Portal:Current events/2004 June 4
June 4, 2004 (Friday)
- President George W. Bush presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Pope John Paul II who criticizes him for the Iraq war while more than 100,000 protest in Rome and other Italian cities. (The Independent) (Calgary Herald)
- North Korea bans citizens from using mobile phones.
- The 15th anniversary of the crackdown of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 is marked in Hong Kong by a candlelight vigil. Police keep Tiananmen Square and other places in mainland China free of demonstrators. (BBC) (VOA)
- A second high-ranking CIA official, Deputy Director for field operations James Pavitt, is to retire early, after 31 years, citing personal reasons; speculation arises that his resignation and that of former Director George Tenet are possibly linked with the Iraq weapons of mass destruction or 9-11 intelligence issues. (BBC) (Reuters) Archived 2004-08-10 at archive.today
- New Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi gives his first televised national address. Five U.S soldiers are killed and another five wounded when their convoy comes under attack from roadside bombs and RPGs near Sadr City. The Mahdi Army agrees to a truce in Najaf with U.S forces and vows to withdraw if the Americans make a similar commitment.
- Marvin Heemeyer goes on a rampage with a 50-ton armour-plated Komatsu D355A bulldozer in Granby,Colorado resulting in 13 buildings destroyed and $7 million in damage.