Top Items:
centcom.mil:
What Extremists Are Saying — We note seven critical themes from the Zawahiri-Zarqawi letter. The first four confirm al-Qaida's long-term strategy and core beliefs; the latter three reflect new information about how senior al-Qaida leader Zawahiri views developments in Iraq - and elsewhere - turning against them.
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Wall Street Journal:
Times Reporter Tells Grand Jury About Talk With Top Cheney Aide — A New York Times reporter told a federal grand jury about a previously undisclosed conversation she had with a White House official, as attention continued to focus on possible early efforts by the Bush administration …
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Alia Ibrahim / Washington Post:
Syrian Official Found Dead — Interior Minister Was Questioned in U.N. Lebanon Probe — BEIRUT, Oct. 12 — Syria's interior minister was found dead Wednesday in his office in the Syrian capital, Damascus, in what the government described as a suicide. The death of Maj. Gen. Ghazi Kanaan came …
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Wonkette
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Athena / Terrorism Unveiled:SYRIAN MINISTER SUICIDE — QUESTIONABLE STABILITY OF ASSAD REGIME
Discussion:
Rantingprofs, Publius Pundit, Michael J. Totten, The Counterterrorism Blog and The Glittering Eye
CNN:Syrian leader denies role in Lebanese death
Discussion:
In the Bullpen, Basil's Blog, Across the Bay, chicagoboyz.net, WunderKraut.com and Cox & Forkum Editorial …
Washington Post:
SEC Issues Subpoena To Frist, Sources Say — Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has been subpoenaed to turn over personal records and documents as federal authorities step up a probe of his July sales of HCA Inc. stock, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Mark Murray / MSNBC:
Bush approval dips below 40 percent — NBC-WSJ poll shows only 28 percent believe U.S. headed in right direction — WASHINGTON - It has been weeks since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast; since gas prices began spiking to record highs; and since Cindy Sheehan …
John Fund / Opinion Journal:
How She Slipped Through — Harriet Miers's nomination resulted from a failed vetting process. — "There's a standard vetting process that we go through with all nominees." —White House spokesman Scott McClellan — "The president is very, very confident in his judgments about people, and he likes to reward loyalty."
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
Washington Post:
Role of Religion Emerges as Issue — President Bush said yesterday that it was appropriate for the White House to invoke Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers's religion in making the case for her to skeptical conservatives, triggering a debate over what role, if any, her evangelical faith should play in the confirmation battle.
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Robin Toner / New York Times:
Democrats See Dream of '06 Victory Taking Form — WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 - Suddenly, Democrats see a possibility in 2006 they have long dreamed of: a sweeping midterm election framed around what they describe as the simple choice of change with the Democrats or more of an unpopular status quo with the Republican majority.
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Jason Leopold / rawstory.com:
Vice President's role in outing of CIA agent under examination, sources close to prosecutor say — Cheney's role in CIA outing not known — Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is trying to determine whether Vice President Dick Cheney had a role in the outing of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame-Wilson …
Opinion Journal:
POLITICAL DIARY - Commentary and analysis on the 2004 election season — Political Diary, edited by Holman W. Jenkins Jr. and featuring John Fund, is a subscription-based e-mail newsletter offering commentary and analysis on American politics from a perspective only The Wall Street Journal's Editorial Page …
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Anthony Browne / Times of London:
Dutch unveil the toughest face in Europe with a ban on the burka — THE Netherlands is likely to become the first country in Europe to ban the burka, under government proposals that would bring in some of the toughest curbs on Muslim clothing in the world. — The country's hardline …
Greyhawk / Mudville Gazette:
OPEN POST — No picture, just a few words. — The purpose of the Open Post is (hopefully) obvious. Those with something to say can link their blogs here and those readers who are interested can follow those links to the source. This whole inter-linking thing is what the blogosphere is all about.
Discussion:
Conservative Cat, Point Five, Jo's Cafe, Jack Yoest at Yoest.org, Political Satire Fake News, bRight & Early, CatHouse Chat, Choose Life, Hooah Wife, Dadmanly, Basil's Blog, The Florida Masochist, euphoricreality.net, elephantinmycoffee.com, TMH's Bacon Bits and The Jawa Report v3.0 Beta
Washington Post:
Steele Factor Looms In Md. — Democrats' Hold On Black Voters Could Be Tested — As parishioners swayed and clapped, women in festive red blouses huddled under the imposing front archway of St. Edward's Roman Catholic Church, waiting for Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele.
Will / Attytood:
The President's day: One high crime and two misdemeanors — Since Attytood is now officially a "liberal journalist" according to Slate.com, we feel it's our duty to report that many on the farther left have been agitating in recent days for the impeachment of President Bush …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Balloon Juice, The Moderate Voice, Crooks and Liars, Daily Kos, Eschaton and Say Anything
Kobayashi Maru:
A Dark Night (and Maybe Another) — My brother is still with us, though it's become harder and harder to tell how much he knows it. Occasionally he will make a small motion to indicate that he's heard us, including what I thought was a guffaw at one of my lame attempts at humor.
Jackie Spinner / Washington Post:
Iraq's Kurds Ambivalent On Charter — Already Semi-Autonomous, Region Is Wary of Change — IRBIL, Iraq, Oct. 12 — In the days leading up to Iraq's historic national elections nearly nine months ago, the streets of this Kurdish provincial capital buzzed with excitement.
