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11/30
Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Western Iraq: Guerrillas killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded a third in an ambush in western Iraq, a military statement said on Sunday. A day earlier, seven Spanish intelligence agents and two Japanese diplomats died in separate attacks near Baghdad.
Pentagon's peace mission: HAVING discovered in Iraq that it can be harder to win the peace than the war, America is taking steps to ensure future conquests do not turn sour. Senior Pentagon officials are currently considering plans to set up two 15,000-strong divisions that would be dedicated to overseeing the reconstruction of countries in the aftermath of future military campaigns.
CIA acknowledges lack of specific data on alleged Iraqi WMD before war: The CIA has admitted it "lacked specific information" about alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction when it compiled an intelligence estimate last year that served to justify the American-led invasion of Iraq.
No proof of Al Qaeda in Iraq: US General: The top US commander in Iraq says the military is yet to formally link Al Qaeda to the anti-coalition insurgency in the country. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez made the admission after three separate attacks in Iraq in the last 24 hours which left eleven foreign personnel dead.
Networked Socialism: An Economic Policy for the 21st Century: One of the most contentious issues that divided the left during the 20th century was whether or not the Soviet Union was socialist or not, which of course brings into sharp focus the question, what is a socialist economy and how does one achieve it?
Telling The Truth Won't Set You Free: In Iraq, they are just numbers, bloodstains on a road. But in the little town of Madison, Wis., last week, they were all too real on the front page of the local paper, the Capital Times. Sgt. Warren Hansen, Spc. Eugene Uhl and 2nd Lt. Jeremy Wolfe of the 101st Airborne Division were all on their way home for the last time.
Iraq's Shiites Insist on Democracy. Washington Cringes: For seven months, the United States has tried to finesse two crucial questions about the future of Iraq: How much control will the country's Shiite majority have over the drafting of a constitution? And how Islamic will that constitution be?The answers could determine whether Iraq becomes a multiparty democracy, an Islamic theocracy, or even slides into civil war.
Killing of Spaniards, Japanese Fuels Debate on Iraq: The killing of seven Spanish intelligence agents and two Japanese diplomats in ambushes in Iraq sparked fresh debate on Sunday in countries allied to the United States on the risks of joining the Iraq mission.
Nations Endorse Treaty to Clean Up Postwar Munitions:  More than 90 countries, including the United States, tentatively agreed Friday to clean up the munitions left by armed conflicts in an effort to reduce the huge number of postwar civilian casualties.
Bush plans new nuclear weapons: The Bush administration is pushing ahead with the development of a new generation of weapons, dubbed 'mini-nukes', that use nuclear warheads to penetrate underground bunkers. Last week, it gave a quiet yet final go-ahead to a controversial research project into the bunker-buster. The move effectively ends a 10-year ban on research into 'low-yield' nuclear weapons.
Guantanamo Brits to be sent Home: A deal to return British terrorist suspects held at Guantanamo Bay is to be sealed before Christmas, according to officials from America and the United Kingdom. The 'returns policy' is now believed to be the leading option being considered in Washington which has made clear that it wants to end the tension between the US and Britain over the issue.
US Immigration Policies Sending Needed Professionals: ”I have never felt so angry, humiliated and powerless in my life, and I think it will take me a long time to absorb what happened,” said Brazilian cardiologist Marcia Barbosa after being deported from the United States.
Key Palestinians Won't Back Peace Accords:  Four prominent Palestinians who negotiated a symbolic Mideast peace agreement decided not to attend a launching ceremony in Switzerland this week after Yasser Arafat refused to give written support and shots were fired at a negotiator's home, Palestinian officials said Sunday.
Palestinian protesters confront peace delegation:  Chanting "No to treason", dozens of Palestinians have tried to block a Palestiniandelegation leaving the Gaza Strip for a ceremony in Genevato launch a symbolic peace deal with Israel.
Ibrahim, the Shin Bet wants you to join Qaida: Early last week, Rashi Abu Sba, head of the preventive security apparatus in Gaza, the equivalent of the Shin Bet, accused the Israeli security service of tricking young Palestinians into conducting missions in the name of Al-Qaida. Last Tuesday, a young man named Ibrahim was presented to reporters in Gaza. Ibrahim hid his face behind a mask, and told what happened to him.
Iranian Leader Calls for Islamic Unity to Thwart Enemies’ Grand Strategy: Washington's policy of threatening Middle Eastern countries entered a dangerous phase after the United States attacked Iraq, the Leader said, adding that Washington's claims about establishing democracy, human rights, and security in the region are empty rhetoric.
US colonel charged over Guantanamo secrets: A senior US army officer has been accused of mishandling classified documents while serving at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. US army Colonel Jack Farr "is charged with wrongfully transporting classified material without the proper security container," said a statement released by Southern Command.
Marijuana cafe opens in Montreal: Several dozen Montrealers experienced high times on Saturday as a marijuana cafe opened its doors less than a block away from a police station."The music, the atmosphere...it's amazing," said Antoine Debast, 23, peering through a thick haze of smoke at the hustle and bustle at Chez Marijane.
Scott Ritter Speech sparks more Iraq war debate: Scott Ritter spoke to an audience of about 300 Northwestern students and community members Monday night, sparking more than an hour of discussion and debate.
US Went to Iraq Out of Self-Interest, Not Moral Principles: It is no use telling the hawks that bombing a country in which Al-Qaeda was not operating was unlikely to rid the world of Al-Qaeda.
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11/29
More US troops die in Iraq in November than any other month: At least 75 US soldiers have died so far in Iraq in November, making it the deadliest month for American troops since the US-led coalition invaded on March 20, according to military statistics compiled by The Associated Press. A total of 436 US soldiers have died since the start of the war, according to the Pentagon and the latest casualty figures released by the US military in Baghdad. They include 299 soldiers killed in combat and others who died from other causes such as accidents.
Recipe For Terror: Assassinated Reuters Camaraman Uncovered Evidence of Mass US Casualties in Iraq: At the recent World Uranium Weapons Conference in Hamburg, Dr Doug Rokke, former senior Pentagon advisor charged with the 1991 uranium clean up of Kuwait, described how injured US troops are being flown 'in their hundreds, in the dead of night' back to US bases 'throughout Europe', in order to disguise the magnitude of casualty figures.
 US may agree to elections for Iraq government; Powell calls UN to be more active: The Bush administration is considering holding elections to form a provincial government in Iraq rather than have its members selected by regional caucuses, a media report said on Friday. This shift in the US stance came after Ayatollah Ali Sistani, a senior Shiite cleric, rejected a plan devised earlier this month to select a provisional government through 18 regional caucuses, The Washington Post reported.
US admits failings as Afghan poppy output doubles: Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan doubled between 2002 and 2003 to a level 36 times higher than in the last year of rule by the Taliban. The Taliban was cracking down on poppy production in the year before the US military drove the movement out of office in late 2001 in response to its friendship and cooperation with the Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. The new Afghan government, led by President Hamid Karzai, has not been able to impose its will in many areas of the country, which remain under the control of warlords.
Blast targets political party in Georgian capital: A bomb went off early yesterday outside the headquarters of a political party that opposed the downfall of former president Eduard Shevardnadze, but no-one was reported injured in the attack, a top party official told AFP., "Today, at 5.30 in the morning (12.30pm AEDT), a car stopped near our building. As soon as the car pulled out, an explosion went off," said Gela Daneliya, one of the leaders of the Labour Party. "Thankfully, nobody was hurt," he said.
EU's 'big three' agree on defense:  Britain, France and Germany have struck a deal on a common European defense, including a guarantee of mutual assistance and a scaled-back plan for a headquarters, officials said here Friday.
Anti-terror raids widen: Police hunting Islamic militants across Europe capped a dramatic series of anti-terror raids in three countries with the arrest of a suspected Algerian extremist in the German port of Hamburg yesterday. Abderrazak Mahdjoub, 29, was held at the request of Italian authorities investigating an alleged network involved in recruiting Islamists to carry out suicide attacks in Iraq.
Palestinian PM rules out Sharon talks: Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie has ruled out any meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as long as Israel continues to build a controversial barrier in the West Bank. "If the Israeli government says it will continue building the wall regardless of what happens then there is no need for any meeting or talks to take place," Mr Qurie told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
North Korea urges EU to keep Bush at bay: North Korea called on Europe to prevent the peninsula from becoming a "second Iraq" yesterday, as Pyongyang's scepticism grows about the credibility of six-party talks aimed at resolving its year-long nuclear standoff with the US. In a rare interview with the overseas media, the foreign ministry spokesman, So Chol, expressed doubts to the Guardian about Pyongyang's participation in a round of negotiations scheduled for next month. He said US officials viewed the North as an "evil" country which must disarm without precondition.
SMALLPOX PROVISIONS HIDDEN IN HOMELAND SECURITY BILL: The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) is urging Members of Congress to eliminate the section of the new Homeland Security Bill that would give the HHS Secretary virtually unlimited powers to declare an emergency and order smallpox treatment that could include forced immunizations and quarantines.
Budget clash hits talks on EU constitution: The talks - already difficult - were overshadowed by rancour over the way France and Germany got off the hook for their excessive budget deficits earlier this week - a move that infuriated smaller member states and the European commission.
World leaders 'neglecting Aids': The world is losing the war against Aids, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has warned. He urged people in the developing world to challenge their own governments and insist on their right to support. Forty million people are infected with the HIV virus that may lead to Aids - three million have already died of the disease this year alone.
Northrop Grumman Takes Aim At Hypersonic Weapon Delivery System: Northrop Grumman Corporation will help the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Air Force develop a concept for a high-speed, unmanned aircraft and related "glide weapons" that could deliver conventional, non-nuclear weapons from the U.S. to anywhere on the globe in about two hours.
Syrian PM says after bitter Iraq experience US not to launch new front against Syria: Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri dismissed the possibility of a US front against Syria, noting that the Iraqi experience has dissuaded Washington.
Syria Accountability Act: Senate version   House version
How the world is getting hungrier each year: 'War on hunger' is being lost as drought and natural disasters continue to exact a terrible toll in some of the world's poorest nations
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11/27 Note: TFR will resume normal activity on Saturday 11/29
Pentagon sending thousands more troops to Iraq: Several thousand additional Marines will go to Iraq next year, the Pentagon said Wednesday in an update that indicated the total U.S. force won't be reduced as much as planned. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld also approved the mobilization of 9,900 Army, 1,290 Navy and 3,208 Air Force reserve personnel for the rotation, which will begin in January to replace the 130,000 troops who will be completing one-year tours of duty in Iraq.
Kirkuk-  a city that defines Iraq's fragile future: Kurds and others expelled from Kirkuk under former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's "Arabization" policy are returning to this disputed northern city, demanding restitution of land and houses that the former Baathist government gave to Arab settlers.
Former Iraqi air defense general dies during US interrogation after ''not feeling well'': Major General Abed Hamed Mowhoush, an air defense general caught on October 5 in a raid near the Syrian border, was being questioned Wednesday while in American custody in Qaim near the Syrian border when lost consciousness after "complaining he didn't feel well", the military said in a statement.
Top Iraqi Shiites oppose U.S. handover plan: Iraq's powerful Shiite Muslim leadership declared its opposition yesterday to the U.S. plan for indirect elections for a provisional administration, complicating American hopes for a smooth transfer of power to Iraqis by July 1.Objections were raised by Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shiite leader, and spelled out publicly by Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim, a Shiite member of the Iraqi Governing Council who met with the elderly cleric.
How George transformed Tony's world: November 22 marked the 40th anniversary of John F Kennedy's assassination. "For of those to whom much is given, much is required," he famously remarked in 1961. It was his idea not only of the citizen's relationship to the nation but of the US's obligation to the world. However, George Bush has changed the maxim, at least in regard to Britain: "For to those of whom much is required, nothing is given."
 America's Enemy Within: Armed checkpoints, embedded reporters in flak jackets, brutal suppression of peaceful demonstrators. Baghdad? No, Miami  In December 1990, President George Bush Sr travelled through South America to sell the continent on a bold new dream: "A free trade system that links all of the Americas." Addressing the Argentine Congress, he said that the plan, later to be named the Free Trade Area of the Americas, would be "our hemisphere's new declaration of interdependence the brilliant new dawn of a splendid new world."
Al-Qaeda, the Mythic Enemy: There's no terrorist attack in the world today that is not automatically attributed to al-Qaeda, an organization considered operational at the transnational, if not at the planetary level, and, in consequence, necessitating a planetary response: the war against terror, dear to American neo-conservatives.  Bad analyses very obviously invite bad responses. This is so true that ever since this global war on terrorism has been launched, it has not really improved either world peace or world security.  On the contrary ...
IAEA Resolution Confirms Peaceful Nature of Iran’s Nuclear Program: The IAEA resolution was an achievement for the Islamic Republic of Iran, a statement issued by the press department of the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.The resolution proved that Tehran has been following a peaceful and transparent nuclear energy program, the statement quoted the Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi as saying.
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11/26

Iran leader: Bush administration declarations regarding Iraq based on ''lies'': The Bush administration is telling a "shameless lie" when it says it is in Iraq to bring about democracy, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday. Addressing the nation on the Fitr feast, Khamenei condemned the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq as "degrading for the Iraqi people."
UN agency censures Iran for past nuclear cover-ups: The UN atomic watchdog agency's board adopted a resolution Wednesday censuring Iran for past nuclear cover-ups. The resolution, adopted by the 35-nation board of governors of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, did not confront Iran with a direct threat of sanctions - resolving a sticking point between the United States and key European powers over how to deal with Tehran.
Sharon's rhetoric heats up Israelis on both sides of settlement issue: Whatever its intention, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's recent mention of undefined "unilateral steps" he might take to tame the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a vague but volatile remark that has created an uproar in Israel. It comes at a time Sharon is fending off foreign and domestic pressure to jumpstart the stalled peace process with a new approach.
Shimon Peres calls for Gaza pullout: Veteran peacemaker Shimon Peres, sceptical over Ariel Sharon's hints of unilateral steps towards the Palestinians, urged the prime minister on Tuesday to prove his sincerity with an Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip.
PA welcomes US decision to cut Israel loan guarantees; Qurei to meet US envoy: Palestinian officials on Wednesday welcomed a U.S. decision to deduct $289.5 million from loan guarantees to Israel, but said the penalty was not tough enough to force Israel to stop building a barrier or to end continued settlement activity.
Pat-Down on the Way to Prayer: In Iraq, physical contact is governed by strict cultural mores. Yet body searches are now a daily fact amid the postwar insecurity.The faithful wending their way to the Musa Al Kadhim mosque were stopped nearly a mile from the holy site by a team of searchers who patted their stomachs, probed their backs and ran prying hands down their limbs.After the search, the throngs of believers advanced about 50 feet toward the mosaic-covered mosque, only to be confronted by a new team of searchers, who repeated the pat-down.
Law 'n' Order: What the state 'giveth', the state can take away. Marx saw the state as ‘whithering away’ with the building of communism (as opposed to the state under socialism, which is a kind of ‘interim stage’ between capitalism and communism). Moreover, Marx was quite specific about it. Under communism, the state becomes a government of ‘things’ as opposed to a government of people.
Antispam Bill Passes Senate by Voice Vote: The greatest weapon that now exists for organizing, informing, galvanizing and ACTING against the forces of repression, globalization, world domination and genocide is- The Internet. Under the guise of anti spam, the Government is going to try to control and regulate -- and ultimately suppress -- our only global form of free expression, and by so doing, crush our single greatest weapon against Them.
How do we get out of Iraq?: Winning the war was the easy bit. But since the fall of Baghdad the news from Iraq has gone from bad to worse: daily attacks on US troops, mounting public hostility to the occupation, no credible government in sight. So how can Britain and America escape the quagmire? And how can we prevent Iraq descending into violent chaos as soon as the troops pull out? We asked eight experts with very different viewpoints for an 'exit strategy'
Guantanamo treatment is 'monstrous', says law lord: One of the country's most senior judges launched an unprecedented attack on US treatment of the 660 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay last night, saying they will become martyrs in the Muslim world.Breaking with the convention that law lords do not speak out on politically sensitive issues, Lord Steyn described their imprisonment as a "monstrous failure of justice" and the military tribunals that will try them as kangaroo courts.
WHY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE SUPPORT BUSH'S LIES: To para phrase Michael Kinsley (The Limits of Eloquence, Slate, Nov 14, 2003), How can one's current beliefs be accepted as being "transcendentally correct" if one has recently stated beliefs quite the opposite. How can one say "up" and point "down" and then turn around and say "up" and point "up"? In that regard, "George Bush's powers of persuasion are apparently so spectacular, at least to some, that almost all the pro-Bush voices in Washington and the media have remained pro-Bush even when "pro-Bush" means the opposite of what it did five minutes ago."
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Garner admits US errors in Iraq:They'll get it right bext time.
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Pakistan-India: Same game, new rules
Philippines: Pacquiao the hero
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11/25
Patriot Act Stifles Dissent on Campus: AS A COLLEGE student, I am acutely aware of both the legal and social effects of the USA Patriot Act on my life and on the lives of my peers. Passed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Patriot Act has led to a broadening of governmental power to define protest as terrorism and to intrude on our fundamental rights as citizens.
US troops kill three Iraqis near Fallujah as US Central Command head dismisses call for cease-fire during Eid: The troops "killed three enemy personnel emplacing an improvised explosive device (IED)" Monday night at around 8:30 pm (local time), said a statement issued by the US Central Command. It added soldiers on a patrol "determined that the individuals were emplacing an IED and initiated direct fire."
Carlyle's Black Perle: Well the plot thickens with the appearance of the Carlyle Group that has come galloping in on a very white horse to rescue Conrad Black’s Hollinger International, no doubt via the Perle/Kissinger/Bush connections. And it’s not surprising given Hollinger’s media outlets decidedly ultra-rightwing position especially on the imperium and the important Israel connection in the assault on the world’s resources and its people.
US sees shift in resistance strategy: US occupation administrator Paul Bremer has claimed that the Iraqi fighters are shifting their target of attack from occupation  troops to Iraqis working with them."The security situation has changed,In the past, attacks against the coalition were predominant. Now attacks against Iraqis are regular." He claimed that the attackers started targeting "innocent Iraqis" after they "failed to intimidate the coalition."
Senate Approves Medicare Drug Benefit:  The Senate gave final congressional approval Tuesday to the most sweeping changes to Medicare since its creation in 1965, including a new prescription drug benefit for 40 million older and disabled Americans. The 54-44 vote sends the bill to President Bush, who is eager to sign it into law.
Iraq: "Free Media" Run by Pentagon Contractor: Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said yesterday that new media freedoms in Iraq are making the occupation harder for the U.S.-led authority, "but in the last analysis, I think the benefits vastly outweigh the burdens of it."Speaking before a Pentagon town meeting yesterday, Rumsfeld said, "We've seen the free press abused in this country and other countries, and it's not a surprise that it can be abused there."
Checking Out the Administration Scorecard: More than two years after the World Trade Center towers came down and the President declared his "war on terrorism," it seems reasonable to offer a little scorecard on the "war(s)" of choice for this administration. Let's just start with terrorists and allies (as identified by the administration); you know, the ones we were going to get "dead or alive."
With ads, Bush joins fray. A new GOP ad emphasizes Bush's handling of 9/11 - launching first partisan exchange of campaign '04. The political season has now officially opened. By launching a TV ad campaign defending George W. Bush's handling of the war on terror, the Republican National Committee has started taking the president off his pedestal and into the public battle for reelection in November 2004.
Soldiers to sue over new Gulf War syndrome: Dozens of soldiers who served in Iraq are to sue the Government, claiming they are suffering from a new form of Gulf War syndrome. Multiple vaccinations given in the run-up to the conflict are being blamed for chronic pains, stomach problems, rashes, swelling, fever, depression and anxiety.
UN reports war on hunger failing: The United Nations food body has announced a serious blow to the war on world hunger, saying the number of undernourished had risen and that a goal to halve hunger by 2015 looked increasingly remote. The number of hungry people around the world increased by 18 million to 842 million in the latest reporting period 1999-2001 from 1995-1997, the Rome-based UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in its annual hunger report.
Mapuche Lands in Patagonia Taken Over by Benetton Wool Farms: The snow capped mountain range in the southern Andes that runs along the border of Argentina and Chile, or the Cordillera as the locals call it, is one of the most pristine in the world. Under the mountains lies flat earth filled with bushes and vegetation that sheep and cattle graze on. The gold and quartz inside the mountains of Argentina's southern province of Chubut have recently brought in mining companies such as Meridian Gold, and now Benetton, for its exploitable and vast plains - perfect for the mass production of wool.
Israeli forces attack Jenin: Israeli forces have launched a fresh attack in eastern Jenin city, opening heavy fire randomly.The forces surrounded a group of Palestinian houses in the area and searched them. They claimed they were looking for “wanted Jenin activists”, eyewitnesses told our correspondent in Jenin.
Group Protests Citigroup's Anti-Privacy Lobbying By Skywriting CEO's Social Security Number:  A California consumer group used a professional skywriter to release the first five digits of the Citigroup CEO's Social Security number today in protest of Citigroup-backed legislation in the U.S. Senate which would gut state privacy laws. The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) wrote between the clouds, in fifteen story high numbers, the first five digits of CEO Charles Prince's social security number above Citigroup headquarters at 53rd and Lexington in New York City to show how everyone's privacy is at risk without better laws
Failure and Crime Are Not the Same - 9/11's Limited Hangouts: The American side of 9/11 (the suppression of warnings, the sabotage of investigative action, the stand-down, the insider trading, the Patriot Act, the pre-planning of the Afghan and Gulf II wars, the cover-up) was surely not built years in advance as a coherent and integrated plot using Al Qaida as assets. It was not hatched in some CIA basement. No, it was built the old-fashioned way, out of the accumulated toxic waste generated from preceding American adventures.
A war that can never be won: The bombast has increased with the bombs. We saw two disturbing escalations this week. The explosions that devastated the British consulate and the HSBC bank in Istanbul mark a significant widening in the choice of targets by those Islamist radicals who use terror to express their hatred of British and US policy in Iraq and the Middle East. The Blair/Bush response reached an equally alarming new level of ferocity.
Guantánamo's Limbo is Too Convenient: The Supreme Court's decision to hear the case of the prisoners at Guantánamo hinges not only on who they are or what they have done, but also on where they are being held. We can't fully understand the status of the prisoners, who have no rights under the Geneva Convention or the U.S. Constitution, without knowing the history of the U.S. presence at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.
We Are Paying The Price For An Infantile Attempt To Reshape The Middle East: It's the price of joining George Bush's "war on terror". They couldn't hit Britain while Bush was on his triumphalist state visit to London, so they went for the jugular in Turkey. The British consulate, the British-headquartered HSBC bank. London-abroad. And of course, no one -- least of all the Turks -- imagined they would strike twice in the same place.
Have We Seen the Tipping Point?: What We Can Gather from the Killing of the "Making a Killing in Iraq" Conference
Look at Afghanistan ... and fear for Iraq: Here's a foreign affairs quiz. 1. In the two years since the war in Afghanistan, opium production has:
a) Virtually been eliminated by Hamid Karzai's government and American forces.
b) Declined 30 per cent, but eradication is not expected until 2008.
c) Soared 19-fold and become the major source of the world's heroin.
Illusion of grandeur: The dollar's weakness is buoying up the euro, but that's not necessarily good news for the eurozone economies. During the next couple of days the eurozone finance ministers will be wrangling over what to do with France and Germany's failure to comply with the stability and growth pact.  
Thanks, but no thanks: The No Child Left Behind law came with too many strings attached. So this district rejected federal dollars and just walked away.
10,000 Converge on Ft. Benning; Nuns, Priests, Veterans, Students Arrested after Committing Civil Disobedience to Close School of Americas: Over ten thousand people gathered this weekend outside the gates of Ft. Benning, Ga., in the most diverse demonstration yet of opposition to the School of the Americas, renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/WHISC), a combat-training school for Latin American soldiers. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been tortured, raped, assassinated, "disappeared," and massacred by SOA graduates, according to participating groups.
More power to the FBI: The United States Congress is poised to approve new powers that would let the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) search and seize business records without court approval in the name of the administration's "war on terror". The legislation amounts to the first substantive expansion of the controversial USA Patriot Act since it was approved just after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and the Pentagon.
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11/24
Iraq Roadside Bomb Hurts One U.S. Soldier : Gunmen ambushed U.S. soldiers on patrol with a roadside bomb then opened fire on them in Mosul on Monday, wounding one, in a sign that the anti-coalition insurgency has spread north a day after two American soldiers were killed here and their bodies mauled.
Iraqi mob bludgeons U.S. soldiers:  A crowd of angry Iraqi teenagers dragged the bloody bodies of two U.S. soldiers from a vehicle in Mosul Sunday and beat them with concrete blocks, witnesses said. Both Americans were killed, although it was unclear if they were still alive when pummelled. Initial reports claimed their throats were cut, but a military spokesperson later said the soldiers' had been shot.
5 US soldiers die in Afghan crash: A United States military helicopter has crashed in Afghanistan killing five American soldiers. Seven others were injured in the crash near Bagram air base, US Central Command said in a statement. "The cause of the crash is unknown and under military investigation," the statement said
Gas pipeline bombed in Iraq: An important gas pipeline in northern Iraq is on fire after it was bombed.Company officials say the pipeline transports gas from the Jambur oil field to Iraq's largest refinery north of Baghdad. It was not immediately clear if it was the main oil export pipeline to Turkey. Oil officials at the scene said the pipeline had been exposed by an explosion several months ago and they suspected spilled oil nearby had been set ablaze, causing the latest fire.
Shots fired in Yellow Sea border dispute: South Korea's navy has fired warning shots after a North Korean naval ship briefly crossed a disputed border in theYellow Sea, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff say.No casualties were reported in the third incident this year in which South Korea has fired warning shots to repel North Korean militaryvessels from waters near the site of deadly naval gun battles in 2002 and in 1999.
Armed man hijacks Turkish bus: A gunman briefly hijacked a bus in western Turkey before leaving with one person as a hostage, NTV television says.It said the man initially took all the passengers hostage but after hitting a police roadblock two hours later switched to a private car with just one hostage.
The occupation corrupts from above: The lie we were told about the Air Force's bombing of the Nusseirat refugee camp has very long tentacles. These tentacles start from the very highest echelons and do not skip over any sector of Israeli society. Their roots are planted deep in the territories, fed by the poison of the occupation.
Turkey: 'Sow war and reap terror': Many disquieting messages have been sent with the two car bombings in Istanbul on Thursday, just five days after attacks on two synagogues and coinciding with Queen Elizabeth's hosting of United States President George W Bush in London. Turkey's stock market fell immediately, and world markets felt the fallout. The latest attacks, which claimed the lives of at least 25 people, will certainly adversely affect Turkey's economic recovery.
Australia's Chief general Cosgrove says, "I believe the issue with Syria is absolutely without foundation": Terrorists had been successful in disrupting the world but were ultimately "on a loser", defence force chief General Peter Cosgrove said today. Speaking at an Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce lunch, General Cosgrove also dismissed suggestions that Syria - under increasing pressure from the US administration - was next on the hit list for the war on terrorism.
STILL CHASING SADDAM'S WEAPONS: The following is atranscript from last night's BBC Panorama broadcast, concerning the work of the Iraqi Survey Group (ISG) and their failure (so far) to uncover anything remotely resembling a real and present danger from an active Iraqi weapons programme.
See No Evil: The International Atomic Energy Agency has now documented that Iran has been violating the requirements of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty for the past 18 years by, among other things, producing plutonium and enriched uranium in ways that would be useful only for the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Yet at a two-day meeting last week, the IAEA's 35-member board was unable to agree on a reaction to this disturbing discovery.
Sharon met secretly with U.S. emissary: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met secretly last week in Rome with Eliot Abrams, a member of the U.S. National Security Council, for talks termed "relationship maintenance" by Israeli sources. Abrams, in charge of White House relations with Israel, informed Sharon of administration demands that Israel fulfill its promise to dismantle illegal outposts and freeze settlement construction.
Military gets break from environmental rules: President Bush is expected to sign a bill Monday easing restrictions on DOD that deal with whales and rare species. With two wars in two years and the threat of terrorism likely to continue, the US military wants all the help it can get in protecting national security. It is an ideal time, supporters say, to reduce the government regulations that can make it harder to be "mission-ready."
Democrats pissed over GOP attack ad: Democrats, stung by a new Republican television ad that uses the war on terrorism for politican gain, called Sunday on the Republican National Committee to pull the spot. The ad attacks critics who attack Bush on the war in terror. The commercial in question shows President Bush, in an address to the U.S. Congress, talking about the possibility of a weapon of mass destruction being used against the United States.
Study: Davis Besse Spent Fuel Could Create Nuclear Nightmare: The plant has been sitting idle since February 2002. For residents who live just a few miles down wind, they like it that way. "It's a peaceful feeling to look out and not see the steam coming out of the reactor. But at this point it would make me very nervous and it would be a concern to see it every day," said Port Clinton resident Barb Cabral. After months of investigating and thousands of pages of study, Hart said that it's clear the hole in the reactor head caused by leaking boric acid was far more serious than originally thought.
US to remove illegal export tax breaks: The United States hopes to repeal its legislation on tax breaks for exporters, which has drawn the threat of European Union sanctions, before March 2004. "I do think it is set up to move within the first quarter of next year," US Commerce Under Secretary Grant Aldonas said at a conference in Brussels when asked when the tax breaks ruled illegal by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) would be repealed.
Georgians hail 'people's revolution': Georgia's acting president, Nino Burdzhanadze, says she has not decided whether to run for the job full-time when elections are held. That vote must take place within 45 days following the resignation of unpopular leader Eduard Shevardnadze. Georgia's new leaders say they will seek urgent international financial aid. The United States has backed the new interim president to promote fresh elections.
32 dead, 139 hurt in uni dormitory blaze: Fire swept a university dormitory in Moscow today, killing 32 foreign students and injuring 139 other people, a police spokesman said. Some were injured after leaping from windows to escape the blaze at the five-storey concrete block, housing students from the developing world at Moscow's Peoples' Friendship University, Russian agencies reported.
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11/23
BRING 'EM ON. Or Maybe it's Time to Brine 'Em Home:
US troops 'throats cut' in Iraq: Two US soldiers have been killed in Iraq's city of Mosul after attackers slit their throats, witnesses say.
Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election is the riveting story about the battle for the Presidency in Florida and the undermining of democracy in America. (Video)
Is Rosenthal Putting a Contract Out on Iran?: It is no easy task to say who is the leading warmonger in the Controlled Media. There are many worthy contenders for that dubious title, like: George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Rush Limbaugh, William Kristol, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, John Podhorertz, G. Gordon Liddy and Mortimer B. Zuckerman, among other extremist hawks. However, on careful reflection, standing heads above that sorry lot is the one, the only, the humanity-challenged Abe Rosenthal.
Al-Qaeda one step ahead of the West: Despite waging "war on terror" for more than two years, the United States and British governments have clearly not been able to penetrate the higher reaches of Osama bin Laden’s movement with informers or agents, making it very difficult for them to gain positive intelligence on its future strategy or targets.
Russia mediates in Georgia crisis: Russia's foreign minister is holding talks with Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze to try to resolve Georgia's spiralling political crisis. Igor Ivanov met Mr Shevardnadze in Tbilisi hours after opposition supporters stormed parliament. Mr Shevardnadze has declared a state of emergency and threatened to use the army to enforce it.
Demonstrators fired on in Kabul: At least four Afghans were wounded when soldiers opened fire on demonstrators outside the defence ministry in Kabul. Officials said they had no choice but to open fire after protesters tried to break into the building.
FBI monitoring anti Iraq war demonstrations: In the United States, the FBI has collected comprehensive information on the tactics, training and organization of demonstrators against the war in Iraq and has advised local law enforcement officials to report any "suspicious activity" at protests to its counterterrorism squads, the New York Times reported, citing a confidential bureau memo, which seems to mark the first coordinated nationwide effort to gather data on antiwar protests.
Sharon: Israel to take ''unilateral steps'' for redeployment in occupied territories: Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told the cabinet on Sunday that he will be taking "unilateral steps" regarding plans for Israeli redeployment in the territories, but has not yet decided what steps to take. The plan is due to include moves to ease daily life in Israel, without compromising "security". The Israeli leader has also indicated that the plan will include the evacuation of settlements.
Israel violates Lebanese airspace on independence day : Two reconnaissance planes flew over southern and eastern Lebanon from late Friday afternoon until 3:35 am (0135 GMT) Saturday, said an angry statement from the Lebanese army broadcast on state television.
Israelis killed near 'apartheid wall': Gunmen have shot dead two Israeli security guards, close to the globally condemned "apartheid wall" currently  being built through a Palestinian neighbourhood near Jerusalem. According to Israeli security sources, the two men were privately employed guards at the controversial barrier which passes through the neighbourhood of Abu Dis.
Taliban Leader Urges Afghan Action Vs. U.S. Troops: The supreme leader of the ousted Taliban, Mullah Mohammad Omar, urged Afghans to unite against U.S.-led foreign forces on their soil, a Pakistan-based Afghan news service reported Sunday.
N.Korea Berates Rumsfeld as Worse Than Hitler: "It is nothing surprising that Rumsfeld talked such nonsense as he put Hitler into the shade in man-killing and war hysteria. But we can never pardon him for malignantly slandering our dignified and inviolable political system whether he is a political dwarf, human scum or hysteric," the agency said.
US Army to maintain troop presence in Iraq: The Pentagon has said the US force in Iraq will be reduced from its present level of 130,000 to 105,000 by May 2004, with new troops rotating in to relieve those currently deployed in Iraq.The officer says if force levels are maintained at the level of 100,000 troops beyond 2006, the army will "really start to feel the pain" of such a long deployment.
U.S. Main Beneficiary of Istanbul Blasts: After simultaneous bombings against two synagogues in Istanbul five days earlier, Turkish press reports said Turkey and Israel are to join forces for sharing intelligence for cracking down on a number of “Islamic and terrorist groups in the region”. The result is that Turkey will be more attached to the cooperation with the U.S. and Israel, in a way favorable to both countries, Maher Qinaq, a former Turkish intelligence official told Al-Qanat channel.
World alert on 'cars of death' terror attacks: The heightened threat of suicide bombings was last night forcing UK embassies around the world to re-evaluate their defences against what an al-Qaida statement described as its "cars of death". The explicit warning of fresh "martyrdom operations" was published as police in Istanbul detained seven suspects in connection with the devastating blasts at the British consulate and the HSBC bank.
Hell hath no fury like the husband of an outed spy: What do you do if the White House gets angry at you -- really, really angry? If you're Joe Wilson, you become a media star, and you don't get mad -- you get even.
'Al-Qaeda has become a worldwide menace: Al-Qaeda, credited with a series of suicide bombings from Istanbul to Riyadh, and threatening attacks against the United States and Japan, has changed into a veritable international Islamist movement, experts warn.
"Arar case must never be repeated": Martin was commenting on the case of Maher Arar, an Ottawa computer software engineer who says he was tortured in a prison in Syria. The United States says it deported Arar last fall for reasons of national security, but has not made details public. He was detained at an airport in New York and then sent to Syria, where he was held for a year without being charged.

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11/22
Two Car Bombs Explode, Killing 14 in Iraq: Suicide attackers detonated two vehicles Saturday at police stations in towns northeast of Baghdad, and at least 14 people were killed, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. In Baghdad, a cargo plane operated by the Belgium-based DHL landed Saturday at Baghdad International Airport with its wing ablaze. The U.S. military said it was unclear if it had been struck by ground fire but a military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the plane was struck by a SAM-7 surface-to-air missile.
Rocket Explodes Outside Afghan Hotel:  A rocket exploded in the garden of an upscale hotel frequented by foreigners in the Afghan capital Saturday, shattering windows and damaging a nearby wall but causing no casualties, authorities said. A quick-reaction force of international peacekeepers and dozens of police vehicles swarmed the area outside the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul.
Turks rally against terror attacks: Thousands of people hit the streets in major cities around Turkey amid high security on Saturday in protest at a wave of deadly bombings in Istanbul over the past week.A crowd of about 3,000 held a noisy rally in Istanbul's Taksim Square, marching under a banner marked "Yes to Peace, No to War".
Shiite leader escapes assassination attempt in Baghdad: A mortar round landed Friday without exploding near a Baghdad mosque where Iraqi Shiite Muslim leader, Abdel Aziz Al-Hakim, was praying, his organization and residents said Saturday. An aide to Hakim, Haitham Husseini, could not confirm it was an assassination attempt against the Shiite leader.
Major Provisions of Medicare Legislation: Details of the Medicare bill to provide older Americans a prescription drug benefit and overhaul the government-run health care program for 40 million older and disabled Americans.
Military admits lying on rocket attack:  The Israeli military has admitted it lied about a rocket attack in a Gaza refugee camp, which the army said led to no casualties, but which the Palestinians say killed 14 civilians. A left-wing Israeli MP, Yossi Sarid, forced the confession from the air force chief, Major-General Dan Halutz, after he threatened to release evidence that the military had used a weapon more destructive and indiscriminate than it had claimed.
Moussaoui Says Fair Trial Requires Al Qaeda Access:  U.S. national security interests cannot override accused Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui's right to a fair trial, his lawyers said in documents released on Friday, arguing he should be allowed to question al Qaeda captives who might help prove his innocence. Moussaoui's lawyers told a U.S. appeals court that a federal judge had been correct in imposing sanctions on the government for refusing to allow Moussaoui access to three top al Qaeda operatives.
FBI Shielded Informants From Murder Charges, Panel Finds: A House committee concluded yesterday that the FBI shielded from prosecution known killers and other criminals whom it used as informants to investigate organized crime in New England. The scathing report also found that the FBI tried to impede the congressional investigation into the long-running scandal.
9/11 Panel Issues Third Subpoena: The independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks announced that it had issued its third subpoena yesterday, even as family members and a Democratic commission member stepped up their criticism of a deal that places limits on access to White House intelligence briefings.
Bush portrayed as strong leader fighting terrorism in GOP's first TV ad of presidential race: The Republican Party, fearing President Bush's popularity has been eroded by months of attacks by Democratic rivals, is responding with its first television advertisement of the presidential race. The commercial, which will be seen just a few times in two early voting states, portrays the president as fighting terrorism while suggesting Democrats are retreating from the fight.
African-Americans win 70-year fight for a national museum: The Senate finally approved a Bill early yesterday clearing the way for the fulfilment of a 70-year-old dream of the black community - a national museum of African-American culture in Washington.
Israel vows to continue building wall: The Israeli deputy prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said the barrier, which Israel contends is necessary to stop suicide bombers and which the Palestinians condemn as a land grab, would remain an option. "Israel will always have the right to take unilateral steps for separation from the Palestinians through a fence or other means," Olmert told Israel Radio
Crimes Against Nature:  George W. Bush will go down in history as America's worst environmental president. In a ferocious three-year attack, the Bush administration has initiated more than 200 major rollbacks of America's environmental laws, weakening the protection of our country's air, water, public lands and wildlife.
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11/21     
Rockets fired at Iraq's Oil Ministry and two hotels in Baghdad: Rockets apparently fired from donkey carts Friday morning slammed into Iraq's Oil Ministry and two hotels used by U.S. workers and foreign journalists in downtown Baghdad. At least one man was injured. The violence came a day after a truck bomb exploded near a Kurdish party office in the northern oil city of Kirkuk, killing five people and wounding 30 in an attack local officials blamed on Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaida. It was the second bombing this week against Iraqis who cooperate with the U.S. occupation.
Israel predicts Europe next in line after Istanbul bombings: In the wake of the devastating bombings against British interests in Istanbul, Israeli officials and experts predicted Friday that the next target of global terrorism would be Europe. "The Europeans are not really aware of the seriousness of this phenomenon of international terrorism, which has not hit them yet," Israeli government spokesman Avi Pazner told AFP. "The risk is closing down on them and the free world must unite to stop this tidal wave of blind violence which has already struck America, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Tunisia, Morocco and Saudi Arabia," he said.
Oil-for-food programme ends today without fanfare: For years, Zedan has be-en supplying his impoverished Baghdad neighbourhood with their monthly food rations under the UN's "oil-for-food" deal. Like most Iraqis, he had no idea that at midnight today the UN programme quietly comes to an end.
Suicide Bomber Kills 5 In Kurdish Area of Iraq: A suicide bomber blew up a pickup truck packed with explosives alongside the office of a U.S.-allied political party Thursday, killing himself and five other people, including two children, as resistance attacks expanded into northern and southern Iraq.
U.S. General Says Bin Laden 'Out of the Picture':  A senior U.S. general said on Friday that al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) had "taken himself out of the picture" and that his capture was not essential to winning the "war on terror." General Peter Pace, vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at U.S. military headquarters just north of Kabul that the 11,500-strong U.S.-led force hunting al Qaeda and Taliban militants was not focusing on individuals.
Over 100 Arrested, 20 Injured In Miami Protests: Riot police used rubber bullets, long batons, concussion grenades and stun guns to push back the demonstrators, who rallied as trade ministers hammered out a blueprint for a 34-nation Free Trade Area of the Americas.
US to trim loan guarantees to Israel: Washington will deduct an unspecified amount from $9 billion of loan guarantees to Israel, a move apparently in response to the continued construction of Jewish settlements and an apartheid wall. Sources in the US congress said on Thursday about $220 million could be cut from the loan guarantees to Israel due to settlement growth in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israel vows to continue building wall: The Israeli deputy prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said the barrier, which Israel contends is necessary to stop suicide bombers and which the Palestinians condemn as a land grab, would remain an option. "Israel will always have the right to take unilateral steps for separation from the Palestinians through a fence or other means," Olmert told Israel Radio
Palestinian fighter killed as Australia lists Hamas leaders as ''terrorists'': Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip killed a Palestinian fighter crawling toward the fence around the settlement of Netzarim on Thursday night, Israel Radio reported. Meanwhile, Australia listed six senior leaders of Hamas as "terrorists" Friday and froze the assets of five charities that it said help fund the movement's activities.
Opponents Block Energy Bill in Senate:  Opponents of a massive energy bill on Friday blocked the Senate from taking a final vote and sending the measure to President Bush. On a 57-40 vote, supporters failed by three votes to cut off debate on the legislation, which they said would increase and diversify energy production and provide farmers an economic boost by expanding use of corn-based ethanol. They needed 60 votes under the Senate's rules to close debate on the bill and move on to a final vote. The House passed the legislation earlier this week.
The cause of China-US trade disputes: The recent discussions on Sino-US trade relations are becoming increasingly intense within China and the United States, and visits to China by ranking US economic and trade officials have therefore become more and more frequent. In spite of this, trade disputes between China and the United States seem to have not been calmed down and, in this process, the new game focus of the two sides actually is a dispute over fair trade.
Internet Access Tax Battle Heats Up in Senate: A U.S. senator said on Thursday that he would hold up a massive year-end spending bill if it included a ban on Internet-access taxes that he and several colleagues fear would harm state and local finances.
Blair unable to sway Bush on British detainees: Prime Minister Tony Blair failed on Thursday to wring concessions from President George W. Bush on the fate of British citizens jailed at the U.S. base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba. The treatment of at least nine Britons being held without trial as "enemy combatants" has been a note of discord in the U.S.-British alliance in the war on global terrorism.
Daily Reality Check : Congressional leaders have announced an agreement in principle on the issue of Medicare reform. But is there anything principled about it? The plan carries a whopping $400 billion price tag over the next decade, and represents the first steps down the path to the conservative dream of privatizing the entire system. What can you get for $400 billion these days?
Now's the Time to Tell Your Senators to Represent You: The AARP and Tom Daschle have been BOUGHT by the Energy Companies and the Insurance companies and their stooges - President Cheney and The BusheviksWe must stand up and support those who are holding fast against these two destructive regime change bills.

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11/20
Death toll rises in Istanbul attacks: At least 25 people died and nearly 400 were injured in two huge bomb blasts targeting British interests in Istanbul, according to reports.
Top German MP Urges NATO Troop Deployment in Israel: "Palestinian leaders have repeatedly called for the stationing of NATO soldiers in the occupied territories to protect the civilian population from brutal Israeli military attacks .."  A leading German parliamentary deputy of the governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) has called for the deployment of NATO troops in Israel in a bid to solve the worsening Middle East conflict, the online site of the weekly Spiegel reported Wednesday.
Four killed in car bomb attack in northern Iraq: A suicide car bomber has killed at least four people in an attack near the offices of a leading Kurdish party in northern Iraq, hours after two others were killed in a car bombing west of Baghdad.The attacks near the Kirkuk offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) - whose leader is currently head of Iraq's US-appointed Governing Council - and a US-backed local council, appeared to be targeted against the US-led occupation.
Leaders unite to condemn terror: Tony Blair and George Bush have spoken of their joint determination to defeat terrorism after bomb attacks in Turkey. The UK prime minister said the blasts showed "the evil these terrorists pose to innocent people everywhere". The perpetrators had "utter contempt" for innocent lives, said the US president at a news conference held to mark his state visit to Britain.
Massive protest planned against Bush: Organizers hope to attract at least 100,000 people for a protest against U.S. President George W. Bush in central London Thursday. Demonstrators opposed to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq are expected to end the march by toppling a mock statue of Bush in Trafalgar Square.
Bush 'Greatest Threat To Life' On Earth: London Mayor: In an interview with the Ecology magazine, Livingstone accused Bush of being "the greatest threat to life on this planet that we've most probably ever seen" adding that his policies "will doom us to extinction", reported Agence France-Presse
U.S. pushes a series of smaller trade pacts for the Americas: U.S. officials, frustrated with the prospect of a watered-down hemispheric trade agreement, are focusing instead on bilateral agreements with certain countries in the Andes, Central America and the Caribbean as a way to get past differences with Brazil, which has South America's largest economy.
Militants seize Nigerian oil platforms, hold 14 workers: An armed gang has stormed two US-owned oil platforms in the sea off southern Nigeria and is holding 14 workers captive, energy giant ChevronTexaco said. Chevron Nigeria's public affairs manager Sola Omole said in a statement that 18 Nigerian workers were on the rigs when the assailants arrived, but four have already been released.
New tactics in Iraq: Will they work?: President Bush says his commanders in Iraq are adjusting their tactics by adopting what they call a "more aggressive" approach in response to mounting losses. On Sunday night American tanks fired on targets in Baghdad and Tikrit - the birthplace of Saddam Hussein and used a long-range satellite-guided missile for the first time since the war was declared over by George Bush.
Canada supplied information used against Arar, says solicitor general: Canada's solicitor general acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that U.S. officials used Canadian-supplied information when they deported Maher Arar to Syria. Solicitor General Wayne Easter held talks with U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft Wednesday in Washington.
China retaliates to US import cap: China may raise tariffs on certain US imports, in retaliation to America's planned import cap on Chinese textiles. China's trade minister Ma Xiuhong made the announcement in an interview with the official Chinese news agency.
Australian PM should campaign for Hicks release, father says: There are calls for Prime Minister John Howard to demand the release of one of the Australian prisoners being held in Guantanamo Bay, following reports British captives may be returned to the United Kingdom.A British politician says US President George W Bush told him the nine British prisoners would be handed to UK authorities if requested.
Guantanamo prisoners speak out: A number of Pakistanis released from the US high-security prison in Cuba's Guantanamo Bay talk about their experiences:  Abdul Raziq was arrested while he was preaching in Afghanistan. "I have no complaints against the Americans or the Afghans and I don't seek any compensation from anyone. I leave it to Allah to reward me," says Abdul Raziq.
Vaccinations May Have Killed Army Medic: Vaccinations may have caused the death of an Army medic who succumbed a month after receiving a combination of five shots, the Pentagon said Wednesday. The conclusion was reached by two panels that studied the death of 22-year-old Rachel A. Lacy of suburban Chicago and the illnesses of three others, Defense Department officials said.
Blackout report blames Ohio utility: Employee and equipment failures in Ohio, along with inadequate monitoring of the electricity grid, caused North America's largest blackout, an interim report concluded Wednesday. The three-month, joint U.S.-Canada investigation laid almost all of the blame on Ohio's FirstEnergy Corp. "The initiation of the Aug. 14, 2003 blackout was caused by deficiencies in specific practices, equipment and human decisions that coincided that afternoon," the report said.
American ignorance is security risk: Prominent US politicians have decried American ignorance of the outside world, arguing the country’s reluctance to study foreign civilisations could become a threat to national security.The scathing report produced by the Strategic Task Force on Education Abroad questions US citizen’s ability to fully grasp the meaning of events abroad.  "We strongly believe that the events of 11 September 2001 constituted a wake-up call - a warning that America's ignorance of the world is now a national liability."
Legislation Would Set Rules for Grid
Israel emerges as top defense exporter for 2003: According to an Israeli arms expert, the Jewish state will remain one of the world’s top five defense exporters for 2003, reported AP. The state was ranked third for 2002 by Defense News in June. The United States and Russia held the top two positions.
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