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
“Democracy Freedom blah blah blah”
Defense officials from Russia and the United States last week helped block a new demand for an international probe into the Uzbekistan government’s shooting of hundreds of protesters last month, according to U.S. and diplomatic officials. British and other European officials had pushed to include language calling for an independent investigation in a communique issued by defense ministers of NATO … Read More
9/11 Wives
As someone who worked pro bono for several 9/11 survivors to receive compensation from the September 11 Victim’s Fund, I find these two stories (this one and this one) to be very discouraging. In the first story, the widow of the 9/11 victim stands to lose much of her husband’s pension. Her husband was a pilot of one of the … Read More
Snippets from The British Briefing Papers
As a counterpart to the Downing Street Memo, further briefing papers from Britain demonstrate, as this article trumpets, that the U.S. lacked a postwar Iraq plan, and that Blair’s advisors predicted instability in the region. They also cast light on some of the strength (or lack thereof) of the pre-war intelligence regarding Iraq. Some key quotes culled by Think Progress … Read More
Boot-On-The-Ground Check-In Time
So what are our soldiers in Iraq saying? Is the bad guys, as Cheney said, “in its last throes?”? Do our fighting men and women (in their ever-decreasing numbers*) see the light at the end of the tunnel? Nope: "I know the party line. You know, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army, five-star generals, four-star generals, President Bush, Donald … Read More
Freedom On The March?
Another Middle East Country, another election. BINT JBEIL, Lebanon – Hezbollah and its Shiite allies claimed victory in southern Lebanon in Sunday’s second stage of national elections, a vote the militant group hopes will prove its strength and send a message of defiance to the United States. Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters drove through the streets of Beirut waving the group’s … Read More
Another Gets Unplugged From The Matrix
Read the whole thing: Two years ago I was a neocon. I supported Bush’s war on Iraq and I called everyone who didn’t a liberal Kool-aid drinker. I voted for Bush in 2000 and I listened to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and just about any right-winger on the radio that I could get a four-word talking point from to use … Read More
Finally!
"When I go back (to Washington) on Monday, I am going to raise the issue,” he said of the memo, which has not been disputed by either the British or American governments. “I think it’s a stunning, unbelievably simple and understandable statement of the truth and a profoundly important document that raises stunning issues here at home. And it’s amazing … Read More
Religious Degradation
Deborah Pearlstein ties the ends together and gives the big picture: Newsweek’s missteps in reporting particular allegations of religious degradation initially obscured the broad truth that religious degradation was a tactic expressly approved by the Department of Defense. A memo signed by Rumsfeld in November 2002 listed “removal of clothing” as a permissible interrogation technique, along with “removal of facial … Read More
Re-evaluation of GWOT
An important WaPo piece discusses a possible shift in the administration’s terrorism policies. Apparently, the Global War On Terrorism thing just isn’t working, as we find ourselves “drifting” and lacking a sense of what to do next. Digby takes his scissors to the possible policy change. Here’s WaPo: Much of the discussion has focused on how to deal with the … Read More
Hiding The Truth
Why is the White House refusing to hand over NSA documents regarding Bolton, so that the Senate can confirm/deny him as UN Ambassador? Is it national security, or is someone’s ass being covered? In tomorrow’s New York Times, an article will appear suggesting that the White House is holding the documents tight to the chest because they contain the names … Read More
Worse Than Appeasement
Not long ago, the right-wing blogosphere was chastizing the left because (supposedly) we all wanted to “appease” Saddam. Of course, “appeasement” in our view meant inspections, fly-overs, sanctions and a whole host of other active efforts which—let’s be honest—are just the opposite of appeasement. Today’s LA Times has a piece by former NSC director Steve Andreasen which takes Bush to … Read More
New Rule on Amnesty International
NEW RULE: Amnesty International is a legitimate source for human rights violations of other countries, but is an unreliable and irresponsible source for reporting on the U.S. On March 27, 2003, Rumsfeld said: We know that it’s a repressive regime…Anyone who has read Amnesty International or any of the human rights organizations about how the regime of Saddam Hussein treats … Read More
War Snapshot
The insurgents are on the run, says the blind man. BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 28 – The surge of violence that has swept Iraq since its first elected government took office nearly a month ago continued Saturday, with at least 30 new deaths reported across the country, some of them in what appeared to be sectarian killings. The latest attacks raised … Read More
Qu’ran Mishandling Confirmed
Developing story, but here’s what is known so far: WASHINGTON – U.S. officials have substantiated five cases in which military guards or interrogators mishandled the Quran of Muslim prisoners at Guantanamo Bay but found “no credible evidence” to confirm a prisoner’s report that a holy book was flushed in a toilet, the prison’s commander said Thursday. [Source] Of course, the … Read More