[Cindy]

FYI Only.

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070730-3.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 30, 2007

President Bush Signs Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007

White House News

On Monday, July 30, 2007, the President signed into law:

S. 966, the “Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007,” which facilitates the hiring of Foreign Service retirees to assist in the processing of passport and visa applications and fraud investigations relating to passport applications.

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[Cindy]

Recap:

ASSIST NEWS SERVICE: Kabul, Afghanistan - "SECOND MALE KOREAN CHRISTIAN HOSTAGE KILLED BY TALEBAN IN AFGHANISTAN" by Michael Ireland (July 30, 2007)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com (FROM COMBINED DISPATCHES): Ghazni, Afghanistan - "END ORDEAL BEGS CAPTIVE OF TALIBAN" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The woman, one of 18 female hostages among the South Korean Christian volunteers kidnapped in Afghanistan more than a week ago, spoke to Reuters news agency on the mobile phone of a Taliban fighter.") (July 29, 2007)

MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series - No. 1669: "ISLAMIST WEBSITES MONITOR NO. 125" (July 27, 2007)

FOX NEWS.com (AP): KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - "TALIBAN KILL 1 SOUTH KOREAN HOSTAGE, RELEASE 8 OTHERS" (July 25, 2007)

FreeRepublic.com (KYODO NEWS - July 23, 2007): "TALIBAN MILITANTS SEEK $100,000 FOR CALL TO S. KOREAN HOSTAGES" (July 24, 2007)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com (AP): Kabul, Afghanistan - "TALIBAN MIGHT EXECUTE CAPTIVES" (July 21, 2007)

ASSIST NEWS SERVICE: Kabul, Afghanistan - "OFFICIALS SAY TALIBAN KIDNAP 23 KOREAN BEIEVERS FROM AFGHAN BUS" by Michael Ireland (July 20, 2007)

TRAVEL.STATE.GOV - Travel Warning: "AFGHANISTAN"