Europeans Delay Decision on Role Inside Lebanon  —  The ruins of southern Beirut Sunday, after being pounded by Israeli airstrikes for a month.  Arab nations promised reconstruction aid.  —  The shaky, United Nations-brokered cease-fire in Lebanon suffered another blow on Sunday …

Iran denies inspectors access to site  —  VIENNA, Austria - Iran has turned away U.N. inspectors wanting to examine its underground nuclear site in an apparent violation of the Nonproliferation Treaty, diplomats and U.N. officials said Monday.  —  The officials, who spoke on condition …

A Call to Support Democracy  —  As the debate on Iraq rages on, we hear more and more voices that call for throwing in the towel and leaving the mess to Iraqis to sort out.  A new and unexpected proponent of this argument is Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, who said in a recent column that it's time for "Plan B."

British Law Against Glorifying Terrorism Has Not Silenced Calls to Kill for Islam  —  From his home on the northwest edge of this city, Muhamad al-Massari runs a Web site that celebrates the violent death of British and American soldiers.  It is visited by tens of thousands of people every day, he said.

Charges Over Terror Plot  —  Eleven suspects in the alleged UK airport terror plot have been charged.  —  Police have also revealed that they found bomb-making equipment and martyrdom videos during their investigations.  —  They said eight people had been charged with conspiracy to murder and preparing acts of terrorism.

NY'S LAMONT WANNABE  —  WILL NETROOTS TAKE ON HILLARY?  —  JONATHAN Tasini has less than a month to become New York's Ned Lamont.  The Democratic primary is on Sept. 12, he's at 13 percent in the polls and he's just had his best fund-raising week ever online.

Police Chief Says He Exaggerated Post-Katrina Crime  —  The New Orleans police chief during Hurricane Katrina, Eddie Compass, says he unnecessarily "heightened people's fears" by repeating unconfirmed reports of out-of-control crime in the city during the aftermath of the storm …

McCain Mines Elite of G.O.P. for 2008 Team  —  Senator John McCain is locking up a cast of top-shelf Republican strategists, policy experts, fund-raisers and donors, in a methodical effort to build a 2008 presidential campaign machine that is drawing supporters of President Bush despite the sometimes rocky history between the two men.

Our Covert Enemies  —  In our war against Islamo-fascist terrorism, we face enemies both overt and covert.  The overt enemies are, of course, the terrorists themselves.  Their motives are clear: They hate our society because of its freedoms and liberties, and want to make us all submit to their totalitarian form of Islam.

World is watching as Iraq war tests U.S. mettle  —  One way to measure how the world has changed in these last five years is to consider the extraordinary address to his nation by General Musharraf on Sept. 19, 2001.  Pakistan was one of just three countries in the world (along with …

Banish The Bling  —  A Culture of Failure Taints Black America  —  Have we taken our eyes off the prize?  The civil rights movement continues, but the struggle today is not so much in the streets as in the home — and with our children.  If systemic racism remains a reality …

Blair 'feels betrayed by Bush on Lebanon'  —  The alliance between George Bush and Tony Blair is in danger after it was revealed that the Prime Minister believes the President has 'let him down badly' over the Middle East crisis.  —  A senior Downing Street source said that, privately …

Bush's Brain  —  The president just doesn't communicate anymore.  —  When a U.S. president has a 40% approval rating, critics declare open season.  Last week Britain's Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott had to deny a report that he had called the Bush administration "crap" …

Not all polls predicting doom for GOP  —  Voters are said to be in a sour, anti-Republican mood this year, but some polls have contradictory findings that indicate voters aren't thrilled with the Democrats either and could change their minds by Election Day.

JOE ROSENTHAL: 1911-2006  —  Photo was his fame — his pride 'My Marines'  —  The image of flag going up on Iwo Jima was extraordinary  —  Retired Chronicle photographer Joe Rosenthal, who won the Pulitzer Prize and international acclaim for his soul-stirring picture of the World War II flag-raising …

Is Tomorrow Doomsday?  —  Asa Eslocker Reports:  —  While no extra safeguards are in place, U.S. law enforcement are not ignoring the possible significance of tomorrow's date, August 22, a date that marks an important historic event on the Islamic calendar.