation

In the strongest condemnation by a British Minister, Government Chief Whip Jacqui Smith has urged people not to watch the programme Big Brother due to the "racist bullying".

Smith called the behaviour totally "unacceptable".

She criticised the programme-makers, saying that the editing had been wrong and that it was "shameful to make money and publicity out of that sort of thing".

Britain's culture secretary, Tessa Jowell said that in her personal view the show had caused 'enormous offence' and cautioned that the Channel could lose millions in state funding over the row.

"I'm disgusted that it has got to this position at all. I think this is racism being presented as entertainment," she said.

High viewership

Meanwhile, all the controversies have taken the show's viewership through the roof. It climbed to 5.2 million from two million before the racism controversy began.

The show's broadcasters say they are glad the show has started the debate.

"In my view, it is unquestionably a good thing that the programme has raised these issues and provoked such a debate. These attitudes, however distasteful, do persist,” said Andy Duncan, Channel 4 Chief Executive.

“We cannot with certainty, say that the comments directed at Shilpa have been racially motivated, or whether they stem from broader cultural and social differences," he added.

Monitoring show

Earlier, Ofcom, UK's media watchdog said they were taking the allegations of racism very seriously. They have so far got 27,000 complaints against the show.

"We are monitoring the situation very, very closely. Clearly what is happening is very serious. Any allegation of racism is a very serious matter, so that is what we are doing at the moment. It's obviously Channel 4's responsibility to respond to what are clearly very significant viewer concerns," said Ed Richards, Chief Executive, Ofcom.

With the sponsors pulling out and another round of evictions on Friday with both Shilpa and her most vocal opponent Jade Goody nominated for it, it's not surprising that the controversy has peaked.

Bombs kill 65 at Baghdad university

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Scores of people were killed in Baghdad on Tuesday in bombing and shooting incidents, most of them in neighborhoods where the militia of a powerful anti-American Shiite cleric holds sway.

A suicide bomber and a car bomb killed at least 65 people and wounded 138 more at entrances to a once-prestigious university in Baghdad.

The strike at Mustansiriya University was a dual bomb attack: The suicide bomber detonated a vest at the back entrance of the school, and a parked car exploded at the main gate under a pedestrian bridge where students and employees get public transit. (Watch aftermath of 'massive' bombing )

A CNN producer near the scene said police sealed off the area and there were armed members of the Mehdi Army -- the militia under the control of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr -- on the street.

Ambulances and police cars were carrying out the wounded.

The university, in northeastern Baghdad, is at the tip of Sadr City, a Shiite neighborhood where there is much support for al-Sadr. It is considered to be a Mehdi militia stronghold.

Meanwhile, gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on a marketplace in the Mehdi Army-controlled Bunouk area of eastern Baghdad and killed 12 civilians. Seven others were wounded.

In the Sadr City neighborhood, a bomb left inside a minivan detonated, killing four people and wounding 10 others, the official said. The blast occurred 100 to 200 meters away from al-Sadr's main office.

There were two deadly incidents in central Baghdad.

A bomb exploded near a police convoy along a main road in central Baghdad, the official said. When police and others responded to that blast, a second bomb exploded nearby. At least 15 people were killed and 70 wounded by the two bombs, the official said.

About two hours before that incident, two police officers who helped defuse a car bomb in central Baghdad's Karrada section were killed when another bomb hidden nearby exploded, the official said. Two civilians were also killed in the blast, and 10 people, including three policemen, were wounded, the official said.

The peak in violence came on the same day as the release of a United Nations report that said more than 34,000 civilians were "violently killed" across Iraq last year. (Full story)

University under influence of radical Shiites

Mustansiriya University -- an ancient university with relatively modern buildings -- had been visited by Paul Bremer, once the top U.S. civilian official in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

The school, which emphasizes law and literature, was singled out as an example of the kind of institution that would need to thrive in the post-Saddam Hussein era.

However, students have come under the influence of al-Sadr militias over the past year. Sunni professors have left the school because of the influence of radical Shiites.

The U.S.-led military is hoping that al-Sadr's fellow Shiite -- Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki -- has the political will to crack down on al-Sadr and his militia, which is thought to be in the middle of the Sunni-Shiite sectarian strife across Baghdad.

Boycott by al-Sadr loyalists reportedly ending

Cabinet ministers and legislators loyal to al-Sadr were instructed to end their six-week boycott of the political process, a parliamentarian in the political bloc told The Associated Press on Tuesday, indicating that the decision was linked to a major security operation to be launched by the Iraqi government and U.S. forces. (Watch U.S. troops go door to door in Baghdad neighborhood )

"We might be subjected to an attack and we should try [to] solve the problem politically. We should not give a chance for a military strike against us," the legislator told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because the information was not yet public.

The lawmaker said the group's return was conditional, including demands that the government set up a committee to establish a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and a second that would set a date by which Iraqi forces were to take control of security nationwide, AP reported.

Other developments

The Defense Ministry on Tuesday said the army "conducted a quick and surprise operation in southern Baghdad" over the past 24 hours, raiding insurgent hideouts and seizing weaponry. Ninety-two people described by authorities as "terrorists, including 40 wanted," were detained.

A journalist who saw videotape of the Monday hangings of Saddam Hussein's half-brother and the dictator's former chief judge has described how one of the men was decapitated. New York Times reporter John F. Burns told CNN that Barzan Hassan's head "just snapped off," because he was apparently given too much rope and fell too far -- about eight feet -- for a man of his medium build and weight.

U.S. and Iraqis Are Wrangling Over War Plans

BAGHDAD, Jan. 14 — Just days after President Bush unveiled a new war plan calling for more than 20,000 additional American troops in Iraq, the heart of the effort — a major push to secure the capital — faces some of its fiercest resistance from the very people it depends on for success: Iraqi government officials.

American military officials have spent days huddled in meetings with Iraqi officers in a race to turn blueprints drawn up in Washington into a plan that will work on the ground in Baghdad. With the first American and Iraqi units dedicated to the plan due to be in place within weeks, time is short for setting details of what American officers view as the decisive battle of the war.

But the signs so far have unnerved some Americans working on the plan, who have described a web of problems — ranging from a contested chain of command to how to protect American troops deployed in some of Baghdad’s most dangerous districts — that some fear could hobble the effort before it begins.

First among the American concerns is a Shiite-led government that has been so dogmatic in its attitude that the Americans worry that they will be frustrated in their aim of cracking down equally on Shiite and Sunni extremists, a strategy President Bush has declared central to the plan.

“We are implementing a strategy to embolden a government that is actually part of the problem,” said an American military official in Baghdad involved in talks over the plan. “We are being played like a pawn.”

The American military’s misgivings came as new details emerged of the reconstruction portion of Mr. Bush’s plan, which calls for more than doubling the number of American-led reconstruction teams in Iraq to 22 and quintupling the number of American civilian reconstruction specialists to 500. [Page A7.]

Compounding American doubts about the government’s willingness to go after Shiite extremists has been a behind-the-scenes struggle over the appointment of the Iraqi officer to fill the key post of operational commander for the Baghdad operation. In face of strong American skepticism, the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, has selected an officer from the Shiite heartland of southern Iraq who was virtually unknown to the Americans, and whose hard-edged demands for Iraqi primacy in the effort has deepened American anxieties.

The Iraqi commander, Lt. Gen. Aboud Qanbar, will be part of what the Americans have described as a partnership between the two armies, with an American general, Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr., commander of the First Cavalry Division, working with General Aboud, and American and Iraqi officers twinned down the operational chain.

For the Americans, accustomed to clear operational control, the partnership concept is troublesome — full of potential, some officers fear, for dispute with the Iraqis over tough issues like applying an equal hand against Shiite and Sunni gunmen.

It remains unclear whether the prime minister will be in overall charge of the new crackdown, a demand the Iraqis have pressed since the plan was first discussed last month, American officials said. They said days of argument had led to a compromise under which General Qanbar would answer to a so-called crisis counsel, made up of Mr. Maliki, the ministers of defense and interior, Iraqi national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, and the top American military commander in Iraq.

The Americans said that while they had reluctantly accepted General Qanbar, they had won concessions from the Iraqis in the appointment of two officers favored by the American command for the two deputy Iraqi commanders, one for the areas of Baghdad west of the Tigris River, the other for districts to the east.

Still, the new command structure seemed rife with potential for conflict. An American military official said that the arrangements appeared unwieldy, and at odds with military doctrine calling for a clear chain of command. “There’s no military definition for ‘partnered,’ ” he said.

Along with those problems, the Americans cite logistical issues that must be solved before the new plan can begin to work. Intent on using the large numbers of additional American and Iraqi troops that have been pledged to the plan to get “boots on the ground” across Baghdad, they are planning to establish perhaps 30 or 40 “joint security sites” spread across nine new military districts in the capital, many in police stations that have been among the most frequent targets in the war.

Is there any limit for 'American Idol'?

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Last year, Prince. This year, Paul McCartney and Mariah Carey?

As "American Idol" starts singing again Tuesday, those connected with the Fox blockbuster acknowledge few limits when it comes to guest stars or ratings or product spinoffs. Or even rampant enthusiasm.

"This is the greatest music talent show ever," judge Randy Jackson asserted in a telephone news conference last week.

Fellow jurist Paula Abdul calls the show a "cultural phenomenon": "I get a kick out of the fact that there's not a day, not an hour, that goes by without someone talking about it, asking about it," she told The Associated Press.

Cecile Frot-Coutaz, who oversees "American Idol" as chief executive officer of producer FremantleMedia North America Inc., is more measured but no less upbeat about the upcoming season six, and beyond.

"I don't see anything that tells me that it's about to fall off the air," she said. "We won't be there for quite some time."

It's a defensible position regarding the No. 1 TV series.

Against expectations for an established series, "American Idol" has gained in the ratings, up 14 percent from 2005 (26.8 million average viewers) to 2006 (30.6 million). The finale with winner Taylor Hicks drew more than 36 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.

That topped the 2005 season-ender, in which Carrie Underwood claimed the title, and made it the third most-watched event of '06 after the Super Bowl and Academy Awards.

The most impressive number has a dollar sign in front of it -- "American Idol" reportedly brings in $500 million a year in TV ad dollars. (Fox, a unit of News Corp., declined comment on the figure.)

Even impartial observers see blue skies directly ahead.

"There seems to be the same degree of fascination going into this season as there was last season," said analyst Bill Carroll of ad-buyer Katz Television. "It's sort of become the event of the year for viewers."

The series begins with a pair of two-hour episodes airing 8-10 p.m. EST Tuesday and Wednesday and featuring auditions in Minneapolis and Seattle. Details of a previously announced songwriting contest for the eventual winner's first single are pending, Frot-Coutaz said.

"American Idol," produced by FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment, returns with a richer gloss than ever. Last year's finale included a surprise appearance by Prince, among the highest-profile guest stars and far removed from such golden oldie visitors as Rod Stewart.

"Prince blew the doors off. He is one of the quintessential ones of our time," Jackson said. Frot-Coutaz's take: "The fact we can get Prince is a real tribute to the show. ... (now) who knows who we can get?"

McCartney, an iconic figure who's an impressive "get" for any venture, is being courted and is rumored to be part of the new season. Carey may also end up on the guest list.

"Nothing's locked," Frot-Coutaz said of the ex-Beatle. "We've had discussions with him over the years. It's always a matter of making it work."

'I think we filled a gap'

In Carey's case, record producer-cum-judge Jackson may be the key: He and the singer are friends and have a long professional association. Jackson said they have "tossed it around a bit" but have yet to set her appearance.

More evidence of the power of "American Idol" is the stunning "Dreamgirls" film debut of Jennifer Hudson, a 2004 also-ran (to winner Fantasia Barrino) who's up for a Golden Globe and considered a potential Oscar nominee.

That's alongside the best-selling CDs and singles churned out by past winners including Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, and the awards they've collected that include Grammy and Country Music Association trophies.

All this from a show that the American division of FremantleMedia (the production arm of media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG's RTL Group) went into "quietly and cautiously optimistic" despite the format's success in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, Frot-Coutaz said.

"Music hadn't worked on American TV for a while, so I think we filled a gap," she said.

And connected with the future. In an interactive, consumer-driven age that prompted Time magazine to declare "You" its person of the year 2006, "American Idol" can claim it had the zeitgeist down cold when it debuted in 2002.

"America's choosing the idol," said analyst Shari Anne Brill of ad-buying firm Carat USA. Viewers "have a real way of participating, as opposed to being armchair athletes."

Frot-Coutaz cites a number of other factors in the show's popularity, including the chemistry of judges Jackson, Abdul and the acerbic Simon Cowell and the once-yearly run that keeps the program eagerly awaited.

Then there's the mission.

"You're really impacting somebody's life," said the executive. "The show's genuinely looking for superstar contestants who really want to be pop stars. It's not a fake-ish competition just for TV. The show delivers entertainment, but there is a very serious aim to it."

The "Idol" franchise, which originated with Britain's "Pop Idol," represents more than a hit TV series seen worldwide and reproduced in more than 30 international versions. It's also part of a merchandising empire that may be poised for a leap.

According to Advertising Age magazine, FremantleMedia has deals set or is in negotiations for new products including a theme-park attraction and cell-phone downloads of show performances. Items already sold include clothing, books, toys and an "Idol"-themed Barbie doll, with a Monopoly game coming this season.

The magazine report is a "bit premature" in what it outlined, "but there's a lot of things in the works," said Frot-Coutaz. "Some happen, some don't; it just depends."

As the sixth season begins, she said, "we're feeling more confident about our ability to go out and really turn this into a bigger brand than just a TV show. It takes a few years before you can get to" that point.

Abdul -- strongly identified with the show, along the other judges who whittle down the initial field of contestants, and host Ryan Seacrest -- gives the reported plans a qualified endorsement.

"As long as the taste level and structure is classy, edgy and exemplifies what we do, I'm all for it. You can't deny the magnitude of this show. But just for them to make money and not care about integrity is ridiculous," she said.

As for the bulwark of it all, "American Idol" itself, the horizon is limitless if the program does its job right, according to Jackson.

"I think there's an abundance of talent in America. ... I think the show can continue to be successful as long as we go out and find great talent," he said.