Cursor's Media Patrol - August 13, 2005

Knight Ridder reports that auditors have uncovered massive fraud in the Iraqi Defense Ministry, through which "senior U.S.-appointed Iraqi officials" appear to have drained sums "nearly equal to the estimated $1.3 billion allocated" for the Ministry's annual budget.

President Bush dismissed talk of troop reductions as "speculation based upon progress that some are seeing in Iraq," but retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey says that "by the end of this coming summer we can no longer sustain the presence we have now ... the wheels are coming off."

Greg Beato suggests that the White House's strategy on Sheehan may be, "The more followers her vigil attracts, the bigger the backlash," while Steve Gilliard thinks that "The more they use politics against Sheehan, the bigger their mistake becomes."

Three war protesters who had expected to be arrested when they "cut a large hole in the fence," walked onto a U.S. base in Germany, and "hung a banner," say they "weren't challenged by anyone" and eventually had to turn themselves in.

Michael Scherer explains 'Why Big Business Hearts John Roberts,' now that "corporate leaders ... have stepped up their efforts to shape the federal bench."