memeorandum: SOMALI TROOPS CLOSE IN ON 3 WANTED FOR U.S. EMBASSY BOMBINGS (Associated Press)

U.S. death toll in Iraq reaches 3,000 — BAGHDAD, Iraq - The death of a Texas soldier, announced Sunday by the Pentagon, raised the number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq to at least 3,000 since the war began, according to an Associated Press count. — The grim milestone was crossed …

Discussion: Riehl World View, TPMCafe blogs, Bill's Bites, The Agonist, jules crittenden, Middle Earth Journal, BobGeiger.com and Tennessee Guerilla Women

MSNBC:

U.S. sustains 3,000th fatality in Iraq — Texas soldier's death raises toll to new milestone; Bush weighs his options — BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Pentagon announced the death of a Texas soldier on Sunday, raising the number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq to at least 3,000 since the war began, according to an Associated Press count.

Discussion: The Democratic Daily, Macsmind, The Reaction and THE CUNNING REALIST

Nancy Trejos / Washington Post:

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.

Discussion: skippy the bush kangaroo

Associated Press:

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.

Discussion: Op For

Jeffrey Gettleman / New York Times:

Islamists, Cornered in Somalia, Lose Local Support — As fighting began to flare up today around Kismayo, the final redoubt for Somalia's diminished Islamic movement, elders within the city demanded that the Islamists leave. — Mohammed Arab, a leader of the Ogaden sub-clan …

Discussion: Hot Air, Riehl World View and Times of London

Observer:
Not a shot was fired yet the Somali jihad was suddenly over...

Discussion: Blue Crab Boulevard and Crooks and Liars

River / Baghdad Burning:

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.

Discussion: CorrenteWire and Sentencing Law and Policy

Bill Roggio / The Fourth Rail:

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 …

Discussion: The Belmont Club, PrairiePundit and INDCJournal

Michael Abramowitz / Washington Post:

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.

Hindrocket / Power Line:

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!

Discussion: Captain's Quarters

Souhail Karam / Reuters:

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.

Discussion: Jihad Watch

Scott Helman / Boston Globe:

Romney connecting quickly with bloggers — Taps into the Web for early support — Bill Hobbs of Tennessee is among the bloggers that Mitt Romney has been courting. (Alan Poizner/ Getty Images/ For the Boston Globe) — Over cold cuts, cookies, and soft drinks, Governor Mitt Romney …

Discussion: Scobleizer, Power Line, Ankle Biting Pundits and Townhall.com Blog's …

Little Green Footballs:

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.

Discussion: Gateway Pundit and The Jawa Report

Gateway Pundit:
Palestinians Missing Saddam and His Fat Checks for Terror

Discussion: Wake up America

jules crittenden:
Next Order of Business

Discussion: Boston Herald and Michael P.F. van der Galiën

Washington Times:

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.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and The News Buckit

Michael A. Fletcher / Washington Post:

Bush Has Quietly Tripled Aid to Africa — Increase in Funding to Impoverished Continent Is Viewed as Altruistic or Pragmatic — President Bush's legacy is sure to be defined by his wielding of U.S. military power in Afghanistan and Iraq, but there is another, much softer and less-noticed effort …

Discussion: Grasping Reality …, Wake up America, Angry Bear, Beat the Press, Blue Crab Boulevard and Don Surber

Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:
An Overlooked Legacy? — The Washington Post notes …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Michael Sheridan / Times of London:

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 …

Discussion: The Peking Duck and The Glittering Eye

New York Times:

A Grim Milestone in Iraq: 3,000 American Deaths — Jordan W. Hess was the unlikeliest of soldiers. — He could bench-press 300 pounds and then go home and write poetry. He learned the art of glass blowing because it seemed interesting and built a computer with only a magazine as his guide.

Discussion: Political Animal

Darlene Superville / Associated Press:

Poll: Americans see gloom, doom in 2007 — WASHINGTON - Another terrorist attack, a warmer planet, death and destruction from a natural disaster. These are among Americans' grim predictions for the United States in 2007. — Only a minority of people think the U.S. will go to war with Iran …

Discussion: The American Street, The Democratic Daily, Inactivist and Preemptive Karma

Steve Bainbridge / StephenBainbridge.com:
Happy 2007: Gloom or Optimism

Discussion: Associated Press