SOMALI TROOPS CLOSE IN ON 3 WANTED FOR U.S. EMBASSY BOMBINGS  —  KISMAYO, Somalia — Fighting erupted Sunday on the outskirts of the last remaining stronghold of Somalia's militant Islamic movement, as thousands of residents streamed from the area ahead of the feared battle with Ethiopian-backed government troops.

U.S. Toll In Iraq Reaches 3,000  —  The number of U.S. service members killed in Iraq since the war began in 2003 reached 3,000 on Sunday, a symbolic milestone at a time when the Bush administration is rethinking its strategy for the increasingly violent conflict.

GOP Lawmakers Divided About 'Surge' in Troops  —  Republican lawmakers appear uneasy about — and in some cases outright dismissive of — the idea of sending many more troops to Iraq, as President Bush contemplates such a "surge" as part of his new strategy for stabilizing the country.

A Lynching...  It's official.  Maliki and his people are psychopaths.  This really is a new low.  It's outrageous- an execution during Eid.  Muslims all over the world (with the exception of Iran) are outraged.  Eid is a time of peace, of putting aside quarrels and anger- at least for the duration of Eid.

The State of the Jihad  —  A look at the state of the major theaters, and some under the radar, in the Long War  —  Waziristan.  —  The year of 2006 has seen some interesting developments in the fight against al-Qaeda and its allies across the globe.  While the war against al-Qaeda …

Muslim haj pilgrims perform devil-stoning ritual  —  Source: Reuters  —  MENA, Saudi Arabia, Dec 31 (Reuters) - More than 2.5 million Muslim haj pilgrims performed devil-stoning rites on Sunday, amid tight security to prevent overcrowding and protests following the execution of Saddam Hussein.

HAPPY NEW YEAR...  ...to all of our readers.  —  May 2007 be a happy, safe and prosperous year.  —  UPDATE: By the way, I hadn't seen Ed Morrissey for a while, and wondered where he was spending the holidays.  Now, I think we know.  Marcia, better check up on Ed's whereabouts!

China chokes on a coal-fired boom  —  Toxic cloud of progress can be seen from space  —  A GREAT coal rush is under way across China on a scale not seen anywhere since the 19th century.  —  Its consequences have been detected half a world away in toxic clouds so big that they can seen from space …

New year rings in multitude of new laws in states  —  The new year will bring raises for hundreds of thousands of minimum-wage workers across the country.  Musicians worried about copycats get some protection in Illinois.  And California takes steps to reduce the power-plant pollution that is thought to contribute to global warming.

Senators should have shown them the money  —  Entering the post-primary presidential campaign of 2004, political strategists, commentators and journalists believed that if any single state would represent the difference between victory and defeat in the general election, Ohio would be that state.

Homes Sell, and History Goes Private  —  WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The old mahogany furniture is shrouded in white dust covers, and the espaliered gardens overlooking the James River have gone to seed.  Colonial Williamsburg is selling Carter's Grove, an imposing 18th-century Georgian mansion …

President's Radio Address  —  Remembering President Gerald R. Ford (1913-2006)  —  THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.  This week, as Americans prepare to welcome a new year, we do so with heavy hearts and fond memories of our 38th President, Gerald R. Ford.  We mourn the passing of a courageous leader …

Palestinians Mourn Dead Tyrant  —  The wires services' Arab propagandists are working overtime to let us know that the Palestinian death cult society is distraught about the execution of the monster Saddam Hussein.