Top general may propose pullbacks  —  Petraeus is expected to tell Congress that Iraqis can assume duties in some areas, freeing U.S. troops for other uses.  —  WASHINGTON —  Intent on demonstrating progress in Iraq, the top U.S. general there is expected by Bush administration officials …

Iranian Unit to Be Labeled 'Terrorist'  —  U.S. Moving Against Revolutionary Guard  —  The United States has decided to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country's 125,000-strong elite military branch, as a "specially designated global terrorist," according to U.S. officials …

How Karl Rove lost a generation of Republicans  —  There is an old joke that campaign veterans toss around war rooms, bars and BS sessions.  We say there are people who have worked in campaigns who say that they have lost some - and we call those folks operatives, managers, strategists …

Obama Says He Can Unite U.S. 'More Effectively' Than Clinton  —  Drawing a sharp contrast with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, his main rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama said in an interview that he has the capacity she may lack to unify the country and move it out of what he called "ideological gridlock."

South Carolina Inmate Hits Michael Vick With '$63,000,000,000 Billion Dollar' Lawsuit Alleging Al Qaeda Ties  —  Embattled NFL quarterback Michael Vick, facing federal charges related to his alleged participation in dogfighting, has been hit with a "$63,000,000,000 billion dollar" …

Don Imus Sued by Rutgers Basketball Player  —  Star Center Kia Vaughn Names Imus, NBC, CBS in Civil Suit  —  Don Imus is facing his first lawsuit from a player on the Rutgers Women's Basketball team for derogatory comments that cost him his job as a radio host in April, ABC News has learned.

U.S. agents accused of aiding Islamist scheme  —  A criminal investigations report says several U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employees are accused of aiding Islamic extremists with identification fraud and of exploiting the visa system for personal gain.

Balance of Terror  —  BAGHDAD - The American soldier sitting next to me flipped open his Zippo lighter and gloomily lit a cigarette.  "Do you know why this base isn't attacked by insurgents?" he said.  —  I assumed it was because his area of operations, in the Graya'at neighborhood …

Political impasse key to Iraq security  —  BAGHDAD — Despite U.S. claims that violence is down in the Iraqi capital, U.S. military officers are offering a bleak picture of Iraq's future, saying they've yet to see any signs of reconciliation between Sunni and Shiite Muslims despite the drop in violence.

Chávez to Propose Removing His Term Limits  —  President Hugo Chávez will unveil a project to change the Constitution on Wednesday that is expected to allow him to be re-elected indefinitely, a move that would enhance his authority to accelerate a socialist-inspired transformation of Venezuelan society.

4 Truck Bombs Kill 190 in Kurdish Area of Iraq  —  Four truck bombs killed at least 190 people on Tuesday in two villages in a Kurdish-speaking area near the Syrian border, destroying houses and sending hundreds of the wounded to at least six hospitals as far as 150 miles away, the Iraqi authorities said.

Gingrich 'sickened' with Bush, Congress  —  Gingrich, who is considering a run for the White House, was referring to a recent crime in Newark, N.J., where three college students were murdered execution style in a school playground.  —  One of the suspects — Jose Lachira Carranza …

Exclusive: U.S. Studying Two Dozen 'Clusters' of Possible Homegrown Terrorists  —  Brian Ross, Richard Esposito & Maddy Sauer Report:  —  U.S. law enforcement officials say they have identified more than two dozen "clusters" of young Muslim men in the northeast United States who are on a path …

Christian group plans straw poll, religion-and-politics faceoff  —  The Family Research Council is planning a three-day "Values Voter Summit" this fall, complete with a presidential straw poll and a conservative-liberal faceoff on religion and politics.  —  The council advertises the conference …