It's Me!

Well not really but my blogger nom de plume. It's in French, so I don't know how many of you can read it.

This Morning's Papers

• It's Iraq so another day another bomb. [LAT]
• A Chinese company makes a bid for Unocal - that's sure to freak out a whole bunch of people. Count me among the freaked. [NYT]
• Here's an idea - if the Iraqis don't get their act together on a constitution by February we start pulling out. [NYT]
• A whole bunch of countries get together and hold a "pep rally" for Iraq. It wasn't billed as a donor summit so we could be surprised with the little assistance that was offered. [WaPost]
• The Evangelicals have invaded Iraq too. They seem to be converting more Christians than Muslims. It's a touchy situation. [WaPost]
• In a Baghdad neighborhood the people start turning to a US patrol for help. It's a cute story reassuring even, but shouldn't the Iraqis be doing this themselves? [CSM]
• Israel tried to kill a militant the other day with a missle and missed. There had been a four month respite in targetted killings. [LAT]
• In Afghanistan there is a fear that Iraq style suicide bombings. [WashTimes]
• Since Bolton's been gone things have been better at State, but that may have more to do with a change in direction in the administration than the change in personnel. [WaPost]
• Try not to be surprised but a UN official has quit while being investigated for corruption...I know it's hard to believe. [NYT]
• We're going back to Vietnam! Military experts will train the Vietnamese Army. [WashTimes]
• The EUnuchs are taking turns beating up on Tony Blair. They better enjoy it while they can. If the CSU/CDU wins in Germany this fall Chirac could be the new whipping boy. [NYT]
• Mexican cops are corrupt and the Mexican press is scared. Not necessarily news, but harrowing and depressing. [Herald]

Today's News

• Better bombs (I.E.D.'s) means more dead GIs. Insurgents are refining bomb making methods... [NYT]
• Yet normalcy (damn you Warren G. Harding) begins to peek throug in Baghdad. [LAT]
• Dems are talking tough on W's Iraqi quagmire. Sure they have no idea of what to do but they sound tough. [WaPost]
• Egypt is sending an ambassador to Iraq - the first Arab country to do so. [USAT]
• Rice tells Syria to stop meddling... [WashTimes]
• ...after it knocks off another anti-Syrian pol. [NYT]
• Abbas and Sharon get together and leave bitter... [WaPost]
• ...but it's better than nothing. [CSM]
• Rice in Egypt Part III - not much new except the acknowledgement of analyst that without US pressure Egypts reformers would be going nowhere. [CSM]
• Rice also speaks up for women's rights in the MidEast. [WaPost]
• Remember Afghanistan? Some there thought that they would be in for a peacekeeping mission - Wrong! Really good piece. [WaPost]
• What could possibly unite the left wing and right wing parties in Nicaragua? A president who says that he is going to battle corruption. [Herald]
• The EUnuchs and the other eUNuchs agree along with the US that Mugabe's latest moves are reprehensible so Kofi is sending an envoy to tell Mugabe how bad he is. How much you want to bet that nothing will change? [CSM]
• In Iran "freedom" and "democracy" are "offensive". Rafsanjani tries to bulk up his moderate credentials. This story makes him look so good that it almost seems staged. [WaPost]
• Rafsanjani tried to impress students and failed. [NYT]
• This is interesting - the Iranian Interior Ministry, which counted the votes in the election, says that there was fraud. Won't change the run-off between the lunatic mayor and the retread Rafsanjani. [LAT]
• Vietnam's top trading partner? The US of course! PM Phan Van Khai is in US buying up Boeings and checking up on W. Not everyone is happy. [CSM]
• EUnuchs argue amongst themselves on who is to blame for their messy summit last week. [NYT]
• After some controversy a former Chinese diplomat/spy seeking to defect is granted temporary residence in Australia. [WashTimes]
• Pinochet had a mild stroke. (Not so) coincidentally there is a hearing today to determine if his immunity from prosecution should be stripped. [Herald]
• Worried about oil hitting $70 a barrel? Don't, we have so much on the way that we could all buy Hummers! I exaggerate but there is some potential good news. [CSM]
• UN official condemns use of rape in African wars. I thought this story was about UN troops, but it isn't. [NYT]
• The fact that something does not work in Mexico is not news, the fact that the popular AMLO is getting blamed is another thing. [LAT]
• N. Koreans go south and get really upset that there are protestors. Can you imagine W. getting upset everytime he sees a protestor. [USAT]

Today's News

• Defeated Iranian Pres. candidate is criticized by the mullahcracy and Rafsanjani swings to the middle.[NYT]
• Egyptian opposition doesn't really want to meet with Rice...[WashTimes]
• ...but she still pushes for democracy in the Mid-East. She even acknowledges American mistakes.[NYT]
• The US is excited about a conference with EUnuchs on Iraq...[CSM]
• ...and the EUnuchs say that they are doing their part[WaPost]
• Anti-Syrian coalition wins election in Lebanon.[WashTimes]
• Israel arrests 52 members of Islamic Jihad.[USAT]
• Lula embroiled in bribery scandal.[WaPost]
• What do the Downing Streets Memos prove (Part XXVI)?[CSM]