To the Point

Is the US 'Winning' the War in Iraq?

President Bush said Tuesday night, there's "a clear plan for victory" in Iraq and that "we are winning." He said, "The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home," but he did not say just what he meant by "winning." Today's Washington Post editorializes that his "actions... do not match the rhetoric," and that if the troops come home too soon they "will have lost." We get different views of what "winning" might look like and whether the US is moving in that direction. Also, with kidnapped freelance reporter Jill Carroll, on assignment to the Christian Science Monitor, still unaccounted for and network anchor Bob Woodruff hospitalized by a roadside bomb, can reporters get the whole story?Making News: Negroponte Calls Al Qaeda, Iran Top US Intelligence ConcernsFor the first time since being confirmed last April, National Intelligence Director John Negroponte appeared in public today. Testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee that Iran probably does not yet have nuclear weapons, he voiced concern that it will likely acquire them. Jonathan Broder, Defense and Foreign Policy Editor for Congressional Quarterly, has more on today's report, recent intelligence leaks and IAEA actions on Iran.Reporter's Notebook: After Two More Deaths, Mine Safety Gets More ScrutinyAt coal mines across West Virginia today, miners started their shifts with lectures on safety, and state officials began a round of inspections. After the recent deaths of 16 miners, coal operators say they're complying with what Bush Administration officials have called a "stand down for safety." Rolling Stone's Jeff Goodell is author of the forthcoming book, Big Coal: The Dirty Secret behind America's Energy Future.