Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Hurting U.S. Terror Fight  —  The war in Iraq has become a primary recruitment vehicle for violent Islamic extremists, motivating a new generation of potential terrorists around the world whose numbers may be increasing faster than the United States and its allies …

Dozens die in Baghdad blast  —  At least 34 people have been killed by a bomb in the Sadr City district of Baghdad.  —  A further 36 people were injured in Saturday's explosion which happened near a petrol station in the predominantly Shia area of the Iraqi capital.

In Memory of Sgt. Paul R. Smith  —  A group of us here at the Minnesota Organization of Bloggers read a story about the failure of recogniton of one of our finest and decided then to set aside a day—the day of his birth—to salute him in memory of his courageous service under fire.

Sept. 11 inscriptions spark outrage  —  Inscriptions etched into Arizona's Sept. 11 monument — meant to inspire and capture the horror of the terrorist attacks — sparked the beginnings of a political blog battle this week.  —  The monument was unveiled at Phoenix's Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza near …

Police to brief Muslims before terror raids  —  POLICE have agreed to consult a panel of Muslim leaders before mounting counter-terrorist raids or arrests.  Members of the panel will offer their assessment of whether information police have on a suspect is too flimsy and will also consider …

Officials doubt bin Laden death report  —  PARIS - A leaked French intelligence document raises the possibility Osama bin Laden died of typhoid, but President Jacques Chirac said Saturday the report was "in no way whatsoever confirmed" and officials from Kabul to Washington expressed skepticism about its accuracy.

Secrets of 'South Park'  —  Cartoon Co-Creators on Tom Cruise, Mohammed and the Time They Came Close to Packing It in  —  Comedy Central's vulgar, profane, hilarious animated hit "South Park" begins its 10th season on Oct. 4 in an uncertain place.  —  In the past year, the show and its creators …

Taking Aim  —  Since the president's re-election, loathers of George W. Bush have had no shortage of cudgels with which to club him: a distressingly belated response to Hurricane Katrina; an experiment in warrantless wiretapping; a modest parade of indictments; a nation-building project …

Late Nite FDL: We Keep Going  —  I saw this movie last night.  It was a rip!  —  I like screwball comedy when the actors don't play it or mug overtly for laughs.  The actors here, including Greg Kinnear, Steve Carrell, Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin all play their characters pretty straight …

A coup, a riot, a UN rant-fest, and the world just stifles a yawn  —  I was wondering why the antics of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly seemed so familiar last week.  Then I realised.  It was just like a university faculty meeting.  Extravagant, long-winded denunciations …

Torture as Investigation  —  Vladimir Bukovsky: … It goes on, including tales of Bukovsky's own experiences as a victim of Soviet torture and deserves to be read in its entirety.  But this here is essentially the key point at hand.  While you can obviously imagine or gerrymander …

The Tide's In for Independents  —  The independence being demonstrated all over the political spectrum these days — by Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman and Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee, both in tough reelection battles, and by Republican Sens. John McCain and John Warner — has its roots in American history.

The October Surprise?  More Predictions It Will Be Iran (UPDATE)  —  Former Senator Gary Hart says don't be surprised if preemptive war with Iran starts before the November elections.  —  Is any discussion about an "October surprise" basically speculative, paranoid nonsense?

The War of the Hacks  —  It's amazing what a few days away from this politics-obsessed town can do for one's perspective.  Seen from afar, the congressional debate over the war and terrorism comes across as a Washington event designed to show that Democrats are wimps on national security …