Salman Rushdie, Ayaan Hirsi Ali et al Slam Islamic Totalitarianism  —  This just in, stay tuned as the story develops.  I think we'll be seeing people die in the coming days.  You know, from "reactions"....  Update: This will be brought in the French weekly Charlie Hebdo tomorrow, Wednesday.

Kristof: Poll Finds U.S. Troops in Iraq Urge Pullout  —  NEW YORK A poll of U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq—reportedly the first of its kind—shows that 72% advocate a U.S. pullout within a year, with only 23% for staying as long "as necessary," reports Nicholas Kristof in his New York Times column today.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Intelligence agencies warned about growing local insurgency in late 2003  —  WASHINGTON - U.S. intelligence agencies repeatedly warned the White House beginning more than two years ago that the insurgency in Iraq had deep local roots, was likely to worsen and could lead to civil war …

Prosecutors in Hussein Case Tie Him to Order to Kill 148  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 1 — As Saddam Hussein watched quietly from the dock, prosecutors on Tuesday displayed what they said was his signature on orders of execution for 148 men and boys, some as young as 11, in what appeared …

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 …

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 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.

Iraq's worst week — and Bush's  —  The catastrophe in Iraq, the scope of which is now apparent to even the most disengaged observer, and his mishandling of the Dubai port issue have sent President George W. Bush's public approval ratings to the lowest of his presidency.

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 …

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.