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Elaine Shannon I WENT INTO journalism because it's like a box of chocolates. If you know what you're going to get, that takes all the fun out of it. I [...]

Heidi Landgraf of the Drug Enforcement Administration was a key undercover agent in the largest such operation attempted against the drug lords of Colombia. The two-year operation resulted in arrests in seven countries and the seizure of $47.5 million in drug cartel bank accounts.

Reno has been a pleasant surprise for the Clinton administration. She has managed to survive various controversies that she did not create and pursue her own goals of social justice with a firm but compassionate kind of determination.

The article focuses on the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University shooting by Cho Seung-Hui. The events at Virginia Tech are described as well as Cho's past behavior at the university and the court-ordered psychiatric evaluation of him. Several professors and students commented on their impressions of Cho, ranging from being disturbed to trying to reach out to him. The reaction of students concerning Virginia Tech's accountability concerning warnings about a gunman are mentioned. INSET: Perfectly Legal.

The article discusses the turmoil going on within Iran over the leadership of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. According to the author, Ahmadinejad has caused the backlash through his domestic policies, including firing thousands of bureaucrats and hiring personal friends in their place and refusing policies pushed for by his own party. Iran's policies towards Israel and the United States are also discussed.

The article reports on Vice President Dick Cheney in the wake of the 2007 trial of his former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Cheney's role in the 2003 United States invasion of Iraq is analyzed. His alleged vendetta against former Ambassador Joseph Wilson is discussed. The author reflects on the possibility of Libby receiving a presidential pardon.

The article discusses the arrest of Afghan tribal leader Haji Bashar Noorzai, who acted as an informant to the U.S. on Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders since November of 2001. However, Noorzai's tribe was a large producer of opium, and in June of 2004 his name was placed last on the list of most wanted druglords. While engaging in talks with U.S. officials in Manhattan, Noorzai was unexpectedly arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle heroin into the U.S.

The article focuses on U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice has a job-approval rating 20 points higher than her boss, U.S. President George W. Bush, and may be the only person in the Administration who can reasonably expect to have a political future beyond the end of the current administration in 2008. The article discusses many instances in which Rice urged Bush to pursue measures, such as the creation of the Iraq Study Group, only to see him disregard their recommendations. Comments regarding Rice's political determination are presented. INSET: "THIS CAN BE DONE THROUGH DIPLOMACY".

This article discusses China as a growing world power. The article notes that China's economy has grown by leaps and bounds during the 21st century, and speculates as to whether China will eventually challenge the United States as one of the world's leading military powers as well. The article also discusses China's history.

In this article, the author traces the history of the Baker-Hamilton commission, also known as the Iraq Study Group. The report is expected to be delivered to President George W. Bush on December 6, 2006. After the President is informed, congress will be filled in, then there is a planned media blitz that should last at least five days. One of the Study Group's experts warned that there is no perfect solution.

This article outlines the Iraq problems facing incoming United States Secretary of Defense, Bob Gates. Bob Gates spent twenty-five years in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He was a member of the special commission led by former Secretary of State James Baker that was looking at the U.S.'s possible next moves regarding the situation in Iraq. Current outbreaks of violence in Iraq and the new incoming Democratic legislature seem to lend a sense of urgency for the U.S. to develop new policies.

The article reports on anticipated changes in United States foreign policy on Iraq. The bipartisan Iraq Study Group, headed by James Baker, is described, and possible results of its deliberations are discussed. The views and history of Robert Gates, who is to be the new U.S. Secretary of Defence, are analyzed. The debate on strategy is between neoconservatives and pragmatists, the author says. The importance of a successful Iraq strategy to U.S. President George W. Bush and his legacy is emphasized.

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 considers the possibility of a U.S.-Iran war. The U.S. is already stretched thin both militarily and financially. Iran has sponsored terrorist organizations and has increased its power in the Mideast. Iran has delayed and side-stepped around demands to stop enriching uranium. It is estimated that the nation is five years away from having a nuclear bomb, but may only be a year from being a nuclear power. If Iran continues, U.S. and its allies will have to step in.

This article provides advice for establishing peace in the Arab-Israeli conflict in the wake of battles between Israel and Lebanon in 2006. Among the actions advised are involvement from the U.S. military, the inclusion of Palestine in peace talks, a guarantee of Israel's security, the stabilization of Lebanon, and handling of political insurgency in Iraq and Iran.

The article focuses on increased escalating violence between Israel and the Hamas controlled Palestinian government and the Hizballah terrorist organization in Lebanon. Recent causes of the conflict are discussed, as well as diplomatic interventions by the United Nations, Arab countries interested in stability, or the United States through Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

The article presents the current situation of an armed, nuclear North Korea under the control of leader Kim Jong Il. While wanting to break down Kim's regime, the U.S. and South Korea both acknowledge that it is too risky to attempt a preemptive strike. One popular strategy is to weaken North Korea economically and diplomatically to the point where the North Korean government becomes more predictable. The best plan may be to continue pushing for the six-party talks Kim has so far avoided, or else give in to Kim's wishes of direct talks.

The article discusses the change in U.S. President George W. Bush's stance on diplomacy. Bush is no longer the tough talker, now suggesting that the U.S. work closely with other countries to resolve issues diplomatically. Several reasons are discussed for why Bush's stance may have changed. Iran and North Korea both continue to work towards obtaining weapons of mass destruction which is the opposite of what the president wanted in response to the current war. The author states that if Bush wants to improve his legacy, he needs to attain major changes that do not involve Iraq.

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 focuses on the potential threat of a nuclear armed Iran under president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The article explores multiple questions surrounding the issue, including what Iran wants, how close the country is to gaining a nuclear bomb, and what the United States can do about it. Iran's boldness in the face of the international community may result from what it sees as a vulnerable Western world, with high oil prices and troops deployed in Iraq.

The article reports on U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad and his job. The ambassador has been entrusted with the task of helping form a coalition government to include all sectors of Iraqi politics including Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. He states that when a pluralistic national-unity government is in place in Iraq, and ministries are run by competent ministers, the U.S. will be able to withdraw its troops. Khalilzad was chosen for the job because of his knowledge of the region, he had served as Ambassador to Afghanistan, and his first hand knowledge of the factions and people involved in the conflict.

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.

This article reports on the problems and priorities facing Hamas in the wake of its election victory in the Palestinian Territories. Speculates as to whether the militant organization is capable, or even willing, to lay down its arms and play a purely political role in the region. There are details of the election victory over rival Fatah and the reactions to the election from the United States and Israel.

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 reports that the incapacitating stroke suffered by Israeli Prime MInister Ariel Sharon may derail the peace process in the Middle East. Sharon was trusted by Israelis to make tough and hawkish decisions in the name of peace. Ehud Olmert is currently acting Prime Minister, but he lacks the charisma to lead coalitions like the one that dismantled the Gaza settlements. An inset features potential successors.

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 looks at how the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush is planning on recovering from the recent political turmoil caused by the indictment of Vice President chief of staff I. Lewis Libby, the indictment of Republican House majority leader Tom Delay, the failed Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers and ongoing criticisms related to the war in Iraq. The article suggests that the recent problems have awakened the administration from its sense of infallibility. According to the author, the Bush administration will implement a "back-to-basics" strategy that will focus on traditional Republican issues.

Reports on the devastation in Pakistan and India from the October 8, 2005 earthquake whose epicenter was in Kashmir, a region under cease-fire since 2003. Efforts of both India and Pakistan to send aid to remote villages; Estimation of the death toll and the number of homeless; Factors contributing to the delay in disaster relief reaching towns such as Balakot; Indication that thousands of volunteers and militant Islamic groups were among the first responders.

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.

Profiles U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Her efforts promoting U.S. foreign policy worldwide; Comments of Rice; How her enthusiasm for travel has transformed her image; Influence of Rice on the President George W. Bush administration; Approach to dealing with the war in Iraq; Questions over Iraq's political policy; Issue of how long the administration plans to keep U.S. troops in Iraq; Career background, including her tenure as National Security Adviser; Achievements; Relationship with Bush; Question of whether Rice's commitment to the Bush doctrine of bringing democracy to societies that have never known it is impairing her judgment; Qualities; Outlook for Iraq.

Profiles John Roberts, U.S. President George W. Bush's nominee to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the United States Supreme Court. Assessment of Roberts' personality and differences between him and previous justices noted for their poor demeanor; Roberts' career as a corporate lawyer; Discussion of the public scrutiny Roberts is expected to face; View that liberals can't make an instant attack on Roberts; Biography of Roberts.

Looks at economic relations between the U.S. and China as of June 27, 2005. Profitability of manufactured goods made in China and sold in the U.S.; Impact of China's political and economic policies on U.S. interests and international relations; View that China's currency policy maintains low priced goods that unfairly compete with U.S. manufacturing industries; Views of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on U.S. relations with China; Discussion of political and social movements toward modernity in China; Efforts of the Chinese government to prevent political corruption and economic inequality.

Looks at Condoleezza Rice and her dazzling of audiences abroad. Evidence that the new Secretary of State has consolidated her power as the chief exponent of the Administration's foreign policy; Belief her best asset is her direct line to President George W. Bush with whom she is very close; Actions she has taken to calm the U.S. position towards Hizballah in Lebanon and leading the push for reform in the Middle East.

Focuses on encouraging pro-democracy developments in the Middle East. Announcement by President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt that Egypt would hold its first-ever secret ballot, multiparty presidential election; Demonstrations in Beirut forcing the resignation of the Syrian-backed Prime Minister and his cabinet; Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Abdullah's demand that Syrian President Bashar Assad remove Syrian troops from Lebanon; Hopes of U.S. President George W. Bush and his administration that these developments mark a course towards democracy.

Discusses the difficulties involved in melding American legal principles with the global pursuit of terrorists. Example of the case of Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, who is accused of plotting to kill President Bush; Suggestion that the charges of his involvement in an alleged al-Qaeda plot to assassinate President George W. Bush are questionable; Claim by Abu Ali that he was tortured in a Saudi prison; Basis of the Abu-Ali case largely on evidence gathered by the foreign intelligence service of a Saudi regime that has scant regard for human rights; Denial of all charges by Abu Ali; Highlights from what is described as a typical American upbringing; Statement that justice officials have had a clear directive since the attacks of September 11, 2001: disrupt first, prosecute later; Suggestion that this can lead to gathering evidence in unorthodox or inadmissable ways.

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.

The article discusses how, after months of mixed signals, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il says his country has nuclear weapons. Days before his 63rd birthday this week, his government announced that, as has long been suspected by U.S. intelligence, North Korea has indeed built nuclear weapons "for self-defense." Though the bulletin ended years of speculation about the general state of Kim's nuclear-weapons program, the declaration was actually two blows in one: Pyongyang also announced it was pulling out of joint talks with the U.S., China, Japan, Russia and South Korea to keep the Korean peninsula nuclear-free. For more than a decade, the U.S. and its allies have insisted that they would not allow Kim to acquire nuclear weapons, out of fear that he would sell nukes to anyone willing to pay for them and set off an Asian arms race. A nuclear-armed North Korea means that President Bush's multilateral strategy for preventing Pyongyang from acquiring nukes has failed just as dramatically as Clinton's policy of direct engagement did a decade ago. In the wake of Pyongyang's latest fulminations, the Administration is counting on China to drag the North Koreans back to the six-party table--a role China embraced in a phone call between Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. James Lilley, who was ambassador to both China and South Korea in the 1980s, says Pyongyang's tactics are designed to stall for time and force concessions from outsiders before sitting down to talk again.

This article reports on voting day in Iraq. On Jan. 30, widely predicted to be the most dangerous day since the end of the war--so dangerous that the government banned vehicular traffic--the streets seemed to be overrun by children: playing soccer in the shadow of U.S. Abrams tanks, chasing other kids in impromptu games of catch, accompanying their parents to polling booths, decked out in their newest clothes. "It's a big day, and I wanted my girls to experience it," said Amina Hussein, a Baghdad housewife, as she and her husband tried to subdue three giggling preteen daughters at a voting booth in the downtown Karrada district. Given the chaos of Iraq's recent past and the uncertainty of what lies ahead, it was understandable that so many wanted to make this one hopeful moment last. Days after the vote, Iraqis were still waving index fingers stained with the dark ink that proved they had taken part. The vote jump-started a first chapter in democracy: before the ballots were even counted, politicians in Baghdad were already engaging in the ancient art of dealmaking. Early trends suggest that the so-called Sistani List--a slate of religious Shi'ites and secular parties that has the backing of Grand Ayatullah Ali Husaini Sistani--has won a majority in the 275-member Transitional National Assembly. Vying for second place are a unified Kurdish list and the secular list of interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, Washington's preferred candidate.

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."

Presents brief profiles of the 25 most influential evangelicals in America. Profiles of Rick Warren, James Dobson, Howard and Roberta Ahmanson, Diane Knippers, Michael Gerson, Richard John Neuhaus, T. D. Jakes, Billy and Franklin Graham, Joyce Meyer, Rick Santorum, Luis Cortes, Tim and Beverly Lahaye, Charles Colson, Douglas Coe, J. I. Packer, David Barton, Mark Noll, Ralph Winter, Richard Land, Stephen Strang, Ted Haggard, Stuart Epperson, Bill Hybels, Brian McLaren, John Stott, and Jay Sekulow.

This article asks if Iraq will be able to rule itself following the elections in January. There is a divide in Iraq on the eve of its ready-or-not plunge into democracy: heady optimism on one street, jittery paranoia down another. In a country roiled by insurgency and sectarian tensions, occupied by a foreign army and populated by citizens largely unfamiliar with the democratic process, this is a time of profound uncertainty. The U.S. and the interim Iraqi government are hopeful that at least half the country's 15 million eligible voters will take part in the election, but no one can predict with any certainty what the turnout will be, especially among the disaffected Sunni population. It's highly likely that the vote will be compromised by violence and plagued by Sunni underparticipation, meaning the legitimacy of the new government will be suspect from the start. Given the vows by the insurgents to step up their onslaught, will next week's elections matter? For Iraqis and Americans alike, much depends on whether the new government can prove that it has real authority, bring disenfranchised Sunnis into the political process and quickly establish itself as a credible body willing to work for national reconciliation. Considering the performance of the current government, headed by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, chances that the new leadership can impose order aren't great. If it fails, the country could slide into civil war.

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 how the process of making the flu vaccine is prone to production problems and manufacturing delays which is part of the reason for major shortages in the United States. How only two companies, Chiron and Aventis, were licensed in 2004 to produce the vaccine for the U.S. market; Problems which resulted when Chiron withdrew 48 million doses of vaccine in early October because of contamination problems; Impact of the vaccine shortage on the political campaigns of incumbent president George W. Bush and candidate John Kerry; Criticism from Kerry that Bush ignored warnings that the situation was worsening to a crisis; Lack of an adequate response from Congress and the Centers for Disease Control.

Examines the use of wedge issues by the presidential candidates in their quest for the White House. Examples of this year's wedge issues which are stem cell research, abortion rights, gay marriages and more; How they usually work in the Republican's favor but how that may not be true this year; Recent "Time" poll on abortion, gay rights and stem-cell research; What voters really care about this year; The candidates positions on wedge issues.

Discusses the strategy of United States President George W. Bush in seeking re-election in the 2004 presidential election. Profile of Ed Gillespie, the Republican Party chairman; Eagerness of the Bush camp to stress Senator John Kerry's faults; Bush's plans for a new stump speech of upbeat messages.

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.

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.