memeorandum: Prepare for war with Iran, says French minister (Telegraph)

7:10 PM ET, September 17, 2007

Top Items:

Iraqis Order Blackwater out of Iraq — But Will It Leave? — Following a Baghdad shootout yesterday that left at least nine civilians dead, security-contractor giant Blackwater will no longer be permitted to operate in Iraq, according to the Iraqi Interior Ministry.

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Washington Post, rubber hose, The Carpetbagger Report, Danger Room, Outside The Beltway, Comments From Left Field and Truthdig

Larry Johnson / NO QUARTER:

The Iraq Blackwater Test — Depending on whether the Blackwater security firm stays in Iraq will inform us whether Prime Minister Maliki has any power or is just a U.S. puppet. My money is on the puppet. Over the weekend Blackwater contractors escorting a State Department/US Embassy Baghdad convoy got into a shoot out.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Huffington Post and Cliff Schecter

Time:

Will Iraq Kick Out Blackwater? — TIME has obtained an incident report prepared by the U.S. government describing a fire fight Sunday in Baghdad in which at least eight Iraqis were reported killed and 13 wounded. The deadly incident occurred when a convoy of U.S. personnel protected …

Discussion: Danger Room

CNN:

U.S. probing security firm's battle in Iraq — BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Iraq's Interior Ministry has revoked the license of Blackwater USA, an American security firm whose contractors are blamed for a Sunday gunbattle in Baghdad that left eight civilians dead.

Discussion: Washington Post, Firedoglake, The Next Hurrah, DownWithTyranny!, Swords Crossed, About.com U.S. Politics, All Spin Zone, Shakespeare's Sister, skippy the bush kangaroo, My Left Wing, Middle Earth Journal, The RBC and Blogs of War

Massimo Calabresi / Time:

How Bush's AG Pick Irritates the Right — If the administration was trying to avoid a fight with the left over the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales' replacement as Attorney General, they may have succeeded with the nomination of former New York district judge, Michael Mukasey.

Discussion: tpmmuckraker.com, Fox News, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Hot Air, The Gate, Open Left, The Carpetbagger Report, The Anonymous Liberal, The Jawa Report, Law Blog, Redstate, Sister Toldjah, The Democratic Daily, Wonkette and The Corner

New York Times:
Democrats Place Hurdle to Mukasey's Confirmation

Discussion: CNN Political Ticker, The Politico, The Hill, The Swamp, Media Blog and Lawyers, Guns and Money

The Corner:
Meeting Mukasey — I wasn't going to post anything else on Mukasey …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Macsmind, michellemalkin.com and Stop The ACLU

Peter Lattman / Law Blog:
Seven Things to Know About Michael Mukasey

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Anonymous Liberal, The Next Hurrah and The Sideshow

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
MUKASEY NOT NUTTY ENOUGH FOR THE RIGHT?

Discussion: CNSNews

Garrett Therolf / Los Angeles Times:

Chemerinsky to return as UC Irvine law dean — UC Irvine Chancellor Michael V. Drake and Erwin Chemerinsky have reached an agreement that will return the liberal legal scholar to the dean's post at the university's law school, sources told The Times this morning.

Discussion: Eschaton, The Carpetbagger Report, Democracy Project, The RBC, The Van Der Galiën Gazette, The Sideshow, Abovethelaw.com, Calitics and LA Observed

Ashby Jones / Law Blog:
Breaking News: Chemerinsky Accepts Irvine's Renewed Offer

Discussion: WILLisms.com and TaxProf Blog

Ezra Klein:

The Hillary Plan — Let me try and give a quick sketch of the Clinton proposal before I have to run for a meeting. Here's the thumbnail: Clinton's plan is of the "individual mandate" variety, in which universal coverage is achieved by mandating that every American purchase health care.

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Monthly and Crooks and Liars

CNN:
Clinton would mandate health insurance

Discussion: The Swamp, The New Republic, Redstate, The Carpetbagger Report and TPM Election Central

Beth Fouhy / Associated Press:
Clinton calls for universal health care

Michael Luo / The Caucus:
Clinton's Rivals Blast Health Care Plan

Discussion: The Huffington Post, D-Day, The Right's Field, Wall Street Journal and National Review

Telegraph:

Prepare for war with Iran, says French minister — By Alex Spillius in Washington and Tim Butcher in Jerusalem — The world should "prepare for war" with Iran, the French foreign minister has said, significantly escalating tensions over the country's nuclear programme.

Discussion: New York Times, Outside The Beltway, Jerusalem Post, FP Passport, Pajamas Media, Right Wing Nut House, The Glittering Eye, Comments From Left Field, Wake up America, Captain's Quarters, The Van Der Galiën Gazette, QandO, Fausta's blog, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and Gateway Pundit

In From the Cold:

New Details (and Lingering Questions) — Israeli Air Force F-15Is (GlobalSecurity.org) — Sunday's U.K. Times provided tantalizing details of Israel's recent airstrike against that Syrian nuclear facility. — Based on reporting from the Middle East and Washington …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, FP Passport, World Tribune.com and Talking Points Memo

Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Ramstad won't run for 10th term in House — U.S. Jim Ramstad is expected to announce his retirement from Congress. He has served nine terms, beginning in 1990. — Veteran congressman will leave seat representing western suburbs he has held for 9 terms.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Norwegianity and MNpublius.com

MNpublius.com:
BREAKING: CONGRESSMAN JIM RAMSTAD TO RETIRE #2 | Analysis

Discussion: TPM Election Central, Open Left, Daily Kos, MyDD and Swing State Project

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Should I Move To Minnetonka?

Discussion: MNpublius.com

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:

Senator Says Troops Want Congress To Cut Off War Funding — Woah, this is interesting. Colorado Senator Ken Salazar — who's taken a bunch of heat for backing toothless Iraq War measures — is now flirting with the ultimate: Cutting off funding for the war. From the Denver Post:

Anne C. Mulkern / Denver Post:
Salazar: Congress may need to cut war funding

Discussion: Daily Kos and WorkingForChange

ABCNEWS:

ACLU Backs Sen. Larry Craig — Senator Accused of Soliciting Sex Has an Unlikely Ally in American Civil Liberties Union — Idaho's Republican Senator Larry Craig reads a statement to the media Monday afternoon, Aug. 28, 2007, in Boise, Idaho. He read a statement and took no questions during …

Discussion: Stop The ACLU and Agitprop

Jeanne HUFF / Idaho Statesman:
Tourists flock to Minneapolis airport men's room

Discussion: Abovethelaw.com

National / Homeland Security National Terror Alert:

School Terror Threat - "Jihad Boom" Postcards With Threatening Cartoon Sent To Nine Schools … Investigators released the postcards with the threatening drawings on them Monday in hopes of generating leads in the case. Officials said that the postcards are made up of various and traditional themes …

Discussion: WKMG-TV, The Moderate Voice, The Jawa Report, Wake up America, Atlas Shrugs and Jihad Watch

TMZ.com:

Barry to Elisabeth: Your "View" is Dangerous — TMZ has learned that legendary singer Barry Manilow has pulled out of his scheduled appearance on "The View" tomorrow — because he strongly disagrees with host Elisabeth Hasselbeck's conservative view! Paging Rosie O'Donnell!

Discussion: NewsBusters.org and Hot Air

Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:

Al Green's earpiece — Fashionistas all over Capitol Hill hailed Rep. Al Green Monday for rocking his cell phone earpiece during remarks on the House floor. — The fashion-forward Texas Democrat may or may not be the first ever lawmaker to sport such a device during remarks on the floor …

Ian James / Associated Press:

Venezuela's Chavez Warns Private Schools — CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened on Monday to close or take over any private school that refuses to submit to the oversight of his socialist government as it develops a new curriculum and textbooks.

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs, Fausta's blog and Redstate