CAMP DAVID, Md. — President Bush warned Congress Friday that he will continue vetoing war spending bills as long as they contain a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

Speaking a day after the Democratic-controlled Congress approved legislation that requires that a troop drawdown begin by Oct. 1, Bush said — as he has before — he will veto it because of that demand. He invited congressional leaders to come to the White House to discuss a new piece of legislation that would not include a timetable, and expressed hope a deal could be reached.

But he made clear that if Democrats insist on including timetables again, he will not hesitate to bring out his veto pen.

"If they want to try again that which I've said is unacceptable, of course I won't accept it," the president said during a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "I hope it won't come to that."

Passage of the Iraq spending legislation in both houses was not by big enough margins to override a presidential veto. So lawmakers and the White House immediately began talking about a follow-up bill.

COMMITTEE REQUESTS TILLMAN DOCUMENTS

SAN FRANCISCO — A congressional committee on Friday requested documents from the White House and Pentagon describing how and when the Bush administration learned the circumstances of Pat Tillman's death.

The House Oversight Committee is investigating why Tillman's family and the public were misled about the circumstances of his death.

Tillman, a San Jose native, turned down a lucrative new contract with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals to join the Army following the Sept. 11 attacks. He was killed April 22, 2004, by friendly fire in Afghanistan.

Although Pentagon investigators determined quickly that he was killed by his own troops, five weeks passed before the circumstances of his death were made public. During that time, the Army claimed he was killed by enemy fire.

Committee Chairman Henry Waxman wrote Friday to White House Counsel Fred Fielding requesting "all documents received or generated by any official in the Executive Office of the President" that relate to Tillman.

N.Y. TROOPER KILLED BY FRIENDLY FIRE

ALBANY, N.Y. — Friendly fire apparently killed a New York state trooper as he searched a farmhouse for a suspect in the shooting of a colleague, officials said Friday.

Trooper David C. Brinkerhoff, a member of the force's elite mobile response team, was shot in a gunfight Wednesday as he and other troopers went into a Catskill-area farmhouse where the armed suspect had holed up.

Although the suspect, Travis Trim, shot Brinkerhoff, "the fatal wound was made by a .223 (caliber) tactical round that was believed to have been fired by an MRT member," said acting State Police Superintendent Preston Felton.

Shot along with Brinkerhoff was Trooper Richard Mattson, who was wounded in the left arm and survived.

Felton said Friday an autopsy showed that Trim, 23, also was killed in the gunfight, shot once in the face and twice in the chest. "It's our belief he was killed almost instantaneously," he said.

TENNESSEE SENATOR GUILTY OF BRIBERY

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Former state Sen. John Ford, a prominent member of a politically powerful family, was convicted Friday of accepting bribes in a statewide corruption investigation.

But the federal jury deadlocked on the more serious charge of extortion, creating a mistrial on that count. It also acquitted him of three counts of witness intimidation.

Ford, 64, was convicted of accepting $55,000 in bribes and could be sentenced to prison time and a fine.

The once-influential state senator left the courtroom surrounded by relatives and refused to comment. His lawyer was expected to talk to reporters later.

The prosecution's case depended heavily on giving jurors an up-close look at Ford stuffing his pockets with $100 bills counted one by one by an undercover FBI agent.

BUSH, ABE PUSH N. KOREA ON NUCLEAR REACTOR

CAMP DAVID, Md. — President Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe threatened stronger punitive actions against North Korea on Friday if it reneges on a promise to padlock its sole nuclear reactor.

"Our patience is not unlimited," said Bush, standing beside Abe at the Camp David presidential retreat where they stressed the strength of U.S.-Japan relations.

Eager to show that the two nations stand united against Pyongyang, Abe said, "Should the North Koreans fail to keep their promise, we will step up our pressures on North Korea, and on that point again I believe we see eye-to-eye."

In February, North Korea pledged during six-party talks with the United States, Japan, China, Russia and South Korea to shut down its reactor by April 14, a deadline that passed almost two weeks ago.

North Korea says it is waiting to receive some $25 million in funds frozen after Washington blacklisted a Macau bank for alleged complicity in North Korean money laundering and counterfeiting.

SAUDI TERROR SWEEP NETS 172 MILITANTS

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia announced Friday that an anti-terrorism sweep netted 172 Islamic extremists and stopped plans to mount air attacks on the kingdom's oil refineries, break militants out of jail and send suicide attackers to kill government officials.

An official said the plotters had completed preparations for their attacks, and all that remained to put the plot in motion "was to set the zero hour."

It was one of the biggest roundups since Saudi leaders began cracking down on religious extremists four years ago after militants attacked foreigners and others involved in the country's oil industry seeking to topple the monarchy for its alliance with the U.S.

But while the monthslong police operation provided a high-profile victory for the royal family, the large number of people arrested highlighted the extremism threat in the world's leading oil exporter.

The Interior Ministry said the plotters were organized into seven cells and planned to stage suicide attacks on "public figures, oil facilities, refineries ... and military zones," including some outside the kingdom. It did not identify any of the targets.

MCGREEVEYS TOLD TO USE 'COMMON SENSE' DURING SPLIT

ELIZABETH, N.J. — A judge handling the contentious divorce of the nation's first openly gay governor and his estranged wife urged them on Friday to use "common sense" during their split.

Judge Karen Cassidy also called former Gov. James E. McGreevey's sexual orientation insignificant to the case.

The courtroom session with McGreevey and Dina Matos McGreevey was their first public appearance together since he resigned and told the world he was "a gay American" more than two years ago.

Just before the hearing started, McGreevey approached his wife as she sat between her lawyers and shook her hand. He spoke and she acknowledged him; the encounter lasted a matter of seconds.

At the hearing, which followed a private meeting with lawyers, the judge said the couple had agreed to continue their current visitation arrangements for their only child, 5-year-old Jacqueline.

CELLIST MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH DIES AT 80

MOSCOW — Mstislav Rostropovich played the cello with grace and verve — and lived his life offstage the same way. His death at age 80 takes away one of modern Russia's most compelling figures, admired both for his musical mastery and his defiance of Soviet repression.

Rostropovich stirred souls with playing that was both intense and seemingly effortless. He fought for the rights of Soviet-era dissidents and later triumphantly played Bach suites below the crumbling Berlin Wall.

In his last public appearance, at his birthday celebration in the Kremlin on March 27, Rostropovich was frail but still able to show his capacity for joy and generosity.

"I feel myself the happiest man in the world," he said. "I will be even more happy if this evening will be pleasant for you."

Spokeswoman Natalia Dollezhal confirmed Rostropovich's death, but would not immediately give details. The composer, who returned to Russia last month after years of living in Paris, had suffered from intestinal cancer.

DENVER NUGGETS CENTER WINS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

DENVER — Now that Marcus Camby is the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, he's looking ahead — and behind.

The Denver Nuggets' 33-year-old center said that while he cherishes winning the award for the first time in his 11-year pro career, he'd much rather be celebrating a championship in a couple of months.

That's not an unusual refrain from winners of the NBA's individual awards.

But how many get to use the occasion to take a jab at fans, coaches and the commissioner for excluding him from the All-Star team?