Pilots captured in Baghdad

Rumsfield confirms that one plane is missing. Al-Jazeera is saying that two pilots have been captured.

I've been watching horrific film from BBC of hundreds of Iraqis on the banks of the River Tigris, searching through the reeds, firing into the reeds, setting fire to the reeds, little motor boats buzzing the banks, people line the bridges, the whole area is surrounded by sometimes dancing and chanting Iraqis.

At first the BBC were saying that it may just be a hoax, or false alarm. Somebody, somewhere saw a blue and green parachute, but no eye witness could be found. That the smallest rumour could bring out crowds like this. Now, it looks as though there was a downed craft and indeed pilots were captured.

(Update: this story looks like bollux right now. At least no pilots have been captured, though the Iraqis were certainly looking.) The Telegraph has more.

The Observer: Robin Cook, 'We are risking a gulf between the West and the Islamic world'

In his first interview since he resigned, he says the US is a "hyper-power." First time that I've heard this term. The rest of the interview is the usual stuff.

Telegraph: I was a naive fool to be a human shield for Saddam

He changed his mind after hearing of Saddam's horrors.

Washington Post: Al Qaeda Near Biological, Chemical Arms Production

"Most of the new information comes from handwritten documents and computer hard drives seized during the March 1 capture of Khalid Sheik Mohammed. Significantly, one official noted, Mohammed was arrested at a Rawalpindi, Pakistan, home owned by Abdul Quddoos Khan, a bacteriologist with access to production materials and facilities who has since disappeared."

He's been spilling the beans about this only in the past few days. Still a bit crude, and looks as though they didn't need Iraq, just bought anthrax stuff over the counter.

Sky News: US: Attack from within

"Sky correspondent Stuart Ramsay, "Talking to other soldiers, it could be that he was disgruntled. They said he had been acting 'weird' for days. They were concerned about his behaviour and were not going to send him up to the front when the soldiers were going to be deployed.""

Yahoo! News: U.S.: No Sign of Iraq Bio-Weapons Yet

Debkafile is reporting that WMD are around Baghdad and up near Syria, if not in Syria:

"The Iraqi ruler has massed around Baghdad--not only his crack fighting divisions and most loyal suicide units, but also his missiles and weapons of mass destruction, including possibly radiological devices. If he sees Baghdad's outer defenses crumbling, he is liable to deploy those weapons in a last stand. The Americans may well retaliate with nuclear devices of their own, tactical or bombs, a decision the US President will be called upon to make."

Guardian: Missing ITN crew may have come under 'friendly fire'

"US army General Guy Shields, director of the coalition press information centre in Kuwait, "We have had phone calls from journalists who have called the press desk while under fire screaming for help.""

FOXNews.com: As many as three U.S. missiles

" aimed at targets in Iraq may have landed in Iran, two officials at the Pentagon said Saturday."