Top Items:
Washington Post:
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.
Discussion:
Once Upon a Time, Jules Crittenden, TPMCafe blogs, The Reaction, IraqSlogger.com, Macsmind, ZenPundit, TPMmuckraker and democracyarsenal.org
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Real Cities:
Justifications for attacking Iran on shaky ground — WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is escalating its confrontation with Iran, sending an additional aircraft carrier and minesweepers into the Persian Gulf as it accuses the Islamic regime in Tehran of arming Shiite Muslim militias in Iraq for attacks on American troops.
Think Progress:
Hadley Ignores NIE, Says White House Will Still Not Call Iraq A 'Civil War' — At a press briefing this morning, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said the White House will continue to avoid using the term "civil war" to describe events in Iraq, despite the findings of the new National Intelligence Estimate.
William Branigin / Washington Post:
U.S. Not Planning for War With Iran, Gates Says — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates denied today that the United States is planning for war with Iran, saying that U.S. military efforts are focused on countering alleged Iranian activities against American troops in Iraq.
Spencer Ackerman / TPMmuckraker:
NIE: The Surge Can't Work — Wow, this is grim. According to the just-released Key Judgments of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, political reconciliation is likely a bridge too far over the next year and a half. — The Sunnis remain "unwilling to accept minority status" …
Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
Admin Official: "The Best Plan Is To Have This Plan Succeed"
Admin Official: "The Best Plan Is To Have This Plan Succeed"
Discussion:
Wake up America
IAN / Hot Air:
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:
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Robert / Jihad Watch:
Imam prays to stop 'oppression and occupation' at Democratic National Committee meeting — Hot Air has video of an invocation at the winter meeting of the Democratic National Committee by Husham Al-Husainy, Imam of the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center, a Shi'ite mosque in Dearborn, Michigan.
Discussion:
Debbie Schlussel
KC Johnson / Durham-in-Wonderland:
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.
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Jeff Taylor / Reason Magazine:
The Campaign to Sham America — John Edwards has a new blogger-in-chief. First order of business? Covering her tracks. — Amanda Marcotte joins Edwards' crew from Pandagon. A couple weeks ago Marcotte uncorked the following post there, on the occasion of getting stuck at the Atlanta airport:
Ezra Klein / American Prospect:
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 —
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, Hullabaloo, Wampum, DownWithTyranny!, CorrenteWire, Unfogged and Shakespeare's Sister
Andrew Taylor / Associated Press:
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.
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Michael Yon:
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 …
Dana Blanton / Fox News:
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 …
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Associated Press:
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 …
Discussion:
TalkLeft
New York Times:
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.
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org, The Left Coaster, The Huffington Post, Flopping Aces, The Strata-Sphere, Blue Crab Boulevard, Liberal Values, It's Getting Hot In Here, Texas Rainmaker, The Agonist, Attytood, DownWithTyranny!, Guardian Unlimited, Sister Toldjah, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, On Deadline, Pandagon and UN Dispatch
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James Pethokoukis / US News:
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.
Carla Marinucci / San Francisco Chronicle:
Sex scandal a serious obstacle to mayor's hopes for higher office — With the startling admission — and public apology — regarding an affair with his campaign manager's wife, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom set off on Thursday what one Democratic strategist described as a mushroom cloud over his promising political career.