To the Point

Iraq's Neighbors on Edge

The results of Sunday's elections won't be known for a week and the real winners may not emerge until the end of this year. Meantime, the outcome is being watched with trepidation in the rest of the Middle East. When Iraq's Shiite majority comes to power, will it pose a challenge to Sunni rulers in other countries? If the Kurds in Northern Iraq get serious about independence, would that bring intervention by Turkey? Would civil war in Iraq destabilize the entire region? Would real democracy make it harder for kings, dictators and clerics to hold on to power? We hear from Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Making News: President Bush Proposes Increase in Military Death Benefit More than 1500 American soldiers have died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many members of Congress say the current death benefits for their survivors are -paltry.- Today, the Pentagon asked for an increase. NBC military analyst William Arkin, who believes the increased benefit would not overly tax the military, calls the current benefit "criminal." Reporter's Notebook: Black Contract with America African Americans have long been the most reliable Democratic voters, but yet another effort to change that is underway today. Republicans see a future in black churches, and one of the largest black churches in Los Angeles will see the unveiling of a new manifesto. We hear more from Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr., who crossed party lines to vote for President Bush's Republican social conservatism, and reporter Tom Hamburger, who's covering the Black Contract with America for the Los Angeles Times.