Yasser Arafat Receives Funding to Continue Terror Attacks And Undermine Peace Efforts

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

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Office-ial Confirmation
As Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (search) blasts the Israeli government for "endeavors...to inflame the situation and foil the implementation of the road map to peace," sources close to Arafat say he has raised $2.5 million to finance continued terror attacks against Israel and to undermine peace efforts by new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (search). The sources say Arafat raised the money from Libyan Leader Moammar Qaddafi. And the San Francisco Chronicle, which broke the story, says members of the Palestinian terrorist Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade have confirmed they are receiving funds from Arafat's office.

Majority Back Use of Military Force In Iran
A new poll out today shows that 56 percent of Americans back the use of military force to stop Iran (search) from acquiring nuclear weapons, which the Bush administration accuses Iran of developing. Thirty-eight percent of Americans oppose such use of military force. Meanwhile, The Washington Post-ABC News poll shows about 50 percent of Americans find the current level of U.S. casualties in Iraq "acceptable," down from 66 percent at the ending of the war two months ago.

Letter to a Leader
In a newly discovered letter to then-Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, editor-at-large of the Washington Times and UPI, Arnaud de Borchgrave, is quite respectful of the Iraqi dictator. In the letter, dated Jan. 11, 2001, de Borchgrave tells Hussein he hopes an interview with "your excellency...would lead to a reappraisal of American policy toward Iraq." In addition, de Borchgrave notes that he has "always reflected faithfully the views" of Arab leaders. De Borchgrave, quoted by the Washington Post, says he was just trying to do his job, adding, "You don't get an interview by saying, 'I think your policy stinks, you're an S-O-B and please give me an interview.’"

Dennis' Declaration
Before yesterday's Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action, Democratic presidential candidate and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich promised a mostly minority crowd that if elected, he will use his presidential power to challenge the Court if it fails to help minorities.

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REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D-OHIO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What I will do as president of the United States is to write a series of executive orders that will enshrine affirmative action in housing and education in every area of our economy.

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Missouri Congressman and fellow candidate Dick Gephardt went much further, seemingly promising to flat-out defy the Supreme Court if necessary.

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REP. DICK GEPHARDT (D-MO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I'm president, we'll do executive orders to overcome any wrong thing the Supreme Court does tomorrow or any other day.

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