Stepping Into Iraq  —  Saudi Arabia Will Protect Sunnis if the U.S. Leaves  —  In February 2003, a month before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, warned President Bush that he would be "solving one problem and creating five more" if he removed Saddam Hussein by force.

Frist will not seek presidency in 2008  —  WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Wednesday he will not run for president in 2008, a high-profile campaign dropout more than a year before the first convention delegates are chosen.  —  "In the Bible, God tells us for everything there is a season …

Ahmadinejad's letter to Americans  —  [Editor's note: This is the full text of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's open letter to "the American People," as supplied to CNN.]  —  (CNN) — In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful  —  O, Almighty God, bestow upon humanity …

In Following His Own Script, Webb May Test Senate's Limits  —  At a recent White House reception for freshman members of Congress, Virginia's newest senator tried to avoid President Bush.  Democrat James Webb declined to stand in a presidential receiving line or to have his picture taken …

COME, LET US TREASON TOGETHER.  I seem to remember days when The West Wing was derided as a liberal fantasy.  At least that fantasy was relatively benign; apparently some conservatives are dreaming of something a little more rough.  —  Behold Orson Scott Card's new novel, Empire, summarized thus by Publisher's Weekly:

Clark wants to avoid late campaign start  —  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Wesley Clark said Tuesday he wants to avoid waiting too late to make a decision on whether to run for president — a mistake he made in his failed 2004 bid.  "I think it was clear that I got in too late last time," …

Pro-Peace Symbol Forces Win Battle in Colorado Town  —  Peace is fighting back in Pagosa Springs.  —  Last week, a couple were threatened with fines of $25 a day by their homeowners' association unless they removed a four-foot wreath shaped like a peace symbol from the front of their house.

Supreme Court to Take Up Global Warming  —  WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is defending its refusal to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from new motor vehicles in the first case about global warming to reach the Supreme Court.  —  The Environmental Protection Agency lacks the power …

Right-Wing Attack On Pelosi Over 'Union Hypocrisy' Systematically Debunked  —  Right-wing media outlets are engaged in an effort to tar House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who won the Cesar Chavez award from the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation in 2003, as anti-worker.

Pope Backs Turkey's Bid to Join European Union  —  Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Turkey on Tuesday armed with a surprise gesture of good will aimed at blunting Muslim anger toward him: he backed Turkey's long-stalled desire to join the European Union, reversing a statement he made two years ago.

HANK'S NEW LADY  —  GREENBERG PUTS SQUEEZE ON PINCH'S PAPER  —  Billionaire insurance titan Maurice "Hank" Greenberg has begun buying huge blocks of New York Times stock to break the Sulzberger family's stranglehold on the media empire, The Post has learned.

Chirac: France, U.S. agree there is no point talking to Syria  —  France and the United States agree there is no point in talking to Syria because the conditions for an honest dialogue do not exist, French President Jacques Chirac said Wednesday.  —  Chirac's comments come …

Washington Post Class Gets Graded  —  Welcome to corporate America, journos!  Reporters at The Washington Post will now be ranked with a multiple-choice job-performance assessment each year.  —  Accompanying an annual written evaluation, each reporter will be described as …

The N-Word  —  UNMENTIONABLE LESSONS OF THE MIDTERM AFTERMATH.  —  There's been something weird about the denouement of the midterm elections, starting with the pronounced absence of Democratic triumphalism.  The prevailing mood has been stunned relief rather than glee …