U.S. Says Arms Link Iranians to Iraqi Shiites  —  After weeks of internal debate, senior United States military officials on Sunday literally put on the table their first public evidence of the contentious assertion that Iran supplies Shiite extremist groups in Iraq with some of the most lethal weapons in the war.

Al-Qaeda praying for Obama win, says PM  —  PRIME Minister John Howard has blasted US presidential candidate Barack Obama, saying his policy of withdrawing troops from Iraq will destabilise the entire Middle East.  —  Senator Obama, who is aiming to be the first black American president, has vowed to withdraw US forces if elected.

For Clinton and Obama, Different Tests on Iraq  —  Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was challenged on Iraq from corner to corner of New Hampshire this weekend, while Senator Barack Obama drew cheers in Iowa for his opposition to the war.  —  Besides giving voters a chance to probe the views …

Libby Live: Walter Pincus One  —  (Sorry about the quality of this picture, which is scanned.  But I love that Pincus has a messier desk than I do.)  —  NOTES: (1) This is not a transcript — It's the blogger's approximation, and no one really knows what that is yet!

Tentative Deal in N. Korea Nuclear Talks  —  BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. envoy to talks on North Korea's nuclear program said Tuesday that negotiators reached a tentative agreement on initial steps for the communist nation's disarmament.  —  Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill …

Media Figures May Be Reluctant Defense Witnesses in Libby Case  —  Defense Exhibit 1972, a tape-recorded interview from the "Imus in the Morning" radio show, is another of those revealing moments in the perjury trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.  —  "So . . . what happened?" …

Dixie Chicks to country: nah-nah  —  It was more than a love of their music that was behind the Dixie Chicks' victory lap at the Grammy Awards Sunday.  —  The Texans won the three biggest awards - song, record and album of the year - for a disc in which they fought back against a country-music establishment …

Those Boring Campaign Blogs  —  When Amanda Marcotte agreed to blog for 2008 Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, she told her readers to expect "real commentary on issues that matter" under the "Rule of Amanda."  But she also acknowledged that she knows "how the game works" …

Iraq war debate shifts to the House  —  GOP lawmakers will be in a tough position as Democrats push a resolution that dissents from Bush's strategy.  —  WASHINGTON — As the House this week launches its first major debate over the Iraq war since the November elections …

Libby Live: Novak One  —  NOTES: (1) This is not a transcript — It's the blogger's approximation, and no one really knows what that is yet!  But I do know you shouldn't quote anything not in quotation marks.  (2) I'll timestamp the updates and will update about every 15 minutes, servers willing.

Stem cells used for 'natural' boob jobs  —  WOMEN may be able to undergo a "natural" form of breast enlargement using their own stem cells and fat.  —  The technique, pioneered in Japan, results in breasts that look and feel smoother than conventional cosmetic surgery using implants.

A menace to science  —  For years, 'Dr' Gillian McKeith has used her title to sell TV shows, diet books and herbal sex pills.  Now the Advertising Standards Authority has stepped in.  Yet the real problem is not what she calls herself, but the mumbo-jumbo she dresses up as scientific fact, says Ben Goldacre

More On Prison Rape  —  Another personal history from Human Rights Watch's report on prison rape, this one with an example of victim-blaming from the authorities: … And here's another history, though this one is more of a remembrance: … These are not atypical tales, click on any of the histories and similar horrors unfold.

Taking on Guantánamo  —  Assigned to defend a Guantánamo detainee, jag lawyer Charles Swift joined up with legal scholar Neal Katyal and sued the president and secretary of defense over the new military-tribunal system.  With their 2006 Supreme Court victory overridden …