
Bush Authorizes Covert Action Against Iran
This evening, ABC’s World News Tonight reported that the “United States has opened a new front in its showdown with Iran.” According to the report, President Bush has directed the CIA to carry out covert operations both inside and outside Iran “aimed directly at weakening the Iranian regime.”
ABC’s investigative correspondent Brian Ross said the CIA’s “non-lethal” program had received “secret presidential approval.” Officials told ABC the CIA plan “takes the place of proposed U.S. military action against Iran, reportedly advocated by Vice President Cheney.” Watch It Here
Bush declassifies al-Qaida intelligence
President Bush , trying to defend his war strategy, declassified intelligence Tuesday asserting that Osama bin Laden ordered a top lieutenant in early 2005 to form a terrorist cell that would conduct attacks outside Iraq— and that the United States should be the top target.
The information mirrored a classified bulletin from the Homeland Security Department in March 2005, reporting that bin Laden had enlisted Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, his senior operative in Iraq, to plan potential strikes in the U.S. The warning was described at the time as credible but not specific and did not prompt the administration to raise its national terror alert level. Read more here. [GOD it was hard not to comment on this story]
Pentagon Will Stretch Active-Duty Army Tours in Iraq to 15 Months
In a change of Pentagon policy, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Wednesday that all active duty Army soldiers deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan will now serve their tours for as long as 15 months, an increase over the standard year-long deployment.
In an acknowledgement of the strains the U.S. military surge in Iraq is having on the military, Gates told reporters that the new policy will be effective immediately on all units in the Central Command area of responsibility. The troops will continue to return home to their stations for not less than 12 months rotations. The rule will apply to all except for of two brigades currently deployed that have already been extended to 16-month deployments. Here's the full story
National:
RETREAT: Democrats Drop Troop Pullout Dates From Iraq Bill...
Congressional Democrats relented today on their insistence that a war spending measure sought by President Bush also set a date for withdrawing troops from Iraq. The decision to back down, described by senior lawmakers and aides, was a wrenching reversal for some Democrats, who saw their election triumph as a call to force an end to the war. A Democratic effort to include timelines prompted Mr. Bush’s veto of the original bill last month, producing a political impasse.
“We don’t have a veto-proof Congress,” said Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader.
Falwell Bomb Mystery
A 19-year-old Liberty University student was arrested late Monday night after Virginia cops found he had napalm-like devices that he may have been planning to use on protesters at Rev. Jerry Falwell's funeral, FOX News confirmed.
The cops were tipped off to the homemade bombs by a concerned member of Uhl's family.
Once officials found the devices, Uhl was taken into custody and interviewed. Cops said that Uhl admitted he planned to attend the funeral — which drew thousands on Tuesday — but gave no indication of intent to cause harm.
"At this time it is not believed that these devices were going to be used to interrupt the funeral services at Liberty University," Sheriff Terry E. Gaddy said in a statement. Get the details.
Gore responds
Tony Snow said today of Al Gore’s new book: “I don’t know if they’re going to do a reprinting of the book to try to get the facts straight. The fact-checkers may have to take a look at it.” Gore responded on a blogger conference call: “This book, unlike the President’s State of the Union Address, has been fact-checked.” Taylor Marsh has full audio of the call.
In Other News...
Iraq's military is drawing up plans on how to respond if the U.S. military withdraws its forces. "The army plans on the basis of a worst-case scenario so as not to allow any security vacuum," Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul-Qader al-Obeidi said. "There are meetings with political leaders on how we can deal with a sudden pullout."
$3.22 per gallon: The average price for regular unleaded gasoline, matching the record set in 1981. "Gasoline prices have rocketed $1.05 a gallon since the beginning of February and are up 33 cents from a year ago."
"At least 27 American citizens, including five U.S. servicemen and 22 private businessmen and contractors, are being held hostage by militant groups worldwide. ... Nineteen of the Americans held hostage are in Iraq."
"Despite a grueling pre-recess schedule, Senate Democrats may still press forward with plans to hold an unprecedented no-confidence vote at the end of this week on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. But a crowded legislative calendar, plus likely opposition from Republicans, could thwart their plans and delay a vote until after Memorial Day."
From The Right: Thomas Sowell: The Amnesty Fraud Nothing is more common than political "solutions" to immediate problems which create much bigger problems down the road. The current immigration bill in the Senate is a classic example.
From The Left: Stewart M. Powell: US Secretly Launches Second Iraq Troop Surge The Bush administration is quietly on track to nearly double the number of combat troops in Iraq this year, an analysis of Pentagon deployment orders showed on Monday.
Quote Of The Day: "I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a 9 percent approval rating." --Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, on Vice President Dick Cheney
(Sources: FOXNews, DrudgeReport, AP, USAToday, TownHall, TruthOut, RawStory, NYT, PoliticalHumor, PoliticalCartoons.com)
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