In the News: Oct-01

Congress resorts to tax cuts to help pass bailout - 1 Oct 2008 at 1:55pm - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leaders in the U.S. Congress have deployed their best weapon for winning passage of a $700 billion financial industry bailout just weeks before the elections, attaching tax cuts to an otherwise bitter pill.

US general in Afghanistan wants more troops ASAP - 1 Oct 2008 at 9:39am - WASHINGTON -- The top American military commander in Afghanistan says more troops and other help in fighting a growing insurgency are needed "as quickly as possible."

Iraq civilian, U.S. troop deaths fall in September - 1 Oct 2008 at 8:46am - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The number of civilians killed in Iraq last month more than halved to 359 compared to a year ago, Iraqi government figures showed, and the number of U.S. troops killed in action also fell dramatically.

Iraq taking control of anti-Qaeda fighters from US forces - 1 Oct 2008 at 5:53am - BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq began taking control of 100,000 Sunni Arab anti-Qaeda fighters from US forces on Wednesday, amid concerns that many in the militia credited with curbing the bloodshed in the country will be neglected.

Thought for the day:
The consensus seemed to be that if really large numbers of men were sent to storm the mountain, then enough might survive the rocks to take the citadel. This is essentially the basis of all military thinking. -Terry Pratchett, Eric