Saturday, May 01, 2004
Step Away From The Computer
Light to zero blogging for the next 24 hours. My in-laws have stepped to the plate and will be watching the kids tonight so my wife and I can celebrate our wedding anniversary. We'll go out for a nice dinner (jacket required!) and spend the night at an Inn about a half hour away. I think they have web access, but thought better of it as my wife would give me the one-eyed-jack (AKA the stink eye.) We can't have that.
Blog you tomorrow.
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Light to zero blogging for the next 24 hours. My in-laws have stepped to the plate and will be watching the kids tonight so my wife and I can celebrate our wedding anniversary. We'll go out for a nice dinner (jacket required!) and spend the night at an Inn about a half hour away. I think they have web access, but thought better of it as my wife would give me the one-eyed-jack (AKA the stink eye.) We can't have that.
Blog you tomorrow.
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New month, same result
One year ago the President stood on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in a Rovian photo-op of vastly comical proportions:
Of course we know we are far from "Mission Accomplished" and the Administration's errors in Iraq are far from funny. May 2004 has begun the way April ended, with 2 U.S. troops dead.
Who is going to come up with the plan to stabilize Iraq?
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One year ago the President stood on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in a Rovian photo-op of vastly comical proportions:
Of course we know we are far from "Mission Accomplished" and the Administration's errors in Iraq are far from funny. May 2004 has begun the way April ended, with 2 U.S. troops dead.
Who is going to come up with the plan to stabilize Iraq?
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Friday, April 30, 2004
Baghdad Burning on the Iraqi Prisoner Abuse
There can be nothing more powerful than this from a blogger based in Baghdad:
...Seeing those naked, helpless, hooded men was like being slapped in the face with an ice cold hand. I felt ashamed looking at them- like I was seeing something I shouldn’t be seeing and all I could think was, “I might know one of those faceless men...” I might have passed him in the street or worked with him. I might have bought groceries from one of them or sat through a lecture they gave in college... any of them might be a teacher, gas station attendant or engineer... any one of them might be a father or grandfather... each and every one of them is a son and possibly a brother. And people wonder at what happened in Falloojeh a few weeks ago when those Americans were killed and dragged through the streets...
(...)
I want something done about it and I want it done publicly. I want those horrible soldiers who were responsible for this to be publicly punished and humiliated. I want them to be condemned and identified as the horrible people they are. I want their children and their children’s children to carry on the story of what was done for a long time- as long as those prisoners will carry along with them the humiliation and pain of what was done and as long as the memory of those pictures remains in Iraqi hearts and minds.
I can't possibly imagine being an Iraqi today. First, they're attacked by the U.S. "Coalition" without provocation. Then, after sacking Baghdad, the U.S. appoints a Governing Council that is so crooked and rife with corruption even OUR government has had enough. And now their "liberators" are abusing them with the pictures being front page news all over the world (except in the country that is responsible.)
We are fucking broken.
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There can be nothing more powerful than this from a blogger based in Baghdad:
...Seeing those naked, helpless, hooded men was like being slapped in the face with an ice cold hand. I felt ashamed looking at them- like I was seeing something I shouldn’t be seeing and all I could think was, “I might know one of those faceless men...” I might have passed him in the street or worked with him. I might have bought groceries from one of them or sat through a lecture they gave in college... any of them might be a teacher, gas station attendant or engineer... any one of them might be a father or grandfather... each and every one of them is a son and possibly a brother. And people wonder at what happened in Falloojeh a few weeks ago when those Americans were killed and dragged through the streets...
(...)
I want something done about it and I want it done publicly. I want those horrible soldiers who were responsible for this to be publicly punished and humiliated. I want them to be condemned and identified as the horrible people they are. I want their children and their children’s children to carry on the story of what was done for a long time- as long as those prisoners will carry along with them the humiliation and pain of what was done and as long as the memory of those pictures remains in Iraqi hearts and minds.
I can't possibly imagine being an Iraqi today. First, they're attacked by the U.S. "Coalition" without provocation. Then, after sacking Baghdad, the U.S. appoints a Governing Council that is so crooked and rife with corruption even OUR government has had enough. And now their "liberators" are abusing them with the pictures being front page news all over the world (except in the country that is responsible.)
We are fucking broken.
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Why Flag Draped Coffins?
A column by NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr from the Christian Science Monitor:
WASHINGTON - Occasionally an issue arises that causes me to lose my commentator's cool. Such is the controversy that has bubbled up in recent days over whether the flag-draped coffins arriving from Iraq and Afghanistan may be shown by the news media.
"No," says the White House, it's a matter of "privacy" and "sensitivity." No issue of privacy or sensitivity arose when a Bush campaign commercial showed a flag-draped firefighter being carried from ground zero in New York.
The Stars and Stripes occupies a unique role in American life, a symbol of national unity for a republic without a crowned head. The symbol is embodied in our national anthem, which found reassurance in the fact that after a night-long battle during the War of 1812, "our flag was still there."
The millions of flags that sprouted from lapels and car fenders after the 9/11 assault were tokens of unity in adversity. But the flag has also been used for commercial and political purposes, and few are the candidates whose stump speeches are not set against a huge flag.
So now the matter of the flag-draped coffins and whether showing them is a solemn tribute or a violation of privacy.
The Pentagon has reinforced its ban after several hundred pictures escaped to someone who had filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act. And a cargo handler has been fired by a military contractor for furnishing pictures to a newspaper.
Considering that no individual identification is visible in the pictures, it is hard to understand the justification for clamping the secrecy lid on the solemn procession of flag-draped coffins being carried off the cargo planes. I cannot avoid the suspicion that President Bush - who has yet to attend a funeral service for any of the honored dead that he sent to war - has no interest in calling attention to the mounting number of casualties in a battle that was far from over last May 1, when the president declared "major combat operations" in Iraq had ended.
I can see no other reason to screen from public view the daily arrival of the remains of those who have made the supreme sacrifice.
Unfortunately, the answer is a recurring theme in Bush's presidency. He and is administration will not tolerate anything that casts a negative light or make them seem as if they are anything except in complete control. This is why...
-You won't here the President admit he made a mistake.
-You will always see the administration attack a dissenting voice
-You won't see the President attend a soldier's funeral.
-You won't see the administration ask for international help unless the situation is seriously FUBAR and then they will try to spin it in their favor.
-You will always see Scott McClellan answer the questions he wants to.
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A column by NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr from the Christian Science Monitor:
WASHINGTON - Occasionally an issue arises that causes me to lose my commentator's cool. Such is the controversy that has bubbled up in recent days over whether the flag-draped coffins arriving from Iraq and Afghanistan may be shown by the news media.
"No," says the White House, it's a matter of "privacy" and "sensitivity." No issue of privacy or sensitivity arose when a Bush campaign commercial showed a flag-draped firefighter being carried from ground zero in New York.
The Stars and Stripes occupies a unique role in American life, a symbol of national unity for a republic without a crowned head. The symbol is embodied in our national anthem, which found reassurance in the fact that after a night-long battle during the War of 1812, "our flag was still there."
The millions of flags that sprouted from lapels and car fenders after the 9/11 assault were tokens of unity in adversity. But the flag has also been used for commercial and political purposes, and few are the candidates whose stump speeches are not set against a huge flag.
So now the matter of the flag-draped coffins and whether showing them is a solemn tribute or a violation of privacy.
The Pentagon has reinforced its ban after several hundred pictures escaped to someone who had filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act. And a cargo handler has been fired by a military contractor for furnishing pictures to a newspaper.
Considering that no individual identification is visible in the pictures, it is hard to understand the justification for clamping the secrecy lid on the solemn procession of flag-draped coffins being carried off the cargo planes. I cannot avoid the suspicion that President Bush - who has yet to attend a funeral service for any of the honored dead that he sent to war - has no interest in calling attention to the mounting number of casualties in a battle that was far from over last May 1, when the president declared "major combat operations" in Iraq had ended.
I can see no other reason to screen from public view the daily arrival of the remains of those who have made the supreme sacrifice.
Unfortunately, the answer is a recurring theme in Bush's presidency. He and is administration will not tolerate anything that casts a negative light or make them seem as if they are anything except in complete control. This is why...
-You won't here the President admit he made a mistake.
-You will always see the administration attack a dissenting voice
-You won't see the President attend a soldier's funeral.
-You won't see the administration ask for international help unless the situation is seriously FUBAR and then they will try to spin it in their favor.
-You will always see Scott McClellan answer the questions he wants to.
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Bush, One Year After 'Mission Accomplished'
Appearing today with Canadian PM Paul Martin the President defended his aircraft carrier speech from a year ago:
...As to the carrier speech, Bush said, "A year ago I did give the speech from the carrier saying we had achieved an important objective, accomplished a mission, which was the removal of Saddam Hussein."
"And as a result, there are no longer torture chambers or rape rooms or mass graves in Iraq. As a result, a friend of terror has been removed and now sits in a jail," the president said...
Emphasis added because of recently discovered prisoner abuse in Iraq by American soldiers:
"This is the straw that broke the camel's back for America," said Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the Arab newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi. "The liberators are worse than the dictators."
"...They have not just lost the hearts and minds of Iraqis but all the Third World and the Arab countries," he told Reuters.
The CBS News program "60 Minutes II" on Wednesday broadcast photos taken at the Abu Ghraib prison late last year showing American troops abusing some Iraqis held at what was once a notorious center of torture and executions under toppled President Saddam Hussein.
The pictures showed U.S. troops smiling, posing, laughing or giving the thumbs-up sign as naked, male Iraqi prisoners were stacked in a pyramid or positioned to simulate sex acts with one another...
Pictures of the abuse here. Not for the faint of heart.
It's actions like this that will make an already arduous task in Iraq nearly impossible.
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Appearing today with Canadian PM Paul Martin the President defended his aircraft carrier speech from a year ago:
...As to the carrier speech, Bush said, "A year ago I did give the speech from the carrier saying we had achieved an important objective, accomplished a mission, which was the removal of Saddam Hussein."
"And as a result, there are no longer torture chambers or rape rooms or mass graves in Iraq. As a result, a friend of terror has been removed and now sits in a jail," the president said...
Emphasis added because of recently discovered prisoner abuse in Iraq by American soldiers:
"This is the straw that broke the camel's back for America," said Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the Arab newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi. "The liberators are worse than the dictators."
"...They have not just lost the hearts and minds of Iraqis but all the Third World and the Arab countries," he told Reuters.
The CBS News program "60 Minutes II" on Wednesday broadcast photos taken at the Abu Ghraib prison late last year showing American troops abusing some Iraqis held at what was once a notorious center of torture and executions under toppled President Saddam Hussein.
The pictures showed U.S. troops smiling, posing, laughing or giving the thumbs-up sign as naked, male Iraqi prisoners were stacked in a pyramid or positioned to simulate sex acts with one another...
Pictures of the abuse here. Not for the faint of heart.
It's actions like this that will make an already arduous task in Iraq nearly impossible.
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Friday USA Today
Props to USA Today for the front page pictures of all the soldiers killed in Iraq this month. This total has risen to 128 after two more soldiers were killed today near Fallujah.
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Props to USA Today for the front page pictures of all the soldiers killed in Iraq this month. This total has risen to 128 after two more soldiers were killed today near Fallujah.
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Distortion Database
The Center for American Progress has a very cool database that dispels some of the lies shared by the Bush Administration and their purveyors of disinformation. The lies are sorted by topic(39) and speaker(45). As an example I chose the topic 'Education' and George Bush. I received nine prevarications in return. Here is the one from 1/5/04:
Quote/Claim:
“Teacher training money is up. We've increased the teacher training and recruitment budget significantly."
Fact:
In his most recent budget, Bush proposed to freeze Teacher Quality State Grants - cutting off training opportunities for about 30,000 teachers, and leaving 92,000 less teachers trained than called for in his own No Child Left Behind bill. - House Appropriations Committee Report, 2004
There is also a place to submit your own lies. Enjoy.
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The Center for American Progress has a very cool database that dispels some of the lies shared by the Bush Administration and their purveyors of disinformation. The lies are sorted by topic(39) and speaker(45). As an example I chose the topic 'Education' and George Bush. I received nine prevarications in return. Here is the one from 1/5/04:
Quote/Claim:
“Teacher training money is up. We've increased the teacher training and recruitment budget significantly."
Fact:
In his most recent budget, Bush proposed to freeze Teacher Quality State Grants - cutting off training opportunities for about 30,000 teachers, and leaving 92,000 less teachers trained than called for in his own No Child Left Behind bill. - House Appropriations Committee Report, 2004
There is also a place to submit your own lies. Enjoy.
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Thursday, April 29, 2004
Pataki Passing the Plate for...Laura Bush?
At a "prayer breakfast" no less:
A just-released invitation to a special May 11 "prayer breakfast" with Gov. Pataki - featuring an appearance by First Lady Laura Bush - offers would-be participants the chance to buy 10 places at a "Blue Seating" table for $1,000, or 10 places at a "Gold Seating" table for $500.
Individual "unreserved" seats for the event at the state-owned Empire State Plaza are also available for $30 each.
Everyone purchasing tickets, besides being given a chance to pray with the First Lady, will be able to use a "complimentary coffee bar."
The invitation, which contains a quote declaring that "God governs in the affairs of men" - says checks should be written to "The Governor's Prayer Breakfast Trust Fund," which underwrites the cost of the event.
Longtime observers said the prayer breakfasts, which the governor and his wife, Libby, have sponsored for the past 10 years, have never before been so expensive.
A "Complimentary Coffee Bar"? That'll be free but I'm sure a packet of sugar and two cremes will be $450.
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At a "prayer breakfast" no less:
A just-released invitation to a special May 11 "prayer breakfast" with Gov. Pataki - featuring an appearance by First Lady Laura Bush - offers would-be participants the chance to buy 10 places at a "Blue Seating" table for $1,000, or 10 places at a "Gold Seating" table for $500.
Individual "unreserved" seats for the event at the state-owned Empire State Plaza are also available for $30 each.
Everyone purchasing tickets, besides being given a chance to pray with the First Lady, will be able to use a "complimentary coffee bar."
The invitation, which contains a quote declaring that "God governs in the affairs of men" - says checks should be written to "The Governor's Prayer Breakfast Trust Fund," which underwrites the cost of the event.
Longtime observers said the prayer breakfasts, which the governor and his wife, Libby, have sponsored for the past 10 years, have never before been so expensive.
A "Complimentary Coffee Bar"? That'll be free but I'm sure a packet of sugar and two cremes will be $450.
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Sinclair Broadcast Group to preempt Friday Nightline
Yes, this is the same program that will be reading the names of all the American combat deaths in Iraq.
Upon further review, Berry's World has found that the reason for this decision is a little partisan.
Call and tell them the death of our soldiers is not a partisan issue!
The main phone number for the Sinclair Broadcast Group is 410-568-1500.
Get to work.
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Yes, this is the same program that will be reading the names of all the American combat deaths in Iraq.
Upon further review, Berry's World has found that the reason for this decision is a little partisan.
Call and tell them the death of our soldiers is not a partisan issue!
The main phone number for the Sinclair Broadcast Group is 410-568-1500.
Get to work.
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Roanoke Ballet
I heard the arts were dragging a little, but things must be really bad in Virginia:
Joined by the Roanoke Symphony playing the theme from the Dukes of Hazard.
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I heard the arts were dragging a little, but things must be really bad in Virginia:
Joined by the Roanoke Symphony playing the theme from the Dukes of Hazard.
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Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Not a PEEP About This in the Northern Hemisphere
If Australia went to war in Iraq under false pretenses and suppressed intelligence reports then how would you describe the involvement of the United States?:
Over the past two weeks, the government of Prime Minister John Howard has faced a virtual revolt from within the Australian military and intelligence establishment, involving the leaking of damaging secret documents. Long-simmering opposition to the government’s manipulation and suppression of intelligence reports for its own political purposes has erupted, following the collapse of all the lies used to justify Australian participation in the invasion of Iraq.
One word: Fraudulent.
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If Australia went to war in Iraq under false pretenses and suppressed intelligence reports then how would you describe the involvement of the United States?:
Over the past two weeks, the government of Prime Minister John Howard has faced a virtual revolt from within the Australian military and intelligence establishment, involving the leaking of damaging secret documents. Long-simmering opposition to the government’s manipulation and suppression of intelligence reports for its own political purposes has erupted, following the collapse of all the lies used to justify Australian participation in the invasion of Iraq.
One word: Fraudulent.
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Video of the President
Follow this link to a video of the President during a commercial break when he was a guest on Letterman. He's wiping his glasses on a staffer's shirt while the person is talking to Dave. Amusing if he wasn't so arrogant. (Windows and Quicktime supported.)
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Follow this link to a video of the President during a commercial break when he was a guest on Letterman. He's wiping his glasses on a staffer's shirt while the person is talking to Dave. Amusing if he wasn't so arrogant. (Windows and Quicktime supported.)
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Al Gore Doing His Part
Al Gore will be donating $6 million to democratic groups to try and fight the GOP's "outrageous and misleading" smear campaign against John Kerry.
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Al Gore will be donating $6 million to democratic groups to try and fight the GOP's "outrageous and misleading" smear campaign against John Kerry.
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Wes Clark takes on the GOP Slimers
A thoughtful opinion piece in the New York Times:
...John Kerry was awarded three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for his service in Vietnam. In April 1971, as part of a protest against the war, he threw some ribbons over the fence of the United States Capitol.
Republicans have tried to use this event to question his patriotism and his truthfulness, claiming he has been inconsistent in saying whether he threw away his medals or ribbons. This is no more than a political smear. After risking his life in Vietnam to save others, John Kerry earned the right to speak out against a war he believed was wrong. Make no mistake: it is that bravery these Republicans are now attacking.
Although President Bush has not engaged personally in such accusations, he has done nothing to stop others from making them. I believe those who didn't serve, or didn't show up for service, should have the decency to respect those who did serve — often under the most dangerous conditions, with bravery and, yes, with undeniable patriotism.
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A thoughtful opinion piece in the New York Times:
...John Kerry was awarded three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for his service in Vietnam. In April 1971, as part of a protest against the war, he threw some ribbons over the fence of the United States Capitol.
Republicans have tried to use this event to question his patriotism and his truthfulness, claiming he has been inconsistent in saying whether he threw away his medals or ribbons. This is no more than a political smear. After risking his life in Vietnam to save others, John Kerry earned the right to speak out against a war he believed was wrong. Make no mistake: it is that bravery these Republicans are now attacking.
Although President Bush has not engaged personally in such accusations, he has done nothing to stop others from making them. I believe those who didn't serve, or didn't show up for service, should have the decency to respect those who did serve — often under the most dangerous conditions, with bravery and, yes, with undeniable patriotism.
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Cheney's Energy Task Force Documents had Maps of Iraqi Oil Fields
Does this mean that "Kenny Boy" Lay helped plan the war in Iraq? If so, that explains a great deal.
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and abuse, said today that documents turned over by the Commerce Department, under court order as a result of Judicial Watch’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit concerning the activities of the Cheney Energy Task Force, contain a map of Iraqi oilfields, pipelines, refineries and terminals, as well as 2 charts detailing Iraqi oil and gas projects, and “Foreign Suitors for Iraqi Oilfield Contracts.”
Released by Judicial Watch 7/17/03.
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Does this mean that "Kenny Boy" Lay helped plan the war in Iraq? If so, that explains a great deal.
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and abuse, said today that documents turned over by the Commerce Department, under court order as a result of Judicial Watch’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit concerning the activities of the Cheney Energy Task Force, contain a map of Iraqi oilfields, pipelines, refineries and terminals, as well as 2 charts detailing Iraqi oil and gas projects, and “Foreign Suitors for Iraqi Oilfield Contracts.”
Released by Judicial Watch 7/17/03.
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No Recording of BushCheney 9/11 Testimony
The 9/11 Commission is allowed a note taker but not a recording device:
WASHINGTON — The White House said on Tuesday that there would be no recording or formal transcription of the historic joint interview of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney by the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The interview, to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday at the White House, will be recorded by two note takers, one from the White House. Under a pact with the White House that allowed all its 10 members in the interview, the commission is permitted to take a note taker, but not a recording device. The panel said it did not press for a formal transcription of the session, letting the White House decide.
The White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, told reporters that the session would not be officially transcribed because the White House considered it a "private meeting" that would include highly classified information.
"Let's keep in mind that it is extraordinary for a sitting president of the United States to sit down with a legislatively created commission," Mr. McClellan said...
Mr. McClellan, it's also extraordinary that the President has spent 40% of his time in office on vacation.
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The 9/11 Commission is allowed a note taker but not a recording device:
WASHINGTON — The White House said on Tuesday that there would be no recording or formal transcription of the historic joint interview of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney by the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The interview, to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday at the White House, will be recorded by two note takers, one from the White House. Under a pact with the White House that allowed all its 10 members in the interview, the commission is permitted to take a note taker, but not a recording device. The panel said it did not press for a formal transcription of the session, letting the White House decide.
The White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, told reporters that the session would not be officially transcribed because the White House considered it a "private meeting" that would include highly classified information.
"Let's keep in mind that it is extraordinary for a sitting president of the United States to sit down with a legislatively created commission," Mr. McClellan said...
Mr. McClellan, it's also extraordinary that the President has spent 40% of his time in office on vacation.
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Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Nightline on Friday
Ted Koppel will read the names of all of our soldiers killed in combat in Iraq. As Keith Berry says, I wonder if thirty minutes will be enough time.
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Ted Koppel will read the names of all of our soldiers killed in combat in Iraq. As Keith Berry says, I wonder if thirty minutes will be enough time.
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Blogs May Come Under Scrutiny from U.S. Intelligence
Nothing to see here. Move along:
People in black trench coats might soon be chasing blogs.
Blogs, short for Web logs, are personal online journals. Individuals post them on Web sites to report or comment on news especially, but also on their personal lives or most any subject.
Some blogs are whimsical and deal with 'soft' subjects. Others, though, are cutting edge in delivering information and opinion.
As a result, some analysts say U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials might be starting to track blogs for important bits of information. This interest is a sign of how far Web media such as blogs have come in reshaping the data-collection habits of intelligence professionals and others, even with the knowledge that the accuracy of what's reported in some blogs is questionable.
Perhaps we can change the format here to something that might be a little less controversial.
Some ideas:
A picture library of the berets that Rerun wore on What's Happening.
Lyrics to the entire Kajagoogoo library.
A collection of commencement speeches given by Bobcat Goldthwaite.
All of the different line-ups the Phillies have used this season. (Bad idea, not enough bandwidth.)
Other suggestions welcomed...
UPDATE: The link above is no longer good. In fact it's disappeared completely from the destinaion site, investor.com. Conspiracy!
UPDATE2: Saved! It was posted on Yahoo! News
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Nothing to see here. Move along:
People in black trench coats might soon be chasing blogs.
Blogs, short for Web logs, are personal online journals. Individuals post them on Web sites to report or comment on news especially, but also on their personal lives or most any subject.
Some blogs are whimsical and deal with 'soft' subjects. Others, though, are cutting edge in delivering information and opinion.
As a result, some analysts say U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials might be starting to track blogs for important bits of information. This interest is a sign of how far Web media such as blogs have come in reshaping the data-collection habits of intelligence professionals and others, even with the knowledge that the accuracy of what's reported in some blogs is questionable.
Perhaps we can change the format here to something that might be a little less controversial.
Some ideas:
A picture library of the berets that Rerun wore on What's Happening.
Lyrics to the entire Kajagoogoo library.
A collection of commencement speeches given by Bobcat Goldthwaite.
All of the different line-ups the Phillies have used this season. (Bad idea, not enough bandwidth.)
Other suggestions welcomed...
UPDATE: The link above is no longer good. In fact it's disappeared completely from the destinaion site, investor.com. Conspiracy!
UPDATE2: Saved! It was posted on Yahoo! News
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Sovereignty Has Many Meanings
In the worst kept secret of the year; perhaps Iraq won't be ready for a June 30th power shift after all:
The US has warned that the new government due to take power in Iraq on 1 July will have to delegate some of its powers to the coalition. Secretary of State Colin Powell said it was important that coalition troops continued to operate under US command.
(...)
The US has insisted it is sticking to the planned timetable of transferring power to an interim Iraqi government after 30 June despite the upsurge of violence in Iraq.
But in an interview with Reuters news agency, Mr Powell said that while the new government would take full sovereignty over the country, it would have to give some of it back to the Americans so that the US would still be in command of its own troops.
'I hope they will understand that in order for this government to get up and running - to be effective - some of its sovereignty will have to be given back, if I can put it that way, or limited by them,' Mr Powell said...
June 30th might still work. In 2005.
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In the worst kept secret of the year; perhaps Iraq won't be ready for a June 30th power shift after all:
The US has warned that the new government due to take power in Iraq on 1 July will have to delegate some of its powers to the coalition. Secretary of State Colin Powell said it was important that coalition troops continued to operate under US command.
(...)
The US has insisted it is sticking to the planned timetable of transferring power to an interim Iraqi government after 30 June despite the upsurge of violence in Iraq.
But in an interview with Reuters news agency, Mr Powell said that while the new government would take full sovereignty over the country, it would have to give some of it back to the Americans so that the US would still be in command of its own troops.
'I hope they will understand that in order for this government to get up and running - to be effective - some of its sovereignty will have to be given back, if I can put it that way, or limited by them,' Mr Powell said...
June 30th might still work. In 2005.
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Dad, What's a Terrorist?
Good question:
Dad ... what's a terrorist?
Well, according to the Oxford dictionary a terrorist is 'a person who uses violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims'. Which means that terrorists are very bad men and women who frighten ordinary people like us, and sometimes even kill them.
Why do they kill them?
Because they hate them or their country. It's hard to explain ... it's just the way things are. For many different reasons a lot of people in our world are full of hate.
Like the ones in Iraq who are capturing people and saying that they'll kill them if all the soldiers don't leave?
Exactly! That's an evil thing called 'blackmail'. Those innocent people are hostages, and the terrorists are saying that if governments don't do what they want the hostages will be killed.
So was it blackmail when we said we'd attack Iraq and kill innocent people unless they told us where all their weapons were?
No! Well ... yes, I suppose. In a way. But that was an 'ultimatum' ... call it 'good blackmail."
Good blackmail? What's that?
That's when it's done for good reasons. Those weapons were very dangerous and could have hurt a lot of people all over the world. It was very important to find them and destroy them.
From our Coalition partners in Australia.
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Good question:
Dad ... what's a terrorist?
Well, according to the Oxford dictionary a terrorist is 'a person who uses violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims'. Which means that terrorists are very bad men and women who frighten ordinary people like us, and sometimes even kill them.
Why do they kill them?
Because they hate them or their country. It's hard to explain ... it's just the way things are. For many different reasons a lot of people in our world are full of hate.
Like the ones in Iraq who are capturing people and saying that they'll kill them if all the soldiers don't leave?
Exactly! That's an evil thing called 'blackmail'. Those innocent people are hostages, and the terrorists are saying that if governments don't do what they want the hostages will be killed.
So was it blackmail when we said we'd attack Iraq and kill innocent people unless they told us where all their weapons were?
No! Well ... yes, I suppose. In a way. But that was an 'ultimatum' ... call it 'good blackmail."
Good blackmail? What's that?
That's when it's done for good reasons. Those weapons were very dangerous and could have hurt a lot of people all over the world. It was very important to find them and destroy them.
From our Coalition partners in Australia.
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Note to self: Don't get pulled over in Tennessee
A little overkill, don't you think?:
CHATTANOOGA — Tennessee state troopers will soon carry Bushmaster semiautomatic AR-15-type assault rifles on patrol, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.
The THP is buying 1,000 of the weapons to give troopers ''the ability, if they have to, to resort to deadly means of force that is also an accurate means of force,'' Lt. Rex Prince, supervisor of the patrol's ordnance division, said Friday.
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A little overkill, don't you think?:
CHATTANOOGA — Tennessee state troopers will soon carry Bushmaster semiautomatic AR-15-type assault rifles on patrol, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.
The THP is buying 1,000 of the weapons to give troopers ''the ability, if they have to, to resort to deadly means of force that is also an accurate means of force,'' Lt. Rex Prince, supervisor of the patrol's ordnance division, said Friday.
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New Questions About Bush's Military Service
...and his family's relationship with a man named James Bath:
Last month, before the 9/11 commission began its public hearings and Iraq exploded in renewed warfare, the White House tried to quell a gathering storm regarding President Bush's military service, releasing hundreds of documents about Bush's tenure in the Texas Air National Guard some 30 years ago. A close examination of the documents reveals that they not only fail to answer lingering questions about Bush's service but prompt a crucial new area of inquiry that could play a role in the presidential campaign -- a long and lucrative, but low-profile, relationship between Saudis and the Bush family that goes back 30 years.
The document that raises that question is dated Sept. 29, 1972, and notes that 1st Lt. George W. Bush was suspended from flying because of his 'failure to accomplish [his] annual medical examination.' Since he had just received hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of training as a jet fighter pilot, the fact that Bush let his medical certification lapse raises a troubling matter. Why did he allow himself to become ineligible to fly when he still had two years of service left? Given that random drug testing by the military had just started, some have suggested that Bush had not yet given up his partying ways and may have begged off because he had a substance abuse problem.
The records released by the White House last month fail to answer that question, but they do add one compelling fact to the story -- namely, that Bush was not the only man in his unit to be suspended for failing to take the physical, and that someone else at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston was suspended for exactly the same reason at almost the same time.
The link above is to a subsription service, please use the free day pass to read the full article.
This story is also covered in more detail over at Eschaton.
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...and his family's relationship with a man named James Bath:
Last month, before the 9/11 commission began its public hearings and Iraq exploded in renewed warfare, the White House tried to quell a gathering storm regarding President Bush's military service, releasing hundreds of documents about Bush's tenure in the Texas Air National Guard some 30 years ago. A close examination of the documents reveals that they not only fail to answer lingering questions about Bush's service but prompt a crucial new area of inquiry that could play a role in the presidential campaign -- a long and lucrative, but low-profile, relationship between Saudis and the Bush family that goes back 30 years.
The document that raises that question is dated Sept. 29, 1972, and notes that 1st Lt. George W. Bush was suspended from flying because of his 'failure to accomplish [his] annual medical examination.' Since he had just received hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of training as a jet fighter pilot, the fact that Bush let his medical certification lapse raises a troubling matter. Why did he allow himself to become ineligible to fly when he still had two years of service left? Given that random drug testing by the military had just started, some have suggested that Bush had not yet given up his partying ways and may have begged off because he had a substance abuse problem.
The records released by the White House last month fail to answer that question, but they do add one compelling fact to the story -- namely, that Bush was not the only man in his unit to be suspended for failing to take the physical, and that someone else at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston was suspended for exactly the same reason at almost the same time.
The link above is to a subsription service, please use the free day pass to read the full article.
This story is also covered in more detail over at Eschaton.
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Monday, April 26, 2004
Iraq Gets a New Flag
US-picked Iraq leaders declare new Iraqi flag.
Disrespectful. The thing might as well have a picture of Bremer on it.
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US-picked Iraq leaders declare new Iraqi flag.
Disrespectful. The thing might as well have a picture of Bremer on it.
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They need to up Scotty's dosage
Keith over at Berry's World uncovered this from today's gaggle. Incredible chutzpah.
This whole administration is starting to remind me of a one armed juggler trying to keep four chainsaws, three machetes, two torches and a watermelon in the air at once. The crash will be spectacular.
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Keith over at Berry's World uncovered this from today's gaggle. Incredible chutzpah.
This whole administration is starting to remind me of a one armed juggler trying to keep four chainsaws, three machetes, two torches and a watermelon in the air at once. The crash will be spectacular.
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Go Big John Go
John Kerry did say he would fight:
WHEELING, W.Va. - John Kerry, a decorated Navy veteran criticized by Republicans for his anti-war activities during the Vietnam era, lashed out at President Bush on Monday for failing to prove whether he fulfilled his commitment to the National Guard during the same period.
Conservative critics have questioned whether Kerry deserved all three of his Purple Hearts for battle wounds, an issue the Democratic presidential candidate sought to put to rest last week by releasing his military records. On Sunday, a top Bush adviser criticized Kerry for leading anti-war protests after he returned from the battlefield.
"This comes from a president who can't even show or prove that he showed up for duty in the National Guard," Kerry said Monday during an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America." "And I'm not going to stand for it."
Kerry's direct criticism of Bush's Guard record reflected an aggressive strategy to challenge the president. During the primaries, Kerry often deflected questions about Bush's military service although when asked in February whether Bush had fulfilled his Vietnam-era commitment, the Democrat said, "Just because you get an honorable discharge does not in fact answer that question."...
Our postscript courtesy of Mr. Tom Petty:
Well I won't back down
No I won't back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down
No I'll stand my ground, won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin me down
gonna stand my ground
... and I won't back down
Give 'em hell John.
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John Kerry did say he would fight:
WHEELING, W.Va. - John Kerry, a decorated Navy veteran criticized by Republicans for his anti-war activities during the Vietnam era, lashed out at President Bush on Monday for failing to prove whether he fulfilled his commitment to the National Guard during the same period.
Conservative critics have questioned whether Kerry deserved all three of his Purple Hearts for battle wounds, an issue the Democratic presidential candidate sought to put to rest last week by releasing his military records. On Sunday, a top Bush adviser criticized Kerry for leading anti-war protests after he returned from the battlefield.
"This comes from a president who can't even show or prove that he showed up for duty in the National Guard," Kerry said Monday during an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America." "And I'm not going to stand for it."
Kerry's direct criticism of Bush's Guard record reflected an aggressive strategy to challenge the president. During the primaries, Kerry often deflected questions about Bush's military service although when asked in February whether Bush had fulfilled his Vietnam-era commitment, the Democrat said, "Just because you get an honorable discharge does not in fact answer that question."...
Our postscript courtesy of Mr. Tom Petty:
Well I won't back down
No I won't back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down
No I'll stand my ground, won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin me down
gonna stand my ground
... and I won't back down
Give 'em hell John.
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Boozy
Former AK Governor Tony Knowles is a fraternity brother of the President. Oh, the stories he could tell:
...``I had kind of a checkerboard career; I'm sure your researchers will figure it out,'' Mr. Knowles said, explaining that he started at Yale before Mr. Bush, was kicked out (he did not state a reason) and then returned to graduate alongside the future president. ``I knew him,'' Mr. Knowles said, offering a simple ``mmm-hmmm,'' when asked if they were friends.
He did not elaborate, but given DKE's reputation, the next question was obvious: Did they party together?
``Well, yeah,'' Mr. Knowles said, dragging out a long, uncomfortable pause. ``There were, uh, social activities.''
And with that, the taciturn former governor of Alaska tilted his head back, curled his right hand into a fist and lifted it to his lips, in a gesture that anyone, Democrat or Republican, who has ever attended a fraternity keg party would understand.
Inside Edition should be all over this guy with $even figures.
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Former AK Governor Tony Knowles is a fraternity brother of the President. Oh, the stories he could tell:
...``I had kind of a checkerboard career; I'm sure your researchers will figure it out,'' Mr. Knowles said, explaining that he started at Yale before Mr. Bush, was kicked out (he did not state a reason) and then returned to graduate alongside the future president. ``I knew him,'' Mr. Knowles said, offering a simple ``mmm-hmmm,'' when asked if they were friends.
He did not elaborate, but given DKE's reputation, the next question was obvious: Did they party together?
``Well, yeah,'' Mr. Knowles said, dragging out a long, uncomfortable pause. ``There were, uh, social activities.''
And with that, the taciturn former governor of Alaska tilted his head back, curled his right hand into a fist and lifted it to his lips, in a gesture that anyone, Democrat or Republican, who has ever attended a fraternity keg party would understand.
Inside Edition should be all over this guy with $even figures.
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More Athletes Named in Steroid Case
The names of track & field stars Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery have been added to the list of athletes who've allegedly received steroids. Previously named athletes included Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield & Jason Giambi.
There's a name that hasn't been mentioned yet and I pray it never is. Big Tex.
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The names of track & field stars Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery have been added to the list of athletes who've allegedly received steroids. Previously named athletes included Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield & Jason Giambi.
There's a name that hasn't been mentioned yet and I pray it never is. Big Tex.
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Four Iraqi Children Killed
When will this end?
BAGHDAD—ONE day after a wave of attacks that left at least 40 dead, four Iraqi children died after being shot by U.S. soldiers in Baghdad. According to hospital sources quoted by news agencies in the capital, the children were shot after the U.S. troops whose vehicle had been hit by a grenade opened fire.
The deaths of the four children come in addition to the deaths of another two Iraqis who lost their lives when missiles from an unknown source attacked the city of Mosul, in northern Iraq, leaving another 10 people injured. The two killed were officials in the city’s hospital. A total of three missiles hit the hospital – the main one in the city – the Ashur Hotel and the local radio and television building.
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When will this end?
BAGHDAD—ONE day after a wave of attacks that left at least 40 dead, four Iraqi children died after being shot by U.S. soldiers in Baghdad. According to hospital sources quoted by news agencies in the capital, the children were shot after the U.S. troops whose vehicle had been hit by a grenade opened fire.
The deaths of the four children come in addition to the deaths of another two Iraqis who lost their lives when missiles from an unknown source attacked the city of Mosul, in northern Iraq, leaving another 10 people injured. The two killed were officials in the city’s hospital. A total of three missiles hit the hospital – the main one in the city – the Ashur Hotel and the local radio and television building.
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Definition
Fas•cism: A political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.
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Fas•cism: A political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.
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Tony Blair in Deep Trouble
OfficialPoll: 79% say Blair should go now:
LONDON, ENGLAND -- 04/26/04 -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair is facing growing skepticism over his ability to lead his country. Clearly he has lost considerable political capital following his government's reversal over the EU referendum, and the manner in which that policy change was handled. Many within his own party and scores of British voters are beginning to question Blair's ability to lead the party and country going forward.
According to a former Labour Party leader, Neil Kinnock, Blair may quit the UK's top job after holding a referendum on the European constitution.
Speaking to the BBC, Kinnock is the first senior party official to speculate about the PM's long-term political future...
Amazing what can happen when the people are informed.
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OfficialPoll: 79% say Blair should go now:
LONDON, ENGLAND -- 04/26/04 -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair is facing growing skepticism over his ability to lead his country. Clearly he has lost considerable political capital following his government's reversal over the EU referendum, and the manner in which that policy change was handled. Many within his own party and scores of British voters are beginning to question Blair's ability to lead the party and country going forward.
According to a former Labour Party leader, Neil Kinnock, Blair may quit the UK's top job after holding a referendum on the European constitution.
Speaking to the BBC, Kinnock is the first senior party official to speculate about the PM's long-term political future...
Amazing what can happen when the people are informed.
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Scott Ritter Delivers the Truth
In a speech this past Wednesday the former chief weapons inspector had some unflattering things to say about the War in Iraq:
Former chief weapons inspector to Iraq Scott Ritter said Wednesday that President Bush created an extremely turbulent situation in Iraq.
“President Bush poses the greatest threat to America that we have seen in modern history,” Ritter told an audience in the University Union's Potomac Lounge.
Though his accusations were extreme, Ritter— an unabashedly conservative Republican—argued they are not unfounded.
Ritter, a former intelligence officer for the US Marine Corps who served as the UN's Chief Weapons Inspector in Iraq from 1991 to 1998, said the U.S. government “brought us into this war on false pretenses.”
Although the Bush administration says it is looking for weapons of mass destruction, Ritter explained, the government has a hidden agenda.
“Our real policy has been regime change,” Ritter said. “Our plan was to dethrone Saddam, not to find weapons of mass destruction.”...
I guess the question now is who isn't saying these things? (BushCo excluded)
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In a speech this past Wednesday the former chief weapons inspector had some unflattering things to say about the War in Iraq:
Former chief weapons inspector to Iraq Scott Ritter said Wednesday that President Bush created an extremely turbulent situation in Iraq.
“President Bush poses the greatest threat to America that we have seen in modern history,” Ritter told an audience in the University Union's Potomac Lounge.
Though his accusations were extreme, Ritter— an unabashedly conservative Republican—argued they are not unfounded.
Ritter, a former intelligence officer for the US Marine Corps who served as the UN's Chief Weapons Inspector in Iraq from 1991 to 1998, said the U.S. government “brought us into this war on false pretenses.”
Although the Bush administration says it is looking for weapons of mass destruction, Ritter explained, the government has a hidden agenda.
“Our real policy has been regime change,” Ritter said. “Our plan was to dethrone Saddam, not to find weapons of mass destruction.”...
I guess the question now is who isn't saying these things? (BushCo excluded)
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Sunday, April 25, 2004
The March
I was at the store a little earlier and saw a couple of women wearing pins from the March for Reproductive Rights in Washington, DC. I asked how many people were there and they heard the number was 1.1 Million. They called it, "The Largest March in the History of the United States."
Regardless of what the media says, that's good enough for me.
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I was at the store a little earlier and saw a couple of women wearing pins from the March for Reproductive Rights in Washington, DC. I asked how many people were there and they heard the number was 1.1 Million. They called it, "The Largest March in the History of the United States."
Regardless of what the media says, that's good enough for me.
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FUBAR has a website!
I didn't realize the Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority had a website.
From the homepage:
"You could take the path which leads to a new Iraq, a peaceful, democratic Iraq, an Iraq of political freedom and economic opportunity, an Iraq where the majority is not Sunni, Shia, Arab, Kurd or Turcoman, but Iraqi. This is the path to a bright and hopeful future. Or you could take the path which leads to the dark Iraq of the past where violence and fear rule, where power comes from a gun, and where only the powerful and ruthless are secure."
With these words, Amb. Paul Bremer offered the Iraqi people the essential choice. In a speech delivered on April 23rd, he told the people of Iraq that the choice was theirs to make. On June 30th, Iraqis will be fully sovereign over their nation and the choice will be theirs to make.
Propaganda extraordinaire.
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I didn't realize the Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority had a website.
From the homepage:
"You could take the path which leads to a new Iraq, a peaceful, democratic Iraq, an Iraq of political freedom and economic opportunity, an Iraq where the majority is not Sunni, Shia, Arab, Kurd or Turcoman, but Iraqi. This is the path to a bright and hopeful future. Or you could take the path which leads to the dark Iraq of the past where violence and fear rule, where power comes from a gun, and where only the powerful and ruthless are secure."
With these words, Amb. Paul Bremer offered the Iraqi people the essential choice. In a speech delivered on April 23rd, he told the people of Iraq that the choice was theirs to make. On June 30th, Iraqis will be fully sovereign over their nation and the choice will be theirs to make.
Propaganda extraordinaire.
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Karen Hughes Equates Abortion Rights and Terrorsism
This lady is a piece of work:
..."'I think that after September 11, the American people are valuing life more and we need policies to value the dignity and worth of every life,' she said. 'President Bush has worked to say, let's be reasonable, let's work to value life, let's reduce the number of abortions, let's increase adoptions. And I think those are the kinds of policies the American people can support, particularly at a time when we're facing an enemy and, really, the fundamental issue between us and the terror network we fight is that we value every life.'"
Go to Amazon and write a "review" of her book.
Thanks to Kos for the heads up.
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This lady is a piece of work:
..."'I think that after September 11, the American people are valuing life more and we need policies to value the dignity and worth of every life,' she said. 'President Bush has worked to say, let's be reasonable, let's work to value life, let's reduce the number of abortions, let's increase adoptions. And I think those are the kinds of policies the American people can support, particularly at a time when we're facing an enemy and, really, the fundamental issue between us and the terror network we fight is that we value every life.'"
Go to Amazon and write a "review" of her book.
Thanks to Kos for the heads up.
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