Mr. Bush has spent three years in a futile effort to establish a strong central government in Baghdad, leaving us without a real political settlement, with a deteriorating security situation—and with nothing but the most difficult policy choices. The five-point alternative plan offers a plausible path to that core political settlement among Iraqis, along with the economic, military and diplomatic levers to make the political solution work. It is also a plausible way for Democrats and Republicans alike to protect our basic security interests and honor our country’s sacrifices.

Unity Through Autonomy in Iraq, by Joe Biden and Leslie Gelb | Council on Foreign Relations

Bush's CIA chief abruptly resigns under a shadow of alleged ties to a corrupt congressman and leaves a spy agency in chaos.

Porter Goss' spooky demise

Thanks to our super-secret source for telling us about this ABC feed that got posted, with a camera trained on the President Bush during Colbert's video skit during last week's White House correspondents' dinner.

The president is not amused

Perhaps this shrinking of the CIA is necessary if the agency has become as politicized and ungovernable as it sometimes seems from the outside. In that case, Mr. Bush would be better off shutting Langley altogether and rebuilding an intelligence service from the ground up under the DNI. This being Washington, where inertia rules, that isn't likely to happen. So we are probably left with the hope that Mr. Bush will choose a new director who can work with Mr. Negroponte to make the agency more effective.

Given the way Mr. Goss was roughed up, despite having worked at the CIA himself as a younger man, Mr. Bush shouldn't acquiesce and pick a Langley insider. We'd recommend Rudy Giuliani or Paul Wolfowitz, assuming either would take the job. Or better yet, make one of those two the DNI, and move Mr. Negroponte over to CIA. That would get everyone's attention, especially al Qaeda's.

Gossed Over

Now, "the real battle lies between" Negroponte and Rumsfeld, said retired Army Lt. Gen. Donald Kerrick, a former deputy national security adviser and once a senior official at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

"Rumsfeld rules the roost now."

The Fix-It Man Leaves, but The Agency's Cracks Remain

Porter J. Goss was forced to step down yesterday as CIA director, ending a turbulent 18-month tenure marked by an exodus of some of the agency's top talent and growing White House dissatisfaction with his leadership during a time of war.

The likely successor to Goss is Gen. Michael V. Hayden, the former director of the National Security Agency and now deputy to Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte, senior administration officials said. He could be named as soon as Monday.

Goss Forced Out as CIA Director; Gen. Hayden Is Likely Successor

If it is authentic, the video would be the first time that Mr. Zarqawi had willingly shown his face to the world.

You have to ask, why?

Many experts believe that there are elements of a rivalry between Mr. Zarqawi and Mr. bin Laden.

Several other explanations for releasing the video also suggested themselves, including the possibility that the timing was meant to coincide with the first steps toward a new Iraqi government.

The video could have been intended to dispel any notion that Mr. Zarqawi is dead or unable to lead his movement.

Qaeda Video Vows Iraq Defeat for 'Crusader' US

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, seeking to put past differences behind them, paid a surprise joint visit to Iraq today to mobilize diplomatic and security forces and bolster the new government of Prime Minister Jawad al-Maliki.

This trip is clearly an engineered photo-op. I can see Bush ordering this trip at a principals meeting after Rice and Rumsfeld publicly disagreed about whether "errors" were made and whether they were strategic or tactical.

The George Packer story in the New Yorker is a good counterpoint to the Secretaries' spin in this news coverage.

Rumsfeld and Rice Visit Baghdad

Nepal is in the throes of a democratic revolution.

"We call upon people from all walks of life to take to the streets and bring everything in the capital and all across the country to a complete halt."

Where is President Bush and his pro-democracy agenda?

President George W. Bush and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger put aside their differences in a show of Republican solidarity on Friday after Bush approved federal help to shore up the state's fragile levee system.

"He is a really interesting man," Bush said of his fellow Republican. "He didn't have to run for office, but chose to do so and I admire that in you, I admire somebody who doesn't always take the comfortable way in life."

What a silly comment. Who has to run for the governorship? (Apparently, the elder Bush forced W to run in Texas, and perhaps Jeb to run in Florida.) Maybe the comment isn't so silly after all ...

Why doesn't CNN tell you about Bush's position on Nepal?

In a blunt message to Nepal’s King Gyanendra, the Bush administration has said he should return power to the parties and adopt a more ceremonial role in the political process.

"It is time for the King to return political power to the parties so they can appoint a prime minister and take over governance. It is time for the King to adopt a more ceremonial role and let the political process go forward," the assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, Mr Richard Boucher told reporters at a roundtable at the state department.

At the State web site:

The United States salutes the people of Nepal's courage and resilience in their struggle for democracy. We are pleased that King Gyanendra's message today made clear that sovereignty resides with the people. We expect the King to live up to his words, and allow the parties to form a government. We urge the parties to respond quickly by choosing a prime minister and a cabinet. The people of Nepal deserve a democratic government that can return stability and peace to their country. We urge all sides to refrain from violence to allow the restoration of democracy to take place swiftly and peacefully.

It's interesting that these statements are occurring only now, when protestors are in the streets. What did they have to say when it happened? Now they're saying:

"King Gyanendra's decision 14 months ago to impose direct palace rule in Nepal has failed in every regard."

As though the overthrow of democracy would have been OK if only he had been a more effective dictator.

In February 2005, when the K... [ Read More (0.4k in body) ]

Embattled King of Nepal Offers Gesture to Protesters

The operative, Marwan Hadid al-Suri, 38, also known as Abu Marwan, was shot to death on Thursday during a gunfight outside Khaar, a tribal area close to the Afghan border. Mr. Suri was killed after his bus was stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint. He shot one of the soldiers and was fired upon as he tried to flee.

"This is a big achievement because he was Al Qaeda's explosives expert."

A Qaeda Bomb Expert Killed in Pakistan Was a Paymaster