Today's top stories from four major newspapers - without commentary...

 

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QuasiPundit's daily list of top stories, without commentary

Washington Post:

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Fears Prompt U.S. to Beef Up Nuclear Terror Detection (washingtonpost.com) Alarmed by growing hints of al Qaeda's progress toward obtaining a nuclear or radiological weapon, the Bush administration has deployed hundreds of sophisticated sensors since November to U.S. borders, overseas facilities and choke points around Washington. It has placed the Delta Force, the nation's elite commando unit, on a new standby alert to seize control of nuclear materials that the sensors may detect.

Pakistani Scientist Who Met Bin Laden Failed Polygraphs, Renewing Suspicions (washingtonpost.com) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - It didn't seem all that strange to his son when Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood began spending part of his retirement in Afghanistan working on charity projects. But he was curious enough after one of those trips to ask his father if he had met Osama bin Laden there. "He said no," the son recalled.

U.S. and Afghan Forces Attack Al Qaeda Refuge (washingtonpost.com) KABUL, Afghanistan, March 2 -- U.S. and Afghan forces assaulted a suspected al Qaeda refuge in the frigid mountains of eastern Afghanistan today, triggering the heaviest fighting in weeks. One American soldier and five allied Afghan fighters were killed and others were injured as the battle continued into the night, officials said.

New York Times:

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U.S. Forces Join Big Assault on Afghan Stronghold KABUL, Afghanistan, March 2 - Afghan and American forces attacked hundreds of suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan today in some of the heaviest fighting of the war, American military officials said.

U.S. Wants D.N.A. of All Detainees From Afghanistan WASHINGTON, March 2 — Frustrated by their inability to identify a vast majority of captured fighters of Al Qaeda and the Taliban, federal authorities are proposing to create a DNA databank of terrorism suspects by analyzing blood samples from thousands of detainees being held in Afghanistan and Cuba, government officials said.

A Saudi Peace Idea, Suddenly in the Spotlight JERUSALEM, March 2 — After rapidly gaining momentum through the Middle East and Europe since its soft launching two weeks ago, the Saudi Arabian peace idea will descend on Washington when the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, comes calling on Tuesday.

Bomb Kills 9 in an Ultra-Orthodox Section of Jerusalem JERUSALEM, Sunday, March 3 — At least 16 Israelis were killed in two separate attacks by Palestinian militants, one early this morning on an Israeli military checkpoint in the West Bank and the other on Saturday night in an ultra-orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Washington Times:

New bomb used to hit terrorists -- The Washington Times GARDEZ, Afghanistan — American and Afghan troops backed by U.S. jets yesterday attacked Taliban and al Qaeda forces regrouping in eastern Afghanistan in the biggest U.S.-led ground operation of the war on terror this year.

Powell: U.S. won't be tied down -- The Washington Times The United States is not looking to fight wars in every place it detects terrorist activity, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said in a response to Democratic critics aired yesterday.

Los Angeles Times:

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U.S. Joins Forces With Afghans in Major Assault KABUL, Afghanistan -- At least one American and three Afghan government fighters were killed in a major new offensive launched Saturday against an Al Qaeda stronghold in the remote mountains of eastern Afghanistan, according to U.S. and Afghan officials.

Science Could Help to Crack Anthrax Case WASHINGTON -- Federal investigators, stymied for months in their pursuit of the anthrax killer, said they are laying the groundwork for a science-based prosecution and are watching closely a small number of individuals believed capable of launching the bioterrorist attack-by-mail that left five people dead last fall.

Palestinian Attacks Claim 16 Israelis JERUSALEM -- Palestinian gunmen opened fire on motorists waiting at an Israeli military roadblock in the West Bank early today, and a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded ultra-orthodox neighborhood in the heart of Jerusalem just as the Jewish Sabbath ended Saturday night.

Southeast Asian Terror Exhibits Al Qaeda Traits JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Terror suspects connected to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network organized and financed a wave of deadly bombings in Indonesia and the Philippines over the last 14 months to advance a holy war aimed at carving out an Islamic state in Southeast Asia.

Governor Campaign Takes Sharp Right Turn When leading Republicans cast about last year for a gubernatorial candidate to resuscitate their flagging party, they spoke of finding a different kind of California Republican.

But now, as the GOP primary winds to a nasty finish, the contest has reverted to a familiar fight over tax-cutting, Reagan-loving and who can best shrink the reach of Sacramento.

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posted by Anthony at 11:42 AM | permalink | "The Refuge"