memeorandum: In Somalia, a reckless U.S. proxy war (International Herald Tribune)

9:50 PM ET, December 26, 2006

Top Items:

Qassim Abdul-Zahra / Associated Press:

Court: Execute Saddam Within 30 Days — Iraq's highest appeals court on Tuesday upheld Saddam Hussein's death sentence and said he must be hanged within 30 days for the killing of 148 Shiites in the central city of Dujail. — The sentence "must be implemented within 30 days," chief judge Aref Shahin said.

Discussion: Power Line, The Moderate Voice, All Spin Zone, Riehl World View and PoliBlog (TM)

Deb Riechmann / Associated Press:

Bush in Texas to rethink Iraq course — CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush went to his ranch Tuesday to rethink U.S. involvement in Iraq as his spokesman hailed a Baghdad court's decision upholding the death sentence for former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. — Saddam, who was deposed …

Discussion: Daily Kos, The American Street and NewsHog

Nancy Trejos / Washington Post:

Court Upholds Saddam's Death Sentence — An Iraqi appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling to execute deposed leader Saddam Hussein for crimes against humanity and said he could hang within 30 days. — "From tomorrow, any day could be the day of implementation," chief judge Aref Abdul-Razzaq al-Shahin …

Christopher Torchia / Associated Press:

Iraq Court Upholds Saddam Death Sentence — BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraq's highest court rejected Saddam Hussein's appeal Tuesday and said the former dictator must be hanged within 30 days for ordering the killing of scores of Shiite Muslims in 1982. — The sentence has already stoked Iraq's sectarian rage …

CNN:
Iraqi appeals court upholds Hussein death sentence

Discussion: The Impolitic, AMERICAblog and The Moderate Voice

Christine Hauser / New York Times:
Court Upholds Death Penalty for Hussein

Discussion: Informed Comment, the talking dog and A Blog For All

Reuters:
Iraq court says Saddam should hang within 30 days

Discussion: The Washington Note

Reuters:
Saddam loses death sentence appeal: govt official

Discussion: Bill's Bites

Jeffrey Gettleman / New York Times:

Islamist Forces in Somalia Are on the Retreat — Islamist forces in Somalia beat a hasty retreat today to their stronghold in Mogadishu, Somalia's battle-scared capital, crumbling faster than anyone expected after a week of attacks by Ethiopian forces. — Burhakaba, a large inland city …

Discussion: Riehl World View, toohotfortnr, Wake up America, Hot Air, In the Bullpen and Matthew Yglesias

International Herald Tribune:

In Somalia, a reckless U.S. proxy war — NAIROBI: Undeterred by the horrors and setbacks in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, the Bush administration has opened another battlefront in the Muslim world. With full U.S. backing and military training, at least 15,000 Ethiopian troops have entered Somalia …

Discussion: Time, Larisa Alexandrovna's …, About U.S. Politics and New York Times

Salad Duhul / Associated Press:
Islamic forces on the retreat in Somalia

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Associated Press, Gateway Pundit, Captain's Quarters, A Blog For All, Outside The Beltway, Blue Crab Boulevard and jules crittenden

Julie Hirschfeld Davis / Baltimore Sun:

Bush is bracing for new scrutiny … WASHINGTON // President Bush is bracing for what could be an onslaught of investigations by the new Democratic-led Congress by hiring lawyers to fill key White House posts and preparing to play defense on countless document requests and possible subpoenas.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Booman Tribune, DownWithTyranny!, The Carpetbagger Report, Political Animal, Macsmind and The Impolitic

Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:
War Critics See New Resistance by Bush

Discussion: Firedoglake, Daily Pundit and Prairie Weather

Bryan Bender / Boston Globe:

Military considers recruiting foreigners — Expedited citizenship would be an incentive — An Armed Forces center in Plymouth. US officials are trying tactics to find recruits; one involves attracting noncitizens. (JULIA CUMES/ASSOCIATED PRESS) — WASHINGTON — The armed forces …

Discussion: Discourse.net, Political Animal, Norwegianity and Old War Dogs

Christopher Torchia / Associated Press:

U.S. toll in Iraq surpasses that of 9/11 — BAGHDAD, Iraq - At least 36 Iraqis died Tuesday in bombings, officials said, including a coordinated strike that killed 25 in western Baghdad. Separately, the deaths of six U.S. soldiers pushed the American toll beyond the number of victims in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Captain's Quarters, The Horse's Mouth, Little Green Footballs, Liberal Values, BlondeSense, The Democratic Daily, The Daily Brief, Liberty Street, State of the Day, Matthew Yglesias, The Impolitic, Democrats.com and Brilliant at Breakfast

Associated Press:
Military Deaths in Iraq Exceed 9 / 11 Toll

Discussion: Liberty Street

David Lightman / Hartford Courant:

Lieberman Defends Video-Game Money — WASHINGTON — It has become a holiday ritual: Joe Lieberman and family-research officials hold a well-attended press conference to decry the impact on children of excessive video game sex and violence. — And, again in 2006, Lieberman indulged …

Discussion: ConnecticutBLOG, The Carpetbagger Report and The Left Coaster

David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:

Consultant Helps Democrats Embrace Faith, and Some in Party Are Not Pleased — As Democrats turn toward the 2008 presidential race, a novice evangelical political operative is emerging as a rising star in the party, drawing both applause and alarm for her courtship of theological conservatives in the midterm elections.

Discussion: Political Animal, MyDD, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Carpetbagger Report, Brilliant at Breakfast, The Horse's Mouth, Liberal Values, Professor Bainbridge's Journal and Gateway Pundit

Ezra Klein / Los Angeles Times:

Going universal — The American healthcare system is, simply put, a mess, but we may finally be ready to fix it. — THE STATISTICS, by now, are well known. Forty-seven million uninsured Americans. Premium increases of 81% since 2000. Small businesses failing, big businesses foundering …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Middle Earth Journal, The Carpetbagger Report, The Agonist, The Glittering Eye, DonkeyRising, Ezra Klein, Political Animal, The Impolitic, QandO, Andrew Sullivan and The Moderate Voice

Anne Flaherty / Associated Press:

Biden vows to fight any Iraq troop boost — WASHINGTON - Incoming Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Joseph Biden, a potential Democratic presidential candidate, said Tuesday he would oppose any effort by President Bush to increase U.S troops in Iraq as part of a new war strategy.

Discussion: The Washington Note

Nick / Blogborygmi:

Grand Rounds 3.14 — Welcome to Grand Rounds, the collection of the best posts in medical blogging! — Grand Rounds has come a long way since the last time it was hosted here. By my count, eighty-nine unique bloggers have hosted 118 editions. This includes doctors, nurses, students …