patriot

The Bush administration announced tentative plans on Wednesday to sell Israel up to $1.32 billion worth of advanced guided TOW and Hellfire missiles, munitions and other weapons. The prime contractors for the proposed sale would be Raytheon Co and Lockheed Martin Corp, the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a mandatory notice to Congress.

America's battered international image has claimed a new casualty - the tough-talking comic book patriot GI Joe. The muscular character was created as a comic strip for US military publications during World War II and has been fighting America's foes ever since. But in a new film version, due to go into production next year, the all-American will no longer work for a covert US special forces unit.