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Thursday August 22, 8:11 AM Two of six kidnap victims beheaded in south Philippines Two of the six Filipino Christians kidnapped earlier this week by Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas in the southern Philippines have been beheaded, an army commander said. The severed heads of the abducted men were found dumped in the southern island of Jolo, Brigadier General Romeo Tolentino said. Tolentino, military chief of Jolo island, said a note was included with one of the heads, saying "those who do not believe in Allah will suffer the same fate." One severed head was found dumped near the army headquarters...

A congressman who spoke to a group of breast cancer survivors about the link between abortion and breast cancer, a tie supported by dozens of studies, is being castigated for daring to mention this reality. Several of the 11 breast cancer survivors who called on Rep. John N. Hostettler, R-Ind., to ask him to support more federal money for breast cancer research were shocked when he insisted on discussing what studies have found about the connection between abortion and the disease, the Washington Post reported. Several of the women "were surprised to be given a lecture on the perils...

Statement by Sandra Feldman, President, American Federation of Teachers on Lesson Plans for September 11 On this very important anniversary in America’s history, children should have a factual understanding of September 11. Lesson plans should be based on the facts, including what is undisputed about the terrorists who are to blame for the attack on America and whose values are anathema to ours. Unfortunately, many well-meaning lesson plans avoid explicit judgment about the aims and character of the terrorists of 9/11, and AFT believes that anything that implicitly seems to blame America for these attacks is wrong. Of course it...

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush on Wednesday brushed aside speculation about imminent military action against Iraq, saying he was a patient man who would first consult with U.S. allies and Congress. Bush said the subject of Iraq -- and his repeated calls for Saddam Hussein's ouster -- did not come up during a meeting with top national security advisers, dismissing "intense speculation" about military action any time soon. "We take all threats seriously and we will continue to consult with our friends and allies," Bush told reporters when asked about Iraq. "The American people know my position, and that...

Let me state up front: I wasn't in favor of the "Gulf War" then, and while many are talking about invading Iraq now I'm not in favor of that either. I could discuss that if anyone wants to. But my question tonight is: What if we never went to war with Iraq? What if we just let Hussein take over Kuwait, and maybe move on to Saudi Arabia? Would 9/11 have happened? If it would have happened anyway, would our position be stronger than it is now? My guesses are No and Yes. I guess No, there wouldn't have been...

Al-Qa'ida chiefs are hiding in Iraq, US claims By Andrew Buncombe in Washington 22 August 2002 A number of senior al-Qa'ida figures have taken refuge inside Iraq and are being sheltered by Saddam Hussein, the United States government claimed yesterday. The claim came as George Bush met his senior military advisers in Texas and said the removal of the Iraqi President was "in the interests of the world". Unnamed government officials said senior figures of Osama bin Laden's organisation had entered the country after the US-led military operation in Afghanistan and their presence had been noted in a series of...

It's always easier for a county [to put off war decisions]. Think of the prelude to World War II, think of all the countries that said, 'Well, we don't have enough evidence.' I mean, Mein Kampf had been written; Hitler had indicated what he intended to do." —Donald Rumsfeld PRECISELY. The utterance above from our defense chief the other day on Fox News pretty much captured the challenge before President Bush. In the war on terror, do you preempt what you know are enemies that intend to do the United States and its allies great harm? Or do you wait...

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United States accused Iraq on Wednesday of not cooperating in determining the fate of missing Gulf War ( news - web sites) pilot Scott Speicher despite numerous requests for information.   Speicher, a U.S. Navy ( news - web sites) F-18 pilot, was shot down over Iraq on the opening night of the Gulf War in January 1991, and was initially listed as killed in action, with no body recovered. But in January 2001, the Navy changed his status to missing in action because of a lack of evidence that he died in the crash....