Colin Powell is hyping a new bin Laden tape as if it were a documentary about Michael Jackson, proving that it has officially happened -- the Bush administration is desperate to go to war, so desparate their lies are showing:

Al-Jazeera chief editor Ibrahim Hilal told The Associated Press his station has no such tape. And Powell, when asked by a reporter to comment on the station's denial, declined to do so.

I mean, don't get me wrong -- they've been lying for a long time. All politicians on either side of the aisle lie. If there is a bin Laden tape that links him to Iraq other than politically, and Al-Jazeera airs it, I'll eat my words. I don't think I'll have to.

I'm eagerly awaiting the Al-Jazeera English Web site. Until then, you can't deny that written Arabic is beautiful.

(I'm betting that last paragraph just put me on the short list of enemy combatants.)