Joint Chiefs Call Out Bush’s Lie

Ken AshfordIraqLeave a Comment

Bush at the April 28 press conference: Q: …Do you feel, as you are confronting these problems, the number of troops you’ve left tied up in Iraq is limiting your options to go beyond the diplomatic solutions that you described for North Korea and Iran? THE PRESIDENT: No, I appreciate that question. The person to ask that to, the person … Read More

How’s Democracy In The Middle East?

Ken AshfordIraqLeave a Comment

Women of Kuwait denied vote by Islamist lawmakers A plan to allow Kuwaiti women to participate in local elections was postponed indefinitely yesterday when Islamist and conservative legislators abstained from a vote. Source This is Kuwait we’re talking about, folks.

More Historical Revisionism From The Right

Ken AshfordIraqLeave a Comment

NOW: “I don’t think the rationale for the war hinged on the existence of stockpiles.” – Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith, The New Yorker, 5/9/05 THEN: “I’d like to spend a moment, if I can, stressing in particular the crucial task of eliminating weapons of mass destruction. We have begun detailed planning for this task, which includes securing, assessing and … Read More

Terrorism Alerts

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

By the way, notice how we kept having "terror alerts" right up to the election, and then, you know, nothing.  Don’t tell me they color-code system wasn’t politically-motivated to manipulate the public.  Fear sells.

Report Card On Bush’s Global War On Terrorism

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

A failing grade: WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. count of major world terrorist attacks more than tripled in 2004, a rise that may revive debate on whether the Bush administration is winning the war on terrorism, congressional aides said on Tuesday. The number of "significant" international terrorist attacks rose to about 650 last year from about 175 in 2003, according … Read More

The Last Word On WMDs

Ken AshfordIraqLeave a Comment

The final remaining hope of the WMD-last-gaspers has been the notion that Saddam did have WMD but transferred it all to Syria before the war. As I recall, the most popular scenario involved a fleet of ambulances and some hideouts in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. But no. Not only did Saddam not have any WMD in Iraq, the Iraq Survey Group … Read More

Cold Black Hearts

Ken AshfordIraq, Right Wing Punditry/IdiocyLeave a Comment

Yesterday I posted about the sad death of Marla Ruzicka, the California humanitarian who went to Afghanistan and Iraq to help innocent victims (often, orphaned children) of those wars.  She was killed in a car bomb explosion in Bagdhad Saturday while en route to visit a young girl orphaned in the Iraqi War. It seems that the right wing blogosphere … Read More

If Bin Laden Strikes America Again, Blame Women

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Some advocacy pieces are so off-the-chart bizarre that they defy parody or counter-comment.  This article qualifies.  The thrust?  The failure of the Bush Administration to capture bin Laden in Tora Bora when we had the chance had nothing to do with the fact that he diverted troops from Afghanistan so that we could invade Iraq to find non-existent WMDs.  Nope, … Read More

Marla Ruzicka, R.I.P.

Ken AshfordIraqLeave a Comment

Marla Ruzicka is one of the heroes of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  While surely there has been heroism and courage shown by the men and women in our military who fight with great honor and courage in what many of us still consider a flawed and stupid war, the courage and heroism is not limited to those Americans in … Read More

Bush Is Failing, But You’re Not Supposed To Know

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

From Knight-Ridder: The State Department decided to stop publishing an annual report on international terrorism after the government’s top terrorism center concluded that there were more terrorist attacks in 2004 than in any year since 1985, the first year the publication covered. Some current and former officials charged the report was stopped because it "raised disturbing questions about the Bush’s … Read More

Oh, that FBI!

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/Torture1 Comment

It doesn’t inspire much confidence when the FBI’s "Most Wanted" website page for bin Laden fails to mention . . . well, you figure it out.  Apparently, they haven’t updated their website in quite a while.

More on the Whining Crybabies

Ken AshfordIraq, Right Wing Punditry/IdiocyLeave a Comment

Yesterday, I blogged about the whining crybabies on the right who are upset because the Pulitizer Prize for cartooning went to someone on the left.  Athenae talks about the other gripe they have, and he is totally correct: Via Atrios: disgusting sons of bitches. Now, the right-wing pajama brigade is in full attack mode against the Pulitzer Prize awarded this … Read More

I Have One Question:

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not list right-wing domestic terrorists and terrorist groups on a document that appears to be an internal list of threats to the nation’s security . . . [The document] lists left-wing domestic groups, such as the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), as terrorist threats, but it does not … Read More

The Man Who Saved The World

Ken AshfordForeign AffairsLeave a Comment

Incredible(!) story from The Moscow News about something that happened in 1983 that you didn’t know about, because you were sleeping soundly in your bed.  I reprint it here in full: The Man Who Saved the World Finally Recognized Sirens blaring, warning lights flashing, computer screens showing nuclear missiles on their way, one man in charge of a red button … Read More