Free Republic

Exile enrages Syria by linking Assad to Hariri assassination By Harry de Quetteville (Filed: 02/01/2006) Syria's ruling Ba'ath party yesterday expelled one of the country's most senior politicians after he implicated President Bashar al-Assad in an assassination plot last year. The party denounced Abdel-Halim Khaddam, 73, a former vice-president and a stalwart of the Ba'ath regime, as a traitor to the "party, the homeland and the Arab nation" for his remarks. Earlier the Syrian parliament had called for him to be put on trial for high treason. Mr Khaddam, who resigned six months ago, is already in exile in Paris....

E-mail: dstuart@wsmv.com On Capitol Hill, the debate over guns in bars has turned into a raging battle that is not only political, but also personal. Jimmy Naifeh used to be a darling of gun supporters and used his clout as House Speaker to pass or kill legislation. But when Naifeh used questionable maneuvers to send the current gun bill back to a subcommittee, the gun lobby came out blazing. "Our legislation is about good guys. The bad guys are already carrying [guns] in bars and restaurants. This would put us on a level playing field,” said Darren LaSorte, National Rifle...