Top Items:
New York Times:
U.S., Citing Abuse in Iraqi Prisons, Holds Detainees — WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 - The commander of American-run prisons in Iraq says the military will not turn over any detainees or detention centers to Iraqi jailers until American officials are satisfied that the Iraqis are meeting United States standards …
Rami G. Khouri / Lebanon Daily Star:
Facts and fantasies about Arab satellite TV — The recent British press revelation that President George W. Bush last year told U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair that Washington was considering bombing the Qatar headquarters of the pan-Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera (denied by the White House) …
Discussion:
The Washington Monthly
Raymond Hainey / Scotsman:
Santa told to sack his gas-emitting team of reindeer — REINDEER-drawn sleds have been slammed as environmentally unfriendly, because the carrot-munching animals produce the greenhouse gas methane in their wind. — Now Santa has been urged to ditch his sleigh team and start travelling …
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters
Faye Fiore / Los Angeles Times:
From Heckles to Halos — In dramatic contrast to the Vietnam War era, U.S. service personnel now are being treated to strangers' spontaneous bursts of gratitude. — There's a diner called Peggy Sue's about eight miles outside of Barstow, and as hard as Lt. Col. Kenneth Parks tries, he can never seem to pay his bill.
TBogg:
A Very Lileks Christmas — Comin' to town.... Twas the night before Christmas, and through Jasperwood — We shut it down early, like good Lutherans should. — The presents were finished with none left to wrap. — In each festive package some more Target™ crap.
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Patriot Act Extension Is Reduced To a Month — House Action Overcomes Senate's Longer Reprieve — The House balked yesterday at a Senate plan to extend the USA Patriot Act by six months to give Congress and President Bush more time to work out their differences, instead forcing the Senate …
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org
Dafydd / Big Lizards:
The Times' Reach Exceeds Its Grasp — Global War on Terrorism , Media Madness — At this point, it's not even eyebrow-raising that the New York Times is vigorously trying to destroy the foreign-intelligence gathering program run by the National Security Agency (a.k.a., "No Such Agency").
Right Wing Nut House:
THE WARRANTLESS GEIGER COUNTER — I'm having a very difficult time this morning maintaining my composure. Well, let me put it this way - a harder time than normal. The reason is this latest kerfluffle over pointing scientific instruments at the homes and businesses of Muslim Americans …
Discussion:
PoliBlog, The American Thinker, The Strata-Sphere, Gateway Pundit, Big Lizards, Media Lies, Stop The ACLU and The Real Ugly American
Steve Bartin / newsalert:
Successful Democratic Blogger Can't Afford Blue State — Markos Moulitsas Zúniga the man that runs the most successful political blog in America can't afford the Blue state of California: … How ironic,a guy who supports a party that promotes Fannie Mae,Freddie Mac,land-use restrictions …
Patrick Quinn / dailynews.att.net:
Shiite Group Willing to Talk With Sunnis — BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraq's leading Shiite religious bloc said Friday it is ready to discuss Sunni Arab participation in a coalition government, while thousands of Sunnis and some secular Shiites demonstrated in the streets claiming election fraud.
Austin Bay Blog:
Rumsfeld in Iraq/Christmas on the line — I'm listening to SecDef Rumssfeld's speech in Mosul. Looks like he's talking with troops from 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Here's a line stating his central theme: "The greatest leap for human history is for freedom, and we're on the side of freedom."
Discussion:
QandO
Jack Straw / Times of London:
Have a little faith in the 'C' word — I don't know where the idea about offending other faiths by using 'Christmas' came from, but it's mad — THE CHRISTMAS CARD I sent out as Blackburn's MP is a proper one. It was designed by Anna Souroullas (Year 3 of Holy Souls RC Primary School) …
Alec Russell / Telegraph:
Alistair Cooke's bones stolen by transplant gang — Relatives of Alistair Cooke, the late broadcaster, have spoken of their revulsion after it was found that his bones were cut from his body by a criminal gang and sold for transplant tissue. — New York police said his body was one of dozens chopped …
Discussion:
Betsy's Page
Thomas G. Donlan / online.barrons.com:
Unwarranted Executive Power — The pursuit of terrorism does not authorize the president to make up new laws — AS THE YEAR WAS DRAWING TO A CLOSE, we picked up our New York Times and learned that the Bush administration has been fighting terrorism by intercepting communications in America without warrants.
