Still catching up, but this should finish the files backed up, plus a few newer ones.

NOVEMBER 7 MATTERED

This, on the soon to be history Republican majority, from a self-described “conservative.”

If there has been one constant over the past six years, it is that when given the choice between adhering to principle or retaining a share of domestic political power (via “party unity”), Conservatives - both cultural and fiscal - have sold their principles without a second thought. That is the reality of it. Period. Article

PERSIA POTPOURRI

The M.O. of the woebegone G. Walker administration — politicizing everything and twisting (or outright ignoring) their own departments’ and services’ data — on display once more.

A classified draft CIA assessment has found no firm evidence of a secret drive by Iran to develop nuclear weapons, as alleged by the White House, a top US investigative reporter said on Saturday.

[snip]

A current senior intelligence official confirmed the existence of the CIA analysis and said the White House had been hostile to it, he wrote.

Cheney and his aides had discounted the assessment, the official said.

“They’re not looking for a smoking gun,” the official was quoted as saying, referring to specific intelligence about Iranian nuclear planning.

“They’re looking for the degree of comfort level they think they need to accomplish the mission.” Article

AFGHANISTAN SPIRALS

Post-modern medievalism.

The tragedy in Kabul is that by sucking so much of the stuff of global nation-building away from Afghanistan into the Iraqi vortex - where it is being squandered - the US-led coalition has created just the veneer of a democracy that barely masks so much of what is rotten in Afghanistan. Article

PROVOCATION ABOVE THE 38th PARALLEL

Limp, quack. Limp, quack. Six years of ignoring and bollixing up the situation involving North Korea — of unilateralism, ultimatums and called bluffs — exacts a further price in the form of a lack of confidence and cooperation among the U.S.’ allies.

President Bush, trying to stiffen global resolve to confront North Korea, failed to win South Korea’s support Saturday for a tough inspection program to intercept ships suspected of carrying supplies for Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and missiles. Article

IMPURE AS THE DRIVEN SLUSH

Diplomatic meltdown of the highest order. Where there’s smoke…

Saudi Arabia is threatening to suspend diplomatic ties with Britain unless Downing Street intervenes to block an investigation into a £60m “slush fund” allegedly set up for some members of its royal family.

A senior Saudi diplomat in London has delivered an ultimatum to Tony Blair that unless the inquiry into an allegedly corrupt defence deal is dropped, diplomatic links between Britain and Saudi Arabia will be severed, a defence source has disclosed.

The Saudis, key allies in the Middle East, have also threatened to cut intelligence co-operation with Britain over Al-Qaeda.

They have repeated their threat that they will terminate payments on a defence contract that could be worth £40 billion and safeguard at least 10,000 British jobs.

The Saudis are furious about the criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into allegations that BAE Systems, Britain’s biggest defence company, set up the “slush fund” to support the extravagant lifestyle of members of the Saudi royal family. Article

WHAT HAVE WE BECOME

Yuppers.

It’s hard to understate just how wrong Cheney is as a matter of law and how deeply delusional he should sound to anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the legal issues involved here.… Article