Oil and gold were up and the dollar was down as investors may have begun to reflect what the situation will be like after the U.S. midterm elections. Interest rates dropped sharply in the United States as evidence mounted of a coming recession, though few want to use that word. Third quarter economic growth numbers were released last week and they weren't very good.

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Scientists studying samples of soil thrown up by Israeli bombing in Lebanon have shown high radiation levels, suggesting uranium-based munitions were used, a British newspaper reports.

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Twelve-year old Ibrahim Ghazi Beit-Ilo was hit in the neck by shrapnel from a live bullet following a peaceful protest march against the Apartheid Wall in Bil'in today. He underwent surgery at the Ramallah goverment hospital and the shrapnel was successfully removed. Another 16 people were injured by shrapnel from exploding tear gas and sound bomb cannisters or were beaten with military truncheons. Two Israeli protestors were arrested.

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"Our presence in Iraq exacerbates the difficulties we are facing around the world, and...continuing to fight in Iraq will only make the situation worse." General Sir Richard Dannatt, British Army Chief

"If people say there has been an energising of the jihadist movement through the protracted war in Iraq- well, that's pretty obvious." General Peter Cosgrove, former Australian Defence chief

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." H.L. Mencken, American journalist, 1880-1956

On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush stood on an aircraft carrier off the coast near San Diego, California. In order to take full advantage of the plethora of TV crews present (even the education network PBS was there), his propaganda machine had erected a large sign behind him that said "Mission Accomplished". Bush II had decided that the "major combat operations in Iraq are over." The American politician had invaded another country illegally, and used military force at his own discretion, with the potential of hundreds of thousands of deaths, and he was crowing about it. In fact, even though Bush did not realize it at the time, Iraq could turn out to be to the United States what Afghanistan was to the Soviet Union, from 1979 to 1988, i.e. a colossal failure.

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