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Bush unaware of port deal until after approval — White House: President only learned recently of handover to Arab firm … Today show — WASHINGTON - President Bush was unaware of the pending sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a state-owned business …
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SO THE UAE DOESN'T HAVE ANY SAY IN PORT SECURITY? WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL THEN? [02/22 11:50 AM] — My fellow bloggers... we've been snookered. — (I apologize in advance for the length of this; it's required to get the facts out and to show how this meme spread like wildfire.)
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NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL — Let's take a closer look at a rose-colored Wall Street Journal editorial on the port deal that is garnering favorable reviews from some of my friends on the right. — Sayeth the WSJ: … Contrary to the Journal editorial board's assertion …
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Republicans Opposing Dubai Deal Have Long Opposed Efforts To Secure America's Ports — This week, Republican Senators have come out in force against a controversial deal through which a company based in the United Arab Emirates would take over six major American ports.

Port Security: We Weren't Wrong To Question, But We're Satisfied By The Answers

(MUCH) MORE ON THE DUBAI PORT DEAL....I'm still open to argument …
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Blast Rocks Shiite Shrine in Samarra — BAGHDAD, Feb. 22 — One of the most revered shrines in Shiite Islam was bombed early Wednesday morning north of Baghdad, causing the collapse of its dome, police and eyewitnesses said. There was no immediate estimate of casualties in the latest in a series of sectarian attacks in the country.
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Shiite protests Roil Iraq — Tuesday was an apocalyptic day in Iraq. I am not normally exactly sanguine about the situation there. But the atmospherics are very, very bad, in a way that most Western observers will miss. — The day started out with a protest by ten thousand people …
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Dome of the Golden Mosque Destroyed — al-Qaeda likely conducted attacks; attack can lead to civil war or provide opportunity for Sunnis and Shiites to unite; al-Qaeda may have made yet another miscalculation — The attempt to drag Iraqi's Shiites and Sunnis into a bloody civil war intensifies.

Iran Blames Bush — Sunni Shiite Clashes — Dan Murphy of the Christian Science Monitor has an excellent piece interpreting the significance of the turmoil over the bombing of the Askariyah shrine in Samarra. — Shiites came out in the thousands all over the Shiite south on Wednesday to protest.

Sunnis Hit After Shiite Shrine Blast — SAMARRA, Iraq - Assailants wearing uniforms detonated two bombs inside one of Iraq's most revered Shiite shrines Wednesday, blowing the top off its landmark golden dome and spawning mass protests and reprisal attacks against dozens of Sunni mosques.

Holy Shia shrine bombed in Samarra. — As if we didn't have enough problems already! — The quality of the target and the timing of the attack were chosen in a way that can possibly bring very serious consequences over the country. — The situation in Baghdad is so tense now …
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Al-Askariya shrine: 'Not just a major cathedral'
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Andrew Sullivan

Secret Service agents say Cheney was drunk when he shot lawyer — A written report from Secret Service agents guarding Vice President Dick Cheney when he shot Texas lawyer Harry Whittington on a hunting outing two weeks ago says Cheney was "clearly inebriated" at the time of the shooting.

Hey, Harvard, Hire Me! — Dear Harvard Corporation: — You have just effectively fired Harvard president Larry Summers. I request that you consider me as his replacement. — As you surely realize, the Summers controversy mirrors the fight over the Mohamed cartoons.
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Coup against Summers a dubious victory for the politically correct

O'Reilly: U.S. should leave Iraq "as fast as humanly possible" because "there are so many nuts in the country" … During the February 20 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Bill O'Reilly suggested that the United States "hand over everything to the Iraqis as fast as humanly possible" …
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The Poster Child for Pap — This coming Christmas' Must-Have Stocking Stuffer for the Republicans on Your List. — I SOMETIMES WISH I COULD BE A DEMOCRAT ONCE MORE . It was a good party in its time, it had nice ideals once, and, to tell the truth, I'm not at all easy being labeled as a Republican especially since I'm not.

The Times Gets Tough: A New Public Editor! Meet Ali bin-Zabar — Dear Readers of The New York Times: — Recently, The Times— along with virtually every other American news organization—decided to show "sensitivity to Islam" by declining to publish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

New Orleans says it won't give free ride — 3 City Council members' words to poor trouble Houston officials, some evacuees — New Orleans doesn't want its poorest residents back — unless they agree to work. — That was the message from three New Orleans City Council members …
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