Top Items:
Eli Lake / New York Sun:
Leading Saudi Sheik Pronounces Fatwa Against Hezbollah — CAIRO, Egypt — One of Saudi Arabia's leading Wahhabi sheiks, Abdullah bin Jabreen has issued a strongly worded religious edict, or fatwa, declaring it unlawful to support, join or pray for Hezbollah, the Shiite militias lobbing missiles into northern Israel.
Discussion:
Rantingprofs, All Things Beautiful, Captain's Quarters, Security Watchtower, USS Neverdock, Vital Perspective and Solomonia
RELATED ITEMS:
Washington Post:
Diplomatic Traps — AS FIGHTING in the Middle East continues, the Bush administration is coming under pressure to launch some sort of diplomatic initiative. These calls sound reasonable; the loss of innocent life in Lebanon and Israel is tragic, the dangers of further escalation are real …
New York Times:
Iraqi Prime Minister Denounces Israel's Actions — BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 19 — Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq on Wednesday forcefully denounced the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, marking a sharp break with President Bush's position and highlighting the growing power of a Shiite Muslim identity across the Middle East.
Discussion:
CNN, The Corner on National …, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, FP Passport, THE NEWS BLOG and Truthdig
New York Times:
Death Toll Rises in Mideast Fight; Bunker Bombed — BEIRUT, Lebanon, July 19 — The deadliest day yet in the deepening two-front Middle East crisis claimed more than 70 lives on Wednesday in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and northern Israel, with no immediate cease-fire in sight.
Discussion:
Rantingprofs, The Belgravia Dispatch, Defense Tech, TigerHawk, A Blog For All, Brilliant at Breakfast, CNN and Left I on the News
Associated Press:
Lamont Pulls Even With Lieberman In Latest Poll — HAMDEN, Conn. — Democratic challenger Ned Lamont has pulled into a dead heat in his U.S. Senate race with incumbent Joe Lieberman, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday. — The poll shows Lamont ahead 51-47 percent …
RELATED ITEMS:
New York Times:
Lieberman's Donors Include Many Who Favor Republicans — When it comes to supporting candidates for public office, the Associated General Contractors of America gives 90 percent of its campaign contributions to Republicans. — And then there is Senator Joseph I. Lieberman.
Ignacio Russell Cano / Ynetnews:
In Spain, anti-Semitism is new leftist trend — Spanish Jews knew there were hard times ahead. Prime Minister Zapatero has not disappointed them — Madrid: Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain and Secretary General of the Socialist Party, arrived to power at a time nobody expected, not even inside the Party.
RELATED ITEMS:
Reuters:
Israel: Spain relations hurt by PM's accusation IDF uses 'abuses force' — Israel's envoy to Spain said on Thursday the two countries' relations had been damaged after the Spanish prime minister accused Israel of using "abusive force" during an event at which he also wore a Palestinian scarf.
Patterico / Patterico's Pontifications:
Devoted Fans of Glenn Greenwald Emphasize the Same Points About His Resume — From the Same IP Address!! — Read on, Gentle Reader. I promise you, this will be worth your time. — See if you see any similarities between the following comments, from three completely different people. (Or are they?)
RELATED ITEMS:
Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Response to right-wing personal attacks
Response to right-wing personal attacks
Discussion:
The Left Coaster
George V. Voinovich / Washington Post:
Why I'll Vote for Bolton — As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I have had the rare opportunity to witness firsthand how the diplomatic process works and, in some cases, how it fails. Recently, despite our nation's best efforts, the world — and particularly the Middle East …
Chicago Tribune:
Experts rip Rove stem cell remark — Researchers doubt value of adult cells — When White House political adviser Karl Rove signaled last week that President Bush planned to veto the stem cell bill being considered by the Senate, the reasons he gave went beyond the president's moral qualms with research on human embryos.
RELATED ITEMS:
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
First Bush Veto Maintains Limits on Stem Cell Use
First Bush Veto Maintains Limits on Stem Cell Use
Discussion:
CNN, The Anchoress, Sister Toldjah, US Politics, Flopping Aces, Elevated Voices at 5280.com, enrevanche and Captain's Quarters
Washington Post:
GOP Lawmakers Edge Away From Optimism on Iraq — Faced with almost daily reports of sectarian carnage in Iraq, congressional Republicans are shifting their message on the war from speaking optimistically of progress to acknowledging the difficulty of the mission and pointing up mistakes in planning and execution.
Discussion:
Cato-at-liberty, The Carpetbagger Report, The Next Hurrah, Macsmind, WTF Is It Now??, Blah3, Middle Earth Journal and AMERICAblog
rasmussenreports.com:
Middle East: Hezbollah to Blame for Current Strife, 56% Say — Many Fear a Wider Regional Conflict to Come — A week into the renewed violence between Israel and Lebanon triggered by the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, 56% of Americans say that Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah is to blame for the conflict.
Craig Whitlock / Washington Post:
In Neutral Switzerland, A Rising Radicalism — Islamic Extremists Newly Seen as Threat — BERN, Switzerland — For centuries, this Alpine nation has successfully relied on a strict policy of political neutrality to insulate it from the wars, invasions and revolutions that have raged outside its borders.
Reuters:
U.S.: Iranians witnessed N. Korea missile test — WASHINGTON (Reuters) — One or more Iranians witnessed North Korea's recent missile tests, deepening U.S. concerns about growing ties between two countries with troubling nuclear capabilities, a top U.S. official said Thursday.