memeorandum: Republicans Buck Bush On Iraq Benchmarks (Jonathan Weisman/Washington Post)

1:15 PM ET, May 1, 2007

Top Items:

Mussab Al-Khairalla / Reuters:

Al Qaeda in Iraq leader killed: Interior Ministry — BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, was killed on Tuesday in an internal fight between insurgents, the Interior Ministry spokesman said, but the U.S. military said it could not confirm the report.

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Hot Air, The Heretik, Jules Crittenden, The Impolitic, Riehl World View, Secular Blasphemy, Op For, PoliBlog (TM) and Michelle Malkin

Abu Aardvark:

Masri dead again? — IraqSlogger is reporting the death of al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayub al-Masri at the hands of Sunni tribesmen (al-Jazeera has the story, but no additional information; more here). The story is based on a statement from an official in the Iraqi Interior Ministry.

Associated Press:

Iraq probes reports of al-Masri's death — BAGHDAD - Iraqi officials have received reports that the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was killed by Sunni tribesmen, but the chief government spokesman said Tuesday the information has not been confirmed. — The statement by spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh followed …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Outside The Beltway

Pajamas Media:

Al-Qaeda Chief in Iraq Killed? — Iraqi government and media are reporting that Al-Qaeda leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri has been killed. — Pajamas Media will be tracking throughout the day... [New Items on Top] — ABC News changes homepage screen alert (now "FRIENDS OF ROBERT LEVINSON …

Discussion: Daily Kos, The Belmont Club and Fausta's blog

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:

AQI Leader Killed? — That's right, put a big fat question mark at the end of that sentence, because so far the only source on record for that assertion comes from the Iraqi Interior Ministry, which has a track record of overenthusiasm with kill reports. Abu Ayyub al-Masri …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Kiko's House

Guardian:

Al-Qaida in Iraq leader believed dead — Mark Tran and agencies — The al-Qaida in Iraq leader, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, has been killed in a fight between insurgents north of Baghdad, the interior ministry claimed today. — Brigadier General Abdul Kareem Khalaf told Reuters …

Discussion: Let Freedom Ring, The Strata-Sphere and INSTAPUTZ

CNN:
Tribes claim leader of al Qaeda in Iraq killed

Discussion: Confederate Yankee

Evan Kohlmann / Counterterrorism Blog: Al-Qaida in Iraq Leader Dead? Don't Count Your Chickens Just Yet...

American Thinker:
What Tenet Knew, When He Knew It, and Whom He Told

Discussion: QandO and New York Times

Mike Pechar / The Jawa Report:
Abu Al-Masri Reported Dead

Discussion: WorldwideStandard.com and Scared Monkeys

New York Times:

Bill on Iraq to Be Delivered 4 Years After Bush's Words — Democratic leaders in Congress are planning a special ceremony on Tuesday afternoon to send President Bush a bill that sets timetables for troop withdrawal from Iraq. — The timing is no accident.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, The Mahablog, The Impolitic, Captain's Quarters, AMERICAblog, Middle Earth Journal, TIME, rubber hose and State of the Day

Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:

Republicans Buck Bush On Iraq Benchmarks — Brushing aside White House opposition, Republican leaders in Congress said yesterday that negotiations on a second war spending bill should begin with benchmarks of success for the Iraqi government, and possible consequences if those benchmarks are not met.

Discussion: First Read, Connecting.the.Dots, Think Progress, DownWithTyranny! and The Democratic Daily

S.A. Miller / Washington Times:
Democrats conceding on war bill

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Don Surber

Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
Justice Dept. Official Says His Role in Firings Was Limited

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Carpetbagger Report, Think Progress and The Newshoggers

Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
Today's Must Read

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Newshoggers and The Heretik

Jim Rutenberg / The Caucus:

Romney Favors Hubbard Novel — "What's your favorite novel?" is a perennial campaign question, the answer to which presumably gives insight into leadership. — A "Moby-Dick" lover may understand the perils of obsessively chasing of a goal. A fan of "To Kill a Mockingbird" may well focus on racial justice.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Reason Magazine, Taylor Marsh, The Corner, First Read, TIME: Swampland, Rising Hegemon and Althouse

Liz Sidoti / Associated Press:

McCain Favors a 'League of Democracies' — WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain envisions a "League of Democracies" as part of a more cooperative foreign policy with U.S. allies. — The Arizona senator will call for such an organization to be …

Discussion: Jules Crittenden, All Spin Zone, Captain's Quarters, Matthew Yglesias, Right Wing News, Power Line, Secular Blasphemy, Shakesville, WILLisms.com and Don Surber

USA Today:

FDA limits Chinese food additive imports — The Food and Drug Administration is enforcing a new import alert that greatly expands its curtailment of some food ingredients imported from China, authorizing border inspectors to detain ingredients used in everything from noodles to breakfast bars.

Discussion: TAPPED, NION, Pet Connection Blog, Pacific Views, Democratic Underground …, Pam's House Blend and The Gavel

Washington Post:
Pet Deaths Spur Call for Better FDA Screening

Discussion: Ezra Klein

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

War as reality rather than cartoon — Almost from the start of the Israeli war in Lebanon, Israelis were aggressively critical of their government's prosecution of the war. While most (though by no means all) Israelis were originally supportive of the decision to commence the war …

Discussion: Haaretz and mfa.gov.il

New York Times:
Olmert Rebuked by Israeli Panel on Lebanon War

Discussion: TPMCafe blogs, The Osterley Times, On Deadline and Matthew Yglesias

Washington Post:

April Toll Is Highest Of '07 for U.S. Troops — Over 100 Killed in Month; Iraqi Deaths Far Higher — The deaths of more than 100 American troops in April made it the deadliest month so far this year for U.S. forces in Iraq, underscoring the growing exposure of Americans as thousands …

Discussion: In From the Cold and The Heretik

New York Times:

Law Day — President Dwight Eisenhower established May 1 as Law Day to co-opt the biggest day on the socialist calendar. While much of the world marked May Day with critiques of capitalism and parades celebrating working men and women, the United States would honor, President Eisenhower declared …

Discussion: WSJ.com, The Huffington Post and State of the Day

The Hill:

House oversight panel may look past Rice, Tenet in inquiry into uranium — Following a subpoena to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a letter to former CIA Director George Tenet last week, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee may cast an even wider net in its probe …

Washington Post:

So Sorry About the Names, Alleged Madam Says — Palfrey Hopes Release Will Flush Out Defense Witnesses — The alleged D.C. madam is in desperate need of defense witnesses. — Deborah Jeane Palfrey told reporters that she is "genuinely sorry" if people are hurt when identified as clients …

Discussion: Lean Left, TalkLeft and Althouse

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:

Fred Doesn't Chase The Gray Ladies, Though — The New York Times finally weighs in on Fred Thompson, the conservative hope for the 2008 Republican presidential primaries, and they hit below the belt. Actually, that's true literally but not figuratively, as their profile actually remains balanced …

Discussion: Hot Air, The Caucus, Sister Toldjah and The Politico