GATEWAY PUNDIT HAS MORE ON THE AL-MASRI ARREST, including this: "There are reports that al-Masri set up terrorist training camps in Iraq after he fled Afghanistan when the Taliban fell back in 2001."

Remember how Richard Clarke was worried that Osama would "boogie to Baghdad" if we invaded Afghanistan? Well, I guess he was right to worry, in general if not in specific. . . . I guess it's no big surprise -- Saddam offered bin Laden asylum back in 1999 -- but given that nowadays a lot of people pretend that any kind of cooperation between Saddam and Al Qaeda is unimaginable, it's worth pointing out.

But don't make too much of these reports until they're confirmed. As Bill Roggio notes, it's best to wait for confirmation from the U.S. military, which hasn't happened yet.

HAS HILLARY BECOME THE DEMOCRATS' psycho ex-girlfriend? (Via Katie Granju ).

CONGRESS: Meet the New Trough, Same as the Old Trough. And they promised us change!

LOTS OF UPDATES ON THE SITUATION IN LEBANON, at Michael Totten's blog.

IN TENNESSEE 300 National Guard soldiers from Campbell County just got back from Iraq, after a year in which they suffered no casualties. Congratulations, and welcome back.

MCCAIN CAMPAIGN: "We have all become familiar with Senator Obama's new brand of politics. First, you demand civility from your opponent, then you attack him, distort his record and send out surrogates to question his integrity. It is called hypocrisy, and it is the oldest kind of politics there is. . . . We understand why Senator Obama doesn't want to engage in a debate over leadership and judgment with John McCain, but the American people demand that debate take place."

Background here. Obama wants to run a training-wheels campaign while demanding that his opponents walk a tightrope. Well, hell, who wouldn't want that?

UPDATE: In the comments, some good advice for Obama from Michael Totten:

Obama could easily make this go away: “Hamas will be VERY sorry if I am America’s president. They need to be careful what they wish for.” He doesn’t have to say anything else, but I doubt it occurs to anyone on his staff to go after Hamas instead of McCain. To me, that’s the obvious fix. What could McCain possibly say after that?

Alas, however, Obama's instinct was to strike out at McCain instead.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Scott Slater emails:

Dear Glenn,

Got the 2008 Democratic Presidential Survey in the mail today.

Question #7 - " Do you believe that John McCain's pledge to keep troops in Iraq for another 100 years will be a liability in the General Election?"

I answered "No. He didn't say that. You are smearing him."

Question #11 asks "How likely do you think it is that John McCain and his Republican allies will launch a "Swift Boat" style smear campaign against our presidential nominee?"

I checked "Not Likely, but I noticed you have (see question 7)."

It's the new politics of change and hope! And by "checked," I presume he means "wrote in," as I doubt that was one of the original options . . . .

OMAR FADHIL: Iranian-Made Rocket Discovered Near Basra Alarms Iraqis.

ABU AYYUB AL-MASRI, HEAD OF AL QAEDA IN IRAQ, has been captured. Some thoughts on what it means at The Belmont Club.

RACHEL LUCAS ON FIREFLY: "Forget C.S. Lewis - I’m pretty sure the cancellation of this show after only one season is proof there is no God. Seven years of American Idol on the same network that gave us only one year of Firefly. Do the quantum math on that one." The good news is, it's coming out on Blu-Ray soon. But that's scant consolation. How about another season?

HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRESS: "A Malaysian Islamic court allowed a Muslim convert Thursday to return to her original faith of Buddhism, setting a precedent that could ease religious minorities' worries about their legal rights. Lawyers said the Shariah High Court's verdict in the northern state of Penang was the first time in recent memory that a convert has been permitted to legally renounce Islam in this Muslim-majority nation."

RICHARD KAHLENBERG: Still Forgotten: Low Income Students At Selective Colleges.

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