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Egypt has said it is "absolutely not" considering sending troops to Iraq.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit made the comments after the kidnapping of an Egyptian diplomat by gunmen in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
A group calling itself the Lions of Allah Brigade said it had taken the hostage in response to Egypt’s offer of security aid to Iraq’s government.
A BBC correspondent says Cairo has offered equipment and training for Iraqi security troops.
In a fresh hostage-taking, the (…)

Commission plans to campaign, not disband
Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Members of the commission investigating the September 11 terror attacks have injected a potentially unsettling element into President George Bush’s re-election campaign by deciding not to disband.
Although the bipartisan commission scrupulously avoided apportioning blame to either the Clinton or Bush administrations, the decision ensures that 9/11 and Iraq will remain at the forefront of the election campaign. (…)

By MATT KELLEY
The Pentagon on Friday released newly discovered payroll records from President Bush’s 1972 service in the Alabama National Guard, though the records shed no new light on the future president’s activities during that summer.
A Pentagon official said the earlier contention that the records were destroyed was an "inadvertent oversight."
Like records released earlier by the White House, these computerized payroll records show no indication Bush drilled with the Alabama unit (…)

by Nat Hentoff
[There] may be instances arising in the future where persons are wrongfully detained in places unknown to those who would apply for habeas corpus in their behalf [so a U.S. court can determine if they’re legally held]. . . . These dangers may seem unreal in the United States. But the experience of less fortunate countries should serve as a warning . . . - Ahrens v. Clark, U.S. Supreme Court, 1948, Justice Wiley Blount Rutledge dissenting Often they were led away in the (…)

By Caroline Hawley
It’s not just the violence in Iraq that is keeping doctors busy. The country is facing an environmental crisis.
One of the main problems is waste water pouring out of Baghdad’s main sewage plants.
Iraq’s ancient sewage system collapsed during the war and insecurity is hampering efforts to repair it.
Not a drop has been treated yet at the Rustumiya works, which was damaged during the war and then looted.
Much of Baghdad’s untreated waste, the sewage of more than (…)

Description: In the wake of the attacks of September 11th, 2001, independent researchers, former military and intelligence officers, families of victims, certain members of Congress and other citizens began to address the unanswered questions about the events.
Who? Why? How?
9-11-Commission-Critique.rtf
http://www.911citizenswatch.org/

The U.S. Army has long lured recruits with the slogan "Be All You Can Be," but now soldiers and their families can receive plastic surgery, including breast enlargements, on the taxpayers’ dime.
The New Yorker magazine reports in its July 26th edition that members of all four branches of the U.S. military can get face-lifts, breast enlargements, liposuction and nose jobs for free — something the military says helps surgeons practice their skills.
"Anyone wearing a uniform is eligible," (…)

by Medea Benjamin/Peter Coyote/John Eder/Daniel Ellsberg
There is no greater political imperative this year than to retire the Bush regime, one of the most dangerous and extremist in U.S. history. As people dedicated to peace, economic justice, equality, sustainability and constitutional freedoms, we are committed to defeating Bush.
The only candidate who can win instead of Bush in November is John Kerry. We want Kerry to replace Bush, because a Kerry administration would be less (…)

Who’s in Charge Here?
What the 9-11 Commission Report does not explain is why, on the morning of September 11, 2001, President Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and other top officials were essentially missing in action.
By Gail Sheehy
"Who’s our quarterback" in case of a future terrorist attack? "Who’s in charge?" That was the core question members of the 9-11 commission put to every government official they interviewed. "The reason that you’re hearing such a tone of urgency (…)

By Joseph Kerr and Alexandra Smith
Crucial jobs at the top of RailCorp have been left in the hands of acting managers for months while the rail operator reels from a train driver shortage that could cost it up to $45 million in a year.
Three of the most senior positions at the passenger rail service have been occupied by acting managers for up to six months, as it struggles with service reliability and a critical shortage of drivers.
Figures from official sources suggest RailCorp’s (…)