End of an Affair  —  WE'RE RELUCTANT to return to the subject of former CIA employee Valerie Plame because of our oft-stated belief that far too much attention and debate in Washington has been devoted to her story and that of her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, over the past three years.

In Latest Push, Bush Cites Risk in Quitting Iraq  —  President Bush said Thursday that withdrawing now from Iraq would leave Americans at risk of terrorist attacks "in the streets of our own cities," and he cast the struggle against Islamic extremists as the costly but necessary successor …

Highly Enriched Uranium Found at Iranian Plant  —  The global nuclear monitoring agency deepened suspicions on Thursday about Iran's nuclear program, reporting that inspectors had discovered new traces of highly enriched uranium at an Iranian facility.  —  Inspectors have found such uranium …

FBI searches offices of Alaska lawmakers  —  Legislators targeted in five locations as part of 'pending investigation'  —  JUNEAU, Alaska - Federal agents raided the offices of at least six Alaska lawmakers Thursday in a search for any ties between the legislators and a large oil field services company, officials said.

MISS ENGLAND SAYS: IT'S OUR FAULT!  —  You may be unaware that the Miss World pageant is coming up next month.  The finale will be in Poland at the end of September; the Miss World web site is taking shape.  —  Normally, this would be a source of unalloyed pleasure.  This year, though, politics has intruded.

Sen. Clinton Touts Woman for President  —  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, standing outside an abandoned knitting mill that will become the new home of the National Women's Hall of Fame, said Thursday she hopes America is ready for its first woman president.  —  "It just depends on when and if that happens," the former first lady said.

Defense CEOs doing well since 9/11, study says  —  Average pay has doubled, compared with slight gains at other companies  —  WASHINGTON - The chief executives of corporations making big profits from the war on terror are enjoying far bigger pay increases than CEOs of nondefense companies, according to a study by two liberal groups.

Meth bust highlights Mexican groups' influence  —  Last week, federal officials announced the seizure of 174 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, calling it one of the largest ever on the East Coast.  —  But that's old news.  On Wednesday, the feds announced a bust that doubled that.

The Next Industrial Giant Is ... India?  —  PUNE, India — India's economic advancement no longer rests on telephone call centers and computer programmers.  —  Among villages with thatch-roofed huts and dirt roads on the outskirts of this city in central India, John Deere and LG Electronics …

'Settling accounts,' IDF kills Al Aksa chief in Nablus  —  IDF forces operating in Nablus early Thursday morning gunned down Fadi Kafisha, 29, commander of Fatah's Al Aksa Martyrs' Brigades in the northern West Bank city and a "terrorist mastermind" who military officials said was financed and directed by Hizbullah.

Education Department Mined Hundreds of Students' Records as Part of FBI Antiterrorist Operation  —  The U.S. Education Department has given the Federal Bureau of Investigation information on hundreds of students who applied for financial aid over the past five years as part …

Democrats Target Rumsfeld  —  Lawmakers to Seek a Vote of No Confidence in Defense Secretary  —  Under assault from Republicans on issues of national security, congressional Democrats are planning to push for a vote of no confidence in Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld this month as part …

Buchanan: 'The Country I Grew Up In' Was '89 or 90 Percent White.  I Like That Country'  —  Pat Buchanan has been a constant presence on cable TV since the release of his book, State of Emergency.  Last night on Hannity and Colmes, Buchanan explained that he's motivated by his desire to keep the country overwhelmingly white.

U.S. force in Iraq at 140,000  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has expanded its force in Iraq to 140,000 troops, the most since January and 13,000 more than five weeks ago, the Pentagon said on Thursday, amid relentless violence in Baghdad and elsewhere.