Iraq at Risk of Further Strife, Intelligence Report Warns  —  A new National Intelligence Estimate depicts an Iraq involved in a multi-faceted struggle among religious groups and sects and says that without a sharp reversal in the violence and changes among the Shiite, Sunni and Kurd leadership, the situation could further deteriorate.

The Edwards-Marcotte Fiasco  —  An astute observer of this case recommends analyzing events through the prism of what he's termed the "courage-meter."  People in positions of authority have displayed little or no courage to do the right thing throughout this affair.

Climate Panel Issues Urgent Warning to Curb Gases  —  The world is already committed to centuries of warming, shifting weather patterns and rising seas from the atmospheric buildup of gases that trap heat, but the warming can be substantially blunted by prompt action, an international network of climate experts said today.

Video: Imam prays to stop 'oppression and occupation' at DNC meeting Update: Imam ID'd Update: More info on Imam  —  The Democratic National Committee is in the midst of its winter meeting.  Here's the convocation for today's festivities, offered by an imam.  —  Transcript:

Edwards On Iran  —  TAP talks to John Edwards about America's foreign policy challenges in the Middle East. … EK: So, the Iran speech to Herzliya.  That caused me to think a little bit more about what we had spoken about Iraq [in a previous interview].  And so I wanted to talk to you for a minute about —

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS MOST COMFORTABLE WITH RUDY GIULIANI AS PRESIDENT  —  NEW YORK — More voters say they would be comfortable with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as president than other top 2008 contenders, though majorities would also be comfortable with other leaders from both parties …

The Hands of God  —  A Village, North of Mosul: Friday 26 January 07  —  He was dressed as a woman as he walked down the alley toward the mosque full of worshippers.  It was Friday, just before Ashura, and the air was chilled.  —  The bomb strapped to his body was studded with ball-bearings …

Mohammed Cartoon updates  —  The lying, jihadist Danish imam who helped instigate the Mohammed cartoon riots by touring  —  the Middle East with bogus pictures it attributed the Jyllands-Post has died (hat tip: Sugiero).  —  Abu Laban had cancer: … "Was thrust?"  Actually, he thrust himself.

Bush administration seeks $245B for wars  —  WASHINGTON - The Bush administration will ask for another $100 billion for military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan this year and seek $145 billion for 2008, a senior administration official said Friday.

Defense Official Resigns Over Detainee Remarks  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Pentagon official resigned Friday over controversial remarks in which he criticized lawyers who represent terrorism suspects, the Defense Department said.  —  Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said Charles ''Cully'' Stimson …

Perky Economy Starts to Relieve Worker Angst  —  Maybe the U.S. economy added 111,000 jobs last month, but maybe it didn't.  Given that the Labor Department later revised higher its monthly jobs numbers 75 percent of the time last year, there's a good chance the final number for January will be somewhere north of 111,000.

Fairly Prejudicial  —  Man, I'm going to have to ask David Shuster to give me fashion tips before I do this—boy do I look rumpled (though, of course, he's not liveblogging for 6 hours before he does his TV gig).  —  This is the key passage from yesterday's endless court arguments.

Who's to Blame for The Killing  —  This week the internecine warfare in Iraq, already bewildering — Sunni vs. Shiite, Kurd vs. Arab, jihadist vs. infidel, with various Iranians, Syrians and assorted freelancers thrown into the maelstrom — went bizarre.  In one of the biggest battles of the war …

Student's Recording of Teacher's Views Leads to a Ban on Taping  —  After a public school teacher was recorded telling students they belonged in hell if they did not accept Jesus as their savior, the school board has banned taping in class without an instructor's permission …

A Terrible Ignominy  —  How many Republicans will desert the troops?  —  Perhaps the shade of the great Yeats will forgive me: … John Warner of Virginia, Gordon Smith of Oregon, and Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine are the four Republican senators (in addition to Nebraska's Chuck Hagel) …

Another U.S. helicopter lost in Iraq  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. Army helicopter crashed Friday in a hail of gunfire north of Baghdad, police and witnesses said — the fourth lost in Iraq in the last two weeks.  The U.S. command said two crew members were killed, and the top U.S. general conceded …