The Archives: July 1-15, 2005

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The Archives: July 1-15, 2005

Friday, July 15, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Our troops are part of the problem Robin Cook The Guardian (UK) Heavy-handed US occupation is not the solution to the insurgency but a large part of the problem. US army rules of engagement appear to give much greater weight to killing insurgents than to protecting civilian lives 8 Months After U.S.-Led Siege, Insurgents Rise Again in Falluja Edward Wong The New York Times Falluja is precariously balanced between rebuilding or degenerating into the urban battlefield it once was Imagining something much worse than London The Economist (UK) The unwieldy Department of Homeland Security has a timely reorganisation, aimed at focusing on the most dangerous threats Support for Bin Laden Down Among Muslims Robin Wright The Washington Post Predominantly Muslim populations in a sampling of six North African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries share to a "considerable degree" Western concerns about Islamic extremism, according to the poll by the Pew Global Attitudes Project General contradicted Abu Ghraib testimony Stephen J. Hedges The Chicago Tribune An Army general who has been criticized for his role in the treatment of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention center and Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq has contradicted his sworn congressional testimony about contacts with senior Pentagon officials Editorial: The Women of Gitmo The New York Times The exploitation and debasement of women serving in the United States military must come to an immediate end Editorial: In this chaotic world, the only realistic option is to intervene Financial Times ( UK ) What matters is the nature of the intervention. Iraq stands as grim testimony to the dangers of imposing democracy at the point of a gun. Yet tyrants such as Saddam Hussein cannot be allowed to prosper Opium Trade Not Easily Uprooted, Afghanistan Finds N.C. Aizenman The Washington Post One reason for the increase in Balkh and other areas, according to one U.S. counter-narcotics official, was that both local and central government authorities lacked the will and the means to mount serious crop eradication programs How far will Europe go to stop terror? Mark Rice-Oxley The Christian Science Monitor European governments are wrestling with the balance between security and privacy as never before. And their efforts are giving new energy to counterterrorism cooperation Sinister Paradise Mike Davis Mother Jones After Shanghai (current population: 15 million), Dubai (current population: 1.5 million) is the world's biggest building site: an emerging dreamworld of conspicuous consumption and what locals dub "supreme lifestyles." Chavez touts `21st Century Socialism' Gary Marx The Chicago Tribune Chavez has developed an economic model called "endogenous development" whereby state oil money will finance the creation of thousands of small-scale cooperatives in agricultural and other areas Defection Spotlights Chinese Way of Spying Mark Magnier The Los Angeles Times Chen Yonglin says he oversaw 1,000 informers in Australia. Beijing is believed to favor human intelligence over high-tech espionage Soybean king wears dual crowns Jane Bussey The Miami Herald In Mato Grosso, Brazil, the world's largest producer of soybeans also leads in the deforestation of the Amazon Argentine Ruling Revives Cases of 'Dirty War' Victims Larry Rohter The New York Times As the initial euphoria at the revocation of the so-called "full stop" and "due obedience" laws dies down, human rights groups are realizing that a long and complicated process awaits them	Rove Reportedly Held Phone Talk on C.I.A. Officer David Johnston and Richard W. Stevenson The New York Times Karl Rove, the White House senior adviser, spoke with the columnist Robert D. Novak as he was preparing an article in July 2003 that identified a C.I.A. officer who was undercover The Stalled Spin on Rove E. J. Dionne Jr. The Washington Post Even if Rove survives, the events of this week will leave scars on the administration by dramatizing negative perceptions that, until now, have done little damage Rehnquist Says He Has No Plans to Leave Court Charles Lane and Peter Baker The Washington Post Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist emphatically denied yesterday that he intends to step down from the Supreme Court in the near future, as he sought to halt a spiral of speculation about his possible retirement The Fever The New Republic When Bush chooses among candidates for the Supreme Court, he will be choosing among conservatisms. It will be a moment of right-wing reckoning Casey vs. Santorum John M. Baer Salon.com The hottest 2006 Senate race is the stuff of Democratic Party dreams. But does the anti-choice Pennsylvania state treasurer from Scranton have what it takes to unseat the Christian right's poster boy? Rep. Cunningham won't seek new term Charles Hurt The Washington Times Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, the California Republican who faces federal investigations into his close relationship with a defense contractor, announced last night that he will step down That voodoo that they do Jonathan Chait The Los Angeles Times Bolten bragged that the deficit is supposed to drop this year to a mere $333 billion. That's not a terribly huge number by normal standards. But given that we're already four years into an economic expansion, it's awful
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
The Electoral-Based Community Dean Barnett The Weekly Standard Where Trudeau feels bloggers are a bunch of shut-in half-wits, the Democratic party seems to be under the impression that bloggers are an enormous, important constituency--and that it must go to whatever lengths necessary to win the hearts and minds of this virtual community Europe's Native-Born Enemy Charles Krauthammer The Washington Post It is essentially a civil war within a rival civilization in which the most primitive elements are seeking to gain the upper hand. Sept. 11 forced us to intervene massively in this civil war, which is why we are in Iraq Washington blood sport Lee A. Casey and David B. Rivkin Jr The Washington Times Mrs. Plame's employment at CIA headquarters was simply not the type of "covert" relationship Congress was trying to protect in the IIPA, and this investigation should be closed London's mayor: A terrorist puppet? David Gelertner The Los Angeles Times As Europe prepares its own destruction, it resembles Germany in the early 1930s: Jew-hatred everywhere, on a low boil	Doonesbury G.B. Trudeau We all do. It's like an open secret Wilkinson Signe Wilkinson Rick Santorum's first words Disney Extreme Vacations Vince LiCata McSweeney's After being dropped from a helicopter into the desolate outback with only a rabbit trap and a couple of bottles of Dasani water, experience the thrill of being kicked awake in the middle of the night by a kangaroo in estrus `Napoleon' dolls? Sweet! The Chicago Tribune A line of collectible figures based on the cult film "Napoleon Dynamite" is set to hit store shelves Dateline Gitmo Andy Borowitz The Los Angeles Times "There's no way that reporters are going to be treated any worse at Gitmo than they are already treated right here at the White House," the vice president said

Thursday, July 14, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Lives of Three Men Offer Little to Explain Attacks Lizette Alvarez The New York Times What kind of radical force threw the three men together, with another bomber, to commit such a heinous crime against their country, the one they rooted for in soccer matches, and their people? US confronts a dilemma in its ties with Uzbekistan Farah Stockman The Boston Globe US authorities have quietly agreed to begin the process of interviewing survivors of a bloody government crackdown in Uzbekistan for possible resettlement to the United States. Such a move could further strain relations with a key ally Why Iraq oil money hasn't fueled rebuilding Howard LaFranchi The Christian Science Monitor Smugglers and thieves are stealing profits from oil even as insurgents work to keep the nation unstable Data Shows Rising Toll of Iraqis From Insurgency Sabrina Tavernise The New York Times Iraqi civilians and police officers died at a rate of more than 800 a month between August and May, according to figures released in June by the Interior Ministry Congress Weighs Patriot Act Limits Maura Reynolds The Los Angeles Times House and Senate Republicans propose to modify or let expire some controversial provisions, despite Bush's wishes Abu Ghraib Tactics Were First Used at Guantanamo Josh White The Washington Post Military investigators who briefed the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday on the three-month probe, called the tactics "creative" and "aggressive" but said they did not cross the line into torture Why 'never again' recurred Robert Marquand The Christian Science Monitor Ten years later, many survivors are eager to remind the world that Srebrenica was not an isolated horror Korea Moves Fred Kaplan Slate How did we finally get back to the negotiating table? U.S. Moving Closer to Allies on N. Korea Sonni Efron and Barbara Demick The Los Angeles Times The breakthrough on talks comes as Rice molds a policy that embraces flexibility, as Beijing and Seoul have long been urging	Rove's war Sidney Blumenthal Salon.com Bush's right-hand man is dispatching his troops to smear Joe Wilson -- and save himself. He may win in Washington, but the special prosecutor will have the last word President unlikely to abandon Rove Carolyn Lochhead The San Francisco Chronicle "I think we've exhausted discussion on this the last couple of days," McClellan said. A reporter replied, "You haven't even scratched the surface." Rove Uproar Sparks Democratic Plan on Security Clearance David Stout The New York Times Senate Democrats tried to add to Republican discomfort over the presidential adviser Karl Rove today as they called for legislation to deny security clearances to officials who unmask undercover agents What Americans want in O'Connor court vacancy Susan Page USA Today Preferred in poll: A Hispanic woman who wouldn't alter ‘Roe v. Wade' The Productivity Problem Jonathan Tasini TomPaine.com The link between productivity gains and wages has been broken. Recently, the Economic Policy Institute showed that productivity has grown almost three times faster than wages since 2001
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Being Joe Wilson in a Dream… Nick Schulz National Review Dear readers, I’m asking you to help me. Should I take the assignment? Help me out here The "Growth" of a Justice Paul Rosenzweig The Heritage Foundation Some, like Sandra Day O’Connor, are conservative on particular issues, such as property rights. Their conservatism flows from cultural predilection. Others, though -- Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas come most readily to mind -- are philosophical conservatives Breeding Stupidity Hugh Hewitt The Weekly Standard Where does the insistence that the war in Iraq is creating terrorists come from?	The Republican Guide to Successful Supreme Court Nominations Tom Tomorrow The Village Voice Where does Vlad the Impaler stand on abortions? Tom the Dancing Bug Ruben Bolling Salon.com Lucky Ducky: The poor little duck who's rich in luck! Candorville Darrin Bell Today we have Democratic Senator Joe Biden The Editor's Tale John Kenney The New York Times DID I have the chance to buy the first "Harry Potter" manuscript? Yes. Do I regret it? Not for a second

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
After the aftershock Jonathan Freedland The Guardian (UK) The police announcement that Thursday's explosions on the underground and on the Number 30 bus were, apparently, the work of British suicide bombers is the most shocking news to come since the attacks themselves A Homegrown Threat John Daniszewski and Sebastian Rotella The Los Angeles Times A merchant's son linked to last week's carnage may have been part of a generation of extremists rising in England's immigrant enclaves Guantánamo Reprimand Was Sought, an Aide Says David S. Cloud The New York Times A high-level military investigation into accusations of abuse of detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, recommended a reprimand for the former commander of the prison, but his superior declined to admonish him Crackdown in Uzbekistan Reopens Longstanding Debate on U.S. Military Aid Thom Shanker and C.J. Chivers The New York Times The American military has access to an air base in Uzbekistan supporting its operations in Afghanistan and has embraced Uzbekistan as a partner in fighting Islamist terrorist groups. Critics say this has emboldened a dictatorial government War by Video Conference Phillip Carter The Washington Monthly Although Operation Anaconda would become the largest infantry battle fought in Afghanistan, it has never received the kind of attention paid to the war in Iraq. Enter Sean Naylor's Not a Good Day to Die Jailed for Justice Yu-Yee Wu AsianWeek AlterNet As an attorney, Manlin Chee spent three decades helping immigrants. Now, after publicly criticizing the Patriot Act, she finds herself in jail Testing time for Mubarak opponent Sarah Gauch The Christian Science Monitor For Ayman Nour, a leading Egyptian opposition figure who has gained international attention for his challenge to President Hosni Mubarak's 24-year rule, the ongoing forgery trial against him raises great possibilities - and risks The Revolt of Israel's Center Thomas L. Friedman The New York Times What is playing out in Israel today is a huge drama in which this resurgent Israeli center, having awakened to just what a danger the extremist settlers pose for Israel's future, is finally confronting them Editorial: Sudan's chance The Los Angeles Times Lasting peace and the cooperation of opposing forces in this sprawling East African nation that links the Arab world with the sub-Sahara are important to the stability of the continent America is punishing Germany for its Iraq opposition James Dobbins Financial Times (UK) If Japan gains a permanent Security Council seat and Germany does not, the US will have turned a temporary rift into an enduring grievance	Republicans Outside White House Are Talking Edwin Chen and Warren Vieth The Los Angeles Times The White House won't talk about Karl Rove. But as the furor over President Bush's chief political strategist continues, Republican leaders have found other ways to get their points across Public Opinion Watch Ruy Teixeira Center for American Progress Antiwar sentiment is growing and deepening among the public, as violence in Iraq continues unabated and progress in ending the conflict becomes ever more difficult to perceive Santorum resolute on Boston rebuke Susan Milligan The Boston Globe Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, refused yesterday to back off on his earlier statements connecting Boston's ''liberalism" with the Roman Catholic Church pedophile scandal Bolton May Accept Recess Appointment Charles Babington and Dafna Linzer The Washington Post Speculation is rife that Bolton is prepared to accept a recess appointment good through the end of 2006, despite warnings from some GOP senators that it would weaken his influence and effectiveness Michael Jackson Easily Trumps Darfur on Nightly News Jim Lobe Inter Press Service CommonDreams.org The major network and cable television stations devoted 50 times more coverage to the child molestation trial against Michael Jackson last month than to events in Sudan The Progressive Frontier Matt Singer In These Times If Democrats can succeed this well in Montana, they can win anywhere. The question is how Why Not Hillary? Carl M. Cannon The Washington Monthly Hillary Rodham Clinton can win the general election no matter who the Republicans throw at her. The Democrats just might be holding aces Hillary in 2008? Amy Sullivan The Washington Monthly While Clinton can win nearly any debate that is about issues, she cannot avoid becoming the issue in a national campaign. And when that happens, she will very likely lose Taking Our Values Public Bernie Horn TomPaine.com The difference between the values conservatives trumpet and progressive values are as simple as private and public
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Editorial: Karl Rove, Whistleblower The Wall Street Journal We'd say the White House political guru deserves a prize--perhaps the next iteration of the "Truth-Telling" award that The Nation magazine bestowed upon Mr. Wilson before the Senate Intelligence Committee exposed him as a fraud Back to first principles Paul Greenberg The Washington Times This case wasn't so much about freedom of the press as withholding evidence Lawyer: Cooper “Burned” Karl Rove Byron York National Review The lawyer for top White House adviser Karl Rove says that Time reporter Matthew Cooper "burned" Rove after a conversation between the two men concerning former ambassador Joseph Wilson's fact-finding mission to Niger Identity Justice Jonah Goldberg National Review The AG is a bit too cozy with left-wing thinking Go on the offensive against terror John Yoo The Los Angeles Times To succeed more completely, we must carry out attacks on its leaders simultaneously. That is why it is critical to continue treating the war on terrorism as a war and not as crime, as many in the liberal media and academia urge Terrorism's root causes Cal Thomas The Washington Times More than 25 years ago, then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously noted we in the West are mistaken when we transpose our morality on those who don't share it. Terrorists do not share and cannot be made to share our morality Plan B for Iran Jeffrey Gedmin The Weekly Standard By now it must be obvious that if the United States is serious about preventing the mullahs from getting the bomb, we have two choices: either preemption or regime change	Doonesbury G.B. Trudeau I just wish I could be fighting them in Kansas Tom Toles The Washington Post And they say the prosecutor has asked them not to open a dictionary This Modern World Tom Tomorrow WorkingForChange.com Learning from London Morgan Freeman Buys a Pop-A-Shot Machine Greg Ruehlmann McSweeney's Once I sunk about 20 buckets in the final 15 seconds, you know, that glorious threshold when the machine transitions from the two-point basket to the three-point basket. And then, at that moment, I thought I understood what achievement really means to the wandering mind of a restless man Attack of the Weasel Words Susanna Schrobsdorff Newsweek Does the idea of a water-cooler company saying that it sells “workplace refreshment solutions” seem ridiculous? Bennett cartoon The Christian Science Monitor Karl Rove never actually "named" a CIA operative

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Concern Rises Over Blasts Probe Sebastian Rotella and John Daniszewski The Los Angeles Times "Either they have nothing, or they have something good and have decided to keep it quiet for the moment," a senior Italian police official said. "I hope for the sake of all of us that they have something good" The War's Realists E. J. Dionne Jr. The Washington Post If British troops fighting in Iraq did not stop the terrorists from striking London , then what is the logic for believing that American troops fighting in Iraq will stop terrorists from striking our country again? Americans expect attack, poll finds Richard Benedetto USA Today The latest poll suggests the London bombings have done little to raise confidence in Bush's ability to fight terrorism. Only 34% said the United States and its allies are winning the war on terrorism Newspapers warn of threat to America from 'Londonistan' Gary Younge The Guardian (UK) London has become a "feeding ground for hate" and a "crossroads for would-be terrorists" where Muslims exploit civil liberties to "openly preach jihad", according to newspapers in the United States Muslims regain Srebrenica - for one day Ian Traynor The Guardian (UK) Srebrenica was three-quarters Muslim before the war. It is now majority Serbian as a result of Mr Mladic's massacre Tough Times for 5th Brigade of Iraq's Army Ashraf Khalil The Los Angeles Times No one understands how a military as powerful and capable as America's could be unable to run a water pipe less than 1,000 yards over safe ground China key to new North Korea talks Robert Marquand The Christian Science Monitor Well-placed foreign sources in Beijing report that while it is unclear who has been paying Kim to participate in the nuclear talks, one of the six-party members "certainly" has been. It is generally regarded that only China and South Korea would offer Kim cash to participate Counter-Terrorism in Somalia: Losing Hearts and Minds? International Crisis Group U.S. counter-terrorism efforts in Somalia threaten to destabilise the country further and provide a popular platform for the spread of jihadism Slander A.L. Bardach Slate Coll committed the unforgivable by coming to believe in the late '90s that the U.S. embargo of Cuba was a doomed policy. Once he made those views public, marginalizing Coll was not enough; he had to be destroyed Tension grows between Thai security forces and Muslim locals Simon Montlake The Christian Science Monitor Conflict between troops and separatists in Thailand's Muslim-dominated south have killed at least 800 since 2004	At White House, a Day of Silence on Rove's Role in C.I.A. Leak Richard W. Stevenson The New York Times Officials faced a barrage of queries about whether a top adviser disclosed an undercover operative's identity Parties Failing in Joint Effort to Review Patriot Act Eric Lichtblau The New York Times Democratic officials said the compromise appeared to have stalled because of disagreement over whether to impose new restrictions on the government's ability to demand library records and other powers DeLay, Lampson see sizable jumps in coffers Todd J. Gillman The Dallas Morning News Nick Lampson, the defeated congressman trying to topple House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, has raised more than a half-million dollars, his campaign announced. But Mr. DeLay, R-Sugar Land , has raked in nearly $800,000
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
From Srebrenica to Baghdad Christopher Hitchens Slate We have been accused of being thoughtless war-mongers, sinister neoconservative cabalists, slaves to Halliburton, agents of Zionism, enemies of innocent Muslims, laptop bombardiers, armchair warriors, and much else besides. I generally find that these loud insults conceal a surreptitious note of queasy unease. We were right about Bosnia Bring The Troops Home? William Kristol & Gary Schmitt The Weekly Standard Secretary Rumsfeld has time and again said that he defers to his generals in Iraq about the number of troops needed. No one vaguely familiar with how decisions are made in this Pentagon believes that to be the case Editorial: The idiocy of appeasement The Washington Times It's frustrating, though hardly surprising, that nearly four years after September 11 the Western left refuses to understand our enemies -- yet al Qaeda and its affiliates understand us better than we sometimes understand ourselves	International Pamphlets for Tourists: Great Moments in Azeri Baseball Andrew Golden McSweeney's We must allow Dick Cheney oil pipeline to be sent Reggie Jackson instructional hitting video. We will learn from you soon, "Mr. Oktorb"! Doonesbury G.B. Trudeau By "here," I mean "there," of course Granny grows tired of prostitution at age 63 Reuters Yahoo! "I'm going to stop at 64 and retire," said Dolle, whose husband drops her off for work each night after the television evening news and who has a nine-year-old granddaughter Globalization spreads to punctuation, as dots replace dashes in phone numbers Sadia Latifi Knight-Ridder Yahoo! The difference between 202-383-6008 and 202.383.6008, image consultants say, is like ... the difference between tap water and Pellegrino

Thursday, July 7, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
After Coordinated Bombs, London Is Stunned, Bloodied and Stoic Alan Cowell The New York Times Bomb explosions tore through three London subway trains and a red double-decker bus in a deadly terror attack Internet takes strain as world wakes up to London blast news The Guardian (UK) News of this morning's bomb blasts in London spread across the world on the internet within minutes of the first reports from the capital The G-8's bottom line on helping poor nations Mark Rice-Oxley The Christian Science Monitor G-8 leaders converged on Edinburgh Wednesday for one of the most critical summits in the 30-year history of the rich-nation club In Gitmo The New Yorker This week in the magazine, Jane Mayer writes about the United States military detention center in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and raises new questions about the treatment of detainees Fragile stability in Central Asia Fred Weir The Christian Science Monitor The region, where there have been recent uprisings, is buffetted by demands from the US, China, and Russia The Doctrine Gap Fred Kaplan Slate Does it matter? Did anybody ever think we could really fight two major wars simultaneously? And will a change in doctrine change the way the Pentagon buys weapons or otherwise does business? Editorial: Travelers are envoys for democracy The Miami Herald Cuban Americans are the best ambassadors for the transition to democracy and capitalism in Cuba ; and prohibiting relatives from seeing each other for years, even when there is a death or crisis, is cruel and un-American	Editorial: Judith Miller Goes to Jail The New York Times All we know now is that Mr. Novak - who early on expressed the opinion that no journalists who bowed to court pressure to betray sources could hold up their heads in Washington - has offered no public support to the colleague who is going to jail while he remains at liberty A Case Most Clearly Defined By Its Shadows Howard Kurtz The Washington Post A prominent newspaper reporter is in custody for refusing to disclose secret conversations with Bush administration officials, while the curmudgeonly columnist at the center of the investigation remains free, his situation shrouded in mystery All eyes on Turd Blossom David Paul Kuhn Salon Beltway insiders are consumed by one question: Did Karl Rove do it? High Court Nomination May Prove a Deal-Breaker Ronald Brownstein and Janet Hook The Los Angeles Times The 14 Democratic and GOP senators who crafted an agreement on the use of filibusters appear to differ on when one would be allowed For Dems, Less Might Be More Margaret Carlson The Los Angeles Times If Roe goes down, so does his majority, his legacy and present and future politicians bearing the name Bush
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Terror-suspect treatment in perspective Max Boot The Christian Science Monitor We can't judge US soldiers by impossible standards of perfection attained by no other army in history - especially when they're battling fanatical mass murderers who make the Mau Mau look like Boy Scouts Iraq's Real Problem James Jay Carafano The Heritage Foundation The biggest problems facing the fledgling democracy in Iraq is attention deficit disorder from the American public and the international community, and the relentless hatchet jobs	Sing, stoolies, sing! Mark Fiore Freedom of the prosecution… Doonesbury G.B. Trudeau He says it was over two years ago.

Wednesday, July 6, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Editorial: A Hot Afghan Summer The Washington Post As in Iraq, violence by local insurgents and foreign terrorists has been surging in Afghanistan this spring and summer, along with American casualties The Razor's Edge David Axe The Village Voice In relatively calm southern Iraq, people chafe under the occupation Legal limbo shadows civilians in war zone Guy Taylor The Washington Times The record number of civilians hired to work in war zones since September 11 is sparking heated debate Time for tough love Jonathan Freedland The Guardian (UK) It's not a call for a rupture, nor even much of a substantive change - just a move towards more "grown-up relations." And this week in Gleneagles may be just the moment to try Around Ruined Zimbabwe, Neighbors Circle Wagons Michael Wines The New York Times When the Group of 8 foreign ministers urged African leaders in June to confront the demolition of shanties in Zimbabwe, a campaign that has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless, South Africa, Zimbabwe's southern neighbor, had a ready and caustic response The AU's Mission in Darfur: Bridging the Gaps International Crisis Group Bold new action is urgently required to safeguard the inhabitants of Darfur, many of whom are still dying or face indefinite displacement What it's like to live on $1 a day Xanthe Scharff The Christian Science Monitor With the $5.17 that's left over after she buys supplies for her next batch, she'll purchase food and amenities for her family and tuck away $1.25 into savings	For Lobbyist, a Seat of Power Came With a Plate Glen Justice The New York Times The lobbyist Jack Abramoff mixed business with business at Signatures, the upscale restaurant he opened here three years ago An Economy Of Fear Kenneth Rogoff TomPaine.com The low interest rates keeping the economy alive can only be explained by one, worrying conclusion: global economic fear . . . And a Test of Values Harold Meyerson The Washington Post CNOOC's bid for Unocal is forcing us to prioritize our conflicting ideals. The offer pits traditional nationalism against the conservative belief in free trade and laissez-faire capitalism
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Advice and Consent Terry Eastland The Weekly Standard Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should take his name off the list for the Supreme Court Big Corporations Finance the War on Bush’s Judges Byron York National Review A copy of PFAW's 2003 annual report examined by National Review Online lists dozens of corporations as contributors U.S. aid to Africa Helle Dale The Washington Times In total flows of international aid, the United States far and away leads the world. It is only in terms of an arbitrary percentage of GNP that our numbers look inadequate	Bush Regales Dinner Guests With Impromptu Oratory On Virgil's Minor Works The Onion "We were all held captive by his erudition and charm. First, a brief history of the opium trade, then a bit of Brahms on the piano, then a rousing discussion of Virgil. That boy is a wonder, isn't he?" Body of Steelers Fan Viewed in Recliner Associated Press Yahoo! The body of rabid Pittsburgh Steelers fan James Henry Smith, who died Thursday, was laid out this week in what his family said was his favorite spot — a recliner with the Steelers on the television Lawn-And-Garden Tips The Onion Gang members will often pour malt liquor onto the ground in memory of their dead homies, resulting in soil damage. Shoo gang members away from your front yard Doonesbury G.B. Trudeau Shouldn't he have looked up "last"? An At First Semi-Scientific but Then Increasingly Fanboy Attempt to Identify Which Robert Isenberg McSweeney's My vote goes to M77, even if its name isn't very cool. Better than "Naboo." God, what a stupid name 'Midwest' Discovered Between East And West Coasts The Onion "I'd flown between New York and L.A. on business many times, and the unusually long duration of my flights seemed to indicate that some sort of large area was being traversed, an area of unknown composition."

Tuesday, July 5, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Pentagon Weighs Strategy Change to Deter Terror Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt The New York Times The Pentagon's most senior planners are challenging the longstanding strategy that requires the armed forces to be prepared to fight two major wars at a time The Zarqawi Phenomenon Dahr Jamail Mother Jones Seeking clues to the man who's everywhere at once in Iraq, committing every sort of mayhem Security is an illusion in jittery country Trudy Rubin The Philadelphia Inquirer The Miami Herald More than two years after Baghdad fell, my plane still had to make a dizzying corkscrew landing to avoid a potential missile. Neither U.S. nor Iraqi troops have yet figured out how to protect the 10 miles of road from the airport to the city center Sunni Clerics Plan Edict On Greater Political Role Andy Mosher and Omar Fekeiki The Washington Post Several senior clerics of Iraq's disaffected Sunni Muslim minority will soon issue a decree calling on followers of the faith to vote in upcoming elections and help write a new constitution The G8's African challenge The Economist ( UK ) Help for Africa will be high on the agenda of the G8 summit in Gleneagles this week. But it is not clear that debt relief, or even substantially increased aid flows, will be enough to produce success North Korea's Rising Urgency Carl Levin and Hillary Clinton The Washington Post Why don't we hear the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff say something like, "Today it is necessary to do everything possible in order not to allow North Korea to conduct tests," a declaration that was in fact uttered by the chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces Democratic Republic of Congo: Illegal arms exports fuelling killings, mass rape and Amnesty International Large quantities of weapons and ammunition from the Balkans and eastern Europe are flowing into Africa's conflict-ridden Great Lakes region, despite evidence of their use in gross human rights violations Corruption Hampers Mexican Police in Border Drug War Ginger Thompson New York Times A crooked cop is the oldest story in the book in Mexico. But this country has been forced to re-examine its police as it struggles against a devastating crime wave that in the last six months has taken more than 600 lives	Bush Cool to Blair on Climate John Daniszewski and Ron DePasquale The Los Angeles Times The president refuses to bend on Kyoto , saying the premier's backing in Iraq is a separate matter. Global warming is a priority for the G-8
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Editorial: Error by Consensus National Review Divisiveness is overrated as a sin. Whether a justice is a faithful servant of the law is more important than whether her nomination occasions discord in the Senate and the op-ed pages	This Modern World Tom Tomorrow WorkingForChange.com Supporting the troops featuring the 18 to 22-year-old Republican think-tank interns World-Historical Cheneys Benjamin Cohen McSweeney's "Stick a fork in 'em, Larry. With Quetzalcoatl and our freedom-loving cannibalism behind us, I can tell you that, errrr, Cortés is in the last throes of this meek genocide" Mike Luckovich The Houston Chronicle Fort Bragg Welcomes President Bush Editorial: Intercepted by Putin The Los Angeles Times Russian President Vladimir V. Putin walked away from an encounter with Kraft last month with a 4.94-carat diamond Super Bowl ring in his pocket

Monday, July 4, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Editorial: Signs of Life at State The New York Times Condoleezza Rice has undone some of John Bolton's messes at the State Department, but she must also get President Bush to see Iraq as it is CIA, Pentagon Seek to Avoid Overlap Walter Pincus The Washington Post Growing Pentagon intelligence activities at home and abroad have caused CIA Director Porter J. Goss and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to reach a new written agreement to prevent conflicts and overlap in spying, technical collection and analysis Trading Ideals for Sustenance Barbara Demick The Los Angeles Times Hunger is driving North Koreans to capitalistic enterprises and weakening the communist regime's iron grip Humiliated once more Madeleine Bunting The Guardian (UK) It would help us to put back into the political landscape a sense of African agency. It would correct the media myth that the fate of millions of Africans is passively lying in the hands of eight men arriving in Gleneagles Democracy or Duplicity? Jackson Diehl The Washington Post At best, Azerbaijan could deliver a breakthrough for the Bush administration: a historic free election that would end up strengthening its ally Aliyev. At worst Bush will have to choose this November between another oil-rich autocrat and pro-democracy demonstrators who have taken his inaugural address to heart	If Ax Falls on Roe, It May Also Split GOP Peter Wallsten The Los Angeles Times The political irony that few on either side readily acknowledge — but many are pondering — is that Roe's demise could transform American elections by crippling the conservative political majority that opposes abortion and by giving new life to hobbled liberals who support the ruling's preservation Filibuster Deal Puts Democrats In a Bind Charles Babington and Susan Schmidt The Washington Post The pact, signed by seven Democrats and seven Republicans, says a judicial nominee will be filibustered only under "extraordinary circumstances." Key members of the group said yesterday that a nominee's philosophical views cannot amount to "extraordinary circumstances"
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Lying detectors David Limbaugh The Washington Times No matter how incapable Mr. Kerry's Democrats are of comprehending this, September 11 confirmed that Islamic radicals throughout the world are at war with the United States	Doonesbury G.B. Trudeau More last throes? Square One Ian Frazier The New Yorker We Democrats are a complete disaster. We have made a hash of our party and of our lives—yes, a stinky, ten-day-old corned-beef hash that even the cat won’t touch

Sunday, July 3, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
Help From France Key In Covert Operations Dana Priest The Washington Post Funded largely by the CIA's Counterterrorist Center, Alliance Base analyzes the transnational movement of terrorist suspects and develops operations to catch or spy on them Glimpses of a Hermit Nation Barbara Demick The Los Angeles Times To penetrate the secrecy, the Los Angeles Times spoke in China and South Korea with more than 30 people from Chongjin, North Korea's third-largest city. Their stories, along with hours of surreptitiously shot video, present a portrait of the city and of daily life in a nation struggling with deprivation and change Increase in the Number of Documents Classified by the Government Scott Shane The New York Times A record 15.6 million documents were classified last year, nearly double the number in 2001, according to the federal Information Security Oversight Office. Meanwhile, the declassification process, which made millions of historical documents available annually in the 1990's, has slowed to a relative crawl UK aid funds Iraqi torture units Peter Beaumont and Martin Bright The Observer (UK) British and American aid intended for Iraq's hard-pressed police service is being diverted to paramilitary commando units accused of widespread human rights abuses, including torture and extra-judicial killings Beat the Insurgents by Talking to Them Larry J. Diamond The Los Angeles Times Bush must recognize what our military leaders have repeated for more than a year: There is no purely military solution to the insurgency Pricey Rendition Jim Hoagland The Washington Post This gung-ho administration has elevated secrecy to a positive end in itself, an attitude that gives extraordinary license to spooks, knuckle-draggers and other contract employees of the agency to exceed the normal limits of lying, cheating and breaking other countries' laws Iran's Nuclear Lies Christopher Dickey Newsweek Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful uses only. But a history of deception raises doubts For the Poor in Iran, Voting Was About Making Ends Meet Michael Slackman The New York Times Mr. Ahmadinejad, who catapulted to president-elect from near obscurity as the appointed mayor of Tehran, campaigned on a populist message, promising to redistribute the nation's wealth, hold down prices, raise salaries and lift state-supported benefits for the poor True Patriots Act Richard A. Kaye The Los Angeles Times There is always a negative side to patriotism in wartime. But in the climate created by the various "wars" in which the United States is involved today, there is no positive side — no higher task or mission is offered to people for which they can make real sacrifices Russians' Appeals to Court Bring Intimidation, Death Peter Finn The Washington Post Russians who appeal to the European Court of Human Rights after their relatives disappear or are killed in Chechnya or neighboring Ingushetia face constant threats to force them to drop the cases When the oil wars blow Will Hutton The Observer (UK) The world's two biggest continental economies are suddenly head to head over who controls increasingly scarce oil. The stuff of pulp novels at airport bookstalls is a reality Tone Deaf on Africa William Easterly The New York Times From 1960 to 2003, we spent $568 billion (in today's dollars) to end poverty in Africa. Yet these efforts still did not lift Africa from misery and stagnation The Congo Case James Traub The New York Times As world leaders meet this week and discuss increasing aid to Africa, they face a sobering reality: sending all the money in the world won't accomplish much without peace, security and a functioning state. And the nation at the continent's core has none of the	Conservative Groups Rally Against Gonzales as Justice Adam Nagourney, Todd S. Purdum, and David D. Kilpatrick The New York Times Within hours after Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's announced retirement from the Supreme Court, members of conservative groups around the country convened in five national conference calls in which, participants said, they shared one big concern: heading off any effort by President Bush to nominate his attorney general, Alberto R. Gonzales The Right's Moment, Years in the Making Thomas B. Edsall and Dana Milbank The Washington Post The judiciary has until now been alone in clinging to liberalism and the remnants of the Democratic New Deal coalition When to Give Up a Source Bill Saporito Time In surrendering a reporter's notes, Time Inc.'s top editor says the rule of law trumps the promise of confidentiality. Where does journalism go from here? A Gallery of Might-Have-Beens Sarah A. Binder The Washington Post In Bolton 's case, ideology may not be enough for his foes to secure his defeat. So last week the case against him shifted to highlight questions about his character Return of the Angry Man Sally Jenkins The Washington Post He might have simply disappeared after the Scream ended his presidential hopes. But as head of the Democratic Party, Howard Dean is still going to go to New Hampshire . And South Carolina . And Oklahoma … Aides see governor in a new element -- underdog Mark Martin The San Francisco Chronicle It would be hard to blame Schwarzenegger for being a bit on edge these days
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
The Speech I Would Have Written David Frum Those of us who support this president and this war do not need to be told how important it is to win. We get that. But that's precisely why we are worried	Candorville Darrin Bell Late fees should be mailed directly to the following members of Congress… Man Said to Recite Pi to 83,431 Digits Associated Press Yahoo! A Japanese psychiatric counselor has recited pi to 83,431 decimal places from memory, breaking his own personal best of 54,000 digits and setting an unofficial world record

Saturday, July 2, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
CIA methods exposed by kidnap inquiry John Hooper The Guardian (UK) By ploughing through hundreds of thousands of mobile phone records, tracing hotel registrations and bugging phone conversations, the Italian police have built up a picture of the CIA's operation that offers several surprises N. Korea Mobilizes Millions on Farms Amid Talk of Food Crisis Barbara Demick The Los Angeles Times Aside from the poor weather, North Korea's food problems appear to have increased as a result of the unfavorable political climate 'Get Out, You Damned One' John Tierney The New York Times The natural impulse to dislike outsiders is so strong that it barely matters who the outsiders are Cruel To Be Kind Bill Corcoran Slate The best way for aid groups to help Zimbabwe is to halt donations until after Mugabe's gone Chiapas Exodus Reflects on Zapatista Rule Chris Kraul The Los Angeles Times Many poor Mexicans are relocating outside the rebel-controlled zone, complaining of economic stagnation and harsh oversight Chinese Harassed U.S. Activist Philip P. Pan The Washington Post The episode is the latest sign that Chinese President Hu Jintao has granted the country's security services greater authority to act against perceived threats to the party's grip on power	O'Connor Held Balance of Power Linda Greenhouse The New York Times It is because Justice O'Connor has played a pivotal role on the court that her unexpected retirement is such a galvanizing event Agents Search Homes, Yacht Of Contractor, Congressman Renae Merle and R. Jeffrey Smith The Washington Post Federal agents armed with search warrants descended on the California house of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham yesterday, the latest step in a criminal investigation into his relationship with the owner of a District-based government contracting firm Reporters Facing Jail Time Submit Preferences Adam Liptak The New York Times Matthew Cooper of Time magazine and Judith Miller of The New York Times, who have been held in contempt for refusing to testify about their confidential sources, filed court papers yesterday asking to be sentenced to home confinement or to particular federal prisons Hard Job for a Hardnose Suzanne Nossel The American Prospect For John Bolton, being UN ambassador would be challenging under any circumstances. But a recess appointment could neuter him Tongue-tied by a yellow ribbon Ellen Goodman WorkingForChange.com The silenced majority of Americans who believe we were misled into war have no reason to be tongue-tied by a yellow ribbon Confessions of an H&M Addict Rachel Neumann AlterNet How can H&M clothes be so cute -- yet so cheap? Afraid of the most probable answer, but too guilty to keep shopping, I decided to take a closer look
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Reversing the Bork Defeat William Kristol The Weekly Standard With a Republican Senate, President Bush has the chance to succeed where Reagan failed by getting a conservative constitutionalist confirmed to the Supreme Court Not a Time to be Diplomatic Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. National Review It is not altogether clear what was the point of the intelligence "reform" forced through the Congress in the closing days of the last session. One thing it was presumably not intended to do, however, was to turn over responsibility for key intelligence functions to the Foreign Service Failure Isn't an Option Barry R. McCaffrey The Wall Street Journal The U.S. Army and the Marines are too undermanned and underresourced to sustain this security policy beyond next fall. They are starting to unravel. Congress is in denial and must act. In addition, the American people are losing faith in the statements of our Defense Department leadershi	Tape reveals Nixon calling Indira Gandhi `old witch' Neelesh Misra Associated Press The Chicago Tribune After newly released White House transcripts revealed two of the world's most powerful men deriding India in 1971 with undiplomatic language, Henry Kissinger offered regret for his words

Friday, July 1, 2005

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics
How Iran's reformers lost their political way Scott Peterson The Christian Science Monitor "Nothing has changed in Iran," says human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi, her gaze unwavering as she sits in her modest basement office in Tehran. "Those who were in power are still in power. Why should it get better? U.S. Pursuing Reports That Link Iranian to Embassy Seizure in '79 Nazila Fathi and Joel Brinkley The New York Times Two Iranian leaders of the seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran in 1979 dismissed allegations on Thursday by former American hostages that Iran's president-elect was one of their captors. The Bush administration, however, said it took the charge seriously and vowed to investigate What Bush Left Out Michael O'Hanlon The Washington Post The United States should announce a rough schedule for gradually downsizing its presence in Iraq over the next two years U.S. to Retain Oversight of Web Traffic Anick Jesdanun Associated Press Yahoo! A decision by the United States to indefinitely retain oversight of the main computers that control Internet traffic drew concerns Friday from foreign officials, many of whom want an international body in charge instead How are the mighty fallen The Economist (UK) Russian conscription is one of Europe's worst human-rights scandals. But the system is too lucrative for the top brass to scrap it The Stain of Torture Burton J. Lee III The Washington Post Having served as a doctor in the Army Medical Corps early in my career and as presidential physician to George H.W. Bush for four years, I might be expected to bring a skeptical and partisan perspective to allegations of torture Testimony of General Peter J. Schoomaker, Chief of Staff, United States Army Senate Armed Services Committee (PDF Format) The Army’s FY05 enlisted accession mission of 80,000 is at serious risk and recruiting will remain challenging for the remainder of FY05 and well into the future. Zimbabwe: More deaths as mass evictions continue unabated Amnesty International Amnesty International has received information that at least three have died -- including a pregnant woman and a four-year-old child - - during a chaotic mass eviction at least 10,000 people from Porta Farm Print and be damned - China's paper tigers fight on Jonathan Watts The Guardian (UK) Beijing's iron grip on news is under attack as this week 2,000 journalists urged the release of jailed colleagues	O'Connor action triggers major political campaign Mark Memmott USA Today Liberal and conservative interest groups are ready to spend millions of dollars on TV ads — one commercial is already on the air No Bounce: Bush Job Approval Unchanged by War Speech; Question on Impeachment Zogby International President Bush’s televised address to the nation produced no noticeable bounce in his approval numbers, with his job approval rating slipping a point from a week ago, to 43% As Usual, Rumsfeld Stares Down the Storm Mark Mazzetti The Los Angeles Times Five months into President Bush's second term, Rumsfeld's influence within the administration shows no sign of waning So What's the Story on Bob Novak? Jonathan Turley The Los Angeles Times Rhere has been a conspicuous absence of any effort against Novak. This has led to speculation that either Novak has been given special treatment by a Republican prosecutor, or he has revealed his sources, or his sources have revealed themselves to the prosecutors Jilted Brian Montopoli Slate The Bush brothers kick Katherine Harris to the curb
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Model Gitmo Dana Dillon National Review One lesson learned by the American armed forces is that the ICRC is a valuable partner in assuring the humane treatment of prisoners, while AI and HRW are thinly disguised partisan political organizations When war theories collide Victor Davis Hanson The Chicago Tribune Disengagement from unresolved messy problems--whether from Europe after World War I, Vietnam in 1973, Beirut after the Marine barracks bombings, Afghanistan after the Soviet defeat, or Iraq in 1991--only left murderous chaos or the "peace" of authoritarian dictators Tea with terrorists Diana West The Washington Times If this guest list is legit, it represents a ghastly capitulation to terrorists and a strategic victory for terrorism, living proof that it's possible to kill and behead and hack and dismember and terrify your way to a peace parlay with the U.S.A.	Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis "Curse you, little Billy" Five People Just as Doctrinaire and Tiresome as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Bob Woodiwiss McSweeney's The snarling mongrel Antonin Scalia is one more deplorable product of Western imperialism