OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR; A General Misunderstanding  —  AS the No. 2 general at United States Central Command from the Sept. 11 attacks through the Iraq war, I was the daily "answer man" to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.  I briefed him twice a day; few people had as much interaction with him as I did during those two years.

Bombs That Would Backfire  —  WHITE HOUSE spokesmen have played down press reports that the Pentagon has accelerated planning to bomb Iran.  We would like to believe that the administration is not intent on starting another war, because a conflict with Iran could be even more damaging …

'Speak softly, don't argue and slow down'  —  Loud and brash, in gawdy garb and baseball caps, more than three million of them flock to our shores every year.  Shuffling between tourist sites or preparing to negotiate a business deal, they bemoan the failings of the world outside the United States.

Tehrean Treatens West With Homicide Bombers  —  TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has formed battalions of suicide bombers to strike at British and American targets if the nation's nuclear sites are attacked.  According to Iranian officials, 40,000 trained suicide bombers are ready for action.

Hiltzik of the LA Times - Unethical Or Just Ignorant?  —  I've had fun reading Michael Hiltzik in the past, mostly because he's an interesting case of a major newspaper trying on the blog form.  He manages, I think to combine the worst of both - the overweening arrogance of the MSM and the casual …

Joe Klein: Nukes should be on the table  —  Joe Klein: "Nukes should be on the table"  —  Joe Klein started off today on "THIS WEEK," sounding fairly reasonable in the discussion about Iran and then veered off into neocon, kool-aid drinking lunacy.  George Stephanopoulos was even caught off guard by Klein's statements.

Policy on Iran nukes seems to be off-target  —  Happy Easter.  Happy Passover.  But, if you're like the president of Iran and believe in the coming of the "Twelfth Imam," your happy holiday may be just around the corner, too.  President Ahmadinejad, who is said to consider himself …

The GOP's Betrayal On Speech  —  If in November Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives, April 5 should be remembered as the day they demonstrated that they earned defeat.  Traducing the Constitution and disgracing conservatism, they used their power for their only remaining purpose — to cling to power.

Keeping Al-Qaeda in His Grip  —  Al-Zawahiri Presses Ideology, Deepens Rifts Among Islamic Radicals  —  CAIRO — In January 2003, one of the two most wanted men in the world couldn't contain his frustration.  From a hiding place probably somewhere in South Asia, he tapped out two lengthy e-mails …

Let's repeal the First Amendment  —  Because it does not apply any more.  —  Bill Hobbs, fired from his job for running Muhammed cartoons on his blog.  Notably his firing was sparked by a hit piece by a Leftie.  Apparently the Left is pleased to make common cause with the Islamists, if they can "take down a wingnut."

FEMA deemed these homes habitable  —  Labeling Katrina homes as livable makes owners ineligible for more aid, but officials here call structures unfit  —  A New Orleans house flattened but for a concrete staircase on a crumbling facade was among many storm-ravaged structures …

How to Lose Your Job at a Saudi Newspaper  —  I was unceremoniously fired this month by my Saudi newspaper, a leading English-language daily called Arab News.  —  It didn't matter that I had been the senior columnist on the op-ed page for nine years or that my work was quoted widely …

Revival in Japan Brings Widening of Economic Gap  —  OSAKA, Japan — Japan's economy, after more than a decade of fitful starts, is once again growing smartly.  Instead of rejoicing, however, Japan is engaged in a nationwide bout of hand-wringing over increasing signs that the new economy …