Iran's Proxy War  —  Tehran is on the offensive against us throughout the Middle East.  Will Congress respond?  —  Earlier this week, the U.S. military made public new and disturbing information about the proxy war that Iran is waging against American soldiers and our allies in Iraq.

G.O.P. Support for Iraq Policy Erodes Further  —  Support among Republicans for President Bush's Iraq policy eroded further on Thursday as another senior lawmaker, Senator Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico, broke with the White House just as Congressional Democrats prepared to renew their challenge to the war.

NATIONAL HEALTHCARE = TERRORISM....Conservatives want Americans to fear a national health care system.  Conservatives also want Americans to fear Muslims.  What better way to demagogue two birds with one stone than to connect the two in a transparently ridiculous discussion on Fox News?

Pakistani leader escapes attempt on life  —  ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Gunners fired after President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's plane took off from a military base on Friday in what one official described as a failed assassination attempt.  —  Security forces quickly raided a nearby home …

Republican enters race for ill senator's seat  —  South Dakota state Rep. Joel Dykstra (R) has officially entered the race for the Republican nomination to face Sen. Tim Johnson (D) in 2008.  —  Dykstra filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday and declared himself a "candidate for U.S. Senate."

exclusive: rupert murdoch buys dow jones, owners of the wall street journal  —  Rupert Murdoch has succeeded with his $5 billion bid for Dow Jones.  Negotiations are now complete and a formal announcement is expected next week.  —  Rupert Murdoch has succeeded with his $5 billion bid for Dow Jones …

Baqubah Update: 05 July 2007  —  Today marks "D +16" of Operation "Arrowhead Ripper," the Battle for Baqubah.  Arrowhead Ripper kicked off on 19 June 07.  I have several dispatches in the works about the major events since that time.  Although the serious fighting seems to be over …

Fresh terror raids on Australian hospitals  —  Police today raided two hospitals in Western Australia in connection with the failed terrorist plot in Britain.  —  Detectives have seized computer files and questioned five doctors of Indian background.  Four doctors have been released.

Call it like it is  —  Q: Who is winning the really important war of ideas — the one between the West and itself?  A: Not the side that understands jihad as a foundational Islamic institution.  —  This is nothing new.  From September 11 onward, the yeoman effort of elites has been to wrench "Islam" away from all acts of jihad.

More Rimbaud and less Rambo, critics tell sweaty jogger Sarkozy  —  Read Charles Bremner's weblog  —  President Sarkozy has fallen foul of intellectuals and critics who see his passion for jogging as un-French, right-wing and even a ploy to brainwash his citizens.

Cool Reception for Conservative Radio  —  Many Popular Talk Shows Find Washington Just Isn't Listening  —  After conservative radio pundits encouraged opposition last month to the immigration bill that was before the Senate, Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) was moved to declare, "Talk radio is running America."

Ellen Goodman: The segregationist  —  Clarence Thomas now sits at the right edge of a conservative court  —  BOSTON - Let me wish the Supreme Court justices a fond farewell as they set out on their summer vacation.  We can all rest assured now that they won't do any more damage until the first week in October.

Hamas won the propaganda war this week  —  Our columnist says freeing Alan Johnston was no good deed  —  How do you like your jihadi?  Is yours the avenging physician sort; self-immolating practitioner of weird medicine outside nightclubs and airport terminals who hopes to take hundreds …

De Villepin likely to face conspiracy charges  —  Police searched the home of Dominique de Villepin, the former French Prime Minister, yesterday as judges appeared close to charging him with conspiring to implicate Nicolas Sarkozy, now the President, in a corruption scandal.