Iraq needs a Pinochet  —  The general was no saint, but he's a better model to follow than Castro.  —  I THINK ALL intelligent, patriotic and informed people can agree: It would be great if the U.S. could find an Iraqi Augusto Pinochet.  In fact, an Iraqi Pinochet would be even better than an Iraqi Castro.

FBI ISSUES WARNING TO POLICE AFTER TERRORIST HEALTH SCARE  —  Omar Abdel-Rahman.  —  The FBI has sent a bulletin to state and local law enforcement warning of possible terrorist reprisals as the health of an incarcerated terror mastermind fails, FOX News has learned.

Press Briefing by Tony Snow  —  White House Conference Center Briefing Room  —  MR. SNOW: All right, welcome.  Let me run through the President's schedule for today.  Normal briefings.  He had a meeting with the President of Benin a while ago; also remarks at the White House Summit on Malaria.

Saudi Royal Family, Gov't Split on Iraq  —  AP Photo NY118  —  CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Saudi Arabia's royal family and government leaders are deeply divided over how to handle the growing crisis in Iraq and other looming Mideast problems like Iran, with some favoring strong aid to fellow Sunnis and others more cautious.

Rice Rejects Overture To Iran And Syria  —  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday rejected a bipartisan panel's recommendation that the United States seek the help of Syria and Iran in Iraq, saying the "compensation" required by any deal might be too high.

Oppo Knocks?  —  Anybody who watched the Virginia Senate race this year knows that Senator-elect Jim Webb ran a savvy Internet campaign.  He hired bloggers, leveraged YouTube, played bloggers and the press off each other and off soon-to-be former Sen. George Allen.

Should Johnson be unable to continue to serve, it could halt the scheduled Democratic takeover of the Senate.  Democrats won a 51-49 majority in the November election.  —  (CBS/AP) Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota was hospitalized and underwent surgery late Wednesday …

10 Tech Concepts You Need to Know for 2007  —  From concrete that can flex to sensors that you swallow, here are the technologies you'll be talking about.  —  Bendable concrete is 40 percent lighter than regular concrete and 500 times more resistant to cracking under pressure.  (Photograph by ACE-MRL)

Stories  —  At some point over the last couple of years I actually gained a bit of grudging respect for the conservative Christian critique that the media didn't reflect their views.  It's certainly the case that the media is overly deferential to religious views generally and conservative religious views specifically.

What does this say about their judgment?  —  People like Mickey Kaus, David Frum, Glenn Reynolds, and National Review's Andrew McCarthy and Byron York have spent the last week disseminating claims that the Clinton administration eavesdropped on Princess Diana.

Bakker, Brown: What the hell happened to Christianity?  —  Editor's note: Jay Bakker, son of former Praise The Lord leaders Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner, is minister of Revolution Church and subject of a new documentary series, "One Punk Under God," on Sundance Channel.  Marc Brown is a Revolution staff member.

MR. PRESIDENT, IF I MAY BE SO BOLD...  Most of our readers know the story of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain at Gettysburg.  Ordered to hold Little Round Top at all costs, Chamberlain's 20th Maine fended off one attack after another.  Finally, Chamberlain's men were nearly out of ammunition …

Duke Lacrosse Accuser Gives Birth  —  CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — WRAL's Julia Lewis has confirmed that the accuser in the Duke lacrosse case gave birth late Thursday at UNC Hospitals.  —  Her pregnancy had not been public knowledge until now.  —  When WRAL called her boyfriend's home Thursday evening …