Two of Seven Soldiers Who Wrote 'NYT' Op-Ed Die in Iraq  —  NEW YORK The Op-Ed by seven active duty U.S. soldiers in Iraq questioning the war drew international attention just three weeks ago.  Now two of the seven are dead.  —  Sgt. Omar Mora and Sgt. Yance Gray died Monday in a vehicle accident …

(Updated) Petraeus Shouldn't Know if Iraq Makes Us Safer  —  Lefty blogs are making a huge deal of the fact that Petraeus didn't have an opinion on the wisdom of fighting a war in Iraq.  Here, from DailyKos: … And here's Andrew Sullivan: … But the key point for these folks prior …

'60s Figure Says He Financed Donor Hsu  —  Where did Norman Hsu get his money?  —  That has been one of the big questions hanging over the prominent Democratic fund-raiser, as reports have surfaced about hundreds of thousands of dollars he made in political donations, plus lavish parties …

Report: Israel spots nuclear installations in Syria  —  Washington official says Israeli surveillance shows possible Syrian nuclear installation stocked by North Korea, Israeli Arab newspaper claims target of alleged raid last week was Syrian missile base financed by Iran

High School Bans American Flag  —  SAMPSON COUNTY, N.C. - On the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, students at one high school were not allowed to wear clothes with an American Flag.  —  Under a new school rule, students at Hobbton High School are not allowed to wear items with flags …

Russia tests 'dad of all bombs'  —  MOSCOW, Russia (AP) — The Russian military has successfully tested what it described as the world's most powerful non-nuclear air-delivered bomb, Russia's state television reported Tuesday.  —  It was the latest show of Russia's military muscle amid chilly relations with the United States.

The 'proxy war': UK troops are sent to Iranian border  —  British soldiers return to action as tensions between US and Iran grow  —  British forces have been sent from Basra to the volatile border with Iran amid warnings from the senior US commander in Iraq that Tehran is fomenting a "proxy war".

Freedom Fetishists  —  The cultural contradictions of libertarianism.  —  More than perhaps any other American political group, libertarians have suffered the blows of caricature.  For many people, the term evokes an image of a scraggly misfit living in the woods with his gun collection …

Woolsey calls for attacks on colleagues  —  Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) is encouraging anti-war activists to find challengers to centrist Democrats, with the aim of moving the party to the left and ramping up opposition to the war in Iraq, to the chagrin of top Democratic aides.

Bush Nearing Choice to Lead Justice Dept.  —  The White House is closing in on a nominee to replace Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, with former Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson considered one of the leading candidates, administration and Congressional officials said Tuesday.

Just in: Justice Thomas to go on 60 Minutes  —  Legal Times has confirmed that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has agreed to be interviewed by the CBS News show 60 Minutes later this month to kick off promotion of his new autobiography, set for publication October 1.

Fidel Castro says U.S. fooled world over 9/11  —  HAVANA (Reuters) - Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro said the U.S. government misinformed Americans and the world about 9/11, echoing conspiracy theories about the terror attacks against the United States six years ago.