Full Version: Just News - Volume Two
Presidential Campaign Aftermath
Election night draws record viewership: Networks and cable channels were watched by 71 million
Democrat News
Extra! Extra! Barack Obama's election win sends newspaper sales soaring: People want to own the 'physical record of history being made'
Aide to Rahm Emanuel: Obama is pro-Israel
Obama’s team is the key: US president-elect's aides, advisors will likely have most prominent effect on his policies
Backstage at Chicago after Obama win: "Foreign policy hasn't changed on Israel since 1948 - "Obama is without a doubt committed to Israeli security"
Republican News
California voters approve constitutional ban on same-sex marriage: Opponents refuse to concede defeat
Bush signs $25B auto loan bill: Part of $634B spending package
Bill adds plug-in tax breaks: $1 billion in tax breaks for plug-in electric vehicles to a $700 billion Wall Street bailout bill
DOE sets auto loan rules: U.S. department says funding to aid automakers' fuel-efficient vehicles could be issued before Dec. 31 - unveiled interim rules to oversee its $25 billion auto loan program
Only an Arab PM could be seen as an Israeli Obama': Is there an Israeli parallel to a young, charismatic leader who will surprise everyone?
Labor, Kadima: Bibi can't be Obama's counterpart
Rice to ME as peace deadline looms: Fighting irrelevance and a ticking clock
Hamas Siege on Gaza: 'Charities' Teach Children to Kill Jews
Every Woman Who Heard the News was Totally Shocked: Protesting the police humiliation of Elisheva Federman
Bomb strikes meeting of Pashtun leaders in Pakistan: At least seven people were killed and 30 others were wounded
Pelosi Weighs Stimulus Bill hosted.ap.org — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she hopes Congress can return this month to approve spending measures to stimulate the depressed economy. She said much depends on finding common ground with the soon-to-depart Bush administration, which more often than not has been at odds with the Democratic majority. At a post-election news conference, Pelosi said a new economic relief plan in the lame-duck session could set the stage for more extensive stimulus legislation in the new Congress when Democrat Barack Obama is president and Democrats have larger majorities in the House and the Senate. The economic crisis has worsened since the House passed a $61 billion aid bill in September, she said. "The need for more has grown." 
Record Job Cuts Planned money.cnn.com — October was another awful month for jobs. Two key employment reports showed the largest number of planned job cuts in nearly five years, with private sector jobs falling by the largest amount in nearly seven years. Job cut announcements by U.S. employers soared to 112,884 in October, up 19% from September's 95,094 cuts, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. That was the highest number of pink slips handed out since January 2004. Layoffs last month were up 79% from October 2007, when 63,114 job cuts were announced. Separately, payroll manager ADP said Wednesday that the private sector lost a seasonally adjusted 157,000 jobs last month - more than six times September's decrease and the largest drop since December 2001.
Fed Lending Program Stalled money.cnn.com — Despite a nearly $150 billion Federal Reserve effort to boost the critical business lending market, early indications show the central bank's program has not yet encouraged investors to buy up corporate debt. The Fed last week started buying corporate debt that matures in three months through its so-called Commercial Paper Funding Facility. The aim: boost liquidity in the dried-up market. But according to Fed data, total commercial paper issued Tuesday with maturities of more than 80 days stood at just $9.6 billion. That's significantly lower than the $19.9 billion on Monday and last week's daily average of $52.7 billion.
Consumer Bankruptcies Up usatoday.com — The sagging economy sparked 106,266 consumer bankruptcy filings in October, the first time monthly filings topped 100,000 since the bankruptcy law changed in 2005, the American Bankruptcy Institute said. During the first year after the new law took effect, personal bankruptcy filings plummeted dramatically, and since then, have risen gradually. In October, though, filings jumped 40% over the same month in 2007. For the year, bankruptcy filings are expected to exceed 1 million. "This underscores that the underlying economic problems of consumers who are facing high debts, flat incomes and now declining home values are a very powerful force that pushes people over the edge," says Samuel Gerdano, ABI executive director.
Auto Makers to Press for Aid washingtonpost.com — Top auto industry executives and the president of the United Auto Workers plan to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today to ask for additional federal aid for the struggling U.S. carmakers. Chief executives G. Richard Wagoner Jr. of General Motors, Alan Mulally of Ford, Robert L. Nardelli of Chrysler and UAW president Ron Gettelfinger are in Washington to argue that if there is a November stimulus package from Congress, the auto industry should receive an additional $25 billion loan to retool for production of energy-efficient vehicles, according to sources familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly about the meeting. That measure has been endorsed by President-elect Barack Obama and other Democrats.
Oil 'to shoot back through $100' guardian.co.uk — The oil price will shoot back through $100 a barrel as soon as economic conditions return to normal, and will break through $200 threshold by 2030, say officials at the International Energy Agency. The world energy watchdog is certain the "era of cheap oil" is over, according to research due to out next week. Indeed last year it had predicted the oil price would reach $108 in 2030 so has more than doubled its long-term price target. "While market imbalances could temporarily cause prices to fall back, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the era of cheap oil is over," says the IEA in the World Energy Outlook report, due out next week.
Iraq Combat Troop Numbers Reduced washingtonpost.com — Gen. David H. Petraeus has decided to reduce the number of U.S. combat brigades in Iraq from 15 to 14 about six weeks earlier than planned, as a result of dramatically lower violence there, Pentagon officials said. "The hope is they can come home before Christmas," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said of the decision. The plan accelerates the withdrawal from Iraq of a 101st Airborne Division brigade of 3,500 to 4,000 troops that will not be replaced. Another brigade from the 10th Mountain Division that was scheduled to go to Iraq in its place will instead deploy to Afghanistan, as announced earlier this fall.
Record Job Cuts Planned money.cnn.com — October was another awful month for jobs. Two key employment reports showed the largest number of planned job cuts in nearly five years, with private sector jobs falling by the largest amount in nearly seven years. Job cut announcements by U.S. employers soared to 112,884 in October, up 19% from September's 95,094 cuts, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. That was the highest number of pink slips handed out since January 2004. Layoffs last month were up 79% from October 2007, when 63,114 job cuts were announced. Separately, payroll manager ADP said Wednesday that the private sector lost a seasonally adjusted 157,000 jobs last month - more than six times September's decrease and the largest drop since December 2001.
Fed Lending Program Stalled money.cnn.com — Despite a nearly $150 billion Federal Reserve effort to boost the critical business lending market, early indications show the central bank's program has not yet encouraged investors to buy up corporate debt. The Fed last week started buying corporate debt that matures in three months through its so-called Commercial Paper Funding Facility. The aim: boost liquidity in the dried-up market. But according to Fed data, total commercial paper issued Tuesday with maturities of more than 80 days stood at just $9.6 billion. That's significantly lower than the $19.9 billion on Monday and last week's daily average of $52.7 billion.
Consumer Bankruptcies Up usatoday.com — The sagging economy sparked 106,266 consumer bankruptcy filings in October, the first time monthly filings topped 100,000 since the bankruptcy law changed in 2005, the American Bankruptcy Institute said. During the first year after the new law took effect, personal bankruptcy filings plummeted dramatically, and since then, have risen gradually. In October, though, filings jumped 40% over the same month in 2007. For the year, bankruptcy filings are expected to exceed 1 million. "This underscores that the underlying economic problems of consumers who are facing high debts, flat incomes and now declining home values are a very powerful force that pushes people over the edge," says Samuel Gerdano, ABI executive director.
Auto Makers to Press for Aid washingtonpost.com — Top auto industry executives and the president of the United Auto Workers plan to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today to ask for additional federal aid for the struggling U.S. carmakers. Chief executives G. Richard Wagoner Jr. of General Motors, Alan Mulally of Ford, Robert L. Nardelli of Chrysler and UAW president Ron Gettelfinger are in Washington to argue that if there is a November stimulus package from Congress, the auto industry should receive an additional $25 billion loan to retool for production of energy-efficient vehicles, according to sources familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly about the meeting. That measure has been endorsed by President-elect Barack Obama and other Democrats.
Oil 'to shoot back through $100' guardian.co.uk — The oil price will shoot back through $100 a barrel as soon as economic conditions return to normal, and will break through $200 threshold by 2030, say officials at the International Energy Agency. The world energy watchdog is certain the "era of cheap oil" is over, according to research due to out next week. Indeed last year it had predicted the oil price would reach $108 in 2030 so has more than doubled its long-term price target. "While market imbalances could temporarily cause prices to fall back, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the era of cheap oil is over," says the IEA in the World Energy Outlook report, due out next week.
Iraq Combat Troop Numbers Reduced washingtonpost.com — Gen. David H. Petraeus has decided to reduce the number of U.S. combat brigades in Iraq from 15 to 14 about six weeks earlier than planned, as a result of dramatically lower violence there, Pentagon officials said. "The hope is they can come home before Christmas," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said of the decision. The plan accelerates the withdrawal from Iraq of a 101st Airborne Division brigade of 3,500 to 4,000 troops that will not be replaced. Another brigade from the 10th Mountain Division that was scheduled to go to Iraq in its place will instead deploy to Afghanistan, as announced earlier this fall.
Russian leader blasts US, vows to deploy missiles near EU
Moscow (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has announced plans to deploy missiles on the EU's doorstep in a warning shot to US president-elect Barack Obama and Washington's allies in central Europe. Just hours after Obama's election victory, Medvedev on Wednesday rounded on the United States for ills ranging from the global financial crisis to the recent war in Georgia in his debut ... more
milplex
+ Outside View: Obama Under Pressure Part One
Washington (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - It is a minor miracle that no federal office building or Washington think tank has ever collapsed under the weight of unread transition studies. Presidents-elect simply don't have the time to read the flood of material they are sent, transition teams often spend more time job-seeking than transitioning, and once new administrations actually pick their team at the Cabinet level, Cabinet members ... more
taiwan
+ Taiwan president in historic meeting with Chinese envoy
Taipei (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou made history Thursday when he met with a senior Chinese official as tens of thousands of anti-Beijing protesters brought the island's capital to a standstill. The protesters, mostly supporters of independence for the self-ruled island, crowded the plaza in front of the presidential office in central Taipei honking horns and waving placards against the visit of ... more
superpowers
+ Swords and Shields: Arctic ambitions
Washington (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - The arctic is quickly re-emerging as a strategic area where vital U.S. interests are at stake. The geopolitical and geo-economic importance of the arctic region is rising rapidly, and its mineral wealth will likely transform the region into a booming economic frontier in the 21st century. The arctic coasts and continental shelf are estimated to hold large deposits of oil, natural gas, methane ... more
korea
+ US nuclear envoy due in New York for talks with NKorean
Washington (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - Christopher Hill, the chief US negotiator on North Korea's nuclear disarmament, was due for talks in New York later Thursday with a senior official from Pyongyang, the State Department said. Hill will travel "to New York today... to participate in a working dinner with Ambassador Ri Gun, director general for North American Affairs at the DPRK foreign ministry," department deputy spokesman ... more
Moscow (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has announced plans to deploy missiles on the EU's doorstep in a warning shot to US president-elect Barack Obama and Washington's allies in central Europe. Just hours after Obama's election victory, Medvedev on Wednesday rounded on the United States for ills ranging from the global financial crisis to the recent war in Georgia in his debut ... moremilplex
+ Outside View: Obama Under Pressure Part One
Washington (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - It is a minor miracle that no federal office building or Washington think tank has ever collapsed under the weight of unread transition studies. Presidents-elect simply don't have the time to read the flood of material they are sent, transition teams often spend more time job-seeking than transitioning, and once new administrations actually pick their team at the Cabinet level, Cabinet members ... moretaiwan
+ Taiwan president in historic meeting with Chinese envoy
Taipei (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou made history Thursday when he met with a senior Chinese official as tens of thousands of anti-Beijing protesters brought the island's capital to a standstill. The protesters, mostly supporters of independence for the self-ruled island, crowded the plaza in front of the presidential office in central Taipei honking horns and waving placards against the visit of ... moresuperpowers
+ Swords and Shields: Arctic ambitions
Washington (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - The arctic is quickly re-emerging as a strategic area where vital U.S. interests are at stake. The geopolitical and geo-economic importance of the arctic region is rising rapidly, and its mineral wealth will likely transform the region into a booming economic frontier in the 21st century. The arctic coasts and continental shelf are estimated to hold large deposits of oil, natural gas, methane ... morekorea
+ US nuclear envoy due in New York for talks with NKorean
Washington (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - Christopher Hill, the chief US negotiator on North Korea's nuclear disarmament, was due for talks in New York later Thursday with a senior official from Pyongyang, the State Department said. Hill will travel "to New York today... to participate in a working dinner with Ambassador Ri Gun, director general for North American Affairs at the DPRK foreign ministry," department deputy spokesman ... more
Suicide Bombers Kill Scores In NW Pakistan
Khar, Pakistan (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - Two suicide bombers struck in northwest Pakistan Thursday, killing 19 in total, as airstrikes pounded extremist targets in a region known as a Taliban safe haven, police and officials said. Seventeen people were killed and 45 injured when a suicide attacker blew himself up as a government-backed tribal force or "lashkar" met in Batmalai, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the main town of ... more
nuclear-doctrine
+ Russia's missile plan dents trust in Kremlin: Latvian president
Riga (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - Russia's plans to deploy missiles in its Baltic Sea territory will undermine trust in the Kremlin and hit regional security, Latvia's President Valdis Zatlers warned Thursday. "Any deployment of short-range missiles in Europe and the Baltic Sea region should be seen as a certain reduction of the level of trust," Zatlers told reporters. "This does not contribute either to better ... more
miltech
+ Raytheon To Modernize F-15E Radar
El Segundo CA (SPX) Nov 07, 2008 - A system design and development award from Boeing will allow Raytheon to launch its latest active electronically scanned array radar program for the U. S. Air Force. The F-15E radar modernization will incorporate AESA technology developed by the company for the Air Force F-15C and the Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet, currently on deployment. "Maintaining the momentum on our high-performance ... more
superpowers
+ Outside View: Obama bad news for Russia
Paris (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - According to a widely held view, the election of Barack Obama is good news for Russia. The new U.S. president, the argument runs, will abandon the confrontational style of George W. Bush and adopt a more conciliatory line in foreign affairs, including in relations with Moscow. There is little doubt that the Bush presidency has been disastrous for both America and the world, and its end ... more
terrorwars
+ Outside View: New FBI powers necessary
Washington (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - Revised Attorney General Guidelines that govern all FBI activities, including those involving international terrorism, come into effect next month. Although members of Congress, civil rights groups and the media have criticized the new rules, they are a necessary and important step for the FBI's counter-terrorism investigations as well as all of the bureau's investigative programs. Justice ... more
Khar, Pakistan (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - Two suicide bombers struck in northwest Pakistan Thursday, killing 19 in total, as airstrikes pounded extremist targets in a region known as a Taliban safe haven, police and officials said. Seventeen people were killed and 45 injured when a suicide attacker blew himself up as a government-backed tribal force or "lashkar" met in Batmalai, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the main town of ... morenuclear-doctrine
+ Russia's missile plan dents trust in Kremlin: Latvian president
Riga (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - Russia's plans to deploy missiles in its Baltic Sea territory will undermine trust in the Kremlin and hit regional security, Latvia's President Valdis Zatlers warned Thursday. "Any deployment of short-range missiles in Europe and the Baltic Sea region should be seen as a certain reduction of the level of trust," Zatlers told reporters. "This does not contribute either to better ... moremiltech
+ Raytheon To Modernize F-15E Radar
El Segundo CA (SPX) Nov 07, 2008 - A system design and development award from Boeing will allow Raytheon to launch its latest active electronically scanned array radar program for the U. S. Air Force. The F-15E radar modernization will incorporate AESA technology developed by the company for the Air Force F-15C and the Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet, currently on deployment. "Maintaining the momentum on our high-performance ... moresuperpowers
+ Outside View: Obama bad news for Russia
Paris (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - According to a widely held view, the election of Barack Obama is good news for Russia. The new U.S. president, the argument runs, will abandon the confrontational style of George W. Bush and adopt a more conciliatory line in foreign affairs, including in relations with Moscow. There is little doubt that the Bush presidency has been disastrous for both America and the world, and its end ... moreterrorwars
+ Outside View: New FBI powers necessary
Washington (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - Revised Attorney General Guidelines that govern all FBI activities, including those involving international terrorism, come into effect next month. Although members of Congress, civil rights groups and the media have criticized the new rules, they are a necessary and important step for the FBI's counter-terrorism investigations as well as all of the bureau's investigative programs. Justice ... more
Analysis: Shell, Iraq say gas deal OK
Baghdad, Iraq (UPI) Nov 07, 2008 - Officials at Royal Dutch Shell and the Iraqi Oil Ministry refute claims that a proposed gas joint venture would have exclusive access to Basra province's gas industry, though a key member of Parliament criticizes the project. "It is only a partnership," said Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad. "There will not be a monopoly of the gas." United Press International first reported ... more
gas
+ Analysis: Venezuela cutting oil production
Miami (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - Venezuela has notified petroleum customers that production levels would be cut to counter falling oil prices, part of OPEC's agreement to reduce production across the board to counter falling oil prices worldwide. Venezuela's state-run oil and gas firm PDVSA is cutting production by 129,000 barrels per day, according Venezuela's Oil Ministry and PDVSA officials. The decision ... more
gas
+ China oil refiners post huge losses in first eight months
Beijing (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - China's oil refiners suffered huge losses in the first eight months of 2008 as a result of the global economic slowdown, an industrial association said Thursday. They lost more than 120 billion yuan (17.6 billion dollars) from January to August, a researcher with the government-linked China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association told AFP. That compared with a net profit of 23.1 ... more
economy
+ Give developing world more say in global finance bodies: China
Beijing (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - China called Thursday for developing countries to be given more say in world financial bodies like the World Bank as it prepared to take part in a world summit in Washington on the financial crisis. "We need to carry out necessary reforms in international financial institutions such as the World Bank and IMF, such as increasing the representation of developing countries... including in high ... more
chip-tech
+ Memory error shown to occur without delay
Newark, Del. (UPI) Nov 5, 2008 - U.S. psychologists say they've determined an error in visual memory occurs immediately after people see an image. Psychologists Helene Intraub and Christopher Dickinson of the University of Delaware were interested in a specific common type of false visual memory that occurs in people of all ages. Known as the "boundary extension," it occurs when people report the boundaries of an image ... more
Baghdad, Iraq (UPI) Nov 07, 2008 - Officials at Royal Dutch Shell and the Iraqi Oil Ministry refute claims that a proposed gas joint venture would have exclusive access to Basra province's gas industry, though a key member of Parliament criticizes the project. "It is only a partnership," said Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad. "There will not be a monopoly of the gas." United Press International first reported ... moregas
+ Analysis: Venezuela cutting oil production
Miami (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - Venezuela has notified petroleum customers that production levels would be cut to counter falling oil prices, part of OPEC's agreement to reduce production across the board to counter falling oil prices worldwide. Venezuela's state-run oil and gas firm PDVSA is cutting production by 129,000 barrels per day, according Venezuela's Oil Ministry and PDVSA officials. The decision ... moregas
+ China oil refiners post huge losses in first eight months
Beijing (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - China's oil refiners suffered huge losses in the first eight months of 2008 as a result of the global economic slowdown, an industrial association said Thursday. They lost more than 120 billion yuan (17.6 billion dollars) from January to August, a researcher with the government-linked China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association told AFP. That compared with a net profit of 23.1 ... moreeconomy
+ Give developing world more say in global finance bodies: China
Beijing (AFP) Nov 6, 2008 - China called Thursday for developing countries to be given more say in world financial bodies like the World Bank as it prepared to take part in a world summit in Washington on the financial crisis. "We need to carry out necessary reforms in international financial institutions such as the World Bank and IMF, such as increasing the representation of developing countries... including in high ... morechip-tech
+ Memory error shown to occur without delay
Newark, Del. (UPI) Nov 5, 2008 - U.S. psychologists say they've determined an error in visual memory occurs immediately after people see an image. Psychologists Helene Intraub and Christopher Dickinson of the University of Delaware were interested in a specific common type of false visual memory that occurs in people of all ages. Known as the "boundary extension," it occurs when people report the boundaries of an image ... more
Friday on Antiwar.com
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- Bush: Terrorists May Attack During Transition
- Bush Team Lays Ground for Obama Foreign Policy
- Obama's Chief of Staff Choice Favors Compulsory Universal Service
- Iraqis Seek More Talks; US Says They're Over
- US Strike Against Taliban Kills More Civilians
- US Clamps Down as Iran Congratulates Obama
- Bombers Kill 22, Wound 100 in NW Pakistan
- Peace Activists Welcome Obama, Will Push Him
- Georgia Fired More Cluster Bombs Than Thought, Killing Civilians, Report Finds
- Justin Raimondo says Forget the Honeymoon
- Ran HaCohen: Black Israeli Voices on Obama's Victory
- Doug Bandow: The American People Render Their Electoral Judgment: Time to Finish Off the Neoconservatives
- Andrew Bacevich says Evangelical Foreign Policy Is Over
- Robert Dreyfuss: Obama's National Security Team Emerging
- Ximeno Ortiz on Certain Uncertainties
- Christopher Deliso: Inside a Misunderstood Conflict Zone: Scott Taylor in the Caucasus
- Sami Moubayed on Abu Hussein's Invitation to Damascus
Transition plays hardball with Emanuel, Gibbs on board: Pair of tough political players sends no-nonsense message from president-elect
Hillary Clinton: Obama made good choice for chief of staff
Emanuel pick gets mixed reaction: They're "setting up a good cop/bad cop routine"
`Absolute Enforcer' Emanuel Has Big Role in Obama's White House - Chief of Staff, the Gatekeeper to the President
Obama’s Tax Plan Won’t Hurt Small Businesses: Democratic Leaders insist
Republican Political News
Palin Gone: Anything but forgotten
Prop. 8 foes concede defeat, vow to fight on: Pinning their hopes on a legal challenge to the statewide initiative blocking gay marriage
Governor Schwarzenegger: Tax hikes, spending cuts to fix budget
Books of The Times
Call Him Eloquent Abe, the Writer in Chief
By MICHIKO KAKUTANIFred Kaplan never mentions Barack Obama by name in his new book, but its focus on the role that language and writing played in one president’s life promises to shed light on the role they may play in another’s.
November 7, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist
The Obama Agenda
By PAUL KRUGMANRight now many commentators are urging Barack Obama to think small. Let’s hope he has the good sense to ignore their advice.
November 7, 2008
John Podesta, Shepherd of a Government in Exile
By CHARLIE SAVAGEJohn D. Podesta, co-chairman of the transition team, has spent the last five years building up liberals’ policy-making muscle as president of a lavishly financed research organization.
November 7, 2008
Among Young Muslims, Mixed Emotions on Obama
By PAUL VITELLOFor many, the excitement over Barack Obama’s candidacy and election was muted by a sense of being marginalized politically.
November 7, 2008
In Big Shift, Latino Vote Was Heavily for Obama
By JULIA PRESTONLatinos gave Barack Obama unexpectedly large margins of victory in three battleground states, and they also helped him in Florida.
November 7, 2008
Bush Warns of Vulnerability in a Transition
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and ROBERT PEARIn a White House speech, President Bush cautioned Thursday that the nation could be vulnerable during the transition.
November 7, 2008
In Rare Turn, Iran’s Leader Sends Letter to Obama
By NAZILA FATHIPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran sent an unusual letter congratulating Barack Obama for his victory in the American presidential race.
November 7, 2008
Tolerance Over Race Can Spread, Studies Find
By BENEDICT CAREYMutual trust between members of different races can catch on just as quickly, and spread just as fast, as suspicion.
November 7, 2008 The New Team
Timothy Geithner
By STEPHEN LABATONTimothy Geithner has straddled Wall Street and Washington as a central player in trying to resolve the most significant financial crisis in more than 60 years.
November 7, 2008 NYC
A Hint on Being Presidential: Don’t Copy New York Politicians
By CLYDE HABERMANThere is a lesson in the short-lived Spitzer administration: Don’t assume that a strong Election Day victory translates into an unassailable mandate.
November 7, 2008 The New Team
Susan E. Rice
By CHARLIE SAVAGESusan E. Rice is being considered for a top foreign policy post, possibly deputy national security adviser or ambassador to the United Nations.
November 7, 2008
A Blowout? No, but a Clear-Cut Win, for a Change
By MICHAEL COOPERBarack Obama’s victory was along the lines of Bill Clinton’s in 1992, when he won 370 electoral votes to George H. W. Bush’s 168.
November 7, 2008
Obama, Assembling Team, Turns to the Economy
By JEFF ZELENY and JACKIE CALMESMarkets, leaders and the Bush administration are looking for signs of how Barack Obama will manage the crisis.
November 7, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist
Change I Can Believe In
By DAVID BROOKSI have dreams. And right now I’m dreaming of the successful presidency one that stretches beyond the normal Democratic base.
November 7, 2008
Gates Is a Veteran Player on Transition Teams
By THOM SHANKERDefense Secretary Robert M. Gates played a key role 15 years ago in the last transition from a Bush presidency, and he might be asked to do so again.
November 7, 2008
Pastor Says Race Remains a Big Issue
By GREGORY B. HLADKYThe Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. warned that the success of Barack Obama “shouldn’t lull us to sleep” in the effort to combat racism and poverty.
November 7, 2008
Obama Victory Alters the Tenor of Iraqi Politics
By ALISSA J. RUBINIraqi Shiite politicians are indicating that they will move faster toward a security agreement about U.S. troops.
November 7, 2008
On Concerns Over Gun Control, Gun Sales Are Up
By KIRK JOHNSONGun dealers say sales have surged on buyers’ concerns about gun control under an Obama administration.
November 7, 2008 The New Team
Jason Furman
By JACKIE CALMESJason Furman is being considered for a top deputy’s job in the White House or Treasury Department dealing with economics and fiscal policy.
November 7, 2008
Obama Made Gains Among Younger Evangelical Voters, Data Show
By LAURIE GOODSTEINBarack Obama mobilized a team to reach out to politically moderate evangelicals, and the payoff was both generational and geographic.
November 7, 2008 National Briefing | South
Tennessee: Pleas in Obama Plot
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSTwo white supremacists pleaded not guilty in Memphis to federal charges in what the authorities say was a plot to kill President-elect Barack Obama and dozens of other black people.
November 7, 2008 The New Team
Lawrence H. Summers
By MARK LANDLERLawrence H. Summers, known equally for his brilliance and his blunt manner, has already served as Treasury secretary, from 1999 to 2001.
November 7, 2008 Op-Ed Contributor
An Eternal Revolution
By ORLANDO PATTERSONBarack Obama’s victory wasn’t a radical moment of change in American history but rather was the culmination of the founding fathers’ vision of our democracy.
November 7, 2008
McNabb Says He Can Relate to Obama
By JUDY BATTISTADonovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles thought he saw similarities between the scrutiny Obama faced and the attention McNabb had drawn since entering the N.F.L. in 1999
November 6, 2008
Chicago Hitches Wagon to Its Newest Star
By CATRIN EINHORNTuesday’s victory celebration in Grant Park let Chicago strut its stuff to the world: lakefront parks, a dramatic skyline, throngs of joyful and well-organized citizens.
November 6, 2008
Several Early Choices for New Administration Have Clinton Pedigree
By PETER BAKERBarack Obama faces the challenge of building an administration that does not look like a third term for former President Bill Clinton.
November 6, 2008 The New Team
Valerie Jarrett
By JODI KANTORValerie Jarrett is co-chairwoman of the Obama transition team and has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Mr. Obama in the Senate.
November 6, 2008
Call Him Eloquent Abe, the Writer in Chief
By MICHIKO KAKUTANIFred Kaplan never mentions Barack Obama by name in his new book, but its focus on the role that language and writing played in one president’s life promises to shed light on the role they may play in another’s.
November 7, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist
The Obama Agenda
By PAUL KRUGMANRight now many commentators are urging Barack Obama to think small. Let’s hope he has the good sense to ignore their advice.
November 7, 2008
John Podesta, Shepherd of a Government in Exile
By CHARLIE SAVAGEJohn D. Podesta, co-chairman of the transition team, has spent the last five years building up liberals’ policy-making muscle as president of a lavishly financed research organization.
November 7, 2008
Among Young Muslims, Mixed Emotions on Obama
By PAUL VITELLOFor many, the excitement over Barack Obama’s candidacy and election was muted by a sense of being marginalized politically.
November 7, 2008
In Big Shift, Latino Vote Was Heavily for Obama
By JULIA PRESTONLatinos gave Barack Obama unexpectedly large margins of victory in three battleground states, and they also helped him in Florida.
November 7, 2008
Bush Warns of Vulnerability in a Transition
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and ROBERT PEARIn a White House speech, President Bush cautioned Thursday that the nation could be vulnerable during the transition.
November 7, 2008
In Rare Turn, Iran’s Leader Sends Letter to Obama
By NAZILA FATHIPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran sent an unusual letter congratulating Barack Obama for his victory in the American presidential race.
November 7, 2008
Tolerance Over Race Can Spread, Studies Find
By BENEDICT CAREYMutual trust between members of different races can catch on just as quickly, and spread just as fast, as suspicion.
November 7, 2008 The New Team
Timothy Geithner
By STEPHEN LABATONTimothy Geithner has straddled Wall Street and Washington as a central player in trying to resolve the most significant financial crisis in more than 60 years.
November 7, 2008 NYC
A Hint on Being Presidential: Don’t Copy New York Politicians
By CLYDE HABERMANThere is a lesson in the short-lived Spitzer administration: Don’t assume that a strong Election Day victory translates into an unassailable mandate.
November 7, 2008 The New Team
Susan E. Rice
By CHARLIE SAVAGESusan E. Rice is being considered for a top foreign policy post, possibly deputy national security adviser or ambassador to the United Nations.
November 7, 2008
A Blowout? No, but a Clear-Cut Win, for a Change
By MICHAEL COOPERBarack Obama’s victory was along the lines of Bill Clinton’s in 1992, when he won 370 electoral votes to George H. W. Bush’s 168.
November 7, 2008
Obama, Assembling Team, Turns to the Economy
By JEFF ZELENY and JACKIE CALMESMarkets, leaders and the Bush administration are looking for signs of how Barack Obama will manage the crisis.
November 7, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist
Change I Can Believe In
By DAVID BROOKSI have dreams. And right now I’m dreaming of the successful presidency one that stretches beyond the normal Democratic base.
November 7, 2008
Gates Is a Veteran Player on Transition Teams
By THOM SHANKERDefense Secretary Robert M. Gates played a key role 15 years ago in the last transition from a Bush presidency, and he might be asked to do so again.
November 7, 2008
Pastor Says Race Remains a Big Issue
By GREGORY B. HLADKYThe Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. warned that the success of Barack Obama “shouldn’t lull us to sleep” in the effort to combat racism and poverty.
November 7, 2008
Obama Victory Alters the Tenor of Iraqi Politics
By ALISSA J. RUBINIraqi Shiite politicians are indicating that they will move faster toward a security agreement about U.S. troops.
November 7, 2008
On Concerns Over Gun Control, Gun Sales Are Up
By KIRK JOHNSONGun dealers say sales have surged on buyers’ concerns about gun control under an Obama administration.
November 7, 2008 The New Team
Jason Furman
By JACKIE CALMESJason Furman is being considered for a top deputy’s job in the White House or Treasury Department dealing with economics and fiscal policy.
November 7, 2008
Obama Made Gains Among Younger Evangelical Voters, Data Show
By LAURIE GOODSTEINBarack Obama mobilized a team to reach out to politically moderate evangelicals, and the payoff was both generational and geographic.
November 7, 2008 National Briefing | South
Tennessee: Pleas in Obama Plot
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSTwo white supremacists pleaded not guilty in Memphis to federal charges in what the authorities say was a plot to kill President-elect Barack Obama and dozens of other black people.
November 7, 2008 The New Team
Lawrence H. Summers
By MARK LANDLERLawrence H. Summers, known equally for his brilliance and his blunt manner, has already served as Treasury secretary, from 1999 to 2001.
November 7, 2008 Op-Ed Contributor
An Eternal Revolution
By ORLANDO PATTERSONBarack Obama’s victory wasn’t a radical moment of change in American history but rather was the culmination of the founding fathers’ vision of our democracy.
November 7, 2008
McNabb Says He Can Relate to Obama
By JUDY BATTISTADonovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles thought he saw similarities between the scrutiny Obama faced and the attention McNabb had drawn since entering the N.F.L. in 1999
November 6, 2008
Chicago Hitches Wagon to Its Newest Star
By CATRIN EINHORNTuesday’s victory celebration in Grant Park let Chicago strut its stuff to the world: lakefront parks, a dramatic skyline, throngs of joyful and well-organized citizens.
November 6, 2008
Several Early Choices for New Administration Have Clinton Pedigree
By PETER BAKERBarack Obama faces the challenge of building an administration that does not look like a third term for former President Bill Clinton.
November 6, 2008 The New Team
Valerie Jarrett
By JODI KANTORValerie Jarrett is co-chairwoman of the Obama transition team and has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Mr. Obama in the Senate.
November 6, 2008
AFGHANISTAN
Afghan Awakening - Bing West, The National Interest
Obama: ‘Taking the Fight’ to Afghanistan - Drew Brown, Stars and Stripes
US Says Taliban Put Afghans in Line of Fire - Abdul Waheed Wafa and Sangar Rahmi, New York Times
Afghan Aid to Insurgents Alleged in Attack on US Troops - M. Karim Faiez and Laura King, Los Angeles Times
Fragile Success Against Afghanistan's Opium Economy - Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor
IRAQ
US Gives Iraq Final Text of Draft Forces Agreement - David Gollust, Voice of America
Iraq Repeats Insistence on Fixed Withdrawal Date - Ernesto Londońo, Mary Beth Sheridan and Karen DeYoung, Washington Post
Obama Victory Alters the Tenor of Iraqi Politics - Alissa Rubin, New York Times
RUSSIA / GEORGIA
Georgia Claims on Russia War Called Into Question - C.J. Chivers and Ellen Barry, New York Times
Afghan Awakening - Bing West, The National Interest
In September of 2008, Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a remarkable statement. He said, “I’m not convinced we’re winning in Afghanistan. I am convinced we can. That is why I intend to commission and... am looking at a new, more comprehensive strategy for the region.” Considering that the United States has been at war in Afghanistan for seven years now, clearly whatever our strategy is, it has not worked.
There has developed an unquestioning consensus that we need to do more. The Democratic Party, united in demanding a swift withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq, supports expanding the war in Afghanistan. The same is true of the Republican Party and the Pentagon. The mainstream press, while savaging the White House for lacking a sensible plan and sufficient troops in Iraq, accepted without question sending more troops to Afghanistan. And now that the surge in Iraq is winding down, a surge for Afghanistan is in the cards.
While US troop numbers will increase, we don’t know whether other NATO countries will provide willing and able boots on the ground. Regardless of NATO Europe, America must deal with Pakistan and the sanctuary for al-Qaeda and the Taliban that has festered there like a infectious wound. The corruption attendant to opium continues to tear apart the fabric of trust in Afghan society. Local military and police forces must be trained. Above all, we need to define our goals and acknowledge our limitations on this vital front.More at The National Interest.
Obama: ‘Taking the Fight’ to Afghanistan - Drew Brown, Stars and Stripes
A worsening war in Afghanistan - and a growing Taliban and al-Qaida insurgency in the tribal areas of nuclear-armed neighboring Pakistan - will loom large on the agenda for President-elect Barack Obama during the next four years.
On the campaign trail, Obama argued that the war in Iraq has drained troops and resources from the battlefield in Afghanistan, causing the situation there to deteriorate. He has described Afghanistan as "the war we need to win," and he has pledged to send at least two more brigades of US troops to reinforce the 70,000 U.S. and NATO forces already serving in the country.
Obama has also pledged to press NATO allies to contribute more forces, and he has said he will step up training for the Afghan army and police, as well as increase non-military aid to Afghanistan by $1 billion.More at Stars and Stripes.
US Says Taliban Put Afghans in Line of Fire - Abdul Waheed Wafa and Sangar Rahmi, New York Times
As Afghan officials reported more civilian casualties from coalition airstrikes on Thursday, witnesses to a strike that apparently hit a wedding party on Monday said the civilian death toll could be more than double the 40 reported so far by Afghan officials.
The United States military says it is conducting a joint investigation with the Afghan authorities into the strike on the wedding party, which took place in the Shah Wali Kot district of the southern province of Kandahar, where the Taliban insurgency has been strong.
On Thursday, American officials offered their first account of the events, saying that insurgents had prevented civilians from fleeing the area, trapping them in a firefight pitting coalition and Afghan Army forces against the militants who had ambushed those forces.More at The New York Times.
Afghan Aid to Insurgents Alleged in Attack on US Troops - M. Karim Faiez and Laura King, Los Angeles Times
A US military report released Thursday says at least two local Afghan officials were believed to have colluded in a July attack by insurgents on a remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan that killed nine US soldiers.
It was the largest loss of American troops' lives in a single land battle since the start of the war in Afghanistan in 2001. The intense, hours-long assault by an estimated 200 Taliban fighters, during which the lightly manned outpost was nearly overrun, also left 27 US soldiers and four Afghan troops injured.More at The Los Angeles Times.
Fragile Success Against Afghanistan's Opium Economy - Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor
A year ago, the province that surrounds this dusty town of onion farmers was Afghanistan's No. 2 producer of opium. Today, Nangarhar has eradicated opium entirely.
It is the most dramatic reversal in a year offering the first hints of progress against opium, with harvests declining nationwide.
Yet in the chalk-white fields above Ghani Khel, tribal elder Pat Zirak Mohammad predicts that Nangarhar's opium ban will not last. To grow anything other than poppy, his people need a dam to harness water from seasonal floods. But he is skeptical that the government will deliver. "If that doesn't happen, our people will again grow poppy," he says.
Through its bold attempts to ban poppy in recent years, Nangarhar has become the preeminent case study on how to wean Afghanistan from its poppy crop. Mr. Mohammad's words point to the difficulty of making success last.
In a country that produces 90 percent of the world's opium, and where opium is tied to rampant corruption and violence, the benefits of such bans are clear.More at The Christian Science Monitor.
IRAQ
US Gives Iraq Final Text of Draft Forces Agreement - David Gollust, Voice of America
The Bush administration says it has sent Iraq what it says is the final text of an agreement on a continued presence of US troops in Iraq beyond the end of the year. US officials say they accepted some Iraqi-proposed amendments, but that as far as the United States is concerned the negotiating process has ended.
Officials here say the final text was conveyed in a letter from President Bush to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and that while the US side may provide further clarifications it considers the negotiations over.
The two sides have struggled for weeks to reach agreement on a status-of-forces agreement that will govern the presence of US troops in Iraq beyond December 31, when the UN Security Council mandate for foreign forces in Iraq expires.
The draft accord would allow US forces to remain in Iraq for as long as another three years. The parties have struggled to agree on details such as legal jurisdiction over American soldiers who might commit off-duty crimes.
A senior US diplomat said Iraq late last month proposed scores of amendments to a tentative draft. He said the text the United States has sent back to Baghdad accepts many of the proposed changes, but rejects a number of others.More at Voice of America.
Iraq Repeats Insistence on Fixed Withdrawal Date - Ernesto Londońo, Mary Beth Sheridan and Karen DeYoung, Washington Post
Two days after the election of Barack Obama, Iraq's chief spokesman said with unusual forcefulness Thursday that his government will continue to insist on a firm withdrawal date for US troops, despite American demands that any pullout be subject to prevailing security conditions.
"Iraqis would like to know and see a fixed date," spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in an interview in which he also reiterated Iraq's position that American forces be subject to Iraqi legal jurisdiction in some instances.
Iraqi officials, who see President-elect Obama's views on the timing of a US withdrawal as consonant with their own, appear to be leveraging his election to pressure the Bush administration to make last-minute concessions. Dabbagh said negotiations to reach a status-of-forces agreement, which would sanction the US military presence in Iraq beyond 2008, would collapse if no deal is reached by the end of this month.More at The Washington Post.
Obama Victory Alters the Tenor of Iraqi Politics - Alissa Rubin, New York Times
Barack Obama may have been elected only three days ago, but his victory is already beginning to shift the political ground in Iraq and the region.
Iraqi Shiite politicians are indicating that they will move faster toward a new security agreement about American troops, and a Bush administration official said he believed that Iraqis could ratify the agreement as early as the middle of this month.
“Before, the Iraqis were thinking that if they sign the pact, there will be no respect for the schedule of troop withdrawal by Dec. 31, 2011,” said Hadi al-Ameri, a powerful member of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a major Shiite party. “If Republicans were still there, there would be no respect for this timetable. This is a positive step to have the same theory about the timetable as Mr. Obama.”
Mr. Obama has said that he favors a 16-month schedule for withdrawing combat brigades, a timetable about twice as fast as that provided for in the draft American and Iraqi accord.More at The New York Times.
RUSSIA / GEORGIA
Georgia Claims on Russia War Called Into Question - C.J. Chivers and Ellen Barry, New York Times
Newly available accounts by independent military observers of the beginning of the war between Georgia and Russia this summer call into question the longstanding Georgian assertion that it was acting defensively against separatist and Russian aggression.
Instead, the accounts suggest that Georgia’s inexperienced military attacked the isolated separatist capital of Tskhinvali on Aug. 7 with indiscriminate artillery and rocket fire, exposing civilians, Russian peacekeepers and unarmed monitors to harm.
The accounts are neither fully conclusive nor broad enough to settle the many lingering disputes over blame in a war that hardened relations between the Kremlin and the West. But they raise questions about the accuracy and honesty of Georgia’s insistence that its shelling of Tskhinvali, the capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, was a precise operation. Georgia has variously defended the shelling as necessary to stop heavy Ossetian shelling of Georgian villages, bring order to the region or counter a Russian invasion.More at The New York Times.
Jon Stewart Asks Fox's Chris Wallace How Long He'll 'Sit Shiva'
by Staff, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 4:27 PM
The Winners (and Losers) of Election '08
by Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post - 2:02 PM
Obama's Emerging National Security Team
by Robert Dreyfuss, The Nation - 1:32 PM
Legal Challenges Filed Against Prop 8
by Joe Shaulis, Jurist Legal News and Research - 12:21 PM
One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State: NYT Pictures Show How Things Are Changing
by Paul Rosenberg, Open Left - 12:12 PM
Robert Novak is Flat Wrong: Obama's Mandate
by Brian Normoyle, Huffington Post - 11:32 AM
AFGHANISTAN
Afghan Awakening - Bing West, The National Interest
Obama: ‘Taking the Fight’ to Afghanistan - Drew Brown, Stars and Stripes
US Says Taliban Put Afghans in Line of Fire - Abdul Waheed Wafa and Sangar Rahmi, New York Times
Afghan Aid to Insurgents Alleged in Attack on US Troops - M. Karim Faiez and Laura King, Los Angeles Times
Fragile Success Against Afghanistan's Opium Economy - Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor
IRAQ
US Gives Iraq Final Text of Draft Forces Agreement - David Gollust, Voice of America
Iraq Repeats Insistence on Fixed Withdrawal Date - Ernesto Londońo, Mary Beth Sheridan and Karen DeYoung, Washington Post
Obama Victory Alters the Tenor of Iraqi Politics - Alissa Rubin, New York Times
RUSSIA / GEORGIA
Georgia Claims on Russia War Called Into Question - C.J. Chivers and Ellen Barry, New York Times
Afghan Awakening - Bing West, The National Interest
In September of 2008, Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a remarkable statement. He said, “I’m not convinced we’re winning in Afghanistan. I am convinced we can. That is why I intend to commission and... am looking at a new, more comprehensive strategy for the region.” Considering that the United States has been at war in Afghanistan for seven years now, clearly whatever our strategy is, it has not worked.
There has developed an unquestioning consensus that we need to do more. The Democratic Party, united in demanding a swift withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq, supports expanding the war in Afghanistan. The same is true of the Republican Party and the Pentagon. The mainstream press, while savaging the White House for lacking a sensible plan and sufficient troops in Iraq, accepted without question sending more troops to Afghanistan. And now that the surge in Iraq is winding down, a surge for Afghanistan is in the cards.
While US troop numbers will increase, we don’t know whether other NATO countries will provide willing and able boots on the ground. Regardless of NATO Europe, America must deal with Pakistan and the sanctuary for al-Qaeda and the Taliban that has festered there like a infectious wound. The corruption attendant to opium continues to tear apart the fabric of trust in Afghan society. Local military and police forces must be trained. Above all, we need to define our goals and acknowledge our limitations on this vital front.More at The National Interest.
Obama: ‘Taking the Fight’ to Afghanistan - Drew Brown, Stars and Stripes
A worsening war in Afghanistan - and a growing Taliban and al-Qaida insurgency in the tribal areas of nuclear-armed neighboring Pakistan - will loom large on the agenda for President-elect Barack Obama during the next four years.
On the campaign trail, Obama argued that the war in Iraq has drained troops and resources from the battlefield in Afghanistan, causing the situation there to deteriorate. He has described Afghanistan as "the war we need to win," and he has pledged to send at least two more brigades of US troops to reinforce the 70,000 U.S. and NATO forces already serving in the country.
Obama has also pledged to press NATO allies to contribute more forces, and he has said he will step up training for the Afghan army and police, as well as increase non-military aid to Afghanistan by $1 billion.More at Stars and Stripes.
US Says Taliban Put Afghans in Line of Fire - Abdul Waheed Wafa and Sangar Rahmi, New York Times
As Afghan officials reported more civilian casualties from coalition airstrikes on Thursday, witnesses to a strike that apparently hit a wedding party on Monday said the civilian death toll could be more than double the 40 reported so far by Afghan officials.
The United States military says it is conducting a joint investigation with the Afghan authorities into the strike on the wedding party, which took place in the Shah Wali Kot district of the southern province of Kandahar, where the Taliban insurgency has been strong.
On Thursday, American officials offered their first account of the events, saying that insurgents had prevented civilians from fleeing the area, trapping them in a firefight pitting coalition and Afghan Army forces against the militants who had ambushed those forces.More at The New York Times.
Afghan Aid to Insurgents Alleged in Attack on US Troops - M. Karim Faiez and Laura King, Los Angeles Times
A US military report released Thursday says at least two local Afghan officials were believed to have colluded in a July attack by insurgents on a remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan that killed nine US soldiers.
It was the largest loss of American troops' lives in a single land battle since the start of the war in Afghanistan in 2001. The intense, hours-long assault by an estimated 200 Taliban fighters, during which the lightly manned outpost was nearly overrun, also left 27 US soldiers and four Afghan troops injured.More at The Los Angeles Times.
Fragile Success Against Afghanistan's Opium Economy - Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor
A year ago, the province that surrounds this dusty town of onion farmers was Afghanistan's No. 2 producer of opium. Today, Nangarhar has eradicated opium entirely.
It is the most dramatic reversal in a year offering the first hints of progress against opium, with harvests declining nationwide.
Yet in the chalk-white fields above Ghani Khel, tribal elder Pat Zirak Mohammad predicts that Nangarhar's opium ban will not last. To grow anything other than poppy, his people need a dam to harness water from seasonal floods. But he is skeptical that the government will deliver. "If that doesn't happen, our people will again grow poppy," he says.
Through its bold attempts to ban poppy in recent years, Nangarhar has become the preeminent case study on how to wean Afghanistan from its poppy crop. Mr. Mohammad's words point to the difficulty of making success last.
In a country that produces 90 percent of the world's opium, and where opium is tied to rampant corruption and violence, the benefits of such bans are clear.More at The Christian Science Monitor.
IRAQ
US Gives Iraq Final Text of Draft Forces Agreement - David Gollust, Voice of America
The Bush administration says it has sent Iraq what it says is the final text of an agreement on a continued presence of US troops in Iraq beyond the end of the year. US officials say they accepted some Iraqi-proposed amendments, but that as far as the United States is concerned the negotiating process has ended.
Officials here say the final text was conveyed in a letter from President Bush to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and that while the US side may provide further clarifications it considers the negotiations over.
The two sides have struggled for weeks to reach agreement on a status-of-forces agreement that will govern the presence of US troops in Iraq beyond December 31, when the UN Security Council mandate for foreign forces in Iraq expires.
The draft accord would allow US forces to remain in Iraq for as long as another three years. The parties have struggled to agree on details such as legal jurisdiction over American soldiers who might commit off-duty crimes.
A senior US diplomat said Iraq late last month proposed scores of amendments to a tentative draft. He said the text the United States has sent back to Baghdad accepts many of the proposed changes, but rejects a number of others.More at Voice of America.
Iraq Repeats Insistence on Fixed Withdrawal Date - Ernesto Londońo, Mary Beth Sheridan and Karen DeYoung, Washington Post
Two days after the election of Barack Obama, Iraq's chief spokesman said with unusual forcefulness Thursday that his government will continue to insist on a firm withdrawal date for US troops, despite American demands that any pullout be subject to prevailing security conditions.
"Iraqis would like to know and see a fixed date," spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in an interview in which he also reiterated Iraq's position that American forces be subject to Iraqi legal jurisdiction in some instances.
Iraqi officials, who see President-elect Obama's views on the timing of a US withdrawal as consonant with their own, appear to be leveraging his election to pressure the Bush administration to make last-minute concessions. Dabbagh said negotiations to reach a status-of-forces agreement, which would sanction the US military presence in Iraq beyond 2008, would collapse if no deal is reached by the end of this month.More at The Washington Post.
Obama Victory Alters the Tenor of Iraqi Politics - Alissa Rubin, New York Times
Barack Obama may have been elected only three days ago, but his victory is already beginning to shift the political ground in Iraq and the region.
Iraqi Shiite politicians are indicating that they will move faster toward a new security agreement about American troops, and a Bush administration official said he believed that Iraqis could ratify the agreement as early as the middle of this month.
“Before, the Iraqis were thinking that if they sign the pact, there will be no respect for the schedule of troop withdrawal by Dec. 31, 2011,” said Hadi al-Ameri, a powerful member of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a major Shiite party. “If Republicans were still there, there would be no respect for this timetable. This is a positive step to have the same theory about the timetable as Mr. Obama.”
Mr. Obama has said that he favors a 16-month schedule for withdrawing combat brigades, a timetable about twice as fast as that provided for in the draft American and Iraqi accord.More at The New York Times.
RUSSIA / GEORGIA
Georgia Claims on Russia War Called Into Question - C.J. Chivers and Ellen Barry, New York Times
Newly available accounts by independent military observers of the beginning of the war between Georgia and Russia this summer call into question the longstanding Georgian assertion that it was acting defensively against separatist and Russian aggression.
Instead, the accounts suggest that Georgia’s inexperienced military attacked the isolated separatist capital of Tskhinvali on Aug. 7 with indiscriminate artillery and rocket fire, exposing civilians, Russian peacekeepers and unarmed monitors to harm.
The accounts are neither fully conclusive nor broad enough to settle the many lingering disputes over blame in a war that hardened relations between the Kremlin and the West. But they raise questions about the accuracy and honesty of Georgia’s insistence that its shelling of Tskhinvali, the capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, was a precise operation. Georgia has variously defended the shelling as necessary to stop heavy Ossetian shelling of Georgian villages, bring order to the region or counter a Russian invasion.More at The New York Times.
NEWS & OPINION NOTES
Afghanistan / Pakistan Tribal Areas
Death and No Progress Fighting the Taliban - The Australian
Petraeus Visits Bagram, Discusses War in Afghanistan - AFPS
Military Investigates Possible New Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan - VOA
Coalition, Afghan Forces Investigate Possible Civilian Casualties - AFPS
Coalition Forces Kill Insurgents Throughout Afghanistan - AFPS
Two Deadly Suicide Blasts Hit Pakistan's Northwest - Voice of America
Pakistan Officials: Missile Strike Kills 8 or More - Associated Press
Pakistan
Pakistan will Hang Cyber Terrorists - Daily Telegaph
Iraq / OIF
Iraq Orders F-16s, Helicopters - United Press International
In a Desert Camp, Iraqis Find Aid and Zone of Trust - Christian Science Monitor
Coalition Troops Target al-Qaida in Iraq Networks, Detain 17 - AFPS
Soldiers in Iraq Focus on Restoring Infrastructure - AFPS
Shell Secures 25-year Access to Iraq's Oil, Gas - United Press International
Iran
Iran's President Congratulates Obama - Washington Post
In Rare Turn, Iran’s Leader Sends Letter to Obama - New York Times
Iran Urges Obama to Change US Policies - Reuters
Iran's Youths Would Back Barack Obama - Daily Telegraph opinion
The Long War
Judge Is Told 6 Algerians Should Remain Detained - Washington Post
Judge Opens First Habeas Corpus Hearing on Guantánamo Detainees - NY Times
US Department of Defense
Keep Your Euphoria to Yourself, Soldier - New York Times editorial
United States
Bush Promises Smooth White House Transition - Voice of America
Bush Urges Support So Terrorists Can’t Exploit Transition Period - AFPS
Bush to Meet with Obama Monday - Washington Times
Bush Team Lays Ground for Obama Foreign Policy - Washington Times
Political Experts Say Obama Faces Major Challenges - Voice of America
American Power and the Obama Presidency - United Press International
World Leaders Vie to be Friends with Obama - The Times
Harper, Obama Find 'Common Ground' - Toronto Star
Taking a World View of Obama's Election - Washington Times
New World Order - The Times editorial
Obama's Foreign Policy Picks - Los Angeles Times opinion
Obama Needs a Strong Foreign Policy - Wall Street Journal opinion
The Global Grand Bargain - Foreign Policy opinion
Obama's Russia Test - Wall Street Journal opinion
World
Catholics and Muslims Pledge to Improve Links - New York Times
Africa
Africans' Hopes Surge with Obama's Win - Los Angeles Times
UN Chief Calls for Halt to Hostilities in Eastern DRC - Voice of America
UN Chief, African Leaders Discuss Congo Crisis - Associated Press
DR Congo Accuses UN Over Killings - BBC News
Renewed Fighting Ahead of Congo Peace Summit - The Times
Congo 'Worst War Since WWII' - Toronto Star
Congo Violence as Kenya to Hold Talks - Agence France-Presse
Eastern Congo's Quagmire - Washington Times opinion
Obstacles Stalling Peace Deal in Sudan - United Press International
Ethiopia Issues Terror Warning - Voice of America
Ethiopia Arrests 'Bomb Plotters' - BBC News
Opposition Says Zimbabwe Talks at 'Full Stop' - Voice of America
Mugabe Bank Accused of Stealing Aid Cash - The Times
Rwandan Genocide - Washington Times opinion
Americas
More Drug Related Violence in Mexico - The Australian
Citizen Suspicion Surrounds Mexico Plane Crash - Los Angeles Times
In Colombia, Army Acknowledges Civilian Killings - Christian Science Monitor
Asia Pacific
In Milestone, Taiwan's President Meets Key Chinese Envoy - Washington Post
Chinese Envoy Meets with Taiwan's President - Los Angeles Times
China and Taiwan: Where From Here? - Daily Telegraph editorial
China's 'Action Plan' on Human Rights Meets with Skepticism - Los Angeles Times
Tibetan Envoys Leave China After 8th Meeting - New York Times
North Korea Tries to Show Its Leader Is Healthy and in Control - New York Times
N. Korea: 'Ready to Deal with' Obama Administration - Associated Press
Pyongyang Panic - Foreign Policy opinion
A Smarter North Korea Policy - Christian Science Monitor opinion
Philippine President Calls for Vigilance - United Press International
Submarines Stay at Core of Australia's Defence - The Australian
Malaysian Court Frees Blogger - New York Times
The Caucasus
Minibus Bomb Kills at Least 8 in Restive Russian Region - New York Times
Europe
Putin 'Could Return as President' - Daily Telegraph
Medvedev Speech Sparks Rumor of Putin’s Return - New York Times
US Makes New Proposals to Russia on Missile Defense, Strategic Arms - VOA
Europe, Not the US, Can Get Russia to Behave - Christian Science Monitor opinion
Middle East
No Mideast Deal Under Bush, White House Says - Washington Post
Rice Faces Limited Prospects for Peace Process - New York Times
Rice in Israel as Chances for Year-End Peace Agreement Fade - VOA
Year-end Peace Deal Unlikely - Associated Press
Saudis Protest Detentions With Hunger - Washington Post
Saudis on Strike - Washington Post editorial
Syria Accuses Militants in Lebanon Bombing - Reuters
Syria Airs Car Bomb 'Confessions' - BBC News
South Asia
Second Day of Curfew in Kashmir - BBC News
Afghanistan / Pakistan Tribal Areas
Death and No Progress Fighting the Taliban - The Australian
Petraeus Visits Bagram, Discusses War in Afghanistan - AFPS
Military Investigates Possible New Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan - VOA
Coalition, Afghan Forces Investigate Possible Civilian Casualties - AFPS
Coalition Forces Kill Insurgents Throughout Afghanistan - AFPS
Two Deadly Suicide Blasts Hit Pakistan's Northwest - Voice of America
Pakistan Officials: Missile Strike Kills 8 or More - Associated Press
Pakistan
Pakistan will Hang Cyber Terrorists - Daily Telegaph
Iraq / OIF
Iraq Orders F-16s, Helicopters - United Press International
In a Desert Camp, Iraqis Find Aid and Zone of Trust - Christian Science Monitor
Coalition Troops Target al-Qaida in Iraq Networks, Detain 17 - AFPS
Soldiers in Iraq Focus on Restoring Infrastructure - AFPS
Shell Secures 25-year Access to Iraq's Oil, Gas - United Press International
Iran
Iran's President Congratulates Obama - Washington Post
In Rare Turn, Iran’s Leader Sends Letter to Obama - New York Times
Iran Urges Obama to Change US Policies - Reuters
Iran's Youths Would Back Barack Obama - Daily Telegraph opinion
The Long War
Judge Is Told 6 Algerians Should Remain Detained - Washington Post
Judge Opens First Habeas Corpus Hearing on Guantánamo Detainees - NY Times
US Department of Defense
Keep Your Euphoria to Yourself, Soldier - New York Times editorial
United States
Bush Promises Smooth White House Transition - Voice of America
Bush Urges Support So Terrorists Can’t Exploit Transition Period - AFPS
Bush to Meet with Obama Monday - Washington Times
Bush Team Lays Ground for Obama Foreign Policy - Washington Times
Political Experts Say Obama Faces Major Challenges - Voice of America
American Power and the Obama Presidency - United Press International
World Leaders Vie to be Friends with Obama - The Times
Harper, Obama Find 'Common Ground' - Toronto Star
Taking a World View of Obama's Election - Washington Times
New World Order - The Times editorial
Obama's Foreign Policy Picks - Los Angeles Times opinion
Obama Needs a Strong Foreign Policy - Wall Street Journal opinion
The Global Grand Bargain - Foreign Policy opinion
Obama's Russia Test - Wall Street Journal opinion
World
Catholics and Muslims Pledge to Improve Links - New York Times
Africa
Africans' Hopes Surge with Obama's Win - Los Angeles Times
UN Chief Calls for Halt to Hostilities in Eastern DRC - Voice of America
UN Chief, African Leaders Discuss Congo Crisis - Associated Press
DR Congo Accuses UN Over Killings - BBC News
Renewed Fighting Ahead of Congo Peace Summit - The Times
Congo 'Worst War Since WWII' - Toronto Star
Congo Violence as Kenya to Hold Talks - Agence France-Presse
Eastern Congo's Quagmire - Washington Times opinion
Obstacles Stalling Peace Deal in Sudan - United Press International
Ethiopia Issues Terror Warning - Voice of America
Ethiopia Arrests 'Bomb Plotters' - BBC News
Opposition Says Zimbabwe Talks at 'Full Stop' - Voice of America
Mugabe Bank Accused of Stealing Aid Cash - The Times
Rwandan Genocide - Washington Times opinion
Americas
More Drug Related Violence in Mexico - The Australian
Citizen Suspicion Surrounds Mexico Plane Crash - Los Angeles Times
In Colombia, Army Acknowledges Civilian Killings - Christian Science Monitor
Asia Pacific
In Milestone, Taiwan's President Meets Key Chinese Envoy - Washington Post
Chinese Envoy Meets with Taiwan's President - Los Angeles Times
China and Taiwan: Where From Here? - Daily Telegraph editorial
China's 'Action Plan' on Human Rights Meets with Skepticism - Los Angeles Times
Tibetan Envoys Leave China After 8th Meeting - New York Times
North Korea Tries to Show Its Leader Is Healthy and in Control - New York Times
N. Korea: 'Ready to Deal with' Obama Administration - Associated Press
Pyongyang Panic - Foreign Policy opinion
A Smarter North Korea Policy - Christian Science Monitor opinion
Philippine President Calls for Vigilance - United Press International
Submarines Stay at Core of Australia's Defence - The Australian
Malaysian Court Frees Blogger - New York Times
The Caucasus
Minibus Bomb Kills at Least 8 in Restive Russian Region - New York Times
Europe
Putin 'Could Return as President' - Daily Telegraph
Medvedev Speech Sparks Rumor of Putin’s Return - New York Times
US Makes New Proposals to Russia on Missile Defense, Strategic Arms - VOA
Europe, Not the US, Can Get Russia to Behave - Christian Science Monitor opinion
Middle East
No Mideast Deal Under Bush, White House Says - Washington Post
Rice Faces Limited Prospects for Peace Process - New York Times
Rice in Israel as Chances for Year-End Peace Agreement Fade - VOA
Year-end Peace Deal Unlikely - Associated Press
Saudis Protest Detentions With Hunger - Washington Post
Saudis on Strike - Washington Post editorial
Syria Accuses Militants in Lebanon Bombing - Reuters
Syria Airs Car Bomb 'Confessions' - BBC News
South Asia
Second Day of Curfew in Kashmir - BBC News
Lesson for the GOP: 'Conservative' Isn't Just 'Religious Right'
U.S. review likely to say Afghanistan situation 'di
Hiring Emanuel shows Obama's hand - If you hire a shark, does that make you a shark?
Obama's chief a closet hawk? Emanuel's support of Israel, Iraq war could generate White House tension
Obama: The scent of hope - Israeli perspective
Iran to Obama: Show clear sign of change
Obama to Iran: Iran must stop aiding terror groups - "nuclear-armed Iran would be "unacceptable"
Israeli Defense Minister Barak: All options open regarding Iran
Israeli FM Livni Issues First Polite Warning to Obama: Not to open dialogue with Iran
Exploratory drilling for oil in Judean Desert passes final hurdle: there could be as much as 6.5 million barrels' worth
Israel sets new rules on Lebanon targets: In any future conflict with Hizbullah, IDF would target entire Lebanese infrastructure
The transition from one president to the next has grown smoother over American history. Laws now guide the transfer of power, and President Bush has vowed to keep President-elect Obama "fully informed" on important decisions. Yet history has shown that any interregnum can be ripe for chaos and the awkward jockeying for power.
AFGHANISTAN
US Acknowledges 37 Afghan Civilians Killed in Fighting Last Week - M. Karim Faiez and Laura King, Los Angeles Times
Report Details Attack on GIs in Afghanistan - Kent Harris and Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
US Electricity Project Forges Ahead Despite Afghan Terrain and Taliban - Carlotta Gall, New York Times
IRAQ
Self-Sufficiency Still Eludes Domestic Security Forces - Mary Beth Sheridan and Ernesto Londońo, Washington Post
THE LONG WAR
Obama to Face a Third War, Against Stateless Extremist Networks - Sebastian Rotella, Los Angeles Times
Report Identifies UK Terrorist Enclaves - Sean Rayment, Daily Telegraph
LEBANON / ISRAEL
Israeli Spies Linked to Murder of Hezbollah Chief - Uzi Mahnaimi, The Times
INDONESIA
3 Executed by Firing Squad for Bali Bombings - Peter Gelling, New York Times
COUNTERINSURGENCY
Why a Smaller Footprint is Good - John Adams Wickham, Arizona Daily Star
--Juliet Chung - Wall Street Journal
AFGHANISTAN
US Acknowledges 37 Afghan Civilians Killed in Fighting Last Week - M. Karim Faiez and Laura King, Los Angeles Times
The US military acknowledged Saturday that 37 civilians were killed and 35 injured during fighting last week in Kandahar province between insurgents and coalition forces.
Although the American statement stopped short of taking direct blame for civilian casualties in a southern province that is one of the country's most active battlefields, it demonstrated an unusually swift public response to claims of mass casualties made by Afghan officials.
The finding came just three days after provincial officials and the Afghan president's office asserted that three dozen people had died in an errant US airstrike on a wedding party in a village outside the city of Kandahar.
The city, the main population center in Afghanistan's south, was the onetime stronghold of the Taliban. Militants and coalition forces clash almost daily in surrounding Kandahar province, which is a center of Afghanistan's drug trade.More at The Los Angeles Times.
Report Details Attack on GIs in Afghanistan - Kent Harris and Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
The Army’s official report on the July battle in Afghanistan that killed nine paratroops and wounded 27 others is filled with details of heroism, desperation and a calculated risk gone wrong.
It begins with the decision to close down an "extremely vulnerable" combat outpost nearby and relocate to Wanat, a move discussed by the brigade for more than a year.
Ten months of coordination with Afghan officials about the land allowed militants to plan an attack "that only required refinement once the land was occupied."
On July 9, in the early morning darkness, the US troops and 24 Afghan paratroops established the vehicle patrol base.
Each day, locals warned the US troops of an impending attack.
"There was intelligence an attack would occur," the report found, "but this was to be expected for the Waygal District."
Troops expected a "probing attack" of around 20 militants. Instead, at around 4:20 a.m., the force of 200 enemy launched a complex, well-organized attack that first targeted the troops’ heavy weapons.More at Stars and Stripes.
US Electricity Project Forges Ahead Despite Afghan Terrain and Taliban - Carlotta Gall, New York Times
Five shipping containers marked with the Afghan flag, some of them still wrapped in plastic, now sit in the construction camp at Kajaki Dam, Afghanistan’s biggest hydroelectric project.
They hold the United States government’s largest single gift to Afghanistan of the past seven years: massive pieces of a new 200-ton hydroelectric turbine that, when installed, will double the electricity supply to the towns and districts of southern Afghanistan.
The $180 million project, which includes distribution lines and substations, is intended to reach 1.8 million people and provide jobs and economic renewal to the most troubled and violent part of the country.More at The New York Times.
IRAQ
Self-Sufficiency Still Eludes Domestic Security Forces - Mary Beth Sheridan and Ernesto Londońo, Washington Post
Lt. Col. Kadhem Jabar Kadhem, a veteran of Saddam Hussein's army, has the swagger of the top cop in the sprawling Dora market, one of Baghdad's most dangerous areas until US soldiers ousted insurgents last year.
"Ever since we came here, we've controlled the security by ourselves," boasted the corpulent, mustachioed national police commander, surrounded by a dozen Iraqi officers in new gray-blue uniforms.
And yet, even as he spoke, a US Army unit with a crane was lowering concrete barriers into place to protect his police station, at the market's edge. Kadhem looked startled when asked about the prospect of a US withdrawal, which could pick up speed given President-elect Barack Obama's plan to remove most combat troops within 16 months of taking office.
"Personally, I need the American forces to stay," Kadhem said softly, fingering his string of orange worry beads and describing how US forces helped with equipment and services. "The Iraqi government is still weak."More at The Washington Post.
THE LONG WAR
Obama to Face a Third War, Against Stateless Extremist Networks - Sebastian Rotella, Los Angeles Times
Amid the focus on the wars that President-elect Barack Obama will inherit in Iraq and Afghanistan, a third conflict gets less attention: the shadow war against stateless networks of Islamic extremists.
Terrorism greeted the previous two presidents early in their terms. President Clinton faced the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 and President Bush the world-changing attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"I fear Al Qaeda could try to test Obama," said a top Italian anti-terrorism official, who asked not to be identified because of the issue's sensitivity.
A weaker Al Qaeda, tighter US borders and the apparent lack of US support networks make a new strike on American soil unlikely, though not impossible, according to Western anti-terrorism officials. Instead, the foremost possible scenario is an attack on US targets in Europe similar to the alleged plots against American troops in Germany last year and transatlantic flights from London in 2006.More at The Los Angeles Times
Report Identifies UK Terrorist Enclaves - Sean Rayment, Daily Telegraph
Secret enclaves of al-Qaeda extremists based in London, Birmingham and Luton are planning mass-casualty attacks in Britain, according to a leaked Government intelligence report.
The document, which was drawn up by the intelligence branch of the Ministry of Defence, MI5 and Special Branch, states that "some thousands" of extremists are active in the UK. They are predominantly UK-born and aged between 18 and 30, and many are believed to have been trained in overseas terrorist camps.
Under the heading "International Terrorism", the report, which is marked "restricted" states: "For the foreseeable future the UK will continue to be a high-priority target for international terrorists aligned with al-Qaeda. It will face a threat from British nationals, including Muslim converts, and UK-based foreign terrorists, as well as terrorists planning attacks from abroad."
The report states that the threat from the Islamist extremist community in the UK is "diverse and widely distributed" but adds that the numbers of terrorist in Britain is "difficult to judge".
The document does state, however, that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, which is based in MI5's headquarters at Thames House in London, estimates that there are "some thousands of extremists in the UK committed to supporting Jihadi activities, either in the UK or abroad".More at The Daily Telegraph.
LEBANON / ISRAEL
Israeli Spies Linked to Murder of Hezbollah Chief - Uzi Mahnaimi, The Times
Two brothers held in Lebanon as Israeli spies are linked to a team responsible for the assassination of a notorious terrorist leader, Lebanese security sources have claimed.
Ali Jarrah, 50, a Lebanese citizen, and his brother Youssef, from Marj in the Bekaa valley, were arrested last week by the Lebanese army, which charged them with espionage. A third suspect has also been held, sources close to the investigation said. All three face the death penalty.
The spy ring has been linked to the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh, a leading figure in Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite militia, who was killed in a bomb blast in Damascus in February. Hezbollah’s leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, blamed Israel for the attack and vowed to take revenge.
Mughniyeh has long been a target for Israel and America. He was responsible for bombing the US Marine barracks and embassy in Beirut in 1983, in which more than 350 died, and was behind an attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992, which killed 29.More at The Times.
INDONESIA
3 Executed by Firing Squad for Bali Bombings - Peter Gelling, New York Times
Three men convicted in the 2002 bombings in Bali that killed 202 people and spurred the Indonesian government to act more forcefully against Islamic militants were executed by firing squad early Sunday morning, the Indonesian attorney general’s office said.
Tied side by side to wooden posts, the bombers - Imam Samudra, Amrozi and Mukhlas, also known as Ali Ghufron - were simultaneously shot in a field on a small prison island off western Java, officials said.
The executions brought an end to years of uncertainty about the fate of the three men, who were convicted in 2003 but whose deaths was put off many times because of government fears about a political or terrorist backlash.More at the New York Times, Washington Post, The Australian, Agence France-Presse, The Times and Daily Telegraph.
COUNTERINSURGENCY
Why a Smaller Footprint is Good - John Adams Wickham, Arizona Daily Star
The time may be right for Americans to re-examine our policy to fight insurgencies. For many years, US forces and dollars have been used to fight insurgencies with a big US presence, including large bases, vast storage depots and extensive contractor activities. This approach has produced mixed results.
Local populations have come to view this large footprint as an infringement on sovereignty and believe that it has engendered wider conflict as well as insurgent support.
Given the probability of future insurgencies with the so-called global war on terror, pressures will persist for continued substantial deployments of US forces and expenditures of considerable resources rather than considering potentially effective alternatives.
As in Vietnam and now in Iraq and Afghanistan, US military leaders rightly believe that US forces are far superior in traditional military skills to indigenous people. So we naturally will try to take the lead in combat. We tend to give fewer resources to the alternative of preparing and supporting local forces to do the job.More at The Arizona Daily Star.
Afghanistan / Pakistan Tribal Areas
Canadian Journalist Set Free by Afghan Abductors - Washington Post
Iraq / OIF
Iraq Gives Religious Minorities Fewer Seats Than the UN Suggested - NY Times
Iraq Approves Minority Quotas on Provincial Councils - Los Angeles Times
The Long War
Madrassas Seek to Shed Terror Label - Washington Times
Legality of Detention May Be Considered - Washington Post
Report Finds FBI Handling Terror Threats Better - Washington Times
Mr. Obama's War - Washington Post editorial
Know Your Islamic Extremist Enemy - Washington Times opinion
United States
Obama Team Weighs What to Take On in First Months - New York Times
Now Comes the Hard Part - The Times
Between the Acts - Wall Street Journal
Job One - Washington Post opinion
What the Recession Means for Foreign Policy - Wall Street Journal opinion
Africa
Congo Army Advances Toward Rebels - Associated Press
Congo: Rivals Accused of War Crimes - Associated Press
A Makeshift Existence in the Congo - Washington Post
Mugabe Advisors Say MDC Should Control Police - Daily Telegraph
Americas
Mexico Kidnap Gang Kills Boy, 5, With Acid - The Times
Brazil's Lula Urges 'Global Solutions' - Washington Post
At Least 75 Killed as Haiti School Collapses - The Times
A November Surprise in El Salvador? - Washington Times opinion
Asia Pacific
Conservative Ousts Prime Minister in New Zealand - Associated Press
Children in Burma: Money for Molasses - Washington Times
The Plight of Burma - Washington Times editorial
Europe
Georgia Fired First Shot, Say UK Monitors - The Times
Russian President Calls Obama - Washington Post
Russian Nuclear Sub Accident Kills More Than 20 - Los Angeles Times
Fire on Russian Nuclear Sub Leaves 20 Dead - The Times
Spain Expels Son of bin Laden Who Sought Asylum - New York Times
British Veteran, 112, to Mark WWI Anniversary in London - Associated Press
Croatia in Chaos - Washington Times opinion
Middle East
Egypt Postpones Palestinian Talks Over Hamas Boycott - Los Angeles Times
Rice Praises Successes of Abbas' Security Effort - Associated Press
Saudi Arabia: Birthday Celebrations Banned as Un-Islamic - Associated Press
South Asia
An Artist in Exile Tests India’s Democratic Ideals - New York Times
Canadian Journalist Set Free by Afghan Abductors - Washington Post
Iraq / OIF
Iraq Gives Religious Minorities Fewer Seats Than the UN Suggested - NY Times
Iraq Approves Minority Quotas on Provincial Councils - Los Angeles Times
The Long War
Madrassas Seek to Shed Terror Label - Washington Times
Legality of Detention May Be Considered - Washington Post
Report Finds FBI Handling Terror Threats Better - Washington Times
Mr. Obama's War - Washington Post editorial
Know Your Islamic Extremist Enemy - Washington Times opinion
United States
Obama Team Weighs What to Take On in First Months - New York Times
Now Comes the Hard Part - The Times
Between the Acts - Wall Street Journal
Job One - Washington Post opinion
What the Recession Means for Foreign Policy - Wall Street Journal opinion
Africa
Congo Army Advances Toward Rebels - Associated Press
Congo: Rivals Accused of War Crimes - Associated Press
A Makeshift Existence in the Congo - Washington Post
Mugabe Advisors Say MDC Should Control Police - Daily Telegraph
Americas
Mexico Kidnap Gang Kills Boy, 5, With Acid - The Times
Brazil's Lula Urges 'Global Solutions' - Washington Post
At Least 75 Killed as Haiti School Collapses - The Times
A November Surprise in El Salvador? - Washington Times opinion
Asia Pacific
Conservative Ousts Prime Minister in New Zealand - Associated Press
Children in Burma: Money for Molasses - Washington Times
The Plight of Burma - Washington Times editorial
Europe
Georgia Fired First Shot, Say UK Monitors - The Times
Russian President Calls Obama - Washington Post
Russian Nuclear Sub Accident Kills More Than 20 - Los Angeles Times
Fire on Russian Nuclear Sub Leaves 20 Dead - The Times
Spain Expels Son of bin Laden Who Sought Asylum - New York Times
British Veteran, 112, to Mark WWI Anniversary in London - Associated Press
Croatia in Chaos - Washington Times opinion
Middle East
Egypt Postpones Palestinian Talks Over Hamas Boycott - Los Angeles Times
Rice Praises Successes of Abbas' Security Effort - Associated Press
Saudi Arabia: Birthday Celebrations Banned as Un-Islamic - Associated Press
South Asia
An Artist in Exile Tests India’s Democratic Ideals - New York Times
Monday on Antiwar.com
http://antiwar.com
http://antiwar.com
- Secret Order Lets US Raid Anywhere
- Obama Stifles Hope of Change on Iran Relations
- US Military Admits to Afghan Civilian Killings
- US Deaf to Pakistan's Protests Over Drone Strikes
- NATO Jets Kill Eight After Khyber Border Clash
- Obama Bids to Temper Expectations
- Report: Bin Laden Attack to 'Outdo by Far' 9/11
- Lockheed Touts Jets to Israel, Flush With US Aid
- Anti-US Sentiment Grows in Syria After Raid
- Justin Raimondo on The Russian Question
- Sascha Matuszak on Business Over Bluster
- Glenn Greenwald on Holding the Elites Responsible
- Andy Worthington on Guilt by Torture
- William Pfaff: Basic Lessons of Vietnam Still Unlearned
- Robert Fisk says Obama Has to Pay for Eight Years of Bush's Delusions
- Mark Perry on the Little Shop of Horrors
- Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad and Alejandro J. Beutel say US Foreign Policy, Not Islamic Teachings, Account for al-Qaeda's Draw
- Sami Moubayed: Syrians Stare Terror in the Face
- Stephanie Kale on Congo: The Costs of War
US Wants To Resume Nuke Testing To Retain Bomb Making Skills
Moscow (UPI) Nov 7, 2008 - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is all for a resumption of nuclear tests. In a key speech at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he said the United States could not maintain deterrence, reduce arms or modernize them without tests. Gates pledged to set up a special group under James Schlesinger, a former U.S. defense and energy secretary, to draft measures for the directi ... more
missiles
+ Vandenberg Officials Launch Minuteman III Missile
Vandenberg AFB CA (SPX) Nov 10, 2008 - Vandenberg Air Force Base officials launched a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile configured with a National Nuclear Security Administration test assembly at 1 a.m. PST Nov. 5 here. The launch was an operational test to determine the weapon system's reliability and accuracy. The missile's single unarmed re-entry vehicle traveled approximately 4,190 miles to the predetermined ... more
nuclear-doctrine
+ US has no say in Kaliningrad missiles: Russia
Moscow (AFP) Nov 9, 2008 - Russia's decision to deploy missiles in its western territory of Kaliningrad is an internal affair in which the United States has no say, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying Sunday. "I don't think the United States has any relation whatsoever to deployment of Russian systems on Russian territory," ITAR-TASS news agency quoted Lavrov as saying after talks with US Secretary of ... more
iraq
+ US combat troops in Iraq battle to defend savings
Camp Speicher, Iraq (AFP) Nov 8, 2008 - US Lieutenant Colonel Mark Grabski has been busy on the computer over the past few weeks -- not to follow the history-making presidential election but to check on his dwindling savings. "I had a list of icons, my favourites, the funds that are working with Thrift savings programme. Every single day, their rates were just collapsing," said the officer posted at Camp Speicher, north of the Ira ... more
korea
+ US And NKorea Talk As Obama And Beijing Begin Discourse
Washington (AFP) Nov 7, 2008 - A top US envoy has held talks with North Korean officials in New York about steps to verify their nuclear disarmament and deliveries of energy aid under the disarmament deal, a US official said Friday. The envoy, Christopher Hill, met for dinner Thursday with the delegates, including Ri Gun, director general for North American Affairs at the North Korean foreign ministry, State Department de ... more
Moscow (UPI) Nov 7, 2008 - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is all for a resumption of nuclear tests. In a key speech at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he said the United States could not maintain deterrence, reduce arms or modernize them without tests. Gates pledged to set up a special group under James Schlesinger, a former U.S. defense and energy secretary, to draft measures for the directi ... moremissiles
+ Vandenberg Officials Launch Minuteman III Missile
Vandenberg AFB CA (SPX) Nov 10, 2008 - Vandenberg Air Force Base officials launched a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile configured with a National Nuclear Security Administration test assembly at 1 a.m. PST Nov. 5 here. The launch was an operational test to determine the weapon system's reliability and accuracy. The missile's single unarmed re-entry vehicle traveled approximately 4,190 miles to the predetermined ... morenuclear-doctrine
+ US has no say in Kaliningrad missiles: Russia
Moscow (AFP) Nov 9, 2008 - Russia's decision to deploy missiles in its western territory of Kaliningrad is an internal affair in which the United States has no say, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying Sunday. "I don't think the United States has any relation whatsoever to deployment of Russian systems on Russian territory," ITAR-TASS news agency quoted Lavrov as saying after talks with US Secretary of ... moreiraq
+ US combat troops in Iraq battle to defend savings
Camp Speicher, Iraq (AFP) Nov 8, 2008 - US Lieutenant Colonel Mark Grabski has been busy on the computer over the past few weeks -- not to follow the history-making presidential election but to check on his dwindling savings. "I had a list of icons, my favourites, the funds that are working with Thrift savings programme. Every single day, their rates were just collapsing," said the officer posted at Camp Speicher, north of the Ira ... morekorea
+ US And NKorea Talk As Obama And Beijing Begin Discourse
Washington (AFP) Nov 7, 2008 - A top US envoy has held talks with North Korean officials in New York about steps to verify their nuclear disarmament and deliveries of energy aid under the disarmament deal, a US official said Friday. The envoy, Christopher Hill, met for dinner Thursday with the delegates, including Ri Gun, director general for North American Affairs at the North Korean foreign ministry, State Department de ... more
Russia Offers Missile Crisis As Welcoming Gambit To Next US Admin
Washington (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has just been handed his own version of the Cuban Missile Crisis - courtesy of incumbent President George W. Bush. Bush's policy of building a ballistic missile defense base in Poland to guard against the threat of Iran firing nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles against the United States has put Washington on a collision course with Mosco ... more
superpowers
+ Rice, Lavrov hold direct talks on US-Russia relations
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt (AFP) Nov 8, 2008 - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spent over an hour Saturday in direct talks covering the military superpowers' row over their respective missile defence plans. Rice and Lavrov spent about 80 minutes together at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, said spokesman Sean McCormack, where they are attending Middle East diplomatic Quartet talks with Israel and ... more
submarine
+ Russian nuclear sub accident kills 20
Vladivostok, Russia (AFP) Nov 9, 2008 - Twenty people died of gas poisoning and another 22 were injured in an accident on a Russian nuclear submarine in the Sea of Japan that revived memories of the Kursk submarine disaster in 2000. The submarine's nuclear reactor was not damaged and background radiation levels in the naval testing zone where the accident occurred were "normal," a naval spokesman said. "During sea trials of a ... more
stans
+ More than 30 militants dead in NW Pakistan violence
Peshawar, Pakistan (AFP) Nov 9, 2008 - More than 30 suspected extremists were killed in military air strikes and ground operations targeting Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants in northwest Pakistan, officials said Sunday. The highest number of dead was in the restive Swat valley, which was until last year a popular tourist destination, but has since become a battleground after a pro-Taliban cleric began a push to impose Islami ... more
iran
+ Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons 'unacceptable': Obama
Chicago (AFP) Nov 7, 2008 - US President-elect Barack Obama said on Friday that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons was "unacceptable" and he would "respond appropriately" to a congratulatory letter from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Obama, speaking at his first press conference since winning Tuesday's presidential election, also said the Islamic Republic must stop supporting "terrorist organizations." ... more
Washington (UPI) Nov 6, 2008 - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has just been handed his own version of the Cuban Missile Crisis - courtesy of incumbent President George W. Bush. Bush's policy of building a ballistic missile defense base in Poland to guard against the threat of Iran firing nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles against the United States has put Washington on a collision course with Mosco ... moresuperpowers
+ Rice, Lavrov hold direct talks on US-Russia relations
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt (AFP) Nov 8, 2008 - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spent over an hour Saturday in direct talks covering the military superpowers' row over their respective missile defence plans. Rice and Lavrov spent about 80 minutes together at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, said spokesman Sean McCormack, where they are attending Middle East diplomatic Quartet talks with Israel and ... moresubmarine
+ Russian nuclear sub accident kills 20
Vladivostok, Russia (AFP) Nov 9, 2008 - Twenty people died of gas poisoning and another 22 were injured in an accident on a Russian nuclear submarine in the Sea of Japan that revived memories of the Kursk submarine disaster in 2000. The submarine's nuclear reactor was not damaged and background radiation levels in the naval testing zone where the accident occurred were "normal," a naval spokesman said. "During sea trials of a ... morestans
+ More than 30 militants dead in NW Pakistan violence
Peshawar, Pakistan (AFP) Nov 9, 2008 - More than 30 suspected extremists were killed in military air strikes and ground operations targeting Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants in northwest Pakistan, officials said Sunday. The highest number of dead was in the restive Swat valley, which was until last year a popular tourist destination, but has since become a battleground after a pro-Taliban cleric began a push to impose Islami ... moreiran
+ Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons 'unacceptable': Obama
Chicago (AFP) Nov 7, 2008 - US President-elect Barack Obama said on Friday that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons was "unacceptable" and he would "respond appropriately" to a congratulatory letter from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Obama, speaking at his first press conference since winning Tuesday's presidential election, also said the Islamic Republic must stop supporting "terrorist organizations." ... more
Dogs of War: Contractors and Obama
Washington (UPI) Nov 7, 2008 - In the wake of Barack Obama's election victory many American private military and security contractors are wondering what their future will be under President Obama. It is probably better than they imagine. Recall that at the beginning of the year inveterate PSC critic Jeremy Scahill blasted Obama for being too sympathetic toward contractors. He reported that a senior foreign policy ad ... more
uav
+ Honeywell Wins First Production Contract For T-Hawk Micro Air Vehicle
Phoenix AZ (SPX) Nov 10, 2008 - Honeywell has announced that it has received a $65 million production contract for its Micro Air Vehicle, known as the T-Hawk. The $65 million agreement is for 90 T-Hawk systems. Each system consists of two T-Hawk vehicles and one ground control unit, spares, training for operators and maintainers, and field support. Hardware deliveries of the 90 systems will begin in the second quarter of ... more
disaster-management
+ Flood-hit Vietnam capital moves to contain disease outbreaks
Hanoi (AFP) Nov 7, 2008 - Rains again hit northern Vietnam Friday as authorities in the capital Hanoi moved to contain the spread of dengue fever and other diseases following the worst floods to hit the city in over 35 years. At least 180 cases of the mosquito-borne disease were reported by Hanoi hospitals in a six-day period, state media reported, as officials warned of other disease threats in neighbourhoods floode ... more
china
+ Calm returns to southern Chinese city after anti-police riot
Shenzhen, China (AFP) Nov 8, 2008 - Calm was restored to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Saturday after thousands of rioters attacked police to protest the death of a motorcyclist, witnesses said. Anger flared when Li Guochao, 31, crashed into a lamppost after a local official threw a walkie-talkie at him as he sped away from a checkpoint, the city's public security bureau said in a statement. Protests, led by Li' ... more
disaster-management
+ China rebuilds six months after quake, amid frustrations
Beichuan, China (AFP) Nov 10, 2008 - Rebuilding work is in full swing in China's Sichuan province six months after the worst earthquake in a generation levelled entire towns, but for some families, help is slow and insufficient. The magnitude-8.0 earthquake that struck the southwest province on May 12, leaving nearly 88,000 people dead or missing, triggered one of the biggest relief efforts in Chinese history. ... more
Washington (UPI) Nov 7, 2008 - In the wake of Barack Obama's election victory many American private military and security contractors are wondering what their future will be under President Obama. It is probably better than they imagine. Recall that at the beginning of the year inveterate PSC critic Jeremy Scahill blasted Obama for being too sympathetic toward contractors. He reported that a senior foreign policy ad ... moreuav
+ Honeywell Wins First Production Contract For T-Hawk Micro Air Vehicle
Phoenix AZ (SPX) Nov 10, 2008 - Honeywell has announced that it has received a $65 million production contract for its Micro Air Vehicle, known as the T-Hawk. The $65 million agreement is for 90 T-Hawk systems. Each system consists of two T-Hawk vehicles and one ground control unit, spares, training for operators and maintainers, and field support. Hardware deliveries of the 90 systems will begin in the second quarter of ... moredisaster-management
+ Flood-hit Vietnam capital moves to contain disease outbreaks
Hanoi (AFP) Nov 7, 2008 - Rains again hit northern Vietnam Friday as authorities in the capital Hanoi moved to contain the spread of dengue fever and other diseases following the worst floods to hit the city in over 35 years. At least 180 cases of the mosquito-borne disease were reported by Hanoi hospitals in a six-day period, state media reported, as officials warned of other disease threats in neighbourhoods floode ... morechina
+ Calm returns to southern Chinese city after anti-police riot
Shenzhen, China (AFP) Nov 8, 2008 - Calm was restored to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Saturday after thousands of rioters attacked police to protest the death of a motorcyclist, witnesses said. Anger flared when Li Guochao, 31, crashed into a lamppost after a local official threw a walkie-talkie at him as he sped away from a checkpoint, the city's public security bureau said in a statement. Protests, led by Li' ... moredisaster-management
+ China rebuilds six months after quake, amid frustrations
Beichuan, China (AFP) Nov 10, 2008 - Rebuilding work is in full swing in China's Sichuan province six months after the worst earthquake in a generation levelled entire towns, but for some families, help is slow and insufficient. The magnitude-8.0 earthquake that struck the southwest province on May 12, leaving nearly 88,000 people dead or missing, triggered one of the biggest relief efforts in Chinese history. ... more
Fuels Of The Future May Come From Ice That Burns, Water And Sunshine
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 10, 2008 - Move over, oil, gasoline, and coal. Researchers are describing key advances in developing new fuels to help supply an energy-hungry world in the 21st Century in the eighth and ninth episodes in the American Chemical Society's Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions series. Those fuels include "green gasoline," "designer hydrocarbons," "the ice that burns," and other sources that ... more
energy-tech
+ Southwall's Heat Mirror Insulating Glass
Palo Alto CA (SPX) Nov 10, 2008 - Southwall Technologies has announced that windows using the company's energy-efficient Heat Mirror insulating glass already meet and exceed the new US Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Star window performance standards proposed for 2013. To achieve its charter of establishing a level of energy efficiency that will transform the market and address America's increasing need to reduce energy ... more
gas
+ Turning Oil Into Bullets Part Two
Hong Kong (UPI) Nov 7, 2008 - Alongside their military deals, the People's Republic of China and the South American nations of Venezuela and Brazil have been cooperating extensively in the oil industry. In May 2008 the Venezuelan News Press reported that China Petrochemical Corp., or Sinopec, was signing a billion-dollar contract with Venezuela's state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela -- PDVSA. The contract provides for ... more
economy
+ Hong Kong property prices slashed in global slowdown
Hong Kong (AFP) Nov 9, 2008 - The window displays at the Hong Kong property agency where Stephen Poon works are bursting with cut prices, last minute reductions and cash incentives. But buyers were still few and far between, as the stumbling global economy has cut dead the city's five-year booming property market. "It has been very quiet," said Poon, a property agent for Midland Realty, a large city firm. "Before ... more
gas
+ Myanmar removes rig from disputed waters: Bangladesh
Dhaka (AFP) Nov 9, 2008 - Myanmar removed a rig from a gas-rich stretch of the Bay of Bengal on Sunday after Bangladesh sent warships to protest against exploration in the disputed waters, Dhaka's foreign minister said. Bangladesh deployed four ships and put its navy and armed forces on high alert after a South Korean company escorted by Myanmar ships began work in the area. Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Iftekhar ... more
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 10, 2008 - Move over, oil, gasoline, and coal. Researchers are describing key advances in developing new fuels to help supply an energy-hungry world in the 21st Century in the eighth and ninth episodes in the American Chemical Society's Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions series. Those fuels include "green gasoline," "designer hydrocarbons," "the ice that burns," and other sources that ... moreenergy-tech
+ Southwall's Heat Mirror Insulating Glass
Palo Alto CA (SPX) Nov 10, 2008 - Southwall Technologies has announced that windows using the company's energy-efficient Heat Mirror insulating glass already meet and exceed the new US Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Star window performance standards proposed for 2013. To achieve its charter of establishing a level of energy efficiency that will transform the market and address America's increasing need to reduce energy ... moregas
+ Turning Oil Into Bullets Part Two
Hong Kong (UPI) Nov 7, 2008 - Alongside their military deals, the People's Republic of China and the South American nations of Venezuela and Brazil have been cooperating extensively in the oil industry. In May 2008 the Venezuelan News Press reported that China Petrochemical Corp., or Sinopec, was signing a billion-dollar contract with Venezuela's state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela -- PDVSA. The contract provides for ... moreeconomy
+ Hong Kong property prices slashed in global slowdown
Hong Kong (AFP) Nov 9, 2008 - The window displays at the Hong Kong property agency where Stephen Poon works are bursting with cut prices, last minute reductions and cash incentives. But buyers were still few and far between, as the stumbling global economy has cut dead the city's five-year booming property market. "It has been very quiet," said Poon, a property agent for Midland Realty, a large city firm. "Before ... moregas
+ Myanmar removes rig from disputed waters: Bangladesh
Dhaka (AFP) Nov 9, 2008 - Myanmar removed a rig from a gas-rich stretch of the Bay of Bengal on Sunday after Bangladesh sent warships to protest against exploration in the disputed waters, Dhaka's foreign minister said. Bangladesh deployed four ships and put its navy and armed forces on high alert after a South Korean company escorted by Myanmar ships began work in the area. Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Iftekhar ... moreBush's Legacy: War & the Fall of America - Freemasons slam Bush!
Bush Secret order allows U.S. raids abroad: Using Special Ops Soldiers
Bankers and academics at top of Obama's donor list
The day the White House opens its doors to its first black incumbent: Bush and Obama to meet today
Yet another controversial Obama appointment: Sonal Shah has been part of group believed to have been involved in massacre of Muslims in Gujarat and carrying out sustained campaign against Indian Christians in Orissa
Who should rock Barack? At Inauguration
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/st...1716&page=1George W Bush sheds a farewell tear – but who was he crying for?
Why McCain Lost - Editorial by Michael Reagan - "Finally, the coup de grace was Dick Cheney's endorsement of John McCain in the waning days of the campaign, which gave Barack Obama the final nail to put in the coffin of McCain's campaign, which was striving mightily to distance him from the Bush administration"
Like the Dwights and Lyndons of Old, Baby Baracks All Over
By JENNIFER 8. LEEIn the last week, Barack, Obama, Michelle, Malia and Sasha have become inspirations for first and middle names across the United States, a trend even more pronounced in Kenya.
November 10, 2008 Editorial
So We’ve Got a Date?
There is no moving forward in Iraq without bringing Iran into the process something Mr. Bush has fiercely resisted.
November 10, 2008 Op-Ed Contributor
Will Obama’s Congress Be Too Friendly?
By ALAN EHRENHALTIf Barack Obama shows any early signs of being the ideological left-wing president John McCain warned of, he will be stepping into his own kind of political trap.
November 10, 2008 White House Memo
A Visit Both Historic and Perhaps Awkward
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGThere will be a subtext to the President-elect Obama’s visit to the White House: the personal chemistry between two leaders whose worldviews are miles apart.
November 10, 2008 The Caucus
Democrats Have G.O.P. to Thank, at Least in Part
By JOHN HARWOODA cautionary reminder for Barack Obama and his team: there is no assurance of such a star-crossed opposition in elections to come.
November 10, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist
Franklin Delano Obama?
By PAUL KRUGMANBarack Obama’s chances of leading a new New Deal depend largely on whether his short-run economic plans are bold enough. Progressives can only hope that he has the necessary audacity.
November 10, 2008
Obama Weighs Quick Undoing of Bush Policy
By JEFF ZELENYThe president-elect is poised to reverse some actions that President Bush took using executive authority.
November 10, 2008 The Media Equation
How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks’ Power
By DAVID CARRThere’s every reason to believe that President-elect Obama will use his network of supporters not just to campaign, but to govern.
November 10, 2008 Editorial Observer
Obama’s Call to Change: What Is Everyone Waiting For?
By LAWRENCE DOWNSAmericans who surged to the polls to give Barack Obama their votes are surely ready to give even more, to one another, if he asks.
November 10, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist
G.O.P. Dog Days?
By WILLIAM KRISTOLSo Barack Obama will be formidable. But conservatives should welcome the challenge. It could even be good for conservatism.
November 10, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist
Emptying Pandora’s Box
By ROGER COHENCrisis demands statesmanship, which cannot be composed of calculation alone, but must reach for the unquenchable in the human spirit. Hope.
November 10, 2008 Our Towns
On a Battered Avenue, Hope Is Quite Nice, for Now
By PETER APPLEBOMEA neighborhood in Mount Vernon rejoices over the results of an election that seems too much its own miracle to focus too heavily on what comes next.
November 9, 2008 Washington Memo
Harsh Words About Obama? Never Mind Now
By JIM RUTENBERGMany of those who said Barack Obama was anti-American or a friend of terrorists have been changing their tone.
November 9, 2008
- Obama Planning Trials for Gitmo Detainees
- Latino Vote Fueled Obama's Victory
- What Will The President-elect Try For First?
- The Importance of the Youth Vote
- Obama and Russian Pres. Medvedev Chat
- Biden Booed By Philadelphia
- Obama Offers Poland No Commitment
- Once and Future Presidents Meet
- Update on the MN Senate Race
- 2 Western Catholic Nuns Kidnapped in Somalia
- Explosions in Baghdad Kill at Least 28
- China Stimulus Interests Wall St
- Let the Campaign for 2012 Begin
- Government Provides New Aid to AIG
- Prelutsky: All the News That's Fit to Censor
- Paulson: The Great American Soap Opera
- Andrews: New Habits For Republicans
- Hillman: Election Reflections
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