Lebanon's 'real' soldiers are put in their place  —  TODAY was supposed to be the day when the muchmaligned army of Lebanon took control of its borders and policed the UN ceasefire.  —  Instead, its military commanders were left humiliated and its troops stranded as Hezbollah told them not to try to disarm its fighters.

Republicans Weigh Push For Tougher Terror Laws  —  Expansion of Surveillance  —  A Key Part of New Strategy;  —  Chertoff Is Leading Charge  —  WASHINGTON — Following the foiled United Kingdom bomb plot, the Bush administration is expected to use the terrorist threat to regain …

Wisconsin's Congressional Delegation SENATE HOUSE  —  •5th CD: F. James Sensenbrenner (R) … MONDAY  —  10:15 a.m.: Feingold Blasts Bush and Lieberman, Praises McCain on "This Week"  —  U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, blasted President Bush's policies on Iraq …

Lamont Decries Lieberman Terror Remarks  —  WASHINGTON — Democratic Senate nominee Ned Lamont, the anti-war candidate who toppled Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut primary, says he was surprised by Lieberman and Vice President Dick Cheney's claims that his victory could embolden terrorists.

NYT: As weeks wore on, Bush Administration began to doubt Israel could win an outright military victory in Lebanon  —  As the weeks "wore on," the Bush Administration began to doubt that Israel could win an outright military victory in Lebanon, according to an early version of an article published in Monday's New York Times.

The View From the Top  —  A former Bush adviser on 9/11, Iraq and the lessons of five tumultuous years-for the president and the public.  —  Five Washington Augusts ago, for me, is not just a different time; it is a distant country.  At the White House, we debated the nuances of stem-cell research.

For GOP, Bad Gets Worse in Northeast  —  Incumbents Shy From Party and President  —  PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. — When it comes to President Bush and the Republican Congress, Rep. Jim Gerlach says voters in his suburban Philadelphia district are in a "sour mood."  —  That's why when it comes …

Iranian President Ahmedinejad Has A Blog  —  Further proof that this is a War of Ideas.  English version available: there are four flags on the top-right right under the picture of him writing.  Click on second from the left.  It's a merge of the US 'stars' and the British "cross."

Part 1: The kidnapping  —  An interview with an Iraqi politician turns deadly.  —  My chief captor had an idea about how to prod the US government into action: another video.  —  He said this one would be different, and left.  —  I turned to the two guards sitting on cushions a few feet away and started to panic.

Which Travelers Have 'Hostile Intent'?  Biometric Device May Have the Answer  —  At airport security checkpoints in Knoxville, Tenn. this summer, scores of departing passengers were chosen to step behind a curtain, sit in a metallic oval booth and don headphones.

Iranian Censors Clamp Down on Bloggers  —  Categories: Global / world / Middle East / economy, business and finance / religion and belief / Islamic politics, banking and law / islam / online media / media / punishment / crime, law and justice / law and the judiciary (system of justice) …

Poll: Americans Back Air Restrictions  —  CBS Survey: 75% Say Ban On Liquids And Gels Is Necessary  —  (CBS) Americans are signaling strong support for air travel restrictions in the wake of last week's foiled terror plot in Britain, a CBS News poll finds.

Passport photograph of girl's bare shoulders rejected 'as it may offend'  —  A five-year-old girl's passport application was rejected because her photograph showed her bare shoulders.  —  Hannah Edwards's mother, Jane, was told that the exposed skin might be considered offensive in a Muslim country.

Gender Gap Worries Educators  —  Girls Outperform Boys In Reading, Writing  —  While black, Hispanic and low-income children again lagged far behind others on statewide mastery test scores, another group of students also remained mired in a chronic - though often less noticed - achievement gap.

Conflict of Interest or Legitimate Punditry?  You Decide.  —  A Loop Fan writes: "Please explain to your readers how a government official who is paid by hard-earned taxpayer dollars is allowed to moonlight as a Republican mouthpiece on television."  —  The anonymous inquiry included a photo …