memeorandum: Iran grows strong, the world yawns (Haaretz)

7:20 AM ET, December 13, 2006

Top Items:

KKK'S DAVID DUKE TELLS IRAN HOLOCAUST CONFERENCE THAT GAS CHAMBERS NOT USED TO KILL JEWS — Dec. 12: David Duke, former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, and former state representative in Louisiana, attends a conference on the Holocaust in Tehran. — TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Mahmoud …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, jules crittenden, Reuters, Gateway Pundit, Wizbang, Don Surber and The Corner

Christine Hauser / New York Times:

Holocaust Conference in Iran Provokes Outrage — A gathering in Iran billed as a conference to "debate" the Nazi annihilation of six million Jews continued on its second day to spark outrage in the West, drawing fierce criticism today from European leaders, the Vatican and the White House.

Discussion: Donklephant

Haaretz:

Iran grows strong, the world yawns — It is possible to make fun of the conference of Holocaust deniers in Tehran, as the historian Prof. Moshe Zimmerman proposes. It is also possible to view this reaction as yet another symptom of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that has afflicted the West in the face of rising Islamic extremism.

Bryan / Hot Air: How al-Reuters works within tyrannies Updated

Helene Cooper / New York Times:

Saudis Give a Grim What If Should U.S. Opt to Leave Iraq — Saudi Arabia has told the Bush administration that it might provide financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in any war against Iraq's Shiites if the United States pulls its troops out of Iraq, according to American and Arab diplomats.

Discussion: The Washington Note, Informed Comment, ParaPundit, All Spin Zone, AMERICAblog, Political Animal and Secular Blasphemy

Joseph / CANNONFIRE:
More thoughts on Prince Turki al-Faisal and the Iraq war

Discussion: Discourse.net, Rasheed's World, QandO and TigerHawk

Reuters:
Saudi envoy to U.S. quits

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:

Bush Delays Speech on Iraq Until January — President Bush will wait until after the holidays to speak to the nation about a new strategy in Iraq, a strategy he said today will be designed to establish a free and self-sufficient country that will be an ally in the battle against extremists.

Discussion: The News Blog, AMERICAblog, The Democratic Daily and TalkLeft

Associated Press:

White House: Bush's new Iraq policy largely decided … WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush on Tuesday put off until early next month announcing a new approach to the Iraq war, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Bush should take whatever time necessary to decide his next steps.

Discussion: Riehl World View and Brad DeLong's Semi …

Michael A. Fletcher / Washington Post:
Bush Delays Speech on Iraq Strategy

Discussion: LiberalOasis, The Horse's Mouth and Redstate

Greg Jefferson / MySanAntonio.com:

Rodriguez defeats Bonilla — U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla conceded defeat to former congressman Ciro Rodriguez in a stunning upset that completed the Democratic takeover of Congress. — The Republican incumbent lost Bexar County for the first time in his political career Tuesday night …

Discussion: Burnt Orange Report, Off the Kuff, The Agonist and Sirotablog

Ilene Lelchuk / San Francisco Chronicle:

'Convert or die' game divides Christians — Some ask Wal-Mart to drop Left Behind — Liberal and progressive Christian groups say a new computer game in which players must either convert or kill non-Christians is the wrong gift to give this holiday season and that Wal-Mart …

Discussion: AMERICAblog, Donklephant, Hot Air, JunkYardBlog, CANNONFIRE and Pandagon

Washington Post:

Illegal Workers Arrested In Identity Theft Sweep — Federal agents targeting illegal immigrants raided meatpacking plants in six states yesterday, arresting hundreds of workers on the uncommon charge of identity theft and shutting down the world's second-largest meat processing company for much of the day.

Discussion: Blogs for Bush, La Shawn Barber's Corner, TalkLeft, Gun Toting Liberal, Michelle Malkin, The Democratic Daily and Iowa Voice

John Hawkins / Right Wing News:

Vulgar, Stupid Liberals On Parade — Tom Delay's new blog didn't officially go live until yesterday. However, on Sunday, apparently before they had any sort of method of screening comments in place, the word got out about the blog and some liberal blogs linked to it.

Discussion: Dr. Helen, Iowa Voice, Althouse, Gateway Pundit, Assorted Babble and The Jawa Report

John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
Delay blames the left for Bush's failed War

Discussion: MSNBC and News Hounds

Tom Baldwin / Times of London:

Dumb answers of intelligence chief — He is expected to have an acute understanding of terrorist groups and their threats to American interests. But the incoming chairman of a congressional intelligence committee was yesterday struggling to explain his ignorance of al-Qaeda and Hezbollah.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Dean Barnett / Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog:
FAQ - The Shiites and the Sunnis

Discussion: Big Lizards and The Political Pit Bull

Robert B. Bluey / Human Events:

DeLay: 'Hillary Will Be the Next President' — Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said today that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.) would be elected president in 2008 and would probably tap Senate colleague Barack Obama (D.-Ill.) as her running mate. — DeLay met with conservative bloggers …

Discussion: Think Progress, The Democratic Daily, Tom DeLay Blog, Don Surber, Political Radar, The Reaction and Right Wing News

Pajamas Media:

Rockin' Woolsey - the stylings of the former head of the Central Intelligence Agency — James Woolsey is a brainy fellow known for his strong stands in favor of energy independence and (lately) against the Iraq Study Group report. But who knew the former DCI could get down and rock?

Discussion: Power Line and Roger L. Simon

Katharine Houreld / Associated Press:

Nigeria considers same-sex marriage ban — LAGOS, Nigeria — Lawmakers in Nigeria are debating a bill that would ban same-sex marriage and any form of association among gays, even sharing a meal at a restaurant. — Few in Nigeria's deeply closeted gay community have publicly opposed the legislation …

Discussion: ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES and AMERICAblog

Thomas Wagner / Associated Press:

Insurgents kill AP cameraman in Mosul — BAGHDAD, Iraq — A cameraman working for The Associated Press was shot to death by insurgents while covering clashes Tuesday in Mosul, police said. He was the second employee of the news cooperative killed in the northern city in less than two years.

Discussion: jules crittenden, TBogg, First Draft, CBS News and TVNewser

David Burge / iowahawk:

KOFI TALK — [ed. note - found in a remodeling dumpster at 48th and FDR Drive: first draft of Kofi Annan's valediction] — Nearly 50 years ago, when I arrived in Minnesota as a student fresh from Africa, I had much to learn. For example, the concept of "connecting flights," …

Val Prieto / Babalu Blog:

fidel castro Is Dead? (Updated) — Been getting quite a bit of traffic via searches with "castro death" and "is castro dead" and "castro death rumors" the past couple of days so I thought I'd go ahead and clear that whole mess up right now. — Barring any unforeseen actions such as …

Discussion: english.yonhapnews.co.kr, FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog, Associated Press and Blogs for Bush