Breaking: Group claims responsibility for Centanni abduction (Video added)  —  The "Holy Jihad Brigades"?  Whose very first act of holy jihad is to kidnap a reporter and a cameraman?  —  That's a shrewd way to get press, but at the rather large expense of antagonizing the Palestinian terror …

A Law Unto Herself  —  TO end her opinion in American Civil Liberties Union v. National Security Agency — the case that enjoins President Bush's warrantless surveillance program — Judge Anna Diggs Taylor quoted Earl Warren (referring to him as "Justice Warren," not "Chief Justice Warren," …

Iran Sanctions Could Fracture Coalition  —  It was always going to be tough for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to hold together her fragile coalition of world powers trying to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions.  The Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon has made that job harder.

Gov. Murkowski Concedes Defeat in Alaska  —  Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski concedes race for second term in Alaska  —  (AP) Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski, stung by accusations of arrogance and stubbornness, lost his bid for a second term Tuesday after polling last in a three-way GOP primary.

Peace Now Under Fire  —  SHOMRAT, ISRAEL — I drove up to Kibbutz Shomrat, just north of Akko (Acre) near the border with Lebanon, and met two middle-aged members of Peace Now who stayed in the line of Katyusha fire throughout the war.  I expected to meet two marginalized members of the old left …

Senator Jokes About House Painter  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, whose re-election campaign is pressing for tighter immigration controls, referred to his house painter as "a nice little Guatemalan man" and suggested that worker as well employees of a roofing company he hired might be in the country illegally.

The Battle of Baghdad  —  Rampant insecurity—and a detailed plan to combat it.  —  BAGHDAD—Although there has been much good news to report about security progress in Iraq this summer—the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the handover of security responsibility for Muthanna province …

Marine Reservists Facing Combat Duty  —  With Volunteers Lagging, as Many as 2,500 to Be Called Up for Afghanistan, Iraq  —  The Marine Corps is planning to call up as many as 2,500 Marine reservists for combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, dipping into a rarely used pool of troops …

Fixing the Federal Spending Problem  —  On the road tonight, after a full day with great candidates and committed patriots in Alabama.  While scrolling down Instapundit a little while ago, I found a blog post from Andrew Stuttaford at The Corner, discussing the Federal Funding Accountability …

HAIL TO THE CHIEF  —  I had the opportunity this afternoon to be part of a relatively small group who heard President Bush talk, extemporaneously, for around forty minutes.  It was an absolutely riveting experience.  It was the best I've ever seen him.  Not only that; it may have been the best I've ever seen any politician.

Is the Bush Doctrine Dead?  —  The president's critics are wrong.  That includes the neocons.  —  In recent months, we have been bombarded with reports of the death of the Bush Doctrine.  Of course, there have been many such reports since the doctrine was first promulgated at the start …

What Your Freshmen Don't Know  —  Beloit College has released its latest "Mindset List," to help academics understand what freshmen know — and what they don't have a clue about.  This list has been prepared each August since 1998 and past lists are available online.  —  Here is this year's list, for the Class of 2010:

Al-Jazeera's Tricky Balancing Act  —  DOHA, Qatar — What do people in the Middle East think five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks?  To get a quick snapshot, I paid a visit here to Ahmed Sheikh, the editor in chief of al-Jazeera television.  It was reassuring, in a perverse way …

The Protestant Crusade Conspiracy  —  Who planted the bombs on German trains?  Depends who you ask.  Many Muslims in Germany think it's a government conspiracy.  Just like with Sept. 11.  And London....  This just in: The Lebanese men suspected of having deposited bombs on German trains …