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While much attention is paid to the consensus in Washington that Saddam Hussein must be replaced, the debate over his successor has largely been hidden. Yet the question of who would replace Saddam is a critical component of U.S. strategy, both with respect to how Saddam should be ousted and the American vision for the Middle East.The debate over who should succeed Saddam begins with Ahmad Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi opposition movement, the Iraqi National Congress (INC). People who know him well think he has the potential to be one of the great Arab leaders of this century....

| The U.S. gives financial aid to friends AND enemies. That we taxpayers give money to our nation's friends is easy to understand. That we give it to those who hate us, despise us and who cheer when airliners crash into our buildings is not. New York Congressman Anthony Weiner, a Democrat from Brooklyn and Queens, is saying it again. The U.S. should cut off financial aid to Yasser Arafat's band of hoodlums. We should stop feeding the dog that bites us at every opportunity. As the Congressman points out, American taxpayers gave Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority a Billion dollars...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of “word for the day”. Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the “word of the day”; in a sentence. The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day. The Review threads are linked for your edification. ;-) Practice makes perfect.....post on.... diffident \DIFF-i-duhnt; DIFF-i-dent\, adjective: diffendently; adjective 1. Showing modest reserve; as, "she was diffident when offering a comment on the professor's lecture" 2. Lacking self-confidence; as, "stood in the doorway diffident and abashed"...

NEW DELHI JUNE 19. The man all set to become President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is not quite unfamiliar with politics. At his first press conference here today, he deftly handled questions ranging from the Gujarat carnage to his ``pro-nuclear weapons image''. And he fielded them all without faltering, effortlessly and he was always politically correct. Clearly, his own inimitable style was not limited to his hair, he was a man who liked to have ``his way'', his aim was always high, and his vision large and wide, and he seemed determined to leave his stamp on the presidency he was...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - How sweet it is.More than 10 million M&Ms brand candy lovers in the United States and 200 other countries have voted to add purple to the popular, button-like candy's rainbow of colors, manufacturer Masterfoods USA, a subsidiary of Mars, Inc., announced on Wednesday at a gala web-cast party in New York."We're very excited about the turnout and consumer involvement with M&Ms," Masterfoods USA president Paul Michaels told Reuters. Purple won, Michaels said, because "It's a popular color, it's a royal color. People love it around the world."The new color garnered 41 percent of the vote, beating...

During an address to Democratic activists in Iowa this weekend, U.S. Sen. John Edwards told the crowd, "I feel very much at home here." It's not hard to understand why. The trip was Edwards' fourth to the state since the 2000 presidential election, and more visits are in the works. Aides say the 2004 presidential aspirant plans to be back the weekend of Aug. 17 through 18 and also is looking at September dates. Iowa holds the first presidential caucus in 2004, and voters there have grown accustomed to having plenty of face time with potential candidates. "Running for president...

Shortly after U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald's news conference on Wednesday--where he announced the indictment of top Republican pol Roger "The Hog" Stanley--a few reporters sighed. They weren't painful sighs. But sighs they were. "He's just won't make a good sound bite," said one reporter. "We tried, but he just won't do it." Politicians, even the morons, can make with the sound bites. They wave their arms. They emote. It's obvious that Fitzgerald--who stubbornly refuses to address his sound bite problem--is a lousy politician. But he sure is aggressive. Senior Republican pals of Gov. George "Safe Highways" Ryan have learned this,...

Presbyterians-Week is a product of the Christian Observer Foundation,publisher of the oldest international Presbyterian and Reformedperiodical.  Dr. Edwin P. Elliott, Jr., Editor                   In this issue: [    ] Texan Leads PCA[    ] Cumberlands Assemble in Paducah[    ] Christ Edges Out Sophia in Presbyterian Church (USA)[    ] Archbishop Calls for Anglican Unity[    } Bible League Attacked in India[    ] Remember Those in Prison[    ] Trouble Brewing in Papua[    ] Short Term, Long Term[    ] Synods and Assemblies Texan Leads PCA The Presbyterian Church in America's 30th General Assembly elected theRev. Joseph "Skip" Ryan moderator at its opening convocation on...

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - A flood of imported goods, including expensive crude oil, boosted the U.S. trade gap to a record $35.9 billion in April, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Imports surged 4.7 percent to $116 billion, led by crude oil, autos, computers and consumer goods. Meanwhile, exports rose 2.2 percent to $80.1 billion, led by chemicals, machinery, semiconductors and autos. The report shows importers are meeting much of the increased demand for goods and services in the United States. U.S. producers are also benefiting from the global recovery, but at a slower pace. In a separate report, the Commerce Department...

State Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry has volunteered to cut her pay 5 percent next year in response to a Senate bill that would cut salaries of top government officials as the state struggles to balance its budget. "I am ready and willing to do just that, and I hope my colleagues will do the same," Berry said in e-mail to the bill's 25 sponsors. "We all must participate in the solution." Berry, a Republican, filed a form with the state comptroller Tuesday to have her $104,523 salary cut by 5 percent, or about $5,200, next year. In her e-mail,...

Donald J. Hall is a writer who lives in Palos Hills My father died last year, may he forever rest in peace. His suffering is now done. He was 76. He left a secret legacy though, unknown to all the family except my mother, who just thought nothing of the matter until a World War II photograph in my dad's war photo album caught my eye one day. I looked at my dad's war album many times, and this special picture eluded me over and over again. The album was always whisked away by dad. He never bragged about the...

The most important decision facing the United States of America is being debated in ignorance. The press has fallen down on the job. So have the pundits. The administration is afraid to speak the truth. The public doesn't want to hear the truth.And what is the truth?The truth is that our military isn't ready for this war. The truth is that we have too few troops. The truth is that we need either a draft, or the sort of massive expansion of our forces that will be difficult to achieve in the absence of a draft. The truth is...

I was watching the Daily Show with John Stewart on Comedy Central last night. Ever since Sept. 11, Mr. Stewart has taken to interviewing reporters and tv anchors in some sort of vain attempt to appear socially relevant. On the show last night (June 19), Mr. Stewart and his guest (a woman journalist whose name eludes me at this time) were discussing abduction of children. Mr. Stewart delicately brought up his “politically correct” observation that the news seems to only cover the abduction of white children, strongly imply that they are not covering the abduction of black children and that...

DOES ISLAM PROMOTE PEACE? My recent one-page article: "Islam: More than a Religion" has inspired a lot of emails—some positive, some negative. Whether you are for or against what I have written, I appreciate hearing from you. God has given me a deep love and a burden for Muslims. My wife and I have hundreds of friends and acquaintances who are Muslims. Since "9-11", many non-Muslims in the West have been quizzing me on Islam—the most common question being, "Is Islam a religion of peace?" I confess that I do not know everything there is to know about Islam, but...

A King County sheriff's deputy has lost his job because a restraining order filed against him prohibited him from carrying a gun. "It was determined that he was not able to do the essential functions of his job," said Sgt. Greg Dymerski, spokesman for the King County Sheriff's Office. "There was no other option at this point." Deputy David Hick, 33, a 10-year veteran who lives in Woodinville, had worked at the Kenmore precinct as a patrol officer. A 34-year-old attorney was granted a permanent restraining order against Hick on June 5 after she said Hick had made death threats...

TEL AVIV, June 20 (Reuters) - Israeli television broadcasters are considering pulling the plug on the CNN news channel in protest at comments made by U.S. media mogul Ted Turner, officials and sources at the companies said on Thursday. Turner, founder of the 24-hour Cable News Network, was quoted on Tuesday as saying the Israeli military was engaged in "terrorism" against the Palestinians that could be compared to Palestinian suicide bomber attacks on Israelis. A senior board member at the YES satellite television broadcaster and a source close to the head of Israel's three cable providers, now engaged in a...

Internet security company mi2g says there is mounting evidence that individual hacker groups are coalescing and becoming interconnected through a common pro-Islamic agenda. According to the company, each group is carrying out digital attacks under a common banner and has pooled expertise to forcibly broadcast political views that are anti-Israel, anti-US, anti-UK and anti-India. "The most important lesson learnt from these events is the coming together of pro-Islamic groups to simultaneously participate in joint digital attacks on US, UK, Israeli and Indian targets," said mi2g chairman D.K. Matai. "Historically, the US has been allied with Pakistan. It seems that recent...

Board backs firing teacher By Bill Hirschman Education Writer Posted June 19 2002 An elementary school teacher who appeared in a pornographic gay video was suspended without pay by the Broward School Board on Tuesday, beginning a multistep process to fire him. But Anthony Vanchieri, who taught physical education at Coconut Creek Elementary, plans to appeal -- which puts the firing on hold, said his attorney Steve Rossi. School Board members said little before voting unanimously to support the administration's recommendation to fire him. The administration's petition stated, "Undoubtably, Respondent's actions have publicly disgraced the education profession as a whole,...

Terrorism is an effective tool in the Middle East — against Palestinians. It is not defeating Israel, or forcing them to pull back into pre-1967 borders. Rather, it is preventing the stated aims of the Palestinian Authority: a sovereign Palestinian state.Though President Bush and his foreign-policy team have been planning a major policy speech on the Middle East, including such concessions as a "provisional Palestinian state," the terrorist group Hamas and their "War on the Buses" have usurped the diplomatic schedule.The Bush administration — much to the chagrin of supporters of Israel — has openly supported a Palestinian state...

I was wondering if someone could give me some help. I'm trying to find any articles or information on the El-Hamma massacre. It was when a politician in Syria questioned the government and they leveled the entire town of Hamma, killing everyone in it. I did a search on google for it and couldn't find much of anything relevant. Does anyone here have any links to this subject they would be willing to share?