Friday, July 15, 2005

 

Bush's China Policy Failing, Too

While W and his Bush League Minions betray America's secrets to discredit their opponents, and Iraq sinks further into violence, China starts not-too-subtle saber rattling:
"If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition on to the target zone on China's territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons," the official, Maj. Gen. Zhu Chenghu, said at an official briefing.

General Zhu, considered a hawk, stressed that his comments reflected his personal views and not official policy. Beijing has long insisted that it will not initiate the use of nuclear weapons in any conflict.
(Source: New York Times Chinese General Threatens Use of A-Bombs if U.S. Intrudes, July 15, 2005.)
Yeah, right - a Chinese general's "personal views and not official policy" are announced at a press conference in a country where reading government archives can be considered espionage and the Catholic Church isn't allowed to acknowledge the Vatican's leadership. Any US general making such statements without express permission from the President and the Pentagon would be fired - I expect the Chinese would use a firing squad on the general unless his views had strong political backing.

Meanwhile, tensions between China and Japan are rising, too.
Japan's government has awarded a Japanese oil company test drilling rights in a potential flashpoint maritime area also claimed by China.
...

China said the Japanese move would harm bilateral ties, already strained by rows over history and resources.

"If Japan persists in granting drilling rights to companies in disputed waters it will cause a serious infringement of China's sovereign right," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters in Beijing.
(Source: BBC News Japan stokes China sea dispute, July 14, 2005.)
Wow, I'm sure glad the US Armed Forces aren't tied up somewhere like Iraq...

Thursday, July 14, 2005

 

WaPo Story Links Abu Ghraib to Gitmo Tactics

Looks like another Bush League story line is getting hit by big chunks of truth:
Abu Ghraib Tactics Were First Used at Guantanamo

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 14, 2005; Page A01

Interrogators at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, forced a stubborn detainee to wear women's underwear on his head, confronted him with snarling military working dogs and attached a leash to his chains, according to a newly released military investigation that shows the tactics were employed there months before military police used them on detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
...
A central figure in the investigation, Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who commanded the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and later helped set up U.S. operations at Abu Ghraib, was accused of failing to properly supervise Qahtani's interrogation plan and was recommended for reprimand by investigators...
...

Miller traveled to Iraq in September 2003 to assist in Abu Ghraib's startup, and he later sent in "Tiger Teams" of Guantanamo Bay interrogators and analysts as advisers and trainers. Within weeks of his departure from Abu Ghraib, military working dogs were being used in interrogations, and naked detainees were humiliated and abused by military police soldiers working the night shift.
More and more, it sounds like the low-rankers at Abu Ghraib were indeed "just following orders." Shouldn't the people giving illegal orders receive at least as much punishment as those who carried out those orders? Or was their only real crime in the Bush league's eyes taking pictures of what they were ordered to do?

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

 

Rumsfeld's Iraq Mess

Imagine living somewhere where the London Tube bombing happens once or twice a week. Somewhere like, say, Iraq:

In response to questions from The New York Times, the ministry said that 8,175 Iraqis were killed by insurgents in the 10 months that ended May 31. The ministry did not give detailed figures for the months before August 2004, nor did it provide a breakdown of the figures, which do not include either Iraqi soldiers or civilians killed during American military operations.
(Source: New York Times Data Shows Faster-Rising Death Toll Among Iraqi Civilians, July 14, 2005 [emphasis added])
Note, too - these are only the dead from insurgent attacks. The dead from jumpy US troops shooting at innocent civilians isn't included.

Maybe Don Rumsfeld shouldn't have dismissed the early throes of lawlessness right after the invasion as "messy." Maybe he should apologise for underestimating the seriousness of the situation, Or, of course, maybe he'll just blame everything on Valerie Plame's husband.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

 

Reporter Calls Fox "News" a "Republican Surrogate"

From Scott McClellan's July 12 White House Press briefing:
Q Well, Fox News and other Republican surrogates are essentially saying that the conversation lasted for two minutes and that the subject was ostensibly welfare reform. They're getting that information from here, from Karl Rove.

MR. McCLELLAN: And again, you're asking questions that are related to news reports about an ongoing, continuing investigation. And you've had my response on that.
(Emphasis added)
In the first Mummy movie, the heroine tells Benny: "Evil little sidekicks always get their comeuppance in the end." Scotty seems to be finding this out.

Reality always wins - always.

 

Will Karl Rove Visit Judy Miller's Cell?

When will Karl Rove visit Judy Miller in jail and let her know it is OK to talk to the grand jury?
Under often hostile questioning, Mr. McClellan repeatedly declined to say whether he stood behind his previous statements that Mr. Rove had played no role in the matter, saying he could not comment while a criminal investigation was under way. He brushed aside questions about whether the president would follow through on his pledge, repeated just over a year ago, to fire anyone in his administration found to have played a role in disclosing the officer's identity. And he declined to say when Mr. Bush learned that Mr. Rove had mentioned the C.I.A. officer in his conversation with the Time reporter.
(Source: New York Times At White House, a Day of Silence on Rove's Role in C.I.A. Leak, July 12, 2005.)
Here's some questions for the next White House press conference:
1) Has Karl Rove contacted Judith Miller yet and granted her permission to reveal any relevant confidential conversations to the grand jury?

2) How does Karl Rove feel about Judith Miller being in jail while he himself walks free?

3) Judith Miller is currently serving jail time because "highly-placed Bush Administration officials" refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. Does the President think this reflects badly on the public's perception of Republican values?
The press corps seems to have decided "it's clobbering time" for all the lies they've been force-fed by W and his Bush League minions. To bad Scotty can't call on Jeff Gannon any more...

Monday, July 11, 2005

 

White House Run By Traitors

Nothing, not one word, has escaped the White House concerning Dick Cheney's Energy Committee meeting. However, Valerie Plame's identity was leaked when it became politically useful in discrediting one of Bush's critics.

When questions arose regarding the Bush Administration's effectiveness in the war on terror, they promptly blew the cover of Al Qaeda double-agent Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan.

There's a word for people that betray our country's secrets for personal gain: TRAITOR.

 

Nigerian Fraud Letter From Iraq

Maybe this guy found some original scripts for Kelly's Heros or Three Kings?
ATTN: DEAR FREIND,

I AM MAKING THIS CONTACT BASED ON MY PRESUMED RELIANCE, AFTER GOING THROUGH A BRIEF PROFILE OF YOUR COMPANY HERE IN THE IRAQ CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND TRADE DIRECTORY BOOK. I AM Brig General Charles Bauman,DIRECTOR.IN CUSTERBATTLES SECURITY COMPANY BASED IN GULF REGION. AND I AM CONTACTING YOU TO ESTABLISH THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU IN BENEVOLENT SPIRIT AS TO ENHANCE IMMEDIATE RESOLUTION TO AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHTLY AT HAND.HERE IS OUR WEBSITE:
(WWW.CUSTERBATTLES.COM) FOR MORE DETAILS.

IT WAS MORE LIKE A DREAM WHEN I DISCOVERED SOME BOXES INTERCEPTED BY ITALIAN MILITARY ATTACHE WHO WAS ATTACKED AND SHOT DEAD AT THE BAGHDAD AIRPORT NAME NICOLAS CALIPARI
YOU CAN CATCH THE FULL DETAIL OF THE NEWS BELOW:
(www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/03/09/italy.sgrena/ - 57k)
THESE TWO (2) GIGANTIC TRUNK BOXES WAS INTERCEPTED AT IRAQ SEA PORT IN THE EARLY HOURS OF 20TH AUGUST, 2004 IN THE ATTEMPT TO SHIP THE BOXES OUT OF THE COUNTRY, SUBSEQUENTLY THE OWNER WHOM ACCORDING TO OUR INVESTIGATIONS BELONG TO SADDAM HUSSEIN. ALSO, AS A MATTER OF FACT THAT THIS FORMER IRAQ PRESIDENT ACCORDING TO OUR INVESTIGATION FACING CHARGES OF LOOTS AND HUMAN-RIGHT ABUSES IN IRAQ.

AFETR DUE INVESTIGATIONS AND CLEARIFICATIONS, I HAVE DECIDED TO OWN THESE BOXES WHICH IS ALREADY UNDER MY CARE IN SECURITY VAULT FOR SAFE KEEPING, THE CONTENT WHICH I CANNOT DISCLOSE NOW FOR SECURITY REASONS TO OURSELVES. SINCE I HAVE EARLIER DECIDED NOT TO OFFCIALLY ANNOUNCE THIS INTERCEPTION FOR OBVIOUS REASONS,

I AM SURE THAT YOU WILL BE SUPRISED TO KNOW THE CONTENT OF THESE BOXES. HOWEVER, THE RECENT REPORTS ABROAD AND ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE FROZEN BILLIONS OF BRITISH POUND STERLING USA DOLLARS OWNED TO THE SADDAM HUSSEIN WILL CONVINCE YOU. YOU CAN CONDUCT A SEARCH ON; SADDAM'S LOOT THROUGH GOOGLE SEARCH (GOOGLE.COM).
I URGENTLY NEED TO PRESENT YOU TO THE SECURITY VAULT AS THE OWNER OF THOSE BOXES IN ORDER TO ASSIST ME TRANSFER THESE BOXES AND THEIR CONTENTS OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY
MEANWHILE, I AM ONLY SENDING THIS PROPOSAL TO ASCERTAIN YOUR INTEREST AND ONCE POSSITIVE RESPONCE IS RECIEVED FROM YOU, ASSURING ME OF YOUR UTMOST COOPERATION, SINCERITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY, I WILL PROCEED TO FURNISH YOU WITH ALL DETAILS AND HOW WE INTEND TO CARRY OUT THIS RISK FREE TRANSACTION WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY.

THANKS FOR YOUR ANTICIPATED COOPERATION
KINDLY CONTACT ME ON MY PRIVATE BOX BELOW
(general_baumann99@************)

Brig. General Charles Baumann
First Rule of the Internet:
Don't trust people lacking basic spelling and grammar skills whom you've never met that tell you an obviously criminal conspiracy is "risk free."

Second Rule:
For fun and geek points, use ARIN to check the originating IP address of suspect e-mails. This appears in the "internet headers" that Microsoft Outlook doesn't display unless you push the right buttons.

It won't necessarily tell you who actually composed the e-mail, as spammers sometimes write viruses letting them send stuff from unguarded victims' computers. It will tell you where the e-mail DIDN'T come from in the case of phishers, etc.
Besides, given Custer Battle's reputation it is doubtful they would need any help on something like this...

 

Axis of Evil Member Joins Coalition of the Willing

Mr. Kamen has a point:
Ready, Willing and Evil?

By Al Kamen (Washington Post)

Monday, July 11, 2005; Page A13

Great news from Iraq last week. Iran appears to have agreed to become the first member of the Axis of Evil to join the ever-dwindling Coalition of the Willing.

The U.S.-led coalition once included three dozen nations, but in the past year, more than a dozen countries have withdrawn or announced plans to leave. Ukraine and Poland have announced they will pull out by year's end, and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said last week that Italy will begin withdrawing this fall.

So the news Thursday that Iraq and Iran have reached an agreement -- the precise contours were unclear -- for Iran to help train Iraqi troops appears to make Iran eligible for inclusion as one of the "willing." After all, a lot of teensy countries made the list while contributing nary a thing.

Another good question for the next White House Press Conference.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

 

Blame the Victim: Britain "Too Free"

Allowing dissent too dangerous for a free society, says the New York Times:
LONDON, July 9 - Long before bombings ripped through London on Thursday, Britain had become a breeding ground for hate, fed by a militant version of Islam.
...
Although Britain has passed a series of antiterrorist and immigration laws and made nearly 800 arrests since Sept. 11, 2001, critics have charged that its deep tradition of civil liberties and protection of political activists have made the country a haven for terrorists. The British government has drawn particular criticism from other countries over its refusal to extradite terrorism suspects.
...
(Source: New York Times For a Decade, London Thrived as a Busy Crossroads of Terror, July 10, 2005 [emphasis added.])
According to the New York Times article, freedom cannot prevail unless the British can declare suspects "enemy combatants" and imprison them forever without trial - or extradite folks to places where they were convicted in absentia (without being present to assist in their own defense):
Before Sept. 11, 2001, British officials monitored radical Islamists but generally stopped short of arresting or extraditing them. After Sept. 11, the government passed legislation that allowed indefinite detention of terrorism suspects. But last year, it was overturned by Britain's highest court, the Law Lords, as a violation of human rights law.
...
...Gen. Hamidou Laanigri, Morocco's chief of security, said Osama bin Laden authorized Mr. Guerbozi to open a training camp for Moroccans in Afghanistan in the beginning of 2001. Last December, Mr. Guerbozi was convicted in absentia in Morocco for his involvement in the Casablanca attacks and sentenced to 20 years.

But the British government has no extradition treaty with Morocco and has refused to extradite Mr. Guerbozi, a father of six who lives in a rundown apartment in north London. British officials say there is not enough evidence to arrest him, General Laanigri said.
...
For 10 years, France has been fighting for the extradition of Rachid Ramda, a 35-year-old Algerian, over his suspected role in a bombing in Paris in 1995 staged by Algeria's militant Armed Islamic Group. Much to the irritation of the French, three years ago, Britain's High Court blocked a Home Office order to hand him over, citing allegations that his co-defendants gave testimony under torture by the French.
(Source:For a Decade, London Thrived as a Busy Crossroads of Terror [emphasis added.])
How are we ever going to successfully establish democracies dedicated to justice, human rights and personal freedom if we continue to respect those principles ourselves? Oh, wait...

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