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Dana Priest / Washington Post:
Covert CIA Program Withstands New Furor — The effort President Bush authorized shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, to fight al Qaeda has grown into the largest CIA covert action program since the height of the Cold War, expanding in size and ambition despite a growing outcry at home and abroad …
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Toni Locy / Associated Press:
Justice Dept. Probing Domestic Spying Leak — WASHINGTON - The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the leak of classified information about President Bush's secret domestic spying program, Justice officials said Friday. — The officials, who requested anonymity …
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IntoxiNation-News …, The Washington Monthly, The Carpetbagger Report and Shakespeare's Sister
Greg Saunders / This Modern World:
More Torture Memos — Former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray is defying a gag-order and publishing torture memos on his blog relating to the coordination between the Uzbek, British, and American governments. As Kos says, it's brutal : … Here's what that partnership looks like in action :
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scoop.co.nz, The Mahablog, rubber hose, IntoxiNation-News …, TalkLeft, Politics in the Zeros, Rising Hegemon and Booman Tribune
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Anne Penketh / Independent:Ex-envoy to Uzbekistan goes public on torture
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Gateway Pundit, Wizbang, AMERICAblog, Bloggerheads, Brilliant at Breakfast, LENIN'S TOMB, Europhobia, Blairwatch and Michelle Malkin
National Review:
NRO's 2006 Crystal Ball — EDITOR'S NOTE: Another year, more predictions. Every year some brave souls here at National Review Online look into their crystal balls and see what they see for the upcoming year. Enjoy their self-sacrifice. And Happy New Year! — WARREN BELL
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Peter Carlson / Washington Post:
Raiding the Icebox — Behind Its Warm Front, the United States Made Cold Calculations to Subdue Canada — Invading Canada won't be like invading Iraq: When we invade Canada, nobody will be able to grumble that we didn't have a plan. — The United States government does have a plan to invade Canada.
Rob Stein / Washington Post:
Stomach Bug Mutates Into Medical Mystery — First came stomach cramps, which left Christina Shultz doubled over and weeping in pain. Then came nausea and fatigue — so overwhelming she couldn't get out of bed for days. Just when she thought things couldn't get worse …
BBC:
Minister goes in Iraq oil crisis — Iraqi Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum has been temporarily released from his post amid a dispute over the government's petrol pricing policy. — He is to be replaced for 30 days by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi.
William Safire / New York Times:
The Office Pool, 2006 — HERE is your 32nd annual chance to Beat the Pundit. In each multiple choice, pick one, none or all. In a good year, a master prognosticator gets four right. — 1. U.S. troops in Iraq at 2006 year's end will number: (a) current "base line" 138,000; (b) …
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Althouse
Sidney Blumenthal / Guardian:
Victory in name only — Empty talk of turning points has failed to stop Bush's election triumph being reduced to ashes — In his second inaugural address, George Bush four times summoned the image of fire - "a day of fire", "we have lit a fire", "fire in the minds of men", and "untamed fire".
Eric Schmitt / New York Times:
General Retreats on Rumsfeld Rift — ABOARD A C-32 JET, over the Persian Gulf, Dec. 29 - It was a rare moment last month when Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, publicly contradicted his boss, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. On Thursday, however, General Pace essentially said never mind.
Charles S. Johnson / Billings Gazette:
Tax rule change angers groups — HELENA - Representatives of accountants, real estate agents, title agents, ranchers and business groups accused the Revenue Department Thursday of usurping the Legislature's authority with its proposed rule change. — They charged that the state Revenue Department …
Discussion:
Sirotablog
Ben Curtis / Associated Press:
Egyptian Police Kill 10 Sudanese in Cairo — CAIRO, Egypt - Egyptian police turned water cannons on Sudanese war refugees and beat them with sticks Friday, brutally clearing out a squatters camp in a city park. At least 10 people were killed, the government said.
Tony Snow / Townhall.com:
Time for the President to call their bluff — WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House Social Office needs to note right now, before anybody has a chance to forget, that it really must send flowers, chocolates and wall-sized Christmas cards (um, holiday cards) next year to James Risen and Eric Lichtblau of The New York Times.
