Saturday, February 11, 2006

Muslim Cartoon News Roundup: Sat. 11 Feb. Late

INTERNATIONAL

(image removed)

COMMENTLINE
For your contemplation, the latest tensions sparked by the Muhammad cartoons. In this post:

In U.S., Muslims protest The Philadelphia Inquirer's decision to print cartoons.

Denmark tells nationals to get out of Indonesia.

Iran's president blames Europe, U.S. for cartoon rage.

Islamic Conference tells Europeans to get over fear of Muslims.

NEWSLINE
"Now in the West insulting the prophet is allowed, but questioning the Holocaust is considered a crime," he said. "We ask, why do you insult the prophet? The response is that it is a matter of freedom, while in fact they (who insult the founder of Islam) are hostages of the Zionists. And the people of the U.S. and Europe should pay a heavy price for becoming hostages to Zionists."

NEWSBYTES
Muslims protest Philadelphia paper's publishing of cartoon
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Protesters with signs that read "Irresponsible Journalism" gathered outside the offices of The Philadelphia Inquirer Saturday to condemn the newspaper's decision to reprint a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed that had angered Muslims worldwide.

Danes urged to leave Indonesia over cartoon protests
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -- Denmark urged its citizens to leave Indonesia on Saturday, warning of "clear and present danger" from Muslim extremists seeking revenge for Danish newspaper cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

Iran Blames U.S., Europe in Cartoon Crisis
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's hard-line president on Saturday accused the United States and Europe of being "hostages of Zionism" and said they should pay a heavy price for the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that have triggered worldwide protests.

OIC tells EU: Combat Islamophobia
(Aljazeera.Net) -- The Organisation of the Islamic Conference has urged the European Union to combat what it terms Islamophobia and which it says should be equated with xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

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Images of Tension: Muslim Cartoon Protests #24

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Images of Tension: Muslim Cartoon Protests #23

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Hurricane Katrina Aftermath News Pictures #38

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Regional Aspirations of Iran: Sat. 11 Feb.

MIDDLE EAST

An Iranian couple protest whilst decorated with defaced U.S and Israeli flags as they attend a demonstration to mark the 27th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, in Tehran, Saturday Feb. 11, 2006. The Iranian president on Saturday rejected Western pressure to freeze the country's nuclear program and issued a veiled threat to walk away from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. (AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian) COMMENTLINE
For your contemplation, the latest regional tension courtesy of Iran. In this post:

Iran's president continues to reject efforts to control nuclear ambitions and threatens to renounce the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

A report that Iran has restarted equipment that could produce nuclear warheads.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad steps up anti-Israel rhetoric.

Fear of Iran growing.

NEWSLINE
"An extremist with a microphone can be dangerous enough; an extremist with nuclear weapons poses a danger to the entire world."

NEWSBYTES
Iran Rejects Call to Freeze Nuke Program
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's president on Saturday rejected U.S. and European pressure to freeze the country's nuclear program and hinted that Iran may withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Iran may reconsider nuclear NPT membership
TEHRAN (Reuters) -- Iran may reconsider its membership of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if it feels its enemies are using the accord to put unfair pressure on it, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday.

Iran plant 'has restarted its nuclear bomb-making equipment'
(news.telegraph) -- Iran's controversial Natanz uranium processing plant has successfully restarted the sophisticated equipment that could enable it to produce material for nuclear warheads, according to reports received by Western intelligence.

Ahmadinejad: Israel 'will be removed'
Tehran (dpa) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday that the Palestinians and "other nations" will eventually remove Israel from the region.

Ahmadinejad repeats Holocaust is a 'myth'
TEHRAN (AFP) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeated his view that the Holocaust of Jews under Nazi Germany was a "myth" and argued that Palestinians and Iraqis were suffering from "the real Holocaust."

Poll: Growing Number of People Fear Iran
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans' fears about Iran have grown sharply over the last few months as efforts by the United States and Europe to slow Tehran's nuclear program have been firmly rejected, a poll found.

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Muslim Cartoon News Roundup: Sat. 11 Feb.

INTERNATIONAL

An unidentified Imam speaks in front of the house of parliament during a demonstration in Berne, February 11, 2006. The protesters staged a demonstration on Saturday to protest against cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad printed by Danish and European media. REUTERS/Sebastian Derungs COMMENTLINE
For your perusal, the latest tensions sparked by the Muhammad cartoons. In this post:

Demonstrators march in over 13 countries -- Kenya, Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Egypt, Israel and Jordan.

Denmark feels the boycott.

Denmark withdraws ambassadors from Syria, Iran and Indonesia.

Syria and Norway try to kiss and make up.

More Muslim calls for legal action over cartoons.

Cartoons put Danish athletes in Olympics spotlight.

NEWSLINE
"Where is the world with all its agencies and organizations? Is there only freedom of expression when it involves insults to Muslims? With one voice...we will reject the apology and demand a trial," Al Riyad, a Saudi daily newspaper, quoted al-Seedes as saying.

NEWSBYTES
Muslims' Fury Rages Unabated Over Cartoons
Demonstrators in 13 Countries Ignore Leaders' Appeals, Newspaper's Apology
COPENHAGEN, Feb. 10 (washingtonpost.com) -- Tens of thousands of Muslims took to the streets across Asia, Africa and the Middle East after weekly prayers on Friday, burning Danish flags and shouting anti-Danish and anti-American slogans in a continuing convulsion of anger over cartoons of the prophet Muhammad.

For Danish Firms, Boycott in Mideast a 'Nightmare'
Millions of Dollars in Sales Are Lost as Markets That Were Built Over Decades Disappear in Days
COPENHAGEN, Feb. 10 (washingtonpost.com) -- The Arla Foods plant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which produces cheese and flavored yogurt drinks, sits idle and the company's 800 employees in the country have been sent home because of a Middle East boycott of Danish goods, following a Danish newspaper's publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad.

Denmark Pulls Envoys From Syria, Iran
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Denmark has temporarily withdrawn its ambassadors from Syria, Iran and Indonesia because their safety was at risk in the wake of a Danish newspaper's publication of drawings of the Prophet Muhammad, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

Cartoon row: Denmark pulls envoys
(CNN) -- The Danish government has removed envoys from embassies because of security threats while thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in London to rally against the caricatures of Islam's Prophet Mohammed.

Norway and Syria try to mend fences
(Aljazeera.Net) -- Syria has made moves to try to mend ties with Norway after an attack that burnt down the Norwegian embassy in Damascus last week, Norway's ambassador to Syria has said.

Saudi Cleric Demands Trial Over Drawings
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Saudi Arabia's top cleric called on the world's Muslims to reject apologies for the "slanderous" caricatures of Islam's Prophet Mohammed and demanded the authors and publishers of the cartoons be tried and punished, Saudi newspapers reported Saturday.

Cartoons put Danish athletes in Games spotlight
TURIN (Reuters) -- Five women with faint hope for a medal have a special security shield at the Winter Olympics -- all because of newspaper cartoons.

Image Digest: Muslim Cartoon Protests

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Jyllands Posten Cartoons
Muhammad Cartoon Gallery

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DC Area Weather Alert: Significant Snowfall Expected

HEAVY SNOW WARNING FOR DC METRO AREA
Up to 14 Inches Possible in Some Areas

CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGECOMMENTLINE
Brrrrr....

Come back later and check out the Web cam if you want to see winter wonderland.

NEWSLINE
The heavier snowfall is expected west of the Interstate 95 corridor, with lesser accumulations to the east, though that pattern could change, forecasters said.

NEWSBYTES
HEAVY SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EST SUNDAY

Forcast at a Glance: Washington, DC

Weather Underground: Washington, DC
Detailed site includes links to many, many personal weather stations in the area.

Significant Snowfall Expected by Afternoon
Up to 14 Inches Possible in Some Areas
(washingtonpost.com) -- Winter, the real thing, will return to Washington this afternoon in the form of a slow-moving storm likely to dump between 4 and 14 inches of snow across the region by Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

In the Hot Seat, Tracking Snow's Advance
(washingtonpost.com) -- There was no doubt the snow was coming. Meteorologist Steve Rogowski, watching the weather system unfurl on three big computer screens, predicted four to eight inches. The question for the forecasters at the local National Weather Service office yesterday was: How much more to tell you?

Heavy Snowfall Expected to Hit Region
Forecasters Predict Up to 10 Inches of Snow
(washingtonpost.com) -- Forecasters advised the Washington area this morning to prepare for the first big-time snowfall of the year this weekend, with accumulations of 5 to 10 inches between Saturday morning and Sunday noon.

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Images of Tension: Muslim Cartoon Protests #22

Friday, February 10, 2006

Muslim Cartoon News Roundup: Fri. 10 Feb. Late

INTERNATIONAL

A protestor holds up a placard during a demonstration outside the Danish embassy over the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, in London February 3, 2006. The cartoons, which first appeared in a Danish newspaper, have sparked outrage across the Islamic world, although Britain's normally provocative newspapers have so far refused to publish them. REUTERS/Mike Finn-Kelcey COMMENTLINE
For your perusal, the latest tensions sparked by the Muhammad cartoons. In this post:

Cleric calls for Iranians to target U.S. over cartoon row.

New protests erupt in Egypt, Kenya.

In a show of denial not seen since Baghdad Bob's announcements, former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said today that Muslims are fed up with violence and extremism in the name of religion.

Further fanning the flames of International controversy is conservative t shirt maker, MetroSpy.

NEWSLINE
"The United States and European states are taking advantage of human rights, freedom of speech, disarmament, and the International [Atomic Energy] Agency. All of these are being misused. They want to force their rule upon the world through these methods," the senior cleric said.

NEWSBYTES
Iran tells Muslims to target U.S., not Denmark, over cartoons
(Iran Focus) -- Tehran, Iran, Feb. 10 -- A senior Iranian cleric called on Muslims on Friday to direct their fury over cartoons of Islam's Prophet Muhammad at the United States, rather than Denmark.

Friday Brings New Prophet Drawing Protests
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Thousands of worshippers emerging from Friday prayers demonstrated against drawings of the Prophet Muhammad in the Mideast, Asia and Africa, clashing with police in some cities despite religious leaders' attempts to keep marches peaceful.

Khatami: Islamic World Ready for Change
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (A) -- The Islamic world is fed up with violence and extremism in the name of religion and is ready for an era of progressive, democratic Muslim governments, former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said Friday.

Internet T-shirt Vendor Profits from Mohammed Cartoon Conflict
(PRWEB) February 8, 2006 -- To see the latest creation from conservative t-shirt maker MetroSpy some would think the Muslim world had every right to be upset. MetroSpy's new t-shirts depict an unflattering caricature of the prophet Mohammed with a bomb on his head.

Kenya police shoot protester, cartoon anger unabated
NAIROBI (Reuters) -- Kenyan police opened fire at hundreds of people demonstrating against cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad on Friday, wounding at least one, as protests across the Muslim world showed no sign of abating.

French Muslim body plans legal action
(Aljazeera.Net) -- France's top Muslim organisation has said it is launching legal action against French newspapers that published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Norway editor apologises for cartoons
(Aljazeera.Net) -- The editor of a Norwegian Christian newspaper has apologised to Muslims for publishing cartoons lampooning Prophet Muhammad that triggered a furore including the burning of Norway's embassy in Syria.

Image Digest: Muslim Cartoon Protests

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Jyllands Posten Cartoons
Muhammad Cartoon Gallery

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Images of Tension: Muslim Cartoon Protests #21

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Images of Tension: Muslim Cartoon Protests #20

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Muslim Cartoon News Roundup: Fri. 10 Feb. Midday

INTERNATIONAL

An unidentified Kenyan Muslim woman demonstrates in Nairobi, Kenya Friday, Feb. 10, 2006. Police shot and wounded one person Friday as they sought to keep hundreds of demonstrators from marching to the residence of Denmark's ambassador to protest against publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad first published in a Danish newspaper. Police and organizers had said marchers would not be allowed near any embassy. At least 200 demonstrators tried to go the home of the Danish envoy, triggering clashes with anti-riot police near a major highway. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)) COMMENTLINE
For your perusal, the latest tensions sparked by the Muhammad cartoons. In this post:

Divisions between Western and Middle Eastern cultures widen.

Danish leader says Iran, Syria using cartoon protests to hide own problems.

NATO digs into the sand.

Anger over cartoons still grows (though not so much in the press).

Web site in Sweden shut after concerns over a Muhammad drawing contest.

Political cartoonists feel the tension.

Observations from around the world.

NEWSLINES
On Thursday, Malaysia's prime minister Abdullah Badawi shut indefinitely a Borneo-based paper, the Sarawak Tribune, for reprinting the cartoons.

"We demand stiff penalties without leniency against those who deride the Prophet Mohammad," Abdel-Rahman al-Sudeis, a prominent Saudi Arabian cleric in Islam's holiest city of Mecca, told worshippers. "With one voice, millions of Muslims around the world are defending the Prophet of God."


NEWSBYTES
Islam-West divide 'grows deeper'
(BBC) -- Malaysia's prime minister says a huge chasm has opened between the West and Islam, fuelled by Muslim frustrations over Western foreign policy.

Malaysia bans Prophet cartoons as protests flare
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -- Malaysia slapped a blanket ban on circulating or possessing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad as angry protests still flared up across the world.

Danish Premier Faults Iran, Syria
Governments Using Cartoon Controversy as 'Distraction' From Their Own Crises, He Says
COPENHAGEN, Feb. 9 (washingtonpost.com) -- Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark said Thursday that the governments of Iran and Syria had intentionally inflamed Muslim protests against a Danish newspaper's publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad to distract attention from their own diplomatic crises.

NATO Seeks Closer Ties With Mideast
NATO Ministers Seek Closer Ties With Middle East in Effort to Calm Tension Over Muhammad Cartoons
TAORMINA, Sicily Feb 10, 2006 (AP) -- NATO defense ministers on Friday were seeking to calm Islamic anger over the Prophet Muhammad cartoons at their first meeting with counterparts from Israel and six Arab nations.

Cartoon anger unabated
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan police opened fire at hundreds demonstrating against cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad on Friday, wounding at least one person, as protests across the Muslim world showed no sign of abating.

Cartoon row: Swedish website shut
(Aljazeera.Net) -- A Swedish Internet provider has shut down the website of an extreme right fringe party after authorities voiced concerns over a Prophet Muhammad drawing contest posted on the site, Swedish security police say.

Used to hurling barbs, cartoonists uneasy under fire
LONDON (Reuters) -- Imagine you are a political cartoonist, colleagues are receiving death threats and sparking riots around the globe. Now: draw something clever about it.

A global view on cartoons debate

ALSO SEE
Muslim dress, school code clash in Britain
(USA Today) -- Britain's highest civil court is deciding whether a Muslim girl's rights were violated when she was barred from school for wearing a traditional dress.

Image Digest: Muslim Cartoon Protests

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Jyllands Posten Cartoons
Muhammad Cartoon Gallery

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Images of Tension: Muslim Cartoon Protests #19

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Will Brown Tell All on Hurricane Katrina?

GULF COAST HURRICANES

Bush, Brown, KatrinaCOMMENTLINE
Maybe Michael Brown should just discuss everything he wrote in e-mail?

I guess there is enough blame to go around. Of course, blame never once offered a solution nor solved a problem.

Sure to reignite tensions about Hurricane Katrina, full coverage starts below:

NEWSLINE
"I guess you want me to be the superhero that is going to step in there and suddenly take everybody out of New Orleans," former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Michael Brown.

NEWSBYTE
Brown set to testify before Katrina panel
Senators probing government's response to storm
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Michael Brown, the face of the Bush administration's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina, is set to testify Friday before a Senate panel investigating the aftermath of the disaster.

Former FEMA Director to Testify About Katrina
Denied Executive Privilege, Brown Plans to Discuss Communications With Bush
(washingtonpost.com) -- Michael D. Brown, the former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was rebuffed in his request for a claim of executive privilege and plans to testify to a Senate panel today about his calls and e-mails to President Bush and top White House aides in the Hurricane Katrina crisis, Brown's lawyer said yesterday.

Senator: FEMA Unprepared Before Katrina
WASHINGTON (AP) -- FEMA missed early warning signs that emergency response teams were unprepared to handle a catastrophic disaster like Hurricane Katrina, the head of a Senate oversight committee asserted Friday.

W.House knew of flooding night of Katrina: documents
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Numerous witness accounts of the New Orleans flooding, including from federal officials, reached Washington the night before the White House has said it learned of the disaster, congressional investigators said.

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France Quietly Upgrades Nuclear Arsenal

INTERNATIONAL

French President Jacques Chirac visits the Naval Air Command base at Landivisiau, January 19, 2006. Chirac said 'France would be ready to carry out a targeted nuclear strike against any state that carried out a terrorist attack on French soil'. REUTERS/Franck Prevel/Pool COMMENTLINE
France moves to upgrade its nuclear weapons just weeks after president Jacques Chirac warned of a nuclear retaliation to states which threatened the country.

NEWSLINES
"These evolutions are aimed at better taking into account the psychology of the enemy," defence minister Michèle Alliot-Marie said after President Chirac's warning in January.

In a speech to MPs, she added: "A potential enemy may think that France, given its principles, might hesitate to use the entire force of its nuclear arsenal against civilian populations."


NEWSBYTE
France secretly upgrades capacity of nuclear arsenal
(The Guardian) -- France has secretly modified its nuclear arsenal to increase the strike range and accuracy of its weapons. The move comes weeks after President Jacques Chirac warned that states which threatened the country could face the "ultimate warning" of a nuclear retaliation.

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Images of Tension: Muslim Cartoon Protests #18

Thursday, February 9, 2006

Muslim Cartoon News Roundup: Thurs. 9 Feb Late

INTERNATIONAL

Flemming Rose, editor of Jyllands-Posten, poses in his office in Denmark, February 9, 2006. We would run these cartoons the same day as they would publish them,' Rose told CNN television. Twelve cartoons of the Prophet published last September by Jyllands-Posten have outraged Muslims, provoking violent protests in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. For many Muslims, images of the Prophet are considered blasphemous.  REUTERS/Erik Refner/Scanpix COMMENTLINE
Over the past 24 hours the cartoon protests have become intertwined with the Ashoura day turnouts. It's hard to tell where the protests leave off and memorial ceremonies begin.

For your perusal, the latest tensions sparked by the Muhammad cartoons. In this post:

Key developments Thursday in the controversy.

President Bush is going to Pakistan despite protests.

Hannah Allam wonders why Muslims can't take a joke.

Arab leaders call for calm.

NEWSLINE
As Muslim protests over the cartoons subsided on Thursday, a Taliban commander in Afghanistan warned that 100 fighters had enlisted as suicide bombers and Denmark said it feared for the safety of its troops in Iraq.

NEWSBYTES
Developments in Cartoon Controversy
(AP) -- Key developments Thursday in the controversy over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

Bush won't cancel Pakistan trip amid cartoon furor
WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US President George W. Bush is going ahead with his trip to Pakistan in March despite widespread outrage in the Muslim world over caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed, the White House said.

Furor over cartoons has some asking, `Can't Muslims take a joke?'
CAIRO, Egypt (KnightRidder) -- As part of the "Allah Made Me Funny" comedy tour, Azhar Usman tests his Western audience's tolerance with skits about suicide bombings, airport security, bad beard days and other aspects of Muslim life.

Leaders call for calm in cartoon row
(Aljazeera.Net) -- The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has joined calls for calm amid international furore sparked by cartoons of Prophet Muhammad, but a Taliban commander in Afghanistan says 100 suicide bombers have volunteered

Image Digest: Muslim Cartoon Protests

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Jyllands Posten Cartoons
Muhammad Cartoon Gallery

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Images of Tension: Muslim Cartoon Protests #17

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Images of Tension: Muslim Cartoon Protests #16

Howard Dean: Good Morning America Transcript

POLITICS

HOWARD DEANCOMMENTLINE
Ah Howard, it's sad to see the that party of the people has become the party of the still-pissed-off for losing the presidential election in 2000.

NEWSLINES
"All we ask is that we not turn into a country like Iran where the President can do anything he wants." Howard Dean

TRANSCRIPT
CHARLIE GIBSON: Joining us now from Burlington, Vermont is Howard Dean, the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Good to have you with us.

DNC CHAIRMAN HOWARD DEAN: Thank you for having me on.

GIBSON: Senator Clinton's central point, it seems to me here, is that the Republicans are doing a far better job of convincing the country they can keep them safe and the Democrats aren't doing a very good job of countering that strategy. Do you agree?

DEAN: Your poll shows otherwise. Your poll shows that they have a small edge and that's a smaller edge than they had before. The truth is the Republicans haven't defended us any better than they had dealt with Katrina or senior drug benefits or balancing the budget. On this President's watch, Iran is becoming a nuclear power. The President has nothing, done little about it. North Korea-- after five years-- North Korea still has nuclear weapons. The President sent our troops in battle without adequate armor. He wouldn't listen to the generals who told him if he were going into Iraq that he needed more help. This is not a President who's been particularly strong on...

GIBSON: But --

DEAN: What about our borders? President has been in office for five years. What about the security of our borders? I think the President is weak on defense. They have a great propaganda machine but the fact is they haven't delivered on American security.

GIBSON: You're shot-gunning me on a lot of issues. But, on the issue of national security, 64% of the country says we're a stronger country than before 9/11. Given the mood of this country and the concerns are country and the personal fears, isn't that game, set and match for the Republicans?

DEAN: Absolutely not because the truth is we're not safer than we were when George Bush came into office.

GIBSON: but the country thinks we are.

DEAN: That's an interesting poll but I've seen many others with folks who don't agree with that. Polls are polls. The fact is this President has not defended us because he hasn't listened to the military. He has not treated our military properly. Our soldiers are losing their lives over there. For us to have to wait three years to get them adequate body armor, that is something the Democratic Party will not do. If we send our troops into battle after we take power, I can tell you two things. First, we will tell the truth to the country and our soldiers about why they have to go. And secondly, they'll be adequately equipped.

GIBSON: But she's saying essentially we've lost two elections because we were not able to convince this country that we could keep it safe. That is her central point. And I think there may be in people's minds a real question: What is the Democratic position on national security?

DEAN: The Democratic position on national security is that we will hunt down Osama bin Laden, enough is enough. Two, we will under no circumstances allow Iran to become a nuclear power. Three, we will make the deal that has to be made with the North Koreans and get that done and put pressure and pay attention to that. And four, that we will always adequately equip our troops if we need to send them into battle to defend the United States.

GIBSON: There has been a lot of discussion in Washington in recent days about the warrantless wiretaps that have gone on. The President says this is necessary to fight terrorism. Do you think this is a winner for the Democrats?

DEAN: Many in his own party disagree. Wiretapping is certainly necessary and the Democrats certainly approve of as much spying on Al Qaeda as we possibly can. What we don't approve of is breaking the law in order to spy on Americans. The present law is very adequate and the White House itself said so four years ago. All we ask is that we not turn into a country like Iran where the President of Iran can do anything they want at any time. The reason the constitution of this country has lasted as long as it has and this country lasted as long as it has as a real democracy is because there is a check on presidential power. Now, there's not a big check on this one. We just ask the President to go get a warrant after the fact if he thinks there is an emergency. But there is no reason this President shouldn't obey the law. And, we expect him to obey the law while defending the country.

GIBSON: Governor Dean, appreciate you being with us.

DEAN: Thanks for having me.

As always, Howard, thank you.

NEWSBYTE
RNC Response to DNC Chairman Howard Dean's Comments Today on ABC's 'Good Morning America'

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Calvin and Hobbes -- and Muhammad

ANN COULTERCOMMENTLINE
Love her or hate her, one thing's for sure, with or without a pie, folks just can't deny Ann Coulter.

Not for the truly left-of-heart, I present highlights of -- and a link to --Ann's recent column on the Muhammad cartoon protests.

NEWSLINE
"In order to express their displeasure with the idea that Muslims are violent, thousands of Muslims around the world engaged in rioting, arson, mob savagery, flag-burning, murder and mayhem, among other peaceful acts of nonviolence." Ann Coulter

NEWSBYTE
CALVIN AND HOBBES -- AND MUHAMMAD
By Ann Coulter
As my regular readers know, I've long been skeptical of the "Religion of Peace" moniker for Muslims -- for at least 3,000 reasons right off the top of my head. I think the evidence is going my way this week. Read full column.

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