Free Iraq
The US's occupation of Iraq will see to it that the Lion of Babylon rises again .. سنـُبعـَث ُ من جَديد ، وإلى ضَـيـرِِهِـم
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| Unrevealed Milestones in the Iraqi National Nuclear Program: 1981-1991 | معالم وأحداث غير مكشوفة في البرنامج النووي الوطني العراقي 1981-1991 | 
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Thursday, September 29, 2005
The Swiss cheese Iraqi Constitution .. Stuffed with Kurdish relish
"The draft constitution for Iraq that has been published in the Western press has been widely reviewed and commented upon by many individuals. There have been ongoing revisions to the constitution. The most recent version was released internally on Sept. 13th. This version has not been disseminated to either Western or Iraqi press or to the Iraqi public. CPT Iraq was sent a copy by a contact in the government.
While much of the document is similar and most changes are more in terms of replacing a word or two, there are some significant differences. Perhaps the most dramatic change is the omission of a section of the "Transitional Provisions."
The published draft reads:
1. "It is forbidden for Iraq to be used as a base or corridor for foreign troops."
2. "It is forbidden to have foreign military bases in Iraq."
3. "The National Assembly can, when necessary, and with a majority of two-thirds of its members allow events stated in #1 and #2 to take place."
This provision is completely missing from the current unpublished version.
Perhaps a more subtle change is in the "Fundamental Principles" section.
In the published draft, Article 2 states: "No law can be passed that contradicts the undisputed rules of Islam."
In the unpublished current version, the article reads, "No law that contradicts the established provisions of Islam may be established."
Now this may be splitting hairs but Iraqis have said that "undisputed" would imply Islamic law that is recognized by both Sunni and Shi'a. The word "established" would imply that law that exists in one branch but not the other would be considered the basis of national law.
This could create serious tensions if a Sunni or Shi'a were required to obey a national law that is outside of their particular faith tradition."
Leaked constitution sets scene for foreign bases, sectarian tensions September 27, 2005
"If the referendum on Iraq's draft constitution next month is conducted fairly, it now appears very likely that the document will be defeated by a two-thirds majority in the three Sunni-dominated provinces of Anbar, Salahadeen and Nineveh, plunging Iraq into a new political crisis.
However, one way such a defeat could be averted is by massive vote fraud in the key province of Nineveh. According to an account provided by the US liaison with the local election commission, supported by physical evidence collected by the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI), Kurdish officials in Nineveh province tried to carry out just such a ballot-stuffing scheme in last January's election.
The Sunni Arab majority of about 1.7 million in Nineveh - including Sunni insurgent organizations - appears to be united behind a "no" vote on the constitution. Kurds number only about 200,000 and non-Kurdish, non-Arab minorities another 500,000 to 600,000. The non-Arab, non-Kurdish minorities - Assyrian Christians, Shabaks, Yezidis and Turkmen - which hold the balance in the province, are overwhelmingly opposed to the constitution.
Heavy-handed control by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of non-Kurdish towns, exercised through Kurdish militia and intelligence presence in non-Kurdish areas, has alienated all four groups. They fear the draft constitution would legitimize Kurdish plans to absorb into Kurdistan the areas of Nineveh where they are the majority, eliminating the limited recognition of status and rights as minorities they now have.
In the January election, the Kurds dealt with the problem of being a relatively small minority in the province by stuffing the ballot boxes, as recounted by Major Anthony Cruz, an US Army reserve civil affairs officer assigned to work with the province's electoral commission.
Cruz, now back in Los Angeles, provided a detailed account of the election in Nineveh to IPS in interviews.
The 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division ("Stryker Brigade") was responsible for getting ballot boxes and ballots to polling places on the Nineveh Plain in January's election. But it relied on battle-hardened Kurdish Pershmerga militiamen to maintain security in the towns and villages, and did not know its way around the area well enough to deliver ballot boxes there without Kurdish help, according to Cruz. So the brigade agreed to send a US convoy with the voting materials to meet a Kurdish delegation in the Kurdish town of Faida on the border of Kurdistan 50 miles north of Mosul, so that the convoy could be guided to the largely Christian and Shabak towns on the Plain of Nineveh. When the convoy arrived in Faida the day before the election, however, the promised Kurdish guides never came. Instead, said Cruz, the Kurdish mayor of the town came demanding the ballots for what he called Kurdish towns on the list. The convoy commander wanted to take all the ballots back because the mission had been aborted. A tense standoff followed, and the convoy commander called Cruz for a decision on what to do with the ballots. He advised the commander to give the mayor enough ballots for four towns, and the convoy returned to Mosul. On election day, Cruz recalled, the US military tried to find helicopters to carry the ballot materials out to the six remaining district towns on the list, but was able get ballots before the 5pm close of voting to only one town, Bashiqa, which is almost entirely Christian, Shabak and Yezidi. But according to Cruz, Kurdish militiamen stole the ballot boxes from the polling place, returning them later after obviously tampering with them and offering bribes to the election workers to accept them.
Meanwhile, a much more ambitious vote-fraud scheme was unfolding in Sinjar, a relatively small district town in the west known to be a predominantly Sunni Arab area. About 12,000 ballots had been sent to Sinjar, but on election day KDP officials in Sinjar requested a number of ballots far in excess of the estimated electorate in the town and surrounding villages, according to Cruz. He recalled that the request was supported by the office of the interim president of Iraq, Sunni Arab Ghazi al-Yawer.
Cruz remembers joking about the "500% voter-participation rate" in Sinjar.
Nevertheless, the Stryker Brigade Combat Team complied with the request for the ballots. Later, the province's Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) forwarded 38 ballot boxes, 174 plastic sacks and 14 cardboard cartons of ballots that had obviously been tampered with to the national IECI. In some boxes, reams of ballot papers that had not even been folded were visible. In others, boxes had been resealed with red and green duct tape. When Cruz asked the local IECI director how many of the fraudulent ballots had come from Sinjar, he was told, "all of them". (emphasis added)
Stuffing Iraq's ballot boxes September 30, 2005
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September 30, 2005
."The manner in which the occupation authorities affected and intervened in Iraq’s constitutional process", Constitution-Making Under Occupation, by Zaid Al-Ali
Rebuilding Iraq with American glue
Comments:
<< Home
To my Iraqi friends
Remember Jabbar Abulsharbat on Abu Nuwas?
I bet a new study will soon confirm Haji Zibala's raisin juice, and maybe also Al-Hati's pacha (I wish).
These were the only 24/7 in Baghdad for decades.
Remember Jabbar Abulsharbat on Abu Nuwas?
I bet a new study will soon confirm Haji Zibala's raisin juice, and maybe also Al-Hati's pacha (I wish).
These were the only 24/7 in Baghdad for decades.
Wayne Madsen Report, September 29, 2005 -- "Blackwater USA represents a return to 'Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.' According to a knowledgeable political insider in Washington, the private military contractor Blackwater USA has close ties to the Christian Right. The Prince Group, the McLean, Virginia-based parent company of Blackwater, recently hired Joseph E. Schmitz as its Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel. Previously, Schmitz was the Inspector General of the Department of Defense. Schmitz was a Special Assistant to-Attorney General Edwin Meese III, who is an official of the dominionist Christian Fellowship Foundation and a Heritage Foundation Fellow who recently authored a blueprint for rebuilding New Orleans and Louisiana. Perhaps not coincidentally, Blackwater USA and its sister company Presidential Airways, have been providing security for petrochemical industry and other installations damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Blackwater's Raven Development Group (RDG) advertises the following services, which should alarm current landowners in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mississippi: General Contracting, Construction Management, Design Build Services, Site Selection Assistance, and Municipal Interfaces for Site Plan Approvals -- Economic Incentives and Permitting."
[omitted here: 5 fact-filled paragraphs detailing incestuously corrupt corporate-political shenanigans]
"Blackwater maintains the largest private military training facility in the United States. Located on an abandoned U.S. military base at Moyock, North Carolina on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp near the North Carolina-Virginia border, Blackwater's Security Consulting subsidiary attracts military and paramilitary trainees from around the country and the world. Former Chilean and Honduran military personnel have been trained at Moyock prior to deployment to Iraq. What is even more attractive for the Bush administration and Blackwater is the fact that, as a private company, Blackwater is far removed from oversight by government inspectors general, Freedom of Information Act requests, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and snooping reporters.
"Iraqi insurgents killed and mutilated the bodies of four Blackwater mercenaries near Fallujah, Iraq in April 2004, an act that triggered a massive U.S. military response that laid waste to the 'city of mosques.' Recently, Blackwater mercenaries have been patrolling the streets of New Orleans along with other mercenaries from the United States and Israel."
[omitted here: 5 fact-filled paragraphs detailing incestuously corrupt corporate-political shenanigans]
"Blackwater maintains the largest private military training facility in the United States. Located on an abandoned U.S. military base at Moyock, North Carolina on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp near the North Carolina-Virginia border, Blackwater's Security Consulting subsidiary attracts military and paramilitary trainees from around the country and the world. Former Chilean and Honduran military personnel have been trained at Moyock prior to deployment to Iraq. What is even more attractive for the Bush administration and Blackwater is the fact that, as a private company, Blackwater is far removed from oversight by government inspectors general, Freedom of Information Act requests, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and snooping reporters.
"Iraqi insurgents killed and mutilated the bodies of four Blackwater mercenaries near Fallujah, Iraq in April 2004, an act that triggered a massive U.S. military response that laid waste to the 'city of mosques.' Recently, Blackwater mercenaries have been patrolling the streets of New Orleans along with other mercenaries from the United States and Israel."
A new Iraqi Blogger:
An Iraqi Tear
Help me collecting the ashes:
Why the woman I was? I managed to survive the invasion and 21 days and nights with severe bombing.. On April 9- 03, when the era of so called "NEW IRAQ" began I felt not belonging more to this place that once was Iraq. Since then I forgot the woman I was before the occupation. I tried to remember me but I failed.
Defiantly I am not the woman I was..
Feeling Baghda:d
"بغداد جنة بعيوني انا.. بغداد حبها يكبر كل سنة.. و الله و راس اهلنا ما انحني،
والله هي حبنا كلنا.. ما انسى بغداد بيتي و صلاتي ووطني.. اشكد حلوة بغداد مولدي و عرسي و كفني
An Iraqi Tear
Help me collecting the ashes:
Why the woman I was? I managed to survive the invasion and 21 days and nights with severe bombing.. On April 9- 03, when the era of so called "NEW IRAQ" began I felt not belonging more to this place that once was Iraq. Since then I forgot the woman I was before the occupation. I tried to remember me but I failed.
Defiantly I am not the woman I was..
Feeling Baghda:d
"بغداد جنة بعيوني انا.. بغداد حبها يكبر كل سنة.. و الله و راس اهلنا ما انحني،
والله هي حبنا كلنا.. ما انسى بغداد بيتي و صلاتي ووطني.. اشكد حلوة بغداد مولدي و عرسي و كفني
Iraq? This is just selective morals as far as I am concerned.
Iraq is in trouble? Not relative to many African countries! Who screams for justice for them? No-one because you cannot bash the US or Bush!
Re: Darfur
There are no demonstrations in the streets of Cairo, Damascus, Beirut, Tunis, Algiers or elsewhere in the wider Arab-Muslim world, denouncing the Khartoum regime for its crimes in Darfur.
Freedom and democracy are sorely lacking among the Arab League members, and popular condemnation of an Arab regime would not be tolerated.
Arabs and Muslims, however, now live in growing numbers in cosmopolitan centres of the West, and enjoy freedoms denied their people elsewhere.
Here they came out in unprecedented numbers, protesting American-led wars to liberate Afghans and Iraqis from despots.
But in their unconscionable silence over Darfur, they disclose how selective is their outrage.
This silence is also revealing of culturally entrenched bigotry among Arabs, and Muslims from adjoining areas of the Middle East.
Blacks are viewed by Arabs as racially inferior, and Arab violence against blacks has a long, turbulent record. The Arabic word for blacks ('abed) is a derivative of the word slave ('abd), and the role of Arabs in the history of slavery is a subject rarely discussed publicly.
Here, the contrast between the Arab treatment of blacks, irrespective of whether they are Muslims or not, and the Israeli assimilation of black Jews of Ethiopia, known as Falashas, cannot go unnoticed.
The tragedy of Darfurians ironically has exposed to the world the racial dimension of Arab-Muslim culture and the hollowness of rhetoric proclaiming the brotherhood of Muslims and Arabs alike.
Iraq is in trouble? Not relative to many African countries! Who screams for justice for them? No-one because you cannot bash the US or Bush!
Re: Darfur
There are no demonstrations in the streets of Cairo, Damascus, Beirut, Tunis, Algiers or elsewhere in the wider Arab-Muslim world, denouncing the Khartoum regime for its crimes in Darfur.
Freedom and democracy are sorely lacking among the Arab League members, and popular condemnation of an Arab regime would not be tolerated.
Arabs and Muslims, however, now live in growing numbers in cosmopolitan centres of the West, and enjoy freedoms denied their people elsewhere.
Here they came out in unprecedented numbers, protesting American-led wars to liberate Afghans and Iraqis from despots.
But in their unconscionable silence over Darfur, they disclose how selective is their outrage.
This silence is also revealing of culturally entrenched bigotry among Arabs, and Muslims from adjoining areas of the Middle East.
Blacks are viewed by Arabs as racially inferior, and Arab violence against blacks has a long, turbulent record. The Arabic word for blacks ('abed) is a derivative of the word slave ('abd), and the role of Arabs in the history of slavery is a subject rarely discussed publicly.
Here, the contrast between the Arab treatment of blacks, irrespective of whether they are Muslims or not, and the Israeli assimilation of black Jews of Ethiopia, known as Falashas, cannot go unnoticed.
The tragedy of Darfurians ironically has exposed to the world the racial dimension of Arab-Muslim culture and the hollowness of rhetoric proclaiming the brotherhood of Muslims and Arabs alike.
By no measure can the document on offer be considered an Iraqi Constitution. Planted by imperialistic design, nurtured by hired nannies, ratified - possibly - by a nation held hostage, the entire charade is a rapacious fraud.
A nation held hostage Evelyn? Iraq has never been more free.
Saddam and his sons held Iraqis hostage by never allowing them to vote and killing them
Iraqis have now voted and are no longer asked to sacrifice themselves in Saddam's wars on Iran, Kuwait, Israel and the west.
Saddam and his sons held Iraqis hostage by never allowing them to vote and killing them
Iraqis have now voted and are no longer asked to sacrifice themselves in Saddam's wars on Iran, Kuwait, Israel and the west.
Responding to your manifest concern for human rights, BR, I leave this link on Imperialism. It serves as but a minor supplement to your present knowledge.
Wayne Madsen Report, September 30, 2005 -- "The Bush spinmeisters' Kabuki dance with Patrick Fitzgerald. There is an interesting stylized dance taking place between the White House and Patrick Fitzgerald, the Special Prosecutor in the CIA leak case.
"For weeks, there have been rumors inside the Beltway that something big would be announced about the case during the last weeks of September. The silence and lack of substantial leaks were indications that a major turn of events would soon occur. Yesterday afternoon, the White House quickly swore in John G. Roberts as Chief Justice, just hours after his Senate confirmation. Rather than wait for the next morning and thus get two days of puff ball coverage by the media, the White House wanted to clear the calendar on Friday for a possible announcement by Fitzgerald. The White House, unsure of what might be coming from the prosecutor, floated the story that Bush would 'definitely' name a replacement for Sandra Day O'Connor on Friday.
"But then New York Times reporter Judith Miller was quickly released from prison in Alexandria Thursday night. . . .
"It was then announced that Miller had decided to cooperate with Fitzgerald and testify today before the Grand Jury in Washington, DC. . . .
"It is clear that Miller was the missing link in Fitzgerald's criminal probe of the leak that a number of CIA insiders have told this editor was 'devastating' to the agency. Miller's attorney claimed that Vice President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, a target of the leak probe, had released her from a confidentiality pledge. But that agreement had already been reported months ago. Something has changed. A former Justice Department prosecutor told this editor that Fitzgerald is the type of prosecutor who starts low in the food chain and works his way up to nab the big fish. Fitzgerald is said to have, very early on in the case, 'flipped' John Hannah, Libby's deputy.
"One possible explanation for the sudden turn of events regarding Miller and Libby is that Fitzgerald may have also 'flipped' Libby as a witness. A promise of limited immunity to Libby would have cleared the way for testimony from Miller on what she discussed with Cheney's chief of staff. That means the ultimate target of Fitzgerald could be Cheney.
"Dick Cheney recently had surgery on two aneurysms behind his knees, thus taking him out of the public spotlight more than is the usual case. The Soviet leadership, which the Bush administration has striven so much to emulate, used to exile their sacked leaders to dachas in the countryside. Might the same thing be in store for a Vice President named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the CIA leak case? . . .
"Meanwhile, GOP congressmen are beginning to abandon former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. They are undoubtedly aware of the connections of DeLay to mobster money funneled by indicted GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Even a puff piece by reporter Mark Leibovich on DeLay in yesterday's Washington Post's Style section did little to stop the continual shark bites on DeLay from his GOP colleagues. Of course, DeLay's troubles come at the same time that one of his major supporters, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Israeli government, face an aggressive espionage probe by U.S. Attorney for Eastern Virginia Paul McNulty -- indicted Defense Intelligence Agency official Larry Franklin has agreed to a plea bargain in return for his cooperation as a prosecution witness.
"After almost five years of incessant outrages by the Bush regime, I have never been more optimistic* that the tide may be beginning to turn."
--------------------------------
* Optimism eludes me, but I try to dare to hope.
"For weeks, there have been rumors inside the Beltway that something big would be announced about the case during the last weeks of September. The silence and lack of substantial leaks were indications that a major turn of events would soon occur. Yesterday afternoon, the White House quickly swore in John G. Roberts as Chief Justice, just hours after his Senate confirmation. Rather than wait for the next morning and thus get two days of puff ball coverage by the media, the White House wanted to clear the calendar on Friday for a possible announcement by Fitzgerald. The White House, unsure of what might be coming from the prosecutor, floated the story that Bush would 'definitely' name a replacement for Sandra Day O'Connor on Friday.
"But then New York Times reporter Judith Miller was quickly released from prison in Alexandria Thursday night. . . .
"It was then announced that Miller had decided to cooperate with Fitzgerald and testify today before the Grand Jury in Washington, DC. . . .
"It is clear that Miller was the missing link in Fitzgerald's criminal probe of the leak that a number of CIA insiders have told this editor was 'devastating' to the agency. Miller's attorney claimed that Vice President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, a target of the leak probe, had released her from a confidentiality pledge. But that agreement had already been reported months ago. Something has changed. A former Justice Department prosecutor told this editor that Fitzgerald is the type of prosecutor who starts low in the food chain and works his way up to nab the big fish. Fitzgerald is said to have, very early on in the case, 'flipped' John Hannah, Libby's deputy.
"One possible explanation for the sudden turn of events regarding Miller and Libby is that Fitzgerald may have also 'flipped' Libby as a witness. A promise of limited immunity to Libby would have cleared the way for testimony from Miller on what she discussed with Cheney's chief of staff. That means the ultimate target of Fitzgerald could be Cheney.
"Dick Cheney recently had surgery on two aneurysms behind his knees, thus taking him out of the public spotlight more than is the usual case. The Soviet leadership, which the Bush administration has striven so much to emulate, used to exile their sacked leaders to dachas in the countryside. Might the same thing be in store for a Vice President named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the CIA leak case? . . .
"Meanwhile, GOP congressmen are beginning to abandon former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. They are undoubtedly aware of the connections of DeLay to mobster money funneled by indicted GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Even a puff piece by reporter Mark Leibovich on DeLay in yesterday's Washington Post's Style section did little to stop the continual shark bites on DeLay from his GOP colleagues. Of course, DeLay's troubles come at the same time that one of his major supporters, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Israeli government, face an aggressive espionage probe by U.S. Attorney for Eastern Virginia Paul McNulty -- indicted Defense Intelligence Agency official Larry Franklin has agreed to a plea bargain in return for his cooperation as a prosecution witness.
"After almost five years of incessant outrages by the Bush regime, I have never been more optimistic* that the tide may be beginning to turn."
--------------------------------
* Optimism eludes me, but I try to dare to hope.
Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble; Bush is Cooking Up Two New Wars: "Mired in interminable conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration is moving toward initiating two more wars, one with Iran and one with North Korea. With no US troops available, the Bush administration is revamping US war doctrine to allow for 'preventative nuclear attack.' In short, the Bush administration is planning to make the US the first country in history to initiate war with nuclear weapons. The Pentagon document, 'Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations,' calls for the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear adversaries in order 'to ensure success of US and multinational operations.'
"In the case of Iran and Iraq, the Bush administration is using diplomacy not for diplomatic purposes of reaching agreements, but in order to set the two countries up for nuclear attack. In the case of Iran, the Bush administration's plan is now obvious. The Bush administration is leveling false charges against Iran, just as it did against Iraq, of conspiring to make nuclear weapons. These charges are known to be false by the Bush administration and by the entire world.
"For the past two years the International Atomic Energy Agency has had unfettered access to inspect Iran for any sign of a nuclear weapons program. The head of the IAEA has announced that there is no sign of a weapons program. The Bush administration nevertheless insists that Iran is making weapons, but can produce no evidence. As in the case of Iraq, the Bush administration substitutes allegations for facts. [ . . . ]
"There would be no terrorism if the US would stop interfering in the internal affairs of Middle Eastern countries and if Israel stopped stealing the West Bank from the Palestinians. The Bush administration knows this, and that is why the administration spreads the propagandistic lie that 'they' (Muslims) hate us and our way of life. This lie is the excuse for American aggression."
"In the case of Iran and Iraq, the Bush administration is using diplomacy not for diplomatic purposes of reaching agreements, but in order to set the two countries up for nuclear attack. In the case of Iran, the Bush administration's plan is now obvious. The Bush administration is leveling false charges against Iran, just as it did against Iraq, of conspiring to make nuclear weapons. These charges are known to be false by the Bush administration and by the entire world.
"For the past two years the International Atomic Energy Agency has had unfettered access to inspect Iran for any sign of a nuclear weapons program. The head of the IAEA has announced that there is no sign of a weapons program. The Bush administration nevertheless insists that Iran is making weapons, but can produce no evidence. As in the case of Iraq, the Bush administration substitutes allegations for facts. [ . . . ]
"There would be no terrorism if the US would stop interfering in the internal affairs of Middle Eastern countries and if Israel stopped stealing the West Bank from the Palestinians. The Bush administration knows this, and that is why the administration spreads the propagandistic lie that 'they' (Muslims) hate us and our way of life. This lie is the excuse for American aggression."
Photos from Iraq, 30 September 2005; Freedom & Democracy: More (Thank goodness we got rid of Saddam.)
Interview with Cindy Sheehan, "Our Imploding President":
TD: "Would you like to speak about your bluntness a little because words you use like 'war crimes' aren't ones Americans hear often.
CS: "All you have to do is look at the Nuremberg Tribunal or the Geneva Conventions. Clearly they've committed war crimes. Clearly. It's black and white. It's not me coming up with this abstract idea. It's like, well, did you put a bullet in that person's head or didn't you? 'Yes I did.' Well, that's a crime. It's not shades of grey. They broke every treaty. They broke our own Constitution. They broke Nuremberg. They broke the Geneva Conventions. Everything. And if somebody doesn't say it, does it mean it didn't happen? Somebody has to say it, and I'll say it. I've called George Bush a terrorist. He says a terrorist is somebody who kills innocent people. That's his own definition. So, by George Bush's own definition, he is a terrorist, because there are almost 100,000 innocent Iraqis that have been killed. And innocent Afghanis that have been killed.
"George Bush is getting ready to implode. I mean have you seen him lately? He's a man who's out of control."
TD: "Would you like to speak about your bluntness a little because words you use like 'war crimes' aren't ones Americans hear often.
CS: "All you have to do is look at the Nuremberg Tribunal or the Geneva Conventions. Clearly they've committed war crimes. Clearly. It's black and white. It's not me coming up with this abstract idea. It's like, well, did you put a bullet in that person's head or didn't you? 'Yes I did.' Well, that's a crime. It's not shades of grey. They broke every treaty. They broke our own Constitution. They broke Nuremberg. They broke the Geneva Conventions. Everything. And if somebody doesn't say it, does it mean it didn't happen? Somebody has to say it, and I'll say it. I've called George Bush a terrorist. He says a terrorist is somebody who kills innocent people. That's his own definition. So, by George Bush's own definition, he is a terrorist, because there are almost 100,000 innocent Iraqis that have been killed. And innocent Afghanis that have been killed.
"George Bush is getting ready to implode. I mean have you seen him lately? He's a man who's out of control."
Evelyn
Regarding your above mentioned Sheehan's Comment on Bush:
But they voted for him.
They deserve everything they get and then some.
We don't -- we (meaning, "the rest of the world, excepting America") are the victims. They are the victimizers.
The fact that they are victimizing themselves, as well, makes no difference -- think of the analogy with jealous or obsessed men who do the good old "murder-suicide" thing... the fact that they kill themselves after they have murdered their spouse/ex-spouse, is cold comfort to the many innocent lives that get ruined in the process.
When a psychotic, violent and possibly suicidal criminal is in your neighbourhood, and there aren't any cops, you get a gun and defend yourself. Which is what the rest of the world is slowly learning to do, when America shows up in our neighbourhood.
Regarding your above mentioned Sheehan's Comment on Bush:
But they voted for him.
They deserve everything they get and then some.
We don't -- we (meaning, "the rest of the world, excepting America") are the victims. They are the victimizers.
The fact that they are victimizing themselves, as well, makes no difference -- think of the analogy with jealous or obsessed men who do the good old "murder-suicide" thing... the fact that they kill themselves after they have murdered their spouse/ex-spouse, is cold comfort to the many innocent lives that get ruined in the process.
When a psychotic, violent and possibly suicidal criminal is in your neighbourhood, and there aren't any cops, you get a gun and defend yourself. Which is what the rest of the world is slowly learning to do, when America shows up in our neighbourhood.
After reading the above two comments, I pose the following, to them and to Bush:
Do you want this
Or, in the words of Bill Maher in his closing bit the other night:
"Mr. President, this job can't be fun for you any more. There's no more money to spend--you used up all of that. You can't start another war because you used up the army. And now, darn the luck, the rest of your term has become the Bush family nightmare: helping poor people. Listen to your Mom.
The cupboard's bare, the credit cards maxed out. No one's speaking to you. Mission accomplished !
"Now it's time to do what you've always done best: lose interest and walk away. Like you did with your military service and the oil company and the baseball team.
It's time. Time to move on and try
the next fantasy job... How about cowboy or space man? Now I know what you're saying: there's so many
other things that you as President could involve yourself in. Please don't... I know, I know. There's a lot left to do. There's a war with Venezuela. Liminating the sales tax on yachts. Turning the space program over to the church. And Social Security to Fannie Mae. Giving embryos the vote.
But, Sir, none of that is going to happen now.
Why?.. Because you govern like Billy Joel drives. You've performed so poorly I'm surprised that you haven't given yourself a medal. You're a catastrophe that walks like a man.
Herbert Hoover was a shitty
president, but even he never conceded an entire city to rising water and snakes.
On your watch, we've lost almost all of our allies, the budget surplus, four airliners, two trade centers, a piece of the Pentagon and the City of New Orleans. Maybe you're just not lucky.
I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just wondering how much worse it could be if you were on the other side.
So, yes, God does speak to you... What he is saying is: 'Take a hint !!
Do you want this
Or, in the words of Bill Maher in his closing bit the other night:
"Mr. President, this job can't be fun for you any more. There's no more money to spend--you used up all of that. You can't start another war because you used up the army. And now, darn the luck, the rest of your term has become the Bush family nightmare: helping poor people. Listen to your Mom.
The cupboard's bare, the credit cards maxed out. No one's speaking to you. Mission accomplished !
"Now it's time to do what you've always done best: lose interest and walk away. Like you did with your military service and the oil company and the baseball team.
It's time. Time to move on and try
the next fantasy job... How about cowboy or space man? Now I know what you're saying: there's so many
other things that you as President could involve yourself in. Please don't... I know, I know. There's a lot left to do. There's a war with Venezuela. Liminating the sales tax on yachts. Turning the space program over to the church. And Social Security to Fannie Mae. Giving embryos the vote.
But, Sir, none of that is going to happen now.
Why?.. Because you govern like Billy Joel drives. You've performed so poorly I'm surprised that you haven't given yourself a medal. You're a catastrophe that walks like a man.
Herbert Hoover was a shitty
president, but even he never conceded an entire city to rising water and snakes.
On your watch, we've lost almost all of our allies, the budget surplus, four airliners, two trade centers, a piece of the Pentagon and the City of New Orleans. Maybe you're just not lucky.
I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just wondering how much worse it could be if you were on the other side.
So, yes, God does speak to you... What he is saying is: 'Take a hint !!
"The Osama Bin Laden of Latin America" : Luis Posada and US Hypocrisy in War on Terror: "Venezuela's Ambassador to the U.S., Bernardo Alvarez, called Luis Posada Carriles, the anti-Castro militant who is wanted for 73 counts of murder in Venezuela, 'the Osama Bin Laden of Latin America.' He also said that the Bush administration is exercising 'a cynical double-standard' and is 'fighting an a la carte war on terror,' because of its refusal to act on the Venezuelan request for the extradition of Luis Posada Carriles. [ . . . ]
"Venezuela's Vice-President, José Vicente Rangel, also weighed-in on the matter, saying, 'I believe that when they refer to the existence of torture in Cuba they must be referring to their base in Guantanamo and the torture that North American troops apply in Iraq's prison. Here in Venezuela there is no torture.'"
"Venezuela's Vice-President, José Vicente Rangel, also weighed-in on the matter, saying, 'I believe that when they refer to the existence of torture in Cuba they must be referring to their base in Guantanamo and the torture that North American troops apply in Iraq's prison. Here in Venezuela there is no torture.'"
MadAsHell,
In conscience and truthfulness (and, with a broken heart) I must agree with nearly everything you say (above).
- Yes, the rest of the world have been / are being victimised by this administration and forces aligned to it and/or powerfully using it.
- Yes, many innocent lives are being / have been ruined by this viciously evil cabal.
- Yes, millions of people, justifiably, observe and conclude that we deserve whatever evil boomerangs back upon us.
- Yes, the world has every right to take defensive measures against the aggressor.
On one point only do I differ. I do not believe George Bush won the November '04 election. And there is good reason to believe the same of November 2000. Perhaps, though, this nitpicking is irrelevant, for I know the United States historically and consistently has visited much evil upon the world. So, perhaps the fact of stolen elections is of little consequence, given our history, predilections, and national arrogance.
As a collective, we are ignorant. I do not suggest that individually we will this terrible blight on our perceptions. However, just about NOTHING in our ordinary "faith-based" environment informs us beyond the world of the toothpaste salesman. One can but hope that the truth the world seeks to bring us, by various means, will break through this wall of ignorance, sooner rather than later. At the rate we're going, later might well be too late - for everyone.
In conscience and truthfulness (and, with a broken heart) I must agree with nearly everything you say (above).
- Yes, the rest of the world have been / are being victimised by this administration and forces aligned to it and/or powerfully using it.
- Yes, many innocent lives are being / have been ruined by this viciously evil cabal.
- Yes, millions of people, justifiably, observe and conclude that we deserve whatever evil boomerangs back upon us.
- Yes, the world has every right to take defensive measures against the aggressor.
On one point only do I differ. I do not believe George Bush won the November '04 election. And there is good reason to believe the same of November 2000. Perhaps, though, this nitpicking is irrelevant, for I know the United States historically and consistently has visited much evil upon the world. So, perhaps the fact of stolen elections is of little consequence, given our history, predilections, and national arrogance.
As a collective, we are ignorant. I do not suggest that individually we will this terrible blight on our perceptions. However, just about NOTHING in our ordinary "faith-based" environment informs us beyond the world of the toothpaste salesman. One can but hope that the truth the world seeks to bring us, by various means, will break through this wall of ignorance, sooner rather than later. At the rate we're going, later might well be too late - for everyone.
U.S. government 'dysfunctional': McKenna: "In a speech on Thursday to the Empire Club of Canada, Frank McKenna called the U.S. government dysfunctional and raised the alarm over America's growing budget deficit."
(Goodness, but these Canadians are getting 'cheeky'!)
(Goodness, but these Canadians are getting 'cheeky'!)
The Independent, White House under siege after DeLay's downfall
(Please, g-d, out with the whole pack of them.)
(Please, g-d, out with the whole pack of them.)
Canada Oil Sands Worth $1.4 Trillion (Oops, Canada, I wouldn't let the word get out, if I were you.)
The perpetrators would be . . . ?
Iraq deadly explosions kill more than 100: The dead included 25 children under 15.
"The violence comes amid preparations for the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum and the trial of toppled leader Saddam Hussein, which Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari insisted be held as scheduled for next month, despite lawyers opposition.
"'Saddam's trial date is scheduled for October 19 and it is not possible to postpone this case which has already been pending for too long,' Jaafari said in a statement.
"In Washington, the senior U.S. commander in Iraq said that violence would escalate even if the constitution is adopted, AFP reported.
"General George Casey backtracked on his previous comments that some U.S. troops could leave Iraq in the next year, saying that any troop reductions heavily depend on the political process.
"Earlier this week, the International Crisis Group think-tank warned that a rushed drafting of the Iraqi constitution has deepened sectarian rifts and was likely to increase the violence in the war-torn country."
Iraq deadly explosions kill more than 100: The dead included 25 children under 15.
"The violence comes amid preparations for the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum and the trial of toppled leader Saddam Hussein, which Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari insisted be held as scheduled for next month, despite lawyers opposition.
"'Saddam's trial date is scheduled for October 19 and it is not possible to postpone this case which has already been pending for too long,' Jaafari said in a statement.
"In Washington, the senior U.S. commander in Iraq said that violence would escalate even if the constitution is adopted, AFP reported.
"General George Casey backtracked on his previous comments that some U.S. troops could leave Iraq in the next year, saying that any troop reductions heavily depend on the political process.
"Earlier this week, the International Crisis Group think-tank warned that a rushed drafting of the Iraqi constitution has deepened sectarian rifts and was likely to increase the violence in the war-torn country."
Some really BAD news
Army in Worst Recruiting Slump in Decades : "Officials insist the slump is not a crisis.
"Michael O'Hanlon, a defense analyst at the Brookings Institution think tank, said the recruiting shortfall this year does not matter greatly — for now.
"But there are compelling reasons to think that Army recruiters are heading into a second consecutive year of recruiting shortfalls.
"The outlook is dimmed by several key factors, including:
"• The daily reports of American deaths in Iraq and the uncertain nature of the struggle against the insurgency have put a damper on young people's enthusiasm for joining the military, according to opinion surveys.
"• The Army has a smaller-then-usual reservoir of enlistees as it begins the new recruiting year on Saturday. This pool comes from what the Army calls its delayed-entry program in which recruits commit to join the Army on condition that they ship to boot camp some months later.
"Normally that pool is large enough at the start of the recruiting year to fill one-quarter of the Army's full-year need. But it has dwindled so low that the Army is starting its new recruiting year with perhaps only 5 percent 'in the bank.' The official figure on delayed entry recruits has not been released publicly, although Gen. Peter Schoomaker, the Army chief of staff, has said it is the smallest in history.
"The factors working against the Army, Hilferty said, are a strong national economy* that offers young people other choices, and 'continued negative news from the Middle East.' To offset that the Army has vastly increased the number of recruiters on the street, offered bigger signup bonuses and boosted advertising."
-----------------------------------
* Fascinating choice of words.
Army in Worst Recruiting Slump in Decades : "Officials insist the slump is not a crisis.
"Michael O'Hanlon, a defense analyst at the Brookings Institution think tank, said the recruiting shortfall this year does not matter greatly — for now.
"But there are compelling reasons to think that Army recruiters are heading into a second consecutive year of recruiting shortfalls.
"The outlook is dimmed by several key factors, including:
"• The daily reports of American deaths in Iraq and the uncertain nature of the struggle against the insurgency have put a damper on young people's enthusiasm for joining the military, according to opinion surveys.
"• The Army has a smaller-then-usual reservoir of enlistees as it begins the new recruiting year on Saturday. This pool comes from what the Army calls its delayed-entry program in which recruits commit to join the Army on condition that they ship to boot camp some months later.
"Normally that pool is large enough at the start of the recruiting year to fill one-quarter of the Army's full-year need. But it has dwindled so low that the Army is starting its new recruiting year with perhaps only 5 percent 'in the bank.' The official figure on delayed entry recruits has not been released publicly, although Gen. Peter Schoomaker, the Army chief of staff, has said it is the smallest in history.
"The factors working against the Army, Hilferty said, are a strong national economy* that offers young people other choices, and 'continued negative news from the Middle East.' To offset that the Army has vastly increased the number of recruiters on the street, offered bigger signup bonuses and boosted advertising."
-----------------------------------
* Fascinating choice of words.
3 FREE iTunes music downloads when you
sign up to be contacted by the Army National Guard!
(No, I'm NOT making this up.)
sign up to be contacted by the Army National Guard!
(No, I'm NOT making this up.)
(MadAsHell, this is for you)
Report Finds Negative Image of U.S. Abroad: "America is less a beacon of hope than a dangerous force to be countered."
Report Finds Negative Image of U.S. Abroad: "America is less a beacon of hope than a dangerous force to be countered."
Guardian, Bin Laden's little helper: "US administration lectures about God delivered to Muslims are a dangerous folly"
(Suggested reading. You won't learn anything new, but the article is perceptive and a good chuckle - if all the chuckle hasn't been knocked out of you.)
(Suggested reading. You won't learn anything new, but the article is perceptive and a good chuckle - if all the chuckle hasn't been knocked out of you.)
Incoming FDNY chaplain questions 9/11 story: "An imam slated to be sworn in Friday as the second Muslim chaplain in Fire Department history said he questioned whether 19 hijackers were responsible for the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and suggested a broader conspiracy may have brought down the Twin Towers and killed more than 2,700 people."
(WOW. That could cost him his job.)
(WOW. That could cost him his job.)
FCC Releases Orders for Internet Backdoor Wiretap Access
In 1927, the government did indeed explode the levees to flood low-lying poor neighborhoods in downriver New Orleans in order to save the uptown. (I've "borrowed" this headline from POAC. Thanks!)
VIDEO & transcript, Israel Is Spying In And On The U.S.?
In 1927, the government did indeed explode the levees to flood low-lying poor neighborhoods in downriver New Orleans in order to save the uptown. (I've "borrowed" this headline from POAC. Thanks!)
VIDEO & transcript, Israel Is Spying In And On The U.S.?
Dr Khadduri,
Thank you for passing on the link to this powerful new Iraqi blog (above). Also, for the Bill Maher excerpt. Sometimes he really hits the nail on the head. But, no, I do not want this, if it's all the same to you!
Thank you for passing on the link to this powerful new Iraqi blog (above). Also, for the Bill Maher excerpt. Sometimes he really hits the nail on the head. But, no, I do not want this, if it's all the same to you!
Israeli forces kill Palestinian fighters
IAEA rejects Arab call to discuss Israel
Orthodox opinions: Apply here.
US chaplain quits over 9/11 theory: ""It's sad,' said Kevin James, a spokesman for the Islamic Society of Fire Department Personnel. 'We had no idea those were his views. He's entitled to his opinion but he's not the right person for the chaplain.'"
(See Comment: September 30, 2005 5:01 PM)
IAEA rejects Arab call to discuss Israel
Orthodox opinions: Apply here.
US chaplain quits over 9/11 theory: ""It's sad,' said Kevin James, a spokesman for the Islamic Society of Fire Department Personnel. 'We had no idea those were his views. He's entitled to his opinion but he's not the right person for the chaplain.'"
(See Comment: September 30, 2005 5:01 PM)
Badr, newly commenting at this site, rightly expresses concern over Darfur. I leave, therefore, these two relevant articles:
- Why Washington Won't Save Darfur Villagers
- Destabilizing Sudan: US Weapons for SPLA Freedom Fighters
- Why Washington Won't Save Darfur Villagers
- Destabilizing Sudan: US Weapons for SPLA Freedom Fighters
This is related to the Zarqawi posting on 'Blatant Misinformation' of a few days earlier:
Does Zarqawi have an infinite supply of lieutenants/deputies/aides/associates/second-in-commands/etc., or do we just arbitrarily declare that every 100th insurgent we capture or kill is "a top aide" to Zarqawi?
Below is an almost comprehensive list (I'm sure I missed a few) of Zarqawi's "top lieutenants" we've captured, killed, or acknowledged over the last two and a half years. I count 33.
Kiss of Death September 27, 2005
Does Zarqawi have an infinite supply of lieutenants/deputies/aides/associates/second-in-commands/etc., or do we just arbitrarily declare that every 100th insurgent we capture or kill is "a top aide" to Zarqawi?
Below is an almost comprehensive list (I'm sure I missed a few) of Zarqawi's "top lieutenants" we've captured, killed, or acknowledged over the last two and a half years. I count 33.
Kiss of Death September 27, 2005
Not only does Zarqawi apparently have an infinite supply of lieutenants & whatnot, but Zarqawi himself likewise seems blessed with an infinite number of lives - kind of like the cat with 9, but only more.
Highly recommended, The Real Threat of Fascism: "Most people today are quite certain that they know what fascism is. When I ask people to define fascism, they typically tell me what it was, the assumption being that it no longer exists. . . .
"Before the rise of fascism, Germany and Italy were liberal democracies. Fascism did not swoop down on these nations as if from another planet. To the contrary, fascist dictatorship was the end result of political and economic processes which these nations underwent while they were still democratic. In both these countries, economic power became so utterly concentrated that the bulk of all economic activity fell under the control of a handful of men. Economic power, when sufficiently vast, becomes by its very nature political power. The political power of big business supported fascism in Italy and Germany."
"Before the rise of fascism, Germany and Italy were liberal democracies. Fascism did not swoop down on these nations as if from another planet. To the contrary, fascist dictatorship was the end result of political and economic processes which these nations underwent while they were still democratic. In both these countries, economic power became so utterly concentrated that the bulk of all economic activity fell under the control of a handful of men. Economic power, when sufficiently vast, becomes by its very nature political power. The political power of big business supported fascism in Italy and Germany."
AlJazeera, Talabani: Al-Jaafari violating laws
Pentagon concedes Iraq uncertainties
Rice: Iraq Must Not Be Given Up to Killers (Agreed)
(Bill Mahr, John Stewart, where ARE you?!)
Iraqi security forces bigger, better every day: Rumsfeld: "Iraqi security forces are larger and stronger every day, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, dismissing as 'irrelevant' that only one battalion is fully capable of operating on its own.
"'What's important is ... is that the one and three are irrelevant.'"
Pentagon concedes Iraq uncertainties
Rice: Iraq Must Not Be Given Up to Killers (Agreed)
(Bill Mahr, John Stewart, where ARE you?!)
Iraqi security forces bigger, better every day: Rumsfeld: "Iraqi security forces are larger and stronger every day, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, dismissing as 'irrelevant' that only one battalion is fully capable of operating on its own.
"'What's important is ... is that the one and three are irrelevant.'"
Iran's tough stance a hit at home: "How can North Korea, India, Israel, and your country [the US], all have [nuclear technology], and we can't?"
(And the answer is . . . ?)
Post a Comment
(And the answer is . . . ?)
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