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Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat appears to be in better health Friday, attending Muslim prayers at his West Bank headquarters. Earlier this week, he was pale and haggard and seemed disoriented. This set off speculation that he might be seriously ill. His doctors denied it, however -- saying he suffered from stomach problems but was recovering. Arafat repeatedly kneeled and got to his feet without help at today's prayers. He sat in the first row of worshipers at a makeshift mosque. He was still pale, but looked stronger, and his lower lip did not tremble, as it often does when he...

Guysen Israel News is running an unconfirmed report that Yasser Arafat has kicked the bucket!

WHY I THINK BIN LADEN IS DEAD Sep 12 2003 By Christopher Hitchens I HAVE believed for more than a year that Osama bin Laden is dead and yesterday's pathetic home movie from al Jazeera via al Qaeda (or do I mean the other way around?) has reinforced this conviction. It would be easy enough for his fellow-gangsters to prove me wrong. All they need to do, next time they point a video at their heroic guru, is to put in his hands a recent edition of an Arabic or Pakistani or Afghan newspaper. The date needn't be visible -...

Looks like Saddam is doing scenes from Heidi or The Sound of Music rolicking through the mountian meadows.

Aug. 18 — DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Arabiya television aired on Monday an audio tape allegedly from an al Qaeda spokesman saying Osama bin Laden and Taliban chief Mullah Omar were alive and urging Muslims to fight a holy war against U.S. troops in Iraq. Al Arabiya attributed the recording to Afghan-based al Qaeda official Abdel Rahman al-Najdi, who it said was on a U.S. list of wanted al Qaeda members. "I would like to bring the good tidings to Muslims everywhere that Sheikh Osama bin Laden is well, very well and that Mullah Omar is also alive," the voice...

Nine months after Sen. Paul Wellstone's fatal plane crash, some DFLers are outraged by what they consider disrespectful bumper sticker messages printed in Wellstone's green and white. One spotted on a car parked near the State Capitol reads: "It's time to park the bus," a reference to Wellstone's campaign vehicle. Another spotted around town said, "He's dead, get over it."

Hussein's 66th birthday? Party is probably over Elaborate celebrations in past marked 'glorious birth of the Arab hero'04/11/2003 From Wire Reports Saddam Hussein's upcoming birthday party is likely to be yet another casualty of the war. The Iraqi president's 66th birthday is April 28. And back in December, the Iraqi newspaper Al-Thawra announced the mother of all parties: "The high committee for the festivities of the blessed anniversary has begun preparations to celebrate the glorious birth of the Arab hero, the president and leader, the victorious by the power of Allah, Saddam Hussein, may God preserve him." It's a day...

Deception gives life to leaders Body doubles, altered images date back to ancient times Julie Smyth National Post When Mao Tse-tung swam the Yangtze at the age of 73, observers were amazed at the speed he was travelling. He was known for swimming the river but the film footage showed him cutting through the water at remarkable pace for a man of his age. Photos from the same day also raised suspicion as they appeared to show a detached head bobbing on the water. There were enough witnesses to authenticate it was the Chinese leader but there is still debate...

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) chaired a meeting of top military aides and government ministers, state television reported. The meeting was attended by Saddam's son Qussay, who heads the elite Republican Guard, as well as Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan and Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz, it said. Defense Minister Sultan Hashim, Information Minister Mohamad Said al-Sahhaf, Trade Minister Mohamad Mehdi Saleh and interim Oil Minister Amer Rashid were also shown sitting around the table. The broadcast showed Saddam wearing an army sweater over military fatigues but gave no details on the meeting. Saddam was...

Did anyone notice Saddam just praised the Generla (by name) of the 51st (whatever) - The same general that surrendered on the second day!!!?

Fox News just reported that Iraqi media has given a statement that Saddam (or Saddam's doppelganger) will soon make a historic speech.

US intelligence indicates at least one of Saddam Hussein's top deputies is alive and may command some of Iraq's military efforts. A senior US official said today there was no new, credible intelligence that would indicate whether Saddam or his sons Qusay and Uday were alive, dead or wounded. State-run Iraqi television reported that Saddam held two meetings today with senior government members and Qusay, who is regarded as his father's likely successor. Video footage from the meetings was not shown during the initial broadcast, but did air in an evening report. A military spokesman read a communique on the...

John Bachelor says his sources say no resistance reported from Baghdad. US is keeping lid on story for fear of mass revolts. Picking this up from their pre-show WABC feed.

...Freerepublic.com will collapse under the sheer weight of the stupidity generated there daily. It will be reborn as Fascists-R-Us.com....

Hi everybody! I'm new to Free Republic and I really love the site!! Its so refreshing to find like minded people on the internet. I am from rural Oregon. Anyway, I just want to say " I love Bush!" He is incredible. I can't wait to get my next tax cut in the mail... I only got 150 or so dollars back the first time, but its nice to know I'm getting money back AND we've got the BIGGEST military machine in the history of the planet! I am excited about the next six years. Hopefully we can end this...