The Washington Postand New York Timeslead with the Taliban's continued retreat from Afghan cities and the Northern Alliance's entry into Kabul. The Los Angeles Timesfronts—and others off-lead—President Bush and Russian President Putin's agreement to reduce their nuclear stockpiles by two-thirds, leaving them each about 2,000 nukes. The two leaders have been hinting about such a move for months. Still, says the WP, "Yesterday's announcements seemed finally to shatter the arms control stalemate of the past decade." USA Todayleads with President Bush's executive order that would allow the government to bypass civilian courts and instead create military tribunals to try foreigners (and only foreigners) suspected of terrorism. The Wall Street Journal's worldwide newsbox is topped with investigators' announcement that there was an "airframe rattling" noise before Flight 587 started to fall from the sky.

Investigators aren't sure what the noise was. And they're further confused by reports that the tail section fell first, then the engines, then, finally, the plane itself. The Journal says that sequence appears to be  "unprecedented in modern commercial crashes." Also, investigators recovered the plane's the flight data recorder.

The military tribunals President Bush authorized could operate in secrecy and bypass constitutional guarantees. The President himself will decide who gets sent to such courts. There will be no trial by jury and no judicial overview. The order goes beyond al-Qaida and applies to any suspected foreign terrorist or foreigner who "knowingly harbors" them. (Question: Does the directive define terrorism? If so, how?)

The papers notes that the last time military tribunals were created, during World War II, the Supreme Court ruled that they were constitutional. The papers cite various reasons why the United States needs such courts again: the imperative, for example, to keep intelligence methods and sources secret. But the papers don't ask about another, admittedly more awkward motivation: Might it be that "beyond a reasonable doubt" is too stringent a standard to result in the lockup of Bin Laden and associates?

The papers note sketchy reports that Kandahar, the Taliban's stronghold and spiritual capital, might be about to fall. The Northern Alliance isn't at the gates, but some leaders in the south may be pushing the Taliban out of the city.

The papers report that the U.N. and United States are still hustling to create an interim coalition to govern Afghanistan. There are plenty of political reasons for that, but there's also a military one. "The closer we get to a political administration, the more there is something for the Taliban to defect to," said one administration official. 

The Northern Alliance says that as the result of a "power vacuum" and "looting" in Kabul, it has sent a few thousand troops and police units into the city. The NYT, citing a "senior administration source," says that Turkey, Jordan, Indonesia, and Bangladesh have all offered troops for a peacekeeping force there. Pakistan wants to join the team, too. The White House, though, said that would "not be appropriate." Whoever comes, it will likely be weeks until they are in Kabul.

The NYT says that's a bad thing because "mayhem appears to be a likely outcome" in the capital. Already, "across town, groups of young men with stolen guns and crude muskets declared themselves policeman."

The LAT, though, reports "a feared blood bath had not followed the Northern Alliance's seizure of Kabul, at least not on the first day. The city's fall to the opposition was remarkably peaceful."

President Bush weighed in and urged reporters to "pay attention" to the jubilation in Kabul.