Bush Administration scores major victory in Senate against Americans’ right to privacy, reaching an important “consensus†agreement with members of Congress to grant immunity to telecoms while providing little oversight:
- Senate and Bush Agree On Terms of Spying Bill (Washington Post)
Amid a very cordial tone, members of Congress throw softball questions at Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey and fail to press him on his knowledge of the NSA wiretapping and some other controversial policies advocated by former AG Gonzales:
- Attorney General Pick Treads Careful Line at Hearing (New York Times)
Former PM Bhutto is met with joy from over 250,000 Pakistanis upon her return from exile, however some unease remains about what her return means for the country’s political future:
- Bhutto Ends Her Eight-Year Exile (Al-Jazeera International)
“Beirut should be combining a foreign policy that stresses the refugees’ right of return with a domestic one that strives to accomodate their stay here as humanely as possible.â€â€”Daily Star Lebanon Editorial
- For Lebanon, Caring About Palestinians Means Protecting Its Own (Daily Star Lebanon)
Grassroots reconciliation efforts appear to make more progress than at the national level as prominent Shi’a politician meets with Sunni leaders in Anbar who reciprocate by expressing their willingness to meet with Ayatollah Sistani in Najaf:
- Reconciliation in Iraq Goes Local (Associated Press/Washington Post)
US Government watchdog slams Saudi for its violations of international religious freedom, including restrictions against Shi’as and women, but also recommends closing a Saudi-sponsored school in Virginia over concerns of teaching religious radicalism without requesting and analyzing their curriculum materials:
- Panel Urges Tighter Scrutiny Of Saudi Abuses (Reuters/Washington Post)
- Feds Recommend Closing Saudi School in Va. (Associated Press)
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