
U.S. Launches Attack on Suspected Al Qaeda Members in Somalia
The United States launched a strike Monday against suspected Al Qaeda members in Somalia, a senior U.S. official informed FOX News.
The attack by the Air Force AC-130 gunship, capable of firing thousands of rounds per second, left casualties on the ground, but it is not clear if any of the dead were targeted terrorists, the official said. More here.
U.S. submarine, Japanese ship collide
A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine collided with a Japanese oil tanker in the Straits of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world's oil supplies travel, officials said.
No one was hurt in the accident that happened Monday night in the 34-mile wide straits, which are bordered by Iran and Oman and serve as the entrance to the Persian Gulf. Details here.
Blair refuses to match US troop 'surge' in Iraq
Tony Blair will make clear this week that Britain is not going to send more troops to Iraq even if the US pushes ahead with a "surge" of 20,000 extra soldiers.
The Prime Minister will insist that the UK will stick to its own strategy of gradually handing over to the Iraqi army, as it has been doing with success in Basra and the south. Read here.
Bush to Nominate Khalilzad as United Nations Ambassador
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced Monday that President Bush will nominate Zalmay Khalilzad to be the U.S. envoy to the United Nations and Ryan Crocker will replace him as U.S. ambassador to Iraq.
Both changes were revealed in news reports last week. The White House on Monday also issued a written statement of the president's intent. Heres the story.
National:
McCain Refuses To Raise Taxes To Pay For War: ‘I’m Not Sure What The Point Would Be’ In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was asked by Al Hunt whether he would support raising taxes on the very wealthy to help pay for a new $1 billion jobs creation program for Iraq that President Bush is set to unveil this week.
“I’m not sure what the point would be,” McCain said in response to whether wealthier Americans should be asked to pay more to offset the costs in Iraq. He added, “I’m not sure I would want to raise their taxes just because we’re in a war.” Watch the video
Democrats May Deny Funds for Iraq Surge
In a blunt warning to the White House, congressional Democrats said Monday they may seek to deny funds for the type of short-term troop buildup that President Bush is expected to announce for Iraq Wednesday night.
As Democrats began their first full week in the congressional majority, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he would "look at everything" to wind down the war effort, short of cutting off support for troops already deployed.
He said Bush's expected call for an additional $100 billion for the war would receive close scrutiny.
"We have a platform we didn't have before, Leader Pelosi and I, and we're going to ... focus attention on this war in many different ways," said Reid, D-Nevada. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., suggested over the weekend using Congress' power of the purse to restrain any troop buildup. More here.
In Other News...
President Bush's new Iraq policy "will establish a series of goals that the Iraqi government will be expected to meet to try to ease sectarian tensions and stabilize the country politically and economically," the New York Times reports.
White House "insiders" say that Bush had hoped to push for deeper tax cuts "in the next and future budgets, but the election of Democratic majorities in the House and Senate killed those plans." Instead, Bush will submit a budget that will leave little room for new add-ons without deeply cutting into defense spending or raising taxes.
On Thursday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will appear before the House Foreign Affairs Committee "to defend the war-strategy shift Bush will outline in a nationally televised speech." Additionally, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Peter Pace will go before the House Armed Service Committee.
From The Right:
Michael Barone: Storm approaching on the Hill
I think we're going to see a very loud and bitter clash, one that will contrast vividly with the graceful words of Pelosi and Boehner on opening day.
From The Left:
Robert Parry: Bush's Rush to Armageddon
"On January 4, Bush ousted the top two commanders in the Middle East, Generals John Abizaid and George Casey, who had opposed a military escalation in Iraq, and removed Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, who had stood by intelligence estimates downplaying the near-term threat from Iran's nuclear program. "
Thought Of The Day:
President Bush is putting a sailor in charge of two desert ground wars. A second aircraft carrier group is being sent to Iran. Like Dick Cheney, Israel has also drawn up plans to nuke Iran. Hmmm.
(Sources: SeattleTimes, FOXNews, TruthOut, MSNBC, TownHall, ThinkProgress, AmericanConservative, TimesOnline, DailyMail, DrudgeReport, Bloomberg, Breitbart, NYT, USNews, WashingtonPost. AP)
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