U.S. attorney's firing may be connected to CIA corruption probe  —  WASHINGTON - Fired San Diego U.S. attorney Carol Lam notified the Justice Department that she intended to execute search warrants on a high-ranking CIA official as part of a corruption probe the day before a Justice Department official sent …

Iraq War's Statistics Prove Fleeting  —  The U.S. war in Iraq enters its fifth year today.  That, and 3,197 U.S. military deaths reported by the Pentagon as of 10 a.m. Friday, are among the few numerical certainties in a conflict characterized from the start by confusion and misuse of key data.

Assignment Zero, Day Six: Help Wanted Section  —  I'm looking for amateur-friendly pros who can work with the people who have joined up with us.  Five days ago we launched AZ.  We now have 450 contributors—each with a profile and a blog—slowly filtering into the site.  What do we do now? they're asking.

The Blame-America-First Crowd  —  "They always blame America first."  That was Jeane Kirkpatrick, describing the "San Francisco Democrats" in 1984.  But it could be said about a lot of Americans, especially highly educated Americans, today.  —  In their assessment of what is going on in the world …

Voices From Iraq 2007: Ebbing Hope in a Landscape of Loss  —  National Survey of Iraq  —  A new national survey paints a devastating portrait of life in Iraq: widespread violence, torn lives, displaced families, emotional damage, collapsing services, an ever starker sectarian chasm …

We can do more than beg, says new finance chief for Palestinians  —  The new Palestinian Finance Minister gave warning yesterday that the incoming Government was inheriting a "crippling financial crisis" from Hamas.  Salam Fayyad, the internationally respected financier …

The regrets of the man who brought down Saddam  —  His hands were bleeding and his eyes filled with tears as, four years ago, he slammed a sledgehammer into the tiled plinth that held a 20ft bronze statue of Saddam Hussein.  Then Kadhim al-Jubouri spoke of his joy at being the leader …

Official Alerted F.B.I. to Rules Abuse 2 Years Ago, Lawyer Says  —  Almost two years before the Federal Bureau of Investigation publicly admitted this month that it had ignored its own rules when demanding telephone and financial records about private citizens, a top official in that program warned …

Vehicle warning system trialled  —  Technology correspondent, BBC News website  —  Vehicles may soon be swapping information about road conditions to warn drivers about jams and dangers.  —  A German research project on show at hi-tech trade fair Cebit envisions a peer-to-peer network …

Video: Barbara Walters invites Hugo Chavez to propagandize  —  For those keeping score, this is the second time in less than five weeks that the Bush-hating leader of an enemy state has used ABC News to profess his "love" for humanity.  —  He knew just what to say, too.  —  Look at the look on her face.

Observations on Iraq  —  It's hard to describe the noise when a whole cabinet of crockery is emptied on to the floor.  Even harder not to shout in indignation when the American soldier who intentionally tipped it forward, until the plates and dishes slid smashing to the floor, says without regret …