'Dozens died in Syrian-Iranian chemical weapons experiment'  —  Proof of cooperation between Iran and Syria in the proliferation and development of weapons of mass destruction was brought to light Monday in a Jane's Defence Weekly report that dozens of Iranian engineers and 15 Syrian officers were killed in a July 23 accident in Syria.

Police report student told them: 'You didn't do anything wrong'  —  GAINESVILLE - Police have released the incident report detailing the Tasering of a University of Florida student during a campus forum with Sen. John Kerry Monday, and the officer who actually Tasered Andrew Meyer wrote …

Democrats' Iraq Push on Hold  —  Reid Plans Spring Effort to Set June 2008 Pullout Deadline  —  Unable to garner enough Republican support, Senate Democratic leaders said yesterday that they are abandoning a bipartisan effort to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq by next spring.

Introducing This Blog  —  "I was born in 1953.  Like the rest of my generation, I took the America I grew up in for granted - in fact, like many in my generation I railed against the very real injustices of our society, marched against the bombing of Cambodia, went door to door for liberal candidates.

Webb's Righteous Amendment  —  The best thing about the grey eminence John Warner finally leaving the Senate is that he will no longer be around to play Lucy pulling the football away from the Democrats at the last minute any more.  For some reason, the political establishment persists …

Debate No-Shows Worry GOP Leaders  —  Candidates Are Urged to Attend Forums Sponsored by Minorities  —  Key Republican leaders are encouraging the party's presidential candidates to rethink their decision to skip presidential debates focusing on issues important to minorities …

Mystery illness strikes after meteorite hits Peruvian village  —  LIMA (AFP) - Villagers in southern Peru were struck by a mysterious illness after a meteorite made a fiery crash to Earth in their area, regional authorities said Monday.  —  Around midday Saturday, villagers were startled …

Iraqi Report Says Blackwater Guards Fired First  —  A preliminary Iraqi report on a shooting involving an American diplomatic motorcade said Tuesday that Blackwater security guards were not ambushed, as the company reported, but instead fired at a car when it did not heed a policeman's call to stop, killing a couple and their infant.

Migration Reshapes Iraq's Sectarian Landscape  —  A vast internal migration is radically reshaping Iraq's ethnic and sectarian landscape, according to new data collected by thousands of relief workers, but displacement in the most populous and mixed areas is surprisingly complex …

U.S. Working to Reshape Iraqi Detainees  —  Moderate Muslims Enlisted to Steer Adults and Children Away From Insurgency  —  The U.S. military has introduced "religious enlightenment" and other education programs for Iraqi detainees, some of whom are as young as 11, Marine Maj. Gen. Douglas M. Stone …

the claim  —  "You know, you look back over our history, and it doesn't take you long to realize that our people have shed more blood for other people's liberty than any other combination of nations in the history of the world.''  — Fred D. Thompson, stump speech in Des Moines, Sept. 7

In Olympics Success, Romney Found New Edge  —  SALT LAKE CITY — Mitt Romney walked onto the Olympic stage in 1999 a rich businessman still smarting from losing his first bid for public office.  He walked off, three years later, a star-polished candidate who would be elected governor of Massachusetts in a matter of months.

Reader's Alley  —  Right fire decisions  —  Sen. Barkus, R-Kalispell, is wrong to attack Montana firefighters who have worked tirelessly this year to deal with multiple fires sparked by record-breaking heat.  —  Sen. Barkus called for an investigation of firefighting decisions and accused …

Researchers say many languages are dying  —  WASHINGTON - When every known speaker of the language Amurdag gets together, there's still no one to talk to.  Native Australian Charlie Mangulda is the only person alive known to speak that language, one of thousands around the world on the brink of extinction.

Belichick's cheating could lead to dark days for NFL  —  The situation with the National Football League is a lot worse than people realize, and the only one who seems to grasp this fully is commissioner Roger Goodell.  You don't issue emergency orders backed by threats on Sunday morning of a game day …