June 29, 2005
Yawn
I sold my soul to make a record, dipshit And then you bought one -- TOOL
His protest songs made him the figurehead of the anti-establishment movement that defined America during the 1960s. But yesterday Bob Dylan was facing accusations of selling out after it emerged the singer had agreed an exclusive deal to sell some of his rarest tracks at Starbuck's, the coffee shop chain targeted by anti-globalization protesters as a symbol of American cultural dominance. [...]
By yesterday afternoon fans on Dylan discussion boards were already venting their fury. "This sucks," wrote one doleful fan on the website Expectingrain.com. "He's belittling his music." Another disgruntled fan opined: "He certainly doesn't need the money. Maybe he's doing it to directly discredit the public's view of him as an anti-establishment protest singer?"
Uh, is Bawb's selling his rekkids through Starbuck's supposed to somehow be more sellout that selling them through Columbia (or whoever the fuck he's signed to these days)? Geez, it's not as though he jumped from an Indie to Starbuck's.
Like an acoustic version of the Alanis Morissette album Jagged Little Pill, which Starbucks began selling several weeks ago, the Dylan release will not initially be available anywhere else, in this case for 18 months.
Eighteen months? How about eighteen minutes until it's available online?
Posted by Eddie Tews at 06:02 PM
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"Your soldiers did many immoral acts but your government leaders have done even more."
Quote Of The Moment
"Your soldiers did many immoral acts but your government leaders have done even more."
Posted by Eddie Tews at 03:21 PM
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Not to toot one's own horn to loudly, but at the time of the announcement, this blog skewered the logic behind the announcement, and predicted that the alert level would be lowered again before another terrorist attack took place.
So, this latest revelation isn't too terribly earth-shattering...
June 28, 2005
Memory Lane
A mistaken CIA analysis of an Arabic-language television broadcast triggered a major terror alert in United States in 2003 and the cancellation of nearly 30 international flights, NBC News said. The color-coded terror alert system went from yellow to orange, after CIA agents thought they saw secret numbers encoded in the moving text at the bottom of the screen of an Al-Jazeera broadcast, NBC said late Monday.
The "scrawl" was thought to contain attack dates, flight numbers and geographic coordinates for targets, which included the White House, Seattle's tallest structure, the Space Needle, and even the small town of Tappahanock in Virginia.
Not to toot one's own horn to loudly, but at the time of the announcement, this blog skewered the logic behind the announcement, and predicted that the alert level would be lowered again before another terrorist attack took place.
So, this latest revelation isn't too terribly earth-shattering...
Posted by Eddie Tews at 05:40 PM
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Prediction: the President's speech, ongoing as this is being typed, will fail to resuscitate his falling approval ratings. Americans don't give a fuck about freedom and democracy and all that blah-blah.
Dubya, instead, should have come out with: "Hey, motherfuckers! Do you want $10.00/gallon gasoline? If not, you'd better get behind the program, because stealing the A-rabs' oil is the only way to reduce gas prices. Thank you, and God bless."
Blunder
Prediction: the President's speech, ongoing as this is being typed, will fail to resuscitate his falling approval ratings. Americans don't give a fuck about freedom and democracy and all that blah-blah.
Dubya, instead, should have come out with: "Hey, motherfuckers! Do you want $10.00/gallon gasoline? If not, you'd better get behind the program, because stealing the A-rabs' oil is the only way to reduce gas prices. Thank you, and God bless."
Posted by Eddie Tews at 05:23 PM
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A few weeks ago, this blogger posted what was intended to be an at-least-somewhat over-the-top suggestion at what one of the ideas issuing from the "Party Of Ideas" might be:
Turns out that that "idea" may not have been so over-the-top after all:
According to a DoD drone, "The program is very important because it helps the recruiters be more effective to target qualified candidates for specific missions."
Is it too much of a stretch to assume that the "specific missions" that our, er, darker-skinned brothers will be "recruited" for will be getting their asses shot off overseas?
At any rate, the company chosen to "process" the data boasts that it maintains
Got that, parents? Your tax dollars (should you choose to pay them) are not only being used to round up your children to get their asses shot off, but to allow private companies to profit during the process.
It doesn't get any more real than that: refuse to pay your taxes, and your children may be safe; consent to pay your taxes, and your children are toast.
Satire: Six Feet Under
A few weeks ago, this blogger posted what was intended to be an at-least-somewhat over-the-top suggestion at what one of the ideas issuing from the "Party Of Ideas" might be:
"Hey, I've got an idea! Let's re-instate the draft!"
"But that would mean that our children could be required to serve."
"Oh...hey, I've got an idea! Let's re-instate the draft -- but only for niggers!"
"Too right!"
Turns out that that "idea" may not have been so over-the-top after all:
The Defense Department yesterday began working with a private marketing firm to create a database of all U.S. college students as well as high-school students between ages 16 and 18, to help the military identify potential recruits in a time of dwindling enlistment.
The program is provoking a furor among privacy advocates. The new database will include an array of personal information including birth dates, Social Security numbers, e-mail addresses, grade-point averages, ethnicity, and what subjects the students are studying. [Emphasis added.]
According to a DoD drone, "The program is very important because it helps the recruiters be more effective to target qualified candidates for specific missions."
Is it too much of a stretch to assume that the "specific missions" that our, er, darker-skinned brothers will be "recruited" for will be getting their asses shot off overseas?
At any rate, the company chosen to "process" the data boasts that it maintains
arguably the largest repository of 16-25 year-old youth data in the country, containing roughly 30 million records. ... BeNOW helps to produce the High School Masterfile (HSMF), Selective Service System (SSS), Joint Leads Fulfillment (JLF), and College and Permanent Suppression releases for the Services to use in their respective marketing/recruiting efforts.
Got that, parents? Your tax dollars (should you choose to pay them) are not only being used to round up your children to get their asses shot off, but to allow private companies to profit during the process.
It doesn't get any more real than that: refuse to pay your taxes, and your children may be safe; consent to pay your taxes, and your children are toast.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 05:15 PM
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So far, so good, right? Uh...
Yeah...'cause without "encouragment", "our enemy" is just going to sit around with its thumb up its collective ass. You've noticed, have you not, how few and far-between have been attacks upon American troops of late? No? Well, Scottie sure has noticed:
Anyhow, "Our troops understand the importance of completing the mission." (And that's precisely why we have to impose stop-loss orders, extend their tours, and activate the IRR.)
* * *
You couldn't make this shit up if you tried:
* * *
But...
* * *
Friedman's most recent column warns of a "tipping point" in Iraq. No more nor less idiotic than his usual. But if one is looking for a tipping point, perhaps the White House Press Corps is getting close. Thursday's Press Briefing (from whence the above quotes were gathered) was just possibly the most hostile to-date -- forcing McClellan to spin so furiously it's a wonder he didn't tip over. Here's a particularly juicy exchange:
It was almost as though the Corps were playing Keep-Away with the Secretary. If one didn't know Mr. McClellan from Adam, one'd probably conclude that he was not only the stupidest person in the room, but perhaps the stupidest person in the entire city.
But of course, it's not stupidity that revs Scottie's engine, it's mendacity. Scottie lies, obfuscates, spins, propagandises with his every single word because were he to do otherwise, the President's popularity ratings would be lower than the already are.
Now, I know I sound like a broken fuckin' record here; but are you going to put up with this kind of shit from your public servants? Or are you going to refuse to pay your Federal Income Taxes?
For the record, here're the "remarks" that Scottie wanted us to "go back and look at":
So, according to McClellan, via Cheney, the "metric" for "measuring the defeat of the insurgency" is that Zaraqawi "may well have been seriously injured". Yet, according to the latest assessment of the U.S. military (as noted above), Zarqawi is responsible for the "fantastic rise in the number of civilians killed".
So, as usual, the various players on Team Bush are unable to co-ordinate their lies effectively; resulting in the logical mishap known as "self-contradiction".
But here's a "metric" the American (ahem) taxpayer can understand:
June 17, 2005
Up Is Down
Roughly two years ago, Rep. Walter Jones led the campaign to rename french fries, turning "freedom fries" into a symbol of protest over France's opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
On Thursday, the North Carolina congressman introduced legislation calling on President Bush to begin withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq by the autumn of 2006.
So far, so good, right? Uh...
In Onslow County, home to the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base, a county commissioner initially called on Jones to resign but later said he just wanted Jones to drop requests for a timetable for withdrawal.
John R. McLaughlin, a Republican commissioner from Jacksonville, said Thursday that he was astounded when he heard that Jones had called for a timetable.
"Such a statement would provide encouragement to our enemy and be harmful to our troops," said McLaughlin, a former Army Ranger.
The five-member Board Of Commissioners, all Republicans, will consider a resolution Monday that calls on Jones to drop his efforts.
The Carteret County News-Times in Morehead City said in an editorial Wednesday that it had supported Jones in the past but called his stance on the war a "gift to terrorists".
Yeah...'cause without "encouragment", "our enemy" is just going to sit around with its thumb up its collective ass. You've noticed, have you not, how few and far-between have been attacks upon American troops of late? No? Well, Scottie sure has noticed:
The terrorists -- this message would say to the terrorists, "All you have to do is wait until that day when our troops leave, and then you can start carrying out those attacks and just hold out."
Anyhow, "Our troops understand the importance of completing the mission." (And that's precisely why we have to impose stop-loss orders, extend their tours, and activate the IRR.)
You couldn't make this shit up if you tried:
President Bush, addressing the Iranian people yesterday on the eve of their presidential election, denounced Iran's electoral system as undemocratic and vowed that the United States would stand with those seeking "freedom" in the Islamic republic.
In a statement distributed by the White House, Bush said, "Today, Iran is ruled by men who suppress liberty at home and spread terror across the world. Power is in the hands of an unelected few who have retained power through an electoral process that ignores the basic requirements of democracy."
The U.S. military launched a major combat operation Friday as 1,000 Marines and Iraqi soldiers fanned out to track down insurgents and foreign fighters in a volatile western province straddling Syria.
Operation Spear began before dawn in Anbar province, the military said. The area is where U.S. forces said it killed about 40 militants in airstrikes in Karabilah on June 11.
But...
On Thursday, [Air Force Brig. Gen. Don] Alston blamed the recent spike in bloodshed on al-Zarqawi, who purportedly condoned the killing of fellow Muslims and denounced the Shiites as collaborators with the Americans.
Friedman's most recent column warns of a "tipping point" in Iraq. No more nor less idiotic than his usual. But if one is looking for a tipping point, perhaps the White House Press Corps is getting close. Thursday's Press Briefing (from whence the above quotes were gathered) was just possibly the most hostile to-date -- forcing McClellan to spin so furiously it's a wonder he didn't tip over. Here's a particularly juicy exchange:
Q Scott, is the insurgency in Iraq in its last throes?
MR. McCLELLAN: Terry, you have a desperate group of terrorists in Iraq that are ...[snip a load of Bush/McClellan boilerplate]... And every day we move forward on democracy and training Iraqi security forces is every day closer that we are to succeeding in Iraq.
Q But the insurgency is in its last throes?
MR. McCLELLAN: The Vice President talked about that the other day -- you have a desperate group of terrorists who recognize how high the stakes are in Iraq. A free Iraq will be a significant blow to their ambitions.
Q But they're killing more Americans, they're killing more Iraqis. That's the last throes?
MR. McCLELLAN: Innocent -- I say innocent civilians. And it doesn't take a lot of people to cause mass damage when you're willing to strap a bomb onto yourself, get in a car and go and attack innocent civilians. That's the kind of people that we're dealing with. That's what I say when we're talking about a determined enemy.
Q Right. What is the evidence that the insurgency is in its last throes?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think I just explained to you the desperation of terrorists and their tactics.
Q What's the evidence on the ground that it's being extinguished?
MR. McCLELLAN: Terry, we're making great progress to defeat the terrorist and regime elements. You're seeing Iraqis now playing more of a role in addressing the security threats that they face. They're working side by side with our coalition forces. They're working on their own. There are a lot of special forces in Iraq that are taking the battle to the enemy in Iraq. And so this is a period when they are in a desperate mode.
Q Well, I'm just wondering what the metric is for measuring the defeat of the insurgency.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you can go back and look at the Vice President's remarks. I think he talked about it.
Q Yes. Is there any idea how long a last throe lasts for?
MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Steve.
It was almost as though the Corps were playing Keep-Away with the Secretary. If one didn't know Mr. McClellan from Adam, one'd probably conclude that he was not only the stupidest person in the room, but perhaps the stupidest person in the entire city.
But of course, it's not stupidity that revs Scottie's engine, it's mendacity. Scottie lies, obfuscates, spins, propagandises with his every single word because were he to do otherwise, the President's popularity ratings would be lower than the already are.
Now, I know I sound like a broken fuckin' record here; but are you going to put up with this kind of shit from your public servants? Or are you going to refuse to pay your Federal Income Taxes?
For the record, here're the "remarks" that Scottie wanted us to "go back and look at":
I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency. We've had reporting in recent days, Larry, about Zarqawi, who's sort of the lead terrorist, outside terrorist, al Qaeda, head of al Qaeda for Iraq, may well have been seriously injured. We don't know. We can't confirm that. We've had reporting to that effect.
So I think we're making major progress.
So, according to McClellan, via Cheney, the "metric" for "measuring the defeat of the insurgency" is that Zaraqawi "may well have been seriously injured". Yet, according to the latest assessment of the U.S. military (as noted above), Zarqawi is responsible for the "fantastic rise in the number of civilians killed".
So, as usual, the various players on Team Bush are unable to co-ordinate their lies effectively; resulting in the logical mishap known as "self-contradiction".
But here's a "metric" the American (ahem) taxpayer can understand:
On Monday, the House is scheduled to vote on a bill that would provide an additional $45 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a Pentagon spending measure for next year, war-funding that Bush hasn't requested.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 06:54 PM
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A top White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Bush is not dropping Social Security, but believes he needs to show voters he has a plan to lower gasoline prices and prevail in Iraq. "These are two powerful forces" shaping views of Bush, the official said.
June 16, 2005
Big Brother Is Listening
A top White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Bush is not dropping Social Security, but believes he needs to show voters he has a plan to lower gasoline prices and prevail in Iraq. "These are two powerful forces" shaping views of Bush, the official said.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 02:35 PM
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Up to 20 percent of suicide car bombers in Iraq are from Algeria, a sign of growing cooperation between Islamic extremists in northern Africa and like-minded Iraqis, a senior U.S. military official said yesterday.
The U.S. officer said terror cells in the Middle East and northern Africa were increasingly joining forces as they face crackdowns in their own countries, leading to a stepped-up flow of money and Islamic extremists to Iraq.
Forensic investigations have revealed that 20 percent of suicide car bombers in Iraq are Algerian and roughly 5 percent come from Morocco and Tunisia, according to the officer with responsibilities in Europe and Africa. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity, preferring for reasons of protocol to let U.S. commanders in Iraq speak on the record.
June 15, 2005
Big Brother Is Listening
Up to 20 percent of suicide car bombers in Iraq are from Algeria, a sign of growing cooperation between Islamic extremists in northern Africa and like-minded Iraqis, a senior U.S. military official said yesterday.
The U.S. officer said terror cells in the Middle East and northern Africa were increasingly joining forces as they face crackdowns in their own countries, leading to a stepped-up flow of money and Islamic extremists to Iraq.
Forensic investigations have revealed that 20 percent of suicide car bombers in Iraq are Algerian and roughly 5 percent come from Morocco and Tunisia, according to the officer with responsibilities in Europe and Africa. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity, preferring for reasons of protocol to let U.S. commanders in Iraq speak on the record.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 06:20 PM
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Is Donald H. really this fucking stupid (don't answer that)? Uh, Donald H.? It's not the geographical location of the camp that people object to, it's that you're torturing and holding indefinitely, without trial its inhabitants.
Uh, Donald H.? If that's the goal of mainting the "facility", and considering that the number of terrorist incidents has exploded since you opened the camp, might you want to consider closing the "facility" as a means to achieving your goal?
You may "believe" it to be the case -- and if you give some evidence to support your beliefs, a jury may believe it as well. John McCain, at least, understands this point:
This, of course, ignores that the United States does not have jurisdiction to invade another country and abduct its citizens. But it at least acknowledges not only that people have the right to a speedy trial, but also that they would not be placed upon trial unless there's good reason to suspect them of already having committed a crime.
* * *
Uhhhhhh...okay.
Earth To Donald H.
The military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will be needed for years to come, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld suggested Tuesday. There is no alternative location to hold and interrogate the suspected terrorists held there, he said.
"I don't know any place where we have infrastructure that's appropriate for that sizable group of people,'' he said during a Pentagon news conference.
Is Donald H. really this fucking stupid (don't answer that)? Uh, Donald H.? It's not the geographical location of the camp that people object to, it's that you're torturing and holding indefinitely, without trial its inhabitants.
The United States government, let alone the U.S. military, does not want to be in the position of holding suspected terrorists any longer than is absolutely necessary. But as long as there remains a need to keep terrorists from striking again, a facility will continue to be needed.
Uh, Donald H.? If that's the goal of mainting the "facility", and considering that the number of terrorist incidents has exploded since you opened the camp, might you want to consider closing the "facility" as a means to achieving your goal?
He said the prisoners include terrorist trainers, bomb makers, extremist recruiters and financiers, bodyguards for Osama bin Laden, and would-be suicide bombers.
"They're not common car thieves. They're believed to be determined killers,'' he said.
You may "believe" it to be the case -- and if you give some evidence to support your beliefs, a jury may believe it as well. John McCain, at least, understands this point:
The key to this is to move the judicial process forward so that these individuals will be brought to trial for any crime that they are accused of rather than residing in the Guantanamo facility in perpetuity.
This, of course, ignores that the United States does not have jurisdiction to invade another country and abduct its citizens. But it at least acknowledges not only that people have the right to a speedy trial, but also that they would not be placed upon trial unless there's good reason to suspect them of already having committed a crime.
In an interview for the BBC's Newsnight programme, Mr. Rumsfeld said Iraq had passed several milestones, like holding elections and appointing a government.
But asked if the security situation had improved, he admitted: "Statistically, no. But clearly it has been getting better as we've gone along," he added.
Uhhhhhh...okay.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 11:33 AM
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Hard work is seeing your son's murder on CNN one Sunday evening while you're enjoying the last supper you'll ever truly enjoy again. Hard work is having three military officers come to your house a few hours later to confirm the aforementioned murder of your son, your first-born, your kind and gentle sweet baby. Hard work is burying your child 46 days before his 25th birthday. Hard work is holding your other three children as they lower the body of their big brother into the ground. Hard work is not jumping in the grave with him and having the earth cover you both. [...]
We're watching you very carefully and we're going to do everything in our power to have you impeached for misleading the American people. Beating a political stake in your black heart will be the fulfillment of my life...
Quote Of The Moment
Hard work is seeing your son's murder on CNN one Sunday evening while you're enjoying the last supper you'll ever truly enjoy again. Hard work is having three military officers come to your house a few hours later to confirm the aforementioned murder of your son, your first-born, your kind and gentle sweet baby. Hard work is burying your child 46 days before his 25th birthday. Hard work is holding your other three children as they lower the body of their big brother into the ground. Hard work is not jumping in the grave with him and having the earth cover you both. [...]
We're watching you very carefully and we're going to do everything in our power to have you impeached for misleading the American people. Beating a political stake in your black heart will be the fulfillment of my life...
Posted by Eddie Tews at 11:06 AM
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The official U.S. reaction to the latest leaked British memo -- this one charging that the Bush Administration had given "little thought" to the "aftermath" of its pending invasion of Iraq -- was fairly predictable:
If the White House wants us to take it at its word, it is telling us that either:
The massive looting and general chaos that followed the overthrow of Baghdad was part of the plan. The ousting of Jay Garner in favour of Paul Bremer, after only a few weeks on the job, was part of the plan. Troop levels of insufficient magnitude to deal with the Resistance and in general keep the peace were part of the plan. The inability to protect against almost daily sabotage of Iraqi oil pipelines were part of the plan. That two years in to the occupation electricity levels would be nowhere near the pre-invasion level were part of the plan. And so on.
The Administration's planners were totally inept.
Almacy hints at the latter:
Is Almacy trying to inspire confidence in the Bush Administration's skillz? If so, he's about as competent as the "significant planning" he says took place prior to the invasion.
June 13, 2005
Damned If You Lie, Damned If You Don't
The official U.S. reaction to the latest leaked British memo -- this one charging that the Bush Administration had given "little thought" to the "aftermath" of its pending invasion of Iraq -- was fairly predictable:
The White House took exception yesterday to the characterization of the British memo. ''There was significant postwar planning," said spokesman David Almacy. ''More importantly, the memo in question was written eight months before the war began; there was significant postwar planning in the time that elapsed."
If the White House wants us to take it at its word, it is telling us that either:
The massive looting and general chaos that followed the overthrow of Baghdad was part of the plan. The ousting of Jay Garner in favour of Paul Bremer, after only a few weeks on the job, was part of the plan. Troop levels of insufficient magnitude to deal with the Resistance and in general keep the peace were part of the plan. The inability to protect against almost daily sabotage of Iraqi oil pipelines were part of the plan. That two years in to the occupation electricity levels would be nowhere near the pre-invasion level were part of the plan. And so on.
The Administration's planners were totally inept.
Almacy hints at the latter:
Some things we prepared for did not happen, like large numbers of refugees needing humanitarian assistance. And others we did not expect, such as large numbers of regime elements fleeing the battlefield only to return later.
Is Almacy trying to inspire confidence in the Bush Administration's skillz? If so, he's about as competent as the "significant planning" he says took place prior to the invasion.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 09:22 AM
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...how near are the captures of key war crimes figures George W. Bush, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, Robert McNamara, George Bush Sr., Tony Blair, et al.?
June 10, 2005
Okay, But...
A senior U.S. diplomat said Friday the capture of key Balkans war crimes figure Ratko Mladic may be near. Undersecretary of State Nicolas Burns, just back from talks in the Balkans, told reporters it is only a matter of time before the former Bosnian-Serb military chief is captured.
...how near are the captures of key war crimes figures George W. Bush, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, Robert McNamara, George Bush Sr., Tony Blair, et al.?
Posted by Eddie Tews at 08:21 PM
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"I'm saying that everybody needs to refrain from violence and exercise restraint. That is our message." -- Scott McClellan
June 09, 2005
Quote Of The Moment
"I'm saying that everybody needs to refrain from violence and exercise restraint. That is our message." -- Scott McClellan
Posted by Eddie Tews at 05:08 PM
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"All weapons -- biological, chemical, missile, nuclear, were destroyed." -- Hussein Kamel, 1995
UNSCOM's executive chairman Rolf Ekeus reported to the Security Council on 11 April 1997 that "not much is unknown about Iraq's retained proscribed weapons capabilities" (para. 46). The long-term monitoring of Iraqi sites was largely unobstructed: "Iraq has sustained a good level of cooperation in the operation of the monitoring system" (report by UNSCOM’s executive chairman, 11 October 1996, para. 61; similar statements made in subsequent reports). In its October 1997 report, UNSCOM stated that "the majority of [weapons] inspections were conducted in Iraq without let or hindrance" (Annex I, para. 33). Even up to its final inspection report on 15 December 1998, UNSCOM was recording how "the majority of the inspections of facilities and sites under the ongoing monitoring system were carried out with Iraq’s cooperation." Non-cooperation was recorded in only five out of 427 inspections in the round before inspectors were withdrawn on the request of the US; those five instances resulted in minor delays, not inspection refusals.
"At this stage, the following can be stated:
"One, there is no indication of resumed nuclear activities in those buildings that were identified through the use of satellite imagery as being reconstructed or newly erected since 1998, nor any indication of nuclear-related prohibited activities at any inspected sites.
"Second, there is no indication that Iraq has attempted to import uranium since 1990.
"Third, there is no indication that Iraq has attempted to import aluminium tubes for use in centrifuge enrichment. Moreover, even had Iraq pursued such a plan, it would have encountered practical difficulties in manufacturing centrifuges out of the aluminium tubes in question.
"Fourth, although we are still reviewing issues related to magnets and magnet production, there is no indication to date that Iraq imported magnets for use in a centrifuge enrichment programme." -- Mohamed ElBaradei; March 7, 2003
"Inspections in Iraq resumed on 27 November 2002. In matters relating to process, notably prompt access to sites, we have faced relatively few difficulties and certainly much less than those that were faced by UNSCOM in the period 1991 to 1998. This may well be due to the strong outside pressure. [...]
"Initial difficulties raised by the Iraqi side about helicopters and aerial surveillance planes operating in the no-fly zones were overcome.
"This is not to say that the operation of inspections is free from frictions, but at this juncture we are able to perform professional no-notice inspections all over Iraq and to increase aerial surveillance. [...]
"Several inspections have taken place at declared and undeclared sites in relation to mobile production facilities. Food testing mobile laboratories and mobile workshops have been seen, as well as large containers with seed processing equipment. No evidence of proscribed activities have so far been found. [...]
"During inspections of declared or undeclared facilities, inspection teams have examined building structures for any possible underground facilities. In addition, ground penetrating radar equipment was used in several specific locations. No underground facilities for chemical or biological production or storage were found so far. [...]
"While during our meetings in Baghdad, the Iraqi side tried to persuade us that the Al Samoud 2 missiles they have declared fall within the permissible range set by the Security Council, the calculations of an international panel of experts led us to the opposite conclusion.
"Iraq has since accepted that these missiles and associated items be destroyed and has started the process of destruction under our supervision. The destruction undertaken constitutes a substantial measure of disarmament -- indeed, the first since the middle of the 1990s. We are not watching the breaking of toothpicks. Lethal weapons are being destroyed. [...]
"There is a significant Iraqi effort underway to clarify a major source of uncertainty as to the quantities of biological and chemical weapons, which were unilaterally destroyed in 1991. [...]
"How much time would it take to resolve the key remaining disarmament tasks? While cooperation can and is to be immediate, disarmament and at any rate the verification of it cannot be instant. Even with a proactive Iraqi attitude, induced by continued outside pressure, it would still take some time to verify sites and items, analyse documents, interview relevant persons, and draw conclusions. It would not take years, nor weeks, but months. -- Hans Blix; March 7, 2003
* * *
"The larger point is and the fundamental question is, did Saddam Hussein have a weapons program? And the answer is absolutely. And we gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in and he wouldn't let them in. And, therefore, after a reasonable request, we decided to remove him from power, along with other nations, so as to make sure he was not a threat to the United States and our friends and allies in the region." -- George W. Bush; July 14, 2003
"Since the liberation of Iraq, we have discovered Saddam's clandestine network of biological laboratories, the design work on prohibited long-range missiles, his elaborate campaign to hide illegal weapons programs. Saddam Hussein spent years frustrating UN inspections, for a simple reason -- because he was violating UN demands. And in the end, rather than surrender his programs and abandon his lies, he chose defiance, and his own undoing." -- George W. Bush; October 23, 2003
"We gave Saddam Hussein plenty of time to heed the demands of the world, and he chose defiance. He did. He said, 'Forget it. I don't care what the United Nations has said over a decade. I don't care about all the resolutions passed.' He chose defiance; we acted." -- George W. Bush; December 15, 2003
"And then we went to the United Nations, of course, and got an overwhelming resolution -- 1441 -- unanimous resolution, that said to Saddam, 'You must disclose and destroy your weapons programs,' which obviously meant the world felt he had such programs. He chose defiance. It was his choice to make, and he did not let us in." -- George W. Bush; January 27, 2004
"War was President Bush's last option. That's why he exhausted diplomatic options, to include giving Saddam Hussein one more warning, and yet another UN resolution. Given this final chance, Saddam chose defiance, and he chose war." -- "Ask The White House"; February 6, 2004
"The United States and the world still hoped for a peaceful solution -- and Saddam Hussein faced a choice: to show that he was meeting his international obligations to disarm, or to continue his defiance. He chose unwisely. [...]
"We may never know why Saddam Hussein chose the destruction of his regime over peaceful disarmament. But we know this: it was his choice. And if he had chosen differently -- if the Iraqi regime had taken the steps Libya is now taking -- there would have been no war." -- Donald H. Rumsfeld; February 7, 2004
"In 2002, the United Nations Security Council yet again demanded a full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs. As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein refused to comply. So we had a choice to make: either take the word of a madman, or take action to defend America and the world. Faced with that choice, I will defend America every time. [APPLAUSE]" -- George W. Bush; February 24, 2004
DR. RICE: "Sooner or later, Tim, the international community had to mean what it said about Saddam Hussein. When it said that it could no longer tolerate his defiance and he had one last chance to disarm or be disarmed, he chose defiance. And the president fulfilled the obligation that he had given to the international community when he went to the UN in September of 2002 and said, 'If he will not comply with his obligations, then he has to go.'"
MR. RUSSERT: "But having not found the kind of stockpiles of chemical and biological and potential nuclear that we thought he had, you have no second thoughts that the war was not necessary?"
DR. RICE: "Absolutely not. Because Saddam Hussein had been a threat for 12 years, ever since he invaded Kuwait and set the Middle East on a course of instability. Somebody had to take care of Saddam Hussein and set the Middle East on a different course. This president is not confused about this point." -- "Meet The Press"; August 8, 2004
"The president of the United States, in a very public way, reached out to people across the world, went to the United Nations and tried to resolve this in a diplomatic manner. Saddam Hussein was the one, in the end, who chose continued defiance. And only then was the decision made, as a last resort, to go into Iraq." -- Scott McClellan; May 17, 2005
"And so we worked hard to see if we could figure how to do this peacefully, to put a united front up to Saddam Hussein, so the world speaks. And he ignored the world. Remember, 1441 passed the Security Council unanimously. He made the decision." -- George W. Bush; June 7, 2005
"And the fact is, we decided to go to the United Nations and went through that process, which resulted in the November 2002 United Nations resolution to give a final chance to Saddam Hussein to comply with international law. He didn't do so. And that was the reason why we had to take military action." -- Tony "I have never told a lie" Blair; June 7, 2005
* * *
So, how many more lies? Well, as long as the liars can get away with lying, they've no reason to stop doing so. Isn't there someone, anyone, in the mainstream media who will challenge the repeated assertions of Saddam's "defiance"? (Not that it'd make any difference, considering that a hefty chunk of the American public believes that WMD were found in Iraq. But it'd still be interesting to see the reaction.)
June 08, 2005
How Many More Lies?
"All weapons -- biological, chemical, missile, nuclear, were destroyed." -- Hussein Kamel, 1995
UNSCOM's executive chairman Rolf Ekeus reported to the Security Council on 11 April 1997 that "not much is unknown about Iraq's retained proscribed weapons capabilities" (para. 46). The long-term monitoring of Iraqi sites was largely unobstructed: "Iraq has sustained a good level of cooperation in the operation of the monitoring system" (report by UNSCOM’s executive chairman, 11 October 1996, para. 61; similar statements made in subsequent reports). In its October 1997 report, UNSCOM stated that "the majority of [weapons] inspections were conducted in Iraq without let or hindrance" (Annex I, para. 33). Even up to its final inspection report on 15 December 1998, UNSCOM was recording how "the majority of the inspections of facilities and sites under the ongoing monitoring system were carried out with Iraq’s cooperation." Non-cooperation was recorded in only five out of 427 inspections in the round before inspectors were withdrawn on the request of the US; those five instances resulted in minor delays, not inspection refusals.
"At this stage, the following can be stated:
"One, there is no indication of resumed nuclear activities in those buildings that were identified through the use of satellite imagery as being reconstructed or newly erected since 1998, nor any indication of nuclear-related prohibited activities at any inspected sites.
"Second, there is no indication that Iraq has attempted to import uranium since 1990.
"Third, there is no indication that Iraq has attempted to import aluminium tubes for use in centrifuge enrichment. Moreover, even had Iraq pursued such a plan, it would have encountered practical difficulties in manufacturing centrifuges out of the aluminium tubes in question.
"Fourth, although we are still reviewing issues related to magnets and magnet production, there is no indication to date that Iraq imported magnets for use in a centrifuge enrichment programme." -- Mohamed ElBaradei; March 7, 2003
"Inspections in Iraq resumed on 27 November 2002. In matters relating to process, notably prompt access to sites, we have faced relatively few difficulties and certainly much less than those that were faced by UNSCOM in the period 1991 to 1998. This may well be due to the strong outside pressure. [...]
"Initial difficulties raised by the Iraqi side about helicopters and aerial surveillance planes operating in the no-fly zones were overcome.
"This is not to say that the operation of inspections is free from frictions, but at this juncture we are able to perform professional no-notice inspections all over Iraq and to increase aerial surveillance. [...]
"Several inspections have taken place at declared and undeclared sites in relation to mobile production facilities. Food testing mobile laboratories and mobile workshops have been seen, as well as large containers with seed processing equipment. No evidence of proscribed activities have so far been found. [...]
"During inspections of declared or undeclared facilities, inspection teams have examined building structures for any possible underground facilities. In addition, ground penetrating radar equipment was used in several specific locations. No underground facilities for chemical or biological production or storage were found so far. [...]
"While during our meetings in Baghdad, the Iraqi side tried to persuade us that the Al Samoud 2 missiles they have declared fall within the permissible range set by the Security Council, the calculations of an international panel of experts led us to the opposite conclusion.
"Iraq has since accepted that these missiles and associated items be destroyed and has started the process of destruction under our supervision. The destruction undertaken constitutes a substantial measure of disarmament -- indeed, the first since the middle of the 1990s. We are not watching the breaking of toothpicks. Lethal weapons are being destroyed. [...]
"There is a significant Iraqi effort underway to clarify a major source of uncertainty as to the quantities of biological and chemical weapons, which were unilaterally destroyed in 1991. [...]
"How much time would it take to resolve the key remaining disarmament tasks? While cooperation can and is to be immediate, disarmament and at any rate the verification of it cannot be instant. Even with a proactive Iraqi attitude, induced by continued outside pressure, it would still take some time to verify sites and items, analyse documents, interview relevant persons, and draw conclusions. It would not take years, nor weeks, but months. -- Hans Blix; March 7, 2003
"The larger point is and the fundamental question is, did Saddam Hussein have a weapons program? And the answer is absolutely. And we gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in and he wouldn't let them in. And, therefore, after a reasonable request, we decided to remove him from power, along with other nations, so as to make sure he was not a threat to the United States and our friends and allies in the region." -- George W. Bush; July 14, 2003
"Since the liberation of Iraq, we have discovered Saddam's clandestine network of biological laboratories, the design work on prohibited long-range missiles, his elaborate campaign to hide illegal weapons programs. Saddam Hussein spent years frustrating UN inspections, for a simple reason -- because he was violating UN demands. And in the end, rather than surrender his programs and abandon his lies, he chose defiance, and his own undoing." -- George W. Bush; October 23, 2003
"We gave Saddam Hussein plenty of time to heed the demands of the world, and he chose defiance. He did. He said, 'Forget it. I don't care what the United Nations has said over a decade. I don't care about all the resolutions passed.' He chose defiance; we acted." -- George W. Bush; December 15, 2003
"And then we went to the United Nations, of course, and got an overwhelming resolution -- 1441 -- unanimous resolution, that said to Saddam, 'You must disclose and destroy your weapons programs,' which obviously meant the world felt he had such programs. He chose defiance. It was his choice to make, and he did not let us in." -- George W. Bush; January 27, 2004
"War was President Bush's last option. That's why he exhausted diplomatic options, to include giving Saddam Hussein one more warning, and yet another UN resolution. Given this final chance, Saddam chose defiance, and he chose war." -- "Ask The White House"; February 6, 2004
"The United States and the world still hoped for a peaceful solution -- and Saddam Hussein faced a choice: to show that he was meeting his international obligations to disarm, or to continue his defiance. He chose unwisely. [...]
"We may never know why Saddam Hussein chose the destruction of his regime over peaceful disarmament. But we know this: it was his choice. And if he had chosen differently -- if the Iraqi regime had taken the steps Libya is now taking -- there would have been no war." -- Donald H. Rumsfeld; February 7, 2004
"In 2002, the United Nations Security Council yet again demanded a full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs. As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein refused to comply. So we had a choice to make: either take the word of a madman, or take action to defend America and the world. Faced with that choice, I will defend America every time. [APPLAUSE]" -- George W. Bush; February 24, 2004
DR. RICE: "Sooner or later, Tim, the international community had to mean what it said about Saddam Hussein. When it said that it could no longer tolerate his defiance and he had one last chance to disarm or be disarmed, he chose defiance. And the president fulfilled the obligation that he had given to the international community when he went to the UN in September of 2002 and said, 'If he will not comply with his obligations, then he has to go.'"
MR. RUSSERT: "But having not found the kind of stockpiles of chemical and biological and potential nuclear that we thought he had, you have no second thoughts that the war was not necessary?"
DR. RICE: "Absolutely not. Because Saddam Hussein had been a threat for 12 years, ever since he invaded Kuwait and set the Middle East on a course of instability. Somebody had to take care of Saddam Hussein and set the Middle East on a different course. This president is not confused about this point." -- "Meet The Press"; August 8, 2004
"The president of the United States, in a very public way, reached out to people across the world, went to the United Nations and tried to resolve this in a diplomatic manner. Saddam Hussein was the one, in the end, who chose continued defiance. And only then was the decision made, as a last resort, to go into Iraq." -- Scott McClellan; May 17, 2005
"And so we worked hard to see if we could figure how to do this peacefully, to put a united front up to Saddam Hussein, so the world speaks. And he ignored the world. Remember, 1441 passed the Security Council unanimously. He made the decision." -- George W. Bush; June 7, 2005
"And the fact is, we decided to go to the United Nations and went through that process, which resulted in the November 2002 United Nations resolution to give a final chance to Saddam Hussein to comply with international law. He didn't do so. And that was the reason why we had to take military action." -- Tony "I have never told a lie" Blair; June 7, 2005
So, how many more lies? Well, as long as the liars can get away with lying, they've no reason to stop doing so. Isn't there someone, anyone, in the mainstream media who will challenge the repeated assertions of Saddam's "defiance"? (Not that it'd make any difference, considering that a hefty chunk of the American public believes that WMD were found in Iraq. But it'd still be interesting to see the reaction.)
Posted by Eddie Tews at 02:00 PM
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The disconnect between Rose Garden optimism and Baghdad pessimism, according to government officials and independent analysts, stems not only from Bush's focus on tentative signs of long-term progress but also from the shrinking range of policy options available to him if he is wrong.
Having set out on a course of trying to stand up a new constitutional, elected government with the security firepower to defend itself, Bush finds himself locked into a strategy that, even if it proves successful, forecasts many more deadly months to come first, analysts said.
Military commanders in Iraq privately told a visiting congressional delegation last week that the United States is at least two years away from adequately training a viable Iraqi military, but that it is no longer reasonable to consider boosting U.S. troops already strained by the two-year operation, said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del.
Vietnow
The disconnect between Rose Garden optimism and Baghdad pessimism, according to government officials and independent analysts, stems not only from Bush's focus on tentative signs of long-term progress but also from the shrinking range of policy options available to him if he is wrong.
Having set out on a course of trying to stand up a new constitutional, elected government with the security firepower to defend itself, Bush finds himself locked into a strategy that, even if it proves successful, forecasts many more deadly months to come first, analysts said.
Military commanders in Iraq privately told a visiting congressional delegation last week that the United States is at least two years away from adequately training a viable Iraqi military, but that it is no longer reasonable to consider boosting U.S. troops already strained by the two-year operation, said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 12:42 PM
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The FBI would get expanded powers to subpoena records without the approval of a judge or grand jury in terrorism investigations under revisions to the PATRIOT Act approved yesterday by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Freedom On The March
The FBI would get expanded powers to subpoena records without the approval of a judge or grand jury in terrorism investigations under revisions to the PATRIOT Act approved yesterday by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 12:34 PM
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* * *
What you can do: State-Corporate collusion? State secrecy? Bilking of taxpayers? Sounds like a recipe for War Tax Resistance!
Free Market Miracle Of The Moment
For the past three years, the Air Force has described its $30 billion proposal to convert passenger planes into military refueling tankers and lease them from Boeing Co. as an efficient way to obtain aircraft the military urgently needs.
But a very different account of the deal is shown in an August 2002 internal e-mail exchange among four senior Pentagon officials.
"We all know that this is a bailout for Boeing," Ronald G. Garant, an official of the Pentagon comptroller's office, said in a message to two others in his office and then-Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Wayne A. Schroeder. "Why don't we just bite the bullet," he asked, and handle the acquisition like the procurement of a 1970s-era aircraft -- by squeezing the manufacturer to provide a better tanker at a decent cost?
"We didn't need those aircraft either, but we didn't screw the taxpayer in the process," Garant added, referring to widespread sentiment at the Pentagon that the proposed lease of Boeing 767s would cost too much for a plane with serious shortcomings.
Garant's candid advice, which top Air Force officials did not follow, is disclosed for the first time in a new 256-page report by the Pentagon's inspector general. It provides an extraordinary glimpse of how the Air Force worked hand-in-glove with one of its chief contractors -- the financially ailing Boeing -- to help it try to obtain the most costly government lease ever.
Furthermore, leading senators at the hearing made clear they would like officials in the White House and in the defense secretary's office to explain their roles in the defunct $23 billion proposal to lease 100 Boeing 767 tankers to the Air Force.
But in the meantime, neither the White House nor the Air Force or the Department of Defense will allow members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to review many unabridged tanker documents that show the names of administration players, members of Congress or Boeing executives in an unflattering light. [...]
Another crucial revelation was that former Undersecretary of Defense Edward "Pete" Aldridge had refused to cooperate with the inspector general's investigation. Aldridge was in charge of defense acquisitions; he approved the tanker deal in May 2003, on his way out the door of the Pentagon.
The report debunked earlier claims by the Air Force that new tankers were urgently needed because the older fleet had major corrosion problems. [...]
A Boeing spokesman said the company had no comment on the report.
Aldridge could not be reached for comment, but last week he told Reuters the inspector general was just trying to "dig up dirt".
What you can do: State-Corporate collusion? State secrecy? Bilking of taxpayers? Sounds like a recipe for War Tax Resistance!
Posted by Eddie Tews at 12:31 PM
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Chinese war philosopher "Sun Tzu had it right," said one Army lieutenant colonel who spent a year fighting insurgents in Iraq and who requested anonymity. "If you know your enemy and if you know yourself, you'll never lose. We know about half of what we should about the enemy, and we don't know ourselves. We can't figure out what kind of Army we want to be."
June 07, 2005
Big Brother Is Listening
Chinese war philosopher "Sun Tzu had it right," said one Army lieutenant colonel who spent a year fighting insurgents in Iraq and who requested anonymity. "If you know your enemy and if you know yourself, you'll never lose. We know about half of what we should about the enemy, and we don't know ourselves. We can't figure out what kind of Army we want to be."
Posted by Eddie Tews at 09:50 PM
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And yet, cigarettes, which kill 400,000 Americans per year, remain legal. The issue isn't, in this blogger's opinion, the medical efficacy of smoking pot, but rather the power of the state to restrict human persons from engaging in activities which do not affect other people. Ultimately, prohibition is doomed to failure -- but a lot of perpetrators of victimless "crimes" are in the meantime rotting in jail cells.
This episode of "Freedom On The March" was brought to you by the Republican Party -- the party of small government.
June 06, 2005
Freedom On The March
The federal government has the power to prevent sick patients from smoking home-grown marijuana that a doctor recommended to relieve chronic pain, a divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday in a setback for the medical marijuana movement.
The 6-3 ruling means the federal government can enforce a federal law prohibiting the cultivation, possession and use of medical marijuana even where it is legal under state law. At least nine states allow medical use of marijuana. [...]
John Walters, the White House drug czar, said in a statement, "Today's decision marks the end of medical marijuana as a political issue."
And yet, cigarettes, which kill 400,000 Americans per year, remain legal. The issue isn't, in this blogger's opinion, the medical efficacy of smoking pot, but rather the power of the state to restrict human persons from engaging in activities which do not affect other people. Ultimately, prohibition is doomed to failure -- but a lot of perpetrators of victimless "crimes" are in the meantime rotting in jail cells.
This episode of "Freedom On The March" was brought to you by the Republican Party -- the party of small government.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 01:16 PM
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A while back, Donald H. Rumsfeld said that he couldn't "imagine why Venezuela needs 100,000 AK-47s". He may or may not have figured that one out yet, but there's a new problem for him to puzzle over:
Why indeed? It couldn't have anything to do with the Bush Doctrine's promise to act military against any threat to the "strategic equilibrium" enabling a certain unnamed nation to account for half of World military expenditures and to consume 24% of the World's resources despite holding within its borders only 5% of the World's population? It couldn't have anything to do with a certain unnamed nation's bumbling attempts to seize control of the World's most fertile oil fields?
Here's a question: why is the region -- located half a world away -- "vital to U.S. interests"? What would be Dumbfuck's reaction if the Chinese were to bitch and moan about the United States' military arsenal, on the grounds that the Western hemisphere is vital to Chinese interests?
Donald H. Dumbfuck did let slip, though, with an interesting tidbit (as he sometimes will):
So, China -- whose military is "the only one being developed anywhere in the world today that is specifically configured to fight the United States of America", whose growing ties to Russia and Iran are a fairly overt countermeasure to U.S. unilateralism, and which could in theory eviscerate the U.S. economy at any time of its choosing -- does not pose a threat to the United States. But Iraq -- which had been military and economically devastated by the first Gulf War and the decade of sanctions -- did pose a threat to the United States' very existence?
Well, Donald H. Dumbfuck is a lot more intelligent than us proles, so, even though that sounds kinda weird, it's probably best not to question the son of a bitch.
June 04, 2005
Donald H. Dumbfuck
A while back, Donald H. Rumsfeld said that he couldn't "imagine why Venezuela needs 100,000 AK-47s". He may or may not have figured that one out yet, but there's a new problem for him to puzzle over:
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today that the rapid development of China's missile capabilities, air force, and navy put Asia's military balance at risk, and that the Pentagon believes Beijing's buildup has been far more extensive than its leaders have admitted.
In his most blunt assessment to-date about the global implications of China's efforts to build a state-of-the-art arsenal, Rumsfeld warned that the expansion threatens not only the delicate situation between China and Taiwan but also the strategic equilibrium in a region increasingly vital to U.S. interests. [...]
"China appears to be expanding its missile forces, allowing them to reach targets in many areas of the world, not just the Pacific region, while also expanding its missile capabilities here in the region," Rumsfeld said. "Since no nation threatens China, one must wonder: Why this growing investment?"
Why indeed? It couldn't have anything to do with the Bush Doctrine's promise to act military against any threat to the "strategic equilibrium" enabling a certain unnamed nation to account for half of World military expenditures and to consume 24% of the World's resources despite holding within its borders only 5% of the World's population? It couldn't have anything to do with a certain unnamed nation's bumbling attempts to seize control of the World's most fertile oil fields?
Here's a question: why is the region -- located half a world away -- "vital to U.S. interests"? What would be Dumbfuck's reaction if the Chinese were to bitch and moan about the United States' military arsenal, on the grounds that the Western hemisphere is vital to Chinese interests?
Donald H. Dumbfuck did let slip, though, with an interesting tidbit (as he sometimes will):
"Do you truly believe that China is under no threat whatsoever from any part of the world?" the director of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Asian Bureau] asked. "And do you truly believe that the United States feels threatened by the so-called emergence of China?"
Rumsfeld replied that he knew of no nations that threaten China, and that the United States does not itself feel threatened by China's growing power.
So, China -- whose military is "the only one being developed anywhere in the world today that is specifically configured to fight the United States of America", whose growing ties to Russia and Iran are a fairly overt countermeasure to U.S. unilateralism, and which could in theory eviscerate the U.S. economy at any time of its choosing -- does not pose a threat to the United States. But Iraq -- which had been military and economically devastated by the first Gulf War and the decade of sanctions -- did pose a threat to the United States' very existence?
Well, Donald H. Dumbfuck is a lot more intelligent than us proles, so, even though that sounds kinda weird, it's probably best not to question the son of a bitch.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 05:32 PM
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A terrorist? A dead-ender? A syrian? No, a liberated Iraqi civilian. Even if one were to disagree with his analysis (but, as he says, we would have no way of knowing whether to, as un-embedded media still are not allowed inside Fallujah), it is pretty clear that Iraqi civilians don't feel as though "freedom is on the march".
June 03, 2005
Quote Of The Moment
The Americans have committed a very big massacre to the people of Fallujah. The crime of Fallujah is the greatest crime ever. This will remain as a black spot in American history forever. Whatever the American people will do, even if they get rid of those liars who are in their government, they will need a long time for people to forget what they have done in Iraq and in Fallujah in order for us to deal with them as a civilized people who have humanity. [...]
The mood is that people will never forget what was done to them and their city. I don't think we'll see the end of this. People will never forget to have their revenge on the American troops, but they would like to prepare themselves for another attack.
A terrorist? A dead-ender? A syrian? No, a liberated Iraqi civilian. Even if one were to disagree with his analysis (but, as he says, we would have no way of knowing whether to, as un-embedded media still are not allowed inside Fallujah), it is pretty clear that Iraqi civilians don't feel as though "freedom is on the march".
Posted by Eddie Tews at 06:06 PM
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The checkpoints and raids have brought all roads in and out of the capital under government control, said Interior Minister Bayan Jabr, who leads Iraq's police forces. Before the offensive, authorities controlled only eight of Baghdad's 23 entrances, he said.
The actions are meant to expose insurgent hide-outs in the city, he said, adding, "Within the next few months, we can deal with all of the killings and assassinations."
Circle The Date
The checkpoints and raids have brought all roads in and out of the capital under government control, said Interior Minister Bayan Jabr, who leads Iraq's police forces. Before the offensive, authorities controlled only eight of Baghdad's 23 entrances, he said.
The actions are meant to expose insurgent hide-outs in the city, he said, adding, "Within the next few months, we can deal with all of the killings and assassinations."
Posted by Eddie Tews at 05:24 PM
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During the past two months, Army commanders, trying to pacify the area, have had to move in some 4,000 Iraqi soldiers; about 2,000 more are on the way. About 3,500 troops from the 3rd ACR took control of the area this month, but officers said they were still understaffed for the mission.
"There's simply not enough forces here," said a high-ranking U.S. officer with knowledge of the 3rd ACR. "There are not enough to do anything right; everybody's got their finger in a dike."
The officer spoke on the condition of anonymity because of concern that he'd be reprimanded for questioning U.S. military policy.
* * *
"[Commanders] can't use the word, but we're withdrawing," said one U.S. military official in Anbar province, who asked not to be identified because it is the Pentagon that usually speaks publicly about troop levels. "Slowly, that's what we're doing."
Big Brother Is Listening
During the past two months, Army commanders, trying to pacify the area, have had to move in some 4,000 Iraqi soldiers; about 2,000 more are on the way. About 3,500 troops from the 3rd ACR took control of the area this month, but officers said they were still understaffed for the mission.
"There's simply not enough forces here," said a high-ranking U.S. officer with knowledge of the 3rd ACR. "There are not enough to do anything right; everybody's got their finger in a dike."
The officer spoke on the condition of anonymity because of concern that he'd be reprimanded for questioning U.S. military policy.
"[Commanders] can't use the word, but we're withdrawing," said one U.S. military official in Anbar province, who asked not to be identified because it is the Pentagon that usually speaks publicly about troop levels. "Slowly, that's what we're doing."
Posted by Eddie Tews at 03:53 PM
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger aimed to steal the show at the United Nations environmental conference Wednesday by unveiling a plan to combat global warming by setting goals for reducing California's emissions of greenhouse gases.
The goals, set forth in an executive order, appear on the surface to put the Republican governor on an opposite course from the Bush administration, which has rebuffed international efforts to address climate change.
"Today, California will be a leader in the fight against global warming," Schwarzenegger said. "I say the debate is over. We know the science, we see the threat and we know the time for action is now."
Fucking Liberal Republicans
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger aimed to steal the show at the United Nations environmental conference Wednesday by unveiling a plan to combat global warming by setting goals for reducing California's emissions of greenhouse gases.
The goals, set forth in an executive order, appear on the surface to put the Republican governor on an opposite course from the Bush administration, which has rebuffed international efforts to address climate change.
"Today, California will be a leader in the fight against global warming," Schwarzenegger said. "I say the debate is over. We know the science, we see the threat and we know the time for action is now."
Posted by Eddie Tews at 03:46 PM
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Mr. Secretary, what do you say to people who think this is about oil?
Secretary DONALD RUMSFELD (Defense Department): Nonsense. It just isn't. There -- there -- there are certain things like that, myths that are floating around. I'm glad you asked. I--it has nothing to do with oil, literally nothing to do with oil.
* * *
Henry Kissinger, former U.S. secretary of state, on Wednesday warned that the global battle for control of energy resources could become the modern equivalent of the 19th century "great game" the conflict between the UK and Tsarist Russia for supremacy in central Asia.
"The great game is developing again," he told a meeting of the US-India Business Council. "The amount of energy is finite, up to now in relation to demand, and competition for access to energy can become the life and death for many societies. It would be ironic if the direction of pipelines and locations become the modern equivalent of the colonial disputes of the 19th century."
* * *
And we're stopping terrorists from achieving their ideological victories they seek, by working to spread the hope of freedom and reform across the broader Middle East. We understand that free nations do not support terrorists or invade their neighbors. We understand to make the world more peaceful and our country more secure, we will advance the cause of liberty. (Applause.)
* * *
In a clear rejection of George W. Bush's advocacy of democracy, [Kissinger] argued: "I do not believe India will join a crusade to spread democracy. For the U.S. to crusade in every part of the world simultaneously to spread democracy may be beyond our capacity."
Hammerin' Hank
Mr. Secretary, what do you say to people who think this is about oil?
Secretary DONALD RUMSFELD (Defense Department): Nonsense. It just isn't. There -- there -- there are certain things like that, myths that are floating around. I'm glad you asked. I--it has nothing to do with oil, literally nothing to do with oil.
Henry Kissinger, former U.S. secretary of state, on Wednesday warned that the global battle for control of energy resources could become the modern equivalent of the 19th century "great game" the conflict between the UK and Tsarist Russia for supremacy in central Asia.
"The great game is developing again," he told a meeting of the US-India Business Council. "The amount of energy is finite, up to now in relation to demand, and competition for access to energy can become the life and death for many societies. It would be ironic if the direction of pipelines and locations become the modern equivalent of the colonial disputes of the 19th century."
And we're stopping terrorists from achieving their ideological victories they seek, by working to spread the hope of freedom and reform across the broader Middle East. We understand that free nations do not support terrorists or invade their neighbors. We understand to make the world more peaceful and our country more secure, we will advance the cause of liberty. (Applause.)
In a clear rejection of George W. Bush's advocacy of democracy, [Kissinger] argued: "I do not believe India will join a crusade to spread democracy. For the U.S. to crusade in every part of the world simultaneously to spread democracy may be beyond our capacity."
Posted by Eddie Tews at 08:33 AM
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Nearly every day he was in Iraq, Army Staff Sgt. Steven Cummings would get so shaken by mortar round explosions that, even now, a year after his return home, he drops to the ground at the crackle of lightning.
Iraq had a big impact on Cummings in another way -- his finances. In his absence, his wife took out two mortgages on their home in Milan, Mich. They fell $15,000 in debt, as the pay Cummings earned during his 14 months overseas was less than he had made as a civilian electrical controls engineer.
Looking back, those almost seem like the good times.
Cummings has been laid off from two jobs in the year since he left Iraq. While other reasons were given for the layoffs, Cummings thinks both were related to his duty in the Michigan National Guard and the time off it requires.
Like some other veterans who have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq, he is struggling to find work.
"I don't know what I'm going to do now. I'm in the exact position I was when I came back from Iraq,'' said Cummings, a father of two. "I'm 50 years old and I have a mortgage payment due. I'm tired of it.''
Fuck The Troops
Nearly every day he was in Iraq, Army Staff Sgt. Steven Cummings would get so shaken by mortar round explosions that, even now, a year after his return home, he drops to the ground at the crackle of lightning.
Iraq had a big impact on Cummings in another way -- his finances. In his absence, his wife took out two mortgages on their home in Milan, Mich. They fell $15,000 in debt, as the pay Cummings earned during his 14 months overseas was less than he had made as a civilian electrical controls engineer.
Looking back, those almost seem like the good times.
Cummings has been laid off from two jobs in the year since he left Iraq. While other reasons were given for the layoffs, Cummings thinks both were related to his duty in the Michigan National Guard and the time off it requires.
Like some other veterans who have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq, he is struggling to find work.
"I don't know what I'm going to do now. I'm in the exact position I was when I came back from Iraq,'' said Cummings, a father of two. "I'm 50 years old and I have a mortgage payment due. I'm tired of it.''
Posted by Eddie Tews at 08:03 AM
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Ah, Dubya schooling others on proper use of the English language -- and mangling it while doing so. Nothin' could be finer! Here's your idea for the next great hit teevee show: George W., Dan "Potatoe" Quayle, and a chimpanzee face off in a weekly Scrabble match.
As far as AI's report is concerned, Amnesty's rejoinder to the Bush Administration's aghast response will, presumably, not see the light of day: "The administration's response has been that our report is absurd, that our allegations have no basis, and our answer is very simple: if that is so, open up these detention centers, allow us and others to visit them."
Actually, though, the Administration's outrage -- denunciations from Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Myers, and Rice -- is as fine a testament as any to the esteem in which Amnesty's work is held.
Interestingly, at least one reaction appears to accept Amnesty's conclusions while villifying the messenger:
* * *
The competition is keen, but when it gets down to crunch time, Dubya is still the reigning doublethink champeen:
June 02, 2005
Gee-Dub: Most...Entertaining...President...Ever
It seemed like [Amnesty International] based some of their decisions on the word and allegations by people who were held in detention, people who hate America, people had been trained in some instances to disassemble (sic) -- that means not tell the truth. And so it was an absurd report. It just is.
Ah, Dubya schooling others on proper use of the English language -- and mangling it while doing so. Nothin' could be finer! Here's your idea for the next great hit teevee show: George W., Dan "Potatoe" Quayle, and a chimpanzee face off in a weekly Scrabble match.
As far as AI's report is concerned, Amnesty's rejoinder to the Bush Administration's aghast response will, presumably, not see the light of day: "The administration's response has been that our report is absurd, that our allegations have no basis, and our answer is very simple: if that is so, open up these detention centers, allow us and others to visit them."
Actually, though, the Administration's outrage -- denunciations from Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Myers, and Rice -- is as fine a testament as any to the esteem in which Amnesty's work is held.
Interestingly, at least one reaction appears to accept Amnesty's conclusions while villifying the messenger:
[Lee] Casey and [Dave] Rivkin said they were incensed at the suggestion by the head of Amnesty's U.S. section, William Schulz, that Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and other senior U.S. officials who had a role in authorizing abusive interrogation practices should be prosecuted in foreign jurisdictions for violations of the Geneva and torture conventions committed against detainees if the administration continued to reject calls by human rights and lawyers' groups for an independent investigation.
In their view, Amnesty, ''is trapped in a 20th-century mindset where the greatest threat to individual life and liberty stemmed from the actions of sovereign governments. That is simply no longer the case.'' NGOs, they added, ''simply do not consider that the defense of the American population, and the vindication of each individual's right to live without the threat or actuality of terrorist attack, is their problem -- and it is time they did.''
The competition is keen, but when it gets down to crunch time, Dubya is still the reigning doublethink champeen:
"We expect all our friends, as well as those who aren't our friends, to honor human rights and protect minority rights." [...]
Speaking a few hours after former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky was sentenced to nine years in prison after a trial that many democratic activists called politically motivated, Bush said he has expressed concerns about the legal proceedings to President Vladimir Putin and will watch the appeals process closely. "Here, you are innocent until proven guilty, and it appeared to us, at least people in my administration, that it looked like he had been judged guilty prior to having a fair trial," Bush said.