Lori Montgomery wrote a balanced and informative account of the current state of health care legislation and the attempt to expand the health-care system. There is also a sketch of the current main problem, handling of abortion.

I consider this a serious and important contribution to the issue of "stimulus" jobs. It does not offer some good reason for optimism, just tells about the problems. Maybe it gets people thinking, so an open discussion will start in U.S. society.

This brief statement of LA Times opinion offers the basic facts of recent events concerning Afghanistan in a straightforward way, then it gives a point of view of what now should be U.S. policy towards the Afghans and their government. The proposal seems to be very sincere and sounds quite convincing, still one would have wished for more detail.

The article describes the attitudes and thoughts of the U.S. government and U.S. officials concerning the new situation in Afghanistan in some detail. Important issues of Afghan politics like local governance and corruption are mentioned briefly. Some indepth analysis should follow.

The article offers the information necessary to gain a picture of the current situation in Afghanistan. We learn that Mr. Abdullah has been under intense pressure from Western officials to avoid confrontation, so his decision becomes understandable, since all he had to expect was new fraud and lack of fairness.

The article offers quite interesting new information about ethics inquiry. Not much of what is mentioned reaches the public normally, and we are assured that this also will not be the case in the future.

This frank and quite disturbing article about Ahmed Wali Karzai reveals some of the current problems the U.S. are facing in Afghanistan. It tries to offer a balanced view while many questions remain open.

This thoughtful and revealing article tells the story of U.S. official Matt Hoh, and it presents his assessment of the war in Afghanistan. As an insider's account, the article offers a sincere and quite important contribution to the current debate about Afghanistan.

This informative and quite balanced article updates us briefly on the issue of Iran's uranium enrichment program. The account implies that president Obama might accept Iran's right to enrichment, which seems to be understandable, if enrichment should prove to be for peaceful purposes.

This readable and interesting story reveals knowledgeably different aspects of the Taliban thinking and behaviour, some very unusual for Western readers, some allowing a certain degree of coming closer.

Brief account of what is currently discussed in Washington concerning the war in Afghanistan. This intelligent and informed article gives some hints that there will still be serious problems to "secure" Afghanistan even if the U.S. will send 40,000 more troops.

I fully recommend this article, although it makes only a single point. I find it is very encouraging that Ms. Ebadi gives her sincere and frank opinion even if she will face persecution in her country for speaking that openly.

This rather short article gives basic and valuable information concerning Pakistan and the conflict in South Waziristan. The issue is seen in the context of relations between U.S. politicians and the Pakistani government, and Issam Ahmed does not delve into the fate and opinions of ordinary Pakistani people.

The article describes the current violence in Pakistan and supposes the attacks might strengthen public support for the Pakistani government. The account is rather brief, but it cites the opinions of people from Lahore, so one gets a good glimpse of the situation.

Dexter Filkins provides us with an unusually detailed and well-founded account of the situation in Afghanistan, General McChristal's profile, and what needs to be done to prevent the return of the Taliban to power. His analysis of General McChrystal's strategy for Afghanistan and his assessment of the current situation as well as of U.S. options both offer an intriguing and moving picture that will impress readers, independent of their political opinions.

James Oliphant wrote a very readable and balanced report that will prove helpful for readers who wish to follow the debate about health care and think about the issue in depth.

Ezra Klein offers a committed and frank contribution to the current health care debate. His article probably requires some forehand knowledge regarding the issues discussed and has to be seen in the context of the earlier Washington Post articles about health care reform.

Good article which gives the arguments in a balanced and easily understood way. The focus on the insurance group adds new information to past contributions.

Good sketch of the current debate and the impact of lobbyists. The article lowers expectations that health care costs might drop.

The article delves into the financial aspect of the proposed health-care reform without giving all the facts necessary for readers to form their own opinion. It might arouse fears of substantially higher taxes and so strengthen opposition to reform proposals. I suppose the article's bias may be connected with CSM's Republican leaning; I found no convincing arguments against some health-care reform, just a hidden appeal to readers' putative self-interest.

Amy Goldstein's article describes the case of patients stuck in the middle of a serious conflict between health insurers and hospitals. Her investigative report points to an important problem in today's U.S. health-care system which has not yet been properly addressed in current proposals for health-care reform.

This instructive and readable article conveys the report of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office which evaluates a Senate panel's health-care proposal. The report confirms the health-care reform in terms proposed here makes sense financially, while many uninsured citizens would receive health insurance.

Lively and intriguing report. It rightly poses the question of what happens to poorer people. What about people with low incomes? The MSNBC report convincingly suggests that health care reform needs to address the needs of people who cannot afford expensive health insurance.

Art Levine wrote a committed and moving article about the health-care debate and Republican trains of thought. His progressive critique may encourage Democrats to put public health and the needs of the poor on the table, so the hesitating public will get convinced of the social importance of extending health coverage.

Ceci Connolly delivers an important and informative contribution to Washington Post readers on the topic of preventable deaths. The article is intended to make clear that there are serious deficiencies in the current U.S. health-care system and that there is urgent need for reform. The point for political action is convincingly made.

Robert Pear tries to present a somewhat balanced account of the ongoing health-care debate. His alternatives, "coverage" vs. "cost", may strike a nerve and might make sense superficially, but one feels like the debate should go about "social responsibility" vs. "profit", alternatives which seem to underlie the conflicting approaches.