If a narco-state or violent crackdown emerges in Venezuela, the White House will no longer be able to avert its attention from the mess or to ‘lead from behind.'

On Monday, President Obama will sit down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. With a showdown looming over Iran, their summit will not only be the most important meeting for either leader but it may also be the most consequential meeting for the entire Middle East since Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s 1993 handshake with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat.

The Venezuelan opposition is waiting for a showdown in presidential elections set for Oct. 7, but a corrupt Chavista cadre has already seized the advantage and will seek to hold on to power by any means necessary.

Followers of cancer-stricken strongman Hugo Chávez are stunned after nearly 3 million Venezuelans voted Sunday to select a unity candidate to compete in presidential elections scheduled for October. If the opposition has any real hope of defeating Chavismo, they will have to be prepared for dirty tricks, provocations, and even a narco-coup in the months ahead.

A Spanish translation of Ambassador Noriega's "Venezuela's Democrats may face Chavez's narco-coup"

A Spanish translation of Ambassador Noreiga's "Sinister forces at work in Venezeula power struggle"

The FDA's restrictive approach toward new drugs, supported by Senator Ted Kennedy, comes at the expense of many patients and possibly Kennedy, too.

The FDA's restrictive approach toward new drugs, supported by Senator Ted Kennedy,comes at the expense of many patients and possiblyKennedy, too.