HEADLINES

04/16/04: More Iraqis killed in Falluja : US occupation troops and fighters have fought fierce clashes in the western city of Falluja killing 15 Iraqis, witnesses and a medical official said. 

At least five killed in Iraq Kufa clashes-doctor: At least five people were killed and 20 injured in clashes between a Shi'ite militia and U.S. forces near the Iraqi town of Kufa on Friday, a hospital doctor said.

US troops fire on Afghan civilians: US soldiers have shot and wounded four Afghan civilians, mistaking them for fighters when their vehicle sped towards a checkpoint in the east of the country, a senior local official said.

Clashes Near Holy Iraq City: Blasts shook Iraq's holy Shi'ite town of Kufa on Friday after militiamen loyal to anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said they ambushed a convoy of vehicles from an American force that is building up nearby.

Gunmen rule in a city gripped with fright : It is a force the American military has vowed to destroy. Now these gunmen talk of jihad and boast how they would delight in giving a lesson in the bloody art of guerrilla warfare to the troops of the US Army's 1st Armoured Division.

Sadr's Followers Vow War if U.S. Attacks Iraq City : Moqtada al-Sadr's core supporters vowed on Friday there would be all-out war if U.S. forces stormed Najaf, saying Iraq's Sh'ite Muslims would not let another of their leaders be killed with impunity

John Pilger: Iraq is a War of National Liberation: Amnesty International reports that US-led forces have "shot Iraqis dead during demonstrations, tortured and ill-treated prisoners, arrested people arbitrarily and held them indefinitely, demolished houses in acts of revenge and collective punishment.

When America Was Considered a Rogue Nation: Because we forget that the United States was once considered a rogue nation exporting terrorism, the nation's senior officials risk making serious policy mistakes today. 

Marines in Fallujah trade 'culturally sensitive' training for bullets: The corpse of an insurgent suspect lies baking in the sun. Browne, from Boston, says he has killed several rebels, probably Iraqis, so far. ``I don't even think about those people as people,'' he says.

I saw the destroyed villages, I saw lives destroyed: An interview with, U.S.M.C. Lance Corporal Mike Hoffman

Robin Cook: Telling Bush he has got it wrong is what Blair must do: It would help to recover some of the immense ground lost in Iraqi public opinion if at least one Marine was charged with an offence arising from the deaths of 350 women and children in Fallujah.

Iraq: Christian Peacemaker Team Describes Massacre In Fallujah

Dahr Jamail: Winning Hearts and Minds: "After two hours of being held with our faces on the ground and Americans putting their feet on people (a huge insult here), the soldiers did not find one bullet. Then they simply left. A year ago they would apologize for these things. Now they have cancelled their apologies. Now they apologize by stomping on our necks!"

Papal nuncio gives grim report from Iraq: "In Washington, they still don't understand that they will never be loved, and that the people of Iraq will not tolerate the occupation," he said.

Marines Use Low-Tech Skill to Kill 100 in Urban Battle: American forces killed more than 100 insurgents on Tuesday in close combat in a small village in central Iraq, Marine commanders said Wednesday.

Iraq's Sadr Says Will Not Disband Militia: "It will not be disbanded on any conditions, because I did not create it on my own but with the cooperation of the Iraqi people." 

Karen Kwiatkowski, Lt. Col. USAF (ret.): An Honest Appraisal, and the Way Ahead: The lies and executive pressure that convinced Congress to grant the current president extraordinary war powers are now behind us. Indeed, politicians usually prove more adept at killing and maiming the younger generations than saving them.

Not Just Numbers: Photographic memorial wall. These photographs are grouped in solemn rows without statistics to show the extent of our military losses

Not Just Numbers: Names, Ages, Home towns: The casualties have been so high and it has been so difficult to keep adding names through the tears...

Wounded Soldier Needs Your Help!: Specialist Jason Gunn of the 137th Armored Battalion lost hearing in his left ear and whose left leg artery was severed when an I.E.D. exploded under his humvee, killing his sergeant and injuring 2 other GIs. After being treated in Germany and spending a few weeks on medical leave at home with his family, the Pentagon ordered him back to the Iraqi slaughterhouse.

Bush Faces a Revolt – From the US Military: The president may see his mission to Iraq as a holy war, but frustrated Pentagon strategists say they're being ignored and ill-treated by the administration.

U.S. plan low-balled Iraq costs, strategist says: A top U.S. military strategist says the Bush administration's war in Iraq was crafted to be quick and cheap, crippling longer-term efforts to build a stable and democratic country.

The Cost Of War In Iraq : $2,150 Per Family and Counting: For a typical family with a taxable income of $60,000, and a typical tax bill of $8626, that works out to an Iraq War tax bill of about $2150. For a family making $100,000 in taxable income, with a typical tax bill of $18,614, that is a war tax of about $4650. 

30,000 American Dead in Iraq....Noooo Problem!!!: Our citizenry would gladly accept losing 30,000 American dead in Iraq if such losses were required to achieve neocon strategic objectives. Kaplan denounces those arguing otherwise – in particular, American military officers – as constituting the ranks of the weak-kneed.

Chris Floyd : The Crack-Up: As the red wheel of Operation Iraqi FUBAR continues to roll, spewing hundreds of corpses in its wake, it becomes clearer by the hour that there is only one way for America to end this stomach-churning nightmare it has created: Get out.

Defiant hostage's murder on video outrages Italians: Mr Quattrocchi's abductors shot him in the neck at close range. Al-Jazeera said that he had been forced to dig his own grave.

Woodward book says Bush secretly ordered Iraq war plan : President Bush secretly ordered a war plan drawn up against Iraq less than two months after U.S. forces attacked Afghanistan and was so worried the decision would cause a furor he did not tell everyone on his national security team

Danish furore over Iraq secrets: An intelligence officer had told two journalists that the government knew Iraq was unlikely to have the weapons.

Paul Krugman: "Snares and Delusions": In his Saturday radio address, George Bush described Iraqi insurgents as a "small faction." Meanwhile, people actually on the scene described a rebellion with widespread support.

Ending The “War On Terror” Myth: The so-called “War On Terror” is a dangerous myth that is undermining American national security. This myth is a deliberate creation of the Bush Administration and their political allies. It has been very useful in promoting the Corporate Agenda of the Bush Republicans.

U.S.-trained Iraqi forces failed to support U.S. troops: In Ramadi, U.S. troops gave two-way radios to Iraqi forces, not for communications, as they claimed, but so they'd know when their allies were phoning Marine positions to the enemy.

Polish forces criticize US over Iraq Sadr violence: Polish forces in Iraq said on Thursday they were blindsided by the violence caused by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's followers because U.S. officials did not warn them of actions that triggered the bloodshed.

Report: Indian leader says Iraq war a mistake: Unsure if Bush's world policy is "useful."

US military 'pressuring' journalists: The US military has been accused of threatening the media covering the conflict in Iraq and pressuring journalists into presenting a one-sided picture of events.

PM's comments endangered my life: aid worker: An Australian aid worker taken hostage in the Iraqi flashpoint town of Fallujah said her capture was terrifying, and she claimed she had been placed in great danger because of "inflammatory" comments by Prime Minister John Howard.

Questioning the New Imperial World Order: A Hearing on the Project for the New American Century

Israeli army kills Palestinian youth: A 15-year-old Palestinian boy has died after being shot in the head by Israeli soldiers during a protest against the West Bank separation barrier.

US reels from Arab and European fury: The Bush administration launched a diplomatic offensive yesterday to try to placate Arab and European leaders outraged by its seismic policy shift on the Middle East.

Gwynne Dyer: U.S. is on wrong side of the wall: You never know which straw will finally break the camel's back, but it may have been Wednesday's summit between President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Juan Cole: Turning into Israel?: Outraged by President Bush's embrace of Ariel Sharon and the bloody U.S. assault on Fallujah, the Arab world is linking America's occupation with Israel's. That's ominous

Rabbi Michael Lerner: I'll Scratch Your Bank...: Perhaps the most extraordinary public-relations gimmick in this entire charade between two militarists is the notion that Israel is "giving up" control over Gaza and thereby merits a concession by the United States.

Full text: 'Bin Laden tape': The following is the text of the tape as broadcast by al-Arabiya:

Oil Hits 13-Month High: Oil prices on Friday hit the highest levels since just before war broke out in Iraq a year ago as record gasoline prices and global security concerns drove buying.

04/15/04: Suspected Taliban Kill 9 : Gunmen killed a district police chief and eight Afghan soldiers in an ambush in a southern province, a senior official said Thursday, in an attack claimed by the Taliban militia.

Six killed in US attacks over Falluja: A rocket attack blamed on US occupying forces has killed a mother and her two teenage sons north of Baghdad and badly wounded her two daughters, neighbours and hospital officials said.

Iranian Diplomat Shot Dead in Baghdad, Police Say: A senior Iranian diplomat was shot dead close to Tehran's diplomatic mission in Baghdad on Thursday, Iraqi police and diplomatic staff said.

Bremer 'is powerless to restrain the US military': The US Marines have undertaken to subdue Fallujah, west of Baghdad, apparently without regard for civilian casualties. Doctors in the local hospital estimate these to total more than 600 dead and 1,200 wounded, many of them women and children.

A Mass Uprising: The hatred the Iraqi masses feel towards the forces of the occupation has only grown on account of the death and destruction caused by the use of armour and air power in populated areas. Hospitals, mosques and private residences have been shelled and bombed.

Iraq: Jo Wilding in Fallujah: US snipers in Falluja shoot unarmed man in the back, old woman with white flag, children fleeing their homes and the ambulance that we were going in to fetch a woman in premature labour.

Wanted: A new Saddam: The Marines are reopening the siege of Fallujah - with the US running the risk of creating a war crime and provoking a humanitarian disaster.

"Religious war": A family member said this—quote—“George sees this”—talking about Iraq—as a religious war. He doesn‘t have a P.C. view of this war. His view of this is that they are trying to kill the Christians.”

Hear no evil, read no evil, speak drivel : Bush's press conference shows just how ill-informed he is about Iraq

Growing worry in D.C. -- What if U.S. fails in Iraq? : President Bush warned the nation Tuesday night of the "unthinkable" consequences of failure in Iraq. But amid escalating violence and a crackdown by U.S. forces, Washington analysts expressed rising concern about the chances of success.

Hard truths from Japan: Confidence in American leadership is eroding: Privately, Japanese who are shaping policy on Iraq and the Middle East are sharply critical of how the United States has handled the war

Civilian Contractors Pay Price in Iraq : Known deaths so far include 30 employees and subcontractors working for Texas-based Kellogg Brown and Root, the U.S. military's main logistics contractor in Iraq, and 13 civilians working for San Diego company Titan Corp, which does translation work for the Army in Iraq.

Radioactive materials disappearing in Iraq: Iraq's nuclear facilities remain unguarded, and radioactive materials are being taken out of the country, the UN's nuclear watchdog agency reported after reviewing satellite images and equipment that has turned up in European scrap yards.

How Sharon won US backing for Gaza strategy: With the Bush administration distracted by events in Iraq, Mr Sharon has been able to dictate his terms.

Palestinian PM Tells Powell That U.S. Is Biased: Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie accused the United States of total bias against the Palestinians in a phone call with Secretary of State Colin Powell, Qurie's office said on Thursday.

Arrests Outside White House Protesting Bush-Sharon Meeting: ": Any plan presented by Sharon is futile and against God," said Rabbi Dovib Weiss, who came from New York to attend the protest. "It is forbidden in the Torah to oppress the Palestinians and I strongly support and believe in the transformation of self-rule."

Palestinians Urge World to Challenge Bush Policy : Furious Palestinians tried to rally the world Thursday against President Bush's decision to break with longtime U.S. and international policy to say Israel could keep parts of the West Bank captured in war.

UN condemns Israeli settlements: The United Nations human rights body has called on Israel to end settlement activity on Palestinian land and stop work on its barrier in the West Bank.

UN. COMMISSION ADOPTS THREE RESOLUTIONS ON THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES: : The Commission determined the Israeli decision constituted a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

Israel Must Get Palestinians To Agree To W Bank Plan : "The European Union will not recognize any change to the pre-1967 borders other than those arrived at by agreement between the parties," said Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen of Ireland, speaking on behalf of the 15 E.U. governments.

Arab League: U.S. has adopted Israeli line on Mideast: "We expect the United States to play honest broker. We accused it before of being unbalanced. Now we can't even say that. The United States has adopted Israel's position," said Hesham Youssef, spokesman for the league's secretary-general.

Pentagon crash 'too unrealistic': Five months before Sept. 11, 2001, the officers responsible for defending American airspace wanted to test their ability to prevent a hijacked airliner from being crashed into the Pentagon, but the scenario was rejected by the Joint Chiefs of Staff as impractical

In case you missed it: " Pentagon Mass Casualty Exercise" took place on Oct. 24, 2000.

'Bin Laden' offers truce with Europe: Under what grace are your victims innocent and ours dust and under which doctrine is your blood blood and ours water?"

21,000 getting orders to stay in Iraq: The Pentagon is extending the tours of duty of some 21,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, going back on a promise made last year to keep deployments to 12-months.

U.S. Jobless Claims Climb to 360,000: The new report dealt a setback to hopes that the economy is finally beginning to produce a sustained recovery in jobs.

Capt. James Yee: All charges dropped: The spy case against Yee never panned out. He ultimately was charged with mishandling classified information. When the military ordered his release from pretrial confinement, they added the sex-related charges.

04/14/04: Bush Says Israel Has Claim to Part of West Bank: President Bush said on Wednesday that Israel has a claim on some West Bank land that Palestinians say is theirs, in a shift in policy that could have major implications for Middle East peace negotiations.

Bush recognizes Israel's claim to West Bank settlements: Bush's support for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will go down well with conservative and Jewish voters in the U.S. presidential election but was likely to inflame the Arab world and further complicate efforts to stabilize Iraq.

Palestinians Dismayed at Bush Promises to Sharon : Palestinians and Israeli hardliners tonight rejected statements by US President George Bush supporting some Israeli settlements in the West Bank and ruling out the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in Israel.

Francis A. Boyle: Palestine, Palestinians, and International Law: “The Palestinian people actually living under this criminal occupation have the perfect right under international law to resist the Israeli army by the use of force, just as the French Resistance did against Nazi forces occupying France during the Second World War.”

Four killed in Iraq mortar attack: Four Iraqis were killed and six others injured on Wednesday when a mortar shell exploded in a crowded market in the main northern city of Mosul, police said.

Iraqi 'beaten to death' by US troops: AN Iraqi has died of his wounds after US troops beat him with truncheons because he refused to remove a picture of wanted Shiite Muslim leader Moqtada Sadr from his car, police said today.

Americans 'found in shallow grave': Two US soldiers and seven American employees of a Halliburton subsidiary have been missing since Friday's attack, and NBC and ABC news said the bodies were believed to be those of four of the civilian contractors.

Four Bodies Found in Iraq, May Be U.S. Civilians: The unidentified bodies of four people who may be among the seven U.S. civilian contractors missing in Iraq since their convoy was attacked last week were found on Tuesday, a senior U.S. official said.

U.S. says alleged Al-Qaeda mastermind al-Zarqawi is in or near Fallujah.

Falluja ceasefire broken: The toll among Iraqis in Falluja has topped 700 and another 1200 have been injured, according to medical and US military personnel.

US Marines Shoot Ambulances in Fallujah: "When you see a child five years old with no head what can you say?" asks one doctor in Fallujah, whose name is being with-held for his own safety. "When you see a child with no brain just an open cavity what can you say?

Americans' hands bloody for supporting Iraq war : I am through blaming the government for our country's murderous involvement all over the world. We as a nation are responsible for these wars. The blood is on our hands. It's time to take responsibility for our actions

U.S. launches attacks in Falluja: U.S. warplanes and helicopter gunships firing heavy machine-guns, rockets and cannons hammered gunmen as a truce in besieged Falluja was strained by increasingly intense battles

Arab TV brings Iraqi civilian toll to airwaves: "The house shuddered," said Haider Abdel-Wahab, a 6-year-old taken to a Baghdad hospital on Tuesday, a day after he survived an American attack that destroyed his house outside Falluja. "The room turned red." His father died of a bullet wound to the head and his mother was shot and killed while hanging laundry, he said.

The outrage of Fallujah : US Marines outside Fallujah were saying on Tuesday that they expect a bloody battle for the city soon. They talked freely of "leveling" the city of 200,000. Lance Cpl. Ryan Christiansen, 25, from the Chicago suburb of Huntley, speaking of people in Fallujah, told a Newsday reporter: "I really don't care; they're all gonna die."

Eyewitness: Caught in the cross-fire: A child of about ten is lying with a bullet wound to the head. A smaller child is being treated for a similar injury in the next bed. A US sniper, they said, hit them and their grandmother as they left their home to flee Falluja.

Eyewitness Account From Inside the US siege of Falluja. I was there on Saturday and Sunday during what was supposed to be a cease-fire. Instead of calm, I found a city under siege from American artillery and snipers.

Fallujah Refugees Describe Horrors of U.S. Siege: A report from Baghdad with Free Speech Radio News' Aaron Glantz who speaks with Fallujah residents fleeing the besieged town. They describe digging mass graves, snipers and bombers killing people inside their homes, attacks on ambulances and the increasing anger and resentment towards U.S. occupying forces.

Iran Halts Its Work With U.S. on Iraq : Iran said Wednesday an attempt to work with the United States on Iraq was "going nowhere," and that Washington could not resolve the surge in violence without talks with Iraq's neighbors.

Tony Blair really must try harder : Does he really believe that the 600 Iraqis whom the US has now killed in revenge for the four "civilian contractors", were all "terrorists" or Ba'athist supporters - despite the fact that those manning the hospitals report that most of the casualties are women, children or old men?

Support for Bush 'has harmed UK's reputation': Mr Blair suffered a further rebuff as an influential think tank said that British and US foreign policy was preventing Britain from halting human rights abuses around the world.

Blair must distance himself from the White House : The crassly named Operation Iron Fist left more dead and wounded than the Madrid bombings. Civilian deaths and destruction of homes have dangerously disregarded emotional politics on the ground.

Your history of folly in our region : Today's Middle Easterner is convinced the west only attaches a high value to westerners' lives. A little reflection gives an indication of the dominance of this mentality.

Occupation prepares siege on holy city : The military buildup around the southern city of Najaf on Wednesday was going ahead as an Iraqi envoy appointed by al-Sadr said the leader had asked him to convey a set of peace proposals to US officials.

When Puppets Pull the Strings : Ahmed Chalabi, the neocons' choice to run Iraq, appears to have been responsible for the disastrous decision to move against Muqtada al-Sadr.

83 U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq in April : Also this month, more than 560 have been wounded and two soldiers were declared missing.

Two more Japanese taken hostage in Iraq: The Japanese government was investigating a news report that that two more Japanese had been abducted in Iraq, an official said Thursday.

Russia plans to evacuate hundreds of workers from Iraq : Russia said Wednesday it would begin evacuating hundreds of workers from Iraq after a series of kidnappings in which at least 22 foreigners are held captive and four unidentified bodies were discovered in a shallow grave west of Baghdad

Philippines may pull Iraq forces: "While the Philippine government is determined to help the Iraqi people in rebuilding their nation, the safety of our peacekeeping forces in Iraq is still our utmost concern," Arroyo said in a statement.

Japan to its journalists: Get out of Iraq : Earlier, Tokyo repeated an advisory urging all Japanese in Iraq to evacuate.

UK: Foreign Office says civilians should 'consider leaving' Iraq: British civilians are being advised to "consider whether to leave the country." British nationals in Iraq include contractors, aid workers and journalists.

South Korea recommends its citizens in Iraq to evacuate: With security conditions worsening in Iraq, South Korea instructed its embassy in Baghdad Thursday to advise its citizens there to evacuate, officials said

French Red Cross suspends operations in Iraq: Ongoing attacks against foreigners in Iraq have prompted the French branch of the Red Cross to suspend its work there.

Australia: Rotten To The Corps: It began as an investigation into a senior officer's complaints about his treatment by the army. But a leaked copy of the inquiry's explosive report has damned Australia's intelligence services. John Lyons tells the inside story of one man's pursuit of the truth.

Australia: Sacked Defence adviser speaks out : Ms Errey, a former bureaucrat with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, says she lost her job for refusing to write that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

Tenet: U.S. Lacks Tools to Combat al-Qaida: - CIA director George Tenet predicted Wednesday it will take "another five years of work to have the kind of clandestine service our country needs" to combat al-Qaida and other terrorist threats.

FBI missed chances to disrupt Sept. 11 attack, U.S. commission says : In a world "blinking red" with terrorist threats against the United States, the FBI missed a last-minute chance to detect a key al-Qaeda cell and possibly disrupt the Sept. 11 attacks, the commission investigating the 2001 hijackings said Tuesday.

Ashcroft rejected counterterrorism FBI funds request on Sept. 10, 2001 : The FBI failed miserably over several years to reorganize and respond to a steadily growing threat of terrorism, and Attorney General John Ashcroft rejected an agency appeal for more funding on the day before al-Qaida struck

FBI 'could not afford anti-terror experts': The FBI wanted to hire almost 1,900 translators, linguists and analysts to help counter the threat from terrorism before 11 September 2001 but could only afford to recruit 76, it was claimed yesterday.

Fear of Flying: Why did Ashcroft stop flying commercial only weeks before 9-11?

Britain blamed for failing to act over 9/11 clue: "The case, though handled expeditiously at the American end, was not handled by the British as a priority amid a large number of other terrorist-related inquiries" - 9/11 Commission finding

U.S. pledges to Israel will be end of peace process : Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat said Wednesday that possible U.S. assurances that Israel could keep some key settlement blocs and would not have to absorb Palestinian refugees would signal the end of the peace process.

Seven civilians killed by Taleban in southeast Afghanistan: Suspected Taleban militants executed seven Afghans, including two children and three officials, after they professed support for President Hamid Karzai, an Afghan commander said Wednesday.

Three Afghan troops, local police chief wounded in bomb attack near U.S. base: The bomb was triggered by a timing device, said police chief Muhammad Salim who suffered minor shrapnel injuries in the blast.

U.S., France Blocking Haiti Probe : The United States and France have intimidated Caribbean countries into delaying an official request for a probe into the murky circumstances under which Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted from power in February, according to diplomatic sources at the U.N.

Venezuela Military: Evidence US Participated In '02 Coup : Venezuela's two highest ranking military commanders said Tuesday they had evidence the U.S. participated in a 2002 coup that briefly ousted President Hugo Chavez.

Bush, Cheney, Kerry, big tax cut winners: Last year's tax cut proved to be a significant windfall for its main architect, saving President Bush tens of thousands of dollars on his 2003 tax returns.

04/13/04: 

Robert Fisk: Deaths of scores of mercenaries not reported: At least 80 foreign mercenaries - security guards recruited from the United States, Europe and South Africa and working for American companies - have been killed in the past eight days in Iraq.

Some Iraq convoys halted after attack: Shortfall in troop supplies feared: Halliburton Co. has suspended some convoys delivering supplies to the military in Iraq due to escalating violence, U.S. Army and company officials said Monday

Troops in Iraq Strain to Hold Lines of Supply: American troops in Iraq are battling insurgents to keep open vital military supply lines in and out of Baghdad. The attacks on the supply lines are posing new hazards to civilian contractors who operate many of the convoys

U.S. violates Falluja ceasefire: Occupation forces in Iraq have used F16 fighter planes to bomb the Nizal neighbourhood in Falluja, Aljazeera TV's correspondent has reported.

U.S. Forces Seek to 'Kill or Capture' Iraq Cleric: U.S. commanders in Iraq want rebellious Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr dead or alive but they said on Monday his militia's control of the holy city of Najaf was not a widespread uprising by the Shi'ite majority.

Kill imam at your peril, Shiites warn US: About 3000 US soldiers were massed outside the southern city of Najaf in an attempt to force Sadr's surrender. Their commander, General Ricardo Sanchez, talked tough on Tuesday, saying "our mission is to capture or kill".

U-S forces in clashes with al-Sadr supporters on Najaf's edges : An American unit chased some of Muqtada al-Sadr's (mook-TAH'-duh ehl SAH'-durz) militiamen into the city and killed several of them.

Sistani Threatens Shiite Resistance if US Invades Najaf: The Iranian newspaper Baztab is reporting that Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has sent a strongly-worded message to the Coalition forces, in which he warned them against attacking the Shiite shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala after the end of Arba'in.

Radical Shiite cleric's aide freed in Iraq : An aide to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was released Tuesday by US forces in Baghdad after a brief detention, eyewitnesses said.

4 Italians taken hostage as nervous nations pull out

France Advises Citizens to Leave Iraq: France urged its citizens Tuesday to leave Iraq, calling a series of abductions of foreigners there "totally unacceptable."

Japanese hostage release delayed: INSURGENTS holding three Japanese hostages in Iraq have reneged on a decision to free them after Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called them "terrorists," a cleric whose organisation had called for the release said today.

One Marine killed in post-crash violence: A Marine team that took the crew from the wreck came under attack by insurgents with mortars, grenades and small arms. The Marine was killed during those attacks

GI Killed As Troops Deploy Outside Najaf: 80-vehicle convoy was ambushed Monday night by gunmen firing small arms and setting of roadside bombs north of the city. One soldier was killed and an American civilian contractor was wounded, officers in the convoy said.

76 U.S. Troops Killed this month: U.S. troops suffer record losses

Soldier's wife says husband died for ``lost'' cause: The wife of an Army specialist killed in Iraq said Tuesday that her husband was killed by ``an ungrateful people'' as he fought for a cause ``that has lost all meaning.''

Cheney Took in $178,437 from Halliburton in 2003: Vice President Dick Cheney received $178,437 in deferred pay last year from Halliburton, the Texas oil-field services company he once headed that has received billion-dollar government contracts in Iraq.

Former Congressmen Assess U.S. Foreign Policy: A Republican’s Case Against George W. Bush: Today, for the first time, I worry deeply about America’s future. We are in a deep hole. I believe President George W. Bush’s decision to initiate war on Iraq will be the greatest and most costly blunder in American history. He has set America on the wrong course.

Army Strategist Criticizes Bush Administration Conduct of Iraq War: In a broadside fired at the conduct of the war in Iraq, a senior Army strategist has accused the Bush administration of seeking to win "quickly and on the cheap" while ignoring the more critical strategic aim of creating a stable, democratic nation.

Annan doubtful of U.N. return to Iraq: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says violence in Iraq will prevent the world body from re-establishing a major presence in the country anytime in the foreseeable future.

Australian defence adviser 'sacked for refusing to sex up WMD reports' : A former senior Australian defence adviser claimed yesterday she was edged out of her job because she refused to lie about the case for war in Iraq.

An uprising in support of democracy: By backing the US over elections, Kofi Annan inflamed the Iraq crisis

Negroponte May Become Baghdad Ambassador : John D. Negroponte, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who played a central role in trying to win support for war with Iraq, is emerging as the leading candidate for the sensitive job of ambassador to Baghdad. Background On Negroponte

Americans' use of Israeli tactics backfiring: Some Israeli commentators have highlighted the "striking similarity" between what the Americans are doing in Falluja, Baquba, and Ramadi on the one hand and what the Israeli occupation army has been doing in Rafah, Khan Yunis and Jenin.

Core of the conflict : The Arab-Israeli conflict has not only blighted the Middle East but also provided a smokescreen for that malaise, diverting the attention of Arabs from their internal problems and providing an excuse for tired governments to survive well beyond their sell-by date.

Palestinian children killed by Israel: The Israeli occupation army and paramilitary Jewish settlers have killed 545 Palestinian children and minors since the outbreak of the al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000.

The Bush Administration’s Dual Loyalties: The link between active promoters of Israeli interests and policymaking circles is stronger by several orders of magnitude in the Bush administration, which is peppered with people who have long records of activism on behalf of Israel in the United States, of policy advocacy in Israel, and of promoting an agenda for Israel

Keystone Kounter-Terror: Only George W. Bush could study a memo titled "Bin Laden Determined To Strike in US", and then blithely assert that it "said nothing about an attack on America."

Senior officials received different memo than Bush : Just one day after President Bush received a pre-Sept. 11 briefing on al-Qaida’s effort to strike on U.S. soil, senior government executives received a similarly titled memo that excluded information about current threats and investigations

Condi's Cover-up Caves In: A small but significant White House cover-up fell apart this past weekend.

Many killed in Chechen clashes: A string of clashes between separatist fighters and pro-Moscow forces in Chechnya have killed at least 24 people, including four civilians, during the past four days.

Iraqi guards killed as 11 Russians kidnapped: Eleven Russian employees of an energy services firm have been kidnapped in Baghdad, the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera satellite channel reports.

Defiant US says Falluja dead were rebels : The death toll in Falluja has sparked widespread international concern and has led to condemnation by the US-appointed Iraqi governing council.

Massacre in Fallujah: Over 600 Dead, 1,000 Injured, 60,000 Refugees : The U.S. siege of Fallujah continues and reports are emerging of a massacre of Iraqi civilians at the hands of U.S. troops. We go to Iraq to get a report from Free Speech Radio News' Aaron Glantz who interviews Iraqis fleeing Fallujah

Fallujah resistance vows to continue fight : "There is no place in Fallujah without a fight," he says. "The Americans have snuck snipers all over Fallujah and everyone can be hit anytime. We only can work at night, but during the day, they kill the civilians. I saw them shoot a family just for trying to run to a car to leave part of the fighting."

What triggered the Shia insurrection?: Turning "sovereignty" over to a state of denial

UK: Army at breaking point in Iraq : TONY Blair is to send hundreds more British troops to Iraq in a bid to prevent the south of the country descending into bloodletting and anarchy

Iraqi police defect to Sadr: SOME US-trained Iraqi policemen have defected to the insurgent forces of the radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and some other Iraqi security forces have failed to fulfill their duties in recent days, the top commander of US forces in the Middle East said today.

Sharon lists West Bank areas he intends to keep: Sharon appeared to be confirming Palestinian fears that Israel plans to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and four small West Bank settlements in order to strengthen its hold over other parts of the West Bank.

US 'to back Israeli land demands': The US is to support Israeli demands for parts of the occupied West Bank to be annexed by the Jewish state

Orthodox Jews to hold Anti Israel Protest Outside White House: To “proclaim and clearly state that Sharon and the State of Israel are illegitimate and they do not represent the Jewish people.”

Palestinian Christians barred from Easter pilgrimage

Hundreds of Corpses Fill Haiti Morgues : We speak with an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild which recently sent a delegation to Haiti. He says he saw hundreds of corpses being dumped by morgues in Haiti and describes bodies coming in with plastic bags over their heads and hands tied behind their backs, piles of corpses burning in fields and pigs eating their flesh..

Learning-Disabled: The Bush administration, I fear, is severely learning-disabled.

04/12/04: 17 US Troops killed in Iraq: Clashes broke out in the northern city of Kirkuk between guerrillas and US forces, leaving 4 Iraqis dead.

Six U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq Attacks -Military: The deaths had not previously been announced

Explosion kills two Iraqi policemen: Two Iraqi policemen have been killed and three citizens seriously injured when an explosive device hit an Iraqi police patrol in the town of Baquba, north of Baghdad.

One U.S. Soldier Killed North of Baghdad -Army: One U.S. soldier was killed and four were wounded when their patrol was attacked near Samarra, north of the capital, Baghdad, the U.S. military said in a statement Monday.

Body Of Civilian Contractor Found Near Baghdad: The U.S. military said the body isn't that of Thomas Hamill, who was captured Friday by insurgents who attacked a fuel convoy near Baghdad. Officials said this is another person from that convoy. The identity of the body wasn't released.

Nine Americans, including two soldiers, missing in Iraq : Two US soldiers and seven US contractors working for a Halliburton subsidiary are unaccounted for in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the head of US forces in the country, said.

2 Czech Journalists Believed Held in Iraq : Two Czech Television journalists on assignment in Iraq are missing and believed kidnapped, a spokesman for the station said Monday.

Germany Warns Citizens To Leave Iraq: Germany is also warning against travel to Kuwait, where it said there's also a "high security risk."

U.S. Forces Seek to 'Kill or Capture' Iraq Cleric: Sanchez acknowledged Sadr's followers have "some presence" in Kerbala and still control Najaf, where thousands of Shi'ite pilgrims are marking the death of one of their holiest figures.

Anniversary: Iraq 1 year later: Flash Presentation - Photo Documentary: -WARNING- Images show the horror and reality of U.S. occupation of Iraq

US commanders in Iraq ask for two more combat brigades: General John Abizaid, commander of the US Central Command, said at a video press conference from Baghdad that he had asked for "a strong mobile combat arms capability."

India rules out sending troops to Iraq: Finance Minister Jaswant Singh shot down last week’s statements by the U.S. State Department that India and Bangladesh were among several countries keeping an open mind about sending troops to Iraq

U.S. Forces Surround University in Baghdad: A U.S. force including tanks and armored vehicles surrounded Mustansiriya University in Baghdad Monday and warned armed students inside the campus to surrender, witnesses said.

Falluja toll tops 600: Aljazeera's correspondent in Falluja reported that 11 people were killed and about 50 others wounded by US gunfire, despite the ceasefire agreed upon between the US occupation forces and the Iraqi resistance.

Report from Fallujah -- Destroying a Town in Order to "Save" it: We were in Fallujah during the "ceasefire." This is what we saw and heard.

Falluja Fighting Haunts Iraqis Who Fled: Shells slamming into houses. Bodies buried in the gardens of homes. Snipers in mosque minarets. Iraqis who fled Falluja after a week of fighting say they are haunted by the scenes in the city last week.

Aljazeera airs tape of dead 'CIA men': Aljazeera TV has aired a video tape showing two dead bodies, with the voiceover claiming they were that of CIA men killed in Falluja.

Iraqi Council, US slam al-Jazeera, al-Arabiyeh: Several Arab journalists walked out of the press conference as Rubai answered questions. Some Arab journalists commented that the new Iraqi Governing Council's strictures on freedom of speech were too fast approaching those of Saddam Hussein's regime.

Waking up to body bags: Pictures of body bags and US soldiers praying around dead comrades are creeping into American media coverage of Iraq, highlighting the growing unease at events.

An Iraqi intifada: Now the war is being fought in the open, by people defending their homes

British Commander: Virulent Racism, Disregard for Civilian Life Mar US Military Approach: The officer quoted says that the US military looks at Iraqis as "Untermenschen," a Hitler-derived term for inferior human beings.

Shiite uprising taking political toll on U.S. Iraq policies: ''Everything points to the failure of the Americans' security policy in Iraq,'' said Mahmoud Othman, an outspoken member of the U.S.-backed Governing Council. ''The Americans cannot solve the problems of Iraq because of their ignorance of the language, customs and traditions.''

Bush Prays for a Drop in American Casualties : President Bush said on Easter Sunday he was praying for American casualties to ebb in Iraq, but he braced the public for more in a U.S.-led fight that he described as "right for the security of our country.

While our troops remain on Iraq's streets there is no hope: The transfer of sovereignty on June 30 will mean nothing if coalition troops remain on city streets. "They behave as though it is their country and we are all terrorists," said one Falluja resident

Sinking in their own spin: According to a new book by Paul Rutherford, Weapons of Mass Persuasion, there are 20,000 more public relations experts in the United States doctoring the news than there are journalists trying to write it.

US rejects Aussie firefighters: Two Australian firefighters have criticised United States officials for not allowing them to take up lucrative work contracts in Iraq.

Factional Fighting Spreads in Afghanistan : Factional violence spread across Afghanistan on Sunday, with gunbattles in the north between militias of two powerful warlords leaving up to three fighters dead

Taliban Say Kill Afghan Spy Chief, Seize Districts: Remnants of Afghanistan's ousted Taliban have killed a top intelligence chief and captured three districts near the border with Pakistan, a spokesman for the Islamic militia said on Monday.

Afghanistan's poor losing homes: UN report : Thousands of people are being evicted from their homes by warlords, politicians and land speculators, according to a report prepared for the United Nations.

Palestinian shot dead by Israelis: Abu Kibar was shot when he opened the door to his house. Israeli forces were looking for his wanted brother.

U.S. government debt jumping by trillions: Late last year, Moody's Investors Service did something astonishing. The ratings agency said it could foresee circumstances that would force it to downgrade the sovereign debt of the U.S. government.

Nearly Half of Every Tax Dollar Goes to Military, National Debt: Military spending in 2003 required 29 cents of every income tax dollar, with the debt taking another 20 cents, according to the National Priorities Project.

IRS auditing fewer businesses, more individuals: Researchers said the declining audits of businesses exposes a flaw in the administration’s tough stance against corporate wrongdoing.

04/11/04: 40 Iraqis killed in Baqouba clashes: Kidnappers threaten to behead hostages: Street fighting erupted in Baghdad, and fierce battles raged in central Iraq, that left 40 Iraqis dead.

Two Die When U.S. Copter Downed in Iraq: Gunmen shot down a U.S. attack helicopter during fighting in western Baghdad on Sunday, killing its two crew members.

Germany: Iraq Security Guards Likely Dead : Two security agents for the German Embassy in Baghdad who have been missing in Iraq for several days are most likely dead, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.

Iraq Insurgents Threaten to Kill American : Insurgents who kidnapped an American civilian threatened in a videotape released Saturday to kill and mutilate him unless U.S. forces withdraw from the city of Fallujah.

Al Jazeera denies reporting Japan hostages free: The Arabic television station Al Jazeera has denied a Japanese news agency report which quoted it as saying that three Japanese hostages held in Iraq had been released.

Will rolling heads crush rebellion, or Iraq itself?: "I want heads to roll," US President George W. Bush told top US officials here last week. And rolled they have. More than 500 Iraqis have died as violence engulfed Iraq in the past week.

Iraq Council Members in Talks with Rebel Cleric: Several members of the Iraqi Governing Council are negotiating with rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to end a Shi'ite Muslim uprising in the center and south of the country, a member of the council said on Saturday.

Support for al-Sadr seen widening: The large number of people attending Friday prayers at the Shiite cleric's mosque indicates growing support for his challange to the US authorities

Squad of the new Iraqi Army refuses mission in Falluja: A squad of the new Iraqi Army refused to head to Falluja to help the US Forces in their battling for control of the city. US Major-General Paul Iten told the Washington Post daily that the Iraqi soldiers told the American Forces that they did not sign an obligation to fight the Iraqis when they first applied to the Army.

Fallouja Residents Call U.S. Tactics Oppressive: Those who fled the city describe increasing sympathy for fighters despite U.S. claims

US tactics condemned by British officers: Senior British commanders have condemned American military tactics in Iraq as heavy-handed and disproportionate.

U.S. will control Iraqi forces: Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday that Iraqi forces will be under U.S. command even after the June 30 transfer of sovereignty, an announcement that is likely to cause added resentment in Iraq.

Iraqi Girl Blog: One Year Later: The bodies are decomposing in the heat and the people are struggling to bury them as quickly as they arrive. The football field that once supported running, youthful feet and cheering fans has turned into a mass grave holding men, women and children.

Fallujah:A Little Local Difficulty: America could soon face an awkward dilemma: either remain in command of Iraq and be forced to commit some half million troops, or get out, effectively hand victory to Muslim militants, and lose international prestige.

How GI bullies are making enemies of their Iraqi friends: By some estimates, as many as 25 per cent of the new Iraqi security forces, on which the US is depending to impose law and order after June 30, has quit or simply melted away.

Ex-British foreign secretaries Cook, Hurd blast US policy in Iraq: Former British foreign secretaries Douglas Hurd and Robin Cook sharply criticised Washington's policy in Iraq, saying the United States was guilty of "overkill" and could not impose democracy in the war-shattered country through the use of force.

'US is bigger threat than terror: Globalisation and the US pose a more serious threat to the world than war and terrorism, according to a BBC poll. BBC World asked 1,500 viewers of its news and international channel for the biggest problems in the world with 52% saying the US and globalisation.

France Invades U.S: Declaring the US "a rogue nation in violation of international law and in defiance of UN resolution 1441," France launched a major ground offensive to overturn what they called "the illegitimate regime of George W. Bush." Citing the 2000 election as proof of an unlawful government, the French claimed they are invading the US to bring democracy to the American people. A Must Read

Eric Margolis: Bush's Boy Blunder: How the many intelligent people in U.S. President George Bush's administration can continue to make so many enormous blunders both astounds and dismays. Two examples:

Anti-war marchers take to the streets in 50 US cities: Saturday's rallies were part of a nationwide protest planned throughout the weekend against the Bush administration's war policies in major US cities.

Israel trains US assassination squads in Iraq: Israeli advisers are helping train US special forces in aggressive counter-insurgency operations in Iraq, including the use of assassination squads against guerrilla leaders, US intelligence and military sources said yesterday.

Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon: "When we heard inaccurate statements by the British and the Americans, we made them aware of this, before the war. They said something on the nuclear subject and we made it clear to them that according to our information, this was not correct."

Afghanistan: Fierce fighting erupted late Saturday between the fighters of Uzbek warlord Rashid Dostum and ex-Afghan premier Burhanuddin Rabbani in northern Afghanistan, a report said Sunday.

Civil war fear as Afghan city falls to warlord : The forces of General Abdul Rashid Dostum, a special adviser to President Hamid Karzai, who is known for crushing his prisoners under tanks, invaded the northern province of Faryab on Wednesday, according to officials.

Afghan renegade continues advance: An Afghan strongman whose forces have overrun a northern province has issued a stark warning to the U.S.-backed president -- fire the defence and interior ministers or your government will fail.

Osama spared as attack could have killed UAE princes: Osama bin Laden could have been killed in a US air and missile attack but was spared because several senior members of the UAE ruling family were nearby.

U.S. to declare Israel won't have to return to 1949 border : Israel will not be asked in the future to withdraw to the 1949 cease-fire lines (the Green Line) on the West Bank, according to a letter U.S. President George Bush is to present to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Washington this week.

US 'al-Qaeda memo': Full text: The following is the full text of the intelligence briefing of 6 August 2001, prepared for President George W Bush, concerning the al-Qaeda threat to the United States.

Thinking Unthinkable Thoughts: Theologian Charges White House Complicity in 9/11 Attack: In his latest book, The New Pearl Harbor — released just two weeks ago — Griffin all but accuses the Bush administration of taking a dive on September 11 and giving Al Qaeda terrorists an unobstructed shot at the World Trade Center.

Roots of Terrorism (and Bin Laden) Found in Cold War: When U.S. Aided Insurgents, Did It Breed Future Terrorists?

War on Iraq is a Nuclear War: And the fallout is coming this way, says independent scientist Leuren Moret: According to independent geoscientist Leuren Moret, the war on Iraq - like the war on Afghanistan - is a nuclear war. "Depleted uranium is a nuclear weapon and it is a weapon of mass destruction under the U. S. government's definition of weapons of mass destruction," Moret says.

Uranium Weapons Cover-ups - a Crime against Humankind: They are illegal by virtue of international conventions, laws and customs of war. When used in populated areas or in the presence of numerous troops (enemy or friendly), they become weapons of delayed but mass destruction (WMD).

Army ignored uranium poisoning complaints: Six soldiers who have fallen ill since their return from Iraq said Friday that the Army ignored their complaints about uranium poisoning from U.S. weapons fired during combat.

Falluja fighters agree to a 12-hour truce: The two sides have agreed that the ceasefire will come into effect from 0600GMT on Sunday to pave the way for US marines to leave the town. 

Robert Fisk: War Lords to Their Critics: "Just Shut Up": Thanks to the subservience of many members of the press, the US administration has had an easy time

04/10/04: U.S. Says Airman Killed in Iraq Mortar Attack: One airman was killed and two wounded in a mortar attack on a U.S. airbase north of Baghdad on Saturday, the U.S. army said in a statement. 

Iraqi group says will release Japanese: An Iraqi group which said it kidnapped three Japanese hostages has said it will release them within 24 hours, abandoning a threat to kill them, Arabic television station Al Jazeera said on Saturday.

Two German embassy staff missing in Iraq: A search is under way for two German security officials who disappeared and may have been killed while travelling between Amman and Baghdad, officials in Berlin say.

U.S. Forces Want Al-Jazeera Out Of Fallujah: As Brig Gen Mark Kimmitt, the deputy director of U.S. military operations in Iraq, was speaking by phone on al-Jazeera and insisting that American forces declared a unilateral ceasefire in Fallujah, the channel was airing live images of continued air raids by F16 fighter jets on residential neighborhoods of the town.

Aljazeera under fire in Falluja : The only television crew reporting from inside the besieged town, Aljazeera crew members on Friday complained they had been fired at twice during the day.

U.S. Seeks Truce With Fallujah Militants : Government negotiators entered the besieged city of Fallujah Saturday as fierce battles raged elsewhere in central Iraq, including Baghdad. Forty Iraqis were killed, two U.S. servicemembers and two Germans were missing, an American civilian was captured and a Red Crescent official was gunned down.

Iraq Red Crescent chief and wife murdered : The bodies of Barzan Umar Ahmad and his wife Sazane Ismail Abd Allah, who also works at the Red Crescent, were discovered late on Friday on a street in the Hay al-Intisar district in the northern city of Mosul

Robert Fisk: The War's One Simple Truth - Iraqis Do Not Want Us: Over the months, the isolation of the occupation authorities from the Iraqi people they were supposed to care so much about was only paralleled by the vast distance in false hope and self-deceit between the occupying powers in Baghdad and their masters back in Washington. A must read

In case you missed it: A tale of two photos: Media manipulation on a grand scale? Was this a US Army propaganda coup.

Third World Resistance and Western Intellectual Solidarity: The resistance is winning. Never mind the "proportions"--five or ten or twenty Iraqis for each colonial soldier. The Iraqi Resistance has won politically: No appointed official has any future: They exist as long as the US military remains but they will flee from the rooftops of their bunkers as the US withdraws. A must read

Under Fire, Security Firms Form An Alliance : Under assault by insurgents and unable to rely on U.S. and coalition troops for intelligence or help under duress, private security firms in Iraq have begun to band together in the past 48 hours, organizing what may effectively be the largest private army in the world, with its own rescue teams and pooled, sensitive intelligence. A must read

Answers sought on US 'private armies' in Iraq: Thirteen of the most powerful US opposition senators have asked Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to explain the role of civilian contractors in Iraq.

Security Firms Coming Under Fire in Iraq: The pay for private workers in dangerous places like Iraq is generous. Experienced people can make $1,000 a day, according to Singer. The first $120,000 earned by Americans working in Iraq is tax-free, Murray said.

U.S. Forces Retreat From Baghdad's Sadr City: U.S. soldiers in Baghdad evacuated police stations and the town hall in Baghdad's Shiite Muslim district of Sadr City after five days of fighting with supporters of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr

Refugees stream out of Fallujah: The people of Fallujah carried their dead to the city's soccer stadium and buried them under the field on Friday, unable to get to cemeteries because of a U.S. siege of the city.

Doctor reveals Falluja's horror toll: At least 450 Iraqis have been killed and more than 1000 others wounded in fighting in the city of Falluja this week, says a doctor who runs the city's main hospital

Iraq Council Demands Immediate Cease-Fire: In a split between U.S.-picked Iraqi leaders and American administrators, the Governing Council demanded an immediate cease-fire across the country Friday and a halt to military operations that punish civilians.

Iraq's enemy within: The governing council is as responsible as the US-led occupation forces for Iraq's rapid slide into chaos and bloodshed. They have been watching in silence while Iraqis have been killed in Basra, Nassiriya, Kirkuk, Amara, Baquba, Kut, Kerbala and Najaf.

Fallujah Bloodbath threatens US-Appointed Iraqi Government with Collapse: Not only has what many Iraqis call "the puppet council" taken a stand against Bush administration tactics in Iraq. Old-time Sunni nationalist leader Adnan Pachachi thundered on al-Arabiya televsion, "It was not right to punish all the people of Fallujah, and we consider these operations by the Americans unacceptable and illegal."

Neocons See Iran Behind Shi'ite Uprising : Neo-conservatives close to the administration of President George W Bush are pushing for retribution against Iran for, they say, sponsoring this week's Shiite uprising in Iraq led by radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

Moqtada al-Sadr: the Latest Neocon Excuse to Kill Iranians

North Korea says standoff with US at "brink of nuclear war": North Korea said Friday the standoff over its atomic ambitions was on the brink of nuclear war as US Vice President Dick Cheney headed to the region for talks with key Asian allies.

12-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli fire in Gaza Strip : Iman Tolba sustained a fatal bullet wound to the head and died shortly after her arrival in hospital, Palestinian medics said Saturday.

Bush Was Warned of Possible Attack in U.S., Official Says: The disclosure appears to contradict the White House's repeated assertions that the briefing the president received about the Qaeda threat was "historical" in nature and that the White House had little reason to suspect a Qaeda attack within American borders.

In case you missed it: Aug. Memo Focused On Attacks in U.S. : Bush had specifically asked for an intelligence analysis of possible al Qaeda attacks within the United States.

All in the (Profiteering) First Family: Close relatives of President George W. Bush continue to benefit financially from the Iraq invasion

FBI Disputing Rice testimony: The FBI on Friday disputed National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice's testimony that it was conducting 70 separate investigations of al-Qaida cells in the United States before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

American Airlines Revealed Passenger Data : American Airlines revealed yesterday that it authorized the release of 1.2 million records containing private passenger data to the government and that the information wound up in the hands of four companies competing for a federal security contract. 

Bush signs bill giving pension aid to US companies: President George W. Bush signed into law on Saturday a measure aimed at saving U.S. companies more than $80 billion in pension contributions over two years, days before many firms make quarterly payments.

04/09/04: At least 450 Iraqis killed in Falluja this week: At least 450 Iraqis were killed and more than 1,000 wounded in fighting in the city of Falluja this week, the director of the main hospital, Rafi Hayad, told Reuters.

Dahr Jamail: Continuing Slaughter, Kidnappings, US Rhetoric: A close Iraqi friend angrily said to me tonight, “They kill 280 Iraqis in Falluja because four American mercenaries were killed? This is the justice? This is fair?”

Two US helicopter gunships reportedly downed in Iraq: Two US helicopter gunships were reportedly downed near El-Falluja. One of the craft crashed in the Al-Qarma suburb and the other in a green locality close to the city.

Two U.S. Soldiers, Iraqi Driver Killed In Baghdad: Two U.S. soldiers were killed in Baghdad on Friday, one when insurgents attacked a convoy transporting fuel toward the western edge of the capital, the military said. Nine people were killed in the attack.

British guard shot dead in Iraq: A British man working for a U.S. security company in Iraq has been shot dead, the Foreign Office and relatives say.

Blair holidays in Bermuda as Iraq crisis mounts: As protesters heckled Mr Blair on the holiday island, Labour MPs at home demanded a recall of Parliament ahead of Mr Blair's crisis talks in the US.

The Empty Room: Condi Rice was in Washington trying to pass her oral exam before the 9/11 commission yesterday, and the president was on vacation in Texas. As usual, they were in close agreement, this time on the fact that neither they nor anyone else in this remarkably aloof and arrogant administration is responsible for the tragic mess unfolding in Iraq, and its implications for the worldwide war on terror.

All's Well in Iraq - Just Ask the Dead: If things were spinning out of control, would President Bush be on Easter holiday at the ranch in Texas, where he was visited Thursday by members of the National Rifle Assn., Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever?

Can Bullets and Bombs Establish Justice in Iraq?: As violent resistance to the U.S. occupation increases throughout Iraq and as the Shiites as well as the Sunnis fight pitched battles with the occupation forces, the Bush administration’s devotion to justice stands clearly revealed as declaration without substance.

Several Iraqis killed in fresh clashes: Fresh clashes between Polish and Bulgarian troops and the Shia militia in the holy city of Karbala killed 15 Iraqis, while six Iranian pilgrims were shot dead at a Polish checkpoint.

Donkey cart attack kills 10 Iraqis : A donkey cart packed with explosives blew up moments after a convoy of US troops drove past it today, killing 10 Iraqis and injuring 20.

After the fall: One year's civilian death toll:

Iraq Coalition Casualties: Military Fatalities: By Month

US attack belies Bremer's Falluja 'truce': Minutes after Bremer's announcement, US forces carried out a fresh offensive on Falluja bombing the town from the air. Scores of residents were injured in the attack, reported our correspondent.

US commander will not take blame for unrest: America's top commander in Iraq has warned Washington that he will not be "the fall guy" if violence in the country worsens, it emerged yesterday, as word leaked out that US generals are "outraged" by their lack of soldiers.

Al Sadr Says US Facing Civil Revolt In Iraq, Should Quit : "I direct my speech to my enemy (U.S. President George W.) Bush and I tell him that if your excuse was that you are fighting Saddam, then this thing is the past and now you are fighting the entire Iraqi people," al-Sadr said in a Friday prayer sermon, delivered by one of his deputy's at the Imam Ali Shrine, Shiite Islam's holiest site, in Najaf.

Insurgents seize main highway between western Iraq towns: Armed insurgents today seized control of the highway linking the predominantly Sunni Muslim town of Abu Gharib with the besieged city of Fallujah further west of Baghdad

Iraqis told them to go from day one: The 160,000 occupation forces, backed up by mass destruction technology, are now deemed insufficient in the fight against the Sunni diehards and the Shia unrepresentative extremists. Furthermore, many thousands of foreign fighters have indeed come "flooding" into Iraq - not terrorists sent by Bin Laden but mercenaries hired by the occupation authorities.

CBC News Report From Fallaga: Video

Anger Grows On Iraq Governing Council Over Fallujah Siege : Anger grew among U.S.-picked Iraqi leaders over the Marines bloody seige of Fallujah, with one member of the Governing Council suspending his membership and another threatening to quit. The council requested Friday's halt in the Marine assault to allow talks on reducing the violence, a U.S. spokesman said.

Corpses litter streets in Fallujah : Corpses littered the streets of the Iraqi town of Fallujah on Thursday as US marines met ferocious resistance in the Sunni Muslim bastion which their commander compared to the Vietnam war.