Top Items:
New York Times:
The Pope's Words — There is more than enough religious anger in the world. So it is particularly disturbing that Pope Benedict XVI has insulted Muslims, quoting a 14th-century description of Islam as "evil and inhuman." — In the most provocative part of a speech this week on …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Democracy Project, Agence France Presse, Dr. Sanity, Ed Driscoll.com and NewsBusters.org
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Guardian:
Muslim leaders demand apology for Pope's 'medieval' remarks — John Hooper in Rome and Luke Harding in Berlin — Pope Benedict XVI was last night facing angry demands from Muslims that he apologise for a speech in which he appeared to say the concept of jihad was "unreasonable" …
BBC:
Pope 'sorry' for offence to Islam — Pope Benedict XVI has said he is sorry that a speech in which he referred to Islam has offended Muslims. — In a statement read out by a senior Vatican official, the Pope said he respected Islam and hoped Muslims would understand the true sense of his words.
Discussion:
OxBlog
Hindrocket / Power Line:
MUSLIMS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST POPE — All around the world, Musliims are taking to the streets to demonstrate against the Pope's quotation of a fictional dialogue between a fourteenth-century Byzantine emperor and a Persian scholar which included a criticism of Islam.
Discussion:
Instapundit.com
R. Jeffrey Smith / Washington Post:
Behind the Debate, Controversial CIA Techniques — President Bush's push this week for legislation that narrowly defines U.S. obligations under the Geneva Conventions is motivated by his aides' conviction that the CIA must continue using a small number of highly controversial interrogation techniques …
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CNN:
Toobin: Bush 'playing chicken' with senators — (CNN) — President Bush warned on Friday that a CIA interrogation program for terror suspects is in jeopardy unless Congress approves his proposals seeking to reinterpret America's application of the Geneva Conventions.
Top MSNBC Headlines:
'Time is running out,' president says, rejecting criticism by Powell, others — WASHINGTON - Faced with a revolt by some fellow Republicans over treatment of foreign terrorism suspects, President Bush on Friday vigorously defended his strategy at a press conference.
Digby / Hullabaloo:
"You're Looking Beautiful Today, Dave"
"You're Looking Beautiful Today, Dave"
Discussion:
The Next Hurrah, Townhall, protein wisdom, The Sundries Shack, Daily Kos, The Mahablog, Hoffmania!, The Heretik and Andrew Sullivan
Andrew Kirtzman / WCBS-TV:
Bloomberg Secretly Considers Presidential Campaign — CBS 2 Exclusive: Despite Public Denials, Mayor Has Secret Meeting With National Political Strategist, Wall Street Money Man — (CBS) NEW YORK New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has always denied it, but CBS 2 has learned the details of a secret meeting …
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Balkinization:
"Final" Version of the Warner-McCain-Graham bill on military commissions — The so-called "final" version of the Warner-Graham bill, now dubbed the Warner-McCain-Graham bill on military commissions, can be found here. It is still a very bad bill, eliminating judicial review and habeas corpus …
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Billmon / Whiskey Bar:
A Tortured Definition — I caught Commander Codpiece …
A Tortured Definition — I caught Commander Codpiece …
Discussion:
The Mahablog, AMERICAblog, Preemptive Karma, U.S. Newswire, Big Brass Blog and Washington Post
Christy Hardin Smith / Firedoglake:
Pull Up A Chair... I don't know about everyone else, but I have quite had it with the kerfuffles that keep threatening to take our eye off the real work going into November. — Contrary to some people's ignorant rantings, women have always had titties, so get over your nasty …
Discussion:
Dr. Helen
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TRex / Firedoglake:
Late Nite FDL: Liza, Liza, Liza... Ah, there's nothing like other people's brushes with power to bring out the self-righteous twerp in some folks. I was just waking up and splashing around in Technorati-land this morning when I came across this homesick abortion of a post by hitherto unknown to me blogger "Liza" of "Culture Kitchen".
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Edward Wong / New York Times:
Iraqis Plan to Ring Baghdad With Trenches — The Iraqi government plans to seal off Baghdad next month by ringing it with a series of trenches and setting up dozens of traffic checkpoints to control movement in and out of the city of seven million people, an Interior Ministry spokesman said today.
Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:
Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah, Israeli Foreign Minister Warns — The Lebanese government must fully implement a recent U.N. resolution requiring the disarming of the militant Shiite group Hezbollah or Israel will be less reluctant to attack the Lebanese state if Hezbollah resumes hostilities …
Brian Faler / Bloomberg:
Republican Voters Dismayed by Biggest Spending Rise Since 1990 — Sept. 15 (Bloomberg) — Republican voters are angry, not for the first time, at big-spending politicians in Washington. This year, their wrath is aimed at their own party. — The Republican-controlled Congress heads …
Eric Herman / Chicago Sun Times:
Hynes to Obama: Run for president — Barack Obama's one-time rival for the U.S. Senate wants him to run for president in 2008 — a move that could leave Obama's Senate seat vacant again. — State comptroller Dan Hynes, a fellow Democrat whom Obama trounced in the 2004 primary …
Real Cities:
In a replay of Iraq, a battle is brewing over intelligence on Iran — WASHINGTON - In an echo of the intelligence wars that preceded the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a high-stakes struggle is brewing within the Bush administration and in Congress over Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program and involvement in terrorism.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
Christopher Hitchens / Weekly Standard:
Saddam's Man in Niger — What was the Iraqi regime's nuclear expert doing in Africa? — LET US CREDIT the Senate Intelligence Committee with almost getting the name right. On pages 25-26 of its latest report appears the following: … And, on page 54 we read, under the heading "Conclusions":
Tom Hester / New Jersey Online:
Republicans seek to block last-minute candidate switch — With Robert Menendez' U.S. Senate campaign under unexpected pressure, his Republican rivals are trying to prevent Democratic leaders from bumping him from the race and replacing him with another candidate.