The Pentagon has its own domestic spying program. Even its leaders say the outfit may have gone too far.-Newsweek

Vietnam was, for the United States, the war that never ended.Not surprisingly then, the Vietnam analogy (or fear of it) was deeply entwined with Bush administration thinking and planning from the get-go when it came to an invasion of Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Something deep and essential and American remains familiarly unsettling across the two eras, no more so, it seems, than for those who actually fought in Vietnam -Tom Englehardt

A Human Rights Watch report published last week reinforces the views of some commentators that President Hugo Chavez is slowly but surely turning Venezuela into an autocratic, highly centralised state.The report particularly singled out the threat to judicial independence and freedom of the press posed by legislation in those sectors. President Chavez has always shown little or no tolerance for any media outlets within the temerity to be critical of his policies, but the current law contains a ban on transmitting or publishing events or statements that threaten "national security", with only vague definitions of what that means -Epoch Times AU

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah visits New Delhi this week to build on improving ties between the world's top oil exporter and India, eager to meet the future energy needs of its booming economy.King Abdullah will be accompanied by business and government delegations, including Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi, during a four-day trip starting on Jan. 24, the first by a Saudi monarch in 50 years

In the past month Russian gas supplies to its foreign customers, particularly those in Western Europe, have been interrupted by price disputes, cutbacks and now explosions affecting Russia's main pipeline to the former soviet state of Georgia. These incidents have stoked fears that Russian gas supply is unpredictable, and worse, that Russia is prepared to wield its energy reserves as a political weapon -ABC News AU

Is everyone on information overload yet? Do rational, clear thinking individuals understand at this point in history our "elected" public servants no longer listen to we the people - except those who have their hands out for more and more social welfare programs? Does anyone really believe that petitions and e-mails to members of Congress and your state legislatures are going to save this country or make a difference? -Devvy Kidd/NewsWithViews

The White House launches a political campaign this week, not for a candidate but for a controversial program: warrantless surveillance of some U.S. citizens by the National Security Agency.President Bush plans to defend the program in a counterterrorism speech today at Kansas State University, aides said. The speech will kick off a flurry of administration activity leading to Senate hearings scheduled for Feb. 6 -USA Today