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Death Becomes Him

By Daniel PolitiPosted Monday, Dec. 11, 2006, at 5:02 AM ET

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Everybody notes the crowds keep on increasing at the protests by Hezbollah and its allies in Beirut, as yesterday hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered to demand an end to Lebanon's current government. The leaders of the protests noted time is running out before further steps are taken. Although no rumors have been confirmed, there are indications a campaign of civil disobedience will now follow. Meanwhile, the NYT emphasizes the country's prime minister, Fouad Siniora, told reporters he doesn't understand "what is this great cause that is making them create this tense political mess and stage open-ended demonstrations."

The Post fronts, and everyone goes inside with, Sen. Barack Obama's first trip to New Hampshire, where he was followed by sold-out crowds and a large group of reporters. He still hasn't announced whether he will run for president, and a final decision isn't expected until January. For now, the hype around a possible candidacy keeps building, and everyone quotes Obama saying he is "suspicious of hype." Slate's John Dickerson says it is a smart move for Obama to try to "temper expectations for his candidacy. If voters stay in such a deep state of affection, they may get disappointed some day when he doesn't walk on water."

When the CIA refused to grant a request from the State Department for the names of Iranians who could be sanctioned for involvement in a nuclear-weapons program, the agency turned to Google for answers, reports the Post on Page One. The CIA said it needed to protect its information, but the State Department wanted to push for sanctions, so it asked a junior Foreign Service officer to search for terms such as "Iran and nuclear." It's easy to make fun of the plan, of course, but interestingly enough, European officials also wanted to protect their most sensitive names but ended up coming up with a nearly identical list, even though they insist Google was not used.

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