Anti-Jihad Manifesto Misses the Point  —  Today twelve international authors, most of them (former) Muslims, such as Salman Rushdie and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, but also a couple of "French philosophers," published a manifesto in the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.

At War With Ourselves  —  We're winning in Iraq.  Let's not lose at home.  —  Last week the golden dome of the Askariya shrine in Samarra was blown apart.  Sectarian riots followed, and reprisals and deaths ensued.  Thugs and criminals came out of the woodwork to foment further violence.

Shiites Told: Leave Home Or Be Killed  —  Sunnis Force Evictions As Iraq Tensions Grow  —  BAGHDAD, Feb. 28 — Salim Rashid, 34, a Shiite laborer in an overwhelmingly Sunni Arab village 20 miles north of Baghdad, received his eviction notice Friday from a man at the door with a rocket launcher.

Bush makes surprise Afghanistan visit  —  KABUL (Reuters) - President George W. Bush began his first visit to South Asia on Wednesday with a surprise stop over in Afghanistan, where thousands of American troops are still engaged in hunting down the architects of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Poll of troops in Iraq sees 72% support for withdrawal within a year  —  WASHINGTON — Seventy-two percent of troops on the ground in Iraq think U.S. military forces should get out of the country within a year, according to a Zogby poll released Tuesday.  —  The survey of 944 troops …

Gonzales Seeks to Clarify Testimony on Spying  —  Extent of Eavesdropping May Go Beyond NSA Work  —  Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales appeared to suggest yesterday that the Bush administration's warrantless domestic surveillance operations may extend beyond the outlines that the president acknowledged in mid-December.

GOP Unease Spreads to Security Issues  —  Port Deal Among Challenges to What Has Been Bush's Strength  —  The first heading on the issues page of Rep. Mark Foley's Web site brags that he is "one of President Bush's strongest supporters in Congress."  The Florida Republican voted …

The End of Fukuyama  —  Why his latest pronouncements miss the mark.  —  I have a feeling that last week was a disappointing one for Francis Fukuyama, whose essay "After Neoconservatism" (adapted from his upcoming book America at the Crossroads) was awarded seven pages in the Feb. 19 New York Times Magazine.

Poland Introduces "Martyrs of Our Time" Ad Campaign  —  The Polish Foundation of St. Benedictus introduces its "Martyrs of our Time" ad campaign this week.  —  Poland is no France...  No rationalizing or mollifying barbaric behavior in Krakow!  —  Here are a few of the moving posters …

Vermont Campaign Limits Get Cool Reception at Court  —  WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 — The Supreme Court displayed little appetite on Tuesday for making basic changes in its approach to campaign finance law, under which the government may place limits on political contributions but not on a candidate's spending.

The Return of Patriarchy  —  Across the globe, people are choosing to have fewer children or none at all.  Governments are desperate to halt the trend, but their influence seems to stop at the bedroom door.  Are some societies destined to become extinct?  Hardly.  It's more likely that conservatives will inherit the Earth.

Rivals Try to Tie G.O.P. Senator to Lobby Furor  —  GREAT FALLS, Mont., Feb. 27 — At a meeting with Senator Conrad Burns here last weekend, the Little Shell Chippewa tribe presented him with ropes of woven sweetgrass, a ceremonial tobacco pouch and a traditional drum dance.

What the P.L.O. Has to Offer  —  MANY have argued that Hamas's winning of a decisive majority in the Palestinian Parliament provides yet another setback for peace and democracy in the Middle East.  Some have even suggested that it vindicates Israeli unilateralism.

Veterans Report Mental Distress  —  About a Third Returning From Iraq Seek Help  —  More than one in three soldiers and Marines who have served in Iraq later sought help for mental health problems, according to a comprehensive snapshot by Army experts of the psyches of men and women returning …

Militant Islam and Children  —  This subject is much broader and deserves more attention than a fleeting blog post, but two stories appeared in my inbox today that suggest militant Islam and even some of its mainstream cousins have absolutely no thought of the future and no regard for the lives of anyone, most especially children.