thursday reads

A secret deal being negotiated in Baghdad would perpetuate the American military occupation of Iraq indefinitely, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election in November.


The US military's estimate of the number of US troops that will be left in Iraq after all US "surge" brigades are withdrawn is now 142,000, up from 140,000, a senior US military official said Thursday.


Dan Fromkin: Pushing Bush to Attack Iran


Siegelman Prosecution Continues to Unravel


Jon Swift on McCain: Make Sure You Have the Right Change


Papers Please

D.C. police will seal off entire neighborhoods, set up checkpoints and kick out strangers under a new program that D.C. officials hope will help them rescue the city from its out-of-control violence.

Under an executive order expected to be announced today, police Chief Cathy L. Lanier will have the authority to designate “Neighborhood Safety Zones.” At least six officers will man cordons around those zones and demand identification from people coming in and out of them. Anyone who doesn’t live there, work there or have “legitimate reason” to be there will be sent away or face arrest, documents obtained by The Examiner show.