National and International News - Saturday Feb. 17

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the success of a security crackdown in Baghdad depends on how well the Iraqi government takes advantage of any lulls in sectarian violence. Rice's unannounced stop in Iraq today came during a Middle East trip that takes her next to Jerusalem.

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says today's test vote on a nonbinding resolution opposing President Bush's war plan will show Americans where their senators stand on the issue. Republicans are insisting on an alternative that rejects any reduction in troop funding.

TOKYO (AP) - Two F-22 fighter jets have arrived at a U-S Air Base in Japan, and 22 more are on the way. The deployment of the stealth jets is a way of showing off the fighter's strengths in a region where China and North Korea are challenging the complex balance of military power.

DENVER (AP) - Airline officials are trying to figure out what caused the windshields on at least 13 planes to crack at Denver International Airport yesterday. One spokesman says it's "kind of a mystery" since the cold, windy weather wasn't that unusual for Denver. Nobody was hurt.

BEIJING (AP) - The Chinese New Year begins tomorrow, and hundreds of (m) millions of people are making their way back to their hometowns to celebrate. The People's Daily says there could be more than two (b) billion trips in the 40 days surrounding the holiday, stretching the country's transport system.