Meanwhile in Iraq

Iraq: Raging violence claims at least 91 lives as U.S. occupation continues: Police found the bodies of 20 men with gunshot wounds in two areas of Baghdad on Tuesday

At least 100 die as militia force Iraqi troops out of town : More than 10,000 Iraqis - the vast majority in Baghdad - have been killed in the past four months alone, a figure that would send shockwaves through the international community were it in any other part of the world.

American toll is 10 killed in 2 days: the U.S. military said today that nine U.S. soldiers were killed on Sunday, eight of them in and around Baghdad and one in fighting in Anbar province west of Baghdad. A 10th soldier died yesterday of wounds sustained in a vehicle accident in Balad north of Baghdad.

Iraqi army agrees to truce with Shi'a militia: Under the deal brokered by local political leaders, the army will pull out of residential areas, while the Mahdi Army militia will stand down its forces in the districts it seized during the fighting, they said.

Attorneys want officials gagged in soldier's murder - rape case: - Federal officials should be barred from speaking about the case of a former soldier charged with raping and killing a 14-year-old Iraqi girl, defense attorneys said.

New 'Caught Red-Handed' Report: Since the Iraq war began, the Republican-led Congress has spent more than $300 Billion on President Bush's failed policy. $18 billion has been awarded to Halliburton, much of which was in "no bid" contracts and $9 billion is missing.

Rumsfeld: U.S. able to take new fight despite Iraq: "It would be unfortunate if other countries thought that because we have 136,000 troops in Iraq today, that we're not capable of defending our country or doing anything that we might need to do," he said in response to a question about military options for dealing with Iran.

The Spider's Web: More people than ever are dying in Iraq while the United States looks on powerlessly. In the wake of its invasion of Lebanon, Israel is driven with self-doubt, while Europe tries to establish peace. But there is one country that is benefiting from every crisis in the region: Iran.