Ever wonder what gets briefed to the President each day? Let's see if we can construct a briefing that may have occurred today if all the information in the open press both international and national was briefed to the President.

Good morning Mr. President.

The following are items that we have noted today:

Iraq

1. The Iraqi government has reported the arrest of a number of military officers who were allegedly plotting a coup against the new government.
2. Sectarian violence continues to escalate and a potential civil war is becoming more likely.
3. The insurgent forces have revised their tactics and are now exhibiting more effective attacks on Coalition Forces.
4. Men, weapons, explosives and money continue to cross the borders of Syria and Iran.
5. Iranian Revolutionary Guards have trained a new group of agents and have infiltrated them into Shi'ite militia units in Iraq.
6. Turkish Army units have crossed the Iraqi border and are engaged in combat with Kurdish separatist forces.
7. Seven US soldiers died over the weekend.

Afghanistan

1. Taliban forces are crossing the Pakistani border in large numbers, returning to southern Afghanistan and are inflicting combat losses on Coalition and Afghani forces.
2. Canada has reported that seven of its soldiers were killed in the latest round of ground combat.
3. Poppy harvest in the Northwest provinces is reported to be at an all time high.
4. The Afghan government has arrested 24 Chinese women who have been engaged in prostitution, and has destroyed over 200 cases of alcohol products. Additionally, the Afghan government has closed six bars and dance halls and arrested numerous foreigners on anti-Islamic charges.

Lebanon

1. Large numbers of Syrian and Iranian rockets and missiles are continuing to be supplied to the Hezbollah forces. There is no let up of the rockets and missiles being fired at Israel.
2. Hezbollah fighting units have surprised Israeli Defense Forces in their combat readiness to stand and fight, and these units are not simple terrorist but well-trained light infantry using sophisticated tactics, techniques and procedures not seen by irregular forces since the Vietnam War.
3. Reuters has reported that their cameraman has been faking photos supplied to Western news media, and it seems that the alleged Israeli air strike on Qana, in northern Lebanon, was staged by Hezbollah. It was easily seen that the house had a collapsed roof and no air strike could have gone through the roof. Additionally, Hezbollah had large banners already printed condemning Israel and staged a large anti-Israel demonstration just four hours after the alleged air strike for western news media to photograph. It would seem that Hezbollah is winning the information operations and propaganda contest in this conflict.
4. Tehran has sent arch terrorist Mughniyeh to assist Hezbollah in Lebanon. Mughniyeh is believed to be the mastermind behind the bombing of the Marine headquarters in Lebanon in 1983 and numerous airline hijackings. He is thought to be the best terrorist leader and battlefield commander in operation.

Iran

1. Iran continues its nuclear enrichment program and the latest top mullah pronouncements are that Iran will never give up its nuclear program.
2. Most foreign observes believe that Iran sent orders to its Revolutionary Guards training Hezbollah to start the current conflict in Lebanon to distract the UN from the Iranian nuclear bomb building program. The conflict started the day the UN was to start debate on a resolution condemning the Iranian nuclear enrichment program with potential sanctions if Iran did not live up to the resolution.
3. Iran has stated that they will use the “oil weapon” if anyone tries to stop their nuclear program.

Syria

1. Syria has placed all its troops on high alert and has notified its “commandoes, anti-air forces and air forces to be ready for war.”
2. Syrian and Iranian military officers have met to plan for a coordinated effort in the event that Israel attacks Syria.
3. Former Iraqi Ba'athist and Saddam Hussein supporters living in Syria continue to be the largest source of funding for the insurgent forces in Iraq.

Asia

1. North Korea probably already has nuclear weapons. Their next long-range missile test has been postponed so they can correct slight deficiencies in the last test. Also, North Korea has released a new batch of counterfeit $100 bills and it is estimated over $10 million dollars worth has entered the Asian market. That brings the estimated total North Korean counterfeit bills produced by North Korea to $10 billion.
2. The Philippines Armed Forces are engaged in a major battle with Abu Sayef units in Solo and are halting their advance to “collect intelligence” on the camp they overran. The terrorists have escaped into the jungle.
3. Indonesia has released a large number Al Qaeda terrorist captured in possible connection to numerous bombings against Western targets due to insufficient evidence to hold them.
4. Singapore reports that Al Qaeda has moved large sums of money into Singaporean banks due to revelations of Al Qaeda financial activities in other parts of Asia.
5. Tamil Tiger forces in Sri Lanka launched its largest offensive since the cease-fire. Over 100 Sri Lanka forces have been killed in the last week.
6. Islamic radical madrassas in Pakistan continue to be the major source of anti-government recruiting in Pakistan.
7. India and Pakistan continue their diplomatic crisis, with each expelling a diplomat from each embassy.

South America

1. Cuba announced that Fidel Castro has returned to health and has issued an order for his armed forces to prepare for an American invasion.
2. Venezuela is very happy with a new arms-for-oil agreement with Iran and President Chavez has said that together Venezuela and Iran will destroy the US Empire. Chavez was awarded Iran's highest award for heroism.
3. The first Cuban-Venezuelan-Bolivian tri-party working group met in Bolivia to begin working out their programs and plan of action.
4. The Sandinista party seems set to win the next presidential race in Nicaragua. A Sandinista victory will most certainly turn Nicaragua to Cuba and away from the USA.

Africa

1. Somali Islamic forces continue to consolidate their gains and now control over 75% of Somalia.
2. The Ethiopian incursion into Somalia to aid the nationalist forces seems to have ground to a halt as more warlords surrender their forces to the radical Islamic government now in control of Mogadishu.
3. Al Qaeda has proclaimed that Somalia will be their next training center to replace Afghanistan.
4. Iran has sent emissaries to Mogadishu to offer assistance to the new Islamic government.
5. Al Qaeda has announced that the major Egyptian terrorist organization has join with Al Qaeda.

Oh, and BP has closed its Alaskan pipeline due to leaks and will be closed for over a month. Gasoline has gone up to $76.00 a barrel.

Do you think anyone in Washington, D.C. is listening?