US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz says the United States will withdraw its troops from tsunami relief operations in Asia "as soon as possible." Mr. Wolfowitz said Saturday in Bangkok that a key aim is for the US military to pass on relief responsibilities to other governments and organizations in the region. The deputy defense secretary made similar remarks in Indonesia, where he took an aerial tour of the devastated Banda Aceh province and said he was shocked at what he saw. Meanwhile, U.N. officials say Sri Lanka's government has reversed its earlier refusal to allow the head of the U.N. World Food Program, James Morris, to visit rebel-held areas hit by the tsunami. He is expected in the region Sunday. Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen is also expected in Sri Lanka this coming week. Norway has brokered peace talks between Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels.
