The Road Home  —  It is time for the United States to leave Iraq, without any more delay than the Pentagon needs to organize an orderly exit.  —  Like many Americans, we have put off that conclusion, waiting for a sign that President Bush was seriously trying to dig the United States …

Live Earth fails to pack large-scale punch  —  It did what it said on the poster - but no more.  The British leg of Live Earth started at 1.30 pm sharp with a thunderous five-minute drum fanfare by a 20-odd troupe of flailing percussionists, battering a miscellany of ethnic skinned instruments.

WHITE HOUSE PLANS TO BLOCK TESTIMONY FROM TOP ROVE AIDE IN US ATTORNEY INQUIRY; HARRIET MIERS ...  The White House appeared set for an expanded showdown with congressional investigators in the probe of the firing of eight US Attorneys over the weekend.  An attorney for Sara Taylor …

Thompson energizes young Republicans  —  HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Not yet a 2008 candidate, Fred Thompson energized young Republicans with a speech Saturday that was heavy on rhetoric and short on policy pronouncements.  He branded Democrats as "the party of despair."

Car bombs are linked with Iraq's Al-Qaeda  —  AT least one of the suspects being quizzed over the alleged plot to set off car bombs in Britain was in recent contact with Al-Qaeda in Iraq, senior security officials said yesterday.  —  Scotland Yard's Counter Terrorism Command SO15 is understood …

U.S. Aborted Raid on Qaeda Chiefs in Pakistan in '05  —  A secret military operation in early 2005 to capture senior members of Al Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal areas was aborted at the last minute after top Bush administration officials decided it was too risky and could jeopardize relations with Pakistan …

Kazakhstan to pay $486.3m for US N-reactor  —  TOKYO: Kazakhstan is to pay $486.3 million to buy a stake in US nuclear reactor firm Westinghouse from its majority owner Toshiba, news reports said Saturday.  —  The Japanese giant will sign an agreement this month to sell a 10-percent stake …

Research Links Lead Exposure, Criminal Activity  —  Rudy Giuliani never misses an opportunity to remind people about his track record in fighting crime as mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001.  —  "I began with the city that was the crime capital of America," Giuliani …

Pakistan arrests 'Taleban aides'  —  Several key aides to the leader of Afghanistan's Taleban rebels, Mullah Omar, are reported to have been arrested in Pakistan.  —  An Afghan intelligence source told the BBC four senior associates of Mullah Omar were being held after operations by Pakistani security forces.

Declaration of Dependence  —  Some mornings during the autumn of 1933, when the unemployment rate was 22 percent, the president, before getting into his wheelchair, sat in bed, surrounded by economic advisers, setting the price of gold.  One morning he said he might raise it 21 cents …

Fight against terror could take 15 years  —  Britain faces a 15-year battle to end the threat posed by Islamist terrorists, the Government's new security supremo has admitted.  —  Admiral Sir Alan West, the former First Sea Lord, said the overall danger facing the country …

Musharraf tells mosque militants "surrender or die"  —  ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - President Pervez Musharraf told Islamist militants barricaded in a mosque on Saturday to surrender or die, while concern grew for hundreds of women and children inside the beseiged compound in the Pakistani capital.

Why Bush and Cheney can't let Scooter sing  —  Well, President George Bush is certainly nothing if not predictable.  —  The talking heads on TV had barely caught their breaths after reports on Scooter Libby's conviction on charges he lied about his role in the Plamegate affair …

Jihadists against climate change  —  Boy, even these incendiary docs are getting with the beat: … His poor family.  They figured he must have been referring to Live Earth and sat through 14 hours expecting to see him, Dr Mohammed, Dr Muhammed, Dr Mohammad and Dr Muhammad as back-up singers to Cat Stevens.

Libby Sentence Nullified; Candidates Release Fund-raising Numbers  —  JUDY WOODRUFF: And to the analysis of Shields and Brooks, syndicated columnist Mark Shields and "New York Times" columnist David Brooks.  —  Gentlemen, thank you for being with us, as always, every Friday.