Captors of Israeli soldier make demands

By KARIN LAUB, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 55 minutes ago

RAMALLAH, West Bank -
Israel is reviewing a list of hundreds of Palestinians prisoners that Gaza militants want released in exchange for a captured Israeli soldier, an official and media reports said Sunday, in a sign of potential progress in the 10-month standoff over a deal.
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The release of Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit is a precondition for any possible progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. A swap could also help the new Palestinian unity government, a coalition of the Islamic militant Hamas and the moderate
Fatah movements, in its quest for international acceptance.

There were conflicting reports on the captors' demands. Some said the list contained close to 500 names, while others said there were twice as many. A Palestinian close to the negotiations was told that among those on the list is Palestinian uprising leader Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five consecutive life terms for his role in shooting attacks that killed four Israelis and a Greek monk.

Hamas-allied militants, who seized Shalit on June 25, handed the list to Egyptian mediators who delivered it to Israel in recent days.

Israel's Shin Bet security service is reviewing the list and will give its recommendations to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in coming days, the Yediot Ahronot daily reported Sunday. An Israeli security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the review was under way.

Shalit's captors, who snatched the soldier in a raid into Israel, initially demanded the release of 1,400 Palestinian prisoners, including women, minors and dozens of the longest-serving inmates. Israel balked at freeing those involved in attacks the wounded or killed Israelis.

In all, some 9,300 Palestinian security prisoners are being held by Israel, one of the highest totals in 40 years of Israeli military occupation.

On Saturday, Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti announced that Shalit's captors presented the list of names they wanted freed and that it was handed to Israel by Egyptian mediators. "If the Israeli government is serious, there is now a very good opportunity to end this chapter," said Barghouti, a distant relative of Marwan Barghouti, the uprising leader.

Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas spokesman, also said progress has been made.

Israeli Cabinet Minister Yitzhak Herzog told Israel Army Radio said he was not involved in the negotiations, but that "I imagine that there is a certain progress, compared to what there has been until now."

"On the other hand I would be very wary ... because there is still a long way to go," he said.

Also Saturday, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed a Palestinian militant and wounded two. The Israeli military said it launched the strike after spotting the militants trying to plant a bomb. It said militants had planted explosives in the same area two days earlier.

The army said militants have planted more than 40 bombs along the border since Palestinian militants in Gaza and Israel agreed on a cease-fire in November.

The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a small militant group, said the militants were "on a holy mission" when they were hit by the Israeli force.

Israel says militants have been exploiting the lull to smuggle explosives, missiles and other weapons into Gaza through tunnels from neighboring Egypt.

During the truce, Palestinian militants have fired some 200 rockets into Israel, the army said, including two on Saturday. One of the rockets caused light damage to a building in the border town of Sderot, a common target of the militants. The army said there were no injuries.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as telling newly graduating members of his presidential guard Saturday that they and members of the other Palestinian security forces must work together to put a halt to the rocket fire, saying it was "against the national interest."

It is frankly astounding to me that people aren't making a bigger deal of the colossal impropriety of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's unauthorized trip to Syria. Where is the outrage?

I realize Democratic leaders and those they answer to have unmitigated contempt for President Bush. I realize they believe the public rewarded their hatred and their antiwar posturing in the November congressional elections.


U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stands watching as she visits the Saudi consultative council accompanied by Sheik Saleh bin Humaid, the head of Saudi consultative council and Imam of Mecca great mosque, during her visit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, April 5, 2007.(AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

But according to the latest news reports, President Bush is still in office. This means he is still commander in chief and primarily in charge of U.S. foreign policy.

Democrats have long been opposed to the administration's stern policy toward terrorist-sponsoring states like Iran and Syria. They apparently believe their evil tyrants mean well, and if we will just open a dialogue with them, we can build a lasting peace. After all, the vaunted Iraq Surrender Group recommended that very thing.

But the president has emphasized he does not want to negotiate with Syria, a nation that is supporting our enemies in Iraq, sponsoring Hamas and Islamic Jihad organizations, provides weapons to Hezbollah, is a proxy of Iran and is dedicated to the destruction of our ally, Israel.

President Bush strongly urged Pelosi not to go. But in keeping with her flagrant disrespect for President Bush and, manifestly, for the presidency itself, she openly defied him and went anyway.

Her action is indefensible. She was not legally representing the United States, since the president refused to authorize her mission. And if she wasn't purporting to represent the United States, her trip was pointless. But she was.

Pelosi and her delegation were clearly attempting to influence American foreign policy by pressuring the Bush administration to open a dialogue with Syria.

What's wrong with that, you ask? What's wrong is that she didn't just lobby the president to begin diplomatic talks. She conspired with the Syrian regime to alter the president's policy toward that regime. Is it beginning to sink in out there?

If you believe the Pelosi delegation was merely "fact-finding," which characterization is laughable, listen to its own post-trip assessment. Delegation member Tom Lantos boasted that the meeting "reinforced sharply" the potential benefits of talking to Syria. "This is only the beginning of our constructive dialogue with Syria, and we hope to build on this visit."

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Bush: Iraq Withdrawal Would Spawn Danger

Thursday, April 5, 2007


President Bush said Wednesday he knows the nation is weary of war and wondering if the U.S. can win. Still, he said efforts to pull troops home from Iraq only make the U.S. more vulnerable to attack from an enemy that is "pure evil."

"The enemy does not measure the conflict in Iraq in terms of timetables," Bush said to soldiers here, a reference to congressional Democrats' plans to start phasing in troop withdrawals.


President Bush poses for photos with troops as he visits the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. Wednesday, April 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

"A strategy that encourages this enemy to wait us out is dangerous _ dangerous for our troops, dangerous for our security," Bush said. "And it's not going to become law."

While speaking to troops at Fort Irwin, where more combat units are preparing to deploy to Iraq, Bush was trying to keep public pressure on Democrats. Both the House and Senate have approved war-funding bills that would establish timelines for U.S. troops to return home from the four-year-old conflict.

"It's a tough war," Bush said. "The American people are weary of this war. They're wondering whether or not we can succeed. They're horrified by the suicide bombing they see."

Yet Bush used a horrific tale in Iraq _ one in which terrorists put children in a car to get through a checkpoint, then exploded the vehicle _ to describe why he won't pull back.

"It makes me realize the nature of the enemy we face, which hardens my resolve to protect the American people," Bush said. "People who do that are not _ it's not a civil war, it is pure evil. And I believe we have an obligation to protect ourselves from that evil."

Bush then left the Mojave Desert for the upscale Brentwood section of Los Angeles. There, at the home of friend Brad Freeman, he hoped to raise $2.2 million for the Republican National Committee before flying to his family ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Back in Washington, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said congressional proposals to provide war funding only for certain missions could cause more bloodshed in Iraq.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last week said he would propose legislation to cut off funds for combat operations, and provide money for only three missions: targeted counterterrorism operations, training and equipping the Iraqi security forces, and to provide security for U.S. personnel and infrastructure.

But Gates said that could pull troops from Baghdad neighborhoods, which have been the focus of the latest military buildup in Iraq.

"If we abandon some of these areas and withdraw into the countryside or whatever to do these targeted missions, that you could have a fairly significant ethnic cleansing inside Baghdad or in Iraq more broadly," Gates said in a radio interview Wednesday with conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham.

Bush is on a six-day break from Washington just as he's in a stalemate with Congress.

The first stop was Fort Irwin, home of the U.S. Army's premier desert training center for combat units. Created during the Cold War era of tank warfare, the National Training Center has been redesigned to teach the counterinsurgency work of detecting homemade bombs.

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WELCOME HOME CHAPS

I WAS DELIGHTED TO HEAR OF YOUR RELEASE AND THAT YOU HAD ARRIVED HOME SAFELY. I REALIZE THAT YOU MAY BE CONSTRICTED IN THE TELLING OF YOUR ORDEAL, BUT I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE STAND WITH YOU AND WE WISH YOU A VERY SPEEDY RECOVERY. VICTORY IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM WOULD BE A VERY FINE OINTMENT FOR A HEAVY HEART. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HONORABLE SERVICE.
IT IS WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT WE HAVE LEARNED THAT OUR COUNTRIES HAVE LOST OTHERS BECAUSE OF IED'S. THOSE SOLDIERS WON'T BE COMING HOME THE WAY THEY LEFT, WALKING UP RIGHT.
IT IS IMPARATIVE THAT OUR TROOPS MUST RETURN VICTORIOUS OR THE WORLD AS WE PRESENTLY KNOW IT WILL NO LONGER EXIST.
GOD FORBID.

PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE AMUNITION.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's remarks on 15 British sailor and marines in Iran

I'm glad that our 15 service personnel have been released.
I know their release will come as a profound relief, not just to them, but to their families that have endured such distress and anxiety over these past 12 days.
Throughout we have taken a measured approach, firm but calm, not negotiating but not confronting either.
I would like to thank our allies in Europe, our allies in the United Nations Security Council for their support, and also our friends and allies in the region who played their part.
We're grateful to all of them as we are to the officials in the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense and here in Downing Street for the work that they have done.
And to the Iranian people I would simply say this: We bear you no ill will, on the contrary, we respect Iran as an ancient civilization as a nation with a proud and dignified history.
And the disagreements that we have with your government we wish to resolve peacefully through dialogue.
I hope, as I have always hoped, that in the future we are able to do so.
That's all I've got to say for this evening. Thank you.

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Diplomatic contacts between Britain and Iran, including moves by Iranian official Ali Larijani, were under way to secure the release of 15 British marines and sailors in Iranian custody, Downing Street confirmed.

"The prime minister remains committed to resolving this by diplomatic means," a spokeswoman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair said. "The UK has proposed direct bilateral discussions and awaits an Iranian response on when these can begin."

Blair has described the next two days as being "fairly critical," according to his Web site.

Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security, earlier told Iranian state TV on Tuesday that the two countries' foreign ministries have held talks about the standoff for the first time. (Watch how tempers have cooled in diplomatic dispute Video)

Blair told Glasgow-based Real Radio he was encouraged by Larijani's comments Monday, in which he said Iran saw "no need" to put the Britons on trial and that the dispute could be resolved diplomatically.

"I've read the transcripts of the interview Ali Larijani gave and that seems to offer some prospect," Blair told the Scottish radio station, according to a news release on his Web site.

"But the most important thing is to get these people back."

To resolve the impasse, Larijani said in an interview with Britain's Channel 4 television Britain must admit that its military personnel intruded into Iranian territorial waters and "guarantee this violation would not be committed again."

Britain insists that the sailors and marines were well inside Iraqi waters when Iran captured them on March 23.

In addition to demanding their release, Britain also wants consular access to the detainees, whose location is unknown.

Iran has released several videos showing the 14 men and one woman, and they appear to be in good condition. Iran also released videotaped confessions from four of the sailors -- including the woman, Faye Turney. (Watch the two crew members describe their 'intrusion' Video)

Britain said the confessions were coerced and expressed its outrage at the videos' release.

The newest images, published Tuesday by the Iranian news agency Fars, show crew members talking in a group and playing a game. It was not immediately clear if new stills were a breach of Tehran's earlier suggestion that no more images would be published.

Meanwhile in Baghdad, a top Iranian diplomat seized by gunmen two months ago was released Tuesday, according to an Iranian state-run media report, citing a source familiar with the case. (Full story)

Jalal Sharafi, deputy secretary of the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad, is expected to return to Tehran later in the day, IRNA reported.

He was abducted on February 4 in front of a branch of the Iranian state-owned Bank Melli.

Journalist Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report

Share the Story

Wednesday, 28 March 2007

Share the Story is a new program designed to connect U.S. military personnel with organizations and groups in their hometowns and across the country that want to hear an individual’s unique perspective on our country’s efforts in Iraq.

Service Members who are currently serving in Iraq and will be returning to the U.S. on leave or rotating back to the states have an excellent opportunity to share their story with people who want to hear it. Organizations and groups with a genuine interest in their country’s mission and an individual’s experience in Iraq have an excellent opportunity to hear that story.

Fill out the appropriate form and our outreach team will assist in making the connection between Service Member and group.

If you are a Service Member and wish to tell your story, please click on the link below.

Patriotsact1776.blogspot.com

Iraq funding row may harm military, warns Pentagon

· Troop preparations under threat, say army chiefs
· President and Democrats blame each other for delay

Ewen MacAskill in Washington
Monday April 2, 2007
The Guardian

The Pentagon warned yesterday of disruption to training and troop preparation if it is denied funding because of the standoff between George Bush and the Democratic-led Congress over the Iraq war.

Army chiefs said they might have to cut back on preparations for troops due to go to Iraq and Afghanistan. This would mean longer deployments for those whose tours of duty have already been extended.

Congress went on holiday on Friday for two weeks with the funding issue unresolved. Before leaving, the House and the Senate passed bills agreeing to Mr Bush's request for $100bn (£51bn) for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan only if he set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq for next year. The $100bn is for the financial year beginning April 15.

The department of defence on Friday notified Congress that in order to protect the needs of the military, it has begun borrowing funds from other marine and army programmes, including replacements for Humvees and tactical communications.

General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Congressional committee last week: "The army has told us that they will have to begin curtailing [from mid-April] some training here at home for [National] Guard, reserve, and for units, which means that the baseline for those units will be reduced as far as their capability, and when they're called, it will take them longer to be ready and could, over time, delay their availability to go back into combat."

The White House is playing up the disruption while Democrats insist it will take months before withheld funds would begin to bite. Both sides are manoeuvring to ensure the public puts the blame on the other if troops are denied needed funds.

Dana Perino, the deputy White House spokeswoman, said: "This reprogramming of funds is only necessary because Congress has failed to act in a timely manner on the president's emergency funding request. This underscores the need to get the president a bill he can sign that accomplishes what the troops and military commanders need."

Mr Bush said he will veto any funding bill that includes a withdrawal timetable.

Ms Perino said: "Democrats in Congress are denying our troops on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq what their commanders say they need by mid-April and asking the military to start making painful and unacceptable cuts so that they can make a political statement."

The Democrats argue that the army and marines can making savings on domestic spending without any adverse effect on those on the field, by delaying spending money allocated for new barracks in the US and similar projects. They say April 15 is not the real deadline and believe the army has enough flexibility to pay for operations in Iraq well into July.

John Murtha, one of the leading Democratic anti-war Congressmen, said the real deadline was about June 1, noting that the funding bill last year was not passed by Congress until early June. His fellow Democrat, Harry Reid, the senate majority leader, said: "The president is once again attempting to mislead the public and create an artificial atmosphere of anxiety."

Sunni insurgents turning against al-Qaeda

From correspondents in Baghdad

April 02, 2007 12:00

Article from:

SUNNI insurgent groups that were previously allied with al-Qaeda in Iraq have turned against it, killing its leaders, attacking its supporters and vowing to drive it out of the country.

At least two al-Qaeda commanders have been killed by Iraqi insurgents in Baghdad. Others have been forced to flee after insurgents passed their details to US and Iraqi commanders. Fierce fighting has broken out between insurgent groups and al-Qaeda in Anbar province, west of Baghdad.

Until the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, in a US airstrike last year, the groups co-operated with it in their bloody struggle with the coalition forces.

But the insurgents have come to believe that al-Qaeda in Iraq is destabilising the country by the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, often with truck bombs.

Some senior Sunni insurgents believe that al-Qaeda in Iraq shares the agenda of Iranian-backed Shia militias to plunge the country into ever more violent sectarian conflict rather than concentrating on the fight against the US-led coalition.

Late last year, Salam al-Zubaie, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, began secret talks with Sunni groups with the aim of coaxing them away from al-Qaeda. He held meetings with commanders of groups including the 20th Revolutionary Brigade, the general command of the Iraqi armed forces, the Islamic Army of Iraq, the Baath party and the Salah al-Deen al-Ayyubi Brigade.

He encouraged them to form a unified Sunni alliance that could fight al-Qaeda and attack Iranian influence. They proved receptive to his arguments.

"Both al-Qaeda and Iran seem to have an identical agenda to try to widen the sectarian split between Sunnis and Shiites, maintaining instability," Abu Baker, a commander in the 20th Revolutionary Brigade, said last week. "They stepped up their attacks on innocent Iraqi people and we could not accept that."

A senior commander in the Islamic Army said Mr Zubaie had promised not only to help to unify the Sunni groups but also to provide them with financial and logistical support to stop Iranian infiltration.

The insurgents demanded assurances from the Government that they would not be arrested or attacked by the security forces. They also asked for promises that they could eventually join the security forces.

There was one sticking point. "We insisted that our fight with the occupying forces would continue as they are to blame for our current situation," the Islamic Army commander claimed.

"Zubaie's response was that first we had to get rid of al-Qaeda and turn ourselves into a strong legal force to be reckoned with. Then we'd be in a position to negotiate with the occupying forces and demand their withdrawal. This was something we could not accept." Within weeks, however, the insurgent groups set out to "cleanse" parts of Baghdad of al-Qaeda influence. Shaker Zuwaini, an al-Qaeda leader, was assassinated by the 20th Revolutionary Brigade in the Adel district of Baghdad. The head of the Amiriya district was also killed and another commander was chased away from the Khadra district.

Abu Omar, leader of a Baath insurgent group and military commander in Amouriya, said: "Al-Qaeda have turned into a bunch of criminals and gangsters up to their eyes in kidnapping and robberies. We resolved to put an end to them."

Zalmay Khalilzad, the outgoing US ambassador, said the US had also held talks with Sunni insurgents "to explore ways to collaborate in fighting the terrorists".

Al-Qaeda in Iraq, which has carried out many of the most brutal attacks on civilians, is made up largely of foreign fighters. Although it shares a name with Osama bin Laden's group, it is unclear how closely the two are linked.

General David Petraeus, the US commander, blamed al-Qaeda for provoking carnage in Tal Afar, in northwestern Iraq, with a truck bomb that killed 152. Shia militants and police then cold-bloodedly executed as many as 70 Sunnis.

The Sunday Times, London, in The Australian

Another letter and confession from sailors hald in Iran

30 March 2007, 21:03

Tony Blair has tonight condemned the Iranian government for showing footage of another West Country sailor and a third letter from Faye Turney.
In it the young mum allegedly calls for Britain to end its"oppressive behaviour towards other people''. The release of the letter comes just hours after a recorded confession from one of the other prisoners, Cornish sailor Nathan Summers, was broadcast around the world. Sam Joseph has been speaking to his brother Nick.NATHAN SUMMERS: "Again I deeply apologise for entering your waters."
Nick Summers, Nathan's brother: "Initially I was shocked 'cos obviously you see things like this in the news day in day out but until it actually hits home - it's just a big shock basically."
Nathan Summers' older brother Nick is also in the Navy. He's based on HMS Gloucester but has been allowed home to Hayle after news broke of Nathan's capture.
NATSOT ON TV - Iranian TV shots
Reporter, "Some people are saying it's cruel treatment that will distress the relatives but you're saying perhaps..."
Nick, "Just seeing him alive and well and basically he looks in good health and being treated fairly so to me personally it was a good thing to see my brother."
SAM JOSEPH, Hayle: "Hayle is a tight knit community and residents here have been shocked to see the pictures of Nathan. As a show of support for his family the pub where he used top work has decided to tie yellow ribbons across the town until he is safely back home."
He'd only been in the Navy for two years - this his first trip to the Gulf. He had a huge send-off in the town, now his friends and family just want him home.
Sam Joseph in Hayle for Westcountry News.

YES, Children get it!

Bibliographic Information

Sunset over the ruins

Live and let live

Sunset over Bahgdad

40% - Think Decision to Use Force In Iraq Was Right

Mon Mar 19, 1:00 AM ET

Four years after the launch of the U.S.-led invasion on March 19, 2003, public opinion about the war in Iraq has turned decidedly negative with only 40% of Americans calling the decision to use military force there the right decision, majorities saying the war is not going well, and most saying that the United States should bring its troops home as soon as possible. In contrast, when the war began in March 2003 and for quite some time thereafter, the U.S.-led invasion had strong backing from most Americans, and was seen as succeeding quite well. A Pew survey in mid-February found a growing number of political independents are turning against the war and, overall, a 53% majority of Americans believe the U.S. should bring its troops home as soon as possible -- up five points in the past month and the highest percentage favoring a troop pullout since the war began nearly four years ago

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Victory

Sleep in Peace tonight

Russia, Iran and the Bottom Line

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Published: March 21, 2007

Let’s hear it for the profit motive. Russia has apparently decided that it can do even better financially if it starts pressuring its longtime client Iran to curtail its nuclear appetites.

Elaine Sciolino reported in The Times yesterday that Moscow told Tehran privately that it will not deliver nuclear fuel for Iran’s Russian-built Bushehr power plant unless Iran stops enriching uranium. There were also reports that Moscow was pulling experts from the nearly finished reactor site. The pressure is welcome and long overdue, considering that the Security Council ordered Iran to suspend enrichment by the end of last August.

As for why Moscow — which has been working since before August to deflect any serious sanctions against Iran — may be doing the right thing, that is something of a puzzle. Russia’s leaders may have finally figured out that a nuclear-armed Iran poses a genuine danger. But we suspect profits may have brought that threat into sharper focus.

Russia has accused Iran of falling behind on payments for the Bushehr project, which Tehran hotly denies. Meanwhile, Russia is very eager to become a leader in the global business of nuclear fuel production and spent fuel storage. Being the chief protector and enabler of Iran’s nuclear efforts is not the best advertising for such an enterprise. Moscow will have another chance to put its mouth where its money is in coming days when the Security Council votes on another series of sanctions against Iran.

The Bush administration also deserves credit if it helped Moscow to see where its larger interests lie. We are far less enthusiastic about recent threats — from Capitol Hill and some in the administration — to impose unilateral sanctions on foreign energy companies that do business with Iran. The administration needs all the friends it can get, and this is another case where quiet persuasion can go a lot further than bludgeoning.

The administration might also draw a lesson from Russia’s improved behavior and consider coupling a new round of sanctions on Iran with more persuasive incentives. It should start by dropping fantasies of regime change and pledge to re-establish diplomatic and economic ties if Iran abandons its nuclear ambitions. We know the default position is more threats. But sometimes the prospect of profit — and not just loss — works better.

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WANTED!! DEAD OR ALIVE

THIS IS THE FACE OF A COWARD.
I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHERE YOU FOUGHT, HOW YOU FOUGHT, OR WHY YOU FOUGHT. YOU MR MURTHA HAVE SPENT AND ARE NOW OVERDRAWN FROM YOUR RESPECT AND HONOR ACCOUNTS AND I DEMAND YOU PAY UP IN FULL OR BE THROWN IN PRISON TO ROT. LUCKY FOR YOU YOUR A DEAD MAN WALKING.
YOUR A LOOSER MURTHA AND OUR FIGHTING FORCES WILL NOT ACCEPT A SECOND DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF A BUNCH OF NO NOTHING POLITICIANS. i'M NOT FIGHTING IN THE FIELD WITH MY FELLOW PATRIOTS BUT KNOW THIS. IF THEY ARE MADE TO COME HOME WITHOUT COMPLETE AND UTTER VICTORY i'LL MOVE TO DC JUST TO JOIN EVERY PROTEST DONE TO PROTEST YOU AND EVERYONE WHO STANDS WITH YOUR ILK.

Islam enslaves its followers

Every day I find myself attempting to develop an assault plan that would turn Islamic Fascism against itself. Religious fanaticism is an extremely powerful motivater when instituted uniformally across a population. The only parallel I have been able to draw from recent history with devestating effects has to be Nazism and Japanese Imperialism. We fought two of the most vicious, blood thirsty military powers ever assembled against us and the world.

Ole Glory, May she wave forever

These colors don't run.
These colors don't hide

Russia reportedly exits Iran nuke site

By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 38 minutes ago

VIENNA, Austria - Russia is pulling out its experts from the Iranian nuclear reactor site they were helping build, U.S. and European officials said Tuesday. The move reflected a growing rift between

Iran

ws | News Photos | Images | Web

" type="hidden">

Iran and Russia that could lead to harsher U.N. sanctions on the Islamic republic for its refusal to stop uranium enrichment.

The representatives — a European diplomat and a U.S. official — said a large number of Russian technicians, engineers and other specialists have returned to Moscow in the past week, at about the same time senior Russian and Iranian officials tried unsuccessfully to resolve financial differences over the Bushehr nuclear reactor. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because their information was confidential.

"A good number of them have left recently," said the U.S. official, of the approximately 2,000 Russian workers on site of the nearly completed reactor outside the southern city of Bushehr. The European diplomat, who is accredited to the Vienna-based
News | News Photos | Images | Web

" type="hidden">

International Atomic Energy Agency, said a large number had left as recently as last week.

Sergei Novikov, a spokesman for Rosatom, Russia's Federal Nuclear Power Agency, confirmed that the number of Russian workers at the Bushehr plant had dwindled because of what he said were Iranian payment delays. He would not say how many had left.

In a commentary, Iranian state television criticized Russia for what it described as a policy of procrastination in constructing Bushehr.

"Double standard stances by Russian officials regarding Iran's nuclear issue shows that Russians are not a reliable partner in the field of nuclear cooperation," the commentary said.

The nuclear reactor outside the southern city of Bushehr is not part of Iran's dispute with the

News | News Photos | Images | Web

" type="hidden">

U.N. Security Council and the reactor itself has no potential military use.

The Russian departures are formally linked to a financial dispute with Iran but have a strong political component, linked to international efforts to persuade the Islamic republic to freeze activities linked to uranium enrichment, which can produce both nuclear fuel and the fissile material for nuclear warheads.

Although the reactor is 95 percent completed, Russia announced this month that further work would be delayed because Iran had failed to make monthly payments since January. It said the delay could cause "irreversible" damage to the project.

Because of the delay, Russia also indefinitely postponed delivery of enriched uranium fuel it had promised to provide Iran by this month.

Iran, which denies falling behind in payments, was furious, convinced Russia — which has long blunted a U.S.-led push for the U.N. Security Council sanctions — was now using the claim of financial arrears as a pretext to increase pressure for it to heed the council.

__

Associated Press writer Ali Akbar Dareini contributed to this report from Tehran, Iran.

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Full Coverage: Four Years in Iraq

Enlarge Photo

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Saddam's former deputy hanged in Iraq

AP - 1 hour, 37 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - Saddam Hussein's former deputy was hanged before dawn Tuesday, the fourth man to be executed in the killings of 148 Shiites following a 1982 assassination attempt against the former leader in the town of Dujail.

• Slideshow: Iraq

Off the Wires

• Four years after war, Iraqis still live in dread AFP - 43 minutes ago
• Japan defense minister wants to visit Iraq AP - 1 hour, 1 minute ago
• Most Britons think Iraq war a mistake: poll AFP - 1 hour, 3 minutes ago
• U.S. soldier draws 10-year sentence in Iraq slayings Reuters - 1 hour, 16 minutes ago
• Saddam's former deputy hanged in Iraq AP - 1 hour, 37 minutes ago

» More Off the Wires

News Stories

• Iraq Says Raid on Sunni Lawmaker�s Home Yielded Arms Cache and Cars With TNT Traces at The New York Times (reg. req'd) - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• Bush calls for patience on Iraq at BBC - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• Iraq Chaos Dims Bush's Vision of Democracy in Mideast Bloomberg via Yahoo! News - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• Protests against Iraq war continue at Al Jazeera - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• 7 troops die in Iraq, 4 on single patrol at The Los Angeles Times (reg. req'd) - Mon, Mar 19, 2007

» More News Stories

Feature Articles

• Deaths become a constant blur in Iraq AP via Yahoo! News - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• 40% - Think Decision to Use Force In Iraq Was Right Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• NBC journalist gets personal in Iraq video diary Reuters via Yahoo! News - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• Thousands join march on Pentagon in Iraq protest at The Independent (UK) - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• The regrets of the man who brought down Saddam at The Guardian (UK). - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• Iraqis want withdrawal but not now at BBC - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
» More Feature Articles

Opinion & Editorials

• From hope to despair in Baghdad at BBC - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• Why aren't the Bush daughters in Iraq? at The Los Angeles Times (reg. req'd) - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• Casualty of the War at The Washington Post (reg. req'd) - Mon, Mar 19, 2007
• Op-Chart: The State of Iraq, an Update at The New York Times (reg. req'd) - Sun, Mar 18, 2007
• The Army, After Iraq at The New York Times (reg. req'd) - Sun, Mar 18, 2007
• Lessons of War at The Washington Post (reg. req'd) - Sun, Mar 18, 2007
» More Opinion & Editorials

Storm strands people on planes at JFK

By DAVID B. CARUSO and JENNIFER PELTZ, Associated Press Writers 3 minutes ago

NEW YORK - Hundreds of passengers were stranded for hours overnight on airliners that couldn't take off from John F. Kennedy International Airport because of the ice and snow storm that pummeled the Northeast.

The exact number of planes stuck on the tarmac was unclear, but irate passengers reported that the problems seemed to affect several airlines, and may have been linked to shortages of deicing fluid at the airport.

Rahul Chandran said he was trapped aboard a Cathay Pacific Airways jet from midnight until nearly 9:30 a.m. Saturday, when the flight to Vancouver was finally canceled.

Throughout the night, the pilot repeatedly described problems with deicing equipment, including a lack of fluid, that kept the plane waiting endlessly to have its wings sprayed. When the airline finally gave up and tried to return the plane to its terminal, it took at least another hour to arrange a gate, he said.

"You can't keep your passengers on the plane for 9 1/2 hours," said Chandran, 30, of New York City. "They kept saying 'half an hour more, 45 minutes more.' But by the time it got to hour six, we were pretty much accepting that we weren't going to go ... At least in the terminal, you can get up and walk around."

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the metropolitan area's airports, said airlines — not the airport — are responsible for supplying and maintaining terminal deicing equipment.

From Friday to Saturday morning, more than 3,600 commuter and mainline flights were canceled because of the effects of the storm. JetBlue, US Airways, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines all reported cancellations.

One Virgin Atlantic flight from London was diverted to JFK when the weather temporarily closed Boston's airport Friday evening. The plane, with about 200 passengers on board, sat on a taxiway for around six hours before it could take off again, said Virgin spokeswoman Brooke Lawer.

The plane, which was supposed to have arrived in Boston at 6:30 p.m. Friday, finally touched down there at 4 a.m. Saturday.

Valentine's Day storm. The airline was unable to resume normal operations for days.

For this storm, JetBlue took no chances of a repeat. It canceled about 400 of 550 of all scheduled flights across the country Friday because of the weather, rather than risk leaving more people stuck aboard idle planes.

JetBlue expected mostly normal operations Saturday, said spokeswoman Jenny Dervin.

Friday's snow, ice and rain storm closed schools in parts of the Northeast and made highways treacherous. The weather was blamed for nearly a dozen traffic deaths in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

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Clinton, Obama: Homosexuality 'Not Immoral'

Randy Hall

Staff Writer/Editor

(CNSNews.com) - Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) responded on Thursday to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace's comments that homosexual behavior is "immoral," but only after they were criticized for failing to do so by a homosexual advocacy group.

"Well, I've heard from a number of my friends, and I've certainly clarified with them any misunderstanding that anyone had, because I disagree with General Pace completely," Clinton told Bloomberg News. "I do not think homosexuality is immoral."

Also on Thursday, Obama released a statement on the issue. "I do not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral," the Illinois Democrat noted. "Attempts to divide people like this have consumed too much of our politics over the past six years."

The remarks by the 2008 presidential candidates differed dramatically from their comments on the issue made earlier in the week.

On Tuesday, an ABC reporter asked Clinton whether homosexuality is immoral, and she replied: "Well, I am going to leave that to others to conclude."

A spokesman for the junior senator from New York later said that she disagrees with Pace.

On Wednesday, reporters also pressed Obama for reaction to Pace's comments. "Traditionally, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman has restricted his public comments to military matters," the Illinois Democrat said. "That's probably a good tradition to follow."

The lack of open criticism from Clinton and Obama brought a sharp response from Jo Wyrick, executive director of the National Stonewall Democrats, on Thursday.

Without mentioning either of the 2008 presidential candidates by name, Wyrick said that "most Democrats understand, and should understand, that morality isn't derived from sexual orientation or gender identity."

"Morality is how you treat your neighbor, support your community and sacrifice for your family and country," Wyrick said in the news release. "When I tuck my daughter into bed at night, those are the values I teach her.

"We expect Democratic candidates and elected officials to reaffirm those same values, to speak up when families or individuals are scapegoated or maligned for political gain, and to proactively argue the benefits of treating all Americans equally under the law without regard to their sexual orientation or gender identity," she added.

"Morality is also embodied in action," Wyrick stated. "Our Democratic presidential candidates support employment non-discrimination legislation, the extension of health-care benefits to our families and oppose constitutional amendments that attack lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people for political gain.

"Those are moral actions and positions that each candidate should be proud to campaign on," she said.

"National Stonewall Democrats looks forward to further working with our Democratic candidates so that, in the future, they can speak with moral clarity and continue to positively partner with our community," Wyrick noted.

As Cybercast News Service previously reported, Pace said during an interview with the Chicago Tribune that "I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts." He also stated that adultery is immoral.

"I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way," the general told the newspaper.

Along with her criticism of Clinton and Obama, Wyrick had harsh words regarding Pace's comments.

"We expect President Bush to condemn these remarks out of respect for our men and women who are currently serving and dying in Afghanistan and Iraq," she noted.

"It is immoral to send our service members into battle without the proper equipment or plan," Wyrick stated. "It is immoral to deny them proper medical care upon their return, and it is immoral to revoke support for our troops based on this misguided policy reaffirmed by General Pace and the White House."

However, several conservative politicians and religious leaders are rallying to support Pace, who was the subject of a letter sent to President Bush by Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) on Thursday.

The letter from the GOP 2008 presidential candidate called the criticism of the general "both unfair and unfortunate."

"We should not expect someone as qualified, accomplished and articulate as General Pace to lack personal views on important moral issues,'' Brownback said. "In fact, we should expect that anyone entrusted with such great responsibility will have strong moral views."

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also received support Thursday in a news release from Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality.

"Gen. Pace gave voice to historic Judeo-Christian beliefs when he said that both homosexual acts and adultery are immoral, yet instantly he was accused of blind prejudice and called a homophobe," he noted.

LaBarbera also called on the media not to take sides in the culture war over homosexuality and to cover what he called the homosexual movement's "CSI" strategy of "Censoring, Smearing and Intimidating" critics.

Make media inquiries or request an interview with Randy Hall.



E-mail a comment or news tip to Randy Hall.

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These colors don't run

Rain and Snow: Scientists Don't Know How Much Falls

LiveScience Staff

LiveScience.com Sat Mar 3, 3:10 PM ET

With constant weather forecasts on TV and the Internet and all the precise storm totals that are reported, you might think scientists had a firm grasp of how much rain and snow falls around the planet. And you'd be wrong.

"It's amazing how much we don't know about global patterns of rain and snow," said Walt Petersen, an atmospheric scientist with the National Space Science and Technology Center and the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Meteorologists don't know how much snow falls each day and where it lands. They also don't know how much rain comes down, nor how much is heavy downpours versus light drizzles.

"These are just a few of the outstanding questions," Petersen said.

NASA promises a greater understand with future observations from space. The agency recently funded some five dozen proposals to figure out how best to improve these measurements, according to a statement released this week. Peterson is among those whose been funded to work on the task.

"Snow is a huge problem," Petersen said. While rain involves simple droplets of liquid, whose volume can be estimated by radar, snowflakes come in an infinite variety of shapes and densities (though the old adage about no two flakes being alike might not be fully accurate). The intricate crystals that make up a snowflake reflect radar in all sorts of crazy ways. "The amounts of air and ice can vary quite a bit from snowflake to snowflake," he said.

"Further, snowflakes also rime and melt. This means you can also have water on the surface--another complication."

Snow totals are accurate, therefore, only in spots where it's measured with a stick in the ground.

• How Weather Changed History

Better snowfall estimates are needed because snow brings water out of the atmosphere, drying out the air and changing the physics up there. Plus, snow on the ground reflect sunlight back to space and cools the planet.

In 2013, NASA plans to launch a new radar instrument on the Global Precipitation Mission satellite (GPM). The satellite will be the first to measure precipitation beyond the tropics as its orbit will go almost over the Arctic Circle.

The GPM will be able to detect drizzle that current satellites cannot. Lasting sometimes for days in drab locales, drizzle can move large amounts of water from the atmosphere.

"It's all water," Petersen says of drizzle, snow and all the other forms of precipitation. "We've got to keep track of it in every form to truly understand the climate of Earth."

Images: Snowflakes / Tornadoes / Clouds / Lightning / Hurricanes

• Original Story: Rain and Snow: Scientists Don't Know How Much Falls

Visit LiveScience.com for more daily news, views and scientific inquiry with an original, provocative point of view. LiveScience reports amazing, real world breakthroughs, made simple and stimulating for people on the go. Check out our collection of Science, Animal and Dinosaur Pictures, Science Videos, Hot Topics, Trivia, Top 10s, Voting, Amazing Images, Reader Favorites, and more. Get cool gadgets at the new LiveScience Store, sign up for our free daily email newsletter and check out our RSS feeds today!

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Afghan insurgents fleeing NATO forces

U.S. Gen. Dan McNeill, commander of the 36,000-strong NATO-led force here, said Western troops were exchanging fire with Taliban fighters "in a number of areas" in southern Afghanistan but that many militants were fleeing the 5,500 NATO and Afghan soldiers participating in Operation Achilles.

"We're working hard to get a beat on them, where they're going, because we're not going to let up," McNeill said during a one-hour visit to this isolated U.S. outpost in the northwest corner of Kandahar province. "I expect we'll have a rolling series of exercises just like this one, operations that run through the spring and summer.

"I expect for us to continue attacking these insurgents."

Meanwhile, five Afghan police manning a checkpoint in neighboring Helmand province died in a clash. There were conflicting accounts of who shot them.

Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary said they were mistakenly shot by U.S.-led coalition forces — a charge denied by a coalition spokesman.

Spokesman Sgt. 1st Class Dean Welch said it "appeared" there was no U.S. involvement, but that the military's investigation was not yet complete.

A senior U.S. military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the subject, said it was a clash between Afghan army troops and auxiliary police, whom he accused of colluding with the Taliban.

U.S. military trainers were at the back of the Afghan army convoy but were not involved in the clash, he said.

But Lt. Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi, the Afghan army's chief of operations, said their initial report suggested that Afghan National Army troops were not involved.

Helmand — where Operation Achilles is focused — is the center of the Taliban-led insurgency, and also the hub of the country's world-leading opium and heroin trade that is believed to help fund the Taliban but also profits Afghan officials.

McNeill said the vice chief of staff of the Pakistani army updated him last week on what the Pakistan army is doing to control the border area, where the Taliban train and resupply and cross into Afghanistan. The Pakistani official said locals were becoming intolerant of foreigners and had recently killed 14 Chechens and Uzbeks, McNeill said.

McNeill said he had "heard talk" and "read in newspapers" reports of al-Qaida and Taliban training camps in Pakistan's border region, but said "I don't have any firsthand knowledge." He noted that Pakistan had arrested "significant" al-Qaida and Taliban leadership since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S.

"I think that those who are derisive of what the Pakistanis are doing need to look at what they have done and there's no question that in my view they are doing a lot now," McNeill said.

___

Associated Press reporter Fisnik Abrashi in Kabul contributed to this report.

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Rozie!! Shut your Pie Hole, BEEATCH!!

Rozie O'Donnel is one of the most ignorant, ill mannered, empty headed fools ever to strap on a microphone. She is a fatass, carpet lickn, ignoramous who needs to be confronted and shouted down. Give her a taste of her own medicine
Shut your pie hole, bitch. Our son's and daughters are dying for your right to be jackass. Just yesterday you used your soap box to bully anyone who supports the mission . I don't give a damn about the "feelings" of some terrorist who believes that they are fighting some wacked out holy war and intend to kill us all if given a chance.
You speak words as though you have first hand knowledge of what goes on throughout our entire military when in fact you are totally clueless. If you know so damn much then why didn't you speak up sooner? HUH? You support nothing of consequence. Not the war, nor the soldiers, nor this country. You are so full of shit that I can smell your fat nasty ass all the way over here on the east coast.
Personally, I'm sick of listening to your puke and I will NEVER watch your insidiously, sick, twisted show which you call "The View" but I call the "The Pew" and when I find out who advertises on your show I will call for a boycott of thier products until you are kicked to the curb and forgotten.
Shut your dirty pie hole or face the consequences of your actions!!

Senate Rejects Measure for Iraq Pullout

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By ROBIN TONER and JEFF ZELENY

Published: March 15, 2007

WASHINGTON, March 15 — In a largely party-line vote, the Senate today rejected a Democratic resolution aimed at withdrawing most American combat troops from Iraq in 2008. But Democratic leaders vowed to keep raising the measure to escalate pressure on the Bush Administration and the Republican Party for an exit strategy from Iraq.

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Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq has promised reforms that have yet to appear.

The vote was 50 to 48 against the resolution, but since the senators had agreed that 60 votes would be required for passage the measure fell far short.

In the House of Representatives, a similar proposal passed a critical test vote before the Appropriations Committee, 36 to 28, also split on party lines. That proposal, part of a huge spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan, is now on track for consideration next week in the full House.

The Senate was also voting this afternoon on a pair of nonbinding resolutions, one Democratic and one Republican, expressing support for the troops and pledging to provide them with all necessary money. Both were expected to pass easily.

The action in both houses underscored the growing challenge to the Bush Administration from the new Democratic Congress, which is trying to beat down, vote by vote, Republican resistance to winding down the war.

The Senate vote came as part of an agreement between the two party leaders that broke a parliamentary stalemate and allowed each party to vote on Iraq measures of their choosing, with the understanding that each would require 60 votes to pass. Democrats, who had earlier resisted such a deal, said they were now eager to put senators on the record on their Iraq resolution.

The troop withdrawal resolution would have redefined the United States mission in Iraq and set a goal of redeploying American combat troops by March 31, 2008, except for a “limited number” focused on counterterrorism, training and equipping Iraqi forces, and protecting American and coalition personnel.

Republicans declared the resolution would be devastating to the American war effort, “like sending a memo to our enemy,” or “giving notice to the other side of when we’re going to depart,” in the words of Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader.

Only one Republican, Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, voted in favor of the measure. Two Democrats, Senator Mark Pryor or Arkansas and Ben Nelson of Nebraska, voted against it, as did Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut. Senators Tim Johnson, a Democrat from South Dakota who is ill, and John McCain, an Arizona Republican who is in Iowa, did not vote.

The Senate is also considering a resolution by Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire, that declares that “Congress should not take any action that will endanger United States military forces in the field, including the elimination or reduction of funds for troops in the field.” Democrats offered their own nonbinding resolution that declares that Congress and the president shall provide all “necessary funds” for the safety of American forces, both on the battlefield and when they return home, an allusion to the scandal at Walter Reed Army Medical Center over the treatment of injured soldiers.

In the House, the Appropriations Committee advanced the $124 billion Iraq spending legislation, with Representative Barbara Lee of California being the lone Democratic vote against it. She argued it did not go far enough to end the war and remove troops from Iraq. Democrats sought to fight back charges that the legislation was meddling in the management of the war.

“Please don’t characterize what we are doing as shutting down funding for the troops,” said Representative David Obey, a Wisconsin Democrat. “Some of you have the misimpression that’s what the Congress did in Vietnam, and you don’t want to see the repeat of that. Congress never did that in Vietnam.”

Representative Harold Rogers, a Kentucky Republican on the committee, accused the Democrats of loading up the legislation with billions of dollars in sweeteners, simply to draw support for a controversial plan to try to end the Iraq war.

“Welcome Kmart shoppers,” Mr. Rogers said. “This is the shopping mart for those who are nervous about supporting the precipitous withdrawal of troops. This is an effort to buy votes — whether you are a spinach farmer or salmon farmer, there’s something in here for you, if you just vote for this bill.”

The bill includes billions of dollars aimed at shoring up domestic programs, from rebuilding the Gulf Coast damaged by Hurricane Katrina to agricultural assistance, including $25 million in aid to spinach farmers.

Cheney Says Bush Directs War Strategy, Not Congress (Update1)

By Brendan Murray

March 12 (Bloomberg) -- Vice President Dick Cheney blasted the Democrat-controlled Congress for trying to manage the U.S. Iraq strategy, saying its wartime role is ``limited'' by law and urging lawmakers not to shortchange funding for troops.

``The military answers to one commander-in-chief in the White House, not 535 commanders-in-chief on Capitol Hill,'' Cheney said in a speech in Washington to about 6,000 members of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Lawmakers determined to set limits on the U.S. presence in Iraq are ``undermining'' U.S. troops, he said.

The administration has lost backing for the war from a majority of Americans, most public opinion polls show. President George W. Bush and Cheney have been campaigning to halt the erosion of support while the U.S. sends 21,500 more combat troops into Iraq to stem sectarian violence.

Cheney didn't single out any members of Congress for criticism. Democrats in the House reopening debate this week on a proposal to attach a deadline for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq to legislation providing almost $100 billion for military operations Iraq for the rest of the year.

``When members of Congress support an anti-war strategy that's been called `slow-bleed,' they're not supporting the troops, they're undermining them,'' Cheney said. ``We expect the House and Senate to meet the needs of our military and the generals leading the troops in battle on time and in full measure.''

`Defined and Limited'

Setting time limits for withdrawal tells the enemy to ``watch the clock,'' he said. While Congress holds sway over the Pentagon's budget and lawmakers ``play a critical role'' in defense matters, Cheney said, ``That role is defined and limited by the Constitution.''

In a statement released after Cheney's speech, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi characterized the strategy Democrats are supporting as a ``shift in mission will allow the number of U.S. troops in Iraq to be reduced, diminishing their presence in the daily lives of Iraqis, and minimizing the chances of these troops being caught in the cross-fire between rival Iraqi factions.''

``Success in Iraq requires more than military force,'' Pelosi said.

Sectarian Violence

The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 was followed by an insurgency, infiltration by foreign guerrillas and terrorists and sectarian strife between Shiite Muslims, whose leaders now dominate the government, and Sunni Muslims who were dispossessed after the overthrow of fellow Sunni, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

In the past year, escalating sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shiites has raised the threat of all-out civil war. More than 3,100 U.S. military personnel have died in Iraq and almost 24,000 have been wounded. Thousands of Iraqis have been killed in the fighting.

Cheney, 66, recalled a line from Ronald Reagan's June 1982 speech to the British Parliament, when he said, ``If history teaches anything, it teaches self-delusion in the face of unpleasant facts is folly.''

Reagan was referring to the Cold War struggle against Soviet totalitarianism. Cheney applied it to the war against terrorism and expressed confidence the U.S. will win the current struggle, too.

``Either we are serious about fighting the war on terror or we are not; either we persevere despite difficulty or we turn our backs on our friends and our commitments,'' Cheney said. ``I for one have never had more confident in the outcome.''

With about 100,000 members, AIPAC is a pro-Israel lobbying group that has pressed the U.S. government to take a hard line against the Iranian nuclear threat, pushing for diplomatic and economic sanctions against Tehran.

In the speech, Cheney said the U.S. remains ``Israel's best friend.''

The AIPAC crowd applauded 28 times during Cheney's 27- minute speech, a warm reception that prompted the vice president to joke: ``If Karl Rove finds out about this, he won't let me out again.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Brendan Murray in Washington, at brmurray@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: March 12, 2007 15:09 EDT