Via War&Piece - a eulogy for a bookseller in Baghdad:
When the Mongols sacked Baghdad in 1258, it was said that the Tigris River ran red one day, black another. The red came from the blood of nameless victims, massacred by ferocious horsemen. The black came from the ink of countless books from libraries and universities. Last Monday, the bomb on Mutanabi Street detonated at 11:40 a.m. The pavement was smeared with blood. Fires that ensued sent up columns of dark smoke, fed by the plethora of paper.
A colleague told me that near Hayawi's shop, a little ways from the now-gutted Shahbandar Cafe, a black banner hangs today. In the graceful slope of yellow Arabic script, it mourns the loss of Hayawi and his nephew, "who were assassinated by the cowardly bombing."
Posted by Mary at March 12, 2007 12:52 AMSpeedy is an unqualified, Texas hack lawyer which makes him the perfect Consigliere for the Mofo from Midland.
Let him go down with the USS George Bush II.
Posted by Christopher at March 12, 2007 05:38 AMHere is how the Bush Administration and the military support our troops. Injured Soldiers, Unfit to Fight, Forced to Go Back to Iraq
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shelley-lewis/injured-soldiers-unfit-t_b_43188.html
Posted by Judith at March 12, 2007 06:04 AMEveryone must understand that Abu's incompetence is not really the issue here---he has no business being attorney general, of course, and never should have been confirmed. More Repub abdication of responsibility.
But Repubs want the focus to be on Abu, as though this corrupt attempt to politicize the US attorneys and divert investigation into Repub corruption came from him. That's simply ridiculous. Nothing originates with Abu.
Abu is a brainless puppet carrying out the orders of his corrupt masters in the White House---this scandal goes to the Oval Office. Abu's resignation CANNOT be the end of this--he's expendable to Repubs---this is Worse than Watergate.
Will Dems figure this out?
Posted by euzoius at March 12, 2007 06:07 AMTwo things that bug me about the Schumer interview at Think Progress. One, they focus on how political Abu has been and how that is basically a dereliction of his responsibilities to the Constitution, quite true enough, but he doesn't even mention the fact that Abu has lied and perjured himself before Congress pretty much every time he appears before a committee. And that just serves to make the public think that this is just a business as usaual Democrats vs Republicans issue instead of more of a legal/Constitutional matter.
And second, why does Chuck have to tell us what a nice man Abu is? How can a lying sociopath be a nice man? How can a person who lies repeatedly to your face be a nice guy, Chuck? Is that the sort of people you prefer, Chuck, lying two bit hacks who regularly smear and trash and belittle you?
Jeebus, he's as bad as Biden. In the real world, in the place where I live, somebody like Abu would be shunned and talked about mercilessly behind their back, and to their face. There's nothing likeable about people like Abu or George W for that matter, or Big Time Dick or Condiliesalot or a whole slew of their lunatic followers and enablers.
FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE, STOP HUMANIZING THESE FREAKS AS THE PUT THE KNIFE IN OUR BACKS!!!
Posted by Duckman GR at March 12, 2007 06:11 AMFour years on March 19th, 3193 deaths, with no end in sight and a President who will challange any attempt to set a withdrawal date.
Posted by Judith at March 12, 2007 06:16 AM"but he (Schumer) doesn't even mention the fact that Abu has lied and perjured himself before Congress pretty much every time he appears before a committee."
Duckman, I get so frustrated at the hugs and kisses these politicians give one another. Not one fucking politician has the balls to stand up and call them what they are, CRIMINALS. The love fest never ends with these guys. Democrats are the Wuss Party.
Posted by Judith at March 12, 2007 06:32 AM
Duckman and Judith---right on! Soooo GD frustrating!!!
Posted by euzoius at March 12, 2007 07:13 AMWhat Duckman, et al said.
My hope, is that Abu will be, to quote former Haitian strongman Baby Doc Duvalier, "as firm as a monkey's tail". A few days later, Baby Doc was heading to the airport, to escape.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960612-1,00.html
Posted by bartcopfan at March 12, 2007 07:31 AMLook at the post under this. It is all about money. Dubai bound Halliburton and other associates of Bush-Cheney are making money off of the Iraq war. This moey machine for the elite will not e turned off as long as this cabal controls the executive branch.
Posted by herbal tee at March 12, 2007 07:36 AMall Bush appointees are selected on the basis of how they can further Regime Goals. There is no thought given to how they can actually do the jobs. Remember It is All Politics, No Policy.
Larry D'iulio (sp?) will go down in history, along with "Crooks and Liars" John Kerry, as being the two men who most clearly and correctly described the Eight Bush Years (a phrase that will live in infamy).
Of course, both were destroyed by Rove/Bush and the GOP Media. But their words will remain as the most succinct description of this national nightmare.
Duckman hit it dead on.
Posted by Don Bacon at March 12, 2007 08:10 AMThis just in:
UNITED NATIONS - The world’s most powerful nations failed to agree on new sanctions against Iran amid reports that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to put Tehran’s case for a nuclear program before the U.N. Security Council.
The surprise announcement about Ahmadinejad’s intention to fly to New York came in the throes of intense debate Sunday among the five veto-wielding permanent council members - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France - and Germany on additional measures to pressure Iran to suspend uranium enrichment.
South Africa’s U.N. Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo, whose country holds the rotating Security Council presidency, said Ahmadinejad had not made a formal request to address the U.N.’s most powerful body, but if he did, ”it would be very difficult to deny him that opportunity.”
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Cool move, because what the UN is doing to Iran (under US prodding) violates international law.
Here's a good site for all things Halliburton:
http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/
Posted by ann at March 12, 2007 08:47 AMFour years on March 19th, 3193 deaths, with no end in sight and a President who will challange any attempt to set a withdrawal date.
Did you catch Koppel's "Our Children's Children's War" on the Discovery channel? The "War on Terror" is losing it's cachet, so everyone used the phrase "The Long War" instead. Iraq wasn't mentioned, but we'll be there 60 years or so according to the experts. Lay in some popcorn before the prices go up. The cost of imperialism is dear. Hug and smooch on your kids and grandkids. The world they are going to live in and the price they will pay in blood and treasure will be legendary.
Posted by phidipides at March 12, 2007 08:57 AMThe US Navy looks forward to 'the big one':
WASHINGTON, March 9, 2007 – The admiral nominated to lead U.S. Pacific Command told members of Congress yesterday that he plans to take an “aggressive, but measured and reasonable approach” when dealing with China if he is confirmed.
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If this guy intends to be "aggressive" toward China he of course shouldn't be confirmed, but he will be. (Just like General Petraeus was unanimously confirmed for Iraq.) The 'military option' now dominates US foreign policy. Peace has become a dirty word. Look for China to become folded into the bogus "war on terror" sometime.
re: Ted Koppel--
To read some neocon claptrap about the foolish views of this latest foreign policy expert, go here.
I registered to enter this blog of fools but since I noted my website I fear that I won't be accepted by the administrator. We'll see. You try it.
Here's some info you can throw at them:
Rumsfeld: : "At the present time -- we've used the phrase 'global war against terror,' which I find not perfect. I think that it is really a long struggle, as opposed to a war, which implies armies, navies, air forces and Marines contesting each other. It is irregular, it's asymmetric, and it is not against terrorism per se; it is against these violent extremists who use terrorism, but they also could use other things."
http://www.defenselink.mil/Transcripts/Transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=3823
More from Rummy: " I guess I don't think I would have called it the war on terror. I don't mean to be critical of those who have or did or -- and certainly I've used the phrase frequently. Why do I say that? I say it because the word "war" conjures up World War II more than it does the Cold War, and it creates a level of expectation of victory and an ending within the 30 or 60 minutes of a soap opera. And it isn't going to happen that way.
" Furthermore, it's not a war on terror. Terror is a weapon of choice for extremists who are trying to destabilize regimes and impose their -- in the hands of a small group of clerics, their dark vision on all the people that they can control.
"So 'war on terror' has a problem for me, and I've worked to try to reduce the extent to which that's used, and increase the extent to which we understand it more as a long war or a struggle or a conflict, not against terrorism but against a relatively small number, but terribly dangerous and lethal, violent extremists."
http://www.defenselink.mil/Transcripts/Transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=3824
and General Pace: "People talk about, 'Are you winning?' First, you have to define: What is winning? And I don't mean to be glib about that. Winning in this war on terrorism is having security in the countries we're trying to help that allows for those governments to function and for their people to function.
"Example. Washington, D.C., has crime, but it has a police force that is able to keep that crime below a level at which the normal citizens can go about their daily jobs and the government can function. That's what you're looking for on the war on terrorism, whether it be Iraq, Afghanistan, or anyplace else."
http://www.defenselink.mil/Transcripts/Transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=3765
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Schumer was just heard on a morning talk show saying, and I quote, "the reason Bush isn't impeached, is because he hasn't committed a crime." I guess in the new reality, treason isn't a crime. Damn, will someone let me out of this Salvatore Dali painting.
Posted by Judith at March 12, 2007 10:22 AMNow that you mention it, "War on terror" is used about as much as the color coded warnings. Remember them?
Posted by Judith at March 12, 2007 10:33 AMSchumer was just heard on a morning talk show saying, and I quote, "the reason Bush isn't impeached, is because he hasn't committed a crime."
Schumer said that? Fuck him, and Hillary too.
Posted by Christopher at March 12, 2007 10:58 AMNero jr. admitted that he personally authorized a program of warrantless wiretapping of people in America, which violates the FISA statute, and Schumer says Bush "hasn't committed a crime".
Jeebus.
Posted by euzoius at March 12, 2007 11:16 AMHere's my latest song/vid/ impeachment tutorial with a cameo by Gonzales:
Impeach
Just when you think Zell Miller is never to be heard from again, we get this:
According to Zell there’s not a recruitment problem because young men and women don’t want to serve in a war started for stupid and false reasons. Nope, we’ve got a shortage of servicemen and women because of abortion. If only we had the grown fetuses that have been aborted over the years, Zell would have plenty of young people to throw into stupid wars fought for false reasons. Additionally, if Zell had those grown fetuses we wouldn’t have an immigration problem, as there would be tons of people ready to do the jobs Americans don’t want to, and wouldn’t have a Social Security problem, because the grown fetuses would be paying more taxes.
Zell is so smart! I suggest he advocate a government program to breed soldiers. That might solve some of the problems he sees. RawStory is on the Zell story as well.
This bit from the BBC is good for a laugh...
"Israel has recalled its ambassador to El Salvador after he was found drunk and naked apart from bondage gear.
Reports say he was able to identify himself to police only after a rubber ball had been removed from his mouth.
A foreign ministry official described Ambassador Tzuriel Refael's behaviour as an unprecedented embarrassment."
Posted by tempus at March 12, 2007 12:39 PMTo read some neocon claptrap about the foolish views of this latest foreign policy expert, go here.
Holy crap, what a site! I didn't see a post from you there, and I saw no other liberal leaning posts. I'm sure they are scrubbed so that everyone can reach agreement. You know republi-cons, it's lockstep or no-step. I'll give it a shot.
Posted by at March 12, 2007 06:30 PMI suggest he advocate a government program to breed soldiers.
He does. It's called poverty.
Posted by phidipides at March 12, 2007 08:30 PMThis just in--
WASHINGTON - Top House Democrats retreated Monday from an attempt to limit President Bush's authority for taking military action against
Iran as the leadership concentrated on a looming confrontation with the White House over the Iraq war.
Officials said Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of the leadership had decided to strip from a major military spending bill a requirement for Bush to gain approval from Congress before moving against Iran.
Conservative Democrats as well as lawmakers concerned about the possible impact on Israel had argued for the change in strategy.
Posted by Don Bacon at March 12, 2007 09:29 PM