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President Bush has followed through on a promise to veto a bill expanding health care to millions of low-income American children. On Wednesday, Bush quietly issued the fourth veto of his presidency on a measure expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as S-CHIP. The bill would have spent thirty-five billion dollars over five years, funded by a tax increase on cigarettes. The White House said it would only accept an increase of five billion dollars. White House spokesperson Dana Perino tried to portray the move as a way to protect low-income Americans. She said: "In a time when [Democrats] think that they want to increase funding for children’s health care, they’re actually wanting to pay for it with a cigarette tax…. People who smoke are usually… in the low-income bracket. And so they’re raising taxes on something to pay for a middle-class entitlement. It’s just completely irresponsible. Stop the madness on Capitol Hill." Democrats were scathing in their criticism.

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA): "Mr. president I think that this is probably the most inexplicable veto in the history of the country. It is incomprehensible. It is intolerable. It is unacceptable."

There is enough support to override the veto in the Senate but not in the House. Democrats say they’ll put off a new House vote until later this month to try to win the twenty extra votes they need.

The New York Times has revealed the Justice Department under former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales issued a series of secret legal opinions effectively sanctioning the use of torture. The first opinion came shortly after Gonzales arrived in February 2005. Just months earlier the Justice Department had publicly declared torture "abhorrent." But the secret opinion under Gonzales gave a green light to a series of harsh interrogation tactics including head-slapping, simulated drowning and frigid temperatures. At the time, outgoing deputy attorney general James Comey said the department would be "ashamed" when the opinion was publicly revealed. Less than one year later, the Justice Department issued another secret opinion declaring that no CIA techniques violated proposed laws banning "cruel, inhuman and degrading" treatment. The New York Times also reports the harshness of the approved tactics was so unprecedented that agents in secret CIA prisons overseas repeatedly asked Washington lawyers what was allowed. New details have also come out about the interrogation of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Insiders say Mohammed gave several "exaggerated or false statements" after some one hundred harsh tactics were used over a two-week period.

Iran’s Foreign Minister has said he doesn’t think the U.S. will attack Iran because of the burden of the Iraq war. Manouchehr Mottaki spoke Wednesday at the United Nations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki: "Our analysis is clear, U.S. is not in the position to impose another war in our region, against the taxpayers. Of course, at the same time, any country based on its defense policies and doctrine, should be prepared. It is not for Iran, it’s for other countries. We have informed two years ago the Americans that what will happen if they make such mad decision against our country, and they know very well."

In Israel and the Occupied Territories, Israeli and Palestinian leaders have held their first meetings ahead of a planned Mideast peace conference next month.

Palestinian negotiator Saed Erekat: "They met with their negotiations teams jointly. And they have instructed us to begin as of next week negotiations to achieve a joint document on the core issues with the intentions of submitting it to the international conference that president Bush called, invited for next autumn."

The Bush administration says the conference will re-vive its peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel has drawn criticism from several Arab states for refusing to halt West Bank settlement activity ahead of the summit.

The Sudanese government has agreed to pay a three-hundred million dollar compensation payment to Darfur. The deal was announced by former President Jimmy Carter, who is in Sudan on peace mission.

Jimmy Carter: "We had a constructive meeting with President al-Bashir. He promised us, for instance, there would be 300 million dollars in all coming to the Darfur region for compensations, so-called, to rebuild and repair the damage that has been done. He said 100 million of it would come from the government of Sudan, and 200 million of it would be a loan from the Chinese. So, that was I think a clear indication of commitment to be made public."

In Iraq, the FBI has been forced to admit that operatives with the private military firm Blackwater USA were initially scheduled to guard the very agents sent to Iraq to investigate Blackwater’s mass shooting last month in Baghdad. The New York Daily News reported on Wednesday that Blackwater would be assigned to protect the investigators upon their arrival in Iraq. The FBI now says the team will be guarded by other security personnel. Blackwater is under scrutiny for killing as many as twenty-eight Iraqis in an unprovoked attack.

Meanwhile the White House has announced it opposes a House measure that would extend federal jurisdiction to State Department contractors like Blackwater working abroad. The Office of Management and Budget said the bill would leave "intolerable consequences for crucial and necessary national security activities and operations."