4,000th US soldier killed in Iraq, 5 years into war; NASA scientist says administrations have tried to "control" release of scienctific data...

23 March :: US military has reported 4,000th soldier killed in Iraq conflict; BBC reports 4 US soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in southern Baghdad, "In Baghdad, the heavily-fortified Green Zone suffered sustained mortar and rocket fire, which killed at least 15 civilians"... Dr. James Hansen, NASA's leading climate scientist, says both Republican and Democratic administrations have slowed the release of vital scientific findings, seeking to "control" science in line with political goals... US VP Dick Cheney has said the establishment of a Palestinian state is "long overdue", as some expect he will apply pressure to Israel to cease settlments in the West Bank; Financial Times reports "Dick Cheney, US vice-president, on Sunday met Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, as part of his tour of the Middle East. He criticised Hamas for the rocket attacks launched from Gaza on Israeli cities, saying they posed a threat to peace talks"...