To the Point

Firestorm of Debate over Iraq Withdrawal

Since the US launched of the Iraq War, there have been opponents, from citizens on the street to leaders in Congress. But last week, when Pennsylvania's John Murtha, a Democrat who originally voted in favor of going to war, vehemently called for the withdrawal all troops within six months, he stirred a fresh firestorm of voices. While public opinion polls indicate that a growing number of people feel US presence in Iraq is fostering the escalation of insurgency fighting, supporters of President Bush fear Iraq will descend into utter chaos if we leave too soon and that it will become a haven for terrorists. Meantime, in Cairo yesterday, Iraqi leaders met to set their own timetable for a US withdrawal. Guest host Diana Nyad looks at the arguments for and against our continuing presence in Iraq. Making News: Enemy Combatant Jose Padilla Indicted after Three YearsAfter being held as an enemy combatant for three years, a US citizen suspected of terrorist activity in this country has been indicted in Miami today. But Jose Padilla is charged with terrorist training abroad, not plans to carry out attacks in the US. Emily Bazelon, who writes about law and the Supreme Court for Slate.com, says the indictment indicates another shift in the Bush Administration's war on terrorism. Reporter's Notebook: Does the Kennedy Assassination Matter 42 years Later?The clich- once was that if we could all collectively remember where we were at precisely one moment in modern American history, it was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Yet, more recently, that day-today, November 22, fades farther from the American consciousness. Michael Kurtz is author of Crime of the Century: The Kennedy Assassination from a Historian's Perspective.