Terrorism

• Two suicide-bomb attacks in Iraq killed at least 75 people today and injured 113. They targeted a quiet residential neighborhood and Iranian tourists. — New York Times
• Amidst this wave of violence, the suspected leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq was arrested. — AP
• President Obama is pushing for more legal protections for Americans who use credit cards. — San Jose Mercury News
• Voter turnout in South Africa has been huge. ANC, the ruling party, looks headed for an easy victory. — LA Times
• Wildfires in Myrtle Beach, SC, have destroyed homes near the popular beach area. — AP
• A Senate intelligence report shows that Condoleezza Rice and Dick Cheney approved waterboarding as early as 2002. — CNN
• Fox News anchor Shepard Smith got so passionate yesterday condemning torture that one of his expletives had to be bleeped. — Huffington Post

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"An enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism." (Wordy!) "Go after." (Bush-esque.) "Ongoing struggle." (Lacks confidence.) "Win this fight." (Aggressive?) "Twilight struggle." (Sad, geriatric.)

President Obama's national-security team has been brainstorming a more precise (or nice?) phrase to describe the war on terror. What's the problem, besides the uncomfortable word "war?" Terrorism is a tactic, not an identifiable enemy, and it's considered inaccurate because it cannot be won by military means alone. In the parlance of Nancy Reagan's war on drugs, it's like saying the "war on syringes."

The White House says there's no official ban on the mutual use of those three words, but President Obama has only uttered them once (in a speech to the State Department) since inauguration. One administration official admitted they were looking for something a little more hopeful.

Considering the phrase "war on terror" is thought to have rallied terrorists, even President Bush shied away from it in the end. To find out what alternatives Bush used, read more

This weekend's elections may be a sign that democracy is flourishing in Iraq, but the security preparations don't exactly make for good voting PR. In order to keep "peaceful" in the transfer of power, Iraq will be on lockdown. Time has a rundown of the security measures, including:

• Iraq will seal its borders with other countries.
• Baghdad International Airport will be closed.
• Movement will be stopped in the center of the cities; only permitted vehicles will be allowed in downtown.
• Security forces will protect candidates and voters.
• Thousands of soldiers and police will be on the streets.

On Saturday, 14,400 candidates, including almost 4,000 women, will compete for 444 seats on governing councils for 14 of the 18 provinces. If Iraq's security efforts prove successful, it will bolster the government's contention that it can handle security needs on its own and may lead to a quicker withdrawal of US troops. Let's hope everyone exercising his or her right to vote stays safe this weekend!

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News broke yesterday that President-elect Obama plans on signing an order to close Guantanamo Bay perhaps as early as his first day on the job. Well today, the Pentagon cast a potential shadow on the plan, announcing that 61 ex-Gitmo prisoners have "returned to the fight." The Pentagon's spokesperson said: "The overall known terrorist re-engagement rate has increased to 11 percent" from 7 percent.

The Pentagon's assessment previews the challenges Obama will face while trying to close the controversial prison. While some detainees present a clear danger, the US admits that others, such as 17 dissidents kept at Gitmo because they could face death back in China, should be released.

Last night on the Rachel Maddow Show an Air Force major who defends detainees in Gitmo's US military tribunals said: "Americans would expect that the military commission would focus on high-level terrorists, people responsible for 9/11 and other serious terrorist attacks against the United States. In fact the early focus of the commissions has been on child soldiers, drivers, foot soldiers."

Do you think the Pentagon's 11 percent terrorist recidivism rate for those released from Guantanamo is enough to justify the prison, or should the US close it ASAP? And, to see the clip from last night's Rachel Maddow Show, read more

When the new season of 24 kicked off last night, hero Jack Bauer was the subject of a congressional investigation looking into his hasty executions and use of torture. The Telegraph quotes Bauer, who said:

We've done so many things in the name of protecting this country, we've created two worlds. Ours and the people's we've promised to protect. They deserve to hear the truth and decide how far they want to let us go.

Bauer's sharp turn left is now torturing conservatives, who appreciated 24 as a beacon of Hollywood hope in a sea of liberal films, actors, and TV shows. Vocal conservatives say that before Obama, the show took seriously the threat of terrorism, along with the necessity of using extreme measures to protect innocent Americans.

Do you think the show is kowtowing to liberal bullies, or is the plot just trying to stay relevant?

Photos courtesy of Fox

• French police found a bomb in the Printemps department store, after a warning about the explosive was sent to a French news agency. A previously unknown group, demanding French withdrawal from Afghanistan, has claimed responsibility. — New York Times
• President-elect Barack Obama continues to fill out his cabinet, naming the head of Chicago public schools Arne Duncan as education secretary and Steven Chu as energy secretary. — CNN



• Despite warnings of fraud as early as 1999, the SEC did not investigate Bernard Madoff, who was charged last week with fraud after he allegedly volunteered the fact that he took $50 billion from investors. — Washington Post
• A top high-school football recruit died in Mississippi of a possibly self-inflicted gun-shot wound, after a sheriff pulled him over last week. The NAACP has determined through its own investigation that his death was not a suicide. — Mississippi Press

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• A suicide bomber killed at least 55 people in Iraq today, after striking a crowded restaurant in northern Iraq. Kurdish officials and Arab tribal leaders were meeting there in an attempt to reduce historic tensions. — AP




• The House of Representatives passed a $14 billion bailout for US automakers today, but GOP opposition might derail it in the Senate. — CNN



• Every Democratic Senator and a number of Illinois leaders have called on Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to step down. Some state lawmakers are looking for a way to remove him from office. — Chicago Tribune
• While the UN has warned that Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic is getting worse, President Robert Mugabe declared that there is no cholera in his country. — BBC News

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