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."

Annan to give UNIFIL 'teeth'  —  UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to recommend Monday that the rules of engagement of the enhanced UNIFIL force to be deployed in Lebanon include opening fire on Hizbullah where necessary, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

Washington Post Gunning for George Allen  —  The Washington Post continues its long series of articles slamming Virginia Republican George Allen.  The front page of today's Metro section (B1) continue a hit piece by White House correspondent Mike Allen (presumably, no relation) …

'Islamofascism'  —  Beware of a religion without irony.  —  The term "Islamofascism" was introduced by the French writer Maxine Rodinson (1915-2004) to describe the Iranian Revolution of 1978.  Rodinson was a Marxist, who described as "fascist" any movement of which he disapproved.

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" …

Cold War Missiles Target of Blackout  —  The Bush administration has begun designating as secret some information that the government long provided even to its enemy the former Soviet Union: the numbers of strategic weapons in the U.S. nuclear arsenal during the Cold War.

Shoura Chief Wants Bush Apology  —  Shoura Council Chairman Dr. Saleh Bin-Humaid yesterday called for a public apology from US President George W. Bush for linking Islam and Muslims with fascism and terrorism.  —  The chairman was referring to a recent statement by Bush branding Muslim extremists "Islamic fascists."

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.

If you want sharia law, you should go and live in Saudi  —  Shahid Malik, the Labour MP, explains why he told fellow Muslims that if they don't like Britain they should pack their bags  —  Scotland Yard described it as a plot "to commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale".

Firebrand Islamic academic: 'dying for your beliefs is just'  —  A British-based Muslim radical appeared to back suicide bombing yesterday when he claimed that dying for your beliefs was 'just'.  —  Dr Azzam Tamimi told an 8,000-strong crowd that standing up for your principles was the 'greatest act of martyrdom'.