Top Items:
David E. Sanger / New York Times:
Idea of Rapid Withdrawal From Iraq Seems to Fade — In the cacophony of competing plans about how to deal with Iraq, one reality now appears clear: despite the Democrats' victory this month in an election viewed as a referendum on the war, the idea of a rapid American troop withdrawal is fast receding as a viable option.
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Robin Wright / Washington Post:
U.S. Considers Ending Outreach to Insurgents — The Bush administration is deliberating whether to abandon U.S. reconciliation efforts with Sunni insurgents and instead give priority to Shiites and Kurds, who won elections and now dominate the government, according to U.S. officials.
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
This Is Realism? — Iran and Syria Won't Be Riding to Our Rescue — Now that the "realists" have ridden into town gleefully consigning the Bush doctrine to the ash heap of history, everyone has discovered the notion of interests, as if it were some new idea thought up by James Baker and the Iraq Study Group.
Washington Post:
Iraq Panel to Urge Pullout Of Combat Troops by '08 — The bipartisan Iraq Study Group plans to recommend withdrawing nearly all U.S. combat units from Iraq by early 2008 while leaving behind troops to train, advise and support the Iraqis, setting the first goal for a major drawdown of U.S. forces …
Abu Kais / Michael J. Totten:
The breaking of a country: Hizbullah takes to the streets of Beirut — Hundreds of thousands of Shias from the south have flooded two squares in downtown Beirut. According to LBC, the Christian participation is weak, with even lesser participation by Beirut Sunnis.
Laura Rozen / American Prospect:
Get the Memo — A readers' guide to Stephen Hadley's reflections on Iraq. — This Wednesday, the day that President Bush was to meet with Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al Maliki in Jordan, The New York Times published a classified memo prepared by National Security advisor Stephen Hadley and his staff …
Eli Lake / New York Sun:Bush Hints His Team Will Link Iraq to Arab-Israeli Conflict
Discussion:
Atlas Shrugs
James Fallows / The Huffington Post:Getting Out of Iraq: What's the Right Idea When All Ideas Are Bad?
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias
MSNBC:
Report: Italian tests positive for deadly toxin — Academic had lunch with ex-spy on day he fell ill; autopsy under way … LONDON - An Italian security expert who met with a former KGB agent the day the ex-spy fell fatally ill with radiation poisoning has also tested positive for the substance, British media reported Friday.
Discussion:
Guardian, The Strata-Sphere, TBogg, A Blog For All, Hot Air, Blue Crab Boulevard and Decision '08
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Sky News:
Radiation Hits Second Man — An Italian academic who met a former Russian spy on the day he was allegedly poisoned has tested positive for radiation. — Mario Scaramella was found to have isotope Polonium-210 in his body. — He had lunch with ex-security agent Alexander Litvinenko …
Discussion:
War and Piece
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Breaking: Litvinenko's lunch companion tests positive for polonium; Update: New details emerge — Few details thus far, but this doesn't bode well: … As with every new fact in this story, it could cut both ways. The fact that Scaramella's been victimized too makes it less likely that he's …
Cameron W. Barr / Washington Post:
Security Of Electronic Voting Is Condemned — Paper Systems Should Be Included, Agency Says — Paperless electronic voting machines used throughout the Washington region and much of the country "cannot be made secure," according to draft recommendations issued this week by a federal agency …
Boston Globe:
Illegal immigrants toiled for governor — Guatemalans say firm hired them — This story was reported by Jonathan Saltzman and Maria Cramer of the Globe staff and by Globe correspondent Connie Paige and was written by Saltzman. — SUCHITEPEQUEZ, Guatemala — Outside his aqua-colored concrete house here …
Associated Press:
Aides: Pelosi taps Reyes to head intelligence committee … WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi has chosen a Border-Patrol-agent-turned-congressman to lead the House intelligence committee, according to congressional aides. — Democratic leaders are contacting congressional …
Discussion:
Decision '08
Adam Nagourney / New York Times:
McCain Courts Crucial Support of Governors — Last anyone checked, Senator John McCain of Arizona is not — and has never been — a governor. — But no matter. Mr. McCain turned up on Thursday morning at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa here for a guerrillalike visit to the annual meeting of the Republican Governors Association.
Robert J. Samuelson / Washington Post:
'Fair Trade' Foolishness — We may be about to shoot ourselves in the foot — or maybe the chest — on trade. In the name of "fair trade," we may punish our own exporters. In 2005 worldwide exports exceeded $10 trillion. Since 1980 they've more than tripled while the overall global economy doubled.
Richard Beales / Financial Times:
Dollar slides as US business slows — The dollar suffered sharp falls on Thursday, hit by reports of weak US business activity and a benign inflation picture. — The euro rose .7 per cent against the dollar to $1.3247 by late afternoon in New York after data from Chicago purchasing managers indicated …
Digby / Hullabaloo:
Political Constraints — Josh Marshall is chronicling the rapidly emerging rightwing "stab in the back" meme in which George W. Churchill was betrayed by both the American and Iraqi people. Big surprise. It's an interesting series of posts and I urge you to read them all. Here's an excerpt from one:
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