NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) – Students in the Shi’ite Muslim religious Iraqi city of Najaf said that police recently arrested and beat several of them for wearing jeans and having long hair. “They arrested us because of our hair and because we were wearing jeans,” said student Mohammed Jasim, adding that the arrests took place two weeks ago in the city, … Read More
Congressman Questions War And White House Secrecy
"The administration should clarify its intent in [this war]… People lack confidence in the credibility of our government… It’s a difficult thing today to be informed about our government even without all the secrecy. With the secrecy, it’s impossible. The American people will do what’s right when they have the information they need… Who said it? Representative Donald Rumsfeld (R-IL), … Read More
Yellow Elephant Watch
I recently wrote a post (and received a little flak) about Yellow Elephants—specifically, the refusal of College Republicans to run a advertisement advocating military recruitment in the program of their annual convention in Las Vegas. The ad was refused because it was too much of a downer. Family Research Council leader (and KKK Grand Wizard contributor) Tony Perkins addressed the … Read More
Cheney Does Clinton
When CNN’s Wolf Blitzer pointed out to Dick Cheney that military commanders in Iraq do not characterize the insurgency as being in its “last throes” (see my post here), Cheney backpeddled and pulled out his Webster’s: No, I would disagree. If you look at what the dictionary says about throes, it can still be a, you know, a violent period, … Read More
“Last Throes” Revisited
"Be assured: Baghdad is safe, protected.” “We are in control, they are not in control of anything, they don’t even control themselves!” “They are becoming hysterical. This is the result of frustration.” “They are achieving nothing; they are suffering from casualties. Those casualties are increasing, not decreasing." Quotes from Dick Cheney? Nope, but I can understand why you might think … Read More
Operation Yellow Elephant
The objective of OPERATION YELLOW ELEPHANT is to recruit College Republicans and Young Republicans to serve as infantry. They demanded this war and now viciously support it. It’s only right that they also experience it. So far, it isn’t going too well. Recently, as reported here, Operation Yellow Elephant tried to get a recruitment ad into the program of the … Read More
Floodgate Still Open
A key Foreign Office diplomat responsible for liaising with UN inspectors says today that claims the government made about Iraq’s weapons programme were “totally implausible”. He tells the Guardian: “I’d read the intelligence on WMD for four and a half years, and there’s no way that it could sustain the case that the government was presenting. All of my colleagues … Read More
LGF’s Premature Ejaculation
The Little Green Footballs post: Is British reporter Michael Smith, who broke the Downing Street memo story (after re-typing and destroying the originals), the same Michael Smith who was hired by Mary Mapes as a CBS assistant producer in the Rathergate scandal? You can almost hear the ohpleaseGodletitbetrueohohohohpleasebetrue-ohpleaseimgonnacumiswearimgonnacumohpleaseletitbetrue breathlessness behind their words. Sadly, the answer is no. Not surprising speculation … Read More
More On Cheney’s Lies
As everyone knows, Cheney recently said in CNN that the insurgency was in its “last throes”. Here’s what General William Webster, the U.S. commander for Baghdad, said the other day: "Certainly saying anything about ‘breaking the back’ or ‘about to reach the end of the line’ or those kinds of things do not apply to the insurgency at this point." … Read More
What Hagel Said
"Things aren’t getting better, they’re getting worse.” “The White House is completely disconnected from reality” “It’s like they’re just making it up as they go along. The reality is that we’re losing in Iraq” “More and more of my colleagues up here are concerned" – Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.
The US Wanted Democracy In Iraq? Um . . . Not So Much
One of the Downing Street Memos, informally called the Options Paper (PDF format) is interesting in that it discusses two apparently equally acceptable post-Iraq outcomes: The US administration has lost faith in containment and is now considering regime change. The end states could either be a Sunni strongman or a representative government. The paper goes on to list the plusses … Read More
The Shittiest Job On The Planet
No doubt, it belongs to White House Press Secretary Scotty McClellan. The poor guy has to get up in front of the press corp and explain (or explain away) the unexplainable deceptions of the Bush Administration. It can’t be easy. From E&P, here’s an awkward exchange between Scotty and reporter Terry Moran. Moran is referring to Cheney’s recent comment on … Read More
More Krazy Kristian Kookdom
From the Jackson Hole Star Tribune, via Lizard Queen, we learn of a reprehensible protest. A Kansas preacher and gay rights foe whose congregation is protesting military funerals around the country said he’s coming to Idaho on today to picket the memorial for an Idaho National Guard soldier killed in Iraq. The soldier was 19 year old Carrie French (pictured … Read More
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Death
Rumsfeld gave an interview to the BBC: Asked if the security situation had improved [in Iraq], he admitted: “Statistically, no.” “But clearly it has been getting better as we’ve gone along,” he added. “A lot of bad things that could have happened have not happened." Source. He’s right. All lot of bad things could have happened as a result of … Read More
Atta-in-Prague Revisited
Anyone who thinks the Bush Administration was victim to flawed intelligence, take note: BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO PUBLIC: “Well, what we now have that’s developed since you and I last talked, Tim, of course, was that report that–it’s been pretty well confirmed that he [9/11 hijacker Mohammed Atta] did go to Prague and he did meet with a senior official of … Read More