Another wedge between the President and intelligence community It's reported that intelligence agents are withholding information from the Chief Executive out of fear that it could be leaked or compromised. The President today called that "fake news," but said he will investigate leaks about alleged ties between his campaign team and Russian agents, leaks which are damaging to his conduct of foreign policy. "The first thing I thought of when I heard about this is how does the press get this information? It's classified. You know why? Because it's an illegal process, and the press should be ashamed of themselves. But more importantly, the people who gave out the information to the press should be ashamed of themselves." This comes in complete contrast to his praise of Wikileaks during his presidential campaign. We look at the growing gap between the President and the intelligence community.

Iraq: That 'Other' War As the US prepares to send 30,000 or more troops to Afghanistan, Iraq has seen a dramatic decrease in violence.  But politics is another matter. Today, Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi was given a few more days to approve or veto a new election law that is crucial to the benchmarks established for US withdrawal.

US and Allies Talk to Iran about Its Nuclear Program Early this morning, in the Geneva countryside, representatives of six world powers began talks with Iran's over its nuclear program. The talks, which are being watched closely by Israel, come after Iran's recent disclosure of a hidden enrichment facility, heavily guarded and dug deep inside a mountain. Mark Strobel is senior foreign affairs correspondent for McClatchy News Service .

Taking It to the Streets: Election Rallies in Iran For the past three weeks Iranians have been out on the streets in the tens of thousands, with a fervor many say hasn't been seen since the toppling of the Shah thirty years ago. Tomorrow, voters in Iran head to the polls in what has become an almost free-for-all presidential election between incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and reformist candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi . Text messages, Facebook and television debates are all part of the fray. What are the issues driving voters? What role will women play in the vote's outcome? Will this new spirit of debate and openness continue? Would a new president take a different tack in dealing with the West?

Mideast Leaders Meet at White House before Peace Conference Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is at the White House today on the eve of a high-stakes Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland. At the invitation of the Bush Administration, sixteen Arab nations including the Palestinian Authority and Syria have agreed to sit down and talk with Israel.  Warren Strobel is senior correspondent for foreign affairs for the McClatchy Newspapers .

America's Tangled Diplomacy in the Middle East In Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, diplomats from some 50 countries are meeting this week on the future of Iraq . Prime Minister al-Maliki is under intense pressure, asking forgiveness of $50 billion in debt rolled up by Saddam Hussein while trying to show he can hold on to his own job. Today, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Syria's foreign minister--the countries' most senior diplomatic contact since 2005, when the US pulled its ambassador from Damascus after the assassination of Lebanon's former Prime Minister. Rice may also meet her Iranian counterpart, but there are new problems with Saudi Arabia. Will King Abdullah help Iraq rebuild by forgiving debts racked up by Saddam Hussein? Is America's most important Arab ally trying to distance itself from US interests in the Middle East?

What's Next in Iraq and on Capitol Hill? Official Washington--and much of the world--are waiting for Wednesday's televised announcement of the President's "new strategy" for the war in Iraq. Most reports say it will mean an increase in troop strength of 20,000 or more, which Democrats now call an "escalation," in reference to Vietnam. The latest reports also say that the President will ask the Iraqi government to meet certain "benchmarks."  The new leaders say voters rejected the war, but what power does Congress have to change the way it's conducted?  Does the Iraqi government have the will or the capacity to meet "benchmarks" that may be demanded by President Bush?