H/t commenter Lynx. CNN reports that a carbomb exploded earlier today at Barajas airport (Madrid, Spain). ETA claims to be responsible for it… ETA announced a “permanent” cease-fire last March, raising hopes for an end to nearly 40 years of separatist violence blamed for more than 800 deaths and thousands of injuries. In the autumn, so-called low-level street violence resumed in the northern Basque region — which ETA is seeking to make an independent nation — as pro-ETA...

The Archbishop of Canterbury came to Bethlehem where he would “address the issue of Muslim attacks on Mideast Christians and Arab Christian institutions…” In Bethlehem, you have heard reports of incidents in which Muslims have intimidated, shaken-down, beaten, and even killed Christian Palestinian residents of the city. Some Christians have reported that Muslims issued them death threats if they failed to sign over title to Christian-owned land. In Iraq, priests have been attacked,...

Joe wrote a magnificent, long post on the death of Saddam Hussein, former dictator of Iraq. If you want to read more on it, you can read my take on it here. Excerpt: [T]here is also the danger of growing anger. I talked to a couple of Muslims about this and they all seem to believe that it is America who is ‘behind’ Saddam’s death, instead of Iraq. They seem to consider the Iraqi government as America’s puppet. In fact, they seemed to be angry: not because they support Saddam,...

Arab News reports: A two-day conference organized by the Makkah-based Muslim World League yesterday called for a consultative commission in order to take legal action against those who abuse Islam and its Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Islamic sanctities, at local and international courts of justice, the Saudi Press Agency said. The conference titled “In Defense of the Prophet� called upon Islamic countries and governments to stand united to defend the Islamic faith and its...

Today’s literary quote of the day is W.B. Yeats‘ The Falling of the Leaves: Autumn is over the long leaves that love us, And over the mice in the barley sheaves; Yellow the leaves of the rowan above us, And yellow the wet wild-strawberry leaves. The hour of the waning of love has beset us, And weary and worn are our sad souls now; Let us part, ere the season of passion forget us, With a kiss and a tear on thy drooping brow. and the Rose of the World: Who dreamed that beauty passes...

Frank Luntz writes for New York Daily News: Pundits who have written off Rudy Giuliani are nuts. As he explores a 2008 bid for President, Giuliani sits atop the Republican pack in most polls – with support that will not quickly erode, despite his stance on some social issues. But look who’s right there with him in pole (and poll) position: another Republican with the gift of gab and a reputation for independent thinking. Enter Arizona Sen. John McCain, every bit as intelligent and irascible...

U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman writes for the Washington Post that the U.S. has to send more troops to Iraq. That those troops will be able to ‘win’ the war for the U.S. (and allies). Paul wrote something about this earlier today at TMV, I published my take on it at my own blog.

Via Pam’s House Blend. Pam writes: Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation put in his two cents on the prospects of GOP candidates who have been courting the Base. What Weyrich said, exactly: Weyrich, who has been involved in politics for decades, says twice Governor [Mike] Huckabee had him “on the seat of his chair” during a recent forum. According to Weyrich, the former Baptist preacher “can speak like no other candidate.” “He is dynamic, he is exciting,...

Jackie Calms writes for the Wall Street Journal that John Edwards’ campaign theme will not be Iraq… but poverty in the U.S. Edwards calls it “the great moral issue of our time”. Jackie adds: The North Carolina Democrat’s theme of ending the “Two Americas” of haves and have-nots dates to his 2004 presidential bid. Mr. Edwards didn’t win his party’s nomination then, but his strong reception among voters helped him to secure a place as Massachusetts...

Today’s literary quote of the day is William Shakespeare‘s Sonnet CXLVII: My love is as a fever, longing still For that which longer nurseth the disease; Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill, The uncertain sickly appetite to please. My reason, the physician to my love, Angry that his prescriptions are not kept, Hath left me, and I desperate now approve Desire is death, which physic did except. Past cure I am, now Reason is past care, And frantic mad with evermore unrest; My thoughts...

Bizzyblog reports that the U.S. State Department declassified a document earlier this year. In it there is, as T. Blumer calls it, “an admission”. The admission is that State has known for decades that the late Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the head of Fatah, plotted and supervised the 1973 murders of three diplomats: two from the United States (Cleo Noel and George Curtis), and one from Belgium (Guy Eid) who was apparently in the wrong place at...

Belarus plays the ball back into Russia’s court. That is the problem with inter-dependency. You’re, you know, inter-dependent.

Some attention to a few centrist blogs: The Ambivablog on (former) college kids moving back in with their parents, who are called ‘boomerangs’ by some: Actually, most non-U.S. young people I know live with their parents until they marry (and forever if they never marry), and near them afterwards. Looked at from that perspective — and from the perspective of the rending loss experienced by my own siblings when their kids moved far away to college — we’re sad. We’ve...

His last 30 days: An Iraqi appeals court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence against Saddam Hussein and ruled that the man whose brutal reign began in 1979 and ended with the American-led invasion in 2003 must go to the gallows within 30 days. It was the court of last resort for Mr. Hussein, who received his death sentence on Nov. 5 from the Iraqi High Tribunal, a court set up specifically to pass judgment on his years in power. No further appeals are possible, and his final legal recourse appears...

Iran has some difficulty with its oil production. Who does Iran ‘blame’? Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh has lamented that the development of Iran’s oil industry was suffering from US pressure. “Iran has been under different sanctions for years and many companies have not been able to cooperate with our country for fear of US pressures,” Vaziri Hamaneh said, according to the semi-official news agency Fars on Tuesday. “They even do not easily deliver some dual-purpose...

Immigrants from way back when Michael Linn Jones wrote an interesting article at the Gun Toting Liberal about assimilation: Assimilating; the act of blending into, is reversed in a bizarre mirroring of what normally accompanies large influxes of people. Instead of learning the native language and culure, it’s the other way around. The native population, which includes those born here as well as those who have endured the legal nightmare of becoming citizens, is to accomodate newcomers. You...

Some reactions (at the NYT) from (former) politicians / well known people to the death of former U.S. President Gerald Ford. Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter: “An outstanding statesman, he wisely chose the path of healing during a deeply divisive time in our nation’s history. He frequently rose above politics by emphasizing the need for bipartisanship and seeking common ground on issues critical to our nation. I will always cherish the personal friendship we shared.” U.S. President...

I’m well aware that quite some people have had enough of Jimmy Carter and his new book, but for those who are still interested in this, here is quite a good read about the role religion plays in historical American support for Israel, perhaps on the one hand, and Jimmy Carter’s views on the other. The question I pose to you today is: do you believe that the U.S. should be more critical of Israel, or do you believe that the U.S. is critical enough and that Israel deserves c.q. needs,...

Today’s literary quote of the day is from Emily Dickinson (poem 312 and 536). 312′ Her – “last Poems” - Poets-ended- Silver-perished-with her Tongue- Not on Record-bubbled other, Flure-orWoman- So divine- Not unto its Summer-Morning Robin-uttered Half the Tune- Gushed too free for the Adoring- From the Anglo-Florentine- Late-the Praise- ‘This Dull-conferring On the Head too High to Crown- Dadem-or Ducal Showing- Be its Grave-sufficient sign- Nought-that We- No...

Taegan Goddard published a (very) short summary of the political year 2006 at the Political Wire. It was a year of great power shifts. Democrats reversed 12 years of Republican dominance on Capitol Hill as they took control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections. Sen. George Allen was the insider’s front runner for 2008 and then became the first political victim of the YouTube era. Super lobbyist Jack Ambramoff went from the king of K Street to prisoner. And Rep. Tom DeLay went from...