Search

The article focuses on the investigation into the death of Russian spy, Alexander Litvinenko, who lived in London, England. Plutonium was discovered in his body and caused his hair to fall out, his body to shrink and his bone marrow was failing. On his deathbed, Litvinenko said his death had been ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin. Details are given concerning motive, opportunity and who could have had the means to carry this out.

The author discusses the idea that the 2006 U.S. midterm Congressional elections are a referendum on the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. It is suggested that Bush has become an isolated President and that the results of the election are likely to reshape the political atmosphere in America. Various issues related to the election are discussed, including the Iraq War, congressional opposition to Bush, and the potential for bipartisanship in a House or Congress with a Democratic majority.

This article discusses the nuclear arms crisis between North Korea and the international community. After President Kim Jong II of North Korea successfully completed a nuclear bomb test, world leaders, including U.S. President George W. Bush, are analyzing the political, economical and technological impact the test will have in the future. Terrorism concerns and risk management are also a concern. INSET: NUCLEAR WORLD.

The article reports that the Mark Foley sex scandal marks the end of the "Republican revolution" as the party strays far from the ideals of Ronald Reagan. The political machinery that propelled the Republicans reliably into party for the past 12 years has led to pork and heavy spending, precisely what the party claimed to be against. Failing foreign and security policy made the party vulnerable to the Foley scandal.

This article addresses air travel security after British officials foiled what appears to have been a plot to blow up as many as 10 United States-bound passenger jets with liquid explosives hidden in carry-on luggage. The author considers the dilemma of determining how security officials should respond to terrorism plots: by taking reflexive action regardless of the probability of a repeated attempt or by taking stock of probable risk and the cost of safety.

The article discusses the death of Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi by U.S. forces. The leader of the terrorist group Al Qaeda in Iraq was killed by two 500 pound bombs on Wednesday June 7, 2006. The article discusses the impact that al-Zarqawi's death may have on the Iraq War and an eventual reduction in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq.

The article discusses revelations that the U.S. government, with approval by President George W. Bush, secretly collected telephone records of millions of Americans. It also discusses the nomination of General Michael Hayden to Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Some Democrats have been critical of the program, whereas most Republicans support it but are concerned that goals and limits have not been clearly defined.

A collection of photographs is presented which focuses on a U.S. effort to identify and deport illegal immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security announced in January 2006 that it will increase the number of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement fugitive-hunting teams from 17 to 52. The new teams will be concentrated in major cities such as Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California, and expect to arrest 50,000 fugitives a year.

The article discusses United States President George W. Bush's decision to allow a Dubai-owned company to operate terminals at major U.S. ports and the disagreement it is causing within the Republican party. Several congress members including Senator James Inhofe, Governor George Pataki, and Representatives Peter King, Dennis Hastert, and Sue Myrick have publicly spoken out against the president's decision.

The article reports on the roots of the violence encountered in Iraq during the Iraq war. Riotous mobs are springing up in response to terrorist bombings of mosques, with no end in sight. The long-standing hostility between Iraq's two main sects, the Shi'ites and the Sunnis, is threatening to become a civil war. INSET: A Nation Divided.

The article reports that the release of the new audiotape from Osama bin Laden is not provoking the kind of unease in security officials it once would have. The tape reveals the weakened voice of an ailing bin Laden, offering a truce and making vague intimations of future terrorist attacks. U.S. officials are hoping that the recent presumed deaths of a number of al Qaeda operatives and the thinning of the al Qaeda ranks since 9/11 will make the organization and bin Laden ineffectual.

The article questions whether President George W. Bush has gone too far by authorized secret wiretaps of terrorism suspects on United States soil. The government has disregarded many legal norms in the war on terror. In such an open-ended endeavor with no concrete national enemy to defeat, these practices are not short-term measures, but permanent changes to U.S. laws. INSET: Caught in the Net?.

The article offers a look at how and when United States military forces may begin a withdrawal from the war in Iraq. The author reviews how the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush has begun to shed light on a possible timetable for trimming America's presence in Iraq after a nationwide increase in criticism related to the war. The author discusses whether or not Bush's troop-reduction plan is serious and which conditions need to be met in Iraq for the troop level to be drawn down.

The article focuses on U.S President George W. Bush's immigration reform initiatives. The author suggests that it is curious and even a little dangerous for White House officials to have selected the immigration issue as the issue meant to smooth out the recent political turmoil faced by the Bush Administration related to the Iraq War and the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. The details of Bush's guest-worker initiative are discussed. The author suggests the political challenges facing Bush's immigration views, which entail his having to convince both Democrats and fellow Republicans that his policy will prove effective.

The article focuses on the ongoing Hurricane Katrina cleanup effort in New Orleans, Louisiana. The author describes how the atmosphere on Bourbon Street has become somewhat normal while the hurricane-ravaged housing subdivisions off Lake Pontchartrain are still disaster areas. Mayor Ray Nagin has opened New Orleans up to returning evacuees, but only an estimated 60,000 people are living in the city. Economic aspects of the hurricane damage and clean up effort are reviewed. The article includes comments on the clean up efforts from various New Orleans residents.

The article focuses on U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who recently resigned following his indictment for perjury and obstruction in the C.I.A. leak case. Libby's career as a novelist and his career in government are reviewed. The allegations levied by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald are also discussed. The author presents an analysis of how the case involving the leaked identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame unfolded and also reviews the details of the indictment brought against Libby by Fitzgerald.

Discusses the massive rebuilding effort following Hurricane Katrina. The challenge to keep track of the billions of dollars required to rebuild; Efforts to curtail unnecessary spending; How many groups--form hard-hit farmers to federal contractors--are angling for a piece of the action; Efforts of both Democrats and Republicans to propel their own ideological agendas; Plans of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to send 30 auditors to the Gulf to follow the money.

Discusses how Hurricane Katrina has affected the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. Information from a TIME poll that President Bush's approval rating has dropped significantly; Idea that race and poverty played a role in the slow government response to the disaster in New Orleans; Limitations in the George W. Bush administration that became evident; Comments attributed to the President; Suggestion that President Bush is politically isolated and has allowed bureaucracy to make decisions concerning disaster relief; Challenging issues that the President is facing in his second term.

Focuses on hackers called Titan Rain who are stealing U.S. secrets. Role of Shawn Carpenter tracking break-ins at sensitive government networks; Strategy used by Carpenter to investigate the cyber-espionage ring; Discovery that the attackers' country of origin was China; Implications for U.S. security; Anxiety of the U.S. counterintelligence community regarding Chinese spies; Scope of the hackers' activities; Concerns of the U.S. Department of Defense; Why Carpenter is speaking out about his case; Question of whether Carpenter was sleuthing with the consent of the government or operating as a rogue hacker; How Carpenter's work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation got him into trouble with his employers at Sandia.

Reports on the scandal involving U.S. President George W. Bush's campaign manager and chief political strategist Karl Rove and former CIA operative Valerie Wilson. Question of whether or not Rove committed a federal crime by discussion Wilson's identity as an undercover operative with the press; Author's view that it is no longer a mystery that Rove had a hand in revealing Wilson's identity to "Time" correspondent Matthew Cooper and columnist Robert Novak; Question of whether or not special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald can charge Rove with a crime; Political reputation of Rove; Discussion of Joseph Wilson's career in government and politics; Partisan controversy that has resulted from the scandal.

Comments on the impact of the July 7, 2005 London subway bombings on the War on Terrorism. Portrait of the organization of terrorist activities under Al Qaeda; Impact of the U.S.-led War on Terrorism on Al Qaeda's organization and leadership; Influence of the London bombings on the world's understanding of Al Qaeda's actions and goals; Argument that Europe has become a central focus of both terrorist activity and counterterrorism efforts; Changes in the organizational behavior of terrorist groups since the capture of key leaders in Afghanistan and Iraq; Discussion of the impact of the Iraq War on the prevention of terrorism worldwide.

Focuses on terrorist attacks in London, England in which subways and commuter buses were bombed on July 7, 2005. Report that the attack, which was the largest in London since World War II, killed at least 49 and injured 700; Description of the initial investigations by police and forensics experts; Claim of responsibility for the attack by a group connected to Al Qaeda, who cited retaliation for Great Britain's support of U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; Suspicion of investigators that British Moroccans tied to Al Qaeda were behind the bombings; Potential links between the bombing and London and the bombing of trains Madrid, Spain, in March, 2004; Details of Great Britain's policies in the War on Terrorism. INSET: DEADLY COMMUTE.

Focuses on the interrogation of Mohammed al-Qahtani, a follower of Osama Bin Laden and believed to be the 20th hijacker, and inmate at Guantánamo Bay. Deportation of al-Qahtani after being detained at the Orlando International Airport in Florida; Log of al-Qahtani's interrogation received by "Time," even though it was never supposed to leave Guantánamo Bay; Excerpts from the log; Claim by the U.S. Dept. of Defense that al-Qahtani has been a valuable source of information; Calls on the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush to close down Guantánamo Bay after many complaints from human-rights groups, Amnesty International and others.

Reports on the efforts of activists and Congress to clean up television and asks if television or the critics have gone too far. The Parents Television Council which watches every hour of prime time television and many cable shows and lists material it finds offensive into a database; PTC executive director Tim Winter who logs every incident of sexual content, violence, profanity, disrespect for authority and "other negative content"; The war over indecency which is getting hotter daily as the FCC, pushed by activists, has rebuked or fined broadcast networks; Congress which is gearing up to give the FCC stronger weapons; Head of the Entertainment Tracking System, the database that holds all the information who is L. Brent Bozell; How the groups have gained power since the Janet Jackson nipple exposure during the super Bowl half-time show; Critics who fear the trend is getting out of control; Poll results on what the audience thinks is appropriate or non-offensive; Lack of rules for broadcasters on what can and cannot be said on television; Examples of recent self-censoring by television shows; The wild inconsistencies in content; How changes in television viewing habits may affect the outcome; Belief it is still up to each person to decide what shows to watch. INSETS: A FINE MESS;WE HATE IT! WE WANT IT!;PUSHING THE ENVELOPE OR PULLING BACK?.

This article profiles John Negroponte who has been chosen by President George W. Bush to be the first Director of National Intelligence. Negroponte, 65, is the consummate diplomat--discreet, deliberate and always careful choosing his words, whether in English, French, Greek, Spanish or Vietnamese. As the government's new intelligence czar and the President's primary intelligence adviser--a position created late last year by Congress the new chief has the job of making sure that the kinds of intelligence stumbles that led up to 9/11 and the sorts of miscalculations about Iraq's WMD programs don't happen again. If confirmed by the Senate, Negroponte would oversee parts of 15 different agencies, including the CIA, the FBI, the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, agencies whose willingness to share closely guarded secrets is notoriously poor and whose suspicion of one another is strong. Negroponte will deliver the President's daily intelligence briefing and will have ultimate authority over the nation's sprawling intel apparatus, including an estimated $40 billion annual budget. But considering how vague the legislation that established the DNI is, Negroponte's ability to actually do that is an open question. Negroponte won't have to fight alone. His deputy will be Air Force Lieut. General Michael Hayden, who has overseen electronic eavesdropping and code breaking for the intelligence community as chief of the highly secretive National Security Agency for the past six years. INSET: BUILDING A BETTER SPY NETWORK.

This article offers details on the life of A.Q. Kahn of Pakistan who outwitted Western intelligence and built a global nuclear-smuggling ring. One year after Khan appeared on Pakistani television and confessed to selling some of that country's most prized secrets, the world is only beginning to uncover the extent of his treachery--and comprehend how one man did more to destabilize the planet than did many of the world's worst regimes. For more than a decade, Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, masterminded a vast, clandestine and hugely profitable enterprise whose mission boiled down to selling to a rogues' gallery of nations the technology and equipment to make nuclear weapons. Among Khan's customers were Iran and North Korea whose nuclear ambitions present the U.S. with two of its biggest foreign policy quandaries. Who else did business with this merchant of menace? The list of suspected nuclear clients is dizzying. Investigators believe that Khan traveled the world for more than a decade, visiting countries in Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. Many questions remain unresolved, including whether Khan sold blueprints for building a nuclear warhead to Iran, as he did with Libya. Khan's illicit network of suppliers and middlemen is still out there. "Nothing has changed," one of Khan's former aides says. "The hardware is still available, and the network hasn't stopped."

Discusses the role of insurgent Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi in organizing the rebel forces in Iraq to fight against U.S. troops and their Iraqi allies. How al-Zarqawi has successfully organized daily bombings, kidnappings, mass executions, and televised beheadings in Fallujah and other Iraqi cities; Consideration of how religious extremists and national resistance were two major factors in the growth of the insurgency in Iraq; Contempt expressed by al-Zarqawi for the Shi'ites and those who sympathize with the U.S. and the new Iraqi authorities; Assassination of Ayatullah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, a prominent Shi'ite leader, in an August 2003 bombing in Najaf; How al-Zarqawi has pledged his allegiance to terrorist Osama bin Ladin in various Web announcements.

Focuses on Porter Goss and the United States Central Intelligence Agency. Career highlights of Goss who left the CIA after a case of blood poisoning nearly killed him in 1971; His work as a newspaper publisher in Florida; His tenure in Congress; His return to the CIA as director with a "tough love" approach to overhauling the agency; Complaints against the agency from the Bush administration; The issue of former director, George Tenet, and the intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; View of some in the White House that the book, "Imperial Hubris," written by Michael Scheuer, was meant to undermine the President; CIA officials who considered retirement when Goss returned; The role of Patrick Murray at the CIA and his critique of a proposed Directorate of Operations outreach program; Efforts of the White House to bring the agency under control.

Discusses five goals that should be met before the U.S. leaves Iraq. Overview of recent political violence in Iraq, including kidnappings and decapitations of foreigners; Doubts about the future of the American effort in Iraq; Views of President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry; Importance of launching offensives against the insurgency, training Iraqi forces and improving intelligence; Reconstruction efforts; Goal of holding real elections; Outlook for Iraq, if all the suggested goals are achieved.

Discusses how the resistance forces in Iraq include a variety of militant groups and ethnicities including insurgents from Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. Allegiance of the insurgents loyal to terrorist Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi; Increase in the number of kidnappings of U.S., French, and Italian journalists, construction workers, and aid workers; Claims from U.S. military officials that a sufficient portion of Iraq will be pacified in order to hold elections in January 2005; Characterization of the insurgency as a loosely organized network including members of the Baath ruling party, homegrown jihadis, and foreign terrorists; Development of splits among rebel groups due to the al-Zarqawi's willingness to sanction terrorist attacks against all civilians.

Presents a look at what investigators have discovered about al-Qaeda's plans for its next big attack on the U.S. How arrests by U.S., Pakistani and British investigators has unearthed new clues about possible terrorist attack plans; Surveillance of buildings by al-Qaeda operatives inside the U.S., beginning in 2000; How the operatives kept their attack plans a secret from the U.S. government until July 2004; Why there remains cause for concern; Escalating fears that al-Qaeda may attempt another 9/11-size attack in the U.S.; Efforts of law-enforcement and intelligence agencies to find al-Qaeda sleeper cells worldwide; Worries that Osama bin Laden may have ordered another attack; Question of how many terrorists are still at large; Background on the arrest of Pakistani Musaad Aruchi, nephew of Khaldi Sheikh Mohammed; Decision of Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge to publicize the names of the targeted buildings; Security measures.

Discusses the dramatic reforms proposed by "The 9/11 Commission Report" to help thwart another terrorist attack in the United States. Questions as to whether the proposals make sense and will ever be implemented; Reaction from the White House to the report; Pressure to take action from the ten commissioners on the committee, who plan to flood congressional hearings and stump for their reforms in the heartland; Plans to release at least four additional staff-written reports on such topics as aviation, border security, and terrorist financing; Call for a single National Intelligence Director; Need for better intelligence; Suggestion that the U.S. reach out to the Islamic world through diplomacy and educational and cultural exchanges.

Offers an inside look at the John Kerry-John Edwards team and their plan to win the 2004 U.S. election's key voters. Poll results following Kerry's announcement of Edwards as a running mate; View among Democrats and Republicans that Kerry had gone with his strongest choice; Edwards' vulnerabilities; How Kerry seized the chance to contrast Edwards with Vice President Dick Cheney; Background on Kerry's decision; Signs that each is working subtle changes on the other; Outlook.

Reports on the resignation of C.I.A. chief, George Tenet. How Tenet surprised many with his resignation even with multiple investigations into the mistakes of the agency before and after 9/11; Tenet's reasons for staying with the agency so long; His plans for the future; How the director has been facing criticism and worse from all sides including the White House; How he mistakenly told the president of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction; John McLaughlin who will succeed Tenet; Belief that the change in C.I.A. leadership may be the right time to change some of the agencies methods of intelligence gathering.

Discusses the United States investigation of Ahmad Chalabi. Raid of Chalabi's home in west Baghdad; U.S.'s abandonment of Chalabi who little more than a year ago was flown into Iraq escorted by U.S. forces; FBI criminal probe into whether Chalabi and senior aides passed high-level secret intelligence to Iran; Risks associated with going after Chalabi for the U.S..

Focuses on U.S. President George W. Bush. How, as his ratings fall, Bush finds his future increasingly linked with Iraq's; Public opinion in light of mounting U.S. casualties in Iraq and the prisoner abuse scandal; Outlook for re-election; How Bush is facing the challenges; Bush's support of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who is being criticized by lawmakers for mishandling the prison fiasco; Secrecy of the administration; Outlook for transferring power to the Iraqis on June 30, 2004. INSET: CROSSROADS FOR BUSH.

The article discusses the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by United States soldiers. Haider Sabbar Abed al-Abbadi kept his shame to himself until the world saw him stripped naked, his head in a hood, a nude fellow prisoner kneeling before him simulating oral sex. "That is me," he claims to a "Time" reporter, as one of the lurid photographs of detained Iraqis suffering sexual humiliation at the hands of U.S. soldiers scrolls down a computer screen. Nothing could hide the raw cruelty of U.S. soldiers ridiculing the manhood of Iraqi captives. Of all places, these atrocities occurred at Abu Ghraib prison, once the infamous home of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's torture chambers. Most immediately, the scandal has imperiled the U.S. effort to pacify Iraq by turning even more ordinary Iraqis against the occupation and reinforcing the sense that control is slipping everywhere, less than two months before the U.S. is due to hand sovereignty back to the nation. Testifying before the Senate, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said the Pentagon has obtained more photographs and video footage that show U.S. troops engaged in even worse behavior. On March 20, 2004, the military announced that seven soldiers of the 372nd Military Police Company were being held in Iraq and charged with conspiracy, dereliction of duty, assault, maltreatment and indecent acts.

Focuses on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in light of the preliminary findings by the September 11 commission. Question of whether the agencies and the President George W. Bush administration are willing to change; History of the FBI; Changes that are being made by Bush; Overview of intelligence failures; Background on the CIA; Outlook for reform.

Reports that four American civilians who were members of the company Blackwater USA were murdered in Fallujah, Iraq by insurgents. Murder of Wesley Batalona, Michael Teague, Scott Helvenston, and Jerry Zovko, nonmilitary personnel who were hired by the Pentagon to provide security in Iraq; How a mob burned the dead and committed other atrocities to the bodies of the men; Efforts of members of the Iraqi security force to disperse the mob and claim the mutilated bodies; Possibility that the U.S. will give Iraqi authorities power in the form of in interim government by June 30th; Confusion regarding the identity of the killers. INSET: The Mounting Toll.

How does a civil servant who has launched a major attack on the Bush presidency protect himself from what he has unleashed? Richard Clarke, the former counterterrorism adviser to Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush--who saw al-Qaeda expand under his watch, attack U.S. interests abroad and produce the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history--knew he couldn't pin the blame on his bosses if he didn't start by apologizing himself. Clarke, who quit his job at the National Security Council a year ago, would not have survived Washington's brutal ways in the service of three Presidents if he had not been a good politician. And last week he needed all the political skills he could muster for what he was about to do--direct a missile at the very fortress that so far has protected Bush's presidential advantage in this campaign season: the perception that, for all his faults, Bush has done everything he could to keep the country safe and managed the war on terrorism well. With all the dust flying around Clarke last week, the question ofwhether Washington appropriately handled the terrorist threat tended to get lost. That question is of course the one of greatest interest to the public in the wake of 9/11. In his strongest public statement, to 60 Minutes, Clarke said Bush "ignored" the terrorist threat before 9/11. To the commission he testified, more soberly, that, for the Administration, it was an "important issue but not an urgent issue." the end, the drama produced by Clarke in Washington was not about the last terrorist attack against the U.S. but about the next one. Since it began its work in early 2003, the commission has uncovered huge failings in the national-security system, including how even a presidential order can be misunderstood down the chain of command. But these dangers got lost in a high-stakes political showdown. Unless Washington can focus on them, someone may risk having to ask forgiveness again.

Offers a look at the threat of terrorism in the world as of March 29, 2004. Search for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden; Statement that the Madrid terrorist bombings and attacks on hotels in Iraq give evidence that the Islamist terrorist threat has survived a global war on terror; Belief of counterterrorism experts that the al-Qaeda organization is being replaced by a more elusive generation of extremists; Arrest of Jamal Zougam for the attacks in Madrid; Effect of the bombings in Madrid on the Spanish elections; Role of Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi in the violence in Baghdad, Iraq; Measures taken by the United States to prevent terrorism; Statement that the U.S. measures have not lessened the threat of Islamic terrorism.

Presents a report on efforts to find the terrorists responsible for a series of bomb explosions in commuter train stations in Madrid, Spain, which left more than 200 people dead and 1,500 wounded. Report that an unexploded bomb provided important clues for Spanish police in tracking down the terrorists; Details of the police investigation, which led to the arrest of three Moroccans who may be linked to bombings in Casablanca last May; Explanation of the Moroccans' possible connections to al Qaeda, Speculation about whether attempts to claim responsibility for the bombings by callers saying they are linked to al Qaeda are genuine; Reasons why the Spanish government initially thought ETA could be responsible for the attacks. INSET: A Deadly Morning.

Reports on the capture of an al-Qaeda terrorist, Hassan Ghul, by Kurdish security officials on the border between Iraq and Iran. How Ghul held intelligence about the role of al-Qaeda in the insurgency in Iraq; Plans of an international terrorism organization to engage in a global jihad in Iraq by creating discord between the Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims; Possibility that the document found on Ghul was prepared by al-Qaeda top operative Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi; How the jihadists will try to turn the Iraqis against U.S. occupation forces.

Investigates potential dishonesty from president George W. Bush on his reasons for going to war with Iraq in 2003. Efforts by the Bush administration to allay concerns over intelligence shortcomings concerning Iraq and weapons of mass destruction; Comments from Democrat congressmen and voters about Bush's credibility; Aspects of Bush's recent decline in public opinion; Counter-attacks by Bush administration members starting with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. INSETS: Credibility Questions on Two Fronts;BUSH'S CREDIBILITY.

Offers a look at the information provided by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) prior to the Iraq War of 2003. Role of David Kay in the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; Report that Kay and his Iraq Survey Group found no weapons of mass destruction and did not expect to find any in the future; Criticism of the President George W. Bush administration and the CIA; Doubts raised over the Administration's conduct in the weeks leading up to the war; Completion of an internal review of the CIA by Richard Kerr, a former CIA deputy director; Report on the prewar weapons of mass destruction by the Senate Intelligence Committee; Discussion of the various actions taken by former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein that were in violation of international law; Importance of spy operations in uncovering substantial intelligence.

The articles discusses assistance given to the United States by the Iraqi underground to take down Saddam Hussein. Hussein didn't want to believe what his intelligence networks were saying. Before the war last spring, says a former colonel in the Iraqi intelligence service, Saddam's analysts presented him with classified reports predicting a decisive U.S. victory. Before a shot was fired, the U.S. recruited and dispatched Iraqi collaborators to uncover Saddam's plans and capabilities, and hobble them. In a West European capital, Abu Ranin, underground operative of the Iraqi National Congress (I.N.C.) says he found several weak links in the Iraqi hierarchy and exploited them to collect evidence to aid in the ousting of Hussein.

Discusses the efforts of U.S. Army officials to investigate the trail of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Interrogation of members of the Military Industrialization Commission (MIC); Plight of United Nations inspectors to find a paper trail for the weapons; Role of David Kay as the co-head of the Iraq Survey Group in charge of locating the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; Capture and questioning of top weapons scientists; Consideration of the testimony of Iraqi engineering professor Nabil al-Rawi; Investigation of the possibility of weapons at the Amiriyah Serum and the Vaccine Institute.

Describes the difficulty associated with the reconstruction of Iraq after the war. Consideration of how 1,170 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq after the end of major combat operations; Increase in the incidence of guerrilla attacks; Assassination of two Iraqi leaders Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim and Akila al-Hashimi; Possibility that Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction; Approval ratings of U.S. President George W. Bush; Impact of the war on the oil industry in Iraq; Consequence of the decision of U.S. proconsul L. Paul Bremer to disband the Iraqi army; Miscalculation of cost estimates by the U.S. government. INSET: THE POLITICS BEHIND THE PRICE TAG.

Considers the increasing doubts that the George W. Bush administration has about the support of Pakistan for the war on terrorism. Significance of meeting between Bush and Pervez Musharraf, president of Pakistan; Re-emergence of the Taliban in the border regions; Possibility of continued Taliban support in the Pakistani military; Role of problems between Pakistan and India over Kashmir; Inability of Musharraf government to control extremists within Pakistan; Urgency about Pakistani scientists sharing nuclear information with North Korea and Iran; Frustrations of Musharraf in dealing with U.S. government.

Focuses on the state of Saudi Arabia as of September 2003. Efforts of the government to track down members of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda; Concerns over the fact that many of the September 11 terrorists were Saudi residents; Military and police raids conducted in the region to arrest Al Qaeda suspects; Terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in May 2003; How the U.S. supports the Saudi's efforts to control terrorist funds; Efforts to end the teaching of intolerance. INSET: The Bush-Saudi Axis.