Zacarias Moussaoui, who is facing the death penalty for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, took the witness stand in his own defense Monday, only to bolster the government's case by unhesitatingly acknowledging the charges in the indictment against him and adding a few new, self-incriminating statements.

Moussaoui, Undermining Case, Now Ties Himself to 9/11 Plot

By Michael O'Hanlon

In his statements about letting Iraqis handle their own civil strife, perhaps Rumsfeld was trying to drive home to Iraqis the message that they should not count on the distant American superpower to bail them out if civil war begins. This message is grounded in a sound logic; Iraqis do need to step up to the plate and solve more of their own problems. But as a full indication of what our military plans would be for any incipient civil war, it is not the right strategy. Now is the time to reassess.

How to Stop a Civil War

This might be something like the New Yorker essay about Climbing the Redwoods.

Walking with a loaded rifle in an unfamiliar forest bristling with the signs of your prey is thrilling. It embarrasses me to write that, but it is true.

The Modern Hunter-Gatherer

Doubtless, some form of globalization is unavoidable. It will just not be the globalization we had been led to expect

Globalization 2.0

Jeffrey T. Richelson's history of American nuclear intelligence, including our attempts to learn about Iraq's nuclear program, could hardly be more timely.

In "Spying on the Bomb," Richelson has brought together a huge amount of information about Washington's efforts to track the nuclear weapons projects of other countries.

This may sound like heavy going, but Richelson writes with admirable clarity. And along the way he has fascinating stories to tell.

'Spying on the Bomb,' by Jeffrey T. Richelson

Speaking by phone from India, Anoushka Shankar talked about what she has been listening to.

David Gilmour
Karsh Kale
Bluetech
The Crystal Method
Tripswitch
Afro Celt Sound System

Global Beats With a Sanskrit Prayer or a British Flair

Many venture capital firms are loath to finance mash-ups, in part because they are not readily "defensible."

Wary of a New Web Idea That Rings Old

The laws on "licensement," as firing in France is called, are complex enough to fill a book, but in the end there are essentially four ways for an employer to deliver a pink slip.

Four Ways to Fire a Frenchman

There is much more at stake here than the fate of one detainee. Mr. Hamdan's case will test a broader strategic shift in the American approach to fighting terrorism.

A Bellwether for the Power of a President

I GOT back to Iraq two weeks ago, having been away more than a year.

Gone were the American tanks that used to guard the intersections. Instead, aggressive teenagers with machine guns and shiny soccer jerseys ruled the streets. They poked their heads into cars and detained whomever they wanted. There were even 8-year-olds running checkpoints, some toting toy pistols, others toting real ones. Whatever they carried, 4-foot-tall militias made me nervous. The streets now had a truly Liberian feel.

If this all sounds depressing, it is. That's how people here feel.

See also The Beseiged Press in the latest New York Review of Books.

Iraq Violence Turns Inward