Belgium is legalizing pot smoking. The country's politicians voted to allow adults to possess up to five grams of marijuana with two restrictions: They can't smoke it in front of children or teenagers, and they can't disturb the peace.

U.S. Marines have found signs of U.S. POWs at a hospital that they have taken over in An Nasiriyah. They also found bloodied female U.S. uniforms and what they suspect was a torture room.

An Nasiriyah is the town where five soldiers were taken prisoner in a battle in which two soldiers died and eight were reported missing.

MSNBC's Kerry Sanders is traveling with the unit that took over the hospital. He reported

Sanders was shown where the uniforms were found — inside the bathroom of a larger room that had been padlocked. It was the same room where 3,000 nuclear, biological and chemical suits were found when the Marines moved in.

The uniforms, which had had their American flag patches and names ripped off, were found inside a bag. In another room, Marines found a large battery next to a bed — leading them to suspect it was used as a torture device, Sanders reported.

One female U.S. soldier is listed as a prisoner of war and two as missing in action. They were part of an Army maintenance convoy attacked by Iraqis after making a wrong turn in An Nasiriyah on Sunday. The known female POW is Spc. Shoshawna Johnson, 30, of Fort Bliss, Texas. The female soldiers listed as missing are: Pfc. Jessica Lynch, 19, of Palestine, W.Va.; and Pfc. Lori Piestewa, 22, of Tuba City, Ariz.

Update: More on the hospital and Jessica's rescue.

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Reuters News is reporting that the U.S. has ordered a 4 to 6 day pause in the push to Northern Iraq due both to supply shortages and strong Iraqi resistance.

Use of gas-guzzling armored vehicles has been restricted to save fuel and food is also in short supply. In one frontline infantry unit, for instance, soldiers have had their rations cut to one meal packet a day from three.

The airstrikes reportedly will continue during this period.

Update (Sat.3/29 8:00 am): BBC reports central command denies there will be a pause in "operations in Iraq." Reuters update says "Senior commanders at their Gulf headquarters in Qatar said, however, that there would be no pause in the overall air and ground campaign to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein."

Four U.S. Marines have been killed in a suicide bombing by an Iraqi taxi driver near Nageef.

Sean-Paul is back with the up to the minute chronology of events at the The Agonist.

An explosion rocked Kuwait City a few hours ago--it may have been a missle shot from Iraq gone awry. It is not known if there are injuries or fatalities yet.

Here's the latest:

• A missile struck a shopping mall in Kuwait City early Saturday, Kuwaiti authorities said
• Explosions rocked Baghdad early Saturday, Information Ministry may have been hit
• U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warns Syria that the U.S. considers military shipments to Iraq a "hostile act"
• Rumsfeld also warned that armed Iranian "proxies" operating in Iraq will be treated as combatants

Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz admitted Friday that military officials may have underestimated "the number of execution squads" and the scope of deceptive tactics such as fake surrenders that Iraqi fighters have employed against coalition forces and Iraqi civilians.

A Turkish plane flying from Istanbul to Ankara has been hijacked to Greece. BBC reports that three Turkish parliament members may be on board.

Two Iraqi attacks on U.S. interests overseas have been thwarted.

Earlier today, an explosion hit a Baghdad market killing 50 civilians. Arab tv reports it may have been a U.S. missile.

Visit the Agonist for more.

Gary Hart spoke out against the war in New Hampshire yesterday.

Former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart returned to New Hampshire yesterday and said the United States is not ready for terrorist attacks that may result from the war on Iraq.

Speaking to about 100 students and faculty at the University of New Hampshire, Hart said Islamic fundamentalists may use the war as an excuse to wage Sept. 11-type terrorist attacks on the United States.

"This country is not prepared for a terrorist attack," Hart said. "We do not have enough security at the state and local levels."

...He said the Council of Foreign Relations Task Force on National Security, which he co-chairs, warned the Clinton administration of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil as early as Sept. 15, 1999. The Bush administration was told the same thing, he said.

"We were warning the Bush administration of an attack well before it happened," Hart said.

While he encouraged people to treat returning U.S. soldiers with respect, Hart spoke out strongly against the war.

"The Constitution of the United States does not constitute us to overthrow another government unless provoked," he said. "And the Iraq situation is not one of those cases."

....He also spoke against sanctions.

"Sanctions are not a viable means of preventing the creation of weapons of mass destruction," Hart said. "There will be at least 20 countries in coming years that will have the capabilities to make these weapons. Some of them will most likely be ruled by dictators."

For more on Hart and his positions go to GaryHartNews.com

The state of Oklahoma is scheduled to execute Scott Hain, a juvenile offender, on April 3 for the 1987 murders of Michael William Houghton and Laura Lee Sanders in Tulsa. Hain, who is white, was 17 years old at the time of the crime, and had no prior history of violence.

TAPPED is right on with its commentary today on Turkey:

Whose fault is this? The wingnuts are already blaming the Turkish government, which, according to them, should have just disregarded overwhelming public opinion against the war to back a U.S. invasion.

But don't blame the Turks. And in particular, don't blame the Islamist parties in Turkey -- they weren't the problem. The Bush administration screwed this one up by cajoling and threatening Turkey. And instead of doing the smart thing -- taking up the French offer of a 30-day wait, which would have given us time to at least get another heavy division on the ground in the south, and possibly gotten Turkey to go along with us -- they decided to plunge ahead anyway.

How did we lose Turkey? The Bush administration lost Turkey. Kessler and Pan's article provides the grim, dispiriting details of this tale of incompetence, blundering and foolishness.

Too funny. New York Press asked readers for their suggestions on the 50 most hated New Yorkers. She-pundit clocks in at number 4, with this description:

Yes, she does live here. What a depressing age we live in, when a horse-faced Tri-Delt who spends her days hurling genocidal threats at foreigners and liberals--whose best come-hither look promises jackboots, pepper gas and the switch--can somehow be considered a sex symbol. What's next? Vlad the Impaler Beanie Babies? A children's show called Joseph McCarthy's Neighborhood? Please, before it's too late, bring back Charlene Tilton, and send this pampered, vicious bitch back to the stenographic pool where she belongs.

[link via Tapped]

The war is one week old and the media has already bungled 15 stories [link via Cursor]

A reporter explains why journalists stay in Baghdad.

Slate has a primer on the Geneva Conventions (there are three.)

The World Socialist Web Site has published several articles about these legal issues. We think its important to read the viewpoint of those who are not Americans, Republicans or Democrats--regardless of whether we agree with them. Reasoned debate is healthy. For the record, our view is that the war violates international law. We support our troops--bring them home now.

International legal experts regard Iraq war as illegal
By Peter Schwarz, 26 March 2003

Canadian law professors declare US-led war illegal
By Henry Michaels, 22 March 2003

The Bush administration repudiates international law
By the Editorial Board, 18 March 2003

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The alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, captured in Pakistan last month, has told U.S interrogators that Moussaoui was supposed to prepare for a second wave of attacks that were to follow Sept. 11.

The Government also is relying on the word of a captured Malaysian chemist named Yazid Sufaat who they believe "hosted the hijackers and Moussaoui in Malaysia at different times in 2000 and provided Moussaoui with fake papers to make his way to the United States."

Remember all the Government's descriptions of Moussaoui as the 20th hijacker? FBI Director Robert Mueller now concedes they are wrong. The theory now is that Moussaoui "mirrored" the actions of the hijackers in preparation of a different attack that was "intended to kill thousands."

Moussaoui's case is on hold as the feds contest the trial judge's order to make Ramzi Binalshibh available to Moussaoui for an interview. An adverse ruling likely will result in the dismissal of Moussaoui's case in federal court and the institution of a military tribunal proceeding.

We have long argued that the evidence disclosed to date does not support Moussaoui's involvement in the 9/11 attacks and that most likely, he was being saved for a future attack. However, the AP article above, while it sets forth several links between Moussaoui, Binalshibh and Malaysia, doesn't amount to much more than connect-the-dots speculation.

Moussaoui is still a puzzle. He isn't talking. He won't talk. This is why America deserves to have his case heard in an open court. The public has a right to hear the evidence against him--particularly since the Government is seeking to execute Moussaoui. Pressure should be brought to bear on the Administration not to move Moussaoui to a secret military tribunal proceeding, even if the Appeals court rules against them.

If the Government truly believes that Moussaoui was part of a broader conspiracy than the one limited to the 9/11 attacks alleged in the Indictment, it can supersede with a new Indictment charging Moussaoui with the grander conspiracy. At least that would keep the case in federal court.

Our coverage of Moussaoui's case since its inception and the various Government theories about him is here.

Former Senator Gary Hart, who is in the process of deciding whether to run for President, is blogging about the war against Terrorism and Iraq and how to make restore the American republic. The blog went live today, comments are accepted. His voice is a welcome addition to the blogoshpere.

There is no better authority on terrorism. Hart has been against Bush's War on Iraq. He warns us that America is not prepared for retaliatory attacks. If you haven't read his speeches with concrete proposals for how we can become better prepared and how America should shape its foreign policy in the 21st century, we highly recommend them.

We say, Run, Gary, Run. He needs your encouragement. There is a meetup in Denver on April 3. We'll be there. He's also accepting contributions to help with expenses as he travels the country testing the waters for a possible presidential run.