President Confronts Dissent on Troop Levels  —  Bush Indicates Military Won't Dictate Numbers; Top General to Retire  —  The debate over sending more U.S. troops to Iraq intensified yesterday as President Bush signaled that he will listen but not necessarily defer to balky military officers …

Top British Army aide accused of spying  —  A military aide to the commander of British forces in Afghanistan appeared in court yesterday accused of spying.  —  Cpl Daniel James, 44, is charged under the 1911 Official Secrets Act with "prejudicing the safety of the state" by passing information …

Va. Lawmaker's Remarks on Muslims Criticized  —  Republican Had Decried the Use of the Koran for Congressman's Oath of Office  —  Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr. (R-Va.) is coming under sharp criticism for lashing out against the decision by Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who will become the first Muslim member …

How an Ex-Aide to President Clinton Stashed Classified Documents  —  A former national security adviser to President Clinton, Samuel Berger, stashed highly classified documents under a trailer in downtown Washington in order to evade detection by National Archives personnel, a government report released yesterday said.

Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmen Leader, Dies at 66  —  Saparmurat Niyazov, the authoritarian president of Turkmenistan, died unexpectedly today, the Turkmen government said, raising questions about succession and stability in a nation that is an essential supplier of energy to Europe.

London Braces for Attack; 'Miracle' If There Isn't One  —  Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:  —  British intelligence and law enforcement officials have passed on a grim assessment to their U.S. counterparts, "It will be a miracle if there isn't a terror attack over the holidays in London …

Full Esteem Ahead  —  Time magazine asked a large number of people to name the Person of the Year.  They were in a populist mood and named the largest possible number of Persons of the Year: Everybody.  —  Of course.  The most capacious modern entitlement is not to Social Security but to self-esteem.

A MORMON PRESIDENT?  NO WAY.  —  Someone who refuses to consider voting for a woman as president is rightly deemed a sexist.  Someone who'd never vote for a black person is a racist.  But are you a religious bigot if you wouldn't cast a ballot for a believing Mormon?

Shiite Clerics' Rivalry Deepens In Fragile Iraq  —  BAGHDAD — In the quest to create a new Iraq, two powerful clerics compete for domination, one from within the government, the other from its shadows.  —  Both wear the black turban signifying their descent from the prophet Muhammad.

Mass. Governor's Rightward Shift Raises Questions  —  As he prepares for a 2008 presidential campaign, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has championed the conservative principles that guided President Ronald Reagan, become an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage and supported overturning …

Muslims Mark Solidarity With Jews  —  Event Held Days After Iranian Meeting That Denied Genocide  —  Local Muslim leaders lit candles yesterday at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to commemorate Jewish suffering under the Nazis, in a ceremony held just days after Iran had a conference denying the genocide.

Scarborough Sees The Light—Barnicle: "Bush is delusional"  —  Scarborough has made a definite turn-around on Bush over the past year, but it hasn't been as evident as it was on Wednesday's Scarborough Country.  Joe appears to be totally fed up with the non-stop spin and ignorance coming …

Iran admits oil projects suffering  —  By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran and Roula Khalaf in London  —  Iran's oil minister on Wednesday admitted that Tehran was having trouble financing oil projects, in a rare acknowledgment of the economic cost of its nuclear dispute.