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Bush’s new Iraqi friend.
During his “surprise visit” to Iraq earlier this month, President Bush met with Sattar Abu Risha, the head of the Anbar Salvation Council who “has a rather unsavory reputation as one of the shadiest figures in the Sunni community.” Time magazine wrote that “Sheikh Sattar, whose tribe is notorious for highway banditry, is also building [...]

CNN: In His New Tape, Bin Laden ‘Comes Off Like An Angry Blogger’
On Friday, 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden issued a new videotape in which he said, among other statements, that he will “escalate the killing and fighting against” Americans. Yesterday, CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena compared bin Laden’s tape to the writings of an “angry blogger”:An obvious news junkie with a lot of time on his [...]

Rudy Giuliani:
“For me, every day is an anniversary of September 11.”

CRS: Bush Administration Has Intensified False Reporting On Al Qaeda Since ‘Surge’ Began
Attempting to drum up public support for the war in Iraq in July, President Bush referred to al Qaeda 95 times in a single speech, claiming the war in Iraq has become the central front in the fight against al Qaeda (AQI):There’s also a debate about al Qaeda’s role in Iraq. Some say that Iraq [...]

Snow: We’re no longer ‘getting killed’ in Iraq.
In an interview with the AP, outgoing White House Press Secretary Tony Snow claimed that the United States is now winning in Iraq:“If you had asked two months ago, ‘Is the surge succeeding?’ people would have said, ‘Ah, we’re getting killed.’ I mean literally,” White House press secretary Tony Snow said in an interview. “But [...]

Fred explains Anbar.
Fred Thompson “puzzled Iowans yesterday” by insisting an Al Qaeda smoking ban was one reason Sunni tribes have broken with al Qaeda:“They said, ‘You gotta quit smoking,’” Thompson explained to a questioner asking about progress in Iraq during a town hall-style meeting. […]Thompson’s tale of a smokers’ revolt baffled some in the audience of about [...]

Brooks: In His New Tape, Bin Laden Sounds Like He’s Been ‘Reading Lefty Blogs’
Last night on PBS’ The NewsHour, New York Times columnist David Brooks compared 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden’s latest video message to “lefty blogs,” saying the al Qaeda head is like “one of these childish people posting rants at the bottom of the page.” He then went to describe why he drew such a comparison:You [...]

Hagel to announce retirement.
“Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) will announce Monday he’ll not seek re-election next year. Hagel also will tell an Omaha news conference he does not intend to be a candidate for any office in 2008, clamping a lid on speculation he might be pondering a late-inning presidential bid.”

Introducing ‘Ideology And Terror’ Expert Donald Rumsfeld
Yesterday, Stanford University’s Hoover Institution announced that Donald Rumsfeld has been appointed as a distinguished visiting fellow. The AP reports:“Rumsfeld will serve on a task force of scholars and experts who will focus on issues pertaining to ‘ideology and terror,’ the conservative think tank announced Friday in a press release.”Hoover director John Raisian said Rumsfeld [...]

A crash course in spin.
The New York Times reports today that “General Petraeus arrived quietly on Tuesday night” in military housing in Ft. Myer, VA, “with a small team that included his brain trust.” “He has spent long hours in those quarters studying three large binders of classified statistics, maps and analysis, and will head to the Pentagon on [...]

EXCLUSIVE: Former Sen. Intel Chair Reports White House Misled About Wiretap Briefings
One of the long-standing deceptions involved with the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program is the White House claim that they fully briefed Congress prior to conducting these activities.After the domestic surveillance program was revealed in 2005, former Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham (D-FL) said that White House briefings that he attended in the Vice [...]