Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has requested to visit New York City's ground zero when he visits the city later this month. Ahmadinejad is set to speak to the U.N. General Assembly September 24. Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney has stated his opinion clearly when he said today:

"Ahmadinejad's shockingly audacious request should be met with a vehement no,'' Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, said today. "It's inconceivable that any consideration would be given to the idea of entertaining the leader of a state sponsor of terror at Ground Zero.

"This would deeply offend the sensibilities of Americans from all corners of our nation,'' Romney said. "Instead of entertaining Ahmadinejad, we should be indicting him."

On Monday Iraq announced that they had withdrawn the license of Blackwater Security, an American security firm working in Iraq, and would prosecute employees of the firm involved in a Baghdad shooting that ended with 11 dead.

A spokesman for the Iraqi Interior Ministry said that security staff working for Blackwater had opened fire after mortar rounds landed near their cars in the western Baghdad district of Mansour.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy said that the shooting occurred after a car bomb exploded while U.S. diplomats were nearby.

"The car bomb was in proximity to a place where State Department personnel were meeting. That is why Blackwater responded to the incident," said spokesman Johann Schmonsees.

However, Iraq has a slightly different take on the situation, saying:

"By chance the company was passing by. They opened fire randomly at citizens," said Brigadier-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf.

Eleven people were killed in the skirmish, including one police officer, and another thirteen were wounded.

In a televised address on Thursday evening, President George W. Bush plans to announce his plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Iraq by December. He has also accepted the recommendations on force numbers by the top US commander and diplomat in Iraq.

President Bush is also expected to endorse a proposal to reduce US forces down from the 20 current brigades to just 15. However, no time frame is expected to be given.

The President's decision comes in the face of growing opposition to his strategy in Iraq, and after two days of congressional testimony by his top officials in Baghdad.

Following on the advice given by General David Petraeus and his recommendation to gradually with draw 30,000 of the 169,000 troops in Iraq, Bush's plan to reduce the troops would bring the levels back down to pre "surge" levels.

Just the day before the sixth anniversary of the September 11th attacks of the World Trade Center in New York City, al-Qaida revealed that a second Bin Laden video will be released. This video will reportedly present the last will and testament of one of the suicide hijackers.

Each year since the infamous 9/11 attacks, al-Qaida has released videos of last statements by hijackers, and use the occasion to rally sympathizers.

Many of the past video releases included old footage, but it is expected that in an effort to tout his re-emerging leadership and strength, Bin Laden's latest video will include a newly created speech.

The video is expected to be released within 24 hours to coincide with the sixth anniversary of 9/11. The impending video was announced by Al-Sahab with a banner advertisement posted on an Islamic militant forum often used by the group to post messages. The banner read: