A Plausible Plan B  —  If we were allied with an Iraqi government that, however weak, was truly national — cross-confessional and dedicated to fighting a two-front war against Baathist insurgents and Shiite militias — a surge of American troops, together with a change of counterinsurgency strategy …

Flexing Muscle, China Destroys Satellite in Test  —  China successfully carried out its first test of an antisatellite weapon last week, signaling its resolve to play a major role in military space activities and bringing expressions of concern from Washington and other capitals, the Bush administration said yesterday.

Gonzales: 'There Is No Express Grant of Habeas Corpus In The Constitution'  —  Yesterday, during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claimed there is no express right to habeas corpus in the U.S. Constitution.  Gonzales was debating Sen. Arlen Specter …

WHCA Chief Says He Did Not Tell Comedian to Back Off Bush and Iraq  —  NEW YORK Earlier this week word emerged that impersonator Rich Little would be the star performer at this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington in April.  Organizers admitted they wanted a somewhat more …

Rice Highlights Opportunities After Setbacks On Mideast Trip  —  As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flew to Europe on Wednesday after four days of talks in the Middle East, her Boeing 757 jet passed high over Baghdad.  On a cloudless day at 37,000 feet, the city seemed sparkling and calm …

The Most Depressing Poll Ever  —  In the latest Fox News poll, just out today, the pollsters asked the following question: … Here are the results: … Friends, I'll allow you a minute to wrap your minds around this, for we are truly through the looking class.

Obama Smeared As Former 'Madrassa' Student, Possible Covert Muslim Extremist  —  This morning, Fox News featured a segment highlighting a right-wing report that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) attended an Islamic "madrassa" school as a 6-year-old child.  —  Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy pointed …

Senate Passes Ethics Package  —  Parties Reach Hard-Fought Deal On Lobbying and Other Reforms  —  Senate Democrats and Republicans broke a difficult stalemate last night and approved 96 to 2 expansive legislation to curtail the influence of lobbyists, tighten congressional ethics rules …

The Blitzing of Haret Hreik  —  HARET HREIK, LEBANON - I have been to Haret Hreik, Hezbollah's dahiyeh and de-facto "capital" south of Beirut, many times.  But I didn't expect to see it on my most recent trip.  Every Lebanese person I know warned me to stay out of there.

Ordeal by Appliance: Weekend Home Tales  —  FOR some people, the most elusive aspect of owning a vacation home that sits beyond big-city borders isn't finding the time to enjoy it.  It's finding someone to service the deluxe appliances inside.  —  "We called Viking over the holidays every year …

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT REVEALS NORTH KOREA'S MISUSE OF U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FUNDS AND OPERATIONS  —  NEW YORK — Has North Korean leader Kim Jong Il subverted the United Nations Development Program, the $4 billion agency that is the U.N.'s main development arm, and possibly stolen tens …

Black leaders still sizing up Obama  —  The senator will have to vie with Clinton and Edwards for African American votes.  —  WASHINGTON — As pastor of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Sumter, S.C., the Rev. James Blassingame feels pride at the thought of electing the country's first black president.

Putting the Brakes on Light Speed  —  Researchers Slow Waves While Maintaining Their Ability to Carry Information  —  Scientists said yesterday that they had achieved a long-sought goal of slowing waves of light to a relatively leisurely pace and using those harnessed pulses to store an image.

Reuters Investigation Leads To Dismissal Of Editor  —  Reuters fired a top photo editor for the Middle East during an internal investigation of two doctored photos from the Israel-Lebanon war that were published last summer.  —  The editor was the second casualty of the photo manipulation …

Former Rep. Ney Sentenced to 30 Months  —  Former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, the only member of Congress to face criminal prosecution in the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal, was sentenced Friday to 30 months in prison.  —  Ney, 52, pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2006, to making false statements and conspiracy to commit fraud.