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SOUTH AMERICA
U.S., Colombia sign agreement on bases
In a private, low-key ceremony in Bogota on Friday, the U.S. ambassador and three Colombian ministers signed a pact to expand Washington's military presence in Colombia, a deal that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has called a threat to the region's security.
Foreign Minister Jaime Bermúdez said the pact restricts U.S. military operations to Colombian territory -- alluding to fears expressed by leftist regional leaders that the deal would make Colombia a base for asserting U.S. power in South America.
Although details were not immediately released, a government communique said the pact "respects the principles of equal sovereignty, territorial integrity and nonintervention in the internal affairs of other states."
Officials have said it will increase U.S. access to seven Colombian bases for 10 years without boosting the number of service personnel and contractors beyond the cap of 1,400 specified by U.S. law.
-- Associated Press
ISRAEL
Nuclear plan called 'positive first step'
Israel offered cautious praise Friday for a U.S.-backed nuclear proposal drafted by the International Atomic Energy Agency, calling it "a positive first step" toward denying Tehran the means to make nuclear weapons.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu raised the issue ahead of talks with President Obama's Middle East envoy, George J. Mitchell, following more skeptical remarks by Israeli defense officials.
"I also wanted to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the president's ongoing efforts to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear military capability," Netanyahu said at a welcome session for Mitchell in Jerusalem.
