A 'Spectacular' Act Against Coalition Troops?

And now the most compelling two minutes in television, the latest from the wartime grapevine:

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Animosity Not the Attraction?
Muslim extremists and Saddam loyalists (search), despite their dislike for each other, are now joining forces in Iraq for what one former Iraqi brigadier general calls a "spectacular" act against coalition troops. The Washington Times says leaflets and papers circulating in Baghdad call for "either victory or martyrdom" in a cooperative effort that will go well beyond the shootings in the past few weeks. But it's apparently not just mutual hatred of the United States that's bringing these groups together. The brigadier general says he agreed to join the Islamist extremists because "otherwise they'll come tomorrow and throw hand grenades into my house and at my wife and kids."

Bush Unfavorable to 60 Percent Around the World
A new poll shows that 60 percent of people in both Arab and Western countries outside the United States think unfavorably of President Bush. The ICM poll, conducted for a BBC special airing tonight, also shows that people in all of the 10 countries surveyed, except Australia and Israel, believe the United States is more dangerous than Syria (search). Half of the 10 countries surveyed rated the United States more dangerous than Iran. Iran and Syria have both been called "rogue" states by the U.S. government. But what's more, two of the countries surveyed, Jordan and Indonesia, rated the United States more dangerous than Al Qaeda.

Barry's Background
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (search) has named the Senate's first ever black chaplain. Barry Black, a 54-year-old Seventh-day Adventist, has been a chaplain in the U.S. Navy for nearly 30 years. In 2000 he became the first black chief of chaplains in the Navy, and five years before that he was awarded the Renowned Service Award by the NAACP for his efforts to promote civil rights. Aside from a doctorate in ministry, the Baltimore native also has a doctor of philosophy degree in psychology.

Pharmacist Fair Game?
And the latest from the wonderful world of American justice. A Manassas, Va., man and his wife are suing a pharmacist in The Plains, Va., for filling prescriptions legitimately signed by a doctor. Larry and Mary Wyman claim pharmacist Toby Merchant should have known they were addicted to the strong painkiller OxyContin. Merchant, however, says he did express concern several times in writing and even stopped serving them because they wouldn't commit to using only one pharmacy, as is standard procedure. Four months later, Merchant says, Wyman, a former police officer, was arrested for illegally selling OxyContin. And now the Wymans are seeking nearly $1.5 million in damages.