Galima Bukharbaeva: Listen Again to Her Uzbekistan Report

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I was reading about Condoleeza Rice’s trip to Kyrgyzstan and her efforts to secure ongoing U.S. access to bases there. She succeeded, but in the various reports, it was noted that she skipped Uzbekistan — where Americans have had a base which will soon be abandoned.

We Need to Do More to Help After the Pakistan/Kashmir Quake

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It’s clear that the world is absorbing a set of incredibly devastating natural disasters — the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the massive earthquake in December 2004 and December 2003 in Iran, the recent mudslides in Guatemala, the hurricanes in the Gulf (which pale in terms of lives lost but are on scale with general infrastructure…

I Nominate Patrick Fitzgerald for the Presidential Medal of Freedom

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I have no idea how this Valerie Plame leak investigation is going to come out. No one has inside information that is credible — because Fitzgerald does not leak. But he’s the sort who inspires all of us to understand that independent investigations mean independent. It’s fascinating to watch him operate.

Nobel’s Odd Choice: Mohamed ElBaradei and the IAEA

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Mohamed ElBaradei has just won the Nobel Peace Prize for his and his agency’s efforts trying to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. John Bolton must have a headache over this as ElBaradei was one of his targets when Bolton was Under Secretary of State.

George Bush: God Made Me Do It. . .

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Michael Moore has nothing to do with the following bit of news. Bush has been telling foreign leaders that God is talking to him and told him to invade Iraq and Afghanistan. Apparently, God also told Bush to get the Palestinians their state. Seriously. More later.

Miers: What White House-Hungry Republican Senators Think

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It’s remarkable to see how Republicans are dividing over Harriet Miers. By my count, these are the Republicans in the U.S. Senate who are considering running for President: John McCain, Bill Frist, Sam Brownback, George Allen, and Chuck Hagel. Let’s see what they have to say about Miers.