As the death toll of troops mounts in Iraq and Afghanistan, America's military recruiting figures have plummeted to an all-time low.Thousands of US servicemen and women are now refusing to serve their country.Last year alone, the GI Rights Hotline took more than 30,000 calls.At present, the hotline gets 3,000 calls a month and the volunteers say that by the time a soldier or recruit dials the help-line they have almost always made up their mind to get out by one means or another -Independent UK

Why are the careerist politicians in Washington, D.C., and in State capitals throughout this country studiously ignoring "the Militia of the several States" as the linchpin--or even any part--of a National program of "homeland security"? Because, although "the Militia of the several States" are constitutionally empowered and mandated to provide "homeland security", in the long run their revitalization would threaten the Establishment's hegemony -Dr. Edwin Vieira, Jr.,Ph.D.,J.D./NewsWithViews

Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, made a surprise visit to Iraq yesterday, urging Iraqis to be patient with their government as it struggles to beat the insurgency, and stressing a political rather than purely military solution to Iraq's woes. "Things do not happen overnight," Ms Rice said.The one-day trip was conducted amid great secrecy -Guardian UK

As one of the world's leading experts in biological and chemical warfare, Barton had been hand-picked by the CIA to be the special adviser to the Iraq Survey Group (ISG), the body to which George Bush and Tony Blair had given the task of finding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.Barton, who worked for the Australian secret intelligence services for more than 20 years, was working on what was shaping up to be a highly controversial 200-page report -Guardian UK

British defence chiefs have warned United States military commanders in Iraq to change their rules for opening fire or face becoming bogged down in a terrorist war for a decade or more.The warning is said to have taken the form of advice from senior officers who accompanied Gen Sir Mike Jackson, the chief of the General Staff, on a recent trip to southern Iraq and Baghdad to visit British troops -Telegraph UK

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley warned North Korea against conducting a nuclear test."If there is a nuclear test, obviously, that would be a defiance by North Korea of every member of the six-party talks, including China," he said.Mr. Hadley acknowledged some differences of opinion among the five nations negotiating with North Korea.But he added that all the countries, including China, are, in his words, "on the same page." -VOA

Newsweek apologized yesterday for an inaccurate report on the treatment of detainees that triggered several days of rioting in Afghanistan and other countries in which at least 15 people died. Editor Mark Whitaker expressed regret over the item in the magazine's "Periscope" section, saying it was based on a confidential source -- a "senior U.S. government official" -- who now says he is not sure whether the story is true.The deadly consequences of the May 1 report, and its reliance on the unnamed source, have sparked considerable anger at the Pentagon -Washington Post

A trial balloon for a Cheney for President run in 2008 is being launched by a surprising source, Washington Post star reporter (and White House insider) Bob Woodward.

The families of hundreds of people killed by Uzbek troops in Andizhan buried their dead on Sunday, two days after an uprising in the mostly Muslim Central Asian state. Here are 10 facts about Uzbekistan.