Japan was badly hit and the catastrophe has devastated the lives of people and economic structure of Japan.
Japan was hit by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded on March 11. The magnitude-9.0 quake spawned a deadly tsunami that slammed into the small island nation, leaving a huge swath of devastation in its wake. Thousands of people are dead and many more are still missing or injured; almost half a million people are homeless.
In addition, the country is facing a nuclear crisis that some experts warn may be much worse than the 1979 Three Mile Island disaster.
Japan has often donated when other countries have experienced disasters, such as when Hurricane Katrina impacted the United States. Below are organizations that are working on relief and recovery in the region.
FUKUSHIMA, Japan – The toll of Japan's triple disaster came into clearer focus Monday after police estimates showed more than 18,000 people died, the World Bank said rebuilding may cost $235 billion and more cases of radiation-tainted vegetables and tap water turned up.
Japanese officials reported progress over the weekend in their battle to gain control over a nuclear complex that began leaking radiation after suffering quake and tsunami damage, though the crisis was far from over, with a dangerous new surge in pressure reported in one of the plant's six reactors.
The announcement by Japan's Health Ministry late Sunday that tests had detected excess amounts of radioactive elements on canola and chrysanthemum greens marked a low moment in a day that had been peppered with bits of positive news: First, a teenager and his grandmother were found alive nine days after being trapped in their earthquake-shattered home. Then, the operator of the overheated nuclear plant said two of the six reactor units were safely cooled down.
"We consider that now we have come to a situation where we are very close to getting the situation under control," Deputy Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama said.
Still, serious problems remained at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex. Pressure unexpectedly rose in a third unit's reactor, meaning plant operators may need to deliberately release radioactive steam. That has only added to public anxiety over radiation that began leaking from the plant after a monstrous earthquake and tsunami devastated northeastern Japan on March 11 and left the plant unstable. As day broke Monday, Japan's military resumed dousing of the complex's troubled Unit 4.
The World Bank said in report Monday that Japan may need five years to rebuild from the catastrophic disasters, which caused up to $235 billion in damage, saying the cost to private insurers will be up to $33 billion and that the government will spend $12 billion on reconstruction in the current national budget and much more later.
The safety of food and water was of particular concern. The government halted shipments of spinach from one area and raw milk from another near the nuclear plant after tests found iodine exceeded safety limits. Tokyo's tap water, where iodine turned up Friday, now has cesium. Rain and dust are also tainted.
Early Monday , the Health Ministry advised Iitate, a village of 6,000 people about 30 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of the Fukushima plant, not to drink tap water due to elevated levels of iodine. Ministry spokesman Takayuki Matsuda said iodine three times the normal level was detected there — about one twenty-sixth of the level of a chest X-ray in one liter of water.
In all cases, the government said the radiation levels were too small to pose an immediate health risk.
But Tsugumi Hasegawa was skeptical as she cared for her 4-year-old daughter at a shelter in a gymnasium crammed with 1,400 people about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the plant.
"I still have no idea what the numbers they are giving about radiation levels mean. It's all so confusing," said Hasegawa, 29, from the small town of Futuba in the shadow of the nuclear complex. "And I wonder if they aren't playing down the dangers to keep us from panicking. I don't know who to trust."
All six of the nuclear complex's reactor units saw trouble after the disasters knocked out cooling systems. In a small advance, the plant's operator declared Units 5 and 6 — the least troublesome — under control after their nuclear fuel storage pools cooled to safe levels. Progress was made to reconnect two other units to the electric grid and in pumping seawater to cool another reactor and replenish it and a sixth reactor's storage pools.
But the buildup in pressure inside the vessel holding Unit 3's reactor presented some danger, forcing officials to consider venting. The tactic produced explosions of radioactive gas during the early days of the crisis.
"Even if certain things go smoothly, there would be twists and turns," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters. "At the moment, we are not so optimistic that there will be a breakthrough."
Growing concerns about radiation add to the overwhelming chain of disasters Japan has struggled with since the 9.0-magnitude quake. The resulting tsunami ravaged the northeastern coast. All told, police estimates show more than about 18,400 died. More than 15,000 deaths are likely in Miyagi, the prefecture that took the full impact of the wave, said a police spokesman.
"It is very distressing as we recover more bodies day by days," said Hitoshi Sugawara, the spokesman.
Police in other parts of the disaster area declined to provide estimates, but confirmed about 3,400 deaths. Nationwide, official figures show the disasters killing more than 8,600 people, and leaving more than 13,200 people missing, but those two lists may have some overlap.
The disasters have displaced another 452,000, who are living in shelters.
Fuel, food and water remain scarce. The government in recent days acknowledged being caught ill-prepared by an enormous disaster that the prime minister has called the worst crisis since World War II.
Bodies are piling up in some of the devastated communities and badly decomposing even amid chilly rain and snow.
"The recent bodies — we can't show them to the families. The faces have been purple, which means they are starting to decompose," says Shuji Horaguchi, a disaster relief official setting up a center to process the dead in Natori, on the outskirts of the tsunami-flattened city of Sendai. "Some we're finding now have been in the water for a long time, they're not in good shape. Crabs and fish have eaten parts."
Contamination of food and water compounds the government's difficulties, heightening the broader public's sense of dread about safety. Consumers in markets snapped up bottled water, shunned spinach from Ibaraki — the prefecture where the tainted spinach was found — and overall expressed concern about food safety.
Experts have said the amounts of iodine detected in milk, spinach and water pose no discernible risks to public health unless consumed in enormous quantities over a long time. Iodine breaks down quickly, after eight days, minimizing its harmfulness, unlike other radioactive isotopes such as cesium-137 or uranium-238, which remain in the environment for decades or longer.
High levels of iodine are linked to thyroid cancer, one of the least deadly cancers if treated. Cesium is a longer-lasting element that affects the whole body and raises cancer risk.
Rain forecast for the Fukushima area also could further localize the contamination, bringing the radiation to the ground closer to the plant.
Edano tried to reassure the public for a second day in a row. "If you eat it once, or twice, or even for several days, it's not just that it's not an immediate threat to health, it's that even in the future it is not a risk," Edano said. "Experts say there is no threat to human health."
No contamination has been reported in Japan's main food export — seafood — worth about $1.6 billion a year and less than 0.3 percent of its total exports.
Amid the anxiety, there were moments of joy on Sunday. An 80-year-old woman and her teenage grandson were rescued from their flattened two-story house after nine days, when the teen pulled himself to the roof and shouted to police for help.
Other survivors enjoyed smaller victories. Kiyoshi Hiratsuka and his family managed to pull his beloved Harley Davidson motorcycle from the rubble in their hometown of Onagawa. The 37-year-old mechanic said he knows it will never work anymore. "But I want to keep it as a memorial." (Yahoo News).
_________________________________________________________________________________
PRINCE WILLIAM VISITS AUSTRALIA
KERANG, Australia (AFP) – Britain's Prince William winds up his Australian tour Monday with a visit to flood-hit parts of Victoria as the state government announced more money to help those worst affected.
In a trip so far seen as a public relations success, the second-in-line to the British throne turns his attention to people whose homes and farms were flooded in mid-January when the Loddon River broke its banks.
Ironically, he could get a first-hand feel for what they experienced, with a severe weather warning issued for western and central Victoria -- including the area he will visit.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned of storms and heavy rain, with a flood watch in place for the Loddon River.
The Victoria leg follows a weekend of touring disaster-affected communities in Queensland, which was hit this year by massive floods that swept away entire homes, killing more than 30 people, and then by Cyclone Yasi.
The prince, who marries his fiancee Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29, will be briefed by local emergency services personnel in Kerang before touring the area and attending a traditional Australian barbecue.
Local shire mayor Max Fehring said he was confident William would get a good understanding of what Victorians had been going through.
"I'm going to do my utmost to make sure that he meets with ordinary men and women who have a great story to tell about how they've conquered this whole event," Fehring told reporters.
To coincide with his visit, the Victorian government announced an extra 12 million dollar (11.9 million US) package targeting flood support.
"We are standing by these communities and families so they get the help they need to get back on their feet," state Premier Ted Baillieu said.
The personable prince arrived in the former British colony on Saturday after an emotionally charged two-day visit to New Zealand in which he paid tribute to more than 200 people killed in recent earthquake and coal mine tragedies.
His relaxed manner won friends over the weekend, including at a fundraiser at the Brisbane Convention Centre on Sunday evening in which he thanked those who helped in the disaster aftermath.
"As a search and rescue pilot myself, I am full of admiration for their courage and skill. Queenslanders are renowned for their true grit, for their resilience and courage," he said, according to Sky News.
"In the past two days, I have met many Queenslanders who have been struck by the brutal force of nature at its cruellest.
"On behalf of the Queen, the Prince of Wales and other members of my family, I would like to extend heartfelt condolences to all in Australia who have lost family members and friends in these terrible natural disasters."
The evening raised around 145,000 dollars (144,000 US) for disaster relief.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Airstrikes Sunday in the heart of Moammar Gadhafi's Tripoli compound had a military objective, but also no doubt brought a message of allied resolve to the Libyan leader's doorstep.
A coalition military official confirmed to CNN that the compound was targeted because it contains capabilities to exercise command and control over Libyan forces. The coalition's goal is to degrade Gadhafi's military capabilities.
The official, who was not identified because of the sensitivity of the information, insisted that neither Gadhafi nor his residence was the intended target. The leader's whereabouts were not known.
Earlier, Western journalists, including CNN's Nic Robertson, were brought inside by Libyan officials to survey the destruction.
Gallery: Civil war in Libya Robertson reported a four-story building was heavily damaged, possibly by cruise missiles.
Robertson said early Monday that two circular holes in the building may be telltale signs of such missiles, although that could not be immediately confirmed.
The building is only 100 yards or so from a statue of a golden fist crushing a model plane emblazoned with "USA" -- a monument to the 1986 American bombing of Libya, in which one U.S. plane was downed.
Special guests who visit Gadhafi at a nearby large tent are usually housed in the building, reported Robertson, who held a chunk of metal with a label indicating military usage. Video footage showed collapsed columns, pieces of weaponry and chunks of concrete. There were no reported casualties.
U.S. officials said they are not targeting the leader, who has defied international calls to stop attacking opposition forces.
"We are not going after Gadhafi," U.S. Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said at a Pentagon press briefing. "Regime forces are more pressed and less free to maneuver."
Asked about reports of smoke rising from the area of Gadhafi's palace, Gortney said, "We are not targeting his residence."
The United States, detailing significant damage to Gadhafi's air defenses and a military convoy, also fought a public relations campaign Sunday, insisting that two days of coalition bombing weren't going beyond mandates in the United Nations Security Council resolution.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warned against widening the current allied operations to include a direct attack on Gadhafi, who earlier Sunday labeled the coalition "terrorists."
Anything that goes beyond enforcement of the no-fly zone and prevention of new military attacks on rebels risks disrupting the "very diverse coalition" that agreed to the attacks, said Gates, adding there was unanimous agreement in the top echelons of the Obama administration to push forward with military action in Libya.
U.S. officials said they plan to hand over operational control of the military mission in coming days. The coalition has nine other announced partners: Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Qatar and Spain.
Gates said the operation is off to "a strong and successful start."
He made the comments while traveling to Russia, which said earlier Sunday that innocent civilians were being killed and urged more caution. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow cited reports that "nonmilitary" targets were being bombed, including a cardiac center.
"We have no indication of any civilian casualties," Gortney said.
A member of the Libyan opposition told CNN that the Gadhafi government collected bodies of people killed in fighting in the past week and displayed them over the weekend, trying to show they were killed by coalition airstrikes.
The claim by Ahmed Gebreel, who cited eyewitnesses and medical officials, could not be verified by CNN.
The Libyan military on Sunday called an immediate cease-fire after allied forces pounded one of its convoys near Benghazi and, according to U.S. officials, significantly degraded the regime's air defenses.
National Security Adviser Tom Donilon scoffed at the report of the cease-fire, saying, "It isn't true or it was immediately violated."
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama and his national security team worked behind the scenes to shore up support within the Arab world for the military mission in Libya, according to senior administration officials.
The senior officials described the Obama team's phone calls as making clear to the Arab League that bombing Gadhafi's air defenses falls within the Security Council resolution's scope of imposing a no-fly zone and taking "all necessary measures" to stop the dictator from attacking civilians in his own country.
"We don't believe this goes beyond the resolution," said one senior administration official.
The lobbying came after Arab League officials complained earlier Sunday that the bombing by the U.S. military and other allies inside Libya exceeded the scope of merely instituting a no-fly zone.
Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa told reporters before an emergency meeting Sunday that what is happening in Libya is different from what was intended by imposing a no-fly zone, according to Egypt's state-run Ahram newspaper.
"What we want is the protection of civilians and not the shelling of more civilians," Moussa said, adding that "military operations may not be needed in order to protect the civilians."
But Arab League chief of staff Hisham Youssef said Moussa's comments did not signify a shift by the organization.
"The Arab League position has not changed. We fully support the implementation of a no-fly zone," Youssef said. "Our ultimate aim is to end the bloodshed and achieve the aspirations of the Libyan people."
On TV news shows in the United States, politicians debated the military campaign's possible endgame.
"This is a very limited operation that is geared to save lives, and it was specifically targeted on a humanitarian basis," Senator John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, told NBC's "Meet the Press."
Senator Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on "Fox News Sunday" that this is the "best chance to get rid of Gadhafi in my life."
"If we don't get rid of him, we will pay a heavy price down the road," Graham said.
U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen told CNN that Gadhafi forces have shown little ability to counter coalition firepower.
Allied aircraft struck a Misrata area airport that has both civilian and military uses, Gortney said.
Three B-2 bombers struck only military positions at the airfield, he said.
There was violence across the country Sunday, with Gadhafi apparently shelling rebels in the west while allied airstrikes destroyed one of Gadhafi's convoys in the east.
As of Sunday night local time, the United States and British military had fired a total of 124 Tomahawk missiles at Libya's air defense sites, Gortney said.
Gadhafi had said the strikes were a confrontation between the Libyan people and "the new Nazis," and promised "a long-drawn war."
"You have proven to the world that you are not civilized, that you are terrorists -- animals attacking a safe nation that did nothing against you," Gadhafi had said in an earlier televised speech.
At the same time Gadhafi spoke, his regime was shelling Misrata using tanks, artillery and cannons, a witness said.
"They are destroying the city," said the witness, who is not being identified for safety reasons. He said rebels were fighting back.
Sounds of heavy gunfire could be heard during a telephone conversation with the man.
CNN's Arwa Damon saw outside Benghazi the remains of a convoy of at least 70 military vehicles destroyed by multiple airstrikes Sunday, leaving at least five charred bodies, plus twisted tanks and smashed trucks as far as she could see.
Rebels with Damon told her it was a convoy of Libyan troops loyal to Gadhafi coming to attack Benghazi.
Picture of civilian rebels of the Lybian crisis.
The Libya crisis is still tense as the rebels with the help of the NATO fight against the Gadafi Military. Gadafi is still stuborn that he will not surrender nor give up because of fear.
In a trip so far seen as a public relations success, the second-in-line to the British throne turns his attention to people whose homes and farms were flooded in mid-January when the Loddon River broke its banks.
Ironically, he could get a first-hand feel for what they experienced, with a severe weather warning issued for western and central Victoria -- including the area he will visit.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned of storms and heavy rain, with a flood watch in place for the Loddon River.
The Victoria leg follows a weekend of touring disaster-affected communities in Queensland, which was hit this year by massive floods that swept away entire homes, killing more than 30 people, and then by Cyclone Yasi.
The prince, who marries his fiancee Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29, will be briefed by local emergency services personnel in Kerang before touring the area and attending a traditional Australian barbecue.
Local shire mayor Max Fehring said he was confident William would get a good understanding of what Victorians had been going through.
"I'm going to do my utmost to make sure that he meets with ordinary men and women who have a great story to tell about how they've conquered this whole event," Fehring told reporters.
To coincide with his visit, the Victorian government announced an extra 12 million dollar (11.9 million US) package targeting flood support.
"We are standing by these communities and families so they get the help they need to get back on their feet," state Premier Ted Baillieu said.
The personable prince arrived in the former British colony on Saturday after an emotionally charged two-day visit to New Zealand in which he paid tribute to more than 200 people killed in recent earthquake and coal mine tragedies.
His relaxed manner won friends over the weekend, including at a fundraiser at the Brisbane Convention Centre on Sunday evening in which he thanked those who helped in the disaster aftermath.
"As a search and rescue pilot myself, I am full of admiration for their courage and skill. Queenslanders are renowned for their true grit, for their resilience and courage," he said, according to Sky News.
"In the past two days, I have met many Queenslanders who have been struck by the brutal force of nature at its cruellest.
"On behalf of the Queen, the Prince of Wales and other members of my family, I would like to extend heartfelt condolences to all in Australia who have lost family members and friends in these terrible natural disasters."
The evening raised around 145,000 dollars (144,000 US) for disaster relief.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Airstrikes Sunday in the heart of Moammar Gadhafi's Tripoli compound had a military objective, but also no doubt brought a message of allied resolve to the Libyan leader's doorstep.
A coalition military official confirmed to CNN that the compound was targeted because it contains capabilities to exercise command and control over Libyan forces. The coalition's goal is to degrade Gadhafi's military capabilities.
The official, who was not identified because of the sensitivity of the information, insisted that neither Gadhafi nor his residence was the intended target. The leader's whereabouts were not known.
Earlier, Western journalists, including CNN's Nic Robertson, were brought inside by Libyan officials to survey the destruction.
Robertson: Inside Gadhafi's compound
Tripoli under attack
Fighter jets hit Libyan army convoy
Gallery: Civil war in Libya Robertson said early Monday that two circular holes in the building may be telltale signs of such missiles, although that could not be immediately confirmed.
The building is only 100 yards or so from a statue of a golden fist crushing a model plane emblazoned with "USA" -- a monument to the 1986 American bombing of Libya, in which one U.S. plane was downed.
Special guests who visit Gadhafi at a nearby large tent are usually housed in the building, reported Robertson, who held a chunk of metal with a label indicating military usage. Video footage showed collapsed columns, pieces of weaponry and chunks of concrete. There were no reported casualties.
U.S. officials said they are not targeting the leader, who has defied international calls to stop attacking opposition forces.
"We are not going after Gadhafi," U.S. Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said at a Pentagon press briefing. "Regime forces are more pressed and less free to maneuver."
Asked about reports of smoke rising from the area of Gadhafi's palace, Gortney said, "We are not targeting his residence."
The United States, detailing significant damage to Gadhafi's air defenses and a military convoy, also fought a public relations campaign Sunday, insisting that two days of coalition bombing weren't going beyond mandates in the United Nations Security Council resolution.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warned against widening the current allied operations to include a direct attack on Gadhafi, who earlier Sunday labeled the coalition "terrorists."
Anything that goes beyond enforcement of the no-fly zone and prevention of new military attacks on rebels risks disrupting the "very diverse coalition" that agreed to the attacks, said Gates, adding there was unanimous agreement in the top echelons of the Obama administration to push forward with military action in Libya.
U.S. officials said they plan to hand over operational control of the military mission in coming days. The coalition has nine other announced partners: Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Qatar and Spain.
Gates said the operation is off to "a strong and successful start."
He made the comments while traveling to Russia, which said earlier Sunday that innocent civilians were being killed and urged more caution. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow cited reports that "nonmilitary" targets were being bombed, including a cardiac center.
A look at coalition's military hardware
Coalition air strike: The first hours
Libya's weapons of war
Libya and Iraq: What's different
The Libyan government has claimed that 48 people, including women, children and clerics, have died in allied attacks.
"We have no indication of any civilian casualties," Gortney said.
A member of the Libyan opposition told CNN that the Gadhafi government collected bodies of people killed in fighting in the past week and displayed them over the weekend, trying to show they were killed by coalition airstrikes.
The claim by Ahmed Gebreel, who cited eyewitnesses and medical officials, could not be verified by CNN.
The Libyan military on Sunday called an immediate cease-fire after allied forces pounded one of its convoys near Benghazi and, according to U.S. officials, significantly degraded the regime's air defenses.
National Security Adviser Tom Donilon scoffed at the report of the cease-fire, saying, "It isn't true or it was immediately violated."
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama and his national security team worked behind the scenes to shore up support within the Arab world for the military mission in Libya, according to senior administration officials.
The senior officials described the Obama team's phone calls as making clear to the Arab League that bombing Gadhafi's air defenses falls within the Security Council resolution's scope of imposing a no-fly zone and taking "all necessary measures" to stop the dictator from attacking civilians in his own country.
"We don't believe this goes beyond the resolution," said one senior administration official.
The lobbying came after Arab League officials complained earlier Sunday that the bombing by the U.S. military and other allies inside Libya exceeded the scope of merely instituting a no-fly zone.
Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa told reporters before an emergency meeting Sunday that what is happening in Libya is different from what was intended by imposing a no-fly zone, according to Egypt's state-run Ahram newspaper.
"What we want is the protection of civilians and not the shelling of more civilians," Moussa said, adding that "military operations may not be needed in order to protect the civilians."
But Arab League chief of staff Hisham Youssef said Moussa's comments did not signify a shift by the organization.
"The Arab League position has not changed. We fully support the implementation of a no-fly zone," Youssef said. "Our ultimate aim is to end the bloodshed and achieve the aspirations of the Libyan people."
On TV news shows in the United States, politicians debated the military campaign's possible endgame.
"This is a very limited operation that is geared to save lives, and it was specifically targeted on a humanitarian basis," Senator John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, told NBC's "Meet the Press."
Senator Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on "Fox News Sunday" that this is the "best chance to get rid of Gadhafi in my life."
"If we don't get rid of him, we will pay a heavy price down the road," Graham said.
U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen told CNN that Gadhafi forces have shown little ability to counter coalition firepower.
Allied aircraft struck a Misrata area airport that has both civilian and military uses, Gortney said.
Three B-2 bombers struck only military positions at the airfield, he said.
There was violence across the country Sunday, with Gadhafi apparently shelling rebels in the west while allied airstrikes destroyed one of Gadhafi's convoys in the east.
As of Sunday night local time, the United States and British military had fired a total of 124 Tomahawk missiles at Libya's air defense sites, Gortney said.
Gadhafi had said the strikes were a confrontation between the Libyan people and "the new Nazis," and promised "a long-drawn war."
"You have proven to the world that you are not civilized, that you are terrorists -- animals attacking a safe nation that did nothing against you," Gadhafi had said in an earlier televised speech.
At the same time Gadhafi spoke, his regime was shelling Misrata using tanks, artillery and cannons, a witness said.
"They are destroying the city," said the witness, who is not being identified for safety reasons. He said rebels were fighting back.
Sounds of heavy gunfire could be heard during a telephone conversation with the man.
CNN's Arwa Damon saw outside Benghazi the remains of a convoy of at least 70 military vehicles destroyed by multiple airstrikes Sunday, leaving at least five charred bodies, plus twisted tanks and smashed trucks as far as she could see.
Rebels with Damon told her it was a convoy of Libyan troops loyal to Gadhafi coming to attack Benghazi.
Residents of the city, which was reported to be calm late Sunday, believe they can now take the offensive against loyalist troops.
CNN's Nic Robertson, Arwa Damon, Yousif Basil, Charley Keys, Chris Lawrence, Jill Dougherty, Elise Labott, Ed Henry, Larry Shaughnessy, Jim Bittermann, Paula Newton, Richard Roth, Maxim Tkachenko, Niki Cook and journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report
NB: Lybian leader Gadahafi's rebellion against the civilians has caused the international allied force to intervene to protect the civilians and more lives from death.
Baghdad (CNN) -- Two civilians were killed and 35 people were wounded when a car bomb exploded in central oil-rich Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Wednesday morning, police said.
The car bomb exploded in a busy road that leads to Kirkuk municipality building and Kirkuk general hospital.
Seven police officers were among the wounded people who were in a police patrol parked on the side of the road.
Kirkuk, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad, is an ethnically mixed city including Kurds, Turkmen and Arabs.
Car bomb kills 2 in oil-rich Iraqi city
March 16, 2011 6:32 a.m. EDT
The car bomb exploded on a busy road leading to Kirkuk's general hospital.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The blast injures 35 people in Kirkuk, police say
- Police are among the wounded in the ethnically mixed city
The car bomb exploded in a busy road that leads to Kirkuk municipality building and Kirkuk general hospital.
Seven police officers were among the wounded people who were in a police patrol parked on the side of the road.
Kirkuk, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad, is an ethnically mixed city including Kurds, Turkmen and Arabs.
A number of outstanding issues in the province between Kurds and Arabs remain unsolved, including disputed territories and power-sharing among ethnic groups.
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (CNN) -- President Obama and his national security team worked behind the scenes Sunday to try to shore up support within the Arab world for the military mission in Libya, with top White House aides reaching out to officials of the Arab League to insist the bombing does not exceed the scope of a U.N. mandate, according to senior administration officials.
The senior officials described the Obama team's phone calls as making clear to the Arab League that bombing Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's air defenses falls within the U.N. Security Council resolution's scope of imposing a no-fly zone and taking "all necessary measures" to stop the dictator from attacking civilians in his own country.
"We don't believe this goes beyond the resolution," said one senior administration official in describing the White House's message to the Arab League.
The lobbying came after Arab League officials complained earlier Sunday that airstrikes by the U.S. military and other allies inside Libya exceeded the scope of merely instituting a no-fly zone.
The senior officials noted that Obama also personally called King Abdullah of Jordan as part of the effort to keep key Arab allies on board with the mission.
The Obama phone call was in addition to calls made by Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday to leaders in Algeria and Kuwait.
Meanwhile, senior officials say they believe the allied campaign is hitting Gadhafi's military hard.
"We've essentially made substantial progress in wiping out his air defenses," one official said.
Obama works to shore up Arab support for Libyan airstrikes
March 20, 2011 6:30 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Top White House aides reach out to Arab League officials
- They want to make clear coalition airstrikes are within bounds of U.N. resolution
- Obama personally calls King Abdullah of Jordan
The senior officials described the Obama team's phone calls as making clear to the Arab League that bombing Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's air defenses falls within the U.N. Security Council resolution's scope of imposing a no-fly zone and taking "all necessary measures" to stop the dictator from attacking civilians in his own country.
"We don't believe this goes beyond the resolution," said one senior administration official in describing the White House's message to the Arab League.
The lobbying came after Arab League officials complained earlier Sunday that airstrikes by the U.S. military and other allies inside Libya exceeded the scope of merely instituting a no-fly zone.
The senior officials noted that Obama also personally called King Abdullah of Jordan as part of the effort to keep key Arab allies on board with the mission.
The Obama phone call was in addition to calls made by Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday to leaders in Algeria and Kuwait.
Meanwhile, senior officials say they believe the allied campaign is hitting Gadhafi's military hard.
"We've essentially made substantial progress in wiping out his air defenses," one official said.
The official added that the White House is still confident that the administration will be able to hand off "later this week" much of the mission to allies, who will actually enforce the no-fly zone after the initial U.S. bombing clears the way for it.
Picture of civilian rebels of the Lybian crisis. The Libya crisis is still tense as the rebels with the help of the NATO fight against the Gadafi Military. Gadafi is still stuborn that he will not surrender nor give up because of fear.
