Politics

Why Bush Doesn't Deserve a Second Term

Here are the top three reasons to vote against George W. Bush: Bush is a big government liberal. Bush is turning the world against America. Bush is not pro-life.

Cost of Wars to Top $225 Billion

The Bush administration intends to seek about $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan early next year, pushing total war costs close to $225 billion since the invasion of Iraq early last year. Yale University economist William D. Nordhaus estimated that in inflation-adjusted terms, World War I cost just under $200 billion for the United States. The Vietnam War cost about $500 billion from 1964 to 1972, Nordhaus said. The cost of the Iraq war could reach nearly half that number by next fall, 2 1/2 years after it began.

FBI Investigating Halliburton Contracts

WASHINGTON -- The FBI has begun investigating whether the Pentagon improperly awarded no-bid contracts to Halliburton Co., seeking an interview with a top Army contracting officer and collecting documents from several government offices. The line of inquiry expands an earlier FBI investigation into whether Halliburton overcharged taxpayers for fuel in Iraq, and it elevates to a criminal matter the election-year question of whether the Bush administration showed favoritism to Vice President Dick Cheney's former company.

Bush has no choice but to reinstate draft

President Bush may or may not have a secret plan to reinstate the draft. But this is beside the point. The deteriorating facts on the ground in Iraq, plus the Bush doctrine of acting pre-emptively and unilaterally against hostile regimes, will soon leave him no choice. If President Bush is re-elected, he will have to restart the draft.

Will the Draft Become the Most Important Issue in 2005?

I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet. I even work for a “non-prophet” organization. Yet I will go out on a limb and make the following prediction: If Bush is reelected and our empire-building continues, and if reenlistment in the armed forces dries up, as seems likely following the fiasco in Iraq, more warm bodies will be needed in a hurry to fight the nation’s wars, and the call from Washington to resume the draft will become deafening.

Iraqis threaten to behead Japanese hostage

TOKYO -- Japanese government officials scrambled Wednesday to secure the release of a 24-year-old Japanese hostage, Shosei Koda, in Iraq without bowing to the kidnappers' demand for a pullout of Japanese troops within 48 hours. Vice Foreign Minister Yukio Takeuchi told U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker on the phone that Japan has no plans to withdraw its troops, and the U.S. envoy expressed support for the Japanese policy, according to the Foreign Ministry. Japanese officials were apparently dismayed that Koda had ignored an advisory against visiting the conflict-torn country.

Motorcycle Bomber Kills US Soldier in Iraq Convoy Attack

A US soldier has been killed and another wounded in a suspected motorcycle bombing against their convoy in eastern Iraq, the military says. "A 13th Corps Support Command soldier is dead and one is injured as the result of a suspected motorcycle bomb attack on their convoy near Sindiayah," it said in a statement. The latest American death raises the number of US military fatalities in Iraq to 1,102 since the March 2003 invasion, according to Pentagon numbers.

US Army Convoys Come Under Daily Attacks

BAGHDAD -- Roadside blast hits US army vehicle; a 13th Corps Support Command soldier is dead; three Iraqis were wounded by a car bomb along a road northeast of Baghdad; an armoured US vehicle was hit by a bomb along the highway to Baghdad's international airport; a Bradley fighting vehicle lost one of its tracks but it was recovered.

Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD -- Two American soldiers were killed in Iraq on Thursday in guerrilla attacks in Baghdad and north of the capital, the U.S. military said. It said one soldier died when insurgents attacked his patrol with rocket-propelled grenades, south of Balad, which lies 50 miles north of Baghdad. A car bomb earlier killed an American soldier on patrol and at least one Iraqi civilian in southern Baghdad. A second civilian may also have died in the blast, the military said.

11 Iraqi troops executed as US soldier killed

An Iraqi group said on its Web site Thursday that it had executed 11 Iraqi troops taken hostage south of Baghdad and posted video of the bound men being shot or beheaded. According to The AP, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army said it had beheaded one and shot the 10 others. "After investigating with them and (hearing) their confessions, it turned out this group was responsible for guarding the Crusader American troops in Radwaniya area and what's around it in southern Baghdad," a statement posted on the web site said.

Scientists Warn Of 'Ethnic Weapons'

Biological weapons that target selected ethnic groups could become part of the terrorists' arsenal unless governments and scientists act now, the British Medical Association warns. Such designer weapons would be based on the growing ability of scientists to unravel and compare human DNA.

Feds Still Torturing

No Change in US Torture Policy – Amnesty
The United States has failed to meaningfully change its policies on the treatment of prisoners, opening the door to repeats of abuses like those at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and making an independent probe into torture by the US military essential, says a leading human rights group. In a 200-page report released Wednesday, London-based Amnesty International (AI) stressed that without such an investigation and the clear, unequivocal rejection of torture and ill-treatment by top US officials, "the conditions remain for further abuses to occur."

Paying China for pressuring Pyongyang

The use of pressure tactics is one of the ancient principles of diplomacy. Not many nations practice it as effectively as the United States, the lone superpower. The focus of Washington's pressure tactics this time is North Korea, and the recipient is none other the People's Republic of China, itself an ancient master of the subtle and not-so-subtle arts of diplomacy of all sorts, as well as deception.

US judge bars military from forced anthrax shots

WASHINGTON -- A federal judge on Wednesday barred the U.S. military from forcing troops to be vaccinated for anthrax without either getting their informed consent or obtaining a special order from President George W. Bush. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan set aside a final rule and order by the Food and Drug Administration that late last year declared the anthrax vaccine safe and effective to protect troops against inhaled exposure of the deadly bacteria.

Million Dollar-Plus Political Donors Rise

WASHINGTON -- There are more people giving $1 million or more to partisan political groups now than before Congress passed a law aimed at taking seven-figure contributions out of elections, new figures show. About five dozen people are on the list of $1 million-plus donors to partisan groups active in this year's presidential and congressional races. That compares with about three dozen during the heyday of party "soft money" in the 2002 election cycle and about two dozen in 2000, according to data compiled by the nonpartisan Political Money Line campaign finance tracking service.

Hundreds of election challengers trained

An unprecedented number of Republican and Democrat selected election challengers will monitor precincts statewide next Tuesday, checking everything from voter eligibility to the 100-foot campaign-free zone outside polling places. Republicans say they want to prevent mischief. Democrats say they hope to stop intimidation.

Democrats file 9 suits in Florida

Democrats in Florida already are pursuing nine election-related lawsuits, accusing state election officials of conspiring to disenfranchise minority voters. Led by the Florida Democrat Party, the People for the American Way, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the AFL-CIO, the lawsuits target, among others, Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood. The suits say Republican officials refused to count provisional ballots, improperly disqualified incomplete voter registrations, established overly restrictive rules to disproportionately hurt minority voters and actively sought to disenfranchise blacks.

Voter Registrations Challenged in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- One voter picks up letters at the post office because trucks kept hitting his mailbox. Another serves in Iraq (news - web sites). Hundreds more are homeless, listing shelters as permanent addresses. All are among the 35,000 whose eligibility has been challenged by the Ohio Republican Party. Since mail came back undelivered, the GOP says, those registrations could be fraudulent. Democrats say the GOP is trying to keep poor and minorities, who move more often, from voting.

Could the Associated Press (AP) Rig the Election?

The Associated Press (AP) will be the sole source of raw vote totals for the major news broadcasters on Election Night. However, AP spokesmen Jack Stokes and John Jones refused to explain to this journalist how the AP will receive that information. They refused to confirm or deny that the AP will receive direct feed from voting machines and central vote tabulating computers across the country. But, circumstantial evidence suggests that is exactly what will happen. And what can be downloaded can also be uploaded. Computer experts say that signals can travel both to and from computerized voting machines through wireless technology, modems, and even simple electricity.

E-Vote Vendors Hand Over Software

In an effort to increase the integrity of next week's presidential election, five voting machine makers agreed for the first time to submit their software programs to the National Software Reference Library for safekeeping, federal officials said on Tuesday. The stored software will serve as a comparison tool for election officials should they need to determine whether anyone tampered with programs installed on voting equipment.

Battle to stop e-voting steps up

With the US presidential election less than two weeks away, the battle over electronic voting is raging stronger than ever. Opponents of the technology have resorted to a series of lawsuits in a last-ditch attempt to stop the use of the machines. The debate centres on the use of electronic voting equipment, ATM-like machines that register votes digitally after people make their selections on a touch-screen. Nearly 30% of voters will place their ballot using these 'e-voting' machines when choosing the next US president.

Editorial – Speakout! Endorsement for Michael Peroutka

We endorse Michael Peroutka, the Constitution Party candidate. While we could never support the liberal, John Kerry, we will not support the moderate, George W. Bush, even though we like him as a person, when an educated conservative like Peroutka, is running.

US reprimands General over 'Christian battle' remarks

The United States Army has taken action against Lieutenant General William Boykin, who embarrassed the Bush administration by giving speeches in which he described the war on terrorism as a Christian battle against Satan. Army vice-chief of staff General Richard Cody declined to give any details of the action taken in response to Gen Boykin's remarks, which violated Pentagon rules, but said it was not "significant". Gen Boykin touched off a firestorm when he gave a series of speeches while in uniform in which he referred to the war on terrorism as a battle with Satan. He said America had been targeted "because we're a Christian nation." Muslim groups and law makers condemned Gen Boykin's comments and Mr Bush said the remarks "didn't reflect my opinion." (Read: Is President Bush Really "One Of Us?")

BP making $1.8 million an hour

The oil giant BP, Britain's biggest company, yesterday revealed profits of more than £1 million an hour, helped by soaring fuel prices. It made £2.34 billion profit in the past three months, as oil prices were pushed to record levels by a combination of strong world demand and disruption to supplies caused by wars and bad weather. If the company continues its success to the end of the year, it is likely to post one of Britain's biggest ever annual profits.

Flashback
The Oil Presidency
The news of the oil price dip was all the rage yesterday, so let's talk oil prices, hovering at $40 per barrel. In real terms, they are still below the peak, but four times higher than they were one president ago. What was everywhere known as the all-oil ticket became the oil presidency that has indeed yielded hugely high prices for oil.

Election Chaos: Is American Society In Danger?

Circulated on the Internet, Larry Abraham’s "Insider Report" dated October 8, 2004 outlines an election scenario that might create "a series of riots in major cities and an attempt at ’making the country ungovernable’ thus setting the stage for Martial Law." At first I ignored Abraham’s musings, but ominous happenings may lend them credence. The Associated Press has an article telling of a flurry of law suits being filed mostly by Democrats in several key states seeking to use the courts to gain Democratic votes. Several lawsuits are being filed that will question the authenticity of our election process. There is impetus behind all this and it is menacing because other than the serious intrinsic problems that come with wide-open Democracy, prior to the last election, the establishment showed little concern about vote count.

The United States Of Insanity

By Michael Gaddy
Many have wondered as to the very noticeable decline in most American’s ability to perform deductive reasoning. I doubt though, that many would actually define this phenomenon as clinical insanity. I do, however, believe that many of the actions now being performed by citizens of this country, as it pertains to election season, would qualify most folks for admission to the funny farm, if they related to everyday life.

Rehnquist Hospitalized With Cancer in Md.

WASHINGTON -- Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, the second-oldest man to preside over the nation's highest court is undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer. Rehnquist, 80, underwent a tracheotomy at Bethesda Naval Hospital in suburban Maryland on Saturday, the Supreme Court announced Monday. It said he expects to be back at work next week when the court will next be in session.

Election Lessons

God established civil government to be an avenger who brings wrath upon those who practice evil. The civil government's power to use the sword is legitimate in certain limited cases. The Bible has mandated that the power of the sword is to keep the peace, to protect those who do what is right. Civil rulers are said to be “ministers of God” similar to the way pastors are “ministers of God.” They are God’s “deacons” in their designated governments, one ecclesiastical and the other civil. Not all rulers live up to the honorable title of "minister." Paul is speaking of the ideal.

C-Span: Third Party Presidential Debate Online

For those of you who may have missed it, you can watch the third party presidential debate online. Just open the following stream in RealPlayer: rtsp://video.c-span.org/project/c04/c04_rwh101004.rm
In addition to the Constitution Party's own Michael Peroutka, the debate at Cornell University included David Cobb (Green), Walt Brown (Socialist) and Michael Badnarik (Libertarian). Naturally, given the parties represented, it wasn't much of a contest. Peroutka was brilliant. It's a shame we never had the opportunity to see him go head-to-head with Bush and Kerry. posted by Lee Shelton.

What is instant runoff voting?

While watching the "third-party" candidates debate at Cornell University, I heard something about Instant Runoff Voting. All of the candidates, including Peroutka, favored such a system. I'd be curious what readers might think of such an approach. Apparently, Ireland has been using a similar system to elect presidents and Australia uses the method for its House of Representatives; both for 90 years. posted by Lee Shelton.

Bush Backers Believe Propaganda

Three out of four self-described supporters of President George W. Bush still believe pre-war Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or active programs to produce them, and that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein gave "substantial support" to al-Qaeda terrorists, according to a survey released Thursday.

Conservatives are dumping the Republican Party

by Darrell Dow
"There is precious little of the old republic to conserve, and the sooner we come to that realization, the better. The time has come to challenge the elites rather than accommodate them, negotiating for a few scraps from the imperial table. The time has come for our own march through the institutions."

Paper can't stand either Bush, Kerry

For President: None of the Above
Agonizing choice comes down to this: Neither Bush nor Kerry meets our endorsement test. As Election Day approaches, we find ourselves, like many Americans, agonizing over the presidential election. Four years ago, the choice was clear. We endorsed George W. Bush based on his promises of fiscal conservatism, limited government and prudence in foreign affairs. Today, we sadly acknowledge that the president has failed to deliver on those promises. The Ideal President: So what are we looking for in a president? Someone who respects the Constitution and recognizes that the document should not be twisted by each generation to answer passing threats. We want a president whose character and temperament match the demands of the office. We want a president who appreciates that the responsibility of being the world's military superpower requires a deft touch to maintain harmonious relationships.

Peroutka/Baldwin '04

I believe that the upcoming election will be a test of sorts - one that will give us an indicator as to how many Christian patriots are really out there.

Secession, Anyone?

No topic I write about stirs a more unexpected response than secession — the right of a state to withdraw from the United States. You might think the issue was settled forever in 1865, when the North crushed the South in the Civil War. But many Americans, North and South, still like the idea, and many others nearly panic at the mere mention of it.

First They Came For The Nurses

First the Back-Door Draft,
Now the Foot-in-the-Door Draft
So the cat's out of the bag. With reports today in the New York Times, AP and other media outlets that the Pentagon is contemplating a draft call-up of health professionals because of a shortage of doctors, nurses and medics in the increasingly thinly stretched U.S. military, we can see the lie in Bush's (and in Kerry's) promises not to reinstate conscription.

Bill Clinton wants to be head of U.N.

WASHINGTON -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has set his sights on becoming U.N. secretary-general. A Clinton insider and a senior U.N. source have told United Press International the 56-year-old former president would like to be named leader of the world body when Kofi Annan's term ends early in 2006. "He definitely wants to do it," the Clinton insider said this week.

Get US out! of the United Nations
Join with thousands of other Americans working to Get US out! of the United Nations. Take the action steps outlined on this website to carry out a proven strategy to increase your effectiveness and influence. Every individual can make a difference in the battle to preserve freedom.

Newest Fast-Attack Subs Have No Periscopes, Submarines Use Digital Cameras Instead

NORFOLK, Va. -- With bells ringing and horns blaring, the Navy on Saturday commissioned the lead ship of its latest class of fast-attack submarines specifically designed for post-Cold War security threats. The $2.2 billion, nuclear-powered USS Virginia differs from other submarines because it can not only roam the deep blue ocean but also get close to shore in shallow water. The 377-foot-long sub is the first to be built without a periscope, using a high-resolution digital camera instead. That meant the control room, which always had to be directly below the periscope, could be moved to a larger space in the sub's lower deck. The sub is the first of 10 Virginia-class submarines scheduled to be built through a partnership between Northrop Grumman Newport News and General Dynamics Electric Boat. The class is projected to have 30 subs.

A Pox On Both Their Houses!

Both the Democrat and Republican Parties are corrupt, perverted, dysfunctional political organizations that are not looking after the welfare of the citizens, but are looking to get power for their party and increasing that power any way they can. Neither party cares about the Constitution, as they constantly violate it via their politicians who are elected and constantly break their oaths of office. These establishment parties are about money and power. They are not about liberty or the rule of law. They are two sides of the same tarnished coin that needs to be melted down and remade.

Buchanan's Misplaced Trust

Pixilated, unstable and a quitter as well
Pat Buchanan’s announcement that he will be supporting President Bush in the November election provides some insight into the chaos that overcame his presidential bid in the last election. ... Pat Buchanan is Catholic and a supporter of the Christian platform. However, he, like most of American Christianity has both feet firmly planted in the pragmatic camp.

C-Span: Third Party Presidential Debate Online

For those of you who may have missed it, you can watch the third party presidential debate online. Just open the following stream in RealPlayer: rtsp://video.c-span.org/project/c04/c04_rwh101004.rm
In addition to the Constitution Party's own Michael Peroutka, the debate at Cornell University included David Cobb (Green), Walt Brown (Socialist) and Michael Badnarik (Libertarian). Naturally, given the parties represented, it wasn't much of a contest. Peroutka was brilliant. It's a shame we never had the opportunity to see him go head-to-head with Bush and Kerry. posted by Lee Shelton.

Shame on Buchanan!

Patrick Buchanan, a Roman Catholic, and certainly the most highly-respected traditional conservative leader in our nation, is a good example of an individual whose straight thinking seems to have been affected. Buchanan has come out in support of voting for the "lesser of two evils" (George Bush) rather than voting for Michael Peroutka, voting one's conscience for the Constitution Party candidate, a staunch pro-life, anti-United Nations, pro-U.S. sovereignty candidate. Is Buchanan suffering from amnesia?

The Brownshirting of America

In language reeking with hatred, Heritage Foundation TownHall readers impolitely informed me that opposing the invasion of Iraq is identical to opposing America, that Bush is the greatest American leader in history and everyone who disagrees with him should be shot before they cause America to lose another war. TownHall’s readers were sufficiently frightening to convince the Heritage Foundation to stop posting my columns. Bush’s conservative supporters want no debate. They want no facts, no analysis. They want to denounce and to demonize the enemies that the Hannitys, Limbaughs, and Savages of talk radio assure them are everywhere at work destroying their great and noble country.

Bush’s Socialist Disaster

Republicans have long dabbled in socialism, and our current president is no exception. His Medicare bill, his farm subsidies, and his enormous expansion of federal education spending all amount to "third-way" economic programs that constitute the injection of socialism into a capitalist economy. Social democracy, as Hayek observed, will inevitably push society towards serfdom and totalitarianism, and Bush is guilty of horrendous domestic policies in that direction.

Millions Deceived By Two-Party Voter's Guide

Many churches that teach strict biblical principles also pass out deceptive voter's guides that not only give out misleading information, but also perpetuate America's fraudulent two-party system that gives people a false impression of having a voice in our political process. ... While I am not accusing church workers of being deliberately dishonest in their intentions to "enlighten" parishioners with these two-party voter's guides, they have been terribly deceived. Both major party presidential candidates and many legislators from these two parties are "internationalists".

Vote For The Future Not For Republicans

There is little reason to expect the GOP is going to change its current direction if they continue to be rewarded with electoral victories. Conservatives are certainly not protecting their principles by sacrificing them for the sake of keeping Democrats out of office.

Robertson: I warned Bush on Iraq casualties

NEW YORK -- The founder of the U.S. Christian Coalition said Tuesday he told President George W. Bush before the invasion of Iraq that he should prepare Americans for the likelihood of casualties, but the president told him, "We're not going to have any casualties." Pat Robertson, an ardent Bush supporter, said he had that conversation with the president in Nashville, Tennessee, before the March 2003 invasion. He described Bush in the meeting as "the most self-assured man I've ever met in my life. I warned him about this war. I had deep misgivings about this war, deep misgivings. And I was trying to say, 'Mr. President, you had better prepare the American people for casualties.'" Robertson said the president then told him, "Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties." Even as Robertson criticized Bush for downplaying the potential dangers of the Iraq war, he heaped praise on Bush, saying he believes the president will win the election and that "the blessing of heaven is on Bush." "Even if he stumbles and messes up -- and he's had his share of stumbles and gaffes -- I just think God's blessing is on him," Robertson said.

White House disputes Pat Robertson claim

EAU CLAIRE, Wisconsin -- A White House spokesman denied Wednesday that President Bush told Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson that he did not expect casualties from the invasion of Iraq. "The president never made such a comment," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. Senior Bush campaign adviser Karen Hughes, a longtime confidant of the president, said she was "certain" Bush would not have said anything like that to Robertson.

Secret report details plan to draft medics

WASHINGTON -- The Selective Service has been updating its contingency plans for a draft of doctors, nurses and other health care workers in case of a national emergency that overwhelmed the military's medical corps. In a confidential report this summer, a contractor hired by the agency described how such a draft might work, how to secure compliance and how to mold public opinion and communicate with health care professionals, whose lives could be disrupted.

U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Iraqi Prisoner Abuse

BAGHDAD -- A U.S. soldier pleaded guilty on Wednesday before a court martial to abusing prisoners in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, including forcing one to masturbate and photographing naked prisoners. Staff Sgt. Ivan Frederick, a military policeman, told the hearing at a U.S. military base just outside the Iraqi capital he had been trying to humiliate the prisoners and set the scene for their interrogations. Judge Col. James Pohl is expected to announce his verdict and the sentence Thursday. Frederick, 38, pleaded guilty to five charges, including indecent acts, dereliction of duty and assault, but denied some of the details.

Witness says CIA oversaw abuse at Abu Ghraib

BAGHDAD -- Witnesses in the trial of a U.S. soldier charged with abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib have told the court that the CIA sometimes directed abuse and orders were received from military command to toughen interrogations. The evidence, from an officer and a chief warrant officer who served at the jail, is among the strongest so far in the Abu Ghraib trials pointing to more senior involvement in the abuse and direct orders from above to "soften up" detainees.

Russian army 'riddled with sadists'

Russia's once mighty armed forces are a haven for sadists, with senior soldiers subjecting their junior colleagues to vicious beatings, torture, sexual violence and death threats, a report said yesterday. After three years of research and more than 100 interviews with victims, Human Rights Watch, based in New York, said the problem of violent initiation ceremonies - known as dedovshchina or "rule of the grandfathers" - had reached horrific levels and was sapping morale and undermining combat readiness.

Marines Vent Frustration in Western Iraq

The sound of roaring engine, shattering evening calm, gets immediately followed up with a quick whisper among the troops, trying to find out who it was — this time. At this Marine base, at the far west of the restless Anbar province only miles from the Syrian border, the news spreads quickly. "We are losing guys left and right," says Cpl. Cody King, 20, of Phoenix, not hiding his anger. "All we are doing around here is getting blown up."

Number of US troops wounded in Iraq war tops 8,000

WASHINGTON -- The latest Pentagon figures reveal that the number of US troops wounded in Iraq since military operations began in March 2003 has topped eight thousand. The total of eight-thousand-16 is more than double what it was six months ago when the insurgency suddenly accelerated. On April fifth, the number wounded in action stood at just under three thousand. The U-S military death toll almost doubled in that same period, standing at 11-hundred-two as of Tuesday, by the Pentagon's count. On April second it was 598.

How Many Iraqis Are Dying? By One Count, 208 in a Week

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- It began with the killing of two Iraqi civilians in a suicide bomb attack against an American military convoy in the northern city of Mosul last Monday. It ended Sunday evening, when a car bomb killed seven Iraqi police officers and civilians at a Baghdad cafe where police officers had apparently broken their fast during this month of Ramadan. A weeklong effort to tally Iraqi casualties shows soldiers, insurgents, politicians, journalists, a judge, a medic and restaurant workers among the victims. They included Dina Mohammed Hassan, a television reporter killed by three men who called her a collaborator, and Ali Hussein's son and nephew, nighttime guards who died when Americans bombed a restaurant in Falluja.

By the thousands, soldiers 50 and older are being deployed

Of the 160,000 men and women deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, 4,119 are 50 or older. At a time in life when most people are looking forward to retirement or eyeing Florida real estate, these soldiers are leaving behind corporate jobs and grandkids. Some even voluntarily postpone military retirement to go to war. "The hardest part about going," Thomas said, "is when my granddaughter asks me why I'm not going to be home for Christmas."

Rockets fired at US bases in southern Afghanistan

KABUL -- Militants fired half a dozen rockets over US-led military outposts in southeastern Afghanistan in the latest in a string of post-election attacks, an official said. Four rockets were fired onto the US-led military base in the eastern city of Jalalabad but the attack did not cause any casualties, US coalition military spokesman, Major Mark McCann told AFP.

U.S. General Suggests Bin Laden Is Alive

WASHINGTON -- The top American commander in Afghanistan said Tuesday he has no evidence Osama bin Laden is in day-to-day control of al-Qaida but suggested the long-absent terrorist leader is alive. Lt. Gen. David Barno, speaking to reporters during a visit to the Pentagon, talked mostly of a lack of evidence about bin Laden's whereabouts, health and current role in the al-Qaida network. He remains, however, a critical target, Barno said. Barno suggested that bin Laden's death would be difficult to conceal from intelligence services, even if he died in a secret place, because his associates would talk about it. Recent communications from al-Qaida's top echelon have come from bin Laden's chief deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, as videotaped messages.

US weighs role in heroin war in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The burgeoning illegal opium trade in Afghanistan has become the biggest single threat to democracy, surpassing Al Qaeda and the Taliban and prompting US officials to consider military intervention against the traffickers, US and Afghan officials say.

An Abolitionist Defends the South

The great historian of liberty, Lord Acton, wrote to Robert E. Lee in 1866 that he saw in the South’s struggle for states’ rights nothing less than the defense of "our civilization," and the last bulwark against centralized state tyranny.

When War Games Meet Video Games

You'd hardly expect to find dozens of defense strategists setting aside two weeks at a time to play a video game. But then, Urban Resolve is no ordinary video game. Developed by the U.S. Joint Forces Command, or JFCom, a division of the Department of Defense, the $195,000 program is a combat simulation on a massive scale. It pits two opposing teams of soldiers against one another in a fight for control over a city under siege, and it's capable of modeling the behavior of the nearly 1 million entities -- the soldiers, civilians, cars, tanks and so on -- that might exist in such a conflict.

Criminal Oil-For-Food Probe Eyes Kofi's Son

WASHINGTON -- The son of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been targeted by a federal criminal probe into corruption of the scandal-scarred Iraq oil-for-food program, sources said. Top U.N. officials said 30-year-old Kojo Annan is among a handful of individuals and companies whose business dealings with the gigantic U.N. humanitarian aid program are now facing the white-hot scrutiny of a federal grand jury in Manhattan. It was not clear exactly why Kojo Annan is being eyed in the probe, which involves an $11 billion scheme involving alleged kickbacks and illegal oil smuggling orchestrated by deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

GM to Lay Off 900 at Pontiac Plant

PONTIAC, Mich. -- General Motors Corp., anticipating slumping demand for two of its most profitable vehicles, is cutting 900 hourly workers from its Pontiac Truck Assembly Plant in January. The world's largest automaker told employees Tuesday that it was eliminating one of three production shifts it has operated at the plant since the fall of 2002. Spokesman Dan Flores said GM did not know how many of the 900 United Auto Workers members would get jobs at other plants or remain permanently laid off. Officials with UAW Local 594, which represents hourly employees at the plant, could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening. The Pontiac plant is one of four in North America that produces the popular Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.

Convergys to Cut 250 Jobs, Misses Forecast

CINCINNATI -- Convergys Corp. said Wednesday that its earnings fell by a third in the third quarter and that it will eliminate 250 management jobs worldwide through voluntary departures or layoffs. For the three months ending Sept. 30, the billing, customer care and employee care services company earned $30.1 million, or 21 cents per share, a penny less than the forecast of Wall Street analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call. A year ago, Convergys earned $45.5 million, or 31 cents a share.

Sanhedrin Launched In Tiberias

A unique ceremony - probably only the second of its kind in the past 1,600 years - is taking place in Tiberias today: The launching of a Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish-legal tribunal in the Land of Israel. The Sanhedrin, a religious assembly that convened in one of the Holy Temple chambers in Jerusalem, comprised 71 sages and existed during the Tannaitic period, from several decades before the Common Era until roughly 425 C.E. Details of today's ceremony are still sketchy, but the organizers' announced their intention to convene 71 rabbis who have received special rabbinic ordination as specified by Maimonides.

'All of us refused to go'

Calls, E-mails explain troops' alleged mutiny
The military has begun punishing some of the 19 Army reservists who balked at what they called a "suicide mission" and a "death sentence" in Iraq last week. Some members of the South Carolina-based 343rd Quartermaster Company refused to transport fuel between the Iraqi cities of Tallil and Taji Wednesday morning, saying they had no protection for the dangerous trip.

Suicide Mission

Meaning of The Soldiers' Rebellion In Iraq
Nineteen members of a supply platoon, part of the 343rd Quartermaster Company based in Rock Hill, South Carolina, refused to go on a convoy mission because their unarmored vehicles were unsafe. One soldier describe the mission – a 200-mile journey in a convoy of unarmored vehicles going 40 miles per hour, in which they had a 75 percent chance of being hit—as a "death sentence." Furthermore, "The fuel was contaminated for the helicopters," said the grandfather of one of the detained soldiers. "It would have caused them to crash. That's why they refused to deliver the fuel. They saved lives." They took a vote – hey, there’s democracy in Iraq for you! – and unanimously decided to decline the mission.

Soldiers Saw Refusing Order as Their Last Stand

ACKSON, Miss. -- What does it take for a man like Staff Sgt. Michael Butler, a 24-year veteran of the Army and the Reserve who was a soldier in the first Persian Gulf war and a reserve called up to fight in the current war in Iraq, to risk everything by disobeying a direct order in wartime? On the morning of Oct. 13, the military says, Sergeant Butler and most of his platoon, some 18 men and women from the 343rd Quartermaster Company, refused to deliver a shipment of fuel from the Tallil Air Base near Nasiriya, Iraq, to another base much farther north.

GIs Who Refused Job Had Unarmored Trucks

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who refused orders to drive a dangerous route were members of one of a few supply units whose trucks are still unarmored, their commanding general said Sunday. The soldiers, now under investigation, had previously focused on local missions in safer parts of southern Iraq and had never driven a convoy north along the attack-prone roads passing through Baghdad. "Not all of their trucks are completely armored. In their case, they haven't had the chance to get armored," said Brig. Gen. James E. Chambers, commanding general of 13th Corps Support Command, which sends some 250 convoys ferrying Army fuel, food and ammunition across Iraq each day.

Army Probes Unit That Refused Mission in Iraq

The Army general overseeing a supply unit in Iraq has asked for an investigation into allegations that members of a South Carolina-based quartermaster company refused an assigned convoy mission, claiming it was too dangerous. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., demanded answers from the Pentagon on Friday after he said 17 soldiers from the 343rd Quartermaster Company were apparently detained in Iraq for refusing to convoy fuel in what they considered dangerous vehicles. The 120-member 343rd is based in Rock Hill, S.C., but has members from Mississippi, including a sergeant in Thompson's district. The refueling mission, the Army's statement said, was later conducted by other members of the same unit.

2 Miss. soldiers among 5 reassigned

Army commanders reassigned five members of an Army platoon, including two Mississippians, who refused a mission in Iraq earlier this week because of faulty equipment, a military spokesman said Friday. Dov Schwartz, Army spokesman, said the commanding general of the 13th Corps Support Command has initiated an investigation into actions by 17 members of the 343rd Army Reserve Quartermaster Company. It was an "isolated incident confined to a small group," Schwartz said, but preliminary findings show the soldiers raised "valid concerns."

Six US soldiers killed in Iraq, Warplanes pound Fallujah

BAGHDAD -- Two American helicopters crashed in Iraq, bringing the US death toll to six in under 24 hours, while US warplanes pounded a rebel checkpoint in Fallujah as violence marred the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. A brief statement from the US military announced that two reconnaissance helicopters had crashed in southwest Baghdad on Saturday evening, killing two soldiers and wounding two others. The deaths followed the killing of four US troops in a series of bombings in various parts of the country reported Saturday. Christians gathered for Sunday mass after coordinated bomb attacks on five Baghdad churches sent chills through the rapidly shrinking religious community, on edge over the nation's rampant lawlessness and rising tide of extremism.

Kids get martyr message in music video

Palestinian release textbook
teaching children to aid terrorists
A music video urging children to become suicide bombers and which was removed from circulation last year returned to official Palestinian television last week along with the publication of a new school textbook teaching children how to aid terrorists.

UK denies using troops to boost Bush

LONDON -- The government has rejected accusations that it might reposition British troops to more dangerous areas in Iraq to boost George W. Bush's political position in the U.S. presidential election race. Responding to reports that military chiefs are resisting U.S. requests for British troops to be sent to more dangerous areas of Iraq, Health Secretary John Reid on Sunday dismissed claims a redeployment of troops would be a "political gesture". "For people to suggest that there is some tawdry political deal here, I think, diminishes the effort that has been made by our soldiers on the ground," he told BBC television.

Communist China sends riot police to Haiti

"This is a very hard task but we are full of confidence to succeed in this mission," one woman officer told state television. The force has spent three months training and passed exams administered by the United Nations. Specially trained for riots and crowd control, the force will join up with a multinational force on the troubled island. "This is our country's obligation in safeguarding world peace. China, being a responsible major country in the world, should play such role," Vice Minister of Ministry of Public Security Meng Hongwei told state television.

Texans killed in the Iraq war

At least 97 Texas service members have died in Iraq since the war began March 20, 2003, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. (www.defenselink.mil) The list includes overseas casualties related to Operation Iraqi Freedom, both in combat and otherwise, as reported by the Department of Defense. Here's a brief look at those who have died:

2004:

-- October 14: Army Specialist Josiah H. Vandertulip, 21, of Irving, died when his patrol came under small arms fire in Baghdad. He was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.

-- October 12: Army Specialist Michael S. Weger, 30, of Houston, died when his Humvee was struck by an improvised explosive in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 20th Engineer Battalion, First Cavalry Division; Fort Hood.

-- September 24: Marine Sergeant Timothy Shane Folmar, 21, of Sonora, was killed in Iraq's Anbar province. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- September 22: Army Private First Class Adam J. Harris, 21, of Abilene, was killed when he was shot by a sniper. He was assigned to the Second Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

-- September 20: Marine Reserve Sergeant Foster L. Harrington, 31, of Fort Worth, was killed by enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the Marine Corps Reserve's Third Force Reconnaissance Company, Mobile, Alabama.

-- September 13: Marine Lance Corporal Mathew D. Puckett, 19, of Mason, died due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- September 13: Marine Lance Corporal Dominic C. Brown, 19, of Austin died in Iraq's Al Anbar Province in a non-combat-related incident. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- September 12: Marine Private First Class Jason T. Poindexter, 20, of San Angelo, died from injuries received due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province. Poindexter was a rifleman assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- September 8: Army Reserve Specialist Lauro G. DeLeon Jr., 20, of Floresville, died in Balad when a bomb exploded near his convoy. DeLeon was assigned to the Army Reserve's 64Fourth Transportation Company in Beaumont.

-- September 7: Army Specialist Chad H. Drake, 23, of Garland, died in Baghdad when his patrol vehicle was hit by small arms fire. He was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.

-- September 6: Army National Guard Specialist Tomas Garces, 19, of Weslaco, died in Baghdad when his convoy was attacked by enemy forces using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 1836th Transportation Company, Fort Bliss.

-- September 5: Army Private First Class Ryan M. McCauley, 20, of Lewisville, died when enemy insurgents attacked his patrol with small-arms fire in Baghdad. He was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.

-- September 3: Marine Lance Corporal Nicholas Perez, 24, of Austin died as a result of enemy action in Anbar province. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, California.

-- September 1: Marine Lance Corporal Nickalous N. Aldrich, 21, of Austin died in a non-hostile vehicle accident. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- Aug. 24: Marine Lance Corporal Jacob R. Lugo, 21, of Flower Mound died as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, California.

-- Aug. 21: Marine Lance Corporal Seth Huston, 19, of Perryton died due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province. Huston was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- Aug. 15: Army Specialist Mark Anthony Zapata, 27, of Edinburg, died when his unit came under fire in Najaf. He was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.

-- Aug. 9: Army Captain Andrew R. Houghton, 25, of Houston, died from shrapnel wounds suffered during a patrol near Samarra on July 10 when the Bradley Fighting vehicle he was in came under rocket-propelled grenade fire. He was assigned to the First Infantry Division in Germany.

-- Aug. 2: Marine Sergeant Juan Calderon Jr., 26, of Weslaco, died while conducting "security and stability" operations in Anbar Province. He was with the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- July 5: Marine Lance Corporal Michael S. Torres, 21, of El Paso, was killed while fighting in Al Anbar Provine. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, California.

-- July 2: Army Second Lieutenant Brian D. Smith, 30, of McKinney, was shot and killed in Habbaniyah while conducting combat operations. Smith was assigned to the First Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

-- June 21: Marine Lance Corporal Pedro Contreras, 27, of Houston was killed by hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- June 3: Marine Lance Corporal Todd J. Bolding, 23, of Manvel, died of wounds from hostile action in Anbar Province. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- May 15: Army Staff Sergeant Rene Ledesma, 34, of Abilene, died in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device exploded near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle. He was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.

-- May 8: FEMALE Army Specialist Isela Rubalcava, 25, of El Paso, died in Mosul when a mortar round hit near her. She was assigned to the Second Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

-- May 5: Marine Corporal Jeffrey G. Green, 20, of Dallas, was found dead in the Euphrates River in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- April 26: Marine Lance Corporal Aaron C. Austin, 21, of Sunray, died from hostile fire in the Al Anbar Province. Austin was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- April 17: Marine Lance Corporal Ruben Valdez, Jr., 21, of San Diego, was killed by enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, California.

-- April 17: Army Private First Class Clayton W. Henson, 20, of Stanton, was killed when his convoy was ambushed in Dwaniyan. He was assigned to the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, Louisiana.

-- April 14: Army Sergeant Christopher Ramirez, 34, of McAllen, died in Al Anbar Province from injuries sustained in combat. He was assigned to the First Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

-- April 11: Marine Corporal Daniel R. Amaya, 22, of Odessa, died from hostile fire in Anbar province. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, California.

-- April 11: Army Chief Warrant Officer Wesley C. Fortenberry, 38, Woodville, died when his helicopter was shot down. He was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

-- April 10: Army Specialist Adolf C. Carballo, 20, of Houston, died when struck by shrapnel in Baghdad. He was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.

-- April 10: Army Sergeant William C. Eckhart, 25, of Rocksprings, died in an explosion in Baqubah. He was assigned to the First Infantry Division in Germany.

-- April 9: Marine Corporal Matthew E. Matula, 20, of Spicewood, was killed by hostile fire. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- April 9: Marine Lance Corporal Elias Torrez the Third, 21, of Veribest, was killed by hostile fire. He was assigned to First Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, California.

-- April 8: Marine Lance Corporal Michael Wafford, 20, of Spring, was killed after a group of Marines were fired on in Anbar Province. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- April 6: Army Sergeant Gerardo Moreno, 23, of Terrell, died in a rocket-propelled grenade attack near Ashula, Iraq. He was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.

-- April 5: Marine Lance Corporal Shane L. Goldman, 20, of Orange, died due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- April 5: Army Specialist Scott Q. Larson Jr., 22, of Houston, died when his convoy was ambushed in Baghdad. He was assigned to the First Armored Division in Germany.

-- April 4: Army Specialist Robert Arsiaga, 25, of Greenwood, died when his unit's convoy was attacked by Shiite militiamen in Baghdad. He was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.

-- April 4: Army Specialist Israel Garza, 25, of Lubbock, died when his unit's convoy was attacked by Shiite militiamen in Baghdad. He was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.

-- April 1: Marine Private First Class Dustin M. Sekula, 18, of Edinburg, died of injuries sustained from enemy fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, California.

-- March 31: Army Specialist Michael Greg Karr Jr., 23, of San Antonio, was killed when an exposive detonated under the M-113 armored personnel carrier he was riding in north of Fallujah, Iraq. He was assigned to the First Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

-- March 31: Army First Lieutenant Doyle M. Hufstedler the Third, 25, of Abilene, was killed when an explosive detonated under the M-113 armored personnel carrier he was riding in north of Fallujah. He was assigned to the First Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

-- March 26: Marine Private First Class Leroy Sandoval Jr., 21, of Pasadena, died of a gunshot wound sustained during a battle with Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah. He was assigned to First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- March 25: Marine Corporal James A. Casper, 20, of Coolidge, died in a non-combat related incident at Al Asad. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- March 19: Army Private First Class Jason C. Ludlam, 22, of Arlington, died March 19 in Ba'qubah, when he was electrocuted while laying telephone wires. He was assigned to the First Infantry Division in Germany.

-- March 18: Marine Private First Class Ricky A. Morris Jr., 20, of Lubbock, died as a result of enemy action in Al Qaim. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, California.

-- March 17: Army Specialist Tracy L. Laramore, 30, of Greenville, died in Baji. He drowned after the Bradley fighting vehicle in which he was riding overturned into a river. He was assigned to the 18th Infantry Regiment in Germany.

-- March 11: Army Staff Sergeant Joe L. Dunigan Jr., 37, of Belton, died in Fallujah, when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the First Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

-- Feb. 1: Army Private First Class Armando Soriano, 20, of Houston, died in Haditha in a vehicle accident. He was traveling in a two-vehicle convoy on a supply route when weather conditions caused his vehicle to slide off the road and roll over. He was assigned to the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado.

-- Jan. 24: Army Private First Class Ervin Dervishi, 21, of Fort Worth, died when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the Bradley Fighting Vehicle in which he was traveling in Baji. Hei was assigned to the Fourth Infantry Division, Fort Hood.

-- Jan. 21: Army Private First Class David Parker, 20, of Bryan, died when a mortar round exploded near him at his compound in Baqubah. He was assigned to the Fourth Infantry Division, Fort Hood.

-- Jan. 18: Army Master Sergeant Kelly L. Hornbeck, 36, of Fort Worth, died at the 28th Combat Support Hospital of wounds received Jan. 16 when an explosive hit his vehicle south of Samarra. He was assigned to the Tenth Special Forces Group, Fort Carson, Colorado.

-- Jan. 17: Army Specialist Larry E. Polley Jr., 20, of Center, died when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle struck a roadside bomb while his unit was conducting a surveillance sweep near the town of Taji, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the Fourth Infantry Division, Fort Hood.

-- Jan. 16: Army Staff Sergeant Roland L. Castro, 26, of San Antonio, died of a non-hostile gunshot wound in Camp Cedar II. He was assigned to the 12th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

-- Jan. 2, 2004: Army Captain Eric T. Paliwoda, 28, of Killeen, was killed in Balad. He was in his command post when it came under mortar attack. He died of injuries sustained in the attack. He was assigned to the Fourth Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

2003:

-- Dec. 28, 2003: Army Captain Ernesto M. Blanco, 28, of San Antonio, died in Qaryat Ash Shababi when an improvised explosion hit his vehicle. He was assigned to the 8Second Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

-- Dec. 28: Army Private Rey D. Cuervo, 24, of Laguna Vista, was killed when an improvised explosive device hit his mounted patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, Louisiana.

-- Dec. 22: Army Private First Class Stuart Moore, 21, of Livingston, was killed when an improvised explosive device struck his convoy in Baghdad. He was assigned to the First Armored Division in Germany.

-- Dec. 7: Army Specialist Ray J. Hutchinson, 20, of League City, was killed when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device on his way back from patrol. He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

-- Dec. 2: Army Chief Warrant Officer Clarence E. Boone, 50, of Fort Worth in Kuwait from a heart attack. He was assigned to the Fourth Infantry Division, Fort Hood.

-- Nov. 28: Army Sergeant Ariel Rico, 25, of El Paso, was killed in action near Mosul when four mortar shells hit his base. He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

-- Nov. 15: Army Sergeant John W. Russell, 26, of Portland, was killed when two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Mosul. He was with the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

-- Nov. 8: Army Staff Sergeant Gary L. Collins, 32, of Hardin, killed while riding in a Bradley fighting vehicle that hit an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the First Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

-- Nov. 2: Army Sergeant Keelan Moss, 23, of Houston, killed near Fallujah when a helicopter was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile. He was assigned to the Fifth Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

-- October 28: Army Sergeant Michael Paul Barrera, 26, of Von Ormy, was killed at Baqouba when his tank was hit by an explosive. He was assigned to the 67th Armored Regiment, Fort Hood.

-- October 22: Army Private First Class John P. Johnson, 24, of Houston, died of non-combat-related injuries in Baghdad. He was with the First Armored Division in Germany.

-- October 13: Army Private First Class Stephen E. Wyatt, 19, of Kilgore, killed in action in Balad when his convoy was hit by an explosive and gunfire. He was assigned to the 17th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

-- October 1: FEMALE Army Private First Class Analaura Esparza Gutierrez, 21, of Houston, was killed in action near Tikrit when a convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device and rocket-propelled grenades. She was assigned to Fourth Forward Support Battalion, Fort Hood.

-- September 18: Army Specialist Richard Arriaga, 20, of Ganado, was killed in action near Tikrit. He was one of three soldiers killed in a small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade ambush on their Humvee. He was assigned to the 4Second Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Hood.

-- September 11: Army Sergeant Henry Ybarra the Third, 32, of Austin, was killed in an accident in Balad. He died from injuries sustained when he was changing a tire on his military truck and the tire exploded. He was assigned to the Sixth Cavalry Regiment in Germany.

-- Aug 6: Army Specialist Zeferino E. Colunga, 20, of Bellville, died from acute leukemia while he was serving in Iraq with the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, Louisiana.

-- July 26: Army Sergeant Daniel K. Methvin, 22, of Belton, was killed in action in Baghdad when a grenade was thrown from a window of an Iraqi civilian hospital. He was assigned to the Fourth Infantry Division, Fort Hood.

-- July 24: Army Staff Sergeant Hector R. Perez, 40, of Corpus Christi, was killed in action when his military convoy came under fire on the way toward Qayyarah, 185 miles north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

-- July 19: Army Second Lieutenant Jonathan D. Rozier, 25, of Katy, was killed in action in Baghdad when his unit was fired on by rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire while providing security at a municipal building. He was assigned to the First Armored Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

-- July 11: Army Specialist Christian C. Schulz, 20, of Colleyville, was killed in non-combat related incident in Baqubah. Schulz was assigned to the Fourth Infantry Division, Fort Hood.

-- July 9: FEMALE Army Sergeant Melissa Valles, 26, of Eagle Pass, was killed in non-combat related incident in Balad. She was assigned to the 6Fourth Forward Support Battalion, Fort Carson, Colorado.

-- June 27: Army Corporal Tomas Sotelo, Jr., 22, of Houston, was killed in action in Baghdad. His convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He was assigned to the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, Louisiana.

-- June 17: Army Private Robert L. Frantz, 19, of San Antonio, was killed in action in Baghdad. He was on guard duty when a local resident threw a grenade over the wall. He was assigned to the First Armored Division in Germany.

-- June 16: Army Specialist Joseph D. Suell, 24, of Lufkin, was killed in a non-combat related incident in Todjie. He was assigned to the Third Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

-- May 28: Army Specialist Jose A. Perez the Third, 22, of San Diego, was killed in action in Taji, Iraq. His convoy was ambushed. He was assigned to the 27th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

-- April 28: Army First Sergeant Joe J. Garza, 43, of Robstown, was killed in an accident in Baghdad when his Humvee swerved to avoid a civilian vehicle. He fell out and was hit by a civilian vehicle. He was assigned to the 30th Infantry Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia.

-- April 22: Marine Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Todd Arnold, 30, of Spring, killed in an accident at a firing range near Kut. He was among three Marines killed when a rocket-propelled grenade launcher they were firing malfunctioned. He was assigned to the Second Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

-- April 7: Army Private First Class Anthony S. Miller, 19, of San Antonio, was killed in action by enemy indirect fire. He was assigned to the Third Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

-- April 7: Marine Corporal Jesus Martin Antonio Medellin, 21, of Fort Worth, killed in action in Central Iraq. He was riding in an Amphibious Assault Vehicle that was hit by enemy artillery. He was assigned to the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- April 7: Air Force Captain Eric B. Das, 30, of Amarillo, killed in action when the F-15E he was flying went down during a combat mission. He was assigned to the 333rd Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.

-- April 3: Marine Private First Class Chad E. Bales, 20, of Coahoma, killed in an accident near Ash Shahin. He was involved in a non-hostile vehicle accident during combat operations. He was assigned to First Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton, California.

-- April 2: Army Master Sergeant George A. Fernandez, 36, of El Paso, was killed in action in Northern Iraq. He was assigned to Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

-- April 2: Army Chief Warrant Officer Scott Jamar, 32, of Granbury, was killed in a helicopter accident in Central Iraq. He was in an UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that crashed. He was assigned to the Third Aviation Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.

-- March 23: Marine Staff Sergeant Phillip A. Jordan, 42, of Brazoria, was killed in action near Nasiriyah. He was with the Second Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

-- March 23: Army Sergeant Edward J. Anguiano, 24, of Brownsville was killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq. He was in a convoy on Iraqi Highway 7 that was ambushed pre-dawn after their convoy made a wrong turn. He was assigned to the 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss.

-- March 23: Army Private Ruben Estrella-Soto, 18, of El Paso was killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq. He was in a convoy on Iraqi Highway 7 that was ambushed pre-dawn after their convoy made a wrong turn. He was assigned to the 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss.

-- March 23: Army Specialist James Kiehl, 22, of Comfort was killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq. He was in a convoy on Iraqi Highway 7 that was ambushed pre-dawn after their convoy made a wrong turn. He was assigned to the 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss.

-- March 23: Army Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Villareal Mata, 35, of El Paso was killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq. He was in a convoy on Iraqi Highway 7 that was ambushed pre-dawn after their convoy made a wrong turn. He was assigned to the 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss.

-- March 20: Marine Corporal Brian Matthew Kennedy, 25, of Houston, killed in a CH-46E helicopter crash in Kuwait near the Iraq border. He was assigned to the Third Marine Aircraft Wing, Camp Pendleton, California.

Iraqis hit churches, kill four American troops

BAGHDAD -- Explosions damaged churches in Baghdad yesterday and the U.S. military reported the deaths of four more American troops in bomb attacks elsewhere in Iraq. A suicide car bomber killed three U.S. troops, along with an Iraqi civilian, in Qaim near the Syrian border on Friday. The fourth died after a car bomb blast in Mosul the same day.

Blasts rock 5 Christian churches in Iraq
BAGHDAD -- Predawn explosions yesterday ripped through five Christian churches in the Iraqi capital, which by nightfall also was the scene of the crashes of two U.S. helicopters, which killed two soldiers and wounded two others. The church bombings occurred the day after the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Christian churches attacked in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Saturday began here with pre-dawn blasts at five empty Christian churches and ended with two U.S. helicopters crashing over the city, killing two soldiers and wounding two others. Thousands of Christians have left the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, and Saturday's church bombings were unwelcome news to the remaining Christians who make up about 3 percent of Iraq's population.

Related Links

Presidential Message: Ramadan
President Hosts Iftaar
Muslims to pray in the White House
Bush praises Islam for its 'morality'
Bush Praises Islam as Religion of Tolerance

Presidential Message: Ramadan

I send warm greetings to Muslims in the United States and around the world as they begin observance of Ramadan, the holiest season in their faith.

Ramadan commemorates the revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammed. By teaching the importance of compassion, justice, mercy, and peace, the Qur'an has guided many millions of believers across the centuries. Today, this holy time is still set aside for Muslims to remember their dependence on God through fasting and prayer, and to show charity to those in need.

American history has taught us to welcome the contributions of men and women of all faiths, for we share the fundamental values of religious freedom, love of family, and gratitude to God. Americans who practice the Islamic faith enrich our society and help our Nation build a better future.

Laura joins me in sending our best wishes.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Related Links:

President Hosts Iftaar
Muslims to pray in the White House
Bush praises Islam for its 'morality'
Bush Praises Islam as Religion of Tolerance

Is President Bush Really "One Of Us?"

In speeches before Christian gatherings, General Boykin committed a cardinal breach of political correctness by affirming that America is "a Christian nation." He also rightly observed that many Muslim terrorists hate America because we are a Christian nation. Predictably, these remarks have brought out the ire and chastisement of President Bush. After learning of the general's remarks, Bush quickly appeared before a Muslim audience in Indonesia and soundly rebuked his statements. He said, "He (General Boykin) didn't reflect my opinion. Look, it (Boykin's remarks) just doesn't reflect what the (U.S.) government thinks."

Where the Right Went Wrong

Jon Luker Reviews Buchanan’s Latest Book
How effective, historically speaking, is full-frontal attack on terrorism? Chapter four answers that question handily, bringing to this reader’s mind a metaphorical reply, “It’s about as effective as taking a baseball bat to a wasp’s nest.” The War on Terror was a declaration of “Unwinnable War.” Expecting to “root out the evildoers” is a messianic endeavor that guarantees perpetual war. Terror has been with us since “before the Romans put Carthage to the sword” and we cannot expect it to be eliminated.

The Definition of Paleoconservative

A paleoconservative, in my obviously biased judgment, is a real conservative. There is a complete and total difference between one who calls himself a "mainstream" conservative nowadays and one who could call himself a conservative of the '40s and early ‘50s.

How Conservative Is George W. Bush?

Given that so many conservatives have come out in favor of George W. Bush, who supposedly isn’t as bad as John Kerry, an important question arises: Exactly how conservative is George W. Bush? Though the assault-weapons ban has expired, it is no credit to the administration. Bush expressed willingness to revive the ban — whereas he has shown nothing but contempt in his stonewalling of efforts to arm airline pilots. And now he’s calling for free government health clinics in every town, free health care for all disadvantaged youth, and massive welfare to Americans to help them purchase homes.

Bush flunked Vietnam then and now

This article contains evidence that will convince an unbiased observer that George W. Bush in 1972, while the Vietnam War was raging, fled his position as a fighter pilot in the National Guard because his use of illegal drugs made it inevitable that he would be arrested and court-martialed if he stayed. Does that sound like behavior the soldiers who died in Vietnam would choose to reward?

Time To Go Shopping -- for Ammo

If you're a gun owner, this is the time to stock up on your favorite calibers. You say you've got a dozen metal military surplus ammo boxes full of .38 Special, .45 ACP, .308 and other popular rounds? A few trips to the local range will deplete those supplies. Think in terms of stocking up for the long haul. So why spend the money on bullets instead of beans, beer or Buicks? Despite popular perception, there is a real urgency on this issue. Both of the name-brand presidential candidates – George W. Bush (Fascist) and John Kerry (Socialist) – support the recently expired assault weapons ban.

On Guns Bush is All Talk No Action

At various campaign stops around the country, President Bush has said, to applause, that he stands “strongly for the Second Amendment, which gives every American the indivisible right to bear arms.” But, his failure to support Rep. Mark Souder’s (R-Ind.) legislation which would repeal all of Washington DC’s laws which prohibit private gun ownership shows that when it comes to the Constitutionally-protected right of individual citizens to keep and bear arms, Mr. Bush is all talk and no action. As recently as September 28, 2004, the “Washington Post” reported White House spokesman Clare Buchan as having “declined to comment on the specifics of Souder’s bill.” But, why no comment?

What If We Were Occupied by Iraqis?

An Arabic Coalition that managed to invade and occupy the USofA. Suppose they set up check-points at intersections and at least once a week they literally dragged you and your family out of your car to search it and your bodies for illegal weapons, bombs, or maps about where your WMD's are hidden. Suppose they kick in your door in the night, leer at your women (frankly, I rather doubt a group of armed Arabic soldiers would content themselves with leering, but let's keep the comparison comparable), shoot your dog, shoot up your car and house, ransack it, and then move on, without explanation, without apology, with nothing but threats. AND... if you even dare to glare at them, they drag you to Abu Ghraib, or one of a hundred detention centers around the country, to be held without charges, to be beaten and denied all basic human rights. (You don't think Iraqis could do this? Ha. We should be so lucky.)

How Technology Failed in Iraq

The Iraq War was supposed to be a preview of the new U.S. military: a light, swift force that relies as much on sensors and communications networks as on heavy armor and huge numbers. But once the shooting started, technology fell far short of expectations.

6 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq Attacks

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A suicide attack and roadside bombings killed six American soldiers, the U.S. command said Wednesday, as U.S. and Iraqi troops staged raids in Ramadi and Baqouba, stepping up pressure on Sunni insurgents before this week's start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. A suicide driver plowed into a U.S. convoy and blew up his car Wednesday in the northern city of Mosul, killing two American soldiers and wounding five, according to the military. It was the second deadly suicide attack against American convoys in Mosul in the past three days.

Grunts at Camp Eagle

Soldiers at Camp Eagle weary
of Baghdad slum, Iraqis, mission
FORWARD OPERATING BASE EAGLE, Iraq -- There's no shortage of dangerous, austere and just plain miserable military postings in Iraq, but the American soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division bunking at this base just outside Baghdad's Sadr City slum might have drawn the shortest straw of all. Since March, insurgents have flung more than 800 mortar rounds at Eagle, turning a walk to the mess tent into a life-and-death proposition. On patrol, the soldiers routinely encounter roadside bombs, small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. "Everybody's had a close call. I've had about a dozen or so. Everyone's got the same story," said 2nd Lt. Brian Panaro. "Close isn't close anymore unless you're covered in dust."

Germany rethinks Iraq force deployment

Germany might deploy troops in Iraq if conditions there change, Peter Struck, the German defence minister, indicated on Tuesday in a gesture that appears to provide backing for John Kerry, the US Democratic presidential challenger. In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Struck departed from his government’s resolve not to send troops to Iraq under any circumstances, saying: “At present I rule out the deployment of German troops in Iraq. In general, however, there is no one who can predict developments in Iraq in such a way that he could make a such a binding statement [about the future].”

Poland Recalls 34 Soldiers From Iraq for Psychiatric Problems

WARSAW -- Poland, one the major contributors to the US-led coalition in Iraq, has repatriated 34 soldiers from its 2,500-strong force for psychiatric problems, a defence ministry official said Tuesday. "PTSD syndrome (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) has been diagnosed among seven soldiers in the first contingent (in 2003), 23 in the second, and four in the current one," Colonel Miroslaw Karasek told journalists.

An Informed Vote

I'd like to write something on the issue of George Bush and pluralism, but since it's so easy to say something wrong in this context, I think I'll let the man speak for himself.

No More Excuses!

Why a Vote for Michael Peroutka
over George Bush Is Not a Wasted Vote
It never ceases to amaze me how so many good people can be naive or deceived. Numerous times during our involvement with the Constitution Party over the past 2½ years, people—well-meaning, conservative, Christian people—have told us for one reason or another that they don’t care to vote for Principle over Politics, they don’t want constitutional government, they don’t want to end abortion in America, they don’t want their liberties reclaimed. How can that be? How can someone who is a Christian possibly be alright with continuing the child-killing in America? Does it seem incredible to you that Christian people would make such statements?

Bush, Cheney Concede Saddam Had No WMDs

WASHINGTON -- President Bush and his vice president conceded Thursday in the clearest terms yet that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction, even as they tried to shift the Iraq war debate to a new issue — whether the invasion was justified because Saddam was abusing a U.N. oil-for-food program. Ridiculing the Bush administration's evolving rationale for war, Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry shot back: "You don't make up or find reasons to go to war after the fact." Vice President Dick Cheney brushed aside the central findings of chief U.S. weapons hunter Charles ' — that Saddam not only had no weapons of mass destruction and had not made any since 1991, but that he had no capability of making any either — while Bush unapologetically defended his decision to invade Iraq.

U.S. Report Finds No Evidence of Iraq WMD

WASHINGTON -- Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction programs had deteriorated into only hopes and dreams by the time of the U.S.-led invasion last year, a decline wrought by the first Gulf War and years of international sanctions, the chief U.S. weapons hunter found. The report chronicles the decay of Iraq's chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs after its defeat in the 1991 Gulf War. By the late 1990s, only its long-range missile efforts continued in defiance of the United Nations; even then, Iraq's ballistic and cruise missile designs had not proceeded far past the drawing board. But President Bush defended the decision to invade. "There was a risk, a real risk, that Saddam Hussein would pass weapons or materials or information to terrorist networks," Bush said in a speech in Wilkes Barre, Pa. "In the world after Sept. 11, that was a risk we could not afford to take."

Get us out of Iraq: UN staff

Two organisations representing more than 60,000 United Nations staff members urged Secretary-General Kofi Annan to pull all UN staff out of Iraq because of the "unprecedented" risk to their safety and security. In a joint letter to Annan, the staff organisations cited a dramatic escalation in attacks in Iraq and said the United Nations regrettably "has become a direct target, one that is particularly prone to attacks by ruthless extremist terrorist factions." "Just one staff member is one staff member too many in Iraq," they said.

U.N. panel to frame guidelines on legality of pre-emptive strike

Members of an international panel studying United Nations' operations say the group hopes to lay down clear rules declaring when it is legal for a nation to use pre-emptive military force in its own defense. The issue grows out of the international controversy over the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq without a final U.N. Security Council resolution explicitly authorizing the war, said panel member Gareth Evans, a former foreign minister of Australia.

Bush’s Police State

Just sitting next to a friend who expresses an anti-Bush opinion can get you into big Secret Service trouble
Recently on Michael Feldman’s National Public Radio show “Whaddya Know?” a high school junior told the audience how he and his friend had recently been stopped on a city bus by the Secret Service. The two high school students had obtained tickets from an insurance company to attend a pro-Bush campaign rally. Evidently, before the students could get off the bus, the Secret Service already knew who they were and that they had worked for John Kerry’s campaign. That was enough for the students to be labeled “national security risks.” Unless they turned around and went home, they would be arrested, warned the Secret Service agents.

German Spy Chief Says Bin Laden Is Alive

BERLIN -- Germany's intelligence chief said Thursday he believes that Osama bin Laden is alive and continues to exert influence in his al-Qaida terror network. German intelligence officials believe, as they have for some time, that bin Laden is living in the Afghan-Pakistani border area, Hanning said. He did not specify which side of the border.

Congressional thieves approve CalFed - $395 million California Delta Water Plan by voice vote!

Bush is expected to sign it
WASHINGTON -- Congress on Wednesday settled at least one skirmish in California's legendary water fights, sending President Bush a long-debated bill that would authorize $395 million for water projects and restoration of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. By voice vote, the House approved a bill that reauthorizes the CalFed Bay-Delta Program. Sodomite lovin' Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cheered the congressional action, calling it "another example of how Californians, working together, can increase our share of federal funding."

Motorola to cut 1,000 jobs, pay US$50m in severance

Motorola Inc, the world's second-largest maker of mobile phones, will cut 1,000 jobs as the company prepares to spin off its computer-chip business, costing US$50 million in severance payments. The cuts are the deepest since Chief Executive Ed Zander joined in January. Zander took the semiconductor unit public in July and plans to spin it off by the end of the year, rendering some jobs at the company's Schaumburg, Illinois, headquarters redundant. Reductions will also be made at other offices, spokeswoman Jennifer Weyrauch said.

US Airways job cuts expected to be deep

If US Airways survives its second descent into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the airline could end up shedding nearly nine of every 10 Pittsburgh employees it had at its height in the area, airline industry analysts said. The Arlington, Va.-based airline could shrink to fewer than 1,500 Pittsburgh employees, said Marick Masters, a University of Pittsburgh business professor who closely follows US Airways' labor relations.

Nortel Details Job Cut Plan

Nortel Networks gave details of a previously announced job cut program Thursday, saying it is cutting 1,400 in the United States by next June. The total of 3,250 jobs to be eliminated is down slightly from the rough number of 3,500 given in an August announcement by the global telecom equipment maker as it struggles to regain its financial footing following the tech crash and an accounting scandal. The plan also includes the reduction of about two million square feet of occupied real estate, to be completed by the end of 2005.

Keyes wants mandatory military service

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes told a crowd of Lisle college students Monday he favors two years of mandatory military service following high school for everyone without exception. "I have always been in favor of universal service," said Keyes, speaking to about 300 students gathered in the Dan and Ada Rice Center at Benedictine University. "I think that the best thing we can do for this society is just tell everybody, 'Between the time you turn 18 and the time you turn 35, you will be asked to give two years to your country.'

Greetings!
Selective Service System
[T]he Agency remains prepared to manage a draft if and when the President and the Congress so direct.

CIA review finds no evidence Saddam had ties to Islamic terrorists

WASHINGTON -- A new CIA assessment undercuts the White House's claim that Saddam Hussein maintained ties to al-Qaida, saying there's no conclusive evidence that the regime harbored Osama bin Laden associate Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The CIA review, which U.S. officials said Monday was requested some months ago by Vice President Dick Cheney, is the latest assessment that calls into question one of President Bush's key justifications for last year's U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Donald Rumsfeld says no hard evidence links Saddam to al-Qaida, then

NEW YORK -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in a speech that he knew of no clear link between the al-Qaida terror network and Saddam Hussein, although he later backed off the statement and said he was misunderstood. Asked to describe the connection between the Iraqi leader and the al-Qaida terror network at an appearance Monday at the Council on Foreign Relations, the Pentagon chief first refused to answer, then said: ''To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two.''

Bremer Criticizes Troop Levels

The former U.S. official who governed Iraq after the invasion said yesterday that the United States made two major mistakes: not deploying enough troops in Iraq and then not containing the violence and looting immediately after the ouster of Saddam Hussein. Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, administrator for the U.S.-led occupation government until the handover of political power on June 28, said he still supports the decision to intervene in Iraq but said a lack of adequate forces hampered the occupation and efforts to end the looting early on.

September Is Second Deadliest 2004 Month in Iraq

WASHINGTON -- September was the second-deadliest month of the year for U.S. forces in Iraq and brought to nearly 500 the number who have died since the insurgency escalated in late March. The Pentagon announced Sunday evening that two soldiers died late last week of injuries suffered earlier in the month, and another was killed Sept. 30 by a roadside bomb. That brought the month's death toll to 80, up from 65 in August and equal to the 80 who died in May.

Three U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Two U.S. soldiers were killed by small-arms fire at a checkpoint in Baghdad, the U.S. command said yesterday. The soldiers, who were not identified, were killed Sunday at a traffic-control point jointly staffed with Iraqi security forces, the military said in a statement. A third soldier was killed by a roadside bomb that hit a U.S. convoy in Baghdad last night, the military said.

Mother of soldier killed in Iraq collapses, dies

TUCSON, Arizona -- A 45-year-old woman collapsed and died days after learning her son had been killed in Iraq, and just hours after seeing his body. Results of an autopsy were not immediately released, but friends of Karen Unruh-Wahrer said she couldn't stop crying over losing her 25-year-old son, Army Spc. Robert Oliver Unruh, who was killed by enemy fire near Baghdad on September 25. "Her grief was so intense -- it seemed it could have harmed her, could have caused a heart attack. Her husband described it as a broken heart," said Cheryl Hamilton, manager of respiratory care services at University Medical Center, where Unruh-Wahrer worked as a respiratory therapist. Unruh, a combat engineer, had been in Iraq less than a month when he was shot during an attack on his unit.

UN Signs Pact with New World Court Opposed by U.S.

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations signed a cooperation agreement on Monday with the new International Criminal Court, despite objections to the tribunal from the United States. The pact that would encourage "greater cooperation and consultation" on administration and judicial matters was signed by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Judge Phillipe Kirsch of Canada, the court's president.

Kerry Wins Debate!

After hearing Kerry, I can attest that he’s a very good public speaker. Indeed, his public speaking skills are vastly superior to those of the incumbent. The senator knows exactly what he wants to say and then says it confidently without stumbling over rudimentary grammar. On the other hand, Bush says things like “we’re’ve been effective,” while every other word out of his mouth is “umm.” To tell the truth, I was more impressed with Kerry in many ways. Kerry quite reasonably pointed out the incongruence inherent in Bush denying nuclear weapons to Iran, North Korea, and Iraq while spending “hundreds of millions of dollars to research bunker-busting nuclear weapons.”

What is Conservative Populism?

Do you consider yourself a conservative? Many well intentioned but misguided souls like to maintain a fallacy that they are part of the right-wing; especially when they support Republicans. These bewildered partisans have bought into an illusion that a conservative is a supporter of the status quo. They often believe that any politician who proclaims they are a champion of a GOP regime are really traditionalists. Some even go so far as to consider it impossible for any Democrat to hold any sentiments that could possibly resemble a conservative viewpoint. While it is difficult to speak well of any Democrat over the last century, it is becoming exceedingly routine to reject Republican party loyalists as just camouflaged clones for socialist policies.

Suspicious powder mailed to several newspapers; FBI investigating

ATLANTA -- Two more newspapers have received envelopes postmarked from Virginia that contain powder and a letter saying the substance is poison, just days after similar letters were sent to two other papers, authorities said. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Charlotte Observer received letters Monday, officials at both newspapers said. The FBI was investigating. No injuries have been reported.

Ex-Enron Treasurer to Testify at Trial

HOUSTON -- The first ex-Enron executive to go to prison may get a change of scenery as early as Tuesday to testify in the first criminal trial to emerge from the energy company's 2001 collapse. Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein on Monday to grant immunity to former Enron treasurer Ben Glisan Jr. for crimes he may have committed other than the conspiracy count to which he pleaded guilty a year ago. The judge was expected to approve the prosecution request before Glisan appears to testify.

U.S. starts sea patrols off North Korea

Destroyer patrol is first step in
defense against missile attacks
TOKYO -- Amid heightened concerns of a North Korean missile test, a U.S. destroyer has started patrolling the Sea of Japan in what officials say is a first step toward creating a shield to protect the United States and its allies from a foreign missile attack. Navy officials confirmed that the Curtis Wilbur, one of three ships in the U.S. 7th Fleet tasked with the patrols, left its base just south of Tokyo earlier this week. Under the U.S. plan, the 7th Fleet destroyers will carry out long-range searches and tracking of missile activity. The three destroyers in the 7th Fleet assigned to carry out the patrols are the Fitzgerald, the Curtis Wilbur and the John S. McCain.

China's Party Chief Tells Army to Be Ready for War

BEIJING -- Chinese Communist Party chief and President Hu Jintao has urged the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to prepare for a military struggle, but stopped short of singling out rival Taiwan as the target. Many security analysts see the Taiwan Strait as the most dangerous flashpoint in Asia. China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has threatened to attack if the democratic island of 23 million people declares independence.

Israel to soothe troop trauma with marijuana

JERUSALEM -- Israeli soldiers traumatised by battle with the Palestinians have a new, unconventional weapon to exorcise their nightmares -- marijuana. Under an experimental programme, Delta-9 tetrohydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient found in the cannabis plant, will be administered to 15 soldiers over the next several months in an effort to fight post-traumatic stress disorder.

Iranian leader wants nuke in 4 months

Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has urged his country's weapons developers to step up work on making a nuclear bomb, a U.S. official said, according to Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service. According to the official, an authoritative source in the Iranian exile community has stated that Khamenei met recently with senior government and military leaders on the nuclear weapons program.

Russian School Children To Wear Dog Tags

Russian school children are to wear military-style dog tags and carry "passports" displaying their identity and basic medical information to improve school security after the Beslan tragedy. Children in south-eastern Moscow will try out the new documents, starting at the end of the year, with the scheme then moving to cover all of the capital's 1 million pupils. If successful, it will go nationwide.

Prewar Assessment on Iraq Saw Chance of Strong Divisions

"The assessments predicted that an American-led invasion of Iraq would increase support for political Islam and would result in a deeply divided Iraqi society prone to violent internal conflict." (NYT link, 2 pages)

Al Qaeda agent smuggles people into United States

AN al Qaeda agent who helped plan the September 11 attacks has met leaders of a Salvadorean crime syndicate which controls the smuggling of illegal immigrants across the Mexican border into the US, according to intelligence sources.

Nearly 600,000 illegals caught, Border Patrol says

PHOENIX -- The Border Patrol said Thursday that it nabbed nearly 600,000 illegal entrants coming into Arizona in the last year, a drastic increase attributed in large part to an aggressive enforcement effort launched in March. The beefed-up enforcement involves helicopters, ground sensors, two unmanned surveillance aircraft and dozens more border agents in Arizona - the busiest illegal entry point on the U.S.-Mexican border.

Federal Official in O.C. Charged With Selling Fake Work Permits

A U.S. immigration official based in Orange County has been arrested on suspicion of selling bogus employment authorizations to four Filipino immigrants, federal officials said Tuesday. Renato Canita Gloria, 51, of Irvine was indicted by a federal grand jury Sept. 22 and charged with four counts of fraud and misuse of immigration documents. He was arrested Monday, and bail has been set at $25,000.

Agency Tests Security Blimp in Washington

WASHINGTON -- Here's a head-turner for a security-nervous city: A large white object was spotted in the skies above the nation's capital in the pre-dawn hours Wednesday. Pentagon police said the Defense Department is testing a security blimp - fully equipped with surveillance cameras. The white blimp was spotted early Wednesday morning hovering at various times over the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol. The 178-foot-long device, which is expected to remain in the skies until Thursday, is conducting a mission for the Defense Department.

Leak Probe: Next Target

How far will federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald go in his campaign to sniff out government leakers? As special counsel in the Valerie Plame leak probe, Fitzgerald, the hard-charging U.S. attorney in Chicago, has subpoenaed D.C. reporters, demanding they identify sources who told them Plame was an undercover CIA operative. But Fitzgerald's war on leakers may generate more controversy in another case: his efforts to hunt down the officials who alerted The New York Times to raids on two Islamic charities in 2001.