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When you think you have seen it all, then this picture is in the front page of today's El Nacional. The picture was taken at yesterday's anniversary of the city of Caracas, where the illustrious Mayor of the Libertador municipality, Freddy Bernal, gave a medal to the wife of the new Minister of Defense, who is the man in white on the right of the picture. His wife is shown on the left in military garb.

NEW YORK - Two U.S. citizens accused of being al-Qaida loyalists were each ordered held without bail Tuesday as they appeared in federal courtrooms in New York and Florida. Tarik Shah, 42, of New York, waved and smiled at supporters and appeared relaxed at his preliminary hearing in U.S. District Court in Manhattan before Magistrate Judge Theodore Katz. In Fort Pierce, Fla., Dr. Rafiq Abdus Sabir, 50, told U.S. District Judge James Hopkins that he had yet to hire an attorney, and the judge set the next hearing in his case for June 6. Neither defendant had entered a plea...

GEOSTRATEGY-DIRECT INTELLIGENCE BRIEF Alawi: Insurgency backed by $1 billion fund Money from Saddam loyalists, elements in neighboring countries Posted: July 24, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern Editor's note: WorldNetDaily brings readers exclusive, up-to-the-minute global intelligence news and analysis from Geostrategy-Direct, a new online newsletter edited by veteran journalist Robert Morton and featuring the "Backgrounder" column compiled by Bill Gertz. Geostrategy-Direct is a subscription-based service produced by the publishers of WorldTribune.com, a free news service frequently linked by the editors of WorldNetDaily. © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Iraq's new leader says the Shi'ite and Sunni insurgency in Iraq is being financed by more than...

Iraqi Insurgent Attacks Kill 13, Hurt 172 22 minutes ago By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer KARBALA, Iraq - In the biggest rebel attack since Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s capture, suicide bombers and assailants with mortars and grenade launchers blasted coalition military bases and the governor's office in this southern city Saturday, killing 13 people and wounding at least 172. The death toll in Karbala included six coalition soldiers — four Bulgarians and two Thais; six Iraqi police officers; and a civilian. At least 172 people, many of them civilians caught in the chaos, were wounded in...

In an emergency meeting, Saddam's loyalists ponder their increasingly dim future! : )

17 Nov 2003 11:59:40 GMTFear, loyalty keep $25 mln Saddam bounty untouched By Dean Yates TIKRIT, Iraq, Nov 17 (Reuters) - On paper, the $25 million bounty on Saddam Hussein's head looks mighty attractive. Yet no Iraqi has come forward with the decisive tip-off, even though many celebrated Saddam's ouster by U.S.-led forces in April. Seven months later, he is still on the run despite the reward Washington has offered for his capture or proof of death. On Sunday, a new audio tape purportedly recorded by Saddam was broadcast by Arab television network Al Arabiya, a further reminder to...

AFP - The Al-Arabiya news channel said it had received a letter purportedly from Iraq's former number two Ezzat Ibrahim promising to avenge the deaths of Saddam Hussein's slain sons. If authentic, it would be the first message from Ibrahim, who was also vice president of the once-powerful Revolution Command Council, since the fall of the former regime in April 9. "I swear that no-one will be left at peace as long as Uday and Qusay are not avenged, as long as Iraq is not liberated and as long the infidel colonisers, traitors and apostates are not killed," said the...

The US army is hoping to stick up posters of Saddam Hussein's face superimposed on Hollywood heroines and other stars in an attempt to enrage his followers and draw them out. In one called 'Zsa Zsa Saddam', he has his head tossed back, his blonde locks flowing and a filter-tipped cigarette dangling coquettishly between his delicate fingers. 'Zsa Zsa Saddam' is the US army's latest ploy in the four-month hunt for the fugitive dictator. In a campaign starting this week, US forces plan to put up the posters around Saddam's home town of Tikrit. As well as Saddam dolled up...

<p>BAGHDAD, Iraq — American troops raided homes and farmhouses in the hostile "Sunni triangle" (search) west and north of Baghdad on Sunday, detaining dozens of people believed to be supporters of Saddam Hussein.</p> <p>Twenty-four regime loyalists, including a "targeted leader," were captured in the raids conducted by the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (search), according to U.S. Central Command. It provided no details on the identities of the captives.</p>

<p>WASHINGTON - Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary, suggested on Tuesday that the number of "committed Baathists" opposing the U.S.-led forces in Iraq might approach 20,000, and he said that they might be unique in the annals of guerrilla warfare in using as their chief tactic "contract killings."</p>

The United States military has launched a search and destroy offensive against Sunni fighters loyal to deposed President Saddam Hussein.Thousands of troops from the US 3rd Infantry Division have been deployed in two Iraqi cities.One force, the size of two battalions, arrived in Falujah, some 65 kilometers west of Baghdad, on Wednesday.Another task force was deployed around two military airfields in the area of Habbaniyah.Falujah and Habbaniyah are major transit points from Baghdad to the Syrian border and are said to contain thousands of Saddam loyalists who fled the Iraqi capital during the war.Sunni insurgents have repeatedly attacked forced from...

By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press WriterBAGHDAD, Iraq - Hundreds of armed members of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s Baath party and security forces deployed Wednesday throughout Baghdad, taking positions behind sandbags and in foxholes ahead of the U.S. ultimatum for the Iraqi leader to leave or face war. AP Photo (AP Video) Latest news: · Many Iraqi Loyalists Leave Posts AP - 14 minutes ago · Air Force: U.S. Assault Will Stun Iraqis AP - 1 hour, 16 minutes ago · Poll Shows Sermons on Iraq Influence Few AP - Wed Mar 19, 3:39 PM ET Special Coverage  ...