WASHINGTON — President Bush signed a bill Friday to pay for military operations in Iraq after a struggle with Democrats in Congress who sought to tie the money to U.S. troop withdrawals.

While the measure Bush signed establishes political goals for the Iraqi government and ties U.S. reconstruction aid to so-called benchmarks, the president retains authority over the funds regardless of how the government in Baghdad performs.

“This important bill also provides a clear roadmap to help the Iraqis secure their country and strengthen their young democracy,” Bush said in a statement. “Iraqis need to demonstrate measurable progress on a series of benchmarks for improved security, political reconciliation and governance.”

The president’s signature on this measure, however, doesn’t end debate on Capitol Hill over the administration’s war policy — a dispute that will heat up again this fall./AP

Prosecutors seek up to 3-year sentence for Libby

WASHINGTON — Former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby has shown no remorse for corrupting the legal system and deserves to spend 2-1/2 to three years in prison for obstructing the CIA leak investigation, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said Friday.

In court documents, Fitzgerald rejected criticism from Libby’s supporters who said the leak investigation had spun out of control and the prosecution was politically motivated. He said Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney and an assistant to President Bush, brought his fate upon himself.

“The judicial system has not corruptly mistreated Mr. Libby,” Fitzgerald wrote. “Mr. Libby has been found by a jury of his peers to have corrupted the judicial system.”

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, who has a reputation for handing down tough sentences, has broad discretion over Libby’s fate. Walton faces two important questions: whether to send Libby to prison and, if so, whether to delay the sentence until his appeals have run out./AP

Missiles, rockets and truce talks

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli missile strikes hit a succession of militant targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday, killing two, while Hamas fired more rockets toward Israel. Palestinian factions met to discuss a possible truce with Israel.

The factions met at the office of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who didn’t attend. Participants said it ended without agreement.

Abbas has proposed month-long halt to rocket attacks to allow the Palestinian factions to discuss a more comprehensive truce with Israel as well as shoring up a shaky cease-fire between rivals Hamas and Fatah. But his opponents have rejected the suggestion.

Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes over the past 10 days in retaliation for stepped-up Palestinian rocket fire on southern Israeli towns near the border with Gaza. More than 40 Palestinians have been killed and the rocket barrages have severely disrupted life in the area near Gaza, sending thousands of frightened Israeli residents fleeing./AP

Americans among oil workers kidnapped

LAGOS, Nigeria — Gunmen on Friday seized a boatload of foreign oil workers, including three Americans, four Britons and a South African, in the latest violence to hit Nigeria’s southern petroleum-producing region, officials said.

Nearly 200 foreign workers have been kidnapped in 18 months of attacks on oil companies and security forces in the Niger Delta, where all the crude is pumped.

The latest seizures came when gunmen stormed a boat owned by a Nigerian oil-services company as it carried the foreigners in the vast region of mangrove swamps and creeks, security force officials said.

More than a dozen foreigners seized in the region are currently in captivity.

The militants say they are fighting for the liberation of two of their leaders imprisoned on corruption and treason charges and more oil revenues for their impoverished lands./AP

Plane crashes in Peru’s jungle; at least 8 survive

LIMA, Peru — A government flight that linked Peru’s isolated jungle communities crashed in a storm, officials said, and at least eight survivors among the 20 people on board were rescued Friday after helicopters spotted a fire some had set.

The Twin Otter plane was declared missing Thursday evening after leaving Orellana, some 360 miles northeast of Lima, the Defense Ministry said. Regional officials said a three-man air force crew and 17 civilian passengers were on board.

Defense Minister Allan Wagner said a police helicopter rescued one survivor and a marine patrol that reached the crash site by land found seven others../AP