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A wavering moderate Democrat said Friday he'd stand with Senate Democratic leaders on a crucial weekend test vote on their sweeping health care bill amid indications other moderates would fall in line. The announcement from Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., came as Senate leaders pushed ahead toward the make-or-break vote with no margin for rebellion on President Barack Obama's signature issue. Nelson said in a statement that his support for the procedural measure allowing debate to go forward didn't mean he'd support the final bill, but that Nebraskans wanted changes to the health care system. "The Senate owes them a full and open debate," he said.

IED jammers are also known as Counter Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (CREW) systems.[4] CREW systems include IED Countermeasures Equipment (ICE) and the Warlock, both use RF energy to block the signals of radio control (R/C) explosives detonators, such as cell phones, satellite phones, and long-range cordless telephones. Other countermeasures include the Joint IED Neutralizer (JIN) and the Neutralizing Improvised Explosive Devices with Radio Frequency (NIRF), which produce a high-frequency field to neutralize IED electronics. A system now deployed in Iraq, code-named PING, fits inside a Humvee and sends out electromagnetic waves to penetrate the walls of buildings to detect improvised explosives. Other sensors, such as the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy system (LIBS), detect traces of explosives used for improvised explosives from as far away as 30 meters. The Warlock Force Protection System (versions Blue, Green, and Red) and the Shortstop Electronic Protection System are jamming systems designed by EDO (now ITT Electronic Systems, EWS) and Whittaker Corporation, respectively. Originally designed to defeat proximity fused indirect fire munitions, Warlock has a dual capability to deny the use of enemy communication devices. Warlock Red is a low-cost jammer to counter specific threats that have been emerging in increasing numbers. Warlock Green is a more capable jammer used to address more sophisticated threat systems. The Warlock has gone through many revisions, to add more frequencies and better software. Older systems such as Shortstop weigh over 40 pounds excluding power source and occupy 1.5 cubic feet.

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Hayworth, a conservative former U.S. congressman who now is a popular radio talk show host in Phoenix, is reportedly interested in the race but has not formally declared for it. He captures 59% of the male GOP vote, while McCain wins 58% of female voters. Younger GOP voters like Hayworth more than their elders. McCain has a solid lead among the relatively small number of moderate and liberal Republicans in the state while Hayworth picks up a plurality (48%) of conservatives.

Ireland's last hopes of reaching the World Cup finals have been extinguished by the news that FIFA will not consider ordering a replay of Wednesday night's controversial play-off second leg in Paris. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) lobbied hard for a replay after Thierry Henry committed a blatant handball, which was not spotted by referee Martin Hansson, before crossing for William Gallas to score in extra time and seal a 2-1 aggregate win for Les Bleus. The incident provoked an outcry, with Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen even taking up the issue with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, but the FAI's representations to FIFA have met with no success. As was widely anticipated, the governing body has confirmed they have no intention of agreeing to a replay and that the decision of referee Hansson is final. FIFA said in a statement: "FIFA has today, 20 November 2009, replied to the request made by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to replay the 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off match held on 18 November 2009 between France and the Republic of Ireland in Paris. "In the reply, FIFA states that the result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed. As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game, during matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final." FIFA's response will now be considered by the FAI's board of management, which sits for a pre-arranged meeting on Friday afternoon. The FAI said in a statement: "Football Association of Ireland today confirmed that it has received correspondence from FIFA rejecting the Association's request for a replay of the World Cup play-off match between France and the Republic of Ireland. "A previously scheduled meeting of the FAI board of management will take place this afternoon where the matter will be considered. No further comment will be made until this meeting has concluded.'' However, the FFF wants a line to be drawn under the matter and has rejected suggestions that Raymond Domenech's job could be at risk due to the unconvincing nature of France's qualification. "FIFA is the ruler of the game and we have to abide by what they say,'' an FFF spokesman said. "What they decide we have to do and they have ruled it will not be replayed. So we should move on. "The federation's president and the coach and all of us involved feel that it was a bitter qualification. But we don't decide how we qualify. We played poorly and it came down to a referee's mistake, but that's the way it went. It happened on our side, in our favour, but sometimes in history it goes against you. "The Irish were really great, they played brilliantly and we played poorly. We were awful. And then at the end we achieved the qualification in this particular way thanks to a referee's mistake. If it had favoured the Irish side well you can imagine how people would have felt and reacted here, the French media, the French team, the FA, everyone. "We qualified. For sure he (Domenech) will be our coach. When you manage a team and win you don't change the coach. Sometimes you do in club football but not in an international team." France coach Domenech stated on Friday that he was surprised by the level of criticism levelled at Henry and rejected calls for France to apologise. The incident has seen Henry's standing in the game questioned although a number of players, and Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni, have refused to condemn the striker. Frenchman Arsene Wenger, who transformed Henry into one of the world's best forwards at Arsenal, was dissatisfied with the way his compatriots reached next summer's World Cup finals. "For the sense of justice it is quite embarrassing to see," he said. "I think even France is embarrassed. We didn't play well at all and we won the game and won the qualification with a goal that was not a goal." Wenger believes there were clear indications - namely the reaction of the players - that Swedish referee Hansson had made the wrong decision. "For two reasons; first of all Henry didn't celebrate at the start, that gives an indication to the referee, but spontaneously 11 Irish players came to see the referee," added Wenger. "That doesn't happen if it's not something obvious. You have two, three or four but not 11 and that convinced him to go and see the linesman as well and say 'Listen, I didn't see what happened, can you help me?'"

LONDON — As President Obama moves closer to a decision on the United States military’s request for more troops in Afghanistan, the British government has made an unflinching commitment to continue its role as the second largest troop provider in the 43-nation coalition fighting the war. In the face of opinion polls suggesting that British public opinion has moved sharply against the war in the face of rising British casualties, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and David Miliband, the foreign secretary, used major speeches in the past two days to reaffirm Britain’s determination to fight on in Afghanistan alongside the United States. They also renewed a commitment made last month to increase, by an initial increment of at least 500 soldiers, Britain’s current Afghan deployment of 9,000 troops. That compares with the 68,000 already committed by the United States, and 27,000 from other coalition countries. Mr. Obama has spent several weeks reviewing a request by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the American and NATO commander in Afghanistan, for a further increase of as many as 40,000 troops.

Vigilance in the defense of national security will never be sacrificed to expediency. Necessary resolution will never succumb to appeasement. The greater international good will never be subordinated to the mood of the passing moment