Top Items:
The Australian:
Sunnis and Sadr's Shiites make peace — THE movement of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, alleged to have played a role in the anti-Sunni violence over the last few days, publicly made peace with political and religious Sunni leaders overnight. — Four sheikhs from the Sadr movement made a …
Discussion:
New York Times, Crescat Sententia, Say Anything, Flopping Aces, UNCoRRELATED, Blogs for Bush and Outside The Beltway
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New York Times:
Younger Clerics Showing Power in Iraq's Unrest — BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 25 — American officials have been repeatedly stunned and frequently thwarted in the past three years by the extraordinary power of Muslim clerics over Iraqi society. But in the sectarian violence of the past few days …
Discussion:
Daily Kos
Steven R. Weisman / New York Times:
What Civil War Could Look Like — TWO days of mob violence last week after the bombing of a revered Shiite shrine did not simply aggravate Iraq's sectarian hatreds. Like a near-death experience, the carnage seems to have shocked Sunni and Shiite leaders into a new realization of what civil war would cost, and new efforts to avoid it.
Michelle Malkin:
RICIN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS (UPDATE: MAYBE NOT) — ***ABC reporting tonight that more tests are needed...*** — Yeah, it's weird. — Reuters: … The powder was packed in a roll of quarters, opened by a student doing her laundry. — Chronology of events in the US and elsewhere involving ricin.
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Gateway Pundit:
Another Big 12 Incident... Ricin Found at University of Texas! — Ricin found at the University of Texas! — CBS 42 Austin KEYE News carried the story this morning, — VIDEO HERE — The poison was packed in with a roll of quarters!! — If ricin was packed into a roll of quarters unknowingly,...
Discussion:
Gina Cobb
Liz Austin / Associated Press:More Tests Needed in Texas Ricin Scare
Discussion:
The Dread Pundit Bluto
Thomas L. Friedman / deseretnews.com:
Port controversy could widen racial chasm — Since Sept. 11, whenever the Bush team has found itself in political trouble, it has played the national security card against Democrats. It has worked so well that Karl Rove, in a recent speech to the Republican National Committee, made it a campaign theme for 2006.
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Walter Pincus / Washington Post:U.S. Intelligence Agencies Backed Dubai Port Deal
Discussion:
Thoughts from Kansas
Alexandra von Maltzan / All Things Beautiful:
In The Line Of Fire — Many of us have bitterly complained about the American MSM's lack of courage to stand up for what in pretty much any other circumstance it would have vociferously defended: Its freedom of expression. — The west is the source of the liberating ideas of individual liberty …
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New York Times:
Silenced by Islamist Rage — With every new riot over the Danish cartoons, it becomes clearer that the protests are no longer about the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, but about the demagoguery of Islamic extremists. The demonstrators are undeniably outraged by what they perceive as blasphemy.
Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Prepare the noose for Bill Buckley, the Cowardly Traitor — (updated below) — An important and long-overlooked point about the depravity, corruption and truly un-American impulses which define so many Bush followers is revealed by a comparison of these two statements: — Howard Dean, December 5, 2005
Discussion:
The Political Pit Bull
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Charles R. Babcock / Washington Post:
Contractor Pleads Guilty to Corruption — Probe Extends Beyond Bribes to Congressman — Washington defense contractor Mitchell J. Wade admitted yesterday in federal court that he attempted to illegally influence Defense Department contracting officials and tried to curry favor with two House members …
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Judd / Think Progress:
Katherine Harris Plays Dumb — Defense contractor Mitchell J. Wade pled guilty yesterday to election law fraud, among other charges for making illegal campaign contributions, including $32,000 in illegal contribution to Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL). — Katherine Harris claims she had no idea …
Catherine Seipp / Los Angeles Times:
The fascists of free speech — A FRIEND OF MINE took his young daughter to visit the famous City Lights bookstore in San Francisco, explaining to her that the place is important because years ago it sold books no other store would — even, perhaps especially, books whose ideas many people found offensive.
New York Times:
An Afghan Prison Expands, Filling Guantánamo's Role — While an international debate rages over the future of the American detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the military has quietly expanded another, less-visible prison in Afghanistan, where it now holds some 500 terror suspects …
CNN:
Pentagon: Iraqi troops downgraded — No Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support — WASHINGTON (CNN) — The only Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support has been downgraded to a level requiring them to fight with American troops backing them up, the Pentagon said Friday.
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Ted Bridis / Associated Press:
Homeland Security Objected to Ports Deal — WASHINGTON - The Homeland Security Department objected at first to a United Arab Emirates company's taking over significant operations at six U.S. ports. It was the lone protest among members of the government committee that eventually approved the deal without dissent.
White House:
President Addresses American Legion, Discusses Global War on Terror — Washington, D.C. — In Focus: Veterans — In Focus: National Security — THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Please be seated. (Applause.) Thanks for the warm welcome. Mr. Commander, thank you for letting me come …
Discussion:
Power Line, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, NewDonkey.com, Blogs for Bush, Democrat Taylor Marsh …, Daily Kos and Bring it On!
Maha / The Mahablog:
Chao-chou's Dog Has Puppies — I see that Lance Mannion has taken up the question of when "life" begins. I see that Shakespeare's Sister mostly agrees with Lance; Jedmunds of Pandagon mostly doesn't. — Now I want to confuse everyone by arguing that "when life begins" is the wrong question.
