No Democracy Ever Spawns Terror

Former Clinton strategist backs global freedom goal
By Tania Valdemoro/Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Original Article

Euphoria stems from many sources. For Dick Morris, President Clinton's former chief strategist and pollster, it came from President Bush's inaugural speech and changes to American politics because of the 2004 election. Morris spoke Friday to the Boca Raton Roundtable, a group of 145 people at the Boca del Mar Country Club. Morris said he supported President Bush's seminal idea of pursuing freedom worldwide since the survival of liberty in America depends on freedom's success in other lands.

. . . . With Liberty and Justice for All

Bush’s Words Are Full of Hope; Will His Actions Follow Suit?
Khaled Almaeena/ArabNews Original Article

Now that George W. Bush is fairly well placed in the White House for another four years, it is important for us in the Arab world to read through his inauguration speech and try to figure out how to deal with him. Bush dwelt only a minute or two on the past and then spoke of the “day of fire.”

The Diplomatic Wing of US Policy in Iran

Russia backs initiative from Europe on Iran
By Katrin Bennhold/International Herald Tribune Original Article

Russia on Friday threw its backing behind a European initiative to persuade Iran to give up any nuclear technology that could be used for military purposes, and joined France in urging the United States to join the effort. The unprecedented public show of unity on the issue followed a string of reports suggesting that the United States had hardened its stance on Tehran's atomic program and might be contemplating military action, a suggestion that the Bush administration has not denied outright.

Just One of Several Countries Unfriendly to Iran

Pakistan joins US in attacking Iran over support for terror
By Massoud Ansari in Karachi/The Telegraph Original Article

Pakistan, one of America's most important allies in the war on terror, has blamed Iran for fuelling a growing insurgency in Baluchistan, the strategically sensitive province where militant tribesmen have recently launched a series of terrorist attacks. Officials in Islamabad believe Iran is encouraging "intruders" from its own Bal-och community to cross the 550-mile border with the Pakistani province, and give support to the rebels.

On the Contrary, Military Options Great, But Unlikely

US military options in Iran not good: analysts
WASHINGTON (AFP) Original Article

With the bulk of its ground forces tied down in Iraq, the United States has compelling reasons to avoid military action against neighboring Iran even while stepping up pressure to halt Tehran's nuclear program, analysts say. "There are no good military options," James Carafano, a military expert with the conservative Heritage Foundation, said Friday.

Can You Say Axis of Evil

U.S. Views Iran As Potential Trouble Spot
By GEORGE GEDDA/Associated Press Writer Original Article

WASHINGTON - President Bush refuses to rule out war with Iran. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami says his country is ready to defend itself against a U.S. attack. The United States is pushing for a peaceful solution to its nuclear impasse with Iran but, with mistrust on both sides running high, encouraging signs are hard to find.

Iraqi Elections-Inquiry & Analysis (Update)

Iraqi Elections (I): The Imperatives of Elections on Schedule
Iraqi Elections (II): The Launching of the Campaign Dr. Nimrod
Iraqi Elections (III): The Islamist and Terrorist Threats
Raphaeli/MEMRI
Original Article (I) 15 Dec 04
Original Article (II) 31 Dec 04
Original Article (III) 18 Jan 05

The proposed elections in Iraq, scheduled for January 30, 2005, are intended to put an end to Saddam's political farce and give the Iraqi people a free and transparent opportunity to select their leaders. The last time a constitutional council was elected by Iraqis was under the monarchy in 1924. Three political parties participated in that election. By contrast, 226 parties and groups have been cleared by the High Commission for Elections to participate in the election of a 275-member interim National Assembly in 2005. The National Assembly will select a new government and draft a new constitution, and then will be dissolved in favor of a new parliament which will be elected following the promulgation of the new constitution.


The Iraqi Elections, The Price of Freedom 

Leading from the Rear-He will be Found in a Hole Too

Zarqawi to wage a holy war
Correspondents in Baghdad/The Australian Original Article

IRAQ'S most feared terror leader has promised a holy war ahead of the nation's landmark election, calling on his followers to show patience and prepare for a long struggle against the US. The 90-minute audio message posted on the internet, purportedly from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, appears to be aimed at rallying his forces following the loss of their base in Fallujah and at marshalling support as Iraqis prepare for their first poll since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime.

The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

Will Bush still do business with these 'oppressive' allies?
Roland Watson/Times(UK) Original Article

PRESIDENT BUSH’S pledge to spread freedom to the darkest corners of the Earth has been greeted with scepticism at home and hostility abroad. The day after he vowed to work towards ending tyranny, analysts questioned how his rhetoric meshed with the realities of US economic and military interests. In its pursuit of the War on Terror, the US depends economically, logistically or politically on at least six countries that could fall into the category of “oppressors”: Russia, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. “The US is closing its eyes towards dictators who serve its own interests, but attacks those that damage it,” Abdul Hussein Shaaban, an Iraqi analyst, said.

Watch the Blame fall on the Flintstones

Life snuffed out by global warming
By Leigh Dayton/The Australian Original Article

SUFFOCATING global warming is to blame for the worst mass-extinction on Earth, according to international researchers tracking the cause of the "Great Dying" 250 million years ago. Until now, circumstantial evidence suggested that an asteroid wiped out more than 90 per cent of all marine life and almost 75 per cent of all land plants and animals, like that which took out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

To Change the Country which gave Rise to Modern Terrorism

It wouldn't take a war to overthrow Iran's mullahs
The Daily Telegraph Original Article

We can be sloppy in our approach to foreign affairs. Because of their geographical and alphabetical proximity, we tend to bracket Iran and Iraq together. You will hear even politicians and television presenters committing the solecism of describing Iranians as Arabs. It is imprecision of this kind that is clouding the debate over the proper response to the mullahs.

Iraq to Become the Engine of Growth for the Region

Iraq Election: Wider Significance
Amir Taheri/Arab News Original Article

Talk to Iraqis on any subject these days and you are likely to hear one word: ba’ad! This is short for the phrase “ba’ad al-intikhabat” which means “after the elections.” Weddings are postponed until after the elections, as are business contracts, poetry recitals, the opening of new plays, the start of the football season, and, of course, the rebuilding of towns and villages wrecked by months of insurgency. Also put on hold are big projects financed by the $18 billion US aid package and more than $6 billion pledged by Europe, Japan and the Arab states.

Like Iraq, Just One Part of the "Global War on Terrorism"

Fahd, Abdullah Blast Terrorism, Urge Muslims to Follow Moderate Path
Arab News Original Article

MINA, 22 January 2005 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah, in a joint speech yesterday, urged Muslims to shun terrorism which they said meant “warring against God and His Prophet”, to follow Islam’s teachings of moderation and forgiveness and to unite.

America's Future with Democratic Rule

Self-doubt leaves French feeling down in the mouth
Susan Bell/The Scotsman Original Article

IT IS official: the French are a nation of depressed pessimists, wracked with self-doubt and unable to see a positive future. This gloomy portrait of the current state of Gallic morale - or rather the lack of it - was made public yesterday in a damning report by France’s prefects, the country’s top administrators.

Party of Obstruction, Not of Ideas

Donkeys in Denial
Mitch Frank/Time Online Edition Original Article

Americans have a cherished and hallowed tradition of hating whiners. They see their nation as the home of a bold can-do people, like the pioneers of the old West. George W. Bush understands that sentiment and has tapped into it for two straight presidential elections.

"Sovereignty" can be The Greatest Cover for Evil

Overcoming the Constraints of Sovereignty
By Sidney Goldberg/TCS Original Article

A chief bugaboo in today's political discourse, and one that President Bush addressed forthrightly in his second inaugural speech, is the concept of sovereignty, a notion that has been analyzed since Hugo Grotius, the Dutch 17th century philosopher. Grotius set the stage for centuries of debate on international law, proclaiming, for example, that there are "open seas" over which nations may not make sovereign claims. He also set forth rules on when nations can use military force, usually in self-defense.

21st Century should be "Liberty Century"

Visionary... and Incendiary
By James Pinkerton/TCS Original Article

President Bush's second inaugural address was not only visionary, it was incendiary. "By our efforts, we have lit a fire," he proclaimed, "a fire in the minds of men. It warms those who feel its power, it burns those who fight its progress, and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world."

This Needs to be Stopped

Elite Iranian agentarrested in Iraq
By Aaron Klein/2005 WorldNetDaily.com Original Article

An agent of Iran's prestigious Jerusalem Force was arrested in Iraq carrying money and planning attacks against U.S. troops, sources said. U.S. Coalition forces arrested members of an underground armed group operating in Iraq's eastern Diyala province Thursday. Among them was a senior member of the Jerusalem Force carrying $150,000 in cash, said the sources.

Religious Freedom vs. Gay Rights

Churches barred from 'gay' discrimination
2005 WorldNetDaily.com Original Article

Illinois churches are protesting a new state law that bars them from "discriminating" against homosexuals, contending it robs Christians of their First Amendment freedoms.

These Kind of Societies Always Self-Destruct

Iran leaders call for anti-U.S. 'martyrs'
2005 WorldNetDaily.com Original Article

In recent speeches, Iranian political leader Ali Khamenei and Revolutionary Guards Gen. Shabani praised the culture of martyrdom and jihad and urged students to become martyrs themselves in order to resist enemies, particularly the United States. The statements were translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI.

Worth Keeping an Eye On. . . .

Cheney Says Iran Tops List of Trouble Spots
By Adam Entous/MyWay.com Original Article

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney said on Thursday that Iran was at the top of the administration's list of world trouble spots and expressed concern that Israel "might well decide to act first" to eliminate any nuclear threat from Tehran.

Interesting Development; Will Keep You Posted

Palestinians to Deploy Police Along Border
By LARA SUKHTIAN/MyWay.com Original Article

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - The Palestinians will deploy hundreds of police officers along the Gaza-Israel frontier in coming days to prevent rocket fire and other attacks on Israeli towns, in the first act of security cooperation with Israel under Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, officials said Thursday.

At Least The T-shirt is being Advertised

Rolling Stone rejects ad for Bible
By Jennifer Harper/THE WASHINGTON TIMES Original Article

WASHINGTON -- Rolling Stone magazine accepted advertising for a company selling a T-shirt emblazoned with the image of Jesus Christ. Indeed, a color ad with the image of Jesus and the message, "Put down the drugs and come get a hug," appears on page 71 of the current issue. But when it came to running an ad for a new Bible aimed at twentysomethings, the magazine said forget it.

The Start of the 2008 Presidential Election

Sen. Clinton urges use of faith-based initiatives
By Michael Jonas/Globe Correspondent Original Article

On the eve of the presidential inauguration, US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton last night embraced an issue some pundits say helped seal a second term for George W. Bush: acceptance of the role of faith in addressing social ills.

Why Am I Not Surprised?

Jimmy Carter linkedto oil-for-food scam
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com Original Article

Former President Jimmy Carter has been linked with a key figure in the U.N.'s oil-for-food scandal by the group leading the nationwide effort to evict the United Nations from American soil and halt U.S. funding of the U.N.

Hundreds, Thought it was supposed to be Hundreds of Thousands

Mock Coffins and Anti-War Chants as Bush Sworn In
By Andy Sullivan/MyWay.com Original Article

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Flag-draped coffins and anti-war chants competed with pomp and circumstance on Thursday at the inauguration of President Bush along the snow-dusted, barricaded streets of central Washington.

From the Center and Wacho Left

Bush Starts New Term, Seeks End to Tyranny
By TERENCE HUNT/AP White House Correspondent Original Article
WASHINGTON - George W. Bush embarked on an ambitious second term as president Thursday, telling a world anxious about war and terrorism that the United States would not shrink from new confrontations in pursuit of "the great objective of ending tyranny."

President: Spreadliberty to the world
By Art Moore/2005 WorldNetDaily.com Original Article
On a frigid but bright day in Washington, President Bush took the oath of office conscious of how much the world has changed since he was sworn in for the first time four years ago.

Can Abbas Show He is in Charge?

Palestinians to Deploy Forces to Halt Attacks
By Nidal al-Mughrabi/Reuters Original Article

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian security forces will deploy to the Gaza Strip's borders with Israel within days to enforce President Mahmoud Abbas's order to halt militant attacks, their top commander said on Wednesday.

Will Cooler Heads Prevail?

Bombing Clouds Abbas' Talks With Militants
By IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press Writer Original Article

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - In the biggest test of his brief tenure, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas came to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, hoping to persuade militants to halt attacks on Israel. But in a show of defiance, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up on a settler road in Gaza, killing an Israeli security agent and wounding seven other Israelis.

Securing The Blessings of Liberty

Spreading democracy
By Tod Lindberg/The Washington Times Original Article

During the remarkable round of interviews he gave to major newspapers last week, President Bush spoke often of his commitment to the spread of democracy, sometimes in startling terms. As he told the Wall Street Journal in an aside after the end of the formal interview, "I understand there are many who say 'Bush is wrong.' I assume I'm right.

A Tooth for a Tooth

An eye for an eye
By Yoel Marcus/Haaretz - Israel News Original Article

The prime minister's decision to give Abu Mazen the cold shoulder until the terror stops is perfectly justified. This is no trick or gimmick to get out of implementing the disengagement plan. Sharon actually prefers to have someone to talk to on the other side when the pullout goes through.

Counter-Action #1

Abbas Can Still Be a Partner for Peace, Israel Says
By Julie Stahl/CNSNews.com Jerusalem Bureau Chief Original Article

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas still has a chance to become a partner for peace if he cracks down on terrorism and imposes order in the Palestinian areas, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's spokesman said on Monday (17 Jan 05).

It Will be Interesting to See Where This Leads. . . .

Iraqi-American Pleads Guilty in Oil-for-Food
FOX News Original Article

WASHINGTON — An Iraqi-born American citizen pleaded guilty Tuesday to several charges as part of the federal investigation into the U.N. Oil-for-Food program, becoming the first person to be convicted in the growing scandal.

Roe vs. US Supreme Court

'Jane Roe' appeals to Supreme Court
WorldNetDaily.com Original Article

The woman known as "Roe" in the landmark case that struck down all state laws restricting abortion is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its 1973 decision.

Its Working

Terror cop: Qaeda 'heavily damaged'
By James Gordon Meek/Daily News Washington Bureau Original Article

WASHINGTON - Al Qaeda is "heavily damaged," constantly on the run and so financially strapped that it is having trouble making payments to the families of its dead fighters, the Daily News has learned. The terror group remains determined, however, to attack the U.S.

Sounds Like Afganistan Prior to Elections

Saddam Agents, Militants Plan 'Vicious' Poll Attacks
By Michael Georgy/MyWay Original Article

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein's former agents are funding a sophisticated alliance with foreign Muslim militants to carry out vicious attacks on polling stations during Iraq's elections, the deputy prime minister said on Sunday. Barham Salih said intelligence gathered from dozens of Saddam's former intelligence and army officers and foreign fighters arrested in the past week points to a major offensive during the polls.

Makes One Wonder What Else Went to Syria?

Iraq prostitutes 'invade' Syria
WorldNetDaily.com Original Article

When Saddam Hussein fell from power, the world of prostitution collapsed in Iraq. Escaping war and the rise of Islamic moralism, thousands of Iraqi prostitutes packed their bags and fled to Syria. But now, Syrian prostitutes, accusing the Iraqi women of taking their jobs, are launching a counteroffensive against this "invasion,". . . .

House of Cards

Palestinian producer: False film funded by PA
By Aaron Klein/WorldNetDaily.com Original Article

A Palestinian filmmaker who produced a documentary alleging Israeli troops committed war crimes in a refugee camp admitted in a deposition last week to falsifying scenes, using inaccurate information and obtaining financing for the project from the Palestinian Authority,

Action, Reaction, Now What Will be Counter-Action?

Reaction #1: Palestinians Order Prevention of Attacks
By LARA SUKHTIAN/Associated Press Writer Original Article
RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas ordered his security forces Monday (17 Jan 05) to try to prevent attacks against Israel and to investigate a shooting at a Gaza Strip crossing that killed six Israeli civilians last week.

Action #4: Sharon tells military to act against Palestinian without restrictions
Israeli Insider Original Article
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Sunday (16 Jan 05) said he has ordered Israeli forces to intensify military operations to stop Palestinian attacks, adding that the IDF would act without restrictions until Palestinian leaders take action against militants themselves.

Action #3: IDF hits terrorists in Gaza, killing 7
Israeli Insider Original Article
Israeli troops killed six Palestinians and wounded 24 in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip Saturday (15 Jan 05), residents and hospital officials said. (Note: Mahmoud Abbas takes office this day.)

Action #2: Israel closes crossings, holds off on harsh reprisal despite terror attack
Israel Insider Original Article
Israel sealed off the Gaza Strip on Friday (14 Jan 05), but signaled it will hold off on harsh retaliation for an attack by Palestinian terrorists that killed six Israeli workers at a Gaza cargo crossing, giving newly elected Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas a chance to rein in violent groups.

Action #1: Sharon freezes all ties with PA after intel reveals collaboration in attack
By Israel Insider staff and partners Original Article
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon cut all contact with the newly elected Palestinian leader Friday (14 Jan 05), officials said, promising the silence would continue until Mahmoud Abbas moves to halt terror attacks.

Paradigm: Regulator vs. Solver of Social Problems

'Any Way You Look At It, You Lose'
By Robert Formaini/TCS Original Article

Now that Bill Clinton's aptly-named "permanent campaign" has resulted in another passed election, followed of course by another permanent campaign until the 2008 election, it's a good time to step back and examine a commonly argued, yet totally fallacious, concept, that being: Public policy can be evaluated in a non-partisan manner and one's "independent" vote then based on the result of those careful evaluations. Despite the secular worship this idea receives from the media, it is utter nonsense.

Interesting Analogy

The Monster and the Nursery
By Douglas Kern/TCS Original Article

Monsters, like leftists, don't reproduce naturally. Ordinary uncontraceived heterosexual relations do not create little vampires and zombies. Monsters perpetuate themselves through blasphemous acts, like assembling dead body parts into human form, or sharing ancient curses through biting. Indeed, much of the pathos inherent in horror movies and fiction springs from the parasitic manner in which monsters absorb non-monsters into their unholy fold.

Centers of Gravity

US troops gather for onslaught as Mosul unrest threatens election
From Richard Beeston in Mosul/Times Online Original Article

THOUSANDS of American reinforcements are pouring into Iraq’s northern capital for a battle that could decide the fate of the country’s elections, being held in less than two weeks. In the biggest military operation since US troops stormed the rebel city of Fallujah two months ago, paratroopers, infantrymen and armoured units have converged on the city over the past two weeks, increasing the number of Americans on the ground to more than 10,000.

Global Warming or Trending Towards the Norm; The Facts Speak

Arctic Warming Update
JunkScience.com
Original Article

Once again claims are flying thick and fast regarding dramatic, in fact, unprecedented Arctic warming. Once again, we look at the available data, now updated to the end of 2004. Once again, we find the claims to be dead flat wrong. Click on the following thumbnails to view the full size images in a new browser window.

Difference between Capitalism and Socialism

TiVo la France?
JOHN FUND/WSJ Original Article

John Kerry met with France's President Jacques Chirac last Friday, part of the senator's fact-finding mission to Europe and the Middle East. Details of their talk weren't revealed, but there is little doubt both men felt a sense of disappointment that Mr. Kerry hadn't won November's election. As a French official loved to point out to me last year, the French government was looking forward to a president with French relatives addressing the French Parliament in French.

That is why it is called the "Global War on Terror"

Russian security forces foil 'another Beslan' in republic near Chechnya
MOSCOW (AFP) Original Article

Russian security forces foiled a mass hostage-taking by pro-Chechen rebels in southern Russia on the scale of the bloody Beslan school hostage tragedy, media reported.
A law enforcement source in Dagestan, which neighbours war-torn breakaway Chechnya, told the ITAR-TASS news agency that five militants cornered Saturday in an hours-long siege in the republic planned to seize a large number of hostages that day.

Why is this "CIA Report" Not be Touted in the Major Media?

CIA gives grim warning on European prospects
NICHOLAS CHRISTIAN/Scotsman
Original Article

THE CIA has predicted that the European Union will break-up within 15 years unless it radically reforms its ailing welfare systems. The report by the intelligence agency, which forecasts how the world will look in 2020, warns that Europe could be dragged into economic decline by its ageing population. It also predicts the end of Nato and post-1945 military alliances. In a devastating indictment of EU economic prospects, the report warns: "The current EU welfare state is unsustainable and the lack of any economic revitalisation could lead to the splintering or, at worst, disintegration of the EU, undermining its ambitions to play a heavyweight international role."

The Tables Have Turned

Egypt urges Israel to negotiate
By Heba Saleh/BBC News, Cairo
Original Article

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has called on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to resume contacts with the new Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Mr Sharon refuses to meet Mr Abbas before he moves against militant groups who killed six Israelis on Thursday. Mr Mubarak said that Israel should not react to acts of violence by freezing contacts with the Palestinians.

Keeping Up the Pressure

Tehran Confident After Key Nuclear Inspection
Arab News
Original Article

TEHRAN, 17 January 2005 — Iran said yesterday it was confident that UN inspectors would disprove US allegations that it is conducting secret nuclear weapons work, and said its negotiations with the Europeans on the issue were “on a good track”. A team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited the previously off-limits Iranian military site of Parchin, near Tehran, on Thursday.

"The Iraqi Public Gets to Decide"; That Says it All

U.N. Official Says Iraqi Vote 'Is on Track'
By Doug Struck/Washington Post Foreign Service
Original Article

BAGHDAD, Jan. 16 -- The voting lists have been checked, the ballots printed. Red stain is ready to mark the finger of each voter, and the poll locations and names of candidates -- until now secret -- soon will be published. Despite threats, a rushed timetable and the murder of eight election workers, preparations for Iraq's elections are almost finished, according to the U.N. representative on the country's elections board.

The Unstoppable March Towards Freedom

U.S. Arrests Dozens Ahead of Iraq Vote
By SALLY BUZBEE/Associated Press Writer
Original Article

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. troops staged a series of raids in Mosul and elsewhere in northern and central Iraq on Sunday, arresting dozens, while insurgents stepped up their attacks two weeks ahead of national elections, ambushing a car carrying a prominent female candidate and killing 17 people in other assaults.

Huygens Continues to Amaze

Possible Lake Revealed in Titan Images
By John Johnson/LA Times Staff Writer
Original Article

New images and data from the Huygens space probe of Saturn's frigid moon Titan released Saturday show a Dreamsicle-orange sky, a spongy surface like wet sand and a possible shoreline of a past or present lake.

The Forest for the Trees

Jumpstarting Arab Reform: The Bush Administration's Greater Middle East Initiative
by Gary C. Gambill/MEIB
Original Article

In a November 2003 speech, US President George W. Bush declared that "sixty years of Western nations excusing and accommodating the lack of freedom in the Middle East" had failed to contain security threats emanating from the region and announced that the United States has adopted a new "forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East." American policymakers subsequently drafted a plan, the Greater Middle East Initiative (GMEI), to promote political and economic reform in the region in conjunction with the G-8 group of the world's leading industrial powers. Arab governments reacted with outrage after the plan was leaked in February . . . .

Titan: Huygens Probe Performing Brilliantly

New Photos Show Titan Has Orange Surface
By MELISSA EDDY, Associated Press Writer
Original Article

DARMSTADT, Germany - Pictures snapped by the Titan probe and a low, whooshing sound picked up by an on-board microphone drew gasps and applause from scientists Saturday, as the mission to Saturn's moon continued its breathtaking revelations from more than 900 million miles across the solar system. Data beamed back from Titan, one of Saturn's moons, sketched a picture of a pale orange landscape with a spongy surface topped by a thin crust.

No Survival Without an Economy Built on Education

The Rest of the World Has Changed With the Times and We Arabs Have Not
Suraya Al-Shehry/Arab News
Original Article

We Arabs have lamented the plight of our young people more than anything else. If only our youth can achieve something and thus earn us a leading position in the world! Unless the potential of our youth is properly exploited, nothing will remain but regret at lost opportunities. The strength of young people is great; at the same time, if they are weak, an entire country can be rendered powerless and ineffective. This is something plain to see in contemporary Arab societies.

Iraqi Elections-Inquiry & Analysis

Iraqi Elections (I): The Imperatives of Elections on Schedule
Iraqi Elections (II): The Launching of the Campaign
Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli/MEMRI
Original Article (I)
Original Article (II)

The proposed elections in Iraq, scheduled for January 30, 2005, are intended to put an end to Saddam's political farce and give the Iraqi people a free and transparent opportunity to select their leaders. The last time a constitutional council was elected by Iraqis was under the monarchy in 1924. Three political parties participated in that election. By contrast, 226 parties and groups have been cleared by the High Commission for Elections to participate in the election of a 275-member interim National Assembly in 2005. The National Assembly will select a new government and draft a new constitution, and then will be dissolved in favor of a new parliament which will be elected following the promulgation of the new constitution.

A Bone in the Throat of the Palestinian Cause

'The New Palestinian Leadership Must Not Make Populist Decisions, but Must be Courageous and Think of the Country's Best Interests'
Dr. Shaker Al-Nabulsi (MEMRI Excerpts from Article in Al-Raya)
Original Article

The death of Yasser Arafat – who he describes as "a bone in the throat of the Palestinian cause" – constituted a breakthrough for the Palestinian cause, and that Mahmoud Abbas, unlike Arafat, should refrain from making populist decisions, should rely upon the constitutional institutions, and should incorporate intellectuals and businessmen in the building of the Palestinian state.

The War of Ideas

Understanding Terror Networks
by Marc Sageman
Original Article

After leaving the CIA, I was happy in my naive belief that I had left all that behind me. But after 9-11, like everyone, I wanted to do something. What people were saying about the perpetrators shortly after the attacks was simply not consistent with my own experience. I began to apply the principles of evidence-based medicine to terrorism research, because there really was no data on the perpetrators. There were theories, opinions, and anecdotal evidence, but there was no systematic gathering of data.

Cowboys, Indians & Obsolescence

Robert Kaplan on the New Middle East
Summary by Trudy Kuehner
Original Article

In essence, he said, the U.S. military is back to the days of fighting the Indians. In the second half of the 19th century, the U.S. Army had to fight large numbers of Indian groups — from different tribes and with different languages and cultures — of which there were almost as many as there were ethnic groups around the world. It had the job of hunting them down and fighting them in small numbers and unconventional conditions. Success was wrought by people who knew the language and understood the culture: the pathfinders and mountainmen.

This Has a Lot of Potential; Not Just for Quadriplegics

Patients Put on Thinking Caps
By Kristen Philipkoski
Original Article

SAN FRANCISCO -- Any geek worthy of the moniker has dreamed of connecting his or her brain directly to a computer for blissful freedom from keyboard and mouse. For quadriplegics, that ability would give life a whole new dimension. If people with physical handicaps could control a computer by just thinking, they could also operate light switches, television, even a robotic arm -- something the 160,000 people in the United States who can't move their arms and legs would surely welcome.