UN urges peace in Ivory Coast. A UN special representative calls for a peaceful end to Ivory Coast’s five-day unrest¸ as US troops head to there to rescue trapped American children. [BBC News | WORLD]

Israel rejects ‘biased’ resolution. Israel dismisses a UN Security Council vote calling for an end to the Ramallah siege¸ hours after nine Palestinians died in raids on Gaza. [BBC News | WORLD]

Given the level of interest, I thought that I’d share with you a document, entitled “Software Platform Dynamics“, that I’ve used in the past to help associates get up to speed with the nature of the software platform business. It’s a fairly dense collection of thoughts gathered over many years; I hope that it serves to further the discussion… [Ray Ozzie’s Weblog]

Know thine enemy
In Slate, Michael Kinsley makes a cogent, and characteristically pragmatic, argument against Bush’s war-on-terrorism rhetoric. If you just keep repeating that your enemy is “evil,” and don’t explore his motivations, you’re going to do a lousy job of preventing other enemies from proliferting. Meanwhile, in Salon Premium, Josh Marshall explores the quandary Bush administration hawks find themselves in now that the president has chosen to work through the U.N. and its resolutions. Latest twist: Rewrite Bush’s speech. “Maybe the president said that the issue was making Saddam live up to the resolutions, but in fact whether he does or not is really beside the point, because the real point is that Saddam can’t be trusted and must be ousted.” [Scott Rosenberg’s Links & Comment]

MS design switch thwarts Xbox mod chips. Mod vs mod… [The Register]

The Sunshine Warrior. Paul D. Wolfowitz sees war with Iraq as a region-transforming opportunity. By Bill Keller. [New York Times: Politics]

Some Experts Fear Political Influence on Crime Data Agencies. Criminal justice experts are concerned that the Justice Department may exert political control over previously independent agencies within the department that collect crime statistics. By Fox Butterfield. [New York Times: Politics]

G.O.P. Oregon Senator Has a Gay-Friendly Campaign. Senator Gordon H. Smith, Republican of Oregon, is expanding the definition of compassion in the Republican lexicon by advertising his support for gay issues in his campaign. By Katharine Q. Seelye. [New York Times: Politics]

Arafat rejects Israeli demand. The Palestinian leader refuses an Israeli demand for a list of all those sheltering with him in his headquarters¸ as Kofi Annan makes a new plea for peace. [BBC News | WORLD]

HP dumps Evo notebook for tablet PC. The company plans to swap its Evo N200 lightweight notebook for its upcoming tablet PC for business. Will customers bite? [CNET News.com]