Top Items:
Peter Beaumont / Observer:
Abuse worse than under Saddam, says Iraqi leader — · Allawi in damning indictment of new regime — · Bush prepares way for US troop pull-out — Human rights abuses in Iraq are now as bad as they were under Saddam Hussein and are even in danger of eclipsing his record …
Discussion:
Unclaimed Territory, AMERICAblog, blogenlust, Today in Iraq, The Washington Monthly and Running Scared
RELATED ITEMS:
Ellen Knickmeyer / Washington Post:
Shiite Urges U.S. to Give Iraqis Leeway In Rebel Fight — Americans Have Blocked Tougher Tactics, Cleric Says — BAGHDAD — The leader of Iraq's most powerful political party has called on the United States to let Iraqi fighters take a more aggressive role against insurgents …
Edward Wong / New York Times:
Shiite Cleric Increases His Power in Iraq — BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 26 - Men loyal to Moktada al-Sadr piled out of their cars at a plantation near Baghdad on a recent morning, bristling with Kalashnikov rifles and eager to exact vengeance on the Sunni Arab fighters who had butchered one of their Shiite militia brothers.
Stephen Moore / Opinion Journal:
'Reform. Reform. Reform.' — John McCain explains his eclectic—and troubling—economic philosophy. — WASHINGTON—The more Republicans stumble in Washington, the higher Sen. John McCain climbs in the polls. His political fortunes seem to run countercyclical to those of the party whose nomination …
Walter Pincus / Washington Post:
Pentagon Expanding Its Domestic Surveillance Activity — Fears of Post-9/11 Terrorism Spur Proposals for New Powers — The Defense Department has expanded its programs aimed at gathering and analyzing intelligence within the United States, creating new agencies, adding personnel …
Discussion:
Obsidian Wings, Captain's Quarters, Seeing the Forest, Liberty Street and Best of the Blogs
RELATED ITEM:
Jo Fish / Democratic Veteran:WELCOME TO GERMANY, 1933 — Holy Crap. This is some serious s**t …
Discussion:
Jesus' General
David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:
From Alito's Past, a Window on Conservatives at Princeton — WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 - In the fall of 1985, Concerned Alumni of Princeton was entering a crisis. — The group's members at the time included Samuel A. Alito Jr., now President Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court …
Sarah Baxter / Times of London:
Bruce Willis comes out fighting for Iraq's forgotten GI heroes — ANGERED by negative portrayals of the conflict in Iraq, Bruce Willis, the Hollywood star, is to make a pro-war film in which American soldiers will be depicted as brave fighters for freedom and democracy.
Con Coughlin / Telegraph:
Teheran 'secretly trains' Chechens to fight in Russia — Iran is secretly training Chechen rebels in sophisticated terror techniques to enable them to carry out more effective attacks against Russian forces, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal. — Teams of Chechen fighters are being trained …
T. Christian Miller / Los Angeles Times:
A Journey That Ended in Anguish — Col. Ted Westhusing, a military ethicist who volunteered to go to Iraq, was upset by what he saw. His apparent suicide raises questions. — "War is the hardest place to make moral judgments." — Col. Ted Westhusing, Journal of Military Ethics
Bruce Kesler / Democracy Project:
Thankgiving for Midge Decter: Thanks Mom — Unbeknownst to Midge Decter, until last year, although having children of her own to raise, she has been my spiritual mother since I was 20. Midge Decter's writings, on the nexus of culture and politics, the guide of the values we have at home …
Discussion:
Unclaimed Territory
RELATED ITEM:
David Luban / Washington Post:
Torture, American-Style — This Debate Comes Down to Words vs. Deeds — There are two torture debates going on in America today: One is about fantasy, and the other is about reality. — For viewers of TV shows such as "Commander in Chief" and "24," the question is about ticking bombs.
New York Times:
Look Who's Talking About Making a Comeback in the Senate — WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 - Trent Lott is talking again - and again and again and again. — It has been three years since White House officials and some Senate Republicans orchestrated Mr. Lott's ouster as Senate majority leader amid an uproar over racially insensitive remarks.
Discussion:
Sisyphus Shrugged
Steve Bainbridge / ProfessorBainbridge.com:
Kevin Drum on the anti-Bush Quiz — Kevin writes: … I don't buy it. In the first place, when was the last time you heard about some teacher bashing Kerry in the classroom, so the equivalence argument is misplaced. — But there's a more fundamental problem.
RELATED ITEM:
Kevin Drum / The Washington Monthly:VOCABULARY QUIZ....Bret Chenkin, a social studies and English teacher …
Discussion:
Pyjamas Media
Hube / The COLOSSUS OF RHODEY:
COSTA RICANS DEMONSTRATE FOR FREE TRADE — Readers of my old blog "Hube's Cube" as well as newer readers may know of my ties to the "Switzerland of the Americas," Costa Rica. The English-language Tico Times reports on pro-CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) demonstrations in the capital of San José three days ago.
Joseph R. Biden Jr / Washington Post:
Time for An Iraq Timetable — The question most Americans want answered about Iraq is this: When will our troops come home? — We already know the likely answer. In 2006, they will begin to leave in large numbers. By the end of the year, we will have redeployed about 50,000.
Sharon LaFraniere / New York Times:
Forced to Marry Before Puberty, African Girls Pay Lasting Price — CHIKUTU, Malawi - Mapendo Simbeye's problems began early last year when the barren hills along Malawi's northern border with Tanzania rejected his attempts to grow even cassava, the hardiest crop of all.
Discussion:
Patridiot Watch
Steve Bainbridge / ProfessorBainbridge.com:
Puffing Spitzer — From New York magazine comes this absurd claim: … Harumph. How about an impressive record of losing the Wall Street cases he actually takes to trial, conflicts of interest, abusing his prosecutorial powers for personal political gain, pushing his nose into areas …
Discussion:
PointofLaw.com
RELATED ITEM:
