President Bush will address the nation at 9 p.m. ET tonight about his new approach for the war in Iraq, the White House said. White House press secretary Tony Snow said Monday that Bush 'understands there is a lot of public anxiety' about the war. On the other hand, he said that Americans 'don't want another Sept. 11' type of terrorist attack and that it is wiser to confront terrorists overseas in Iraq and other battlegrounds rather than in the United States. He said the administration welcomes a debate about Bush's new policy.
• Lord You are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. We ask that You give President Bush wisdom, knowledge and understanding for the war in Iraq. We ask that no political agendas be allowed to derail what You want to accomplish. We ask for true victory in Iraq. • "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)
2. Pelosi's Statements on Troop Levels Have Shifted as Iraq War Draws On - AP
Rep. Nancy Pelosi's public statements on Iraq decidedly fall in favor of a quick withdrawal of U.S. troops, but the House speaker's position hasn't always been for a "cut and run" approach. In mid-2004, then Minority Leader Pelosi called for increasing the number of troops in Iraq and scolded the administration for not incorporating more troops into its initial war plans.
• Lord we ask that You bring a visitation and revelation of truth and knowledge to the members of Congress. We ask that they may see the larger picture of how Iraq fits into the war on terror. And we trust in You as the only one we can rely on to protect our nation. • "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of our God." (Psalm 20:7)
3. Anti-Terror Legislation Sails Through House - AP
Anti-terror legislation sailed through the House on Tuesday, the first in a string of measures designed to fulfill campaign promises made by Democrats last fall. Patterned on recommendations of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks, the far-reaching measure includes commitments for inspection of all cargo carried aboard passenger aircraft and on ships bound for the United States. The vote was a bipartisan 299-128. "Our first and highest duty as members of this Congress is to protect the American people, to defend our homeland and to strengthen our national security," said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.
• Thank You for the passage of this legislation! We ask that it be administered with wisdom, righteousness, and justice to protect our nation. • "Rightoueness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;mercy and truth go before Your face." (Psalm 89:14)
4. Khalilzad Nomination Draws Little Comment - AP
If there was any apprehension about a Muslim diplomat being installed in a key position that is often called upon to stand up for Israel, there was no sign of it in Jerusalem. The Israeli delegation and American delegations to the United Nations have close cooperation and coordination, said Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev. "We are good friends," said Regev. "We have excellent relations between the two delegations in New York and we have every reason to expect it to continue."
• Lord we thank You that Your plan for Israel is what will stand in spite of the actions of men. • "For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a lamp that burns." (Isaiah 62:1)
5. 9/11 Accomplice Sentenced In Germany - AP
A Moroccan man convicted of aiding three of the four suicide pilots who committed the Sept. 11 attacks was sentenced Monday to the maximum of 15 years in prison for his role in the terror plot. A German federal appeals court convicted Mounir el Motassadeq in November of knowingly helping the hijackers and sent the case to a state court in Hamburg for sentencing. 'Anyone who helped in this has earned stiff punishment,' presiding Judge Carsten Beckmann said after announcing Monday's verdict. Defense lawyers said they would appeal."
• Thank You, Father, for a just decision in this court case. We ask that You continue to guide the security forces and courts who put terrorists on trial, to bring about decisions which protect the nations of the world. • "Also I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet, the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place." (Isaiah 28:17)
