January 5, 2004

Bush administration decides to let Kurdish region remain semiautonomous as part of newly sovereign Iraq, despite warnings from Iraq's neighbors and many Iraqis not to divide country into ethnic states; American and Iraqi officials say position on Kurdish area was effectively dictated by Nov 15 accord with Iraqi leaders that established June 30 as target date for Iraqi self-rule; say rapid timetable leaves no time to change autonomy and unity of Kurdish stronghold of north; administration and Iraq officials insist that leaving Kurdish autonomous region intact does not preclude country's consolidating itself without ethnic states in future when Iraq writes its own constitution; say Bush administration will press Iraq not to divide itself permanently along ethic lines; issue of whether Iraq is to be divided into ethnic states in federation-style government is of great significance both inside country and throughout Middle East, where there is widespread fear that dividing Iraq along ethnic or sectarian lines could break country up and spread turmoil throughout region; photo (M)

Prime Minister Tony Blair paid a surprise visit to British troops stationed in southern Iraq yesterday, extolling their courage and surveying their progress. Page A11.

China to Kill Cats Over SARS In a new effort to eradicate the SARS virus, officials in China announced a program to kill 10,000 civet cats, which some studies have linked to the disease. PAGE A4 Bin Laden Tape Broadcast Arab TV broadcast an audiotape said to be from Osama bin Laden urging Muslims to keep fighting a holy war in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. PAGE A11

Louisiana State University defeats Oklahoma University, 21-14, to win Sugar Bowl and Bowl Championship Series title; national championship is Louisiana State's first since 1958; photos (M)

New Constitution for Afghanistan is approved by acclamation by 502 delegates at national meeting, concluding three weeks of often tense debate; for first time, Afghans have set up democratic presidential system, with directly elected president and two-chamber national assembly; elections are to be held in just six months; independent judiciary is also being organized; country will be renamed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, combining democracy and religion; there is to be system of civil law, but no law will be contrary to beliefs and provisions of Islam; new bedrock of government is welcomed by Afghan human rights and women's activists as offering prospect of rule of law in ravaged country; diplomats and foreign experts who observed process praise it for being coherent and even forward looking for region; Pres Bush welcomes new Constitution; Americans hope new arrangements will provide stronger government that can help Afghanistan rebuild after war that defeated Taliban government that had befriended Osama bin Laden; photos; chart with highlights of Afghan pact (L)