Saturday September 9, 2006

The Final Word: “Whiffs of Well-Oiled Flesh Edition”

(The media experiment in which we conjoin the headline and last paragraph of each bylined article in the A-section of today's New York Times.)

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C.I.A. Said to Find No Hussein Link to Terror Chief:

At the same time, Mr. Brooke said his organization was surprised at how little the American government knew about Mr. Hussein's government before the war, which may have forced the American officials to rely more heavily on the organization. "We did not realize the paucity of human intelligence that the administration had on Iraq," he said.

Suicide Bomber Kills 16 in Kabul Near Embassy:

As of Aug. 12, suicide bombers had killed 124 people in Afghanistan this year. Of those, 105 — 84 percent — were civilians, according to United States military figures released in a statement in Kabul last month.

Baby-Faced Mayor Takes Over an Aging Pittsburgh:

"I call him Cool Hand Luke," Mr. Cvetic said. "He'll be all right, but he's going to need a cool hand to get through this."

A Cleric Steeped in Ways of Power:

He was again rebuffed by Ayatollah Khomeini, who issued a scathing public rebuttal.

As Outsider, Lieberman Walks a Tricky Path:

"People treat the parties as if they are the only thing that matters," Mr. Lieberman said, adding that he hoped his run would show that there was a "higher loyalty to our state and our country."

Lieberman Points Out Turnabout by Lamont:

"This was the most difficult statement I have had to make in my 10 years as a senator," Mr. Lieberman wrote, adding a handwritten "Thanks, Ned" at the bottom. "So it is very reassuring that you feel I made the right decision in speaking out."

Before Speeches, a Bush Strategy to Regain Edge:

"This was the most cumbersome, because all of the material was so highly classified," Mr. Bartlett said, though Mr. Bush declassified some of the details of their interrogations in an effort to bolster his case that sometimes there was a need for what he delicately called "alternative" interrogation methods.

Other News

Fugitive Wanted in Shootings of 3 Troopers Surrenders:

"I would have to believe he's somewhat exhausted," Superintendent Bennett said after the surrender. "You constantly have to look around. You constantly have to look over your shoulder. I would say he's exhausted. We put a big chase on him today."

Washington School Still Feels Pain of 9/11:

"There is nothing but love up in that school," Ms. Brown said. "Genuine love."

Looking for Agreement on Tribunals for Detainees:

Mr. Schorno said his organization might announce the fact of the visit when it occurred because of the wide public interest in it.

9/11 Has Spurred Only Modest Changes in New York City and National Building Codes:

Jon D. Magnusson, a principal in Magnusson Klemencic Associates, a structural engineering firm in Seattle, said the institute's recommendations, if adopted, would only provide a false sense of security. "None of the proposals, had they been previously a part of the code, would have changed the outcome in the events of 9/11 or at Oklahoma City," he said. "You simply cannot out-build determined terrorists."

Sharapova Topples Mauresmo to Reach Final:

In tonight's final between two women known for their fighting spirit, nothing will come easy.

TV Review: Higher Learning in the Drug Trade for Four Baltimore Students:

The mystery that propels the season is that in the midst of a full-force drug war, there are no bodies so far. The opening scene on tonight's episode, in which a coldblooded street urchin buys a nail gun at a Home Depot-like store, is a wonder: a chilling exchange between a salesman and a customer about shooting nails. It's also our first clue. "The Wire" is a beautiful, brave series. This is its best season yet.

H.P. Chairwoman Aims Not to Be the Scapegoat:

On Friday afternoon, the company's chief executive, Mark V. Hurd, tried to raise the morale of employees through a videotaped and e-mail message. "Clearly things have happened here that are unacceptable," he said. "Building a successful company means we will have our ups and downs, and issues will come up. We are dealing with an issue now. I am resolved that we will work through this and take the necessary action."

Boston Tests System Connecting Fingerprints to Records of Immigration Violations:

"Eventually,'' Mr. Mocny said, "it will be all violators of all immigration laws. But we are going to give this 22 months to cook to make sure that we are getting it right."

International

Papal Homecoming: Benedict Faces a Fading Church:

"If you're going to hike five kilometers for a spectacle," he said, "I prefer rock concerts."

The Saturday Profile: Slovenian President Finds Peace and Wants to Share It:

More ominously, several politicians and at least one doctor have raised questions about whether diet and positive thinking really have cured Mr. Drnovsek, particularly after his fainting spell in June. "I'm no prophet," wrote Tine Velikonja, a retired surgeon who said he had spoken with the president's former doctors. "But I can say for certain that if Drnovsek insists on his vegetarian diet, he will not walk this earth in 2007."

Explosions Hit Indian Mosque, Stoking Fear of Further Violence:

Anil Kumbhare, a police superintendent in Malegaon, said that 29 people had died in the attack there. Reuters reported a death toll of 32.

U.N. Is Moving to Punish Iran, U.S. Envoy Says:

Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief, is to meet Saturday with Ali Larijani, Iran's nuclear negotiator.

Iraq Contractor Inflated Costs, Lawsuit Alleges:

The case is being brought under the False Claims Act, which allows the government to collect triple any damages that a jury might award. The law allows Ms. McBride, as a whistleblower, to collect anywhere from 15 to 30 percent of that assessment if her case is successful. Ms. McBride was not immediately available for comment, but Mr. Grayson said that she is a former lawyer who has two children and now lives in Los Angeles.

Iranian Troops Arrest 5 From Iraqi Security Forces on Border:

American military officials have said they believe that Abu Hamza al-Muhajir is the nom de guerre of Abu Ayyub al-Masri, an Egyptian explosives expert said to have trained in 1999 at a terrorist camp in Afghanistan run by Al Qaeda.

Sudan Agrees to Free U.S. Reporter Accused of Spying:

"I have every intention of resuming this assignment," he said. "I will be back in Africa."

Israel Ends Its Blockade of Lebanon's Coastline:

Israel failed to make Hezbollah do that by force in the recent fighting, however, and there is currently no political power inside Lebanon strong enough to compel the group to give up its weapons.

With Little Authority, African Union Force Struggles With Its Mission in Darfur:

"Clearly the short-term solution is to support the African Union force," Mr. Ateya said. "We need to think practically and put politics aside to find peace."

National Report

Schwarzenegger Apologizes for Ethnic Group Remarks:

Ms. Garcia praised the governor for recognizing "that I am passionate about the issues."

Interior Department Rejects Interim Plan for Nuclear Waste:

The Skull Valley partners offered that site to the Energy Department, but Mr. Parkyn said the Energy Department had not responded.

U.S. Paid 10 Journalists for Anti-Castro Reports:

Government spending on Radio and TV Martí — $37 million this year — has long been the subject of criticism because the broadcasts appear to reach only a minute number of Cubans. The Cuban government jams the signals. This year, the Bush administration spent $10 million on a new plane designed to transmit TV Martí more effectively.

Democrats Maintaining the Pressure on 9/11 Film:

That is the night that ABC plans to broadcast the mini-series' second half. The network said yesterday that it would most likely break into the telecast to show the speech and then resume the film.

Man Held in Abduction Case Escapes From Alabama Prison:

The prison from which Mr. Griham fled, the Staton Correctional Facility, is a medium-security institution surrounded by a 12 -foot-high fence topped with razor wire. It houses 1,375 inmates, although corrections documents show that it was designed to hold only 508.

Religion Journal: In Search of Common Ground? Get Thee to a Nunnery:

Mr. Steets said that, in the end, the discussion did not differ too much from more secular ones. But considering the setting and participants, he said, he would be open to more talk.

Shuttle, Delayed by Faulty Sensor, Will Try Again Saturday:

Before Friday's problem with the fuel tank sensor, the flight of the Atlantis had been delayed for nearly two weeks by a lightning bolt that struck the launching pad; by Tropical Storm Ernesto; and by an erratic electrical reading in one of three fuel cells that produces electricity and water for shuttles in flight.

Effort to Transfer Primates From One Home to Another Is Rebuffed:

Robert MacNaughton, a board member of Primarily Primates, disputed the accusations, saying: "The care of the animals has been good. It is good. It will be good."

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