Defense

They make an unlikely pair, the world's most notorious captured terrorist and the Navy captain assigned to defend him against war-crimes charges that could lead to his execution. But together, the two men are quietly embarking on a legal odyssey that could last years, and may ultimately help define the constitutional parameters of the United States' role in the global war on terrorism.

A former Boeing Co. scientist pleaded guilty to taking secret documents home from work without authorization, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles said. Abraham Lesnik, 62, admitted to unauthorized possession of defense information, U.S. Atty. Thomas O'Brien said. Lesnik faces up to 10 years in prison at his Oct. 6 sentencing. Lesnik worked at a Boeing facility in El Segundo until last year. He had unauthorized possession of 10 secret documents, including some related to space radars and one on "national defense satellite threat mitigation," according to court papers.

Talk about concealed weapons: Harvard University biologists have discovered that some species of African frogs can puncture the skin of their toes with sharp, hooked bones and use them as claws to fight off predators. The previously unknown defense mechanism came to light when doctoral student David C. Blackburn picked up one of the fist-sized amphibians in Cameroon and got a bloody scratch when the frog violently kicked its hind legs. He and colleagues reported in the journal Biology Letters that they later identified 11 species with the ability to flex a muscle that projects the sharp bone through the skin when threatened.

The United States signed a pact Tuesday to build part of a U.S. missile defense shield in this former Soviet satellite, prompting Russia to warn that it will react with military means if the shield is deployed. The U.S. and Czech foreign ministers toasted with champagne after signing the accord to place a tracking radar southwest of Prague as part of a system to protect against attack from countries such as Iran. But Russia warned the U.S. against deploying the shield.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk dismissed the official who was leading talks with Washington on placing part of a U.S. missile defense system in the country, saying his performance was not satisfactory. Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski will assume the post held by Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski. Tusk also said he was angry over an interview Waszczykowski gave to a newsmagazine in which he criticized the prime minister for his stance in the talks. Last month, Tusk rejected the latest U.S. offer aimed at getting Poland to accept the missile defense base.

Poland and the United States struck a deal Thursday that will strengthen military ties and put an American missile interceptor base in Poland, a plan that has infuriated Moscow and sparked fears in Europe of a new arms race. Washington says the planned system, which is not yet operational, is needed to protect the U.S. and Europe from possible attacks by missile-armed "rogue states," such as Iran.