Saudis' role in Iraq insurgency outlined  —  Sunni extremists from Saudi Arabia make up half the foreign fighters in Iraq, many suicide bombers, a U.S. official says.  —  BAGHDAD — Although Bush administration officials have frequently lashed out at Syria and Iran, accusing it of helping insurgents …

Jim Webb rips into Graham for putting political words in our Soldiers' mouths  —  Lindsay Graham sounded like he was on a pot of coffee, seven Red Bulls and a couple of packs of cigarettes—while being fluent at the Evelyn Wood talking points course.  Jim Webb was not thrilled to be sitting next to him.

Kristol: 'We're Not In A Civil War' In Iraq, 'This Is Just Not True'  —  Approximately one year ago — in an August 2006 appearance on the Charlie Rose show — Bill Kristol acknowledged that Iraq was teetering on the edge of civil war, stating: "It is true that we are at risk of a sectarian civil war there …

Bin Laden praises martyrdom in new video  —  CAIRO, Egypt - A new al-Qaida videotape posted Sunday on a militant Web site featured a short, undated clip of a weary-looking Osama bin Laden praising martyrdom.  —  The bin Laden clip, which lasted less than a minute, was part …

Keeping Secrets  —  How to balance national security with people's rights to have their day in court  —  A PRESIDENT'S prerogative to protect national security secrets needs to be respected, but it should not unconditionally trump the rights of those harmed by the very programs the president means to shield from public view.

Ship of fools: Johann Hari sets sail with America's swashbuckling neocons  —  The Iraq war has been an amazing success, global warming is just a myth - and as for Guantanamo Bay, it's practically a holiday camp... The annual cruise organised by the 'National Review', mouthpiece of right-wing America …

Clinton, Romney lead poll  —  Head-to-head contests pose challenges  —  July 15.  —  illary Clinton and Mitt Romney hold the leads in their respective New Hampshire primary races, a new Monitor poll shows.  But it's not all good news for the top two: The poll finds each would face thornier challenges …

Maliki Says His Forces Are Able to Secure Iraq  —  Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki declared Saturday that Iraqi forces could secure the country on their own "any time" American troops decided to withdraw, his first response to the White House report this week that found his government falling …

Ralph Nader says he is considering 2008 presidential run  —  READING, Pennsylvania (AP) — Consumer advocate Ralph Nader told the Green Party's national convention that he is considering a 2008 presidential run and accused Democrats of trying to shut smaller parties out of the political process.

Fair Taxes?  Depends What You Mean by 'Fair'  —  DO the rich pay their fair share in taxes?  This is likely to become a defining question during the presidential campaign.  —  At a recent fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton, the billionaire investor Warren E. Buffett said that rich guys like him weren't paying enough.

The Richest of the Rich, Proud of a New Gilded Age  —  The tributes to Sanford I. Weill line the walls of the carpeted hallway that leads to his skyscraper office, with its panoramic view of Central Park.  A dozen framed magazine covers, their colors as vivid as an Andy Warhol painting, are the most arresting.

Climate Change Debate Hinges On Economics  —  Lawmakers Doubt Voters Would Fund Big Carbon Cuts  —  Here's the good news about climate change: Energy and climate experts say the world already possesses the technological know-how for trimming greenhouse gas emissions enough to slow the perilous rise in the Earth's temperatures.

Little-Known Group Claims a Win on Immigration  —  When a comprehensive immigration bill collapsed last month on the Senate floor, it was a victory for a small group that had been lobbying Congress for a decade to reduce the number of immigrants — legal and illegal — in the United States.

Even as Loved Ones Fight On, War Doubts Arise  —  Cpl. April Ponce De Leon describes herself and her husband as "gung-ho marines," and in two weeks she deploys to Iraq, where her husband has been fighting since March.  —  But she says she stopped believing in the war last month after a telephone conversation with him.