"Freedom Fries"-Erfinder wird Irak-Krieg-Gegner

--- Bush verliert immer mehr Anhänger für den Irak-Krieg, jetzt wollen sogar dessen stärkste Befürworter die Jungs heim holen:

With its sprawling military bases and huge population of military retirees, eastern North Carolina has believed in the Iraq war, and sacrificed for it, like few other regions. But as summer heat has settled over the piney lowlands in recent days, a debate has unexpectedly come to life about a U.S. mission that is two years old and counting. New doubts and divisions have come into view. It started this month, when Republican Rep. Walter B. Jones, an original supporter of the war, said he had lost confidence in the effort and would sponsor legislation calling on the administration to more clearly define how, and when, it intended to bring the war to a close. Coming from the staunch conservative who renamed French fries "freedom fries" on congressional menus, the announcement shocked many. Back home, his change of heart brought denunciations and stirred trouble for Jones within his local Republican Party. But it also became clear that others in North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District were uneasy about the war, for one reason or another. Service members' families, watching violence surge, fear it will drag on indefinitely. Others worry it is damaging the military — or that it has been prosecuted foolishly.

Auch die Demokraten machen in diesem Punkt mehr Druck auf den politischen Gegner: Unease Over Iraq Becoming an Issue for 2006.

Und sonst: Iran Moderate Says Hard-Liners Rigged Election. The third-place finisher said he was being cut out of next week's runoff vote, throwing the race for Iran's presidency into turmoil, New York Times.

Neues aus irakischen Folterkammern: Iraqis Found in Torture House Tell of Brutality of Insurgents. Marines found a torture center equipped with electric wires, a noose and handcuffs, and four beaten and shackled Iraqis.

Münte vs. Angie: Der SPD-Vorsitzende Franz Müntefering traut der Kanzlerkandidatin der Union, Angela Merkel, den Chefposten in der Regierung nicht zu. "Frau Merkel ist eine gute zweite Figur, aber für das Amt ganz vorne nicht geeignet.", ftd.de. Aber Schröder hat trotzdem nichts zu lachen.