JIM LEHRER: Today's summit meeting between President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki did not happen. The event in Amman, Jordan, was postponed until tomorrow. There were reports a major cause was the New York Times reporting a classified U.S. memo that raised serious new doubts about Maliki.
Also, followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr suspended their role in Maliki's government to protest the meeting. A White House spokesman played down the delay. He said the Bush-Maliki session this evening would have been mostly a social occasion anyhow. We'll have more on this story right after the news summary.
There was more debate today on whether Iraq is in a state of civil war. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell urged world leaders to accept it as a fact. Speaking in Dubai, he said, "I would call it a civil war, because I like to face the reality."
But later, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs disagreed. Marine General Peter Pace spoke at the Pentagon.
PETER PACE, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs: It's much more important that we focus on how to defeat the enemy that is trying to create the civil war than it is we spend a lot of time dancing on the head of a pin, as far as what particular words we should use to describe the environment, which is currently unacceptable.
JIM LEHRER: General Pace would not discuss reports the Pentagon plans to send another 3,500 U.S. troops to secure Baghdad early next year. Right now, the U.S. has 139,000 troops in Iraq, including about 20,000 in and around Baghdad.
In another development, Robert Gates, the nominee for defense secretary, criticized the handling of the war. He did so in a Senate questionnaire for his confirmation hearing next week. He also endorsed asking Iran and Syria for help.
The bipartisan Iraq study Group is expected to call for such talks. It now plans to report to the president, the Congress and the public on December 6th, a week from today.
In Iraq today, the U.S. military announced the deaths of two more U.S. soldiers, for a total of 64 this month. And the city of Baquba was shut down, after heavy fighting in recent days between coalition troops and insurgents.
Across Iraq, at least 28 people were killed today, and police found nine more bodies with signs of torture.
The NATO summit ended today with no firm agreement on major troop additions for Afghanistan. The current force numbers more than 32,000 troops, and its casualties are mounting. Two more NATO soldiers were killed there today.
NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels narrates our report on the summit in Riga, Latvia.
SPENCER MICHELS, NewsHour Correspondent: The final gathering at the summit began with a tribute to more than 500 NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan. World leaders stood solemnly to remember their deaths.
NATO has faced a tough fight against the Taliban, especially in southern Afghanistan. British, Canadian, American and Dutch forces have asked for reinforcements there. But today, France and Germany said no to more troops in Taliban strongholds.
JACQUES CHIRAC, President of France (through translator): Does France intend to increase its military force in Afghanistan? No, we already have an important military presence of 11,000 soldiers there.
SPENCER MICHELS: France, Germany, Italy and Spain did agree to send military assistance, but only in emergency cases. Still, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer insisted the allies are firmly committed to Afghanistan's fledgling democracy.
JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER, NATO Secretary-General: The strong message of determination and solidarity, the restating that Afghanistan is a long-term commitment entered into by the NATO allies, the sense of real progress being made. I said there's not the slightest reason to voice doom and gloom over Afghanistan if you look at what has happened since 2001.
SPENCER MICHELS: The leaders agreed on the need for more aid to build up Afghan police and courts, plus roads, hospitals and schools.
JIM LEHRER: In other action, NATO invited three Balkan nations to take the first step toward joining the alliance. Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia- Herzegovina will now be eligible for a pre-membership program called the "partnership for peace."
But the U.N. war crimes prosecutor for the former Yugoslavia criticized that move. Carla Del Ponte said the Serbs, especially, have failed to track down top fugitives.
This was day two of Pope Benedict's visit to Turkey. He traveled to some of the small Christian communities in the mainly Muslim country. At one stop, he honored a priest killed last February. It happened during Muslim outrage over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
Turkey ran into a roadblock today in its quest to join the European Union. The group's executive body recommended freezing membership talks in eight out of 35 policy areas. It's to protest Turkey's refusal to open its ports to Cyprus. But E.U. leaders said the Turks can salvage the situation.
JOOST LAGENDIJK, President, E.U.-Turkey Delegation: Turkey in a way should count its blessing, because to start negotiations on 26 out of 35 chapters is a very important step. And Turkey can do so much in the coming years to prove that all the skeptics in the E.U. are wrong, and with today's decision they have this possibility to show that.
JIM LEHRER: The Turkish prime minister insisted his country will not compromise on Cyprus, a country it does not recognize.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard its first case on global warming today. Twelve states asked the court to mandate limits on greenhouse emissions from new cars and trucks. The Bush administration warned of the economic consequences. We'll have more on this story later in the program.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will not run for president in 2008. The Tennessee Republican announced that today in a brief statement. He gave no reason, except to say he'll take "a sabbatical from public life" and return to being a surgeon.
Frist leaves the Senate in January, after two terms. He became majority leader four years ago.
Ford Motor Company announced today 38,000 production workers have accepted buyouts or early retirement. That's close to half of Ford's unionized employees. The company is trying to cut costs. It lost $7 billion in the first nine months of this year.
Crude oil prices jumped today to the highest in nearly two months over concerns about U.S. inventories and cold weather. In New York, the price rose more than 2 percent to finish just under $62.50 a barrel.
Also today, the Commerce Department reported the gross domestic product increased 2.2 percent in the third quarter. That news helped boost Wall Street, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 90 points to close above 12,226. The Nasdaq rose more than 19 points to close at 2,432.
