Free Republic

Iraq may have to leave the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries so it can pump out extra oil to pay for the country's reconstruction, says a former Iraqi oil minister who is now a key adviser to the American government. The extra oil needed would be more than twice Iraq's pre-sanctions Opec quota and almost triple the present output of about 7 million barrels a day, said Fadhil Chalabi, who rejected a US invitation to become interim head of his country's oil sector. Chalabi, who served on the US State Department's Future of Iraq Oil and Energy Working Group, says...

He was solving math problems at 14 months, reading and correcting adults' grammar by 2 - the same age he decided to become a vegetarian. He was explaining photosynthesis to kindergarten classmates at 5. He breezed through 10 grades of school in three years, graduated with honors from high school at 9, founded an international youth advocacy organization, met with prime ministers and presidents, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Twice. Now, 13-year-old Gregory Robert Smith is about to add another line to his resume: College graduate. Greg will receive his bachelor's degree in mathematics May 31 from...