Stop blaming America for terrorism  —  'Poised as I am, halfway between the two cultures, it was a little strange watching British reactions to events in America last week.  It was a little strange even being in Britain last week.  On Tuesday after hijacked planes had hit targets in Washington …

Gunmen try to take U.S. Embassy in Syria  —  DAMASCUS, Syria - Islamic militants attempted to storm the U.S. Embassy in Damascus on Tuesday using automatic rifles, hand grenades and at least one van rigged with explosives, the government said.  Four people were killed in the brazen attack, including three of the assailants.

Reinforce Baghdad  —  We are at a crucial moment in Iraq.  Supporters of the war, like us, have in the past differed over tactics.  But at this urgent pass, there can be no doubt that we need to stop the downward slide in Iraq by securing Baghdad.  —  There is no mystery …

Al Qaeda releases 9/11 anniversary message  —  (CNN) — A lengthy video statement from Ayman al-Zawahiri, issued on the eve of the fifth anniversary of al Qaeda's attacks on the United States, calls on Muslims to step up their resistance to the United States and warns that "new events" are on the way.

Fears of revenge attacks on stingrays over Irwin death  —  At least ten stingrays have been found dead and mutilated on Australia's eastern coast in the last week in what conservationists believe could be revenge attacks for the death of Steve Irwin, the popular naturalist and television personality.

A War of Words  —  There was a time, not so long ago, when no one ever spoke of an American "homeland."  During World War II there was a home front, and of course there has always been a heartland between the two heartless coasts, but no one thought of our big-shouldered cities …

Pakistan rape reform fails after Musharraf caves in  —  In a setback for women's rights in Pakistan, the ruling party in Islamabad has caved in to religious conservatives by dropping its plans to reform rape laws.  —  Statutes known as the Hudood ordinances, based on sharia law, currently operate in Pakistan.

Harvard Ends Early Admission  —  Harvard University, breaking with a major trend in college admissions, says it will eliminate its early admissions program next year, with university officials arguing that such programs put low-income and minority applicants at a distinct disadvantage …

CONSPIRACY CRANKS  —  CREATING CRAZED '9/11 TRUTH'  —  ON Feb. 7, 2005, I became a member of the Bush/Halliburton/Zionist/CIA/ New World Order/Illuminati conspiracy for world domination.  That day, Popular Mechanics, the magazine I edit, hit newsstands with a story debunking 9/11 conspiracy theories.

In Unpredictable District, Some Say Bush Is Politicizing Terrorism  —  Leaving services Sunday morning at Faith Bible Chapel, an evangelical megachurch, Jim McBride, a pilot who served in Vietnam, said he was not happy with President Bush's handling of Iraq.

ONE ARAB'S APOLOGY  —  WELL, here it is, five years late, but here just the same: an apology from an Arab-American for 9/11.  No, I didn't help organize the killers or contribute in any way to their terrible cause.  However, I was one of millions of Arab-Americans who did the unspeakable on 9/11: nothing.

Arkansas Governor: Beebe by 11  —  Beebe (D) 49% Hutchinson (R) 38%  —  For the first time since May, State Attorney General Mike Beebe's lead in the race for Arkansas governor is back to double digits (see crosstabs).  The latest Rasmussen Reports election survey shows Beebe leading Asa Hutchinson 49% to 38%.

Is There an Elephant in Here?  —  Editor's Note: A little over a year and a half ago, TCS Daily sent New York Post columnist Ryan Sager down to the 2005 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to observe the state of the conservative movement in the wake of George W. Bush's reelection.