memeorandum: Religion and Insurgency — A few commentators have panned … (Dave Kilcullen/SWJ Blog)

9:00 PM ET, May 12, 2007

Top Items:

K Street vs. Middle America: Battle Lines Being Drawn In Fight Over Dems' Secret Trade Deal With Bush — Another long day as the reverberations continue to intensify after yesterday's press conference announcing a secret "free" trade deal between a handful of senior Democrats and the Bush administration.

Discussion: The Reaction, Sirotablog and Taylor Marsh

Matt Stoller / MyDD:

Open the Trade Deal — For most of the 1990s, I was an ardent free trader. I learned my economics from Marty Feldstein, Reagan's chief economic advisor, and I'm still someone who sees immense benefits in globalization. We're going to need to figure out new models for trade, carbon tariffs, changes in currency trading systems, etc.

Discussion: Firedoglake

International Brotherhood of Teamsters: Teamsters Oppose Trade Deal That Sells Out American Workers

www.aflcio.org: Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney on U.S. Trade Policy Developments

ndol.org:
Idea of the Week: Reviving Trade Policy

Discussion: Eyes on Trade

Doug Palmer / Reuters: Top U.S. labor group wary of bipartisan trade deal

Los Angeles Times:

General says he needs more troops — U.S. commander for northern Iraq cites the growing violence in Diyala province. — BAGHDAD — The commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq said Friday that he did not have enough troops to deal with the escalating violence in Iraq's Diyala province …

Discussion: Associated Press, The Agonist, The Atlantic Online, Unqualified Offerings, Washington Monthly, Liberty Street and Jules Crittenden

Ravi Nessman / Associated Press:

Car bombings kill 23 at Baghdad bridges — BAGHDAD - Twin suicide car bombers struck police checkpoints at bridges in a predominantly Shiite area of Baghdad on Friday, killing at least 23 people just hours after a series of U.S. raids on car bomb networks around the capital killed four suspected insurgents.

Discussion: New York Times, All Spin Zone and Gateway Pundit

CNN:
3 U.S. soldiers missing, 5 killed in attack

Discussion: Angry Bear and QandO

James Glanz / New York Times:

Billions in Oil Missing in Iraq, U.S. Study Says — Between 100,000 and 300,000 barrels a day of Iraq's declared oil production over the past four years is unaccounted for and could have been siphoned off through corruption or smuggling, according to a draft American government report.

Discussion: Prairie Weather, NO QUARTER, KnoxViews, TalkLeft, The Newshoggers, Booman Tribune and JammieWearingFool

Juan / Informed Comment:
SCIRI Adopts Sistani, emphasizes Iraqiness — Bombings kill 26, wound 60

Discussion: Liberty Street

Ben Lando / UPI: ANALYSIS: IRAQ FUNDING BILL TOO OILY

Mariam Karouny / Reuters:
Iraq's SCIRI party to change platform - officials

Discussion: Hot Air

Digby / Hullabaloo:

Comstock's Little Goodling — This article about Monica Goodling would be shocking if we didn't already know that the Mayberry Machiavellis had been running things from the beginning. Still, it's always a little bit startling to see the full extent of the Republican party's attempts …

Discussion: Shakesville, Norwegianity, Middle Earth Journal and The Carpetbagger Report

Associated Press:
Ex-U.S. Attorney Questions Own Firing

Discussion: The Next Hurrah and Talking Points Memo

Mark Phelan / Detroit Free Press:

Obama talks hybrids, but his ride has a Hemi — Sen. Barack Obama talks a good game. He also drives a good car, but the two are not entirely compatible. — The Democratic presidential contender was in Detroit on Monday, oozing charisma and environmental awareness as he chided local automakers …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org and Blue Crab Boulevard

Greg Lukianoff / FIRE:

Factual Statements=Unprotected Harassment!? A Terrifying Precedent at Tufts — Today, FIRE announced the decision by a disciplinary panel at Tufts to find the conservative student newspaper, The Primary Source, guilty of "harassment" for, among other things, publishing a satirical ad …

Discussion: Hot Air, Captain's Quarters, Unfogged, The Mahablog, Riehl World View, The Volokh Conspiracy, Flopping Aces, The Belmont Club, Dhimmi Watch, Wizbang, Blue Crab Boulevard and Stop The ACLU

Eugene Volokh / The Volokh Conspiracy:
"INTENTIONALLY PUTTING A NEGATIVE SPIN ON ISLAM" — FLABBERGASTING!

Discussion: Unfogged, Wizbang, Gold-Plated Witch on Wheels and Weasel Zippers

New York Times:

Religious Groups Granted Millions for Pet Projects — Saint Vincent College, a small Benedictine college southeast of Pittsburgh, wanted to realign a two-lane state road serving the campus. But the state transportation department did not have the money. — So Saint Vincent tried Washington instead.

Discussion: Prairie Weather and Cliff Schecter

The Politico:

Momentum builds against GOP candidates — The week had the feel of 1974. Republican members of Congress marched to the White House to deliver a frank message to an embattled president: You are a liability. — Three decades ago, it was Watergate. Now, it's Iraq.

Associated Press:

Zimbabwe to head U.N. body over U.S. objection … UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Zimbabwe won approval on Friday to head a key U.N. body charged with promoting economic progress and environmental protection despite protests from the U.S., European nations and human rights organizations.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Thom Shanker / New York Times:

Army Career Behind Him, General Speaks Out on Iraq — John Batiste has traveled a long way in the last four years, from commanding the First Infantry Division in Iraq to quitting the Army after three decades in uniform and, now, from his new life overseeing a steel factory here …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Michael Rey / CBS News:

Congressman McHenry's Campaign Aide Indicted — The CBS News Investigative Unit has learned a man who was a field coordinator in Congressman Patrick McHenry's (R-NC) 2004 campaign has been indicted for voter fraud in North Carolina. — The indictment charges that Michael Aaron Lay, 26 …

Discussion: DownWithTyranny! and CANNONFIRE

Paul L. Williams Ph.D. / Canada Free Press:

Radical Muslim paramilitary compound flourishes in upper New York state — With the able assistance of Douglas Hagmann, Bill Krayer and Michael Travis — Situated within a dense forest at the foothills of the Catskill Mountains on the outskirts of Hancock, New York, Islamberg is not an ideal place …

Discussion: Jihad Watch, Wizbang and Atlas Shrugs

Dave Kilcullen / SWJ Blog:

Religion and Insurgency — A few commentators have panned the new counterinsurgency manual for insufficient emphasis on religion. There is a grain of truth in this criticism but, as a practitioner, the evidence I see does not really support it. Rather, field data suggest …

Discussion: Thomas P.M. Barnett

New York Times:

Civilian Deaths Undermine Allies' War on Taliban — Scores of civilian deaths over the past months from heavy American and allied reliance on airstrikes to battle Taliban insurgents are threatening popular support for the Afghan government and creating severe strains within the NATO alliance.