Both sides need to stop having double-standards.

Double-standard trouble
John Leo , US News Original Article

I spend some of my time brooding about people who seem addicted to double standards--those who take an allegedly principled stand on a Monday, then switch firmly to the opposite principle on Tuesday if it is to their advantage. A lot of this is considered normal today: free-speech hard-liners who support the severe speech limitations of the campaign reform law, people who were outraged by the campaign that bumped CBS's anti-Reagan made-for-TV movie off the network but not upset by a similar campaign that forced the cancellation of Dr. Laura Schlessinger's planned television show.

Conservative forces divided over war, spending, taxes?

Bush’s triumph conceals the great conservative crack-up
Andrew Sullivan, Times (UK) Original Article

It should be the best of times for American conservatism. Republican majorities in the House and Senate, a re-elected Republican president, an increasing number of Republican governors and a rightwards tilt in the judiciary. While the British Tories and German Christian Democrats flounder, America’s right seems to flourish.

Lebanese do not want national unity government with Syrian backed government.

Talks in Lebanon Stall, Threatening Election
Dexter Filkins, New York Times Original Article

Political leaders trying to form a new government in the wake of the last month's upheavals said Friday that negotiations had stalled, raising the possibility that nationwide elections scheduled for this spring might be postponed.

"For the all-volunteer force to work, it has to work all the time, not just in peacetime."

Two Years Later, Iraq War Drains Military
Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post Original Article

Two years after the United States launched a war in Iraq with a crushing display of power, a guerrilla conflict is grinding away at the resources of the U.S. military and casting uncertainty over the fitness of the all-volunteer force, according to senior military leaders, lawmakers and defense experts.

Analysis (see comments):

Great citations and facts in this article; however, the completely wrong conclusion was inferred. The title, "Two Years Later, Iraq War Drains Military" is completely erroneous to the supporting argument. The title should be a quote by Lt. Gen. Roger C. Schultz, director of the Army National Guard, "For the all-volunteer force to work, it has to work all the time, not just in peacetime."

Global warming crowd always contradict themselves.

No Stopping Global Warming, Studies Predict
Maggie Fox, Reuters Original Article

Statement #1: Even if people stopped pumping out carbon dioxide and other pollutants tomorrow, global warming would still get worse, two teams of researchers reported on Thursday.

Statement #2: Virtually no one disagrees human activity is fueling global warming, and a global treaty signed in Kyoto, Japan, aims to reduce polluting emissions.

Conclusion: If global warming is caused by humans and if humans stopped producing carbon dioxide now, how can global warming still get worse. This makes no sense and is clearly a contradiction.

62% of Iraqis believe Iraq is on right track-even with bloody terrorists conducting attacks.

Patchwork of progress and perils in Iraq
Jill Carroll, The Christian Science Monitor Original Article

Last week, Diyala Province felt the benefit of American reconstruction money: two farm cooperatives got under way, providing a much-needed source of income for several families in the often violent province. This week, the area felt the sting of the insurgency: A suicide bomber drove into an Iraqi Army checkpoint, killing several soldiers.

All countries are cracking down on terrorists.

Spain Arrests Syrian Man in Train Bomb Probe
Reuters Original Article

Spanish police investigating the Madrid train bombings arrested a Syrian man on Friday on suspicion of recruiting and indoctrinating jihadists. Mohannad Almallah Dabas and his brother Moutaz are accused of training young Islamist militants at their home in Madrid and sending them overseas, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Both Sharon and Abbas are keeping the peace trying to end this war.

Israel Bans Settler Influx Aimed at Keeping Gaza
Mark Heinrich, Reuters Original Article

Israel on Friday banned its citizens from moving into Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, aiming to forestall a feared influx of ultra-nationalists bent on blocking a pullout from the occupied territory this summer.

Car bombs are a favorite choice of terror for (pick two): A-Christians, B-Hezbollah, C-Syria, D-Israel?

Car Bomb Explodes in Lebanese Capital, Six Wounded
Lin Noueihed, Reuters Original Article

A car bomb exploded in a Christian suburb of eastern Beirut on Saturday, wounding at least six people and raising fresh fears of a return to Lebanon's violent past. The blast devastated the ground and first floors of an apartment block, blowing out balconies, shattering windows in surrounding buildings and wrecking dozens of vehicles, a Reuters correspondent at the scene said.

As long as he is in place, the truth cannot be revealed.

Lebanese Leader Stays Amid Calls to Quit
SAM F. GHATTAS, Associated Press Original Article

His Syrian backers are packing up and leaving, a fellow Christian politician is calling for his resignation and his opponents are telling jokes about him at huge anti-government rallies. Throughout, President Emile Lahoud hasn't flinched.

Once a president and vice presidents are elected, a prime minister must be chosen within two weeks.

Groups to Reconvene Iraq Nat'l Assembly
SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Original Article

Shiite and Kurdish negotiators have agreed that the National Assembly should reconvene March 26 to elect a president, an official said Friday, amid reports some Kurds were dissatisfied by Shiite assurances concerning the oil-rich city of Kirkuk and a Kurdish militia.

Far from "de-escalating force", female law enforcement officers vastly are more likely to shoot civilians than males.

Freeze! I Just Had My Nails Done!
Ann Coulter, Ann Coulter Original Article

How many people have to die before the country stops humoring feminists? Last week, a defendant in a rape case, Brian Nichols, wrested a gun from a female deputy in an Atlanta courthouse and went on a murderous rampage. Liberals have proffered every possible explanation for this breakdown in security except the giant elephant in the room--who undoubtedly has an eating disorder and would appreciate a little support vis-à-vis her negative body image.

Syria is almost at a "half-measure".

Syria Withdraws Up to 6,000 Troops from Lebanon
Cynthia Johnston, Reuters Original Article

Syria completed the first phase of its troop pullout from Lebanon on Thursday, bringing Damascus closer to meeting U.S. and Lebanese opposition demands that it quit the neighbor it has dominated for three decades.

The left's patronizing, quasi-colonialist view of the benighted Arabs was not just analytically incorrect. It was morally bankrupt, too.

What's Left? Shame.
Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post Original Article

At his news conference on Wednesday, President Bush declined an invitation to claim vindication for his policy of spreading democracy in the Middle East. After two years of attacks on him as a historical illiterate pursuing the childish fantasy of Middle East democracy, he was entitled to claim a bit of credit. Yet he declined, partly out of modesty (as with Ronald Reagan, one of the secrets of his political success) and partly because he has learned the perils of declaring any mission accomplished.

Another reason why we must take the fight to the terrorist.

Terrorists Train for Seaborne Attacks
JIM GOMEZ, Associated Press Original Article

Two of the most dangerous al-Qaida-linked groups in Southeast Asia are working together to train militants in scuba diving for seaborne terror attacks, according to the interrogation of a recently captured guerrilla.

The main danger to the truce is posed by Palestinian militants financed by the Lebanese Hezbollah group

Palestinian Groups to Honor Cease-Fire
LEE KEATH, Associated Press Original Article

Palestinian militants declared a halt to attacks on Israel for the rest of this year, their longest cease-fire promise ever and a victory for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. But they warned Thursday the truce would collapse if Israel does not hold its own fire and release Palestinian prisoners.

New government will be announced on March 26 after the end of Nowruz.

Groups Make Progress on New Iraq Gov't
PATRICK QUINN, Associated Press Original Article

Kurdish and Shiite politicians said Thursday they made headway in solving new disagreements in their deal to form a coalition government, nearly seven weeks after Iraqis took to the polls, but it remained unclear when that new government would be announced.

Knowing a losing position when they see one, they're swinging blindly but fiercely.

Filibuster or Bust
David Holman, American Spectator Original Article

How desperate are Democratic senators these days? Desperate enough to place old boy Robert Byrd in the front row at a key gathering, and let him carry on as frantic one-man amen chorus in response to the event's speakers. Move over MoveOn.org, hosts of yesterday's rally against the Bush judicial nominations at the Washington Court Hotel in Northwest. None of you guys can shake a fist and shriek like the silver fox from West Virginia.

If approved, $20 billion per year in US aid will now be tied to human rights and democracy. Its about time.

Wolfowitz Picked for World Bank
Paul Blustein and Peter Baker, Washington Post Original Article

President Bush said yesterday that he has chosen Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz, a key architect of the Iraq war, as the U.S. nominee to head the World Bank. The announcement was an aggressive move to put the administration's stamp on the World Bank, the largest source of aid to developing countries, by installing at the bank's helm a leading advocate of the U.S. campaign to spur democracy in the Middle East. But it risked a new rift with countries critical of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, especially since it came so soon after Bush's nomination of John R. Bolton, another prominent hawk, as ambassador to the United Nations.

Holding onto weapons to deter any Israeli aggression--Look at history, it was not Israeli aggression that ruined Lebanon; it was Hizbollah.

Hizbollah Vows to Keep Weapons, Syria Withdraws
Nadim Ladki, Reuters Original Article

Pro-Syrian and Iranian (added by Caveman) Hizbollah guerrillas will keep their weapons despite U.S. calls to disarm and Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon, the group's chief said on Wednesday.

Obesity has increased with decrease smoking, but yet obesity will be more of impact than smoking. Another liberal failure.

Report: Obesity to Lower U.S. Life Span
LINDSEY TANNER, AP Original Article

U.S. life expectancy will fall dramatically in coming years because of obesity, a startling shift in a long-running trend toward longer lives, researchers contend in a report published Thursday. By their calculations — disputed by skeptics as shaky and overly dire — within 50 years obesity likely will shorten the average life span of 77.6 years by at least two to five years. That's more than the impact of cancer or heart disease, said lead author S. Jay Olshansky, a longevity researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

This is a turning point in the national environmental debate. Just wait and see.

Senate Approves Drilling in Alaska Refuge
H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press Original Article

A closely divided Senate voted Wednesday to approve oil drilling in an Alaska wildlife refuge, a major victory for President Bush and a stinging defeat for environmentalists who have fought the idea for decades.

"It's difficult to separate religion from politics in a Muslim society." Al-Sistani

Sistani at Forefront of Iraq Constitution
HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Original Article

As Shiites ascend to power in Iraq and turn toward writing a constitution, the key role expected for their enigmatic spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, is once again a subject of mystery and debate.

"This day marks a new birth for all Iraqis. It marks the birth of the parliament"

Iraq National Assembly Swears in Lawmakers
PATRICK QUINN, Associated Press Original Article

Two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi legislators were sworn in Wednesday as members of the 275-seat National Assembly, vowing to uphold freedom and democracy. But before taking their oath, they had to endure mortar barrages and wailing air raid sirens as insurgents made their presence felt.

"This day marks a new birth for all Iraqis. It marks the birth of the parliament"

Iraq National Assembly Swears in Lawmakers
PATRICK QUINN, Associated Press Original Article

Two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi legislators were sworn in Wednesday as members of the 275-seat National Assembly, vowing to uphold freedom and democracy. But before taking their oath, they had to endure mortar barrages and wailing air raid sirens as insurgents made their presence felt.

"This day marks a new birth for all Iraqis. It marks the birth of the parliament"

Iraq National Assembly Swears in Lawmakers
PATRICK QUINN, Associated Press Original Article

Two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi legislators were sworn in Wednesday as members of the 275-seat National Assembly, vowing to uphold freedom and democracy. But before taking their oath, they had to endure mortar barrages and wailing air raid sirens as insurgents made their presence felt.

The first of many handovers.

Israeli Forces Hand Over Jericho in Boost to Abbas
Mohammed Assadi, Reuters Original Article

Israeli forces transferred control of Jericho to the Palestinians Wednesday, a move likely to help Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas commit militants to a cease-fire so he can talk peace with Israel.

Securing borders is near impossible. Taking the fight to terrorist is more effective.

Recent Al Qaeda Warnings Should be Border Security Wake-Up Call
Bobby Eberle, Human Events Original Article

Al Qaeda is plotting to attack the U.S. again. More precisely, since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, al Qaeda has likely not taken one day off from planning to attack America with a strike even more lethal than the previous one. Recent reports indicate that the terror network has identified, and plans to exploit, the porous borders to America's North and South as entry points into the country.

In lieu of common sense, liberals have boundless energy.

Come Back, Liberals!
Ann Coulter, Human Events Original Article

Liberals have been completely vanquished. Actually, intellectually they lost the war of ideas long ago. It's just that now their defeat is so obvious, even they've noticed. As new DNC Chairman Howard Dean might say, it's all over but the screaming.

Extra, Extra. Old media biased, Internet becoming major source of news.

Study Shows U.S. Election Coverage Harder on Bush
Claudia Parsons, Reuters Original Article

U.S. media coverage of last year's election was three times more likely to be negative toward President Bush than Democratic challenger John Kerry, according to a study released Monday.

North Korea rattling sabers again.

N.Korea Says May Develop More Nuclear Weapons
Reuters Original Article

North Korea's foreign ministry said on Tuesday the communist state may boost its arsenal of nuclear weapons in order to maintain a balance of power in the region and help prevent an attack by the United States.
.

Musharraf, "We have broken their communication system. We have destroyed their sanctuaries."

Al-Qaida Ability Diminishing, Agents Say
PAUL HAVEN, AP Original Article

Senior Bush administration officials have warned in recent weeks that al-Qaida is regrouping for another massive attack, its agents bent on acquiring nuclear, chemical or biological weapons in a nightmare scenario that could dwarf the horror of Sept. 11. But in Pakistan and Afghanistan - where Osama bin Laden and his chief deputy are believed to be hiding - intelligence agents, politicians and a top U.S. general paint a different picture.

Venezuela's arms-procurement plan was a worry because the motive was unclear

Venezuela restocks its arsenal
Andy Webb-Vidal, Financial Times Original Article

The US military's senior officer responsible for security co-operation in Latin America has warned of the destabilising potential posed to the region by the Venezuelan government's controversial, and opaque, arms procurement programme.

Demanding independence in largest Lebanese protest

800,000 rally in Beirut
Aaron Klein, WorldNetDaily Original Article

An estimated 800,000 rallied this afternoon in central Beirut in the largest anti-Syrian protest in Lebanon since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, and one of the largest protests in recent Middle East history.

Iran is pushing for an end to nuclear talks.

Iran Says May Set Deadline for Nuclear Talks
Reuters, Original Article

Iran, complaining of the slow pace of negotiations with the European Union over its nuclear program, said on Monday it may soon present the EU with a take-it-or-leave-it proposal to finalize the talks.

Palestinians now feel a truce will pay off.

Poll shows sharp drop in support for suicide bombings
Associated Press Original Article

Support among Palestinians for suicide bombings has dropped sharply in the past six months, from 77 percent to 29 percent, according to a poll published Monday.

Sharansky worked alongside the great Andrei Sakharov.

The Left's Jihad against Sharansky
Steven Plaut, Arutz Sheva Original Article

Natan Sharansky has become the victim of KGB terror that the Left most loves to hate. His sin? He is thought to have influenced President Bush and helped persuade him that the time has come to push democracy as a solution for the problems of terrorism and tyranny. He also, of course, is guilty of thinking that Jews have the right to shoot back.

Iran dismissed the incentives as meaningless. Well guess that proves the liberals wrong-Again.

Iran Defiant in Face of United U.S., EU Approach
Paul Hughes, Reuters Original Article

Iran defiantly insisted on Saturday it would never give up its nuclear fuel program despite a new united policy of incentives and threats from Washington and the European Union

Forging the democracy continues.

Kurds, Shiites Press for Iraqi Gov't Deal
SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Original Article

Kurdish leaders converged on Baghdad for last-minute talks Monday with majority Shiites as both sides pressed to secure a deal to form a coalition government before the newly elected parliament meets for the first time later this week.

"Whatever law they passed, Taiwan has its own sovereignty, government, country and democracy."

China Law Authorizes Force Against Taiwan
CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press Original Article

China's parliament enacted a law Monday authorizing force to stop rival Taiwan from pursuing formal independence, sparking outrage on the self-governing island and warnings that the measure would fuel regional tensions.

We are determined to liberate our country and we will not stop."

Thousands March Against Syria in Beirut
SAM F. GHATTAS, Associated Press Original Article

Hundreds of thousands of opposition demonstrators chanted "Freedom, sovereignty, independence" and unfurled a huge Lebanese flag in Beirut on Monday, the biggest protest yet in the opposition's duel of street rallies with supporters of the Damascus-backed government.

Both sides moving towards compromise slowly but surely.

Israel Vows to Remove Illegal Settlements
MARK LAVIE, Associated Press Original Article

Israel's Cabinet on Sunday affirmed it will dismantle 24 illegal West Bank settlement outposts but did not say when they will be removed and evaded a decision on the fate of 81 other such enclaves.

"In the end of the day, it's going to be deeds, not words, that matter."

Syrian-Backed Hizbollah Rallies Against U.S.
Kamel Jaber, Reuters Original Article

Hundreds of thousands of people turned out for a Hizbollah rally against the United States on Sunday, even as a U.N. envoy met the Lebanese president to press demands for a Syrian pullout.

"In the end of the day, it's going to be deeds, not words, that matter."

Syrian-Backed Hizbollah Rallies Against U.S.
Kamel Jaber, Reuters Original Article

Hundreds of thousands of people turned out for a Hizbollah rally against the United States on Sunday, even as a U.N. envoy met the Lebanese president to press demands for a Syrian pullout.

"In the end of the day, it's going to be deeds, not words, that matter."

Syrian-Backed Hizbollah Rallies Against U.S.
Kamel Jaber, Reuters Original Article

Hundreds of thousands of people turned out for a Hizbollah rally against the United States on Sunday, even as a U.N. envoy met the Lebanese president to press demands for a Syrian pullout.

George Bush doesn't just want to change the Middle East -- he intends to change the world.

Misunderestimation?
Oliver North, Washington Times Original Article

News item: President Bush taps John Bolton for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Dear John:
Congratulations on the new gig as the president's top dog (Rottweiler?) at the United Nations. Given the way the liberals have reacted to your appointment, your confirmation hearings are likely to generate more adrenalin than a Fallujah gunfight.

Officials Acknowledge 'Swamp' of Problems and Pledge Fixes Amid New Allegations in Africa, Haiti

U.N. Faces More Accusations of Sexual Misconduct
Colum Lynch, Washington Post Original Article

The United Nations is facing new allegations of sexual misconduct by U.N. personnel in Burundi, Haiti, Liberia and elsewhere, which is complicating the organization's efforts to contain a sexual abuse scandal that has tarnished its Nobel Prize-winning peacekeepers in Congo.

Nor can it come from the inside of an oppressive regime.

Mubarak: Democracy Can't Come From Outside
NADIA ABOU EL-MAGD, Associated Press Original Article

Democratic reform in the Arab world cannot be imposed from the outside, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Sunday in an apparent rebuke of U.S.-led efforts to speed up change in the region.

Iran: A permanent halt of Iran's nuclear activities is out of the question.

Iran Says Europeans Moving Too Slowly on Nuclear Talks
Tarek Al-Issawi, Associated Press Original Article

Iran described progress on nuclear talks with Europe as unsatisfactory and too slow, with Tehran's chief negotiator warning Sunday that it soon may walk away from the discussion. Iran has made such threats before, accusing Europe of wasting time and not making proposals that conform to the Iranian bottom line - that it will develop peaceful nuclear technology. Europe seeks to ensure it does not use the technology to build bombs.

We must ask what precipitated this action?

China OKs Military Action Against Taiwan
AP Original Article

China's national legislature on Monday overwhelmingly approved a law authorizing a military attack to stop Taiwan from pursuing formal independence, a day after President Hu Jintao told the 2.5 million-member People's Liberation Army to be prepared for war. The measure was approved by a vote of 2,896 to zero, with two abstentions at the closing session of the annual session of the figurehead National People's Congress.

The IRA's first instinct is to kill. If you complain about the killing, they offer to kill the killers.

These Irish eyes are smiling at White House snub of IRA
MARK STEYN, SUN-TIMES Original Article

Happy St. Patrick's Day to my fellow hyphenated Irishmen. And the good news about this St. Paddy's Day is that for the first time in a decade the official observances will not be disfigured by the presence at the White House of Gerry Adams.

HOOAH!

Bionic US troops go back to war
Sarah Baxter, Times (UK) Original Article

IN A US military camp on the Kuwaiti border, Captain David Rozelle is waiting for the order to lead the soldiers under his command into Iraq for a new tour of duty. A cavalry officer, Rozelle lost his right foot in 2003 in Iraq when a mine planted in a dirt road exploded under his Humvee. After a gruelling recovery, he is the first amputee to return to combat duty in Iraq.

A joint Lebanese-Syrian military commission will meet on April 7 to determine final withdrawl timeline

Report: Syria to Pull Third of Troops by March 31
Reuters Original Article

Syria has promised to remove one-third of its troops from Lebanon by the end of the month as the first stage of an operation that would end its 29-year military presence there, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.

Really, I thought this bill would hit rich folks with tax shelters.

Bankruptcy Bill Said to Hit Poorest Americans Hardest
Abid Aslam, OneWorld US Original Article

Millions of Americans could be plunged into financial ruin if a bill giving credit card companies long-sought relief from unpaid loans gets final Congressional approval, a broad array of consumer protection, economic justice, and civil rights groups warned.

Actually, an unnamed source stated Bush said this.

I'll never deal with Adams again, says Bush
Philip Sherwell , Telegraph (UK) Original Article

President Bush personally ordered that Gerry Adams be frozen out of official engagements during his visit to America, furious that the Sinn Fein leader had betrayed his efforts to help to re-start the Northern Ireland peace process.

If there are more kidnappings, the Italians will act in full agreement with the Americans.

Italy to stop paying ransoms
John Follain, Times (UK) Original Article

THE Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has promised President George W Bush that he will not pay more ransoms to free hostages in Iraq. The Italian government has denied newspaper reports that $6m (£3.1m) was paid for the release of Giuliana Sgrena, who worked for the Communist daily Il Manifesto. But senior officials and intelligence sources have confirmed that money did change hands.

Another country with a "stick"

Revealed: Israel plans strike on Iranian nuclear plant
Uzi Mahnaimi, Times (UK) Original Article

ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans for a combined air and ground attack on targets in Iran if diplomacy fails to halt the Iranian nuclear programme. The inner cabinet of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, gave “initial authorisation” for an attack at a private meeting last month on his ranch in the Negev desert.

Iraq: The young democracy continues to develop.

Officials Say Iraq Won't Be Islamic State
RAWYA RAGEH, Associated Press Original Article

Ukraine withdrew 150 servicemen from Iraq on Saturday, beginning a gradual pullout, as Shiite and Kurdish politicians refined plans to form a coalition government that officials said includes an agreement not to turn the country into an Islamic state.

Brian Nichols, 33, surrendered at an apartment complex surrounded by a SWAT team

Suspect in Atlanta Fatal Shootings Jailed
Karen Jacobs, Reuters Original Article

The suspect in the shooting deaths of a judge, U.S. Customs agent and two other people is in custody facing federal and state charges on Saturday after his surrender to an overwhelming police presence.

Syria: "Committed to withdraw all Syrian troops and intelligence from Lebanon."

U.N.: Assad Committed to Lebanon Pullout
SAMAR KASSABLI, Associated Press Original Article

President Bashar Assad on Saturday restated his readiness for a complete withdrawal of Syrian troops and intelligence agents from neighboring Lebanon, a key U.N. envoy said, adding that he would give the United Nations more details about a timetable for the pullout within days.

We will watch and see what impact this has on relations.

Chinese President Completes Power Transfer
STEPHAN GRAUWELS, Associated Press Original Article

President Hu Jintao on Sunday was named chairman of a figurehead government military body, symbolically completing a transfer of power to a younger generation of communist leaders.

Iran says it can offer the world "objective guarantees" that it will not make atom bombs.

Iran Defiant in Face of United US, EU Approach
Paul Hughes, Reuters Original Article

Iran defiantly insisted on Saturday it would never give up its nuclear fuel program despite a new united policy of incentives and threats from Washington and the European Union