Meanwhile in Empire

Doubts whether Bush is good for Israel: Influential voices within the US Jewish community are questioning the Bush administration's hardline positions on the Middle East, arguing that they harm, rather than protect, Israel's interests. Most of all, they want to see Washington talk to Syria.

Book: Bush told reporters that "all Jews are going to hell."(Palestinians, Syrians, Iranians and Lebanese BEWARE. Because whenever someone is in power is accused of being anti-semitic they try to prove their loyalty to Israel by giving them the green light to kill more Arabs and more Muslims--CS)

US Army Contemplates Redrawing Middle East Map to Stave-off Looming Global Meltdown: In a little-noted article printed in early August in the Armed Forces Journal, a monthly magazine for officers and leaders in the United States military community, early retired Major Ralph Peters sets out the latest ideas in current US strategic thinking. And they are extremely disturbing.

U.S. asserts Iran stirring up trouble in Iraq, but evidence less certain: Most of that aid appears to go to the same Shiite parties in Iraq that the American government supports and that are part of the government. The more militant Shiite groups are equally critical of U.S. and Iranian influence in the country.

'Why did Blair send my teenage son to fight an illegal and dishonest war?' : Mrs Hamilton-Bing said that anger at seeing her son sent to fight a dishonest war had driven her to take action, adding that many other military families shared her views.

UK: 'Deluded': Extraordinary attack on Blair by Cabinet : 'Self-indulgent' PM urged to 'end the pantomime' as senior ministers meet to hasten his departure.

John Bolton: Mission accomplished?: This year, Bonkers Bolton and his Gang of Three – the British, French and Germans – have managed to get the other members of the Interna-tional Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors and the United Nations Security Council to commit 'assisted' suicide, seriously.

Mexican leftists storm Congress: In a historic rebuke, opposition lawmakers seized control of Mexico's congressional chamber Friday and blocked President Vicente Fox from delivering his final State of the Nation address. (Mexicans take their democracy much, much, much more seriously than Americans. --CS)

Latin America round up: Legal process in Mexico's election heads toward a potentially rocky conclusion … U.S. - Venezuela rift deepens as American embassy ships explosives, chicken in diplomatic pouch … U.S. meddles in elections in Nicaragua.

Robert Fisk: American and Muslim: six million people in search of an identity : Daniel Pipes is a bête noire, as is Steven Emerson, a freelance journalist who grinds out article after article about the "American jihad" for such august papers as The Wall Street Journal, which, by the way, more and more reads like The Jerusalem Post.