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Najibullah Zazi has come to embody everything U.S. intelligence officials worry about in a suspected jihadist. He was in the U.S. legally, was familiar with American culture and customs, and could blend in. Most frightening of all, they say, Zazi had already begun to launch his plot.

A young businessman in Saudi Arabia has produced a video in response to short film portraying Islam as a violent ideology that has provoked anger in the Muslim world. The new video, Schism, matches Bible verses with scenes of violence by Christians.

President Bush launches a new verbal attack on Iran, calling it "the world's leading state sponsor of terror" during a visit to Abu Dhabi. He also praises the United Arab Emirates as a model Muslim state that is tolerant toward people of other faiths.

A visit to the Akora Khattak madrassa, perhaps the most famous of Pakistan's religious schools, offers a glimpse into fundamentalist Islam in Pakistan. It's where many of the Taliban's leaders studied. Today's students remain deeply conservative and full of anti-American sentiment.

Pervez Musharraf's resignation introduced uncertainty, and U.S. officials say al-Qaida is seeking to strengthen its presence in the country. Meanwhile, Pakistan looks likely to pick Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, as its next president.

Mexico's struggle with the deadly drug trade is in focus in Washington as President Felipe Calderon visits. But the fight may be rigged, according to an NPR News investigation, including an analysis of cartel arrests and interviews with current and former law enforcement officials. Elements of federal forces appear to favor the Sinaloa cartel.

An OPEC meeting in Venezuela Thursday was charged by the anti-American rhetoric from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. But the focus of the talks remained on oil production quotas and rising gas prices.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto says she believes she will be able to stay when she returns to the country from exile next month. She plans to go back despite the lack of a power-sharing agreement with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

Journalist Thomas Lippman writes in his book Arabian Knight about how Franklin D. Roosevelt become the first U.S. president to meet a Saudi king. Roosevelt met King Abdul Aziz during World War II on the deck of a Navy cruiser. Lippman talks with Steve Inskeep about the long-standing relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

The man suspected of planning the Sept. 11 attacks, along with four co-defendants, were arraigned Thursday at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The U.S. is seeking the death penalty for all of them. The ringleader of the group says he welcomes execution because it would make him a martyr.