BREAKING: FIDEL CASTRO IS DEAD  —  My cellphone has not stopped ringing for the past ten minutes.  Various sources inform that an announcement will come within the next few minutes from the Cuban government on Cuban TV and media.  Stay tuned and we'll see if we've been manipulated once again …

HILL: TERROR WOULD BE GOP BOOST  —  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday raised the prospect of a terror attack before next year's election, warning that it could boost the GOP's efforts to hold on to the White House.  —  Discussing the possibility of a new nightmare assault while campaigning …

Hoekstra says Iraq democracy strategy is doomed to fail  —  EAST LANSING - The U.S. effort to install a democracy in Iraq within three to five years was a flawed strategy with little chance of succeeding, U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra said Friday.  —  The Holland Republican said the Iraq government needs …

White House Moving The Goal Posts On Escalation, Drops Demands For Iraqi Political Reconciliation  —  When President Bush announced the escalation on January 10, 2007, he claimed the purpose of adding more troops into Iraq's civil war was to enable political reconciliation:

Kristol: Let's 'Stretch Our Army And Marines' For 'Another Year Or So' In Iraq  —  On Fox News this morning, Weekly Standard editor William Kristol said that the escalation in Iraq should be extended at least "another six months" or even "another year or so."

Brzezinski Embraces Obama Over Clinton for President  —  Aug. 24 (Bloomberg) — Zbigniew Brzezinski, one of the most influential foreign-policy experts in the Democratic Party, threw his support behind Barack Obama's presidential candidacy, saying the Illinois senator has a better global grasp than his chief rival, Hillary Clinton.

Fmr Bush Iraq Envoy Helping Undermine Maliki  —  As Bush Voices Support for the Iraqi PM, Republican Lobbyists Aid Top Maliki Foe  —  Republican lobbyists with close ties to the Bush administration are aiding and supporting the efforts of an Iraqi opposition leader who is calling for the ouster of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Our troops have earned more time  —  The invasion of Iraq may be one of the worst foreign-policy mistakes in the history of our nation.  As tragic and costly as that mistake has been, a precipitous or premature withdrawal of our forces now has the potential to turn the initial errors …

Another Iraq-Vietnam Link: Many Killed By U.S. War  —  I was quite delighted that President Bush brought up the topic of the relationship between the U.S. war in Iraq and the U.S. war in Vietnam.  I was about to bring up the subject myself.  —  Just Foreign Policy has been working to put …

Historian: Bush use of quote 'perverse'  —  A historian quoted by President Bush to help argue that critics of the administration's Iraq policy echo those who questioned the U.S. effort to bring democracy to Japan after World War II angrily distanced himself from the president's remarks Thursday.

Liberal blogger targets 'Bush Dog' Dems  —  A leading liberal blogger has declared political war against centrist Democrats - the latest move in an intensifying show of dissatisfaction with the Democratic Congress by the once-friendly blogosphere.  —  Matt Stoller, who blogs …

CIA said to step up operations against Iran as hawks seek to tie Iraq bombs to Tehran  —  In an effort to build congressional and Pentagon support for military options against Iran, the Bush administration has shifted from its earlier strategy of building a case based on an alleged Iranian …

Letters Reveal Mother Teresa's Secret  —  Book Of Iconic Nun's Letters Shows She Was Tormented By Her Doubts In Her Faith  —  (CBS) In life, Mother Teresa was an icon — for believers — of God's work on Earth.  Her ministry to the poor of Calcutta was a world-renowned symbol of religious compassion.