The Archives: January 1-15, 2005

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The Archives: January 1-15, 2005

Saturday, January 15, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Neo-Conservatives at Sea Jim Lobe Inter-Press Service Common Dreams While prominent neo-cons pooh-poohed the old guard for agreeing with "the left", their crouch has become ever more defensive and sullen Falluja: City Without a Future? Michael Schwartz Mother Jones Derrick Anthony, a 21 year-old Navy Corpsman surveyed the desolate Falluja landscape and commented, "It's kind of bad we destroyed everything, but at least we gave them a chance for a new start." Babylon wrecked by war Rory McCarthy and Maev Kennedy The Guardian (UK) Troops from the US-led force in Iraq have caused widespread damage and severe contamination to the remains of the ancient city of Babylon, according to a damning report released today by the British Museum Fighting to the Polls in Mosul Louise Roug The Los Angeles Times Mosul, with 1.8 million residents, has become so volatile that American soldiers who work on community projects no longer maintain contact with the local population The Fallouja Plight Persists Tony Perry The Los Angeles Times At a company near the heart of Fallouja, a Marine assigned some days ago to dig a trench for a latrine added a sign: "Coming Soon, a New Trench, September 2005" Rising Violence and Fear Drive Iraq Campaigners Underground Dexter Filkins The New York Times Of the 7,471 men and women who have filed to run, only a handful outside the relatively safe Kurdish areas have publicly identified themselves The Critical Battle for Iraq's Energy Karl Vick The Washington Post Frustrated Iraqi and U.S. officials say insurgents in recent months have displayed an impressive capacity to cripple Iraq's most vital infrastructure D.R. Congo: Army Should Not Appoint War Criminals Human Rights Watch The Democratic Republic of Congo’s transitional government should investigate and prosecute militia leaders responsible for massacres and other grave war crimes in the northeastern Ituri district, not reward them with high-ranking posts in the country’s newly integrated army China Promotes Another Boom: Nuclear Power Howard W. French The New York Times Current plans - conservative ones, in the estimation of some people involved in China's nuclear energy program - call for new reactors to be commissioned at a rate of nearly two a year between now and 2020 'Bomb culture' threatens Bangladesh Dan Morrison The Washington Times "You're looking for accountability from a madrassa that gets $600 from a lousy foundation in the Gulf?" he asked. "Look, Bangladesh is a country where most of the people live on less than 2,000 calories a day. If someone offers money, we'll take it." Bioterrorism War Game Shows Lack Of Readiness John Mintz The Washington Post The exercise, called Atlantic Storm, featured former secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright as the U.S. president and eight current or former high-ranking officials of America's European allies	Election Turnout in 2004 Was Highest Since 1968 Brian Faler The Washington Post The Committee for the Study of the American Electorate reported yesterday that more than 122 million people voted in the November election, a number that translates into the highest turnout -- 60.7 percent -- since 1968 Passionate Opposition Eleanor Clift Newsweek On the eve of the Inauguration, Democrats are far more united than the Republicans, despite the GOP’s showy display of victory Learning from Newt Michael Crowley The New Republic Many Democrats, especially older ones with memories of a more civil time in Washington, are squeamish about flamethrower politics The Terry McAuliffe Syndrome Dan Gerstein The Wall Street Journal To put it crudely, right now we don't seem to know how to pick winners--or fire losers Blogging for Dollars Chris Suellentrop Slate DailyKos raised money for a dozen congressional candidates this past election. Which, if any, of them paid Moulitsas for the honor of directing his grassroots minions to part with their wallets?
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Thinking Out Iraq William F. Buckley, Jr. National Review The force of any argument for disconnection requires the prestige and dominance of the leader. There is no point in arguing for withdrawal, unless Mr. Bush beckons us to do so . . . at the Democrats' Peril Ruben Navarrette Jr. The Washington Post Both men were nominated by a Republican president and owe nothing to the Democratic Party. That makes them a target for liberals, who are only interested in minorities' success if they can claim the credit Honoring Democracy William Kristol The Weekly Standard Today, in Iraq and beyond, honor points the path of duty, and the right judgment of the facts reinforces its dictates. The path of duty for us, as it was for Churchill and Sharansky, is the defense of liberty Criminal Complaints Denis Boyles National Review Human Rights Watch can no longer claim the high ground and pretend to lead by example. They've reduced themselves to moral telemarketers	Listerine Drinker Arrested for DUI Associated Press Yahoo! According to Listerine manufacturer Pfizer Inc.'s Web site, original formula Listerine contains 26.9 percent alcohol, more than four times that of many malt liquors

Friday, January 14, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Aide to Bush's father urges pullout Matthew B. Stannard The San Francisco Chronicle The growing debate over a possible withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq got an added boost Thursday with the dissemination of comments by former Secretary of State James Baker Hold the elections, then get out Robin Cook The Guardian (UK) The reality is that the heavy-handed application of US firepower does not offer peace and security in Iraq, but guarantees an increasingly strong and violent resistance In Cafe Debate, a Victory for Elections Anthony Shadid The Washington Post In Shahbandar, a century-old cafe long the intellectual heart of this weary city, where men in frayed suit jackets and sweater vests cluster in small circles to debate, there is a pronounced optimism about what the elections signify Editorial: Out of Iraq The New York Times Ukraine's withdrawal punches a major and potentially fatal hole in the much-ballyhooed multinational division that Poland volunteered to lead in Iraq 'They beat me from all sides' James Meek The Guardian (UK) A German car salesman says that a year ago he was kidnapped in Europe, beaten and flown to a US-controlled jail in Afghanistan. Now the German government is collecting evidence to back up his story Poland Exhumes the Skeletons in Its Communist Closet Richard Bernstein The New York Times Poland only this month completed the process of opening its former Communist secret police archives to anybody who can claim to have been a target Editorial: Testing North Korea The Boston Globe Weldon, Lantos, and Rice have cleared the path for Bush. It is now up to him to cut a deal with North Korea before Osama bin Laden does US investigates risk of losing oil supplies from Venezuela Andy Webb-Vidal and Doug Cameron Financial Times (UK) The US is investigating the risk of losing its share of Venezuela's oil exports as the government of President Hugo Chávez seeks to steer more supplies towards China and other nations New-look UN seeks Washington appointee Mark Turner Financial Times (UK) The United Nations is looking for a well-connected Washington figure to head its information office there	Remembering a King Patrick W. Gavin The American Prospect Toward the end of his life, he espoused political views that made America -- then and now -- quite uncomfortable, and it is that part of his life that many Americans have ignored Can State Department rise again? Howard LaFranchi The Christian Science Monitor Something of an enigma: a national security adviser who oversaw a steady shift of authority over foreign policy toward the Pentagon and the vice-president's office, and is now taking over the agency she helped eclipse Dead movement walking? Katharine Mieszkowski Salon.com Their wide-ranging 36-page indictment charges that the country's largest environmental organizations have spent 15 years and hundreds of millions of dollars fighting global warming but have "strikingly little to show for it."
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Triangulating the War Victor Davis Hanson National Review The long-term prospects are still as bright as things seem gloomy in the short-term — but only if we emulate our grandfathers and press on with the third Middle East election in the last six months A Nominee and the Attack Andrew C. McCarthy National Review Viewed objectively, these widely misunderstood initiatives were not merely sound; to have taken any other course would have been irresponsible Rethinking Iowa Peter Beinart The Washington Post The problem isn't merely Iowa's political culture. It's also the caucus system itself, which amplifies the party's dovish, activist base	Doonesbury G.B. Trudeau Some similarities, actually

Thursday, January 13, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Abu Ghraib, Darfur: Call for Prosecutions Human Rights Watch The worldwide system for protecting human rights was significantly weakened in 2004 by the crisis in Darfur and the Abu Ghraib scandal Mapping the Global Future National Intelligence Council (CIA) Mapping the Global Future is the third unclassified report prepared by the National Intelligence Council (NIC) in the past seven years that takes a long-term view of the future A Touch of Crude Peter Maass Mother Jones American bankers handled his loot. Oil companies play by his rules. The Bush administration woos him. How the pursuit of oil is propping up the West African dictatorship of Teodoro Obiang White House Fought New Curbs on Interrogations, Officials Say Douglas Jehl and David Johnston The New York Times At the urging of the White House, Congressional leaders scrapped a legislative measure last month that would have imposed new restrictions on the use of extreme interrogation measures Detainee Says U.S. Handed Him Over for Torture Megan K. Stack and Bob Drogin The Los Angeles Times An Australian held at Guantanamo who is to be freed asserts in court papers that Americans flew him to Egypt where jailors mistreated him Under Fire, Election Workers in Iraq Are Scared but Resolute Christine Hauser The New York Times Threatened, attacked, kidnapped and killed, Iraq's election workers are finding that being at the forefront of the electoral process means surviving the frontlines of an insurgency determined to stop it Editorial: Bulletin: No W.M.D. Found The New York Times What all our loss and pain and expense in the Iraqi invasion has actually proved is that the weapons inspections worked, that international sanctions - deeply, deeply messy as they turned out to be - worked, and that in the case of Saddam Hussein, the United Nations worked Editorial: Bring the Troops Home The Progressive The pyromaniac does not make a very good firefighter. And Bush is a pyromaniac U.S. Lowers Expectations On Iraq Vote Robin Wright and Jim VandeHei The Washington Post The Bush administration played down voter turnout yesterday in determining the elections' legitimacy and urged Americans not to get bogged in a numbers game Syrian reformer rankles Islamists Nicholas Blanford The Christian Science Monitor "We have to accept other religions," says Habash, director of the Center of Islamic Studies in Damascus Editorial: Tsunami challenge Financial Times (UK) Even before aid workers have assessed the full extent of the disaster, Indonesian officials are getting cold feet about the opening up of a region notorious for army brutality and previously closed to most foreigners	A Democratic Blueprint for America's Future Sen. Edward Kennedy Despite resistance, setbacks, and periods of backlash over the years, our values have moved us closer to the ideal with which America began Big-Money Contributors Line Up for Inauguration Thomas B. Edsall and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum The Washington Post At least 88 companies and trade associations, along with 39 top executives -- all with huge stakes in administration policies -- have already donated $18 million toward a $40 million goal for the country's 55th inaugural celebration Replicating Rehnquist Alexander Wohl The American Prospect So whom is Bush likely to appoint?
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Don't Worry About Running Out of Oil David Frum National Post (Canada) American Enterprise Institute The world's supply of oil is not finite. It is more like a supermarket's supply of canned tomatoes Going El Salvador Jonah Goldberg National Review I have no doubt that opposition to the "death squads" was also based on revulsion at some of their excesses. But there can be no doubt that they were also vexed that we were fighting Communists at all Don't Fall in Love With Abbas Yet Max Boot The Los Angeles Times Until Abbas shows himself willing to seriously address those needs, the West should lavish its largess on independent Palestinian groups, from websites to human rights monitors, not on the dysfunctional Palestinian Authority Right questions in right order Richard W. Rahn The Washington Times The U.N. was designed when most of the world's people did not live under democratic regimes, and the world was moving toward socialism and away from market economies Fearing the Shia Tom Donnelly The Weekly Standard Reflecting the realist-leftist alliance that most opposes the Bush "forward strategy of freedom," the editorialists of the New York Times were bound to agree with Scowcroft	'Ali G' Comedian Risks Riot at U.S. Rodeo Reuters Yahoo! After telling the crowd he supported America 's war on terrorism, he said, "I hope you kill every man, woman and child in Iraq , down to the lizards ... And may George W. Bush drink the blood of every man, woman and child in Iraq "

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Editorial: Facing Facts About Iraq's Election The New York Times The coming elections are looking more and more like the beginning of the worst-case scenario for America's Iraqi adventure Death-Squad Democracy Christopher Dickey Newsweek What those of us in El Salvador learned was that American policy might call for surgical action, but once the local troops are involved, they’re as likely to use a chain-saw as a scalpel Security Nominee Is a Hard Charger on Legal War on Terror Eric Lichtblau The New York Times Michael Chertoff, a tough-minded prosecutor who was in charge of the department's criminal division, pushed a new tactic - declaring suspects to be "material witnesses" and locking them up without charging them with any crime The Torture Myth Anne Applebaum The Washington Post Given the overwhelmingly negative evidence, the really interesting question is not whether torture works but why so many people in our society want to believe that it works American Gulags Become Permanent Ted Rall Yahoo! The liberal argument against torture used to be that it was wrong. Now it's that it doesn't work The US Isn't "Stingy"; It's Strategic Tom Barry Counterpunch The administration's "global war on terrorism" is the main determinant in the distribution of economic aid--not development needs, not humanitarian disasters, not hunger Afghan Poppies Bloom Christian Parenti The Nation AlterNet After three years of ignoring opium poppy cultivation in war-ravaged Afghanistan, the United States has suddenly changed course The Perils of Putin Anders Åslund The Weekly Standard Alberto Fujimori of Peru might offer the closest parallel, with Carlos Menem of Argentina another contender N. Korea Not Ready for New Talks On Weapons, Congressman Told Philip P. Pan The Washington Post Lantos, the senior Democrat on the House International Relations Committee and the first U.S. congressman to visit Pyongyang since May 2003, said he told officials that Bush's new foreign policy team was in place, that its approach to North Korea would not change and that Congress supported the approach Israel, Palestinians Back on Speaking Terms Laura King and Ken Ellingwood The Los Angeles Times The two sides are to meet soon. This time, Sharon has a weaker grip on power, unlike Abbas Editorial: Sinn Fein's shadow The Boston Globe American gangsters have pulled off spectacular robberies, but they never had political ambitions on the scale of Sinn Fein. Before it gains further influence, it needs to end its partnership with the IRA U.S. and Russia Seeking Limits on Portable Antiaircraft Missiles Thom Shanker The New York Times The United States and Russia are close to signing an agreement to help control the trafficking of shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles, a weapon highly prized by terrorists	Nominee Criticized Over Post-9/11 Policies John Mintz The Washington Post Chertoff helped oversee the detention of 762 foreign nationals for immigration violations; none of them was charged with terrorism-related crimes Soros group raises stakes in battle with US neo-cons James Harding Financial Times (UK) The intention is to provide the left with organisations in Washington that can match the heft of the rightwing think-tanks such as Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute The myth of partisan gridlock Robert Kuttner The Boston Globe One party has indeed been captured by extremists, but the other one has moved steadily toward the center Health Care? Ask Cuba Nicholas D. Kristof The New York Times For those on the bottom in America, life in our new Gilded Age is getting crueler
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Character Is Destiny William Safire The New York Times Although opportunism is often cited as the opposite of character, not so in politics: this is the opportune time for the Democratic minority to take advantage of its bantamweight agility and "stand for something."	Zambia Elects Black President The Onion "I am overwhelmed," Adewale added. "This is truly precedented" Highway Queries Lead to the Fast Lane Reuters Yahoo! Oklahoma highway users wishing to call the state about electronic payment passes were mistakenly directed to a sex hotline The New Series Of Russian Emoticons Chortler Unlike the emoticons from other nations with less technological advancement and scientific ingenuity, the new Russian emoticons boast an unprecedented range of emotions Statshot The Onion How did we celebrate MLK day?

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
City of ghosts Ali Fadhil The Guardian (UK) What really happened in the siege of Falluja? In a joint investigation for the Guardian and Channel 4 News, Iraqi doctor Ali Fadhil compiled the first independent reports from the devastated city Ex-Baathists Play Crucial Insurgent Role, U.S. Says John Hendren The Los Angeles Times U.S. military commanders say a new assessment of the Iraqi insurgency has led them to focus on 34 former Baath Party leaders who they believe are financing and directing attacks How the U.S. can salvage Iraq Robert Malley and Peter Harling International Herald Tribune International Crisis Group The new Iraqi state must define itself at least partially in opposition to the United States or it runs the risk of defining itself largely in opposition to much of its own population For Honduras and Iran, World's Aid Evaporated Ginger Thompson and Nazila Fathi The New York Times All too often when disaster strikes - from here in Honduras to Iran, where the ancient city of Bam was shattered by an earthquake a year ago, to Mozambique, which endured floods in 2000 - that mission seems to last only as long as the media attention Abu Ghraib inmates 'like cheerleaders' James Sturcke and agencies The Guardian (UK) The lawyer defending him at the court martial in Texas, Guy Womack, said: "Don't cheerleaders all over America make pyramids every day?" He added: "It's not torture" Push underway for 4-star chief of intelligence John Diamond USA Today The Pentagon is considering establishing a new four-star military command for intelligence, reflecting concern that the powerful civilian intelligence post created by Congress last year could weaken the Pentagon's grip Abbas' Voice Resonates With Palestinians David Makovsky The Los Angeles Times According to the exit polls, when asked what effect they thought the election would have, the top three responses of Palestinian voters were improving the performance of the Palestinian Authority, improving the economic situation and improving internal security Mideast Humpty Dumpty Arnaud de Borchgrave The Washington Times Elections and an incipient civil war in Iraq, no prospect of an independent Palestinian state, al Qaeda's campaign to undermine Saudi Arabia's ruling royal family, and the creeping nuclearization of Iran, all point to a deepening Middle Eastern crisis When democracy fails Ralph Peters USA Today Pakistan has been the greatest disappointment among the major states that tried democracy The Pentagon's New Math Lawrence J. Korb The New York Times We are facing a real budget crisis - one brought on by the unwise decision to cut taxes in the midst of a war. Unfortunately, the steps that the Pentagon now proposes will not do much to deal with that crisis Separatist conflict poses risk to relief effort in Aceh Tom McCawley The Christian Science Monitor An unofficial cease-fire appears to be over, fueling concern among aid groups working in tsunami-ravaged Indonesia Stop the Genocide Jon S. Corzine and Sam Brownback The Washington Post If 3,300 troops cannot effectively patrol Darfur, a region the size of Texas, or if escalating violence overwhelms these forces, then thousands more should be deployed	Milton Friedman: Liberal Role Model Marcellus Andrews TomPaine.com Liberals need to create policies to realize their vision of freedom, just like Friedman. It's time to talk about freedom first, policies second U.S. Tells D.C. to Pay Inaugural Expenses Spencer S. Hsu The Washington Post The Bush administration is refusing to reimburse the District for most of the costs associated with next week's inauguration, breaking with precedent and forcing the city to divert $11.9 million from homeland security
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
'Unilateralism' Saved Lives In Asia Brett D. Schaefer The Heritage Foundation Fortunately, nations capable of running at the crack of the starting gun are providing the U.N. the time necessary to find its shoes Can We Save Iraq? No, but the Iraqis Can David Brooks The New York Times Their answers, both uplifting and depressing, suggest that if we are lucky, the near future in Iraq will come in three phases Kerrylike defense budget Frank J. Gaffney Jr. The Washington Times A President-elect Kerry probably would not have dared suggest the far-reaching cuts Mr. Bush plans. And he surely would faced difficulty getting them enacted	E-Mail Shorthand that Civil War Soldiers Would Likely Have Used in Letters Home Rob Eccles McSweeney's =\|:(# Old Abe Rudy Park Darin Bell and Theron Heir Business, pleasure, asylum or melodrama?

Monday, January 10, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Hot Topic: How U.S. Might Disengage in Iraq David Sanger and Eric Schmitt The New York Times Several administration officials acknowledge that Mr. Bush will face crucial decisions soon after Jan. 30 Battle lessons Dan Baum The New Yorker Whatever else the Iraq war is doing to American power and prestige, it is producing the creative and flexible junior officers that the Army’s training could not A short hop from Belfast to Baghdad Peter Preston The Guardian (UK) Northern Ireland has been voting repeatedly over the decades, and only exhaustion brings it a certain glum tranquillity today Albania's Chemical Cache Raises Fears About Others Joby Warrick The Washington Post Although Albania moved quickly to secure the stockpile after its discovery, the chemicals had little or no protection for more than a decade, at a time when the country was roiled by social and economic upheaval CIA Director Cuts Meetings On Terrorism Walter Pincus The Washington Post A former senior intelligence official said he believes Goss's sessions "lose the immediacy" of the Tenet's daily sessions. Meanwhile, the FBI and Pentagon are "beginning to eat into former CIA areas" Editorial: The Pentagon's Cuts The Washington Post Some should have been made years ago. Others seem to reflect a frantic search for savings when wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are costing $5 billion a month Forward thinking on nuclear policy David L. Hobson The Washington Times In recent months, there has been considerable debate on funding decisions regarding certain nuclear weapons initiatives Powell Sidesteps Question About Sudan Genocide Glenn Kessler The Washington Post Secretary of State Col in L. Powell declined to say Saturday whether Sudan was still committing genocide through a campaign of killings, rapes and other abuses by government-sponsored Arab militias Editorial: Brain and brawn Financial Times (UK) In most countries, the UN is seen as the legitimate representative of the world community and as the natural choice to run an aid effort. To do so, it needs the military and diplomatic muscle of the US U.N. Audits Cite Lax Oversight Maggie Farley The Los Angeles Times Internal reports on the Iraq 'oil-for-food' program detail a lack of supervision, corrupt contractors and little follow-up	Fire the Consultants Amy Sullivan The Washington Monthly Why do Democrats promote campaign advisors who lose races? Democrats Are United in Plans To Block Top Bush Initiatives Dan Balz The Washington Post The Democrats' mood and posture represent a contrast to that of four years ago, after Bush's disputed victory over Al Gore Character issue puts Dems on the defensive Jill Lawrence USA Today Democrats generally don't have the stomach or the discipline to do it. Often they don't even effectively fight back when under attack themselves Bring back the lash Gary Younge The Guardian ( UK ) The backlash is something rightwing people do. Like "kempt hair" and "couth behaviour", references to a "leftwing backlash" are rare indeed Rumsfeld-McCain feud grew after summer lunch Rowan Scarborough The Washington Times "It went very badly," said one source. "Rumsfeld brought over McCain to schmooze him. It didn't work" House GOP seen straying from pledges in 'Contract' Rick Klein The Boston Globe Now, the Contract with America is relevant again -- as a reference point for growing disagreements among Republicans about how far they have strayed from their core principles
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Conservative group bashes Bush policies Donald Lambro The Washington Times A blunt critique being released today by the Heritage Foundation says President Bush and the Republicans have too often pushed big spending programs, contrary to their campaign promises Editorial: The jihadists and the Klan The Washington Times For obvious reasons of ideology, we would hardly expect the NYT to highlight the connection on its editorial page or in news analysis pieces, but the fight against the Klan in the 1960s has a few lessons for our national struggle	1992 house Billy Frolick The New Yorker 1992 was clearly a very confusing, difficult time in which to live in the United States of America. Having to use landlines and eat carbohydrates were hardships for the people to endure, but Americans are nothing if not resilient This Modern World Tom Tomorrow Salon.com How to argue like a right-wing pundit Rejection Letters From Xavier's School of Exceptional Youth Jon Fitch McSweeney's While your ability to pull an unlimited number of sponges from your nostril is indeed special, we have not been able to discern a distinct tactical advantage to your talent

Sunday, January 9, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
‘The Salvador Option’ Michael Hirsh and John Barry Newsweek The Pentagon may put Special-Forces-led assassination or kidnapping teams in Iraq Rumsfeld's Legacy: The Iraq Syndrome? Lawrence Freedman The Washington Post The principle of civilian participation in operational decisions should really not be controversial. If it has become so, it is because civilian- military relations have acquired an adversarial character, for reasons that go deeper than Iraq How a Vote Could Derail Democracy Larry Diamond The New York Times This would not be the first instance when badly timed and ill-prepared elections set back the prospects for democracy, stability and ethnic accommodation. Think of Angola in 1992, Bosnia in 1996, Liberia in 1997 U.S. Is Haunted by Initial Plan for Iraq Voting Steven R. Weisman The New York Times With a violent insurgency spreading through the Sunni Arab areas of the country, it now looks as if fewer Sunnis will vote, distorting the balance of the legislature and casting doubt on whether the election will be seen as legitimate Defining Victory Down Maureen Dowd The New York Times "I know it's hard, but it's hard for a reason," Mr. Bush said on Friday, a day after seven G.I.'s and two marines died. "And the reason it's hard is because there are a handful of folks who fear freedom." If it's just a handful, how come it's so hard? History Is Likely to Link Bush to Mideast Elections Peter Baker The Washington Post The vote for a new Palestinian president today and the election of a new National Assembly in Iraq in three weeks add up to the first meaningful test for Bush's vision of spreading democracy Giant Steps in Palestinians' Trip to Polls Ken Ellingwood The Los Angeles Times Palestinian voters are approaching the election with a pragmatism born of the dismal results of two uprisings since the late 1980s and frustration with the Palestinian Authority under Arafat U.S. needs to have a real policy on Iran Susan E. Rice The Miami Herald This approach demands more of the United States than abdication to European diplomacy. It requires U.S. leadership, in partnership with the Europeans, of a complex and urgent negotiation with Iran Where Are the New Recruits? Mark Thompson Time "The Army's wheels are going to come off in the next 24 months," Barry McCaffrey, a retired four-star Army general, said Doctor's Orders -- Spill Your Guts M. Gregg Bloche and Jonathan H. Marks The Los Angeles Times Critical to understanding the medical role is the change in interrogation doctrine introduced by Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller and his team, first at Guantanamo, then at Abu Ghraib Russia's Downhill Slide to Dictatorship Niall Ferguson The Los Angeles Times The question that remains open is whether Putin is just a more successful version of one of these authoritarian warm-up acts or a fully fledged Russian Fuhrer Political Divide Limits U.S. Aid in Sri Lanka Monte Morin The Los Angeles Times An anti-terrorism law bars American troops from providing relief to areas in the north and east, which are held by Tamil separatist rebels Editorial: A Divide China Must Conquer The New York Times The test for Mr. Hu is not whether he can steer the new China into an ever-more-powerful position in the world marketplace. It is to deal wisely with the deepening chasm between rich and poor in his own country The white stuff Angus Macqueen The Observer (UK) I now believe that the tragedy we witnessed in Latin America has little to do with the damage the drugs do to people's heads. The tragedy is a result of the drugs being illegal	'Support Our Troops' car magnets arrive -- with political rebuttals Joe Garofoli The San Francisco Chronicle In November, one of the nation's largest anti-war organizations began selling a response ribbon. The similar-looking yellow magnet reads, "Bring the Troops Home Now" The Dobson way Dan Gilgoff U.S. News and World Report The biggest portrait in the office of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson--the best-known leader among America's 50 million-strong evangelical Christians--isn't of Jesus Christ. It's of Winston Churchill GOP Leaders Tighten Their Grip on House Mike Allen The Washington Post "It took Democrats 40 years to get as arrogant as we have become in 10," one Republican leadership aide said
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
. . . or delay the course? Oliver North The Washington Times The last thing the terrorists want on Jan. 30 is a free and democratic election in Iraq because that will not only empower 28 million Iraqis but send a signal to citizens of other repressed countries in the region	The Boondocks Aaron McGruder White people.

Saturday, January 8, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Mysterious jet tied to torture flights John Crewdson The Chicago Tribune Yahoo! According to federal records, Bayard Foreign Marketing is the newest owner of a U.S.-registered Gulfstream V executive jet reportedly used since Sept. 11, 2001, to transport suspected Al Qaeda operatives to countries such as Egypt and Syria The CIA and Riggs Bank Jack Shafer Slate Simpson's Dec. 31 piece—inexplicably appearing on Page A-4 instead of A-1—locates what may be the common denominator shared by Riggs, the Saudis, the Africans, and the South Americans: the Central Intelligence Agency Iraq Insurgents' Roadside Bombs Are Getting Bigger Mark Mazzetti and James Gerstenzang The Los Angeles Times Bombs used with deadly effect against U.S. troops in Iraq have recently become more powerful, the latest escalation in the insurgency U.S. Said to Hold More Foreigners in Iraq Fighting Douglas Jehl and Neil A. Lewis The New York Times A Pentagon official said Friday that the United States was now holding 325 foreign fighters in Iraq, a number that the official said had increased by 140 since Nov. 7, just before the invasion of Falluja Military-Rebel Tensions Complicate Relief in Aceh Jane Perlez The New York Times In a sign that the army's role would be pervasive - even in the long run of this aid effort - the officer in charge of relief, Maj. Gen. Bambang Darmono, said soldiers would guard the large refugee camps Kazakh Opposition Party Shut Down Rachel Denber Human Rights Watch The closure of DVK appears to be part of a government backlash in reaction to events in Ukraine. It will no doubt cripple the political opposition in advance of presidential elections in Kazakhstan A Colombian Fighting for Victims of a Political War Juan Forero The New York Times As director of the Manuel Cepeda Foundation, a group dedicated to pressing the government for a full accounting of a two-decade war against the Patriotic Union, Mr. Cepeda's modus operandi has been to come up with ways to embarrass or mortify government officials	Bush Paints His Goals As 'Crises' Jim VandeHei The Washington Post Painting a grim picture of problems is as old as politics itself. But Democrats and some presidential scholars say there is a danger for Bush if he appears to stoke fears for political gain A Rice Surprise Jim Lobe TomPaine.com Bob Zoellick is no neocon. Condoleezza Rice just picked him to be her deputy at the State Department. What does this mean? Wolfowitz Says He Will Keep Job At Pentagon Bradley Graham The Washington Post Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz sought yesterday to dampen speculation that he is leaving, saying he had been asked to stay on and intends to do so Tax-Funded White House PR Effort Questioned Tom Hamburger, Nick Anderson and T. Christian Miller The Los Angeles Times A bipartisan group of lawmakers called for an investigation Friday into whether the Bush administration misused taxpayer funds by paying a prominent media pundit $240,000 to promote the president's controversial new education policy
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Fighting the Wrong War Frederick W. Kagan The Weekly Standard Claims that there are no serious problems with military policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, or with the equipment our soldiers have, or with the number of troops available, are childish and damaging to efforts to identify and solve real problems Cutting the Fat Jonah Goldberg National Review The problem is that capital-P Pragmatism is itself a deeply ideological approach to philosophy and life Bring It On Rich Lowry National Review Are terrorists soldiers, just like any other? Do we have a right to pressure them for information upon capture? The Democrats' answers are, by implication, "yes" and "no" respectively The Disenchanted American Victor Davis Hanson National Review An American consensus is growing that envy and hatred of the United States, coupled with utopian and pacifistic rhetoric, disguise an even more depressing fact: Outside our shores there is a growing barbarism with no other sheriff in sight Listen to the Iraqis Michael Rubin National Review The worsening atmosphere is driving the Iraqi desire to vote	For Friday, Some Lists McSweeney's My enemies and narcotics are similarly compressed into a fine powder, which I regularly ingest to achieve intoxication Danziger Jeff Danziger Mr. Bush on message And the Fattest City Is... Reuters Yahoo! Houston tops a U.S. magazine's annual fattest cities list for the fourth time in five years, with four other Texas cities waddling into the top 25

Friday, January 7, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
C.I.A. Report Finds Its Officials Failed in Pre-9/11 Efforts Douglas Jehl The New York Times The findings, which are still classified, pose a quandary for the C.I.A. and the administration, particularly since President Bush awarded a Medal of Freedom to Mr. Tenet last month Meanwhile, Back in Iraq... Jim Lobe Inter Press Service CommonDreams What's worse, the insurgency, by virtually all accounts, is actually growing Scowcroft Skeptical Vote Will Stabilize Iraq Dana Priest and Robin Wright The Washington Post Scowcroft joked that both men were considered "realists" during their lifelong careers, but he noted that "it's become a pejorative term" during a Bush administration filled with idealists Once-Critical Indonesians Are Grateful to U.S. for Aid Raymond Bonner The New York Times The United States military's huge relief effort for tsunami victims in South Asia is producing something of a political upheaval here, in the world's most populous Muslim country: America is being praised, even by some of its harshest critics, while Arab countries are being questioned Asia rises - even as disaster tests its mettle The Christian Science Monitor A quarter-century after China embarked on market reforms, the country has emerged as the world's factory. Meanwhile, its neighbor, India , is capturing a growing share of America 's office work Iran: Journalists Receive Death Threats After Testifying Human Rights Watch After testifying to a presidential commission about their torture during detention, a group of Iranian journalists have received death threats from judicial officials Abbas Will Have to Win More Than Vote Laura King The Los Angeles Times Palestinian leader is all but certain of winning the presidential election, but his agenda could be derailed by Hamas, which has its own aims Softly Going Where Yasir Arafat Feared to Tread Helene Cooper The New York Times Mr. Abbas said Palestinians had to end what he called the "chaos of the weapons." He called attacks on Israel counterproductive. The intifada, he said, was only playing into Israel's hands Readiness of the United States Army Reserve Lt. Gen. James Helmly PDF file from Center for American Progress website Helmly contends that the current policy "threatens to unhinge an already precariously balanced situation in which we are losing as many Soldiers through no use, as we are through overuse" Temporary Troop Increase for Army May Become Permanent Mark Mazzetti The Los Angeles Times A year ago, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld allowed the Army to temporarily boost its ranks by 30,000 to reduce stress on the force. But he has long opposed a permanent increase in the size of the Army Sudan: North-South peace deal leaves future of human rights uncertain Amnesty International Human rights, encompassing justice and an end to discrimination, have to be at the core of any agreement. But human rights will not arrive simply through hope and rhetorical declarations	Undiplomatic Immunity Chris Suellentrop Slate By late afternoon, Leahy had became so frustrated with Gonzales's refusal to give clear answers to questions from him and other Democrats that he held aloft a bulky file Not with a bang but a whimper Tim Grieve Salon.com As the protest against Bush's certification fell flat and they rolled over for Gonzales, it was a day of humiliation and futility for Democrats Editorial: Mr. Gonzales's Testimony The Washington Post Mr. Gonzales appeared willfully obtuse about the consequences of his most important judgments as White House counsel AP Poll Finds Americans Split About Bush Will Lester Associated Press Yahoo! His job approval is in the high 40s in several other recent polls — as low as any job approval rating for a re-elected president at the start of the second term in more than 50 years Trouble and strife The Economist (UK) The new Congress could be one of the most interesting on record. That's “interesting” as in the Chinese curse Fox News gets blown away Eric Boehlert Salon.com Fox's weak coverage of the tsunami in South Asia proves that when it comes to stories with global significance, the nasty, partisan network isn't ready for prime time Drug Control Office Faulted For Issuing Fake News Tapes Ceci Connolly The Washington Post Although television stations knew the materials were produced by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, there was nothing in the two- minute, prepackaged reports that would indicate to viewers that they came from the government
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Dean for center Democrats? R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. The Washington Times Mr. Murtha is aware of what those of us who have known Mr. Dean knew throughout his run for the presidential nomination. He is no radical Why the Democrats Keep Losing Joshua Muravchik Commentary American Enterprise Institute The new liberalism was effective in defeating the old liberalism in the battle for control of the Democratic Party, but it proved pitifully weak against the Republicans Editorial: A superb choice for State The Washington Times President Bush has made an excellent choice in selecting U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick to serve as incoming Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's deputy The War Against Rumsfeld David B. Rivkin Jr. and Rich Lowry The Los Angeles Times The attacks, of course, depend upon a fiction — that a perfectly run, low-casualty war is always possible, as long as we have proper military leadership Arafat's Heir Charles Krauthammer The Washington Post Abbas is running practically unopposed, and yet, on the question of both ends and means, he chooses to run as Yasser Arafat Not-So Great Debate Michael Ledeen National Review There are phases of gray in between the blackness of torture and the whiteness of gentle inquiry, and many of the gray methods have been effective	Hey, It Worked for the Romans Jonathan Chait The Los Angeles Times There's a simple, logical way to reconcile President Bush's foreign and domestic policies: Start demanding tribute from foreign countries Department of Provolone Security Charles P. Pierce The American Prospect What in the name of god is a cheese display? The Boondocks Aaron McGruder You're getting' the one about the Democrats! Jerry Springer Opera, featuring 'gay Jesus', sparks record 5,500 complaints Agence France Presse Yahoo! The opera contains a total of 3,168 "f"-words and 297 "c"-words. The expletive-laden songs include Pregnant By A Transsexual and Here Come The Hookers

Thursday, January 6, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Newly Released Reports Show Early Concern on Prison Abuse Kate Zernike The New York Times Thousands of pages in military reports and documents have demonstrated that the abuse involved multiple service branches in Afghanistan, Iraq and Cuba Terror Suspect Alleges Torture Dana Priest and Dan Eggen The Washington Post U.S. authorities in late 2001 forcibly transferred an Australian citizen to Egypt, where, he alleges, he was tortured for six months before being flown to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Has the Government Come Clean? Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball Newsweek As Gonzales begins his confirmation hearings, new FBI documents suggest that abuse of Guantanamo prisoners was more widespread than previously acknowledged Rethinking Iraq Lakshmi Chaudhry AlterNet For all the energy and resources progressives have invested in specific international issues over the years, no coherent foreign policy vision has emerged. Progressives have been defined instead by dissent Residents Trickle Back, but Falluja Still Seems Dead Erik Eckholm The New York Times Sullen and anxious, tens of thousands of residents have passed through stringent checkpoints over the last week to find out, after agonizing weeks of uncertainty, whether their homes and shops were reduced to rubble or merely ransacked General Says Army Reserve Is Becoming a 'Broken' Force Bradley Graham The Washington Post The head of the Army Reserve has sent a sharply worded memo to other military leaders expressing "deepening concern" about the continued readiness of his troops Missile defense: what role in era of terror? Brad Knickerbocker The Christian Science Monitor In an age when weapons of mass destruction can be slipped into the United States in a cargo container or even a suitcase, is Ronald Reagan's 1983 dream of building an umbrella against long-range enemy missiles passé? QDR Time Tom Donnelly The Weekly Standard Given that, just a few months ago, the National Military Strategy all but ignored the problem of counterinsurgency warfare, the willingness of QDR planners to put the sledgehammer of the old "spectrum of conflict" is an encouraging sign Changing of the Guard at the CIA Walter Pincus The Washington Post The committee's report on the fiscal 2005 intelligence authorization bill included two particularly controversial recommendations for changing the way the CIA does business As Abbas Runs, Skeptical Militants Wait and See Steven Erlanger The New York Times Mr. Abbas has a bigger test - how to convince these fighters like Qazzafi and the younger warriors, with no other skills, to abandon their struggle, with its fierce dangers and popular glamour, and let him try the soft ambiguities of diplomacy Hamas Won Power In West Bank Vote John Ward Anderson and Molly Moore The Washington Post In 26 communities across the West Bank, candidates associated with Hamas but campaigning under different banners won about 35 percent of 306 individual races Europe's identity crisis Anna Mulrine U.S. News and World Report Across western Europe, religious leaders, educators, and policymakers describe a social collision between Muslims and non-Muslims Root Causes: An Interview with Wangari Maathai Dave Gilson Mother Jones The recent Nobel Peace Prize winner talks about sowing the seeds of democracy in Kenya Rising hopes for African peace The Economist (UK) Is peace breaking out across Africa? It is too early to be sure but the year has begun on a hopeful note The neocons have a hand in Aceh, too Sidney Blumenthal The Guardian (UK) The leading neoconservative at the Pentagon, Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defence, has tried to overthrow US restrictions on aid to, and relations with, the Indonesian military Truth challenges justice in Freetown Hans Nichols The Washington Times Many residents see the bright lights of the SCSL and wonder if the U.N. tribunal and all the foreign money spent on it are really the best way to heal their country's wounds	We Are All Torturers Now Mark Danner The New York Times We have entered a new era; the traditional story line in which scandal leads to investigation and investigation leads to punishment has been supplanted by something else The facilitator Alan Berlow Salon.com Gonzales' execution summaries demonstrate that while Bush was paying lip service to his moral obligations in the clemency process, both he and Gonzales had turned that process into little more than a charade What the rule reversal on Capitol Hill means for DeLay Gail Russell Chaddock The Christian Science Monitor The Texas Republican concedes the ethics flap has given Democrats a big opening at the start of the 109th Congress New Appropriations Chairmen Selected Carl Hulse The New York Times House Republican leaders chose Representative Jerry Lewis of California on Wednesday to head the Appropriations Committee, putting him in charge of developing a spending approach that is likely to require unpopular cuts House Ethics Chair Likely to Be Replaced Mike Allen The Washington Post House Republicans have decided to replace the chairman of the ethics committee, who has crossed House Majority Leader Tom DeLay so many times that the two barely speak
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Editorial: 'Torture' Showdown The Wall Street Journal This is actually a great chance for the Administration to do itself, and the cause of fighting terror, some good by forcefully repudiating all the glib and dangerous abuse of the word "torture" Challenges to POW policies Lee A. Casey and David B. Rivkin Jr. The Washington Times With the memories of September 11 fading, many of the administration's critics have claimed that any form of coercive questioning, regardless of its physical or mental impact, is forbidden No Country Left Behind Colin L. Powell Foreign Policy The best way to lift millions out of poverty is not to increase levels of foreign aid. Instead, the United States must engage in tough love and demand that corrupt, autocratic regimes change their ways	CNN Lets 'Crossfire' Host Carlson Go David Bauder Associated Press Yahoo! "I guess I come down more firmly in the Jon Stewart camp," Klein told The Associated Press

Wednesday, January 5, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
'You're George Bush's brother? Good for you.' Jonathan Watts The Guardian (UK) Jeb Bush was not the only senior US official who appeared to feel awkward Land of Penny Pinchers Nicholas D. Kristof The New York Times The best response to accusations of stinginess is not to be defensive, but to be generous. And the measure of generosity is not what you offer when the spotlight is upon you Aid effort stretches military resources Rowan Scarborough The Washington Times Commanders have had to review war plans for any threatening action by North Korea as they pulled ships, aircraft and troops from the Pacific China fails the tsunami test Michael Moran MSNBC A $63 million donation is welcomed from any country. But China is not just any country The Year in Torture Yoram Gat CounterPunch The following are forms of maltreatment visited upon prisoners by U.S. personnel during 2004 U.S. Said to Weigh Sanctions on Syria Over Iraqi Network Douglas Jehl The New York Times One American counterterrorism official said the threat of further action had already served to focus Syrian attention on the problem Surging violence casts doubt on election Borzou Daragahi, Robert Collier The San Francisco Chronicle A relentless surge in rebel attacks and bombings in recent days has stunned Iraq's government and leading politicians, causing worries that the country's violence may be unstoppable Editorial: Afghanistan's drug problem The Washington Times Aggressive, U.S.-backed efforts to eradicate peasants' poppy crops could undermine U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan and destabilize the vulnerable democratic process in the country The day after Gaza Aluf Benn Salon.com Will "Gaza first" be also "Gaza last," the end point of the post-Arafat political process? Or will Sharon take the next steps -- further withdrawal from the West Bank and the establishment of a Palestinian state? Ties with U.S. will be intact,Turkey insists The Washington Times One of the reasons for the chill in bilateral ties is the presence in northern Iraq of an estimated 5,000 militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Egypt accused of secret nuclear tests Associated Press The Houston Chronicle The U.N. atomic watchdog agency has found evidence of secret nuclear experiments in Egypt that could be used in weapons programs War crimes indictment could push teetering Kosovo to edge Simon Tisdall The Guardian (UK) The possibly imminent indictment for war crimes of Kosovo's prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, threatens to provoke a new crisis in the breakaway Serbian province Europe wrestles with defining itself The Christian Science Monitor Terrorist attacks in Madrid, Beslan, and Amsterdam raised new questions about the war on terror, while a strong euro threatened European economies. What stories might define 2005? Crisis in Darfur John Prendergast Interviewed By Jeff Fleischer Mother Jones A special adviser to the International Crisis Group on the genocide in Darfur, and the lack of an effective international response Who Murdered Gilberto Soto? David Bacon The American Prospect An international organizer was murdered in El Salvador late last year. His work was on one of labor’s great struggles 50-Year War of Words Mark Magnier The Los Angeles Times Tactics shift and ideology has softened, but China and Taiwan still aim radio propaganda at each other 24 hours a day	Gonzales Helped Set the Course for Detainees R. Jeffrey Smith and Dan Eggen The Washington Post The outlines of Gonzales's actions are known, but new details emerged in interviews with colleagues and other officials Does the Right Remember Abu Ghraib? Anne Applebaum The Washington Post By nominating Gonzales to his Cabinet, the president has demonstrated not only that he is undisturbed by these aberrations, but that he still doesn't understand the nature of the international conflict which he says he is fighting Editorial: Rewarding Mr. Gonzales The New York Times Given his close connection with the military prison abuse scandals, Alberto Gonzales is a troubling candidate for the job of attorney general Chisholm's example for Democrats Derrick Z. Jackson The Boston Globe Kerry's crumble fit with what Chisholm said in 1969: "Far too often we become cowards when faced with individuals who have strong leadership abilities, individuals who often do not want social revolution as much as they want personal power" The framing of political debate Mark Z. Barabak The Los Angeles Times Lakoff says conservatives have been winning elections — along with hearts and minds — through the strategic use of language over the last 30 years Proof Tom DeLay is now politically radioactive? David Donnelly The Houston Chronicle With corruption and ethical scandals swirling around DeLay and all he touches, he received just 55 percent of the vote in his district, his lowest total ever Editorial: Playing Games With Ethics The Los Angeles Times Don't be fooled. On Tuesday, they eviscerated congressional ethics rules with a more insidious approach
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Judging Rumsfeld Mackubin Thomas Owens National Review Rumsfeld's attempt to reassert civilian control of the military is certainly proper, but there is a real danger that the cost of Rumsfeld's approach will be a dispirited and demoralized uniformed military On being John Kerry Kathleen Parker The Chicago Tribune Kerry's persona came into play. Was it the way he looked? The way he talked? Yes and yes Wise Counsel Douglas W. Kmiec The Wall Street Journal Mr. Gonzales has provided wise counsel to the president--and has had the courage to correct missteps--under very trying circumstances Editorial: Credulous about Syria The Washington Times Mr. Armitage's performance was an unfortunate one, because the behavior of the Syrian regime does not merit gentle treatment	2004 neologisms The Onion Queueer - the line to get gay married Nine-Year-Old Boy Fascinated by Toilets Associated Press Yahoo! Joey, who keeps a toolbox under his bed, was nearly speechless. A local plumber agreed to help the boy install his dream gift

Tuesday, January 4, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
A time of testing for global democracy Howard LaFranchi The Christian Science Monitor As the world has watched Ukraine, and prepares to turn its focus to the Middle East, several larger lessons of what makes democracy take root and work are again being learned by the world Relief Transcends U.S.-Indonesia Divide Alan Sipress and Noor Huda Ismail The Washington Post Though the U.S. government has banned most forms of military cooperation with Indonesia because of human rights disputes, the disaster has brought the countries' armed forces close together in a major relief operation Ugly Truths About Guantanamo Richard Cohen The Washington Post Orwell was off by only 20 years. With immense satisfaction, he would have noted the constant abuse of language by the Bush administration U.S. May Add Advisers to Aid Iraq's Military Eric Schmitt The New York Times Americans are training Iraqi police officers and national guard troops to replace them in securing the country, but the results over all have been troubling It's time to get out of Iraq David M. Edelstein and Ronald R. Krebs The Chicago Tribune Concrete withdrawal plans would send a clear signal to Iraqis that the United States is not a colonial power, and withdrawal would stem the occupation's growing hemorrhage of lives and dollars U.S. Reportedly Shifts on Involving Europeans Tyler Marshall The Los Angeles Times The United States is backing away from efforts to pressure European allies to join or remain in the American-led military force in Iraq and is instead working to coax those countries into participating in other initiatives in the region Syria at the crossroads Ferry Biedermann Salon.com The nation that "punches above its weight" in the Middle East is caught between the desire to come in from the cold and its old habits of militancy -- and now it's facing U.S. troops across its border Rude awakening to missile-defense dream Scott Ritter The Christian Science Monitor Russia 's recent test-fire of an advanced mobile ICBM renders national missile defense a fantasy Rumsfeld clashes over Joint Strike Fighter Peter Spiegel Financial Times (UK) Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary, has rebuffed an effort by the US air force to cut its order of Joint Strike Fighters by a third - a proposal senior air force officials had hoped would save its prized F/A-22 Can Africa solve African problems? Abraham McLaughlin The Christian Science Monitor For 2005, one theme stands out: Africa tackling its problems without much outside help Size of China's Aid Marks a Policy Shift, but Is Still Dwarfed by That of Richer Jim Yardley The New York Times China's offer of aid, if slightly belated, is sizable, given its often inward-looking history. But it is also a reminder that the world's most populous country is still far from being the dominant power in Asia Payoffs to Haiti's renegade soldiers won't buy peace DeWayne Wickham USA Today While the Bush administration wages war against terrorism in Iraq, the government it propped up in Haiti has caved in to the terrorists who've seized control of parts of that impoverished Caribbean island nation	Backing Gonzales Is Backing Torture Robert Scheer The Los Angeles Times To make a man with so little respect for both the spirit and the letter of the law the nation's top law enforcement official would be a terrible advertisement for American democracy No New Funds Needed for Relief, Bush Aides Say Elizabeth Becker The New York Times With foreign aid and relief budgets already stretched thin, some members of Congress have expressed worry that such an approach could drain most of the government's relief accounts and leave little for future disasters or promised development assistance Editorial: The Chief Justice Speaks The New York Times Without singling out the House majority leader Tom DeLay and others, Chief Justice Rehnquist expressed appropriate concern over recent calls by some members of the last Congress for laws limiting the jurisdiction of federal courts Send in Mr. Rogers? Ruth Conniff The Progressive At the center of this evil plot is a group called ALEC--the American Legislative Exchange Council. Founded in 1973 by rightwing Christian activist Paul Weyrich, ALEC drafts model bills and flies state legislators to posh, corporate-financed conferences
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
In defense of Judge Gonzales Senator John Cornyn The Washington Times Do Judge Gonzales's critics really believe that al Qaeda fighters deserve to be treated better than an American citizen accused of a crime? Hail Estonia! Mary Anastasia O'Grady The Wall Street Journal For the first time in the 11 years that the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal have been publishing the Index of Economic Freedom, the U.S. has dropped out of the top 10 freest economies in the world Hobson's choices Frank J. Gaffney Jr. The Washington Times Ohio Republican Rep. David Hobson managed to scuttle three critical aspects of the Bush plan to preserve the nation's nuclear deterrent	George W. Bush Quotations in Which the Words "God" or "The Almighty" or "The Almighty God" Are Replaced by Famous Names Chosen at Random From the '80s Edition of Trivial Pursuit John Wanninger McSweeney's We are commanded by William "the Refrigerator" Perry and called by our conscience to love others as we want to be loved ourselves. June 14, 2002 In effort to demoralize enemy, Rumsfeld holds pep rally for insurgents Andy Borowitz The Borowitz Report Mr. Rumsfeld's ability to alienate and discourage large numbers of people with his curt responses and brusque manner could be a powerful weapon to attack and possibly destroy the insurgency altogether Air Pockets Bruce McCall The New Yorker As this airline’s new chairman, I have the pleasure of announcing a host of other passenger-related initiatives inspired by our merger with the Fifteenth Circuit Bankruptcy Court FleeAmerica.com Barbara Ehrenreich The Progressive Bravo and hasta la vista! We'll be back when you've got America, as we knew it, up and running again Pat Oliphant I'll give you 350 million and throw in my brother Sex, Dogs and Chickens -- Weird Headlines of 2004 Paul Majendie Reuters Yahoo! Humming sex toy shuts Australian airport. Taiwanese man tries to convert lions to Jesus, gets bitten

Monday, January 3, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
$2bn pledged, but will the world keep its promises? John Vidal and Jamie Wilson The Guardian (UK) The disparity between government promises and the delivery of emergency and rehabilitation aid can be extreme The Maginot Line around the American mind Georgie Anne Geyer The Dallas Morning News The truth no one really wants to deal with is that this war could very easily be lost by the United States. All the insurgents have to do is hang on another year Militants' Campaign Twists Logistics of Iraq Election Ashraf Khalil The Los Angeles Times Workers and candidates risk their lives and limit their visibility. Voting locations are still secret In 2005, a Mideast window of moderation Dan Murphy The Christian Science Monitor Yasser Arafat's passing gives rise to new Palestinian leadership. In Iraq , determination to hold elections, despite promises of violence, will be tested. Elsewhere, issues hardly less important are looming: Iran's nuclear ambitions, high oil prices, and terrorism Grand Strategy in the Second Term John Lewis Gaddis Foreign Affairs If he can shift from shock and awe to the reassurance--and the attention to detail--that is necessary to sustain any new system, then the prospects for his post-September 11 grand strategy could compare favorably to Bismarck's accomplishments, as well as to those of U.S. presidents from Roosevelt through Clinton Secret Meeting, Clear Mission: 'Rescue' U.N. Warren Hoge The New York Times At the gathering, Secretary General Kofi Annan listened quietly to three and a half hours of bluntly worded counsel from a group united in its personal regard for him and support for the United Nations Legal tide turning on detainee issue Andrew Zajac The Chicago Tribune The increased legal representation by American lawyers of foreign detainees came after the disclosure of abuses, including the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, that helped galvanize some lawyers' opposition Is Bush being disobeyed on torture? Nat Hentoff The Washington Times A Dec. 2 federal court hearing in Washington shed some illumination on whether the president's abhorrence of torture is being ignored down below in the U.S. base in Cuba Pentagon divided on role in Afghan drug trade crackdown Peter Spiegel Financial Times (UK) Senior military staff have long resisted a drug-enforcement role, arguing it would hamper relations US units have developed with Afghan officials Danilo's war David Adams The St. Petersburg Times The story of one officer's rise and fall in Col ombia's drug wars illustrates the challenges police face Battle for Belarus Jackson Diehl The Washington Post Two months ago, the White House could dismiss the dilemma on the grounds that a Belarusan democratic uprising was anyway implausible. The orange revolution casts that judgment in a different light `Soft talk' across the Taiwan Strait Anne Wu The Boston Globe Washington, which is the number one arms supplier to Taiwan, may find that helping the island become the second largest developing world recipient of arms (1996-2003) has not made Chen more controllable This is no humanitarian crisis - Darfur is a war Sarah Kenyon Lischer The Christian Science Monitor This is not a humanitarian crisis. It is a war. Humanitarian assistance, in the absence of political and military engagement, can actually exacerbate the conflict The Tug of Deep Roots Robyn Dixon The Los Angeles Times The Bushmen's legal battle with Botswana over their ouster from a Kalahari Desert reserve is a fight for the only life they have known	The Ghost of Politics Past Anna Quindlen Newsweek While I don't believe in ghosts, I hope the memory of Paul Wellstone will haunt the Democrats as they go about the very public business of finding themselves in the wake of their November defeat 'I'm Going to Learn' Evan Thomas Newsweek NEWSWEEK talks exclusively with John Kerry about why he lost—and looks at his plans for another run Bush Adapts, but Won't Call It That Edwin Chen The Los Angeles Times Despite a stick-to-his- guns self-image, the president's response to the Asian catastrophe is not the first time he has bent to the public will Quietly but Firmly, Hastert Asserts His Power Sheryl Gay Stolberg The New York Times Mr. Hastert has continued Mr. Gingrich's plan of centralizing authority in the House under the speaker Polarized Senate a test for Salazar Valerie Richardson The Washington Times Now the 49-year-old senator-elect must see if his bipartisan, get-along approach can survive in the sharply polarized Senate
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Powell frets no one will play the reluctant warrior Robert Novak The Houston Chronicle What most irritates Col in Powell in his final days as secretary of state is the notion he is leaving government involuntarily as a defeated policy-maker. In fact, he is upbeat in his belief that he won out on issue after issue Chain of aid ... Bruce Bartlett The Washington Times The United States carries much of the world on its back, providing other nations security, aid and much of their investment and income Five for '05 Duncan Currie The Weekly Standard A quintet of dynamic politicians to watch in the coming year	The Boondocks Aaron McGruder The purpose of New Year's resolutions is to keep the masses demoralized Bush hires temp as homeland security secretary Andy Borowitz The Borowitz Report Senate Democrats have raised concerns about Mr. LeBeau’s abrupt departure from his post at Wal-Mart after several boxes of stolen “Halo 2” Xbox games were found in the trunk of his car

Sunday, January 2, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Aid Summit Talks in Jakarta: U.S. Is Facing a Choice and an Opportunity David E. Sanger The New York Times Now, as the United States joins the rush to deliver aid to the region, some officials inside the administration and many outside experts say Mr. Bush has a chance, particularly in Indonesia, to advance the cause he talked about so often Bush Is Urged to Quickly Outline Foreign Policy Goals Robin Wright The Washington Post For Iraq, the administration will request $70 billion to $80 billion in emergency spending from Congress next month Long-Term Plan Sought For Terror Suspects Dana Priest The Washington Post Administration officials are preparing long-range plans for indefinitely imprisoning suspected terrorists whom they do not want to set free or turn over to courts in the United States or other countries A lingering prison scandal Angie C. Marek U.S. News and World Report Concerns about the treatment of prisoners have multiplied--not just at Abu Ghraib but at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in Afghanistan as well Editorial: The Army We Need The New York Times Our military and our military readiness have been strained and risk real, permanent damage Guantanamo Briton 'in handcuff torture' David Rose The Observer (UK) David Rose on the allegation that a British detainee was suspended by his wrists as punishment for reciting the Koran while in US military custody Editorial: A Marshall Plan for South Asia The Los Angeles Times If conservatives in the president's own party balk at a multibillion-dollar Marshall Plan for South Asia, Bush shouldn't hesitate to employ his favorite marketing ploy: Peg the effort to the war on terror The politics of disaster Nick Cohen The Observer (UK) Corrupt governments such as that in Burma are only adding to the suffering of their people We're Generous Today, But Will We Keep It Up? Eric Schwartz The Washington Post In the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, President Clinton's visit to the site of the Casita volcano in Nicaragua, where a mudslide killed some 2,000 people, sent a powerful message Hostage to oil Marianne Lavelle U.S. News and World Report Where did all the spare capacity go? To fuel all those jobs that have fled U.S. shores for Asia, with the world's two most populous countries, China and India , leading the pace Delay the Elections Adnan Pachachi The Washington Post Baghdadis have told me that they have no intention of leaving their homes on Election Day, because they fear the terrorists An Election Day That Could Be a Close Call Louise Roug The Los Angeles Times Worried about unrest, a volatile Sunni Muslim area of Iraq is bracing for this month's vote. Most candidates skip a chance to tape ads Washington's New Year War Cry: Party On! Frank Rich The New York Times Roosevelt decreed that the usual gaiety be set aside at his wartime inaugural in January 1945. There will be no such restraint in the $40 million, four-day extravaganza planned this time An Afghan Quandary for the U.S. Sonni Efron The Los Angeles Times Bush administration is split over a response to a likely record opium poppy crop: push for aerial eradication or let local officials handle it? Are our children terrorist targets? Irwin Redlener The San Francisco Chronicle Could there be a connection between the attack in Beslan and the discovery of information on U.S. schools in the possession of an Iraqi insurgent? The War Inside the Arab Newsroom Samantha M. Shapiro The New York Times Can a moderate TV news channel succeed in the Arab world? Remaking Al Arabiya Palestinian Stirrings Dennis Ross The Washington Post The stirrings I saw in Gaza demonstrate there is an opening. But the daily firings of rockets against the Israeli city of Sderot and the Gush Katif settlement -- and Israeli responses -- are reminders of how fragile and temporary that opening may be Bush failing at nuclear security Lawrence J. Korb The Boston Globe While the Bush administration overstates the case for its positive contributions, it remains silent on those policies that have actually undermined the ability of the international community to stop the proliferation of weapons	Democrats Split Again Over Party's Agenda Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times Liberals and centrists trading magazine salvos reopen disputes on the war and economics. The debate could affect the next presidential race Neocons want someone else blamed for their Iraqi war Joseph L. Galloway The Miami Herald When Rumsfeld goes, so, too, should every neoconservative who squirmed his way into a Pentagon sinecure Editorial: The irony of Peter Fitzgerald The Chicago Tribune By custom and imperative, he should have been hustling contributions for a re-election campaign. Instead he was obsessed with trying to exterminate the Illinois culture of political sleaze In Plan to Reduce Deficit, White House Turns to Old Projections Edmund L. Andrews The New York Times White House officials are making several budgeting decisions that make their tax revenues look higher and their spending look lower than many analysts think is realistic
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Editorial: The PRC and Taiwan The Washington Times What does China plan to do with its new military heft? Clearly in part it hopes to send a message to the United States as we conduct operations in the Middle East and wage the war on terror Why are U.S. forces still in Iraq? Patrick J. Buchanan The Miami Herald We might all prefer that Arab nations be democratic. But that is not vital to us. If they remain despotic, that is their problem

Saturday, January 1, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
The Ends of the World as We Know Them Jared Diamond The New York Times Could this happen in the United States ? It's a thought that often occurs to me here in Los Angeles, when I drive by gated communities, guarded by private security patrols, and filled with people who drink bottled water, depend on private pensions, and send their children to private schools As Officials Falter, the New Rich Roll in to Help David Rohde and Amy Waldman The New York Times Businessmen generally refuse to tell him of their plans. Foreign aid groups zoom in and out of town. Complaining of government bureaucracy, they have stopped working with the government this week and begun supplying villages and hospitals on their own Battered Sri Lanka Sees Hope for Peace Mark Magnier The Los Angeles Times Residents in the hard-hit northeast hope unity in aftermath of tsunami will help heal wounds of decades of separatist violence and end war. Karzai victory plants seeds of hope in fight to kick Afghan opium habit Declan Walsh The Guardian (UK) Some in the west favour aerial spraying of opium crops with herbicide, as has happened in anti-cocaine campaigns in Colombia. The idea makes Afghan officials and farmers livid At last, President Yushchenko The Economist ( UK ) With the victory of Ukraine ’s opposition leader, Victor Yushchenko, in the re-run presidential election, the country’s political crisis is almost over. Now for the hard part Next Steps in Ukraine Steven Pifer The Washington Post The White House should send an early signal of political support Meeting Violence With a Volley of Optimism Hassan M. Fattah The New York Times Abu Ali is in the business of open minds. For the past 33 years, he has held court in his bookshop, which he calls a shrine to Arab pen and culture A Soldier's Story Jim Hightower AlterNet If any of the Bushites need clarity on the scandalous way they treat our soldiers, they need only visit Army Specialist Robert Loria of Middletown, New York	Congress Resists Key Recommendation of 9/11 Panel Walter Pincus The Washington Post Congress has balked at consolidating committee jurisdictions when it comes to overseeing the $39 billion Department of Homeland Security and its constituent agencies, a key recommendation of the Sept. 11 commission
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
The Incredible Shrinking Dems Fred Barnes The Wall Street Journal The Republican surge in recent years should not have been a shock. The 200-plus years of American political history have seen a series of realignments that shift power from one party to another	The 25 Dumbest Quotes of 2004 Daniel Kurtzman AlterNet Outrageous spin, inane flubs and Bill O'Reilly trying to talk sexy – all ready for consumption thanks to the internets Magazine Toasts Unabashed Alcoholism David Kelly The Los Angeles Times As the booze flows, Rich, 41, extols the virtues of alcohol, calling it a boon to mankind while claiming that drunks are an "oppressed minority."