be just

A poodle for a lapdog : "Mr. Bush must be ecstatic these days. Although the loss of Tony Blair, his lapdog, must have eroded his comfort level, a more tantalizing pet ally has sprung on his lap. The recently elected French President, Mr. Sarkozy, seems to be far more aggressive and protective of this President’s ambitions, ready to pounce on any obstacle standing in the way of Mr. Bush’s crusade to sacrifice the Middle East to appease Israel’s expansionist ambitions."

George W. Bush has once again thrown down the gauntlet. The Mideast wars of the United States, he announced to the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention on August 22, must end only with a U.S. victory. He has not wavered in this position since September 11, 2001. The unspoken but real purpose of his efforts has been and will be to concentrate increasing power over the Middle East in the hands of the small group of rich and greedy elites who rule the U.S. and Israel today, and perhaps he will achieve this goal. The more important result, however, will be the elimination of any movement toward greater global justice, stability, and peace in the world for decades to come.

Somali leader to step up drive against Ethiopians - Kavkazcenter.com : "Ahmed calls on Somalis to defend nation against Ethiopian forces deployed in Mogadishu. Somalia's top Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) leader vowed on Saturday to wage a stronger insurgency in the capital Mogadishu until all Ethiopian troops withdraw from the war-shattered Horn of Africa nation."

Al Jazeera English - News - Africa's Most Toxic Town : "Kabwe is a wasteland full of the remnants of Zambia's once glorious mining past. Decades of unregulated mining, however, have turned Kabwe into Africa's most toxic town. Al Jazeera's Yvonne Ndege travelled to Kabwe, about 150km north of the capital, Lusaka, and filed this report."

Iran resolves plutonium issues under atom pact: IAEA | International News | Reuters.com : "Iran has resolved U.N. questions about tests with plutonium, a key fuel for atomic bombs, and the International Atomic Energy Agency considers the matter closed, according to the text of an IAEA-Iran accord released on Monday."

Sarkozy talks of bombing if Iran gets nuclear arms - Times Online : "President Sarkozy called Iran’s nuclear ambition the world’s most dangerous problem yesterday and raised the possibility that the country could be bombed if it persisted in building an atomic weapon. "

Al Jazeera English - News - Captured Pakistani Soldiers Freed : "Pro-Taliban fighters in northwest Pakistan have released 18 soldiers and a government official, officials said. "

ei: What do Palestinians really think? : "'Palestinian poll finds support for Fatah government over Hamas.' That headline from the International Herald Tribune, one of many similar ones last week, must have warmed the hearts of supporters of the illegal, unelected and Israeli-backed Ramallah 'government' of Salam Fayyad. Last June Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and the national unity government he headed, and appointed Fayyad without the legally required endorsement of the Palestinian legislative council. This followed Hamas' rout of the US and Israeli-backed militias of Fatah warlord Mohammed Dahlan in the Gaza Strip."

Afghan Opium Trade Hits New Peak - washingtonpost.com : "UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 27 -- Opium production in Afghanistan has increased by 34 percent over the past year, and the country is now the source of 93 percent of the heroin, morphine and other opiates on the world market, according to a report by the United Nations' anti-drug agency."

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan - Taliban to free 19 army troops : "SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Nineteen Pakistan army personnel, including Lt Col Shahid, kidnapped by Taliban a few days ago, will be released on Tuesday. A 21-member peace committee headed by MNA Maulana Miraj-ud-Din Qureshi held successful negotiations with Taliban leadership on Monday. MNA Akhtar Mangle and Senator Maulana Saleh Shah participated in the meeting. agencies"

Has Bush Boxed Himself In? - by Pat Buchanan : "As Americans anguish over how to extricate this country from Iraq without a disaster greater than what we now have, and without our friends suffering the fate of our friends in Cambodia and Vietnam, they had best brace themselves. This escalator is going up. "

Nation & World | Insurgents get a cut of U.S. aid to Iraq | Seattle Times Newspaper "BAGHDAD — Iraq's deadly insurgent groups have financed their war against U.S. troops in part with hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S. rebuilding funds that they've extorted from Iraqi contractors in Anbar province."