we dont negotiate with terrorists

* " Wade's company, MZM Inc., had at least one contract with an intelligence office inside the Department of Energy, according to a document obtained by TPMmuckraker.com.
But an invoice we obtained shows MZM performed "support services" to the agency's Office of Counterintelligence.
The Department of Energy protects many of the nation's nuclear weapons and energy secrets, including advanced research projects at Los Alamos, Livermore and other national labs. Its Office of Counterintelligence was created in 1998 to strengthen counterespionage efforts, particularly in the labs, where security remains notoriously weak." (link)

* emptywheel has a look at the Judy/VF article

* the good folks at ChoicePoint have decided to comment over at larisa's latest huffpo piece. they even call her a conspiracy theorist! (no direct link to the comment - scroll down to JamesLeeAtChoicePoint on March 15, 2006 at 03:45pm)

* apparently US and Iran to have a chat. laura here, emptywheel here, chris nelson:

After months of inflated US rhetoric on Iran which sounded a lot like the Iraq-war buildup, potentially the most important story in some time is confirmation by National Security Advisor Steve Hadley that US Amb to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad has been authorized to talk directly with Iranian government officials, and Iranian officials say they are ready and willing. But...Hadley and White House spokespersons warn, the US will only discuss Iraq security issues, not the nuclear weapons argument/crisis boiling away at the United Nations Security Council.

What may not be generally known is that the Administration initiated this Iraq-talks idea...several months ago. What we saw today was Iran’s decision to accept. Whether that action signals Iran’s understanding that international concern on nukes is harmful, or whether Tehran has concluded that it might be able to seek some advantage in any sort of bilateral engagement with the US (or both)...remains to be seen.

Given that Iran is in a position to make the US military situation in Iraq even worse than it already is, analysts take heart that the Administration decision, some months ago, to seek Iran’s help, by definition must be called “realism”, however mad the overall situation, and its causes.

(p.s. WE DONT NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS)