Top Items:
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 …
Anne Penketh / Independent:
Ex-envoy to Uzbekistan goes public on torture — Britain's former ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, has defied the Foreign Office by publishing on the internet documents providing evidence that the British Government knowingly received information extracted by torture in the "war on terror".
Discussion:
Brilliant at Breakfast, Wizbang, AMERICAblog, Bloggerheads, LENIN'S TOMB, Europhobia, Michelle Malkin and Blairwatch
RELATED ITEMS:
Waltisfrozen / The Talent Show:
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 :
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
RELATED ITEM:
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) …
Discussion:
Althouse
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 …
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
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.
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.
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.
MEMRI:
Bahraini Women's Rights Activist Ghada Jamshir Attacks Islamic Clerics for Issuing Fatwas Authorizing Sexual Abuse of Infants — The following are excerpts from an interview with Bahraini women's rights activist Ghada Jamshir, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on December 21, 2005.
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".
Discussion:
Middle Earth Journal
Dexter Filkins / New York Times:
G.I.'s to Increase U.S. Supervision of Iraqi Police — BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 29 - American commanders are planning to increase significantly the number of soldiers advising Iraqi police commando units, in part to curtail abuse that the units are suspected of inflicting on Sunni Arabs, a senior commander in Iraq said Thursday.
CNN:
Al Qaeda claims Israel attack link — (CNN) — In what may be a sign that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terror group is expanding its operations, Al Qaeda in Iraq has posted a statement claiming responsibility for firing missiles from Lebanon into northern Israel earlier this week.
Discussion:
QandO
Associated Press:
Congress Is Asked to Raise Debt Limit — Treasury Secretary John W. Snow said yesterday that the United States could be unable to pay its bills in early 2006 unless Congress raises the government's borrowing authority, which is now capped at $8.18 trillion.
