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.

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 …

Raise a Glass for the Ole Perfesser  —  If someone from another planet came to earth and asked me to find two sentences that summarized the insanity of Glenn Harlan Reynolds, I'd probably choose these two: … Is America in danger of being invaded by the Mole People?

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 …

Economics Experts Join Romney's PAC  —  He hasn't even formed his presidential exploratory committee, but Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has already signed up an economic brain trust to advise him, led by two former chairmen of President Bush's Council of Economic Advisers.

Gingrich: Free Speech Should Be Curtailed To Fight Terrorism  —  A former House speaker, Newt Gingrich, is causing a stir by proposing that free speech may have to be curtailed in order to fight terrorism.  —  "We need to get ahead of the curve rather than wait until we actually literally lose a city …

Disembowelled, then torn apart: The price of daring to teach girls  —  The gunmen came at night to drag Mohammed Halim away from his home, in front of his crying children and his wife begging for mercy.  —  The 46-year-old schoolteacher tried to reassure his family that he would return safely.

Libertarian Calls for Federal Oversight of Local Police Techniques; Patterico's Devil and Angel Dispute How Best to Respond  —  I have two little guys, one sitting on each shoulder, when I blog.  On one shoulder is the little guy in the devil outfit.  He's the one who is forever imploring …

Prophets of Iraq defeat are rushing judgment  —  The Washington DC Examiner Newspaper, The Examiner  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush was right to declare yesterday in Latvia that he will not withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq until the "mission is complete" because "we can accept nothing less …

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 …

Witnesses detail Iraq burning deaths  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - The attack on the small Mustafa Sunni mosque began as worshippers were finishing Friday midday prayers.  About 50 unarmed men, many in black uniforms and some wearing ski masks, walked through the district chanting "We are the Mahdi Army, shield of the Shiites."

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 …

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.

Republicans Divided: "Moderates" or Conservatives To Blame?  —  I didn't start writing my last blog post with the intention to segue into the relationship between the "moderate" and socially conservative wings of the Republican Party.  —  I think it's something that needs to be discussed.

Losing the Enlightenment  —  A civilization that has lost confidence in itself cannot confront the Islamists.  —  Our current crisis is not yet a catastrophe, but a real loss of confidence of the spirit.  The hard-won effort of the Western Enlightenment of some 2,500 years that …

Judge Strikes Down Parts of Executive Order on Terrorism  —  A Los Angeles federal judge has ruled that key portions of a presidential order blocking financial assistance to terrorist groups are unconstitutional, further complicating the Bush administration's attempts to defend its aggressive anti-terrorism tactics in federal courts.

Firefighter settlement sharply splits council  —  A torturous debate left the Los Angeles City Council sharply divided by race Tuesday as members weighed whether to restore a settlement offered to a black firefighter whose dinner had been laced with dog food.

Controversy over Pentagon's war-spending plan  —  The emergency request of at least $127 billion is criticized as a wish list.  The military cites a big need to buy equipment.  —  WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is preparing an emergency spending proposal that could be larger and broader …