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LONDON (Reuters) - Reuters named a new chief photographer for the Middle East on Thursday and said it had tightened its editing procedures after the publication last year of two photographs that had been digitally altered. The measures were among several steps announced by David Schlesinger, editor-in-chief of the global news and information agency, following an internal investigation that he said had resulted in disciplinary action. The two photos, both of Israeli military action in Lebanon during the war there last August, were taken by a freelance photographer, Adnan Hajj. Reuters ended its relationship with Hajj following an initial inquiry...

BAGHDAD, Jan. 16 — The United Nations reported Tuesday that more than 34,000 Iraqis were killed in violence last year, a figure that represents the first comprehensive annual count of civilian deaths and a vivid measure of the failure the Iraqi government and American military to provide security. Numbers of civilian deaths have become the central indicator for the trajectory of the war and are extremely sensitive for both Iraqi and American officials. Both track the tallies but neither will release them. This latest figure was the first attempt at hand-counting individual deaths for an entire year. It was compiled...

Faced with outrage over airing a video showing terrorists shooting and killing American soldiers in Iraq, CNN is auctioning off a Hummer it used to cover the liberation of Iraq in order to raise money for wounded vets. On January 20, the Hummer will be auctioned off by Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. in Scottsdale, Ariz. "We'll be donating all the proceeds to the Fisher House Foundation," said Jennifer L. Martin, a spokesperson for CNN. Fisher House is a program that provides humanitarian assistance to veterans of the Iraq War and their families. This announcement comes as the Stoney Creek Hospitality Corporation,...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Four Americans and an Austrian abducted in November in southern Iraq spoke briefly and appeared uninjured in a video believed to have been recorded nearly two weeks ago and delivered Wednesday to The Associated Press. The men — security contractors for the Crescent Security Group based in Kuwait — appeared separately on the edited video, and three of them said they were being treated well. They were kidnapped Nov. 16 when suspected militiamen in Iraqi police uniforms ambushed a convoy of trucks being escorted by Crescent Security on a highway near the southern border city of Safwan....

Muslims gathered for prayer in Baton Rouge said Saturday morning that they are upset deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s execution was carried out on a holy day. At the New Islamic Center of Baton Rouge at 235 E. Airport Ave., a congregation of a few hundred knelt and faced toward Mecca in prayer as Eid al-Adha, the most important feast of the Muslim calendar, got under way. Also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, it commemorates the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to forfeit all things to God, including the life of his son, Ishmael. “An execution on this holy day sends...

We can't publish from this rag so here's a link strictly for the purpose of voting: http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage Look for it next to the picture of a gesticulating Saddam.

Remember how MSMers such as Tim Russert recently taunted President Bush for claiming that Al Qaeda is behind much of the violence in Iraq? Well, this morning comes a report from a certified MSM source lending credence to W's assertion. NBC's Richard Engel, who nobody would confuse with a Bush administration defender and who only yesterday was deploring the execution of Saddam as "primitive and vindictive," appeared on this morning's "Today" to discuss the aftermath of Saddam's death.Asked host Lester Holt: "Lots of concern that there would be a violent response to the execution from Saddam loyalists, supporters. What...

The FBI is missing nearly a quarter of its files relating to investigations of recent leaks of classified information, according to a court filing the bureau made last week....

The most explosive and far-reaching news story of the year has nothing to do with underage pages and a certain Republican ex-Congressman. This story involves ignition in the streets of Baghdad and six immolations that probably never occurred. While Mark Foley took down a congressional majority, the tale of Jamil Hussein may end up permanently damaging the credibility of the world's premier news gathering source, the Associate Press... The story begins on Nov. 24 when Qais al-Bashir, an Iraqi "stringer" working for the AP, wrote a story in which he alleged that Shiite militiamen avenging earlier attacks burned down four...

Another search through different avenues has failed to turn up AP’s source for more than 60 reports of atrocities and murders: The AP (non-)responds and another search comes up empty.

The U.S. Constitution says that a president can be impeached for high crimes and misdeameanors. Knowing this, would you favor or oppose impeaching George W. Bush? Favor Oppose Not sure -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do you like George W. Bush as a person or don't you like him? Like him Do not like him Not sure -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you proud or ashamed to have George W. Bush as your president? Proud Ashamed Not sure What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word Oklahoma? Now some questions about travel. Are you planning to relocate to another nation for...

Iraq's interior ministry has formed a press monitoring unit in response to what it described as "fabricated and false news" that misrepresents the country's security situation. Singling out the Associated Press for criticism, spokesman Brigadier General Abdul-Karim Khalaf said yesterday that dedicated unit would monitor news coverage and even initiate legal action if journalists do not correct stories it believes to be incorrect. "Fabricated and false news hurts and gives the Iraqis a wrong picture that the security situation is very bad, when the facts are totally different," he said. He added that the media should consult the ministry's large...

Move over Santa. The red-clad philanthropist has lost the top slot on Forbes magazines' list of the 15 richest fictional characters to defence contractor Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks. Warbucks, a lieutenant general in the comic strip Little Orphan Annie, unseats Santa from the top position for the first time with an estimated net worth of $36.2 billion (19.1 billion pounds) with the conflict in Iraq boosting his fortune. "We still estimate Claus' net worth as infinite, but we excluded him from this year's rankings after being bombarded by letters from outraged children insisting that Claus is 'real'," according to a statement...

Nov. 6, 2006 issue - Robert Secher had a passion for history. Until his death in Iraq on Oct. 8, the 33-year-old Marine ... was making raw Iraqi recruits ready and able to take over the fight against the militants. Secher found the task exasperating and often discouraging; in e-mails and letters home, he expressed doubt that the Iraqi military would ever be ready for a handover, and criticized the way the Bush administration had directed the war. "Without the U.S., this army will fail and get eaten alive by the insurgents,"...he spoke of suspicions that some of his trainees...

Correcting The Record Myths V. Facts: Debunking Newsweek's Article on Afghanistan: “The Rise of Jihadistan” (October 2, 2006) INCORRECT NEWSWEEK CLAIM: “The 2003 invasion of Iraq did more than divert essential resources from Afghanistan; it created a test lab for new insurgent weapons and tactics that have since been adopted by the Taliban.” RESPONSE: The assertion that the Iraq invasion “diverted” resources from Afghanistan is a talking point of critics of the Bush administration. It is an opinion, not a fact.

Music videos around the world are intended for children's entertainment. But the Palestinian Authority (PA) uses music videos as a tool to promote hatred and violence among Palestinian children. In recent months, PA TV has increased the frequency of hate broadcasting aimed at children. One example of this escalation is the repeated broadcast this month of a 30-second music video depicting Israeli soldiers as cold-blooded murderers. In this fictitious scene, children are seen playing soccer, while actors portraying Israeli soldiers wearing yarmulkes (skullcaps) watch them from the side. Suddenly one of the soldiers moves over to the children and, after...