HOME / today's papers: A summary of what's in the major U.S. newspapers.

Report Day

By Daniel PolitiPosted Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006, at 4:58 AM ET

On the day the Iraq Study Group will release its report to the public, the Washington Post leads with a few more revelations of what it will contain. According to the paper's source, the commission will advise President Bush to threaten the Iraqi government with a reduction of U.S. monetary and military support if it doesn't meet specific benchmarks. USA Today leads with the release of the ISG's report but also mentions the Senate armed services committee unanimously approved the nomination of Robert M. Gates to be secretary of defense, a story that tops the Wall Street Journal worldwide newsbox and leads the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. During the hearings, Gates said the United States is not winning in Iraq and warned that a failure could lead to a regional conflict.

RSS

The Post also got its hands on some correspondence and says some of the commission's advisers believe the war has already been lost. An early draft of the report stated that "there is even doubt that any level of resources could achieve the administration's stated goals, given the illiberal and undemocratic political forces, many of them Islamic fundamentalists, that will dominate large parts of the country for a long time." Bush got a preview of the report from James Baker, the commission's co-chairman, over lunch yesterday. The ISG will present the report to the White House at 7 a.m., and they will then go to Capitol Hill to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. At that time, the report will be made public on several Web sites.

The Gates hearing was very cordial as the nominee assured senators he would speak his mind to the White House. "I'm not coming here to be a bump on a log and not say exactly what I think," he said. He started with this trend by pointing out a few of the Pentagon's previous policies with which he disagrees. Gates was also sure to say that despite all the different Iraq reviews currently under way, "it's my impression that frankly there are no new ideas on Iraq," but he emphasized "all options are on the table."

Both the NYT and LAT publish analysis pieces that compare Gates' previous confirmation hearing in 1991 and yesterday's. In 1991, the hearings lasted more than four months and had thousands of witnesses. Yesterday, on the other hand, Gates faced a "congressional love-fest … for the simple reason that he was not Donald H. Rumsfeld," according to the LAT. And this point of Gates being the "un-Rumsfeld" is echoed in several pieces across the papers today. Slate's Fred Kaplan was impressed by the Gates hearing and says he "may well be that entity that Washington has not seen for many years: a truly independent secretary of defense."

The NYT fronts word from Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that he wants to hold a regional conference to discuss the future of Iraq. As the WP emphasizes, Maliki made it clear he wants the conference to be held in Iraq and not in another country as U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan had proposed. Everybody mentions the top spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq, Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, said the Iraqis would take control of their country's forces by mid-2007 and take over security responsibility for all of the provinces by next fall.

The LAT says most officials in Baghdad aren't giving much stake to the release of the Iraq Study Group's report, or any of the other reviews for that matter, saying they're working on their own solutions.

The U.S. military announced three American soldiers died in Iraq on Monday. The LAT catches word of a suicide bombing outside a contractor complex in Afghanistan today that killed two Americans and four Afghans.

The NYT reefers word from two sources that at least five Marines will be charged with the killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha in November 2005. It is still not clear when the charges will be made public.

The WP's David Ignatius is in Dubai, and he spoke with Iran's national security adviser, who said his country would only help in Iraq if the United States sets a timeline for troop withdrawal.

The WP fronts Rep. Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the future House majority leader, announcing that lawmakers will have to get used to working five days a week once the next Congress convenes. In the past few months, whenever the Congress was in session, the legislative week lasted from late on Tuesday to Thursday afternoon. Democratic leaders say they have put forward an ambitious agenda, which is why the extra days will be needed. On the other hand, as a Republican representative points out, the new schedule will make it difficult for freshmen lawmakers to get time in their districts to campaign among their constituents.

Page: 1 | 2 SINGLE PAGE

Disclosure: Slate is owned by the Washington Post Co. Don't understand Today's Papers jargon? Check out the Today's Papers glossary. Get Today's Papers free in your mailbox. Having trouble receiving Today's Papers?