The soldiers bode emotional farewell to their families and friends at the Naval Station San Diego before boarding the ships --the amphibious assault ships USS Boxer and USS Bonhomme Richard, the amphibious transport docks USS Cleveland and USS Dubuque, and the dock landing ships USS Anchorage, USS Comstock and USS Pearl Harbor.

Navy officials said that many of the troops are seasoned veterans who have participated in US military operations in Afghanistan. The ships are expected to arrive in the Persian Gulf by the middle of next month.

In the past days, Marines from Camp Pendleton in San Diego and other bases have been moving military gear and equipment onto the Navy ships.

The troop movement is part of the intensified US preparation for a war with Iraq, whom Washington accuses of hiding weapons of mass destruction.

Last Friday, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered 35,000 troops to the Persian Gulf, and on Saturday ordered the deployment of 27,000 more.

The series of deployments are aimed at boosting the US troop presence in the Persian Gulf to 100,000 by the end of this month and 150,000 by mid-February.

About 50,000 US military personnel are already in the Middle East, including several hundred Camp Pendleton Marines now billeted in Kuwait and Qatar. They left in November for desert warfare exercises, then stayed in case of any action against Iraq.

Mediators must accept legitimacy of his government: Chavez
Welcoming a new international mediator to help Venezuela solve its seven-week national strike crisis, President Hugo Chavez said Friday mediators must recognize his government as legitimate and democratic.

In his annual address to the parliament, Chavez said the Venezuelan government welcomed the mediation of the newly-formed "Group of Friends of Venezuela".

But international mediation "must begin by recognizing a legitimate government, that there is a democratic government that I head, elected by a free people," Chavez said.

He declared that Venezuela had many friends all over the world, but warned that "Venezuela will not be a country under the guardianship of anybody."

"It is and will always be a free and sovereign country that issues its own laws and seeks solutions to its own problems, because the people have their own mechanisms to do it."

At the invitation of Brazil's President Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva, Latin American leaders on Wednesday agreed to form a six-nation "Group of Friends of Venezuela" comprising Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Spain, Portugal and the United States.

Chavez's opponents have also welcomed the new mediation. "The formation of the Group of Friends ...is a great success," opposition leader Jesus Torrealba said.

The opposition seeks the Chavez's immediate resignation, or an early referendum on Feb. 2 to decide whether Chavez will remain in his position. Chavez insists he will stick to the constitution which allows for a referendum in August at the earliest.

The general strike which began on Dec. 2 has caused great losses to the fifth largest oil producer in the world.

Russia warns against hasty conclusions about chemical warheads in Iraq
Russia on Friday warned against hasty conclusions about the chemical warheads found by international inspectors in Iraq.

Russia believes the results of the inspection require a thorough expert analysis before any conclusions can be made, Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"It is necessary to emphasize that Iraq continues to provide immediate and unconditional access to all facilities that interest inspectors of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) in accordance with its obligations under Security Council Resolution 1441," the statement said.

A UN spokesman reported on Thursday arms inspectors from the UNMOVIC found 11 empty chemical warheads at an ammunition storage in their daily hunting for banned weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Iraq said the found warheads were not linked to banned weapons programs and had expired long ago.

Also on Thursday, UNMOVIC inspectors visited the residences of two Iraqi scientists in Baghdad, where some documents related to past proscribed activities, dating from the early 1990s, were taken for further evaluation, according to Iraqi officials.

Athens unveils 2004 Olympic torch
The torch for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games was unveiled by organizers here on Wednesday.

The torch to carry the Olympic flame around the world is inspired by the olive leaf, an ancient symbol of Greece and peace, and is made from wood and magnesium with 68 centimeters in tall and 700 grams in weight.

It was designed by 45-year-old Greek artist Andreas Varotsos.

After being lit in Olympia where the ancient Olympics took place, the torch will travel around the world and return to Greece in 2004 to light the Olympic stadium's flame on August 13-29, 2004.

The torch was presented at an official ceremony here by Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, president of the Athens Olympic Committee (ATHOC) in the presence of IOC president Jacques Rogge.