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Senators Still Unclear on Arar Rendition
After a top-secret meeting, Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) said they still have more questions than answers about why Maher Arar, the Canadian citizen whom U.S. authorities rendered to Syria, where he says he was tortured, is still on the no-fly list. (Globe and Mail)

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Private Contractors Performing More Government Functions Than Ever
“On the rise for decades, spending on federal contracts has soared during the Bush administration, to about $400 billion last year from $207 billion in 2000, fueled by the war in Iraq, domestic security and Hurricane Katrina, but also by a philosophy that encourages outsourcing almost everything government does.” A recent example is an American-funded project to clean up an environmental disaster in Tijuana, Mexico. (The New York Times)

Former CIA Agent Talks About Renditions, Torture, Iraq Intelligence
Der Spiegel has an interview with Tyler Drumheller, a former CIA agent who headed the agency’s European operations. Though restricted in what he can discuss, Drumheller has a fair bit to say about extraordinary rendition, torture, and the intelligence that brought the U.S. to war.

Three Gitmo Detainees Charged
On Friday, a U.S. military prosecutor filed charges against three Guantanamo Bay inmates. They will be the first charged under a new system for trying Guantanamo detainees. (Reuters)

Bremer to Defend His Iraq Record
“L. Paul Bremer III, former administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority, plans to point to unexpectedly chaotic conditions in post-Saddam Baghdad as he defends his record at a hearing on Iraq spending before House Democrats on Tuesday, according to sources familiar with his testimony.” (The Politico)

Gates: CBO Overestimates Surge’s Cost
“A report by the Congressional Budget Office ‘dramatically overstates both the cost and the personnel’ involved in President Bush’s decision to beef up U.S. forces in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.” (McClatchy Newspapers)

Foley Can Still Spend Campaign Cash
Despite the fact that he may be facing criminal charges related to his conduct and communications with House pages, former Congressman Mark Foley is still allowed to spend the money raised for what would have been his reelection campaign. The lax rules allow him to spend the remaining $1.6 million in his campaign account on anything he likes — like legal fees –, “as long as he can prove the expenditures are associated with him having been in Congress.” (Herald Tribune)

Doolittle’s Campaign Still Owes His Wife Money
Rep. John Doolittle’s (R-Calif.) campaign committee reported Thursday that it still owed his wife nearly $137,000 in fundraising commissions. “The consequence is that Doolittle now is soliciting contributions and planning fundraisers for his 2008 campaign that, in the early going at least, will be raising money largely to pay off his wife’s company, which is operated out of the couple’s suburban Virginia home.” (The Sacramento Bee)

Libby Trial Highlights Cheney’s Role in Wilson Response
Testifying last week in the perjury and obstruction trial of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Cathie Martin, Vice President Dick Cheney’s press officer, said that Cheney played a prominent role in formulating the response to Joe Wilson, a prominent critic of the administration’s Iraq claims. (The Washington Post)

Judge to Decide Whether Grand Jury Tapes Will Be Heard
A federal judge will hear arguments this morning regarding whether Libby’s grand jury testimony should be released to the public after it is used in the trial. Libby’s lawyers are arguing that releasing the tapes could jeopardize his right to a fair trial. (AP)

Calvert Land Deal Scrutinized
A town official investigating oversight problems in Jurupa, California “cited the sale of 4 acres of land to Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, without providing notice to other local agencies and the awarding of a contract without competitive bidding as two recent lapses.” (The Press-Enterprise)

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