NPR 2008-03-29

From NPR News in Washington, I am Jack 1 Speer.

On the fourth day of an intense fighting between Iraqi forces and Shiite militia 2 loyal to Muqtada Al-Sadr, the US has increasingly been sucked into the conflict. NPR’s Dina Temple-Raston reports from Baghdad.

Amid reports that the Iraqi security services in Basra and Baghdad were having trouble fighting followers 3 of Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, coalition 4 forces swept in. In the Mahdi army stronghold of Sadr city, an US chopper came in firing Hellfire missiles, after Iraqi forces called for help. Down south, in the oil-rich city of Basra, US pilots conducted their first air strikes. They bombed some areas of Basra after Iraqi forces called for reinforcements. One official said security forces have been surprised by the resistance they've encountered from Sadr’s forces. The concern at this point is that the US help will draw the US and its allies into an internal battle between Shiites in Iraq. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR news, Baghdad.

At a White House news conference today, following a meeting with the prime minister of Australia, President Bush termed the decision by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to launch an offensive in Basra "conformation of his leadership capabilities 5". President described the situation in Iraq as a defining moment in the history of Iraq. Mr. Bush also said that while conditions there are dangerous, he said it does not alter the administration’s mission in the region.

Barack Obama picked up an endorsement 6 in Pennsylvania today. The state’s junior Senator Democrat 7 Bob Casey said he is now backing the Illinois senator. Casey made the announcement standing 8 with Obama in Pittsburgh. He also planned to appear with Obama at other events in the state which holds a Democratic primary April 22nd. NPR’s David Greene has more.

Hillary Clinton’s been leading in the polls in Pennsylvania and she enjoys support from big name Democrats 9 like Governor Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter 10, but Senator Bob Casey decided 11 to go another direction.

"I believe in my heart that there’s one person who’s uniquely qualified 12 to lead us in a new direction and that’s Barack Obama."

Casey favors gun rights and he also opposes abortion 13 and some of the people who supported him, Catholics and working-class white voters, are groups Obama has struggled to win over in other states. Before endorsing 14 Obama Casey said he gave Hillary Clinton a heads-up by phone. Casey also had some kind words for Clinton in the speech, calling her a great leader. David Greene, NPR News, Washington.

Federal Reserve has announced plans to auction 15 off another 100 billion dollars to troubled commercial banks as it seeks to get the still largely frozen credit markets unstuck. The Fed, which to the end of this month has already provided more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in liquidity 16 to banks do short-term loans, says it plans to auction off the additional capital to banks next month.

A tough end of the week for Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 86 points today, for the week the Dow lost just over 1 percent.

This is NPR News.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to meet next week with House Republican leaders while he'll discuss the current problems baffling the US economy. House minority leader John Banner said today the meeting with the Fed Chairman will focus on the threat posed by the slowdown in the housing market. The meeting has tentatively been scheduled for next Tuesday.

In the City of Brotherly Love, they appeared to be taking a somewhat unique approach to the housing crisis. Philadelphia Sheriff John Green announced today the city plans to halt sales of foreclosed properties in April in an effort to give struggling homeowners some relief. Green said the city will also seek a court order extending a moratorium 17 on the sales of foreclosed upon properties for an as-yet-unspecified time.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR News, in Washington.