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April 30, 2003
Some further thoughts on the museum looting
The blog Cronaca has the sanest take on the Baghdad museum looting. Protesting America 1944-45
I thought this was a joke, until I followed the link, via damianpenny: QUOTE: The demonstration is against the Europe of the Nation States - supported by the US - and for the formation of a continental state. It is against nationalism and liberalism, and against Atlanticism - which combines both these ideologies with uncritical admiration for American society. It is also directed against the slavish attitude of the national elites in western Europe, who kneel before the American flag, and unjustly honour the American dead." From HERE Exerpt: QUOTE: The United States claims to be the liberator of Iraq. General Garner denies that the troops are occupiers. The media and public opinion in the United States accept this as a fact, and think it is wrong to criticise the troops. Right-wing media and commentators say that those who oppose the war, support Saddam and his brutal regime. They claim that Iraq under US troops will now become a free society - meaning a market democracy allied to the US and NATO. If you accept all these claims for Europe, it is hard to convincingly oppose them for Iraq. It is not logical to say "Oh, it was completely different in Europe in 1944". It was the same United States that invaded Iraq. Canadian SARS
This just keeps getting better and better. WHO lifted the Canadian travel ban based on there not being any new SARS cases in the last 20 days. Okey doaky. Let's go to the reported facts. As of April 29, 2003, Health Canada has received reports of 346 probable or suspect cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Canada. There have been 21 deaths in Canada. To date, transmission has been limited to specific transmission settings such as households, hospitals and specific community settings. The information contained in this update is based on the information available to Health Canada at this time. As of April 28, 2003, Health Canada has received reports of 344 probable or suspect cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Canada. There have been 21 deaths in Canada. To date, transmission has been limited to specific transmission settings such as households, hospitals and specific community settings. The information contained in this update is based on the information available to Health Canada at this time. I make that a gain of 2 new cases 4/28-4/28, both in Ontario. The WHO says 4 in the same time frame, and is reporting two more in its latest report HERE. So, my question is Who can Canadians trust for accurate information about SARS?
Accuracy not important for body counts
By now you've probably heard the reports about 13 Iraqi's killed during a protest yesterday. U.S. troops shot dead 13 Iraqis and wounded dozens taking part in a demonstration west of Baghdad, witnesses said on Tuesday -- an incident sure to inflame anger and fuel anti-American sentiment.It certainly has inflamed anti-American sentiment. The Iraq Body Count database, the anti-American group that pours over news reports each day for anything that might be used to undermine the Coalition of the Willing, already has them chalked up as being murdered by the U.S. They gleefully report that between 13 and 15 "demonstrators, including pre-teen children" were "targeted" by U.S. forces. Naturally, there is no regard for the truth in their reporting. Even Reuters admits (albeit in the 12th paragraph) that there are conflicting reports, and the 'protesters' were said to be armed and firing at U.S. troops. U.S. Lt. Christopher Hart said between 100 and 200 chanting people approached his men, who opened fire after two gunmen with rifles appeared on a motorcycle and started shooting. He put the Iraqi death toll at between seven and 10Whereas Reuters usually refers to terrorists and armed combatants as 'freedom fighters', Iraq Body Count contends that anyone not in a uniform is a 'civilian'. Although they declare that "civilian casualties are the most unacceptable consequence of all wars," and "each civilian death is a tragedy," they make absolutely no distinction between armed hostile guerrillas and school children. Hawash: A Tale of Two Photos
The Two Photos In Question Linked HERE: In researching the Maher Hawash terrorism case, I've noticed that pro-Hawash Bloggers have used a particular picture of him time and again. Needless to say, it portrays him as "an average joe". These Bloggers have not yet shown a new photo of him that is more representative of what raised the suspicion of Maher's neighbors following 9/11. You be the judge. April 29, 2003
The New York Times Is Out Of Stories
Yet another rehash of tired, withered arguments from the Op / Ed page of the New York Times. This time around, Paul Krugman plays the role of Maureen Dowd, offering yet another reprise of "Hey, the President misled us!" A sampling of the latest incantation: Sure enough, we have yet to find any weapons of mass destruction. It's hard to believe that we won't eventually find some poison gas or crude biological weapons. But those aren't true W.M.D.'s, the sort of weapons that can make a small, poor country a threat to the greatest power the world has ever known. Remember that President Bush made his case for war by warning of a "mushroom cloud." Clearly, Iraq didn't have anything like that — and Mr. Bush must have known that it didn't.First verse, same as the first. One day, Krugman and his ilk will find something new to say. Until then, they'll continue to mask that they were completely wrong in their Iraq analysis with more of the same old blah blah blah. If you have the patience, read the rest. Mike's Bar Bombing
From a Corner reader ("IDF guy" his title of choice) who has served in those parts: It is one convenience store away from the extremely well-secured American embassy. It is owned by two Israeli/American brothers--Assaf and Gil and caters almost exclusively to American expats--tourists, long term residents, embassy staff and even American forces ages 18-80 (literally). Assaf plays the blues in a band called Southbound Train, a band that has given many of us who have spent time in Israel a desperately needed taste of home. He is also a consummate bartender in the "Sam Malone" style. They throw one heck of a Fourth of July party. Mike's Place started in Jerusalem where it was the bar of choice amongst a generation of American kids spending their junior year abroad at the Hebrew University. Mike's was one of the only bars to have survived the horrible blow that the Jerusalem (and Israeli) hospitality industry has encountered since the intifada started. Their expansion to a second Tel Aviv location on the beach at a time when there are almost no new bar openings defied conventional wisdom, but was a natural as many of us "seculars" find ourselves spending more time in Tel Aviv. Do any of you out there know the Talking Heads song "Heaven"?...well that is Mike's Place...everyone knows you, they're always playing your favorite song, but in the end nothing really happens--and that's precisely what is so great. I really don't know what to say... so many people I know (myself included) have had so may great times there. People have met their wives there. It's the only place where you can see a yeshiva student from LA, an African-American soldier, and an Israeli just back from Thailand sharing a stage belting the lyrics to Sweet Home Alabama "where the skies are so blue." Mike's had become a really important and unique part of the thriving and important live music scene in Tel Aviv that keeps many of us grounded. Hebrew not spoken here, yet frequented by Israelis who love the Americans that hang out there and American culture. I wish I could have waxed more eloquent for your readers, but at this point I'm still waiting to go through that inevitable wince we all get when we first see that the names of the victims have been released. I just hope my buddies are OK.… I don't want to make any accusations about why this bomb went off here and why now. But whoever bombed it knew exactly what this place was and what kind of people were in it. It should give Americans pause to think. If this e-mail, posted from National Review On-line, is at all accurate, this is the American equivalent of the Bali bombing. An attack directed against Americans. yom hashoah
Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom Hashoah. Ocean Guy has all you need to know and read. Please, take a few moments out of your day to visit the links on his page. (He has several posts up, just keep scrolling) The Butterfly
Norman Mailer
Hi, I'm Norman Mailer's liver. Yes, I know, you thought I was dead. Well, I ought to be, all the alcohol he's ran through me over the years. But, I got friends and connections, and that helps. Gore Vidal's prostate, good friend. Cell phone's always on. Then there's Helen Thomas's vagina. What can I say? If it can manage, so can I. We cry on eachother's shoulder a LOT, I tell you, a LOT. So, Norman's writing in the Times of London and it's something. He stopped bending his elbow long enough and scribbled down something or another about the war to liberate Iraq. As far as I can make out, it gave him a hardon or something. And while I don't talk to his penis all that often, I gotta say, it's the first one I've heard about in a LONG while. You know, he used to write a lot of good stuff. Lately, ugh, dreck. It's like he's a parody or something. Hey... you don't suppose he's one of those pod people? I'm just a liver, I don't get out much. So he writes about how America picked on Iraq, and Bush is SO predictible. And it was all about the economy, and machisimo and white male ego or something. Like Norman never experienced machisimo and white male ego. He's an expert, so, gosh, he must be correct, right? Like I said, I'm a liver, what do I know? Oh, shoot, here he goes again. Another Scotch and soda and it's only 10 a.m. I miss the old days, when he'd stop drinking to have a fist fight once in a while. Or maybe get laid, yeah, those were the good old days. The Hawash Case: What Now, Bloggers?
We now know the government's view of the Mike Hawash case. It basically lays out evidence that shows he was a member of small group of Islamic-Americans who travelled to China in hopes of making their way to Afghanistan to kill American soldiers. Bloggers (especially Bush-hating, Liberal bloggers) were quick to come to Hawash's defense and even quicker to call into question the Bush administration's efforts to curb the terror threat against the US. AG John Ashcroft (as always) was particularly targetted for scorn. In response to the Blogger uprising in defense of Hawash, I blogged this on March 25 of this year: Lots of attention on the Internet about Intel engineer Mike Hawash who is now in custody as a material witness (witness to what, I don't know). Hawash is a Palestinian but has been an American citizen for 15 years. He is getting alot of high-level support from the likes of Intel executives and Oregon's legislative contingent. Many on the 'Net are using this case as a weapon in their war against Attorney General John Ashcroft, but I suggest they hold their fire. So far Ashcroft is doing very well in the courts (see the Lackawanna cases, the Florida Professor case and the recent Ujaama case). My money is on Achcroft; betting he has a reason to hold Hawash and that it will all come out well for the AG in the end. As for the use of "material witness" powers to hold American citizens in jail, I will (at least for now) defer to the judges of the US to determine if these powers are being abused. Until I feel otherwise, I know of no reason to believe these judges are acting in an unconstitutional manner The reason I wrote what I wrote at the time was simply because of the facts. Ashcroft (and Bush) had a track record of making charges stick and there was no evidence to suggest that they had deviated from the plan to hold and charge guilty persons. Many writers in the Blogosphere, unfortunately, seemed to have lost their heads on this one. I think it is about time for them to fess up to this mistake (just as many of them have had to fess up to their many other mistakes...Iraq is a quagmire, Afghanistan is a quagmire, There is no Al-Qaida/Iraq link...) Axis of Weasals' Continue to Plot
Look at the seven points that came out of the Axis of Weasals' meeting in Brussels at The Times Online. Then think about it for a moment. Any rapid reaction force would consist of primarily French and German troops. Why? They have the largest armies, other than Britain, which they are bent on excluding. They will build a separate command and control structure from NATO. They will establish a separate transportaion command. I suggest that this is a direct threat to the other nations of Europe. A rapid reaction force under the command of the French, a rogue nuclear power, and the Germans, can have no other purpose than to subjugate European nations that oppose the Franco-German hegemony of the European Union. A strike force of French and German troops could be landed in any capital challenging Framany and Gerance, with little chance of successful opposition. Remember, France remains a nuclear power solely to threaten its European neighbors. France and Germany have declared, over and over, that they intend to control the European Union and that it is not intended to be a federation of equals. The kicker to all this is the willingness for Germany and France to spend the money that will be required. I suspect that they intend to levy the EU for the funds, calling it an EU program, and do it on the cheap for themselves. I'm not sure the other EU nations will fall for this. Germany and France do not have the spending levels that will fund this by themselves nor can they afford to increase their defense spending. Headline: France Gives Germany More Time
Authentic Headline from the American Statesman as World War II breaks out. Dixie Chicks Show T-minus 2 days and counting
It didn't hit me until after I'd posted about it just exactly *why* the Dixie Chicks' Entertainment Weekly cover story came out so late after the comments were made. Then, in a flash of light, I saw the cover of the Greenville News this week: Dixie Chicks in town May 1! Bingo! What better time to come out with the EW piece than right before you start your big worldwide tour in Greenville, SC. The local media, smelling blood in the water, has been all over this story. The TOP STORY - above the fold, right below the flag - for the past two days has been Dixie Chicks. Here's a link to the Greenville News' complete coverage of the Dixie Chicks show. Memorial Day Has Been Cancelled
Memorial Day has been cancelled. At least that's what they're saying in Alexandria. Alexandria, the city that sits in the shadow of the Pentagon. Here, in the waning days of a war, in a school district populated with families of veterans, the Alexandria School District has decided to keep school open on Memorial Day to make up for missed days in winter. The decision to use Memorial Day as make-up day was made by administrators before the campaign in Iraq started, said Barbara Hunter, executive director of information and outreach. She said a few parents have complained, but added that while the school district respects their arguments, "I don't think there's any chance it will change." I don't think they would miss the point this year of all years. What they are teaching them is the bureacracy rules over everything else. Sure, Memorial Day is a day of barbecues and pool openings to some people. But there are always the parades and the memorials. In my town, which does not boast the military population that Alexandria does, the turnout for memorials and salutes to the veterans is overwhelming. I imagine in Alexandria it is even more so. We have just lost soldiers in a war. The day that is set aside to memorialize those soldiers and all others lost in combats throughout time has now been lost to the families of Alexandria. Sure, they could do it on any other day. But the significance here is that the shcool district doesn't care. To use Memorial Day to make up for a snow day is a slap in the face to every person in Alexandria who has lost someone to the perils of war. It is a blow to all those who have relatives and friends overseas right now, fighting for freedom. It's disgusting is what it is. If you are as outraged as I am, you can contact the ACPS Superintendent, Rebecca Perry, here. April 28, 2003
The Military Should Lead The Rebuilding Of Iraq
Rebuilding Iraq: No Job for a Coalition (washingtonpost.com) I can already hear the military screaming over the idea of leading the rebuilding of Iraq. That's precisely why they should do it. First, as the woman who wrote this excellent article has noted, the Pentagon has run the only two successful post-WW2 reconstructions: Japan and Germany. Second, because it isn't their primary job they have an incentive to get it done -- and done well as they do everything -- and get out. That doesn't mean weeks or months, but a couple of years. I recently heard that our military spent four years running Germany after WW2 and six years running Japan. That's a long time, but when they left the job was done. The UN and other organizations have an incentive to stay in place as long as possible whereas the Pentagon has other things to do. The UN has not ever successfully democratized a country. Not once. The military, which is itself not a particularly democratic institution, has done it twice and very well because they are adept at laying out goals and reaching them. Let the screaming begin, but the U.S. military should own Iraq for the time being. It's the surest way to success. The military has led the only two successful attempts at postwar democratization. In Japan and Germany, defense officials took full responsibility. Used to thinking strategically, they focused on overarching values and critical missions. The centralized defense structure allowed America's core values to remain consistent and penetrate every aspect of the mission. Yet, after setting and enforcing broad guidelines, they gave the Germans and Japanese great leeway in setting up their own governments. Perhaps most important, the military authorities did not want to remain. Unlike international organizations, whose entire job is to "help" other countries, the Pentagon has other work to do. It has every incentive to create a viable local government and then allow it the autonomy to function on its own. Another Reason To Not Respect Norman Mailer
What the hell is Norman Mailer thinking? According to his Op/Ed in the Times (UK), it appears we went to war in Iraq to satisfy the ego of a disenchanted and disenfranchised population of white American males. We've no white athletes to root for, you see, so Bush decided to throw us a bone by sending the nation to war. There were, however, even better reasons for using our military skills, but these reasons return us to the ongoing malaise of the white American male. He had been taking a daily drubbing over the past 30 years. For better or worse, the women’s movement had had its breakthrough successes and the old, easy white male ego had withered in the glare. Even the mighty consolations of rooting for your team on TV had been skewed. There was now less reward in watching sports than there used to be, a clear and declarable loss. The great white stars of yesteryear were for the most part gone, gone in football, in basketball, in boxing, and half-gone in baseball. Black genius now prevailed in all these sports (and the Hispanics were coming up fast; even the Asians were beginning to make their mark). We white men were now left with half of tennis (at least its male half), and might also point to ice-hockey, skiing, soccer, golf, (with the notable exception of the Tiger) as well as lacrosse, swimming, and the World-Wide Wrestling Federation — remnants and orts of a once-great and glorious centrality.If you meant to offend, Norman, you succeeded admirably. Read the rest here. A "futurist" looks at the "new world order" after Iraq
I just found this guy's site today. But here's a change expert's view on the new world that is emerging after the Iraq war: Will France replace Iraq in Axis of Evil
Fox News reports that France was giving intelligence information to Iraq. France gave Saddam Hussein's regime regular reports on its dealings with American officials, documents unearthed in the wreckage of the Iraqi foreign ministry have revealed.I wonder if this had anything to do with their strong opposition to the liberation of Iraq? I would also guess that their post-liberation ass kissing wasn't just about getting post-war reconstruction contracts. Perhaps they were sucking up for the day when we discovered just how far in bed they were with the Iraqi regime. When I think about it though, France helping Iraq prepare for war would explain why the Coalition rode to such a quick victory. Should we be smiting France or thanking them? The Value of Fear in International Relations
I published the following column in the Birmingham News this past weeked: Iraq war may give U.S. needed fear factor. Here's the first paragraph. Click the link to read the rest: Niccolo Machiavelli wrote in 1513 that "it is much safer to be feared than loved if one of the two has to be wanting." Such is the proposition currently being put to the test in the post-Gulf War II world. In short: Will the demonstration of power in Iraq and Afghanistan by the U.S. military lead to greater or lesser security for the United States? Will terrorists and the states that sponsor them fear U.S. retaliation and, therefore, change their behavior? Read the rest here. Belgians May Try Franks for War Crimes
Iraqi civilians are preparing a complaint to present in court in Belgium accusing allied commander Gen. Tommy Franks and other U.S. military officials of war crimes in Iraq, according to the attorney representing the plaintiffs.
Belgium, a country full of Phlegms and Loons, raped and sodomized (and not in a good way) the Congo for centuries and never once managed to feel any guilt. In fact, the country is crawling with people who participated in that particular crime against humanity and have never been charged. Nor have the tens of thousands of Belgians who fought with Hitler's SS in World War II. I blogged this here. And now they may feel superior enough to the United States to try to charge our officers with war crimes. Time to leave Belgium, move NATO HQ out. Budapest is a lovely city, much older and more cultured than any in Belgium, and much more deserving. Time to turn Antwerp into a backwater by using Dutch, Spanish, and Danish ports. Recall the ambassador for consultations. PNG their military attaches for conduct unbecoming. Let's let them know that they don't mean an ant's fart to us. A letter to M. Jacques Chirac
LT SMASH pens a letter to Chirac of the Axis of Weasels: Monsieur President, April 27, 2003
A new attitude
David Warren notices something fairly big is happening, fairly quietly, in Washington. It amounts to a new diplomatic strategy, post-Iraq -- of the kind which, given American power, generates in and of itself a "new world order".David calls it the "we don't care" policy, and notes that its purpose is to call bluffs of Anti-American intimidation. It consists of responding to major rhetorical and diplomatic challenges, including organized campaigns against U.S. interests choreographed through the United Nations, with something like total indifference. . . . The U.S. will take note of the opposition, and act to defeat it, but without publicly arguing with it. Actual discussion on matters of significance is reserved to allies.Then he gives a number of examples. Intriguing. 82nd Airborne War Diary
Karl Zinsmeister of American Enterprise has several excellent reports up in this month's issue: "You," he pauses for emphasis, "are all part of history. After that nasty firefight at the bridges two days ago, you have already seen more combat than any unit of the 82nd Airborne since the 1960s. Now we're going to finish that job. "I need guys who can hit targets. I need guys who will do anything to protect their buddies. I need guys who are ready to kill. "Unlike last time, we're going in tonight with some armor. And Apaches. And with Delta Company. I'm gonna be damn glad to have the Delta boys with us. We're gonna need them. But gun trucks stand out. They can get cornered on tight city streets. They're a juicy target for an RPG. "If one of those trucks get hit, I want you to treat it like a damn downed helicopter. I want you to run to that vehicle and get everybody out. We're not leaving anybody behind, understand? "And I want you to remember something. You are Americans. Americans don't shoot women and children. They don't kill soldiers who have surrendered. That what the assholes we're up against do. That's what we're fighting. We're gonna do things differently. "But if your life is in danger, you shoot. And you shoot to kill." A quiet burst of "hoo-ah"--the airborne cry of enthusiasm and seriousness--rises from the circle of men. The commander ends by reading Psalm 144, with its tribute to those who battle against unrighteousness. "How's everyone feeling?" Instantly, a roaring "HOO-AH" surges from 120 throats." (cross-post Sharp Knife). How To Build A Democratic Iraq
The May/June 2003 issue of Foreign Affairs magazine offers an interesting perspective on the opportunity for democracy in Iraq. Authored by Adeed Dawisha & Karen Dawisha (professors of Political Science at Miami University, Ohio), the piece is lengthy but well worth the read. A highlight: In the aftermath of the war, the occupiers will focus on immediate tasks, such as ensuring order, providing relief to the long-suffering Iraqi people, and asserting control over the country. Very quickly, however -- even before they have met these goals -- the victorious powers will have to answer another pressing question: How, exactly, should they go about rebuilding the country? Saying simply that postwar Iraq should be democratic will be the easy part. Just about everyone agrees on that, and indeed, for many this end will justify the entire operation. The more difficult question will be how to make it happen.Read the whole thing ... The slow pace of reconstruction in Afganistan
These blog posts are chock full of facts, but they're pretty opinionated, so let's file them as op-eds. Nothing But Time
Time Is on Our Side I especially hope the end result of this is a reassessment of our troop deployments overseas. We'll have troops in Iraq for a good long while, I imagine, but that doesn't mean we need troops in Europe and it also doesn't mean we need troops in South Korea, either. If the solution to North korea ends up being a military solution, having 37,000 troops in South Korea will not help. The ROK already has a 600,000-man army near the DMZ and we can just as easily project power from Japan or an aircraft carrier. I also agree with Mr. Hanson that if we create a free Iraq -- and not compromise with the theocratic elements within Iraq -- we will lay the groundwork for freedom in the Middle East. Iran will be surrounded by Afghanistan and Iraq while Syria is surrounded by Israel, Iraq and Turkey. We just need to show the same kind of commitment to that area of the world that we've shown Europe and Japan. We could begin by getting our troops out of Europe and South Korea. Pessimists shudder at the sight of screaming zealots in the streets of a freed Baghdad. But they forget that a taboo of restraint has been broken in the last month, and that there are 100,000 American soldiers there who have just obliterated the Republican Guard. After seeing the deaths of their friends, they have little if any patience for organized street toughs. Americans have bled to free Iraq, and we won't hesitate now to use overwhelming force to stop a few cowards from ruining what our own dead helped to achieve. Point / Counter-Point
Foreign Policy Magazine has posted a debate on Iraq and the Middle East between Richard Perle, key national security advisor to the Pentagon, and Daniel Cohn-Bendit, leader of the European Parliament’s Green Party. You may find the article here; enjoy the read. Daniel Cohn-Bendit: If I could sit down with the president of the United States, I would say, “Mr. Bush, I am no pacifist, and I know military intervention can be absolutely necessary. When the Allies landed in Normandy in 1944, my parents took the first opportunity to conceive a child as a celebration of their new freedom.” More than just a super-power
Gregg Easterbrook looks at the consequences of the unrivaled power of the United States: Stealth drones, G.P.S.-guided smart munitions that hit precisely where aimed; antitank bombs that guide themselves; space-relayed data links that allow individual squad leaders to know exactly where American and opposition forces are during battle - the United States military rolled out all this advanced technology, and more, in its lightning conquest of Iraq. No other military is even close to the United States. The American military is now the strongest the world has ever known, both in absolute terms and relative to other nations; stronger than the Wehrmacht in 1940, stronger than the legions at the height of Roman power. For years to come, no other nation is likely even to try to rival American might. A Final Dispatch By Michael Kelly
For those who enjoyed Michael Kelly's reporting, here is his last article in the Atlantic Monthly prior to his death in Iraq. If you were a fan, read it slowly, twice. Today's phony peaces really are phony. Now (I am writing this in early March), as in the winter months of 1990-1991, no one has any real belief that peace is at hand, or may be brought to hand. War is expected, by everyone, and it is this expectation that allows the luxury of the phony peace—an interim between the advent of expectation and the arrival of reality, during which concerned parties may enjoy protesting against a war they know their protests will not stop. The phony peace provides a period of global theater in which the natural order of things may be reasserted: France behaves like France, Russia behaves like Russia, the United Nations behaves like the United Nations, America behaves like America. It is comforting in its way. April 26, 2003
Galloway: Traitor or Dupe?
A Labour MP speaks to Galloway's recent statements in defence of himself. Re: Show some integrity and go Sir - I have listened to the utterances of George Galloway in recent days with growing dismay and anger. His statements and attitude before, during and in the aftermath of the war in Iraq have been increasingly outrageous and untenable and have reached the point where I feel that he is tarnishing the reputation of Parliament by association. Despite the incontrovertible evidence of the savage barbarity of Saddam Hussein's murderous regime, well-known for many years and made terrifyingly clear by what has been uncovered in Iraq in recent weeks, he has persisted in the defence of the indefensible. His attacks on the Prime Minister and President Bush have been contemptible, and his apparent encouragement of British troops to disobey lawful orders put him beyond the pale of civilised behaviour. He has forfeited the sympathy of many of his constituents and of the vast majority of his own party and has flown in the face of right-thinking men and women of all political persuasions. The recent accusations of financial involvement in the defunct Iraqi regime, whatever their final outcome, are a further indicator of the world in which George Galloway seems to live. But long before suggestions of corrupt practice surfaced, this man's opinions, and indeed his very lifestyle, have suggested that he inhabits a fantasy world, in which he believes what it suits him to believe and ignores the overwhelming evidence condemning the barbarous dictator to whose coat-tails he clings. It is possible that he is no more than a sad dupe, refusing, like the regime he still persists in supporting, to recognise the inevitability of his downfall and of theirs. It seems equally possible that he may be found guilty of deliberate distortion of the truth, even without the charges implicit in the newspaper revelations of recent days. What is certain is that his position is now indeed untenable. Better men than George Galloway, holding views far less extreme than his, have chosen to resign in defence of their position. There is still time for him to regain some credibility, and perhaps demonstrate some degree of integrity, by following their example. From: I am afraid expecting Galloway to show any integrity is a bit much. Is this the first salvo in Galloway's ejection from the Labour Party and the House of Commons? Why We Are Better Than They Are
The military has launched an inquiry into the actions of a Marine from Las Vegas to determine if he committed war crimes. For all the moral equivalists out there who say, “Aha! See we’re no better than they are”, I say, wrong, this proves exactly the opposite. Without passing judgment on this particular case, it must be noted that in the military, just as in every other aspect of life, there are people who break the rules. No matter how well-trained/-educated/-disciplined a family/class/congregation/company/military/society is there will be people who commit acts outside the boundaries of what is considered acceptable. What separates these groups from each other are the extent to which this behavior is discouraged, investigated, and punished. We have respect for the rules of civilized warfare and the necessity of treating prisoners humanely and minimizing the impact of our military actions on civilians. Our enemies invariably do not. And, in the case of several recent conflicts, they actually train their soldiers to gain advantage both by breaking these rules and exploiting our aversion to do so. The tendency of certain human rights organizations to focus their efforts exclusively on the actions of the United States and its allies actually encourages the egregious violations committed by the Taliban and the Fedayeen. The more strongly we are condemned for the inadvertent impact of our actions on non-combatants, the more effective the tactic of enmeshing non-combatants into the battlefield will be to those who oppose us. Replacing One Kind Of Tyranny With Another
The Globe and Mail: U.S. will block Iraqi theocracy Democracy, plainly understood, is majority rule or three wolves and a sheep deciding who's on the dinner menu. It's also another form of tyranny if unrestrained by a Constitution. Liberal democracy should be our aim in Iraq: a form of self-government that recognizes the individual as rights-bearer and the purpose of the state to protect those rights. There's no room in this kind of democracy for a theocracy, regardless of how many people want it. The tyranny of the majority cannot be tolerated. If Iran goes too far in its interference we should use a few of those leftover JDAMs to make our displeasure known. The United States will thwart efforts to create a pro-Iranian Islamic theocracy in Iraq, the U.S. Defence Secretary warned yesterday.This should be fought to the death. We didn't expend American blood to allow tyranny to pop up in another form. The School of War
Reader R. M. forwarded a link to this Guest Commentary by Gleaves Whitney in the National Review Online. In it Gleaves discusses the impact of the Iraq war on his 19 year old son, who has been serving in Kuwait as an an A-10 Crew Chief for the MI ANG. Thought-provoking and worth the read. Intellectually Ian senses that he will bring more rigor and passion to the national debates that interest him. Should young people be required to devote 18-24 months of their lives to national service? How should immigration policy be reformed? What should America's next moves be in the war against terrorists and the regimes that harbor them? For Ian, these questions are no longer merely academic. April 25, 2003
Antique Roadshow in Baghdad
MODERATOR: Welcome to the "Antiques Roadshow." Today finds us in the cradle of civilization as we bring our panel of experts to the banks of the Tigris. Here, at the Baghdad Marriott, we'll pore through the possessions, both priceless and worthless, of this proud civilization. Our first stop is with Alistair Hall-Doyhe, expert in Western Asiatic antiqities at Sotheby's, who visits now with Baghdad resident Hasan al-Majid. . . .Read the rest. Ted Rall's alternate universe
Dated April 23: Iraq is going to hell. Shiites are killing Sunnis, Kurds are killing Arabs and Islamists are killing secular Baathists. Baghdad, the cradle of human civilization, has been left to looters and rapists. As in Beirut during the '70s, neighborhood zones are separated by checkpoints manned by armed tribesmen. The war has, however, managed to unite Iraqis in one respect: everyone loathes the United States. Common Dreams (which has liberal views of "fair use" of copyrighted material to go with its liberal views on everything else.) Meanwhile, I'm looking at the front page of my local newspaper and reading this caption: In Kirkuk: A student holds a picture of President Bush that she wears around her neck during a party at the Tahama Primary School on Thursday. Students returned to school for the first time since the war in Iraq ended.Photo credit: Kevin Frayer/The Associated Press Here's a slide show of more photos from the Tahama School party, including the one above Did I mention the fact that Iraq has been in the hands of looters and rapists (and torturers and genocidal maniacs and egomaniacal psychopaths) for the last 30 years? Oh, Dean Esmay already made the point in this post. It bears repeating. What democracy is, and is not
The war's finally officially winding down. Bush is expected to make an announcement any minute now. I think the capture of Tareq Aziz, Iraq's Foreign Minister, was a good indication that the war was, indeed, over. Whether Saddam's a smear of ash in a sub-level bunker or a goat herder in Syria is irrelevant. He's no longer a factor in Iraqi politics. So now we turn to the question of democratizing Iraq — which was the whole point of this war. This was outlined by, among others, Paul Wolfowitz in the idea of a "New American Century." Whether you agree w/ it or not (and many oppose it w/o having read its principles), the project is based on a radical new vision for American foreign policy. Essentially:
Yes, this might be a case of "imposing our values" around the world. But those values include a free press, freedom of speech, religious tolerance, pluralism, gender and minority rights, electoral representative government, and other basic democratic principles. I, for one, have no problem globally promoting these values. I don't think female circumcision is just a matter of cultural choice. I don't think religious fanatics have a right to rule Arabs any more than they have a right to rule in Kansas. So the question now is: What does it mean to democratize Iraq? Does that mean that any "popular expression of will" goes? Does that mean that any popularly chosen government is democratic? No. A democracy — the way I define it — is not determined by popularity. Democracy doesn't mean that the people get anything it wants. A small town in Mississippi may vote to lynch all the black residents; sure that's majority rule, but it's NOT democratic. Democracy is not rule by the mob — no matter how large the mob is. Sure, religious fanatics can mobilize 2,000 protesters in Baghdad. But Iraq has 12 million citizens. They all deserve a voice in creating their government. Joseph Schumpeter and Robert Dahl outlined some basic criteria for democracy. One of them is that a majority is free to change its mind. That implies mechanisms that make majority decisions impermanent. That's why democracies have elections. A citizenry that votes to make any decision binding forever has violated democratic principles. Voters must be able to hold leaders accountable. That means frequent, regularly scheduled elections and other mechanisms to do so. Don't like Bush? We get to vote against him in 2004. We wouldn't accept a one-shot election that would make anyone (Bush, Gore, Nader, or anyone) president for life. Even if 90 percent of the vote went his or her way. We should promote democracy in Iraq. And I think we will. But it shouldn't be just any type of populism. We don't want to turn Iraq into Chavez's Venezuela, Musharraf's Pakistan, or Peron's Argentina. We want to turn it into a democracy. That means we'll have to ensure that a new democratic Iraq gives equal rights to religious minorities, to the Kurds, to women, to homosexuals, to political dissidents, to artists, to scientists, to children, and anyone else we can think of. Thank You!
In the last few minutes The Command Post passed another milestone, reaching two million visitors since we started keeping track on March 21st.  We thank you for your support, and our contributors for all they do to keep the site current. It's been a great ride, and while the war in Iraq is winding down, we're excited about moving forward and reaching the next million! All the best, Alan & Michele British MP on Dole from Saddam
This George Galloway thing is interesting. George is the left wing member of Parliment in England that apparently was on Saddam's payroll. He shilled for Saddam for years, travelled extensively, with no visible means of support. Now, the Brit papers have discovered papers, in the original Arabic, that seem to show that Georgie got thousands, if not millions, of dollars from Saddam for his services. This is quite a shock to the British. It's as if a U.S. President were found to have taken money from, oh, say, agents of the Communist Chinese government. Oh, wait, that actually happened. The latest joy is that Scott "Hey, little girl" Ritter has risen to the defense of Georgie. Taking time from wanking off in front of twelve year old girls, Scott "Tissue Hands" Ritter writes in the Guardian that "I have grown highly suspicious of dramatic revelations conveniently timed to silence a vocal voice of dissent." I presume he refers to the revelations from earlier that he had been arrested twice for soliciting twelve year old girls. He doesn't deny them, mind you, he just feels they assassinated his character. Scott "Watch my wee-wee" Ritter seems to fail to understand that he has no character. He sold it, somewhere along the line, and is now just cat bile puked up after an especially difficult hairball. As for Georgie, the last comment he made suggested that perhaps he was a victim of someone on his staff. Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure. ANZAC Day
Today is ANZAC day. This will mean sweet Fanny Adams to anyone outside Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey, but it's the one sacred day of the year to Australians and New Zealanders. In 1915 - two years before the USA entered Word War I - Winston Churchill ( yes that Winston Churchill) devised a plan to give aid to a beleagured Russia in the Great War. A good plan. But one that was botched by the same military incompetence that was almost universal in World War I, on both sides. ...main constituents were the British 29th Division, the 1st Royal Naval Infantry Division, the French 1st Infantry Division, the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade and the Australia New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). There were lesser contingents from many different parts of the British empire including the colorfully named Assyrian Jewish Refugee Mule Corps.  From the UK Gallipoli Association The cost in human terms was appalling: of 480,000 allied personnel committed, 252,000 were killed, wounded, missing, prisoners or victim of disease. Turkish casualties probably exceeded 400,000. All this happened in an area smaller than the county of Rutland (in an area about half the size of New York City - AEB).Out of this terrible crucible, the nations of Australia and New Zealand were truly forged. Australia had been given Dominion status as early as 1901, they were no longer colonies, but Gallipolli was to them what Gettysburg is to the US, and more. But it's not only two nations that were forged here, it was three: the Turkish Commander was Kamel Attaturk, who almost singlehandedly founded the modern nation of Turkey from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. From a Turkish Account These words were spoken to our enemies by Ataturk, group commander of Anafartalar and the founder of Modern Turkey. So now, as we watch the Anzac day marches...the 1/11 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (service in Port Moresby in the dark days of 1942).. the 1st Mountain Artillery (who parachuted with their guns in Nawzab in the New Guinea Campaign in WW II)...HMAS Canberra (lost at the battle of Savo Island)... HMAS Sydney (the "Vung Tau Ferry" of Vietnam, with one namesake that sunk the German Cruiser "Emden" in WW I, another that sank the Italian Cruiser "Bartolomeo Colleomi" in WW II, and whose latest incarnation is sailing for the Gulf now )... the Special Signals Unit (whose interception and codebreaking in WW II are still partly classified)...the 'Z' Special Unit (the "behind-the-lines" Special Forces that ran the Japanese ragged in Borneo and elsewhere)...as we watch the Long and the Short and the Tall, those still on active service, those now in their 90s and on wheelchairs, those in their 80s and still marching, the grandkids and great-grandkids who are marching for those present only in Spirit... We shall remember them. (In memory of Cpl David Brain, 9th Sherwood Foresters, who as a sniper was one of the first in and last out, and who many years later succumbed to wounds sustained on the Western Front. Bye Bye Grandpa, and Thanks.) Psy-ops revealed!
Andrew Northrup gives us a peek at US Special Forces psy-ops tactics, such as: 3. Many efforts were made to damage Saddam's self-esteem, in hopes that it would make him a less effective leader. It culminated with a secret operation where Charlize Theron (my ex-girlfriend, if you must know) pretended to *like* like Saddam, and went out with him a couple of times, but, just before the ground invasion began, revealed that she was put up to it, and she could never really like a fat old mustache-sporting freak like him, and called |
