Top Items:
Ellen Knickmeyer / Washington Post:
Shiite Urges U.S. to Give Iraqis Leeway In Rebel Fight — Americans Have Blocked Tougher Tactics, Cleric Says — BAGHDAD — The leader of Iraq's most powerful political party has called on the United States to let Iraqi fighters take a more aggressive role against insurgents …
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Edward Wong / New York Times:
Shiite Cleric Increases His Power in Iraq — BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 26 - Men loyal to Moktada al-Sadr piled out of their cars at a plantation near Baghdad on a recent morning, bristling with Kalashnikov rifles and eager to exact vengeance on the Sunni Arab fighters who had butchered one of their Shiite militia brothers.
Peter Beaumont / Observer:
Abuse worse than under Saddam, says Iraqi leader — · Allawi in damning indictment of new regime — · Bush prepares way for US troop pull-out — Human rights abuses in Iraq are now as bad as they were under Saddam Hussein and are even in danger of eclipsing his record …
Discussion:
Unclaimed Territory, AMERICAblog, blogenlust, The Washington Monthly, Running Scared, Today in Iraq and onegoodmove
Agence France Presse:
White House claims 'strong consensus' on Iraq pullout — WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House has for the first time claimed ownership of an Iraq withdrawal plan, arguing that a troop pullout blueprint unveiled this past week by a Democratic senator was "remarkably similar" to its own.
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Sarah Baxter / Times of London:
Bruce Willis comes out fighting for Iraq's forgotten GI heroes — ANGERED by negative portrayals of the conflict in Iraq, Bruce Willis, the Hollywood star, is to make a pro-war film in which American soldiers will be depicted as brave fighters for freedom and democracy.
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Washington Post:
Sympathetic Vibrations — Democrats fumed last week at Vice President Cheney's suggestion that criticism of the administration's war policies was itself becoming a hindrance to the war effort. But a new poll indicates most Americans are sympathetic to Cheney's point.
Discussion:
Prairie Weather, A Blog For All, Adam's Blog, CALIFORNIA YANKEE, RedState.org, Sensible Mom, Ace of Spades HQ and Althouse
Associated Press:
Second Reporter Asked to Testify on Leak — WASHINGTON - A second Time magazine reporter has been asked to testify in the CIA leak case, this time about her discussions with Karl Rove's attorney, a sign that prosecutors are still exploring charges against the White House aide.
New York Times:
Look Who's Talking About Making a Comeback in the Senate — WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 - Trent Lott is talking again - and again and again and again. — It has been three years since White House officials and some Senate Republicans orchestrated Mr. Lott's ouster as Senate majority leader amid an uproar over racially insensitive remarks.
Stephen Moore / Opinion Journal:
'Reform. Reform. Reform.' — John McCain explains his eclectic—and troubling—economic philosophy. — WASHINGTON—The more Republicans stumble in Washington, the higher Sen. John McCain climbs in the polls. His political fortunes seem to run countercyclical to those of the party whose nomination …
Walter Pincus / Washington Post:
Pentagon Expanding Its Domestic Surveillance Activity — Fears of Post-9/11 Terrorism Spur Proposals for New Powers — The Defense Department has expanded its programs aimed at gathering and analyzing intelligence within the United States, creating new agencies, adding personnel …
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Hilzoy / Obsidian Wings:Someone Is Watching You... From the WaPo: … This is serious.
Discussion:
Seeing the Forest
T. Christian Miller / Los Angeles Times:
A Journey That Ended in Anguish — Col. Ted Westhusing, a military ethicist who volunteered to go to Iraq, was upset by what he saw. His apparent suicide raises questions. — "War is the hardest place to make moral judgments." — Col. Ted Westhusing, Journal of Military Ethics
Frank Rich / truthout.org:
Dishonest, Reprehensible, Corrupt ... George W. Bush is so desperate for allies that his hapless Asian tour took him to Ulan Bator, a first for an American president, so he could mingle with the yaks and give personal thanks for Mongolia's contribution of some 160 soldiers to "the coalition of the willing."
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Judd / Think Progress:
Fox News Host Chris Wallace Claims President Bush "Never" Linked Saddam and al-Qaeda — In a stunning display of historical revisionism, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace argued this morning that President Bush never tried to link al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein:
James Glanz / New York Times:
Saving Face and How to Say Farewell — IN the old popular song about the rout by Americans at New Orleans during the War of 1812, the British "ran so fast the hounds couldn't catch 'em." Even allowing for patriotic hyperbole, it can hardly be argued that the British extricated themselves …
Editor and Publisher:
Macon Paper Breaks News on Congressmen Hurt in Iraq — NEW YORK The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph was apparently the first newspaper to carry news today that a military vehicle carrying U.S. politicians overturned on the way to the Baghdad airport on Saturday and injured two members of Congress.
Discussion:
AMERICAblog
Con Coughlin / Telegraph:
Teheran 'secretly trains' Chechens to fight in Russia — Iran is secretly training Chechen rebels in sophisticated terror techniques to enable them to carry out more effective attacks against Russian forces, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal. — Teams of Chechen fighters are being trained …
Real Teen:
I've Upset the Left... Awesome — A couple days ago I blogged about the first battle in the War on Christmas. Apparently exposing the War on Christmas has upset some people on the left. While checking my links in the TTLB Ecosystem, I found a couple left-wing moonbat bloggers who decided to attack me.
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Philip Sherwell / Telegraph:
Bolton loses British backing for UN tactics — Britain has angered John Bolton, America's combative ambassador to the United Nations, by breaking ranks with him over the need for reform. — The rare public disagreement between the two close allies comes as the showdown over reforms …
