Jennifer Fox
June 21, 2006 Alternet Bill O'Reilly suggests that the new Iraq government should take a page or two out of Saddam's book.
O'Reilly's transformation from garden-variety right-winger to unwitting satirist is nearly complete. Were Iraq not in shambles, our Constitution in crisis, and soldiers still in harm's way, his latest screed would actually be hilarious. A recent Talking Points Memo included condemnations of the ACLU, the BBC, Air America and two American ministers for 'helping' the enemy. O'Reilly was particularly peeved at the ministers for speaking out against torture. (How dare they?) These allegations, coupled with his policy suggestions, are sure to make us A Light Unto Nations: "At this point the new Iraqi Government should declare martial law in areas controlled by insurgents. That means, anyone can be arrested, and shoot on sight curfews." You heard it from O'Reilly first, folks. All we need to do is get the new Iraq government to mimic some of Saddam Hussein's tips for running the country, and everything will get better. Pure genius. Also, encouraging the Iraq government to impose 'shoot on sight' curfews will do wonders for how the rest of the world perceives the U.S. They love us already, right? Comment: This is the "logical" end-result of the right-wing thinking. The Bush administration invaded Iraq because, they said, Saddam was a brutal dictator. Now their news pundits are suggesting that the American-controlled Iraqi government should emulate the brutal dictatorship form of government of Saddam.
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No Quarter Blog
Larry C Johnson As they say at the Pottery Barn, you break, you buy it. I don't think President George W. Bush has enough in his piggy bank to cover the cost of the horror he is helping perpetuate in Iraq. Today's Washington Post reports that the Shias running Iraqi prisons are engaged in the kinds of abuse last seen when Saddam was in power.
According to the Post: On Saturday, a group of parliament members paid a surprise visit to a detention facility run by the Interior Ministry in Baqubah, north of Baghdad. "We have found terrible violations of the law," said Muhammed al-Dayni, a Sunni parliament member who said as many as 120 detainees were packed into a 35-by-20-foot cell. "They told us that they've been raped," Dayni said. "Their families were called in and tortured to force the detainees to testify against other people." Jonathan Finer and Ellen Knickmeyer also report: Inmates in another photo clustered around chains hung from the middle of one of the crowded cells. The chains were used to hoist prisoners by their bound hands, Zobaie said. The practice, noted frequently in inspection reports of Interior Ministry detention centers, often results in the dislocation of prisoners' shoulders. |
By Daniel Dombey and Edward Alden in Vienna
Financial Times June 21 2006 George W. Bush, US president, sought to repair America's battered image in Europe on Wednesday by promising action on closing Guantánamo Bay and indicating a willingness to make trade concessions.
But he also responded angrily to European public fears that the US poses the greatest threat to global peace, dismissing opinion polls - including this week's FT/Harris poll - as "absurd". |
Last Updated Thu, 22 Jun 2006 11:54:26 EDT
CBC News European countries could help close down the U.S. military detention centre at Guantanamo by taking in some of the prisoners, the UN special envoy for torture suggested Thursday.
Manfred Nowak said the facility should be shut down as soon as possible but that European nations should take an active role in making that happen. "We as European Union states have criticized the United States... You can't only criticize without then assisting them in solving the problem," Manfred Nowak told Austrian radio station FM4. |
Ash Pulcifer
Soon after September 11, the Bush administration labeled North Korea as a member of an "axis of evil." Then, in September of 2002, the Bush administration released the National Security Strategy of the United States of America. In this policy paper, the administration wrote, "To forestall or prevent such hostile acts by our adversaries, the United States will, if necessary, act preemptively." Due to this policy, North Korea became concerned over the increasing militarism of the Bush administration. The strategy that North Korea devised to counter this perceived threat highlights the danger of preemption.
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By Mike Whitney
06/22/06 "Information Clearing House" "We have begun shredding documents that show local staff surnames. In March, a few members approached us to ask what provisions we would make for them if we evacuate." Zalmay Khalizad "Baghdad-memo leaked to Washington Post"
The prospect of an American defeat in Iraq grows greater with every passing day. A memo which was leaked to the Washington Post depicts a situation on the ground which is steadily deteriorating into chaos. The memo, which was written by Iraqi ambassador Zalmay Khalizad, contrasts dramatically with the confident "happy talk" of high-ranking officials in the Bush administration. It offers a bleak "insiders-view" of a society that is progressively crumbling from the nonstop violence and lack of security. |
(UPI)
Jun 20, 2006 Things are getting curiouser and curiouser in the United States as encouraging news comes from Tehran in response to the latest six-party nuclear offer.
The Bush administration seems to have been taken totally by surprise by new political advice that negotiations should be promoted and even that Iran, in fact, has some right to a local version of the nuclear cycle. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Shanghai meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin has ended in a declaration of Iran's readiness for talks -- which certainly adds weight to Russia's long-time calls for commitment to prudent and unbiased enforcement of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and respect for all other commitments stemming from it; the Europeans and the Americans have suddenly emerged with surprisingly bright ideas on something they had earlier denied even thinking of. The Iranian leader's Shanghai promises are highly likely to broaden the divide in the U.S. political community. The hawkish faction will probably have to back down a little under pressure from "talks" people who have really big cards to play with. First, with the U.S. forces stuck in Iraq, the nation simply cannot afford another unpredictable military adventure. |
Created: 22.06.2006 15:17 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 15:33 MSK
MosNews |
Created: 21.06.2006 18:03 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 18:03 MSK
MosNews Venezuela will set fire to its oil deposits in the event of a U.S. military operation, Venezuelan Ambassador to Russia Navarro Alexis Rojas said at a news conference in Moscow on Wednesday.
"Such an invasion would be aimed at gaining control over oil. We will set our oil fields on fire in the event of any invasion. It will be our first response to it," the Interfax news agency quoted the diplomat as saying. |
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