memeorandum: SPEAKING OF IRAQ... When you give a speech, your opening remarks set the tone. (Greyhawk/Mudville Gazette)

1:40 PM ET, July 13, 2006

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Hizbullah: Bomb Beirut, we'll hit Haifa — Hizbullah warned Israel Thursday afternoon that if the IDF attacked southern Beirut, where the organization's leadership is based, they would target Haifa. — "The Islamic resistance warns against targeting civilians and the infrastructure," a statement read on Hezbollah TV said.

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Sam F. Ghattas / Associated Press:

Israeli warplanes attack Beirut airport — BEIRUT, Lebanon - Israel intensified its attacks against Lebanon on Thursday, blasting Beirut's international airport and the southern part of the country in its heaviest air campaign against its neighbor in 24 years. Nearly three dozen civilians were killed, officials said.

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Haaretz:

Israel: Hezbollah plans to move abducted IDF soldiers to Iran — Israel has concrete evidence that Hezbollah plans to transfer the two Israel Defense Forces soldiers abducted Wednesday to Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said Thursday. — "We have concrete evidence that Hezbollah plans …

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Sam F. Ghattas / Associated Press:

Israel Claims Hundreds of Hits in Lebanon — Israel has hit hundreds of targets in Lebanon as part of its effort to force the release of two soldiers captured by Hezbollah guerrillas, a top Israeli general said Thursday. — Israel intensified its attacks against Lebanon on Thursday …

Discussion: Riehl World View and Once Upon a Time

Washington Post:

Hezbollah Raid Opens 2nd Front for Israel — Israel Targets Lebanese Military Base, Beirut Airport in Response — BEIRUT, July 13 — Israel bombed Beirut's airport, a Hezbollah television station and other targets in Lebanon Thursday and imposed a blockade on Lebanon's ports and airspace …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, TAPPED, MaxSpeak, Kesher Talk, The Strata-Sphere and PostWatch

Ynetnews:

Al-Aqsa leader: West Bank rocket war is on — Terror leader announces start of missile barrage nearing Israel's main population centers — While Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip have been contending with almost daily missile attacks, Palestinian rockets will now be launched regularly …

Discussion: Associated Press, Mere Rhetoric, Liberty and Justice, Haaretz, Yourish.com and Blogs of War

Fox News:
Israel Wages War on Hezbollah as Jets Strike Airbase

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CNN:
Israel authorizes 'severe' response to abductions

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Boston Globe:
Iran's trap for Israel

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Bill Roggio / Counterterrorism Blog:
Imad Mugniyah likely behind the capture of Israeli soldiers

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Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:
Is Lebanon The Right Target?

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Steven Erlanger / New York Times:
Sign That Crisis Is Regional, Not Just Israel vs. Palestinians

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Edmund L. Andrews / New York Times:

Democrats Link Fortunes to Rise in Minimum Wage — WASHINGTON, July 12 — Democrats, seeking to energize voters over economic issues in much the way that Republicans have rallied conservatives with efforts to ban same-sex marriage, have begun a broad campaign to raise the minimum wage and focus attention on income inequality.

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Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Breaking: Bush agrees to submit NSA wiretaps to FISA courts (Update: McCain says Gitmo gang will get courts-martial) — Announced by Arlen Specter, reported by CNN and Fox. Hasn't hit the wires yet but I should have a link soon. Specter called the negotiations with the White House "torturous."

Greyhawk / Mudville Gazette:

SPEAKING OF IRAQ... When you give a speech, your opening remarks set the tone. You must make your key points early (and often) or risk them being lost on all but the most intent listeners. The same is true for writing - or reporting. Your opening paragraphs establish your story.

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Jacob Weisberg / Slate:

Not so SWIFT — WHY THE TIMES SHOULDN'T HAVE PUBLISHED ITS STORY. — In the latest battle between the press and the White House, opinions have tended to break along predictable lines. The ACLU, most Democrats in Congress, and Frank Rich contend that the New York Times did the right thing …

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The Hill:

Cunningham to be honored — The U.S. Capitol Historical Society will hold a reception next week to honor a select group of lawmakers "for their hard work, service, time and the sacrifices made in upholding the office with which they were entrusted." — One of the people slated to receive …

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CNN:

CNN LARRY KING LIVE — Interview with Dan Rather — THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. — LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, exclusive, Dan Rather, what happened? His first live in-depth interview on his life after CBS.

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Robert Kagan / Washington Post:

On Iran, Giving Futility Its Chance — Let's imagine, and this is purely hypothetical, that President Bush has already decided that he will not leave office in January 2009 without a satisfactory resolution of the Iranian nuclear problem. Let's imagine that he has already determined …

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