WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Bureau of Investigation has dismantled an international computer-based child pornography ring and arrested scores of its members, Attorney General John Ashcroft said Monday.

Ashcroft revealed that the FBI's investigation, "Operation Candyman," began in January 2001 and that it continues. In the past 14 months, he said, the "56 national FBI field offices investigated hundreds of individuals who were subscribers to the 'Candyman' e-mail group," a Yahoo on-line community whose members uploaded, downloaded or traded sexually explicit images of children.

The group had a single purpose, Ashcroft said, "to exploit and degrade children." Twenty seven of those arrested have admitted to abusing 36 children, Ashcroft said.

He said at a briefing that the investigation has uncovered an estimated 7,000 members of the 

"It is clear that a new marketplace for child pornography has emerged from the dark corners of cyberspace. Innocent boys and girls have been targeted by offenders who view them as sexual objects," Ashcroft said.

"There will be no free ride on the Internet for traffickers of child pornography," Ashcroft said, warning that those who engage in that activity would be tracked down and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

"Forty individuals in 20 states are now in custody, with another 50 expected by week's end," said Bruce Gebhardt, FBI executive assistant director. 

"They include members of the clergy, law enforcement officers, a nurse, a teacher’s aide, a school bus driver, and others entrusted with protecting, nurturing and educating the American youth."

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Prosecutors in the United States have announced drug-trafficking indictments against three Colombian rebels, in what amounts to the first drug- related charges ever filed against members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC. 

Seven people in all, three Colombians, three Brazilians and one unidentified person, are all charged with conspiring to manufacture and smuggle cocaine into the United States. 

"At this time, all but one of the defendants are believed to be at large in Colombia." Attorney General John Ashcroft said. "These FARC members are charged with exchanging cocaine for the weapons and material that supported their activities."

Ashcroft wants all seven extradited to the United States for trial, and says the United States may ultimately have to get involved if it wants to make sure they are brought to justice. "We will use every appropriate means at our disposal," he said. "But I don't want to indicate in specific that we are going to be involving the military at this time."

 Colombia is the world's largest cocaine producer and FARC rebels finance their activities largely through the drug trade. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States, Colombia, Aruba, Panama and Venezuela have signed an agreement to expand their cooperation against a vast  money-laundering system known as the black market peso exchange. 

"Money laundering takes place on a global scale, and the black market peso exchange system, though based in the Western Hemisphere, affects business around the world," said a U.S. Treasury undersecretary, Jimmy Gurulé, after the signing here.

The five countries created a working group in 2000 to target the complex system, which is used to launder an estimated $3 billion to $6 billion in illegal drug profits annually, according to the U.S. Treasury.

The exchange allows drug traffickers to transfer 

The brokers then use those dollars to buy U.S. goods and smuggle them tax-free into Colombia. Products are often smuggled into Colombia through Panama, Aruba and Venezuela.

Recommendations approved by the five-country working group include proposals to improve collection and sharing of trade and customs data,  promote early warning systems within trading companies to better detect suspicious purchases and improve financial-services regulation.

The group also proposed better oversight of free-trade zones, and suggested that companies involved in international trade be better educated about money-laundering trends and methods.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Diplomatic missions and other foreign installations across Pakistan remain on high alert Monday, as authorities hunt for those behind Sunday's deadly assault on a Protestant church here.

The hand grenade attack near the U.S. embassy killed five worshippers and wounded 45 others. The dead include an American diplomat's wife and their teenage daughter, an Afghan, a Pakistani and a fifth unidentified victim, possibly the attacker. 

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has ordered an intensive manhunt as well as a high-level security meeting Tuesday to examine security measures at the church and other foreign installations. 

Sunday Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said church officials had recently stopped Pakistani security forces from searching people entering the church, after church-goers complained of being inconvenienced. 

It is not clear what security was in place at or near the church when the attack occurred, and no one has claimed responsibility. 

The Protestant International Church is attended by diplomatic families from about a dozen countries. Witnesses say about 70 worshipers were listening to a sermon in the church when a lone attacker entered, began shouting, and then started throwing grenades. 

U.S. issues warning
to citizens abroad

WASHINGTON — The grenade attack at a Protestant church in Islamabad has caused the U.S. State Department to issue another worldwide warning to U.S. citizens abroad.

The government continues to receive credible reports that extremists are planning additional terrorist actions against U.S. interests, said the warning, saying that such attacks "may be imminent and include suicide operations."

However, the government said it had no specifics. Still it said that the church attack suggests that terrorists will seek softer targets as security is increased at official U.S. facilities.

"These may include facilities where Americans are generally known to congregate or visit, such as clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools or outdoor recreation events," said the warning.  "Americans should increase their security awareness when they are at such locations, avoid them, or switch to other locations where Americans in large numbers generally do not congregate."

The government also said that kidnapping might be a weapon used against U.S. citizens.

U.S. facilities overseas may on occasion temporarily close or suspend public services to review their security said the warning, citing such facilities as consulates and embassies.

A 21-year-old tourist from Tennessee died in the Caribbean Sunday afternoon when he was caught by a rip tide, according to investigators.

They said the man, Mark Wiggins, was in the surf with a friend when both were caught by the backflow. Both men fought to get out of the rip tide, but only the friend, who was not identified, succeeded, said agents for the Judicial Investigating Organization.

Wiggins had been in the country just four days, they said. The accident happened in Puerto Viejo about 5:20 p.m., they said
 

Annan ends visit
with official chat

Kofi Annan, The U. N. secretary-general, wrapped up an official visit to Costa Rica Monday, where he met with senior officials and visited the University for Peace west of San José. 

The secretary-general held a private meeting today in San José with President Miguel Angel Rodríguez Echevarria, according to a spokesman traveling with Annan. 

During his visit to the University of Peace Saturday, University Rector Martin Lees thanked Annan for challenging the institution to revitalize itself. 

After meeting with the president Monday, Annan broke his silence and spoke with reporters. He said that the University for Peace should continue working to develop and prepare more students in the areas of conflict and development.

The secretary-general also said that Costa Rica’s new paternity law that makes men responsible for the children they father would serve as a model to be presented to other countries at a coming U.S. conference on children.

Antipoverty confab
opens in Mexico

MONTERREY, Mexico — A U.N. conference aimed at finding ways to end world poverty opened Monday in Monterrey, Mexico. The main events will occur later in the week when President Bush and more than 40 other world leaders come together to discuss development aid.

The object of the conference in Monterrey is to develop a global strategy for stamping out poverty. The draft document that has emerged encourages industrialized nations to spend at least 0.7 percent of their gross domestic product on development aid for poor nations. The document also expresses support for an expansion of world trade as a road to development.

Mexican President Vicente Fox will formally open the summit portion of the conference on Thursday.