memeorandum: U.S. probing security firm's battle in Iraq (CNN)

5:40 PM ET, September 17, 2007

Top Items:

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

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

Larry Johnson / NO QUARTER:

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

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

CNN:

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

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

Time:

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

Discussion: Danger Room

Ned Parker / Los Angeles Times:
Iraq revokes license of U.S. contractor Blackwater

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Gate, Washington Monthly and Kiko's House

Beth Fouhy / Associated Press:

Clinton calls for universal health care — DES MOINES, Iowa - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton called for universal health care on Monday, plunging back into the bruising political battle she famously waged and lost as first lady on an issue that looms large in the 2008 presidential race.

Discussion: Ezra Klein, New York Post, Sister Toldjah, Don Surber, eyeon08.com, Donklephant, The Glittering Eye, Wake up America, Wizbang, Booman Tribune, Liberal Values, NewsBusters.org, Macsmind, Vox Popoli and Extreme Mortman

Ezra Klein:
The Hillary Plan — Let me try and give a quick sketch …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Crooks and Liars

Patrick Healy / New York Times:
Clinton Unveils Her Plan for Health Care

Discussion: MSNBC and Feministe

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

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal and National Review

John McCormick / The Swamp:
Edwards hammers Clinton on health care

Discussion: CNN Political Ticker

CNN Political Ticker:
Edwards threatens to cut off health insurance for Congress

Discussion: The Swamp and Redstate

Massimo Calabresi / Time:

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

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

The Corner:

Meeting Mukasey — I wasn't going to post anything else on Mukasey, but come on guys and gals, there are gapping holes in what we know about him, and his supporters aren't helping matters. Ed Whelen, a good friend who I admire deeply, tells us not to worry about Schumer and Aron's support for him.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, michellemalkin.com and Macsmind

New York Times:
Bush Names Choice for Successor to Gonzales

Discussion: The Hill, The Swamp, Los Angeles Times, CNN Political Ticker, The Politico, ACSBlog, Petulant Rumblings, Talking Points Memo, Media Blog and Lawyers, Guns and Money

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

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Anonymous Liberal and Bench Conference

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

Discussion: CNSNews

Garrett Therolf / Los Angeles Times:

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

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

Ashby Jones / Law Blog:

Breaking News: Chemerinsky Accepts Irvine's Renewed Offer — The Law Blog was forwarded the following email, and we just confirmed with Chemirinsky that he accepted the renewed offer to become dean of UC-Irvine's new law school: … Update: Chemerinsky (pictured, right) and UCI's chancellor …

Discussion: WILLisms.com and TaxProf Blog

UCI Chancellor Page:
JOINT STATEMENT: — RE DONALD BREN SCHOOL OF LAW

Discussion: Brian Leiter's Law …

In From the Cold:

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

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

Telegraph:
Prepare for war with Iran, says French minister

Discussion: Jerusalem Post, Outside The Beltway, FP Passport, Pajamas Media, Comments From Left Field, The Glittering Eye, Wake up America, Captain's Quarters, The Van Der Galiën Gazette, QandO and Fausta's blog

National / Homeland Security National Terror Alert:

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

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

ABCNEWS:

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

Discussion: Stop The ACLU and Agitprop

Washington Post:

Crocker Blasts Refugee Process — Iraqis Could Wait 2 Years for Entry, Ambassador Says — The U.S. ambassador to Iraq warned that it may take the U.S. government as long as two years to process and admit nearly 10,000 Iraqi refugees referred by the United Nations for resettlement to the United States …

Discussion: New York Times, Hullabaloo, The Impolitic, The Newshoggers, MoJoBlog, FP Passport, Prairie Weather and Truthdig

The Corner:

So long, white boy — So reads the headline on this article from Salon, which argues that the Democrats should end-and in fact already are ending-any efforts to court the white male vote. Well, Salon's headline certainly gets the message across, doesn't it?

Discussion: Salon, Outside The Beltway, QandO, bustardblog, Democratic Strategist, Tammy Bruce and Daily Pundit

MNpublius.com:

BREAKING: CONGRESSMAN JIM RAMSTAD TO RETIRE #2 | Analysis — We'll be following this closely as the day and, if need be, the week progresses, but here are some initial thoughts: — First of all, this is anyone's seat if Ramstad is retiring. Congressman Ramstad has done an amazing job …

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

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

Getting At 'The Truth' — We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you an important development from the media world. — Ron Brownstein has been a fixture at the Los Angeles Times for nearly two decades, an influential political reporter and talking head who delves into policy as well as campaign strategy.

Discussion: Riehl World View, Brendan Nyhan, The Gate, On Deadline and NewsBusters.org