The U.S. lost the Iraq War. What is not in dispute is that at the most basic level—of neighborhoods and communities—the tissue of Iraqi society is already rupturing. It’s not just Shia who are displacing themselves to be among their own kind, though they are the main victims of the Sunni-led insurgents. Many Sunnis, terrified of death squads and Shia-dominated … Read More
Freedom Haters Succeed In Yanking Plans For Freedom Museum
The hysterical moonbats won one: Governor George Pataki said today he will direct development officials to drop plans for a museum of freedom at the World Trade Center site, saying it has stirred “too much opposition, too much controversy.” The International Freedom Center would have been put in a cultural center adjacent to a memorial for the Sept. 11 victims, … Read More
Monday Morning Fast Facts
* Number attending this weekend’s anti-war rally in Washington D.C.: 150,000 estimated (Photo at right from Bradblog) * Number attending this weekend’s pro-war counter rally in Washington, D.C.: 400 (although wingers were expecting 20,000) * Recommended reading: Time Magazine’s "How Many More Mike Browns Are Out There?": A TIME inquiry finds that at top positions in some vital government agencies, … Read More
Bush To Bestow Honor On Cindy Sheehan
This is, uh, interesting. Keep in mind as you read, that on the weekend of September 24-25, there will be a huge anti-war rally in Washington, D.C., in which Gold Star Mom Cindy Sheehan will play a vital role. America’s Gold Star Mothers carry a great burden of grief, yet they show a tremendous spirit of generosity in helping their … Read More
Quote Of The Day
"I guess this means we’ve won the war on terror," said one exasperated FBI agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity because poking fun at headquarters is not regarded as career-enhancing. "We must not need any more resources for espionage." — Anonymous FBI agent, on the news that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is making the "war on porn" one of … Read More
Dealing With North Korea
It has not escaped me that North Korea is coming to the table, offering to give up its nuclear program. It’s not a perfect deal, but it is a step in the right direction. Of course, it was not the threat of war that brought them there — we have no troops (they are in Iraq and Louisiana). It was … Read More
1900 And Counting
Just in case you haven’t looked at the sidebar counter (scroll down a bit), the number of U.S. fatalities in Iraq surpassed 1,900 today. Somewhere in this country, four nine families are getting the sad news that one of their loved ones was killed in Iraq. Some of them will be told "You can be assured that your son died … Read More
Increasing The Deficit To Improve Bush’s Image
Boy, Josh Marshall really hits it on the head with this one: This worries me. Note the added emphasis. The clip comes from a piece in tomorrow’s Post about yet another huge funding bill the president will roll out tomorrow for Katrina aid, which the Post says will cost more next year than the entire cost of the Iraq war … Read More
Flight 93 Memorial: The Outrage Continues
Captain Ed and Michelle Malkin have found other reasons to complain about the Flight 93 Memorial. No doubt shamed by the laughter generating from the left and the right, the whole Islamic crescent controversy has been relegated to the back seat. Now the problem with the memorial is that it is all faggy and new-agey. You know, windchimes ‘n shit: … Read More
Ignoring Icebergs
Josh Marshall points to an interesting paragraph in an upcoming Newsweek article: Analysts at the Defense Intelligence Agency have begun war-gaming scenarios for what might happen in Iraq if U.S. force levels were cut back or eliminated, say counterterrorism and defense sources. The officials, who asked not to be named because of the sensitive subject matter, declined to discuss specifics … Read More
Remembering 9/11 – Four Years Later
From my home state of New Hampshire, in the New Hampshire Union Leader: Kurt S. Wolz:We’re no safer todayBy KURT S. WOLZ Guest Commentary MY CONNECTION with 9/11 is personal. I am a pilot for American Airlines. In September of 2001, I had AA Flight 11 on my flying schedule. As you may recall, AA Flight 11 was the first … Read More
Condi Thinking About Giving The Silent Treatment To Iran President
From AP: "Iran needs to get a message from the international community that is a unified message," Rice said at a news conference that focused mostly on talks she plans to hold in New York next week during the special session of the U.N. General Assembly. She said she might say "hello" to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad if they come … Read More
View From Abroad
I was always amused by Clinton haters who decried his sexual misconduct by saying that it made America an embrassment to the world . . . as if Europeans have the same amount of prudishness as socially conservative Americans. They don’t. But this article in The American Prospect indicates that we should be embarrassed by recent events. An excerpt: Europeans … Read More
Tenet No Longer Happy Being Fall Guy?
If this is true, it is political dynomite: George Tenet is not going to let himself become the fall guy for the September 11 intelligence failures, according to a former intelligence officer and a source friendly to Mr. Tenet. A scathing report by Inspector General John Helgerson criticized the former CIA director and a score of other agency personnel for … Read More
Opportunity Cost For Iraq
Via Corrente: Philly’s own Will Bunch follows the money (via the man in the grey turtleneck here) Yes, if you follow the money it turns out Bush took the money that should have been spent on New Orleans levees and pissed it away in Iraq. In fact, the very levee that burst, 17th Street, was a victim of Bush cutbacks: … Read More