Realities of the Conflict - Between Islam and Unbelief  —  In the Name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and may peace and prayers be on the Messenger of Allah and on his family, companions and allies.  —  Muslim brothers everywhere: peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

Fiscal Responsibility  —  Paul Krugman wrote an interesting column today.  I am very much of two minds about it.  Excerpts: … In what follows, it's important to bear in mind that I, like Krugman, am not considering the question: should the Democrats just toss fiscal responsibility …

The Peace Party vs. the Power Party  —  The real divide in American politics.  —  The polarization that has characterized American politics since the presidency of Ronald Reagan has extended its reach to foreign affairs.  Never have the differences between the two parties on issues of war and peace been so distinct.

U.S. strike kills Afghan Taliban leader  —  KABUL, Afghanistan - A top Taliban military commander described as a close associate of Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar was killed in an airstrike this week close to the border with Pakistan, the U.S. military said Saturday.

'Nyet' on Iran  —  THE U.N. Security Council took up the Iranian nuclear program this year to pressure Tehran to suspend its work on enriching uranium.  But in the past few months, something entirely different has happened.  While Iranian enrichment has continued with impunity …

Hispanic groups call for moratorium on work raids  —  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. Hispanic groups and activists on Thursday called for a moratorium on workplace raids to round up illegal immigrants, saying they were reminiscent of Nazi crackdowns on Jews in the 1930s.

Charges of Rape Against 3 at Duke Are Abandoned  —  The Durham district attorney dropped rape charges against three former Duke lacrosse players on Friday, but he said he would continue to pursue kidnapping and sexual offense charges that carry equally stiff sentences.

Generals: More troops needed in Iraq  —  Commanders made their decision before meeting with Defense Secretary Gates.  —  WASHINGTON — Top U.S. military commanders in Iraq have decided to recommend a "surge" of fresh American combat forces, eliminating one of the last remaining hurdles …

Shiites Remake Baghdad in Their Image  —  As the United States debates what to do in Iraq, this country's Shiite majority has been moving toward its own solution: making the capital its own.  —  Large portions of Baghdad have become Shiite in recent months, as militias press their fight …

Virgil Goode's macaca moment  —  Rep. Goode is mistaken.  Not all of his constituents are narrow-minded bigots.  —  Virgil Goode isn't about to apologize for his racist diatribe that equates Muslims with illegal immigrants and terrorists.  He shouldn't apologize for his beliefs …

Flurry of Calls About Draft, and a Day of Denials  —  As the de facto media contact for the Selective Service System, Dick Flahavan is the Maytag repairman of government press people.  With the military draft out of business since 1973, the Selective Service just doesn't get a lot of calls these days.

Carter... and Carter  —  More on Jimmy Carter, or more precisely his book.  —  Some links to readable articles:  —  Leonard Fein at the Jewish Daily Foward, "There Is Virtue, President Carter, in Self-doubt  —  Alan Dershowitz at the Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/news/globe …

Rice: Iraq 'worth the investment'  —  U.S. is ready to elect black president, secretary of state says  —  WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told The Associated Press on Thursday that Iraq is "worth the investment" in American lives and dollars and said the U.S. can still win …

The myth of the big bad drug companies  —  They're not greedy, they're over-regulated.  The result is fewer pills to cure our ills.  —  THE PHARMACEUTICAL industry is getting bad press.  Recent books by Marcia Angell, the former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, and Jerome Kassirer …

Judge: Iran owes $254M in terror attack  —  WASHINGTON - The Iranian government financed a 1996 terrorist attack that killed 19 Americans in Saudi Arabia and must pay $254 million to the victims' families, a federal judge ruled Friday.  —  The ruling by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth allows families …

Spending freeze targets pet projects for members of Congress  —  WASHINGTON - Democratic leaders in the new Congress plan to strip funding for thousands of pet projects for individual members, a big display of fiscal discipline they say will help cut deficits and curb spending abuses.

Ellison: Lawmaker has 'a lot to learn about Islam' … WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Virginia lawmaker criticized for writing an "Islamophobic" letter to his constituents would be wise to learn more about Islam, the first Muslim elected to Congress said Thursday.  —  Minnesota Rep.-elect Keith …