Mullah Omar ‘is captured’: ‘Mullah Mohammed Omar was last night apparently being held captive as the Taleban lost control of their spiritual stronghold of Kandahar in a major breakthrough for the American-led coalition.
The Taleban leader was near the city in the custody of a warlord sympathetic to the fundamentalist regime, Khaled Pashtoon, a spokesman for Gul Agha Sherzai, a Kandahar commander, said.’ The Times of London
Caveman vs. Caveman: From his underground bunker, Cheney directs a cavern-by-cavern search for Bin Laden. LA Times
If anyone’s career may have been saved by the Sept. 11th shift in national preoccupations, it’s this guy. Washington Post
Al-Qa’eda arms wives in defence of Tora Bora. [Do they finally get it about women holding up half the sky??] Telegraph UK
‘The only meaning of the phrase “Judeo-Christian,” it seems, is the fusion of these two otherwise unrelated holidays into one big seasonal spree.’ Christmas for Jews – How Hanukkah became a major holiday. Slate
Who’ll Replace Arafat? ‘Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won’t order Arafat’s assassination anytime soon — the missile that exploded 50 yards from Arafat on Tuesday was a signal, not a miss. The rest of the world, including the United States, wouldn’t brook Arafat’s murder, and Sharon isn’t willing to make his nation a pariah again. Still, Israelis are ready for the devil they don’t know to replace Arafat. Palestinians, too, are worrying about who’s next when the frail 72-year-old Arafat does go, whether by Israeli missile, Palestinian coup, or sickness.
The short answer to the question “Who’s next?” is: Who knows? There’s no obvious heir.’ Slate
Mickey Kaus: “What is becoming increasingly, glaringly clear — even as, with U.S. troops engaged in combat, it remains unmentionable — is that the continuation of the war works in Bush’s political interest. It’s not just that Bush, as an effective wartime leader, is popular. It’s that as long as there is a war, Bush doesn’t have to worry about McCain. As long as there is a war, he doesn’t have to worry about anyone focusing too intensely on his nonexistent domestic agenda.
[…]
Prediction! Kausfiles will be roundly condemned as unpatriotic for this item. But within two months the essential point—that it’s in Bush’s political interest to keep the war going—will be such a staple of punditry that you will switch channels when you hear it.” Slate
Xmas Fir Trapping: ‘Before you shell out beaucoup bucks on a fir, pine, or spruce, you should know a tree’s reputation: “How long before its needles drop? Before its color pales and its scent dies? How do you spot a stale, must-avoid tree? Should you buy from a lot, cut your own, or order over the Web? And last, should you buy the same old Scotch pine that you grew up with, or is the tree of your dreams something a little more exotic?” ‘ Slate
Jacob Weisberg: Ashcroft Deconstructed : ‘As someone who was actually prepared to listen to Attorney General John Ashcroft’s defense of military tribunals and other security measures, I have to say that I was completely disgusted by his appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. It was an arrogant, bullying performance that went a long way to substantiating the views of his harshest critics. Ashcroft declined to be drawn into any kind of substantive discussion of military tribunals or anything else. To fair question after fair question, his answer was essentially, “Don’t you realize there are people trying to kill us?” He haughtily dismissed those of his former colleagues who dared to suggest they had some kind of standing to participate in a discussion with him. With his slurs against “Miranda rights,” “flamboyant” defense attorneys, and “Osama TV,” the country’s top lawyer suggested that our entire system of criminal justice is an unworkable sham. Sen. Chuck Schumer was right to point out that the only part of the Constitution that seems to excite his sympathy is the Second Amendment.’ Slate
Yes, It’s Been Warm. And Why? “The warm spell that kept New Yorkers in shirt sleeves (until
today) and gave the United States its second-warmest
November and the planet its warmest October on record was
caused by — well, climate scientists cannot quite agree.” NY Times
