U.S. and Iraqis Are Wrangling Over War Plans  —  Just days after President Bush unveiled a new war plan calling for more than 20,000 additional American troops in Iraq, the heart of the effort — a major push to secure the capital — faces some of its fiercest resistance from the very people …

Saddam half brother, ex-official hanged  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein's half brother and the former head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court were both hanged before dawn Monday, Prosecutor Munqith al-Faroon said, two weeks and two days after the former Iraqi dictator was executed in a chaotic scene that has drawn worldwide criticism.

Administration leaving out important details on Iraq  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush and his aides, explaining their reasons for sending more American troops to Iraq, are offering an incomplete, oversimplified and possibly untrue version of events there that raises new questions about the accuracy …

Bloggers Take on Talk Radio Hosts  —  A San Francisco talk radio station pre-empted three hours of programming on Friday in response to a campaign by bloggers who have recorded extreme comments by several hosts and passed on digital copies to advertisers.  —  The lead blogger …

Saddam Hussein's Co-Defendants Hanged  —  Half Brother and Chief Judge Condemned With Deposed Iraqi Leader  —  The Iraqi government executed two of Saddam Hussein's associates early Monday morning for their participation in crimes against humanity, according to an Iraqi official.

THE PROPHETIC VOICE  —  When Martin Luther King, Jr. brought his nonviolent campaign against segregation to Bull Connor's Birmingham, he laid siege to the bastion of Jim Crow.  In Birmingham between 1957 and 1962, black churches and homes had been subjected to horrific bombings.

Thank You, Ms. Hess  —  "What happens if we lose?"  The question no one in the media ... except me* and a few others, in fairness to us ... is asking.  —  "If as a reporter you do ask the national security question, all of a sudden you're carrying Bush's water."

Economists upgrade US outlook after surprisingly strong data  —  Economists are hastily upgrading their forecasts for the US economy after a series of surprisingly strong reports suggesting the so-called "soft landing" may be over and growth is accelerating.

The Jacksonian Tradition: An Interview with Lance Corporal Nathan (Chad) Yeager  —  Exchanging pictures with an Iraqi cop.  —  A preface: A few weeks before coming over here, I met a pleasant Icelandic woman in a bar.  A friend introduced us and told her that I was headed to Iraq …

IS FOX SET TO BLOW THE NUKES ON '24'?  —  As Washington continues to raise concerns about terror threats on The Homeland — a recent CIA report outlined a scenerio of possible "series of explosions using 'low charge' nuclear weapons" — Hollywood and FOX-TV are set to up the ante with the new season of 24!

Two Alliances  —  President Bush has managed to divide and conquer the Middle East.  —  It was the hugely ambitious project of the Bush administration to transform the entire Middle East by remaking Iraq into an irresistible model of prosperous democracy.  Having failed in that worthy purpose …

Rebuilding Teams Would Swell Under Bush's New Iraq Plan  —  As part of its latest plan to stabilize Iraq, the United States intends to more than double the number of regional reconstruction teams and to add nearly 400 specialists for existing and new teams, in fields from politics and the rule …