Full Credit Make-up! BRIAN

International - A screenplay for one of The Lord of the Rings movies was recently confiscated from a child-soldier detainee at Guantanamo Bay. Navy Lieutenant Commander William Kuebler, the boy’s appointed attorney [the boy Khadr was 15 in 2002 when he was first put in Gitmo], had given the boy the script in order to build trust. The screenplay was taken away because it did not directly relate to Khadr’s defense. Kuebler was also forbidden from playing chess or checkers with Khadr as well. The Lord of the Rings books are available to prisoners, but Khadr’s greatest desire is to see the movies. He is going on trial for war crimes and the death of a special-forces soldier. Khadr is 21, and could face life in prison.

Opinion – I don’t know enough about this to be sure about anything, but it seems like this guy should be let off a little easier than life in prison. I don’t know. Of course the enemy wouldn’t do something like that, and I don’t know the whole story, but it seems like his young age should count for something. Did he have a choice in fighting for a terrorist organization? Probably not a whole lot.

National - The Catholic church in America is continuing to grow mostly because of immigrants. Besides European immigrants, Hispanic Catholics are the most common new church members. Hispanic Catholics tend to be more conservative on moral and social issues but liberal on economic ones, and make up 39% of U.S. Catholics. However, the number of Hispanics claiming no religious affiliation is growing the most.

Opinion – Cool. Did you know the Pope is coming from the 15th to the 20th this month? I wish I could see him. But then again, I don’t know if I really like the new Pope. Anyways, I just thought this article was interesting, but I don’t feel strongly one way or another about it.