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By Lisa M. Sodders, Staff Writer HOLLYWOOD - Actor Martin Sheen and other Hollywood figures called for an immediate end to war in Iraq, addressing some 1,000 anti-war activists who marched through Hollywood Saturday on the war's third anniversary. From a stage erected in the street near Grauman's Chinese Theater, speakers condemned President George W. Bush as a liar and criticized his administration for the Iraq war, its record on the environment, the handling of Hurricane Katrina relief and other issues. "Your voices are the only ones worth listening to, and lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for,"...

It's the third anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The moonbats plan to march on the Times Square recruiting office. We plan to support our military by counter-protesting the lefties. Join us for Operation Yellow Ribbon When: March 18th AND March 19th (Saturday AND Sunday) Where: New York City *March 18th (Saturday): The Leftist's Plan that day: At 1pm, the Lefties plan to converge at the Military Recruitment Center in Times Square "for a massive rally to shut down the recruiting station and the entire area." From there, they plan on marching East on 43rd Street to the UN. Our Plan:...

U.S. President George W. Bush adjusts his tie before speaking to the media upon his return from Camp David to the White House via helicopter in Washington, March 19, 2006. Bush on Sunday marked the third anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq, in particular thanking members of the military for their service. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: The first couple arrived back at the White House from Camp David earlier today. The President then walked over to the White House press corps and made a brief statement about Iraq. Here is the full transcript: Remarks by President Bush Upon Arrival at the White HouseWASHINGTON, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The South Lawn 12:56 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: This morning I had a phone call with our ambassador to Iraq. And the ambassador informed me of the progress that the Iraqis are making in forming a unity government. I encouraged the Iraqi leaders to...

The Talk Shows Sunday, March 19th, 2006 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa. FACE THE NATION (CBS): Vice President Dick Cheney. THIS WEEK (ABC): Sens. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and Jack Reed, D-R.I.; Olympic speed skater Joey Cheek. LATE EDITION (CNN) : Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Joseph Biden, D-Del.; Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi; Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah; former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush marked the anniversary of the Iraq war Sunday by touting the efforts to build democracy there and avoiding any mention of the daily violence that rages three years after he ordered an invasion. The president didn't utter the word "war." "We are implementing a strategy that will lead to victory in Iraq," the president assured a public that is increasingly skeptical that he has a plan to end the fighting after the deaths of more than 2,300 U.S. troops. Administration officials repeated the mantra that progress continues toward building a unified Iraqi government and nation. "Now...

NEW YORK -- Several weeks ago, the reliably-conservative Tribune-Review of Pittsburgh and Greensburg, Pa., startled many readers when it suddenly came out for the start of a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. It did so, however, with a reference to preparing to take on Iran if necessary, so some dismissed the editorial as merely hawkish-in-a-different-direction. What would it do on the thrid anniversary of the start of the conflict? In a Sunday editorial, the newspaper affirmed its pullout demand--few Democrat-leaning papers have joined it--while also making clear it was not in favor of pre-emptive war elsewhere. Here is the editorial. *...

When the U.S.-led coalition attacked Iraq three years ago, the Bush administration was brimming with confidence that this would be a war only in the sense that a lot of bombs would be dropped and the military would seize, temporarily, a foreign capital. It was going to be swift, high-tech, clean. Six weeks later, President Bush spoke in the past tense about Operation Iraqi Freedom, thanking the Iraqis who welcomed the U.S. troops and promising that democratic change would sweep the region. Now, with sectarian violence roaring and casualties rising, the White House increasingly is talking, in the present tense,...

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2006 – Three years after the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom, now's the time for resolve, not retreat, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wrote today in an editorial in The Washington Post. Rumsfeld called turning a back on postwar Iraq today "the modern equivalent of handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis." "It would be as great a disgrace as if we had asked the liberated nations of Eastern Europe to return to Soviet domination because it was too hard or too tough or we didn't have the patience to work with them as they built free countries,"...

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2006 – Vice President Dick Cheney said today the evidence that Iraqis and coalition will succeed in Iraq "is overwhelming" and that it's important, when assessing the situation there, to keep perspective of its impact on the global war on terror. Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," on the third anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the vice president said terrorists recognize what some others don't: that what ultimately happens in Iraq will impact the entire region. "There's a lot at stake here. It's not just about Iraq...[and] today's situation in Iraq," Cheney said. "It's about where we...

Three years ago tonight, smart bombs rained down on Baghdad. America had gone to war. Major combat ended within weeks, but the mission was far from accomplished. And the world today is divided on whether it was all worth it. We believed then strongly that it was.

Leaving Iraq now would be like handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in a column published on Sunday, the third anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. "Turning our backs on postwar Iraq today would be the modern equivalent of handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis," he wrote in an essay in The Washington Post. Rumsfeld said "the terrorists" were trying to fuel sectarian tensions to spark a civil war, but they must be "watching with fear" the progress in the country over the past three years. In London, former Iraqi...

President George Bush will mark the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by admitting he made mistakes, and asking Americans and Iraqis for forgiveness, according to a draft of the speech, leaked to journalists today. On Monday the president will tell a nonpartisan group in Cleveland that despite the best efforts of American troops... -snip-

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryMarch 18, 2006 Fact Sheet: Operation Iraqi Freedom: Three Years Later "These past three years have tested our resolve. We've seen hard days and setbacks. After the fall of Saddam Hussein, the terrorists made Iraq the central front in the war on terror, in an attempt to turn that country into a safe haven where they can plan more attacks against America. ... More fighting and sacrifice will be required to achieve this victory, and for some, the temptation to retreat and abandon our commitments is strong. Yet there is no peace, there's...

One thing is certain about the Iraq war: It has cost a lot more than advertised. In fact, the tab grows by at least $200 million each and every day. ...In any event, most estimates put forward by White House officials in 2002 and 2003 were relatively low compared with the nation's gross domestic product, the size of the federal budget or the cost of past wars. ....Even if the U.S. exits Iraq within another three years, total direct and indirect costs to U.S. taxpayers will likely by more than $400 billion, and one estimate puts the total economic impact...

Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side"and that "morale is down." Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned." Who are they that have expressed these concerns? In fact, these are the exact words of terrorists discussing Iraq -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his associates -- who are describing their own situation and must be watching with fear the progress that Iraq has made over the past three years. The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that...

IRWIN — With regimental flags flying in a cool, stiff breeze, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Friday afternoon helped the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment welcome 2,200 of its soldiers back home from duty in Iraq. While hundreds of the regiment’s soldiers, for mer soldiers, friends, family and children looked on, the governor shook the hands of 13 of the regiment’s soldiers who had suffered wounds while serving in Iraq and had been awarded the Purple Heart. The “Black Horse” regiment soldiers, he said, “have done an incredible job (in Iraq). You have assisted the Iraqi national elections, trained and partnered with Iraqi...

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Anti-war protesters marched in Australia, Asia, Turkey and Europe on Saturday in demonstrations that marked the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq with a demand that coalition troops pull out. Around 500 protesters marched through central Sydney, chanting "End the war now" and "Troops out of Iraq." Many campaigners waved placards branding President Bush the "World's No. 1 Terrorist" or expressing concerns that Iran could be the next country to face invasion. "Iraq is a quagmire and has been a humanitarian disaster for the Iraqis," said Jean Parker, a member of the Australian branch...

Iraq War Protests Attract Fewer People By SUE LEEMAN, Associated Press Writer 15 minutes ago LONDON - Thousands of people held anti-war demonstrations Saturday in global protests that marked the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq by demanding that coalition troops pull out. But the demonstrations attracted less people than organizers had hoped. In London, police said about 15,000 people joined a march from Parliament and Big Ben to a rally in Trafalgar Square, fewer than the 100,000 organizers had expected to attend. Protesters in several cities carried posters showing pictures of U.S. President George W. Bush, calling...

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2006 – Iraq is not on the verge of a civil war, and sectarian issues in the country are controllable, the commander of U.S. Central Command told the House Armed Services Committee here today. Army Gen. John Abizaid testified about CENTCOM's posture. He told the representatives he believes a government of national unity will emerge in Iraq and that the Iraqi security forces will continue to improve. Abizaid said he was concerned about sectarian violence in Iraq since the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra on Feb. 22. He said he believes fugitive Jordanian terrorist Abu...