Cursor's Media Patrol - 12/29/05

Citing NSA sources, Wayne Madsen reports that the agency has "spied on its own employees" and "other U.S. intelligence personnel ... without any warrants," in addition to monitoring "their journalist and congressional contacts."

Urging the Supreme Court to "order the prompt transfer of terrorism suspect Jose Padilla out of military custody and into a regular federal prison," the Justice Department charged that the 4th Circuit Court's refusal to go along "second guesses and usurps ... the President's Commander-in-Chief authority."

A Washington Post article on the Justice Department's move notes that the 4th Circuit, which "questioned the government's changing rationale" for detaining Padilla, "has been the administration's venue of choice for high-profile terrorism cases" since 9/11.

The CIA began "rendering" prisoners under President Clinton to "circumvent the cumbersome U.S. legal system," according to former counterterror agent Michael Scheuer, who told Die Welt that he personally developed and led the program.

A Los Angeles Times analysis, calling Iraq's election results "a bracing splash of ice water for U.S. officials," says that "the myth of a unified Iraqi identity may have finally been laid to rest."

Saddam's chief lawyer is reportedly offering President Bush advice on how the U.S. could end its problems in Iraq.

The Pentagon's inspector general has reportedly concluded that two U.S. military Web sites that pay journalists to write articles and commentary supporting military activities in northern Africa and in the Balkans, are not in violation of U.S. law or Pentagon policies. They're maintained by the Anteon Corp., which is being acquired by General Dynamics.