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December 30, 2005
Is American-born Farris Hassan Brave or a Fool?
As Jamie Malernee and Kevin Smith note in their December 28, 2005 South Florida Sun-Sentinel report on 16-year-old, American-born Farris Hassan's venture to Iraq alone, "The (U.S.) State Department bluntly warns Americans not to travel to Iraq." You can imagine why. So is Hassan brave or a fool? See "Florida teen secretly heads to Baghdad."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:30 PM | Comments (0)
Are There Lessons in Canadian Mike Klander's Political Demise?
Arthur Weinreb, Associate Editor of the Canada Free Press, looks at lessons that can be derived from the downfall of mean-spirited Canadian Mike Klander, whose careless musings on his blog caused his political demise. As Weinreb notes in a December 29, 2005 post headlined "Internet brings fairness to election reporting," Klander "was executive vice-president of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), (and) ran a blog where he opined about the current election campaign." Wrote Weinreb:He posted a picture of Olivia Chow, the wife of Jack Layton and an NDP candidate in the Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina, next to a picture of a chow chow dog under the banner "Separated at Birth".
The worst thing about that particular post was that it was not funny. Even hard-core haters of the long time Toronto City Councillor would have a hard time seeing the similarity between Chow the candidate and chow chow the dog. In fairness to Klander, perhaps if you stared at the picture for hours you could convince yourself that there was a resemblance between the two. Mr. Klander, besides being not funny, obviously had way too much time on his hands. Apparently it was also supposed to be humourous because both Ms. Chow and the dog are of Chinese descent. Weinreb said, "Some in the mainstream media that reported the incident reported only on the Olivia Chow picture; leaving out the other egregious examples from the former Liberal execs website. To the chagrin of the Liberals, the bloggers are not confined by either space or time; the entire thinking of Mike Klander is now out for the world to see."
He added: "The work of the bloggers is a great example of how the Internet not only provides political balance but makes it impossible for the mainstream media to avoid covering or burying issues like this like they would have in the past."
Although Klander's blog has been deleted, here's a Google cache of mikeklander.com. His photo montage on Ms. Chow was up yesterday but Urban Detail, which hosted the picture, has removed it, saying "This image has already had more than enough attention." However, you can find it at www.lookupconservative.com. At least it was there when this item was posted.
By the way, Weinreb mentions some of Klander's "other egregious examples from the former Liberal execs website." Here's a list of 47 Klander posts.
The NDP mentioned above is the New Democratic Party of Canada. Jack Layton is leader of the NDP. Here's a biography on his wife, Olivia Chow.
Note: This item is also posted at The Blogging Journalist.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)
December 28, 2005
BlogPulse: Politics Took a Back Seat on Blogs in 2005
Intelliseek's BlogPulse Newswire reported December 23, 2005 that, "Without a presidential campaign to fuel blog discussion in 2004, the blogosphere in 2005 took on a decidedly different feel and tone. The political wrangling didn't abate, but it was forced to share the stage with entertainment news, hurricane fallout and other natural disasters, technology discussion and blogs' own evolution as emerging media sources." See "2005: The Year That Blogging Evolved."
United Press International (UPI) business editor T.K. Maloy, in a December 27, 2005, report on BlogPulse.com's finding, quotes Sundar Kadayam, chief technology officer for Intelliseek, "which hosts the BlogPulse.com search engine and analysis tool, as saying:
Blogs have emerged as a worldwide phenomenon that touches nearly every aspect of everyday life, commerce, technology, media, entertainment, politics -- even the coverage of natural disasters and news events, such as Hurricane Katrina and the London bombings.Expect even more impact from bloggers in 2006, especially during the 2006 midterm elections in the United States. For more of Maloy's article, please see "Politics took a back seat on blogs in 2005."
Note This article is cross posted at The Blogging Journalist and The Opinion Gazette. For regular news on journalist bloggers, bookmark The Blogging Journalist.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2005
Syria Says Economic Situation Stable
"Syria's economy is stable and balanced and the country works hard to keep this stability," Syria's finance minister [Mohammed al-Hussein] said Monday," December 26, 2005, according to Arabic News.Com. For more, please see "Economic Situation in Syria is Stable."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:33 PM | Comments (0)
Envoy Clarifies Denial U.S. Sends Fighters to Syria to be Tortured
Times Online reported December 26, 2005 that, "The American Embassy in London has been forced to issue a statement clarifying remarks made by its ambassador after he denied that the United States was involved in removing terrorist suspects to Syria."
"Robert Tuttle [the U.S. ambassador] said in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today program that there was no evidence that suspects were taken to Syria under the controversial process of "extraordinary rendition," The Times added. "However, in a statement issued to the program after the interview was recorded last Thursday, [December 22, 2005] the embassy acknowledged that there had been media reports of a rendition to Syria, although it refused to comment on the case."
See "US forced to backtrack on ambassador's Syria gaffe" for more.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:27 PM | Comments (0)
Ya Libnan Publishing Selected Tueni Editorials
Ya Libnan (O Lebanon) announced today that, "In honor of his passing, Ya Libnan is publishing selected editorials by Gibran Tueni," who was assassinated December 12, 2005 in Beirut.
"The [Lebanese] uprising of March 14th [2005] helped highlight the contrasting state of freedom of speech between Lebanon and Syria," Ya Libnan said, adding:"Tueni praises the free media in Lebanon and urges Syria to follow suit: "The media sector in Syria needs to be reformed through privatization because this is where the real reform and liberation start," Tueni wrote August 18, 2005.
To read the entire article, please see "Gibran Tueni Editorial: Start the Second Chapter of March 14th."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)
Nasrallah Wants a New Government of All Political Parties
Adnan El-Ghoul of The Daily Star of Lebanon reported December 24, 2005 that, "Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called on Friday [December 23, 2005] for a Lebanese government that would include and represent all political parties in the country. In an interview aired live on Al-Manar television station, Nasrallah explained his party's position on the many controversial issues that led the Shiite ministers to suspend their participation in the Cabinet," El-Ghoul wrote.
For more, please see "Nasrallah calls for new government representing all political parties."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:31 AM | Comments (0)
New Days for Lebanese Politics and Diplomacy
Last week, Anton Efendi at Across the Bay offered great analysis on the political and diplomatic situation involving Lebanon and Syria. See "Big Pimping" and "Those Days Are Gone." I also found "Throwback to the Good Ol' Days" very informative.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:16 AM | Comments (0)
December 24, 2005
Taking Risks to Preserve U.S. Civil Liberties
Apparently there are persons in the U.S. intelligence community willing to take career-ending risks to expose the Bush Administration's domestic spying operations by revealing even more of its un-American activities in the name of national security. As Diplomatic Times Review readers probably know by now, New York Times reporters Eric Lichtblau and James Risen reported December 24, 2005, that:The National Security Agency has traced and analyzed large volumes of telephone and Internet communications flowing into and out of the U.S. as part of the eavesdropping program that President Bush approved after the Sept. 11 attacks to hunt for evidence of terrorist activity, according to current and former government officials.
I found the following especially interesting:As part of the program approved by Bush for domestic surveillance without warrants, the NSA has gained the cooperation of U.S. telecommunications companies to obtain back-door access to streams of domestic and international communications, the officials said.
It reminds of me of how easily back-doors can be inserted into our personal and institutional computers.
Note: This article is cross posted at The Opinion Gazette
Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:02 PM | Comments (0)
December 23, 2005
'Bitch-slapping' U.S. President Bush on National Security Issues
In commenting on Joseph Sullum's December 22, 2005 Reason Online article headlined "No Fury Like a Court Scorned, " University of Chicago Assistant Political Science Professor Daniel W. Drezner said "...just about every branch or bureaucracy of government is bitch-slapping George W. Bush this month on national security issues." It was in response the following from Sullum:Coming from what is generally considered the most government-friendly federal appeals court, yesterday's decision by the 4th Circuit denying the Bush administration's request to transfer accused would-be terrorist Jose Padilla from military to civilian custody is the judicial equivalent of a bitch slap.
It good to see Federal Judge J. Michael Luttig show judicial balls by rejecting Mr. Bush's attempt stay out of the U.S. Supreme Court on the Padilla case. Here's his 14-page opinion.
Luttig was appointed to the Fourth Circuit bench by George Herbert Walker Bush, the current U.S. president's father.
Note: This item is cross posted at The Opinion Gazette.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:08 PM | Comments (0)
Should Discovery of Spying on U.S. Muslims Come as a Surprise?
As I read the December 23, 2005 Los Angeles Times report that said "Federal law enforcement officials said Friday [December 23, 2005] that FBI agents have secretly monitored radiation levels at Islamic mosques, businesses and homes for several years in large cities, including Los Angeles, to determine whether nuclear or chemical bombs were being assembled," I asked myself: Should people be surprised this? I think not. The FBI has spied on Muslims in the U.S. going back at least to the 1930s. Informants were common during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. They probably still are. I've met some of them over the years. Meanwhile, The Times said, "The officials said no suspicious radiation levels have been found." See "Domestic Spying on Muslims Discovered."Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:13 PM | Comments (0)
Setting the Stage For a Clash Over Civil Liberties in the U.S.
Has the United States Congress set the stage for a clash over civil liberties by refusing to renew the USA Patriot Act beyond five weeks? The New York Times thinks so. See "Congress sets stage for civil liberties clash."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:57 PM | Comments (0)
Republicans Battle Over the USA Patriot Act
A "clash between House and Senate Republicans" in the United States Congress has resulted in "only a five-week extension" of the USA Patriot Act notes the Los Angeles Times and other publications. For more, please see "Patriot Act Extension Is Cut From 6 Months to 5 Weeks."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:47 PM | Comments (0)
December 22, 2005
The Debate Over Domestic Spying in the U.S.
Linda Feldman, staff writer for Boston, USA based Christian Science Monitor, reported in a December 22, 2005 article that, "The revelation that President Bush secretly authorized a domestic spying program after 9/11 is fueling the already heated debate over presidential power."
"From the administration's treatment of suspected terrorists to its drive for secrecy in deliberations over energy policy, Mr. Bush's five years in office have been marked by efforts to expand the executive branch's unfettered reach, " Ms. Feldman wrote, adding: The tug of war among the three branches of government is as old as the Republic. But the convergence of three factors makes this struggle arguably unparalleled in the modern era: an administration that came to office determined to reclaim what it saw as the executive branch's diminished place; Republican control of the White House and Congress, raising questions about checks and balances; and the 9/11 attacks, which put America on the kind of war footing that historically opens the path to extraordinary action by the president.
The U.S. Congress bears some responsibility for the course Mr. Bush is taking. For example, they gave him extraordinary power to wage war and subvert some civil liberties in the USA Patriot Act, that was passed shortly after al-Qaeda's September 11, 2005 attacks in the United States. Many congressmen and senators did not even read the legislation. Senator Robert Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia, USA, warned his colleagues in a February 12, 2003 Senate floor speech that they would come to regret the day they arrogated their war-making power to the Executive Branch, with virtually no debate. The speech is titled "We Stand Passively Mute."
Now a bipartisan group of senators are trying to curb the excesses they granted Mr. Bush by agreeing to renew for only six months 14 of 16 provisions of the Patriot Act. The provisions expire December 31, 2005. The House of Representatives, which approved the measure, must agree to the compromised version. On December 21, 2005, Mr. Bush has called on the Senate to back the house version. He later thanked the Senate for agreeing to extend the act by six months.
Meanwhile, as expected, Mr. Bush is vociferously defending his domestic spying, something the U.S. often criticized in the former Soviet Union. It also criticizes such spying in China, the Middle East and so-called Third World nations. For more, please see "Tug of war over presidential powers."
Note: This article is cross posted at The Opinion Gazette.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:29 AM | Comments (0)
December 20, 2005
U.N. Security Council, General Assembly Endorse Peace Commission
On December 20, 2005, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and the UN Security Council approved resolutions creating another UN Peace-building Commission. Here are U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's remarks on the event
Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:35 PM | Comments (0)
Bush Again Defends Iraq War and Spying on Americans
On December 19, 2005, USA President George W. Bush, the arrogance that characterized his first term nowhere in evidence, defended his administration's conduct of the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq and said he had a right to spy on Americans without a court order.
Unfortunately, he's beginning to sound and act like the late President Richard M. Nixon. That president's arrogance and criminal intent led him into the Watergate morass and forced him to resign during his second term. Here's a transcript of Mr. Bush's December 19, 2005 White House press conference.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:57 AM | Comments (0)
December 18, 2005
Bush Officials Say Iraqi Election Winners Will Still Depend on U.S.
Bush Administration officials who talked with Washington Post Reporter Robin Wright have concluded that, according to Wright: Whoever the winners turn out to be in last week's election [in Iraq], they will still rely heavily on the United States as a broker next year-- in helping to form a government, rewrite the constitution, build up the army and police, jump-start the floundering economy and prevent a civil war, Bush administration officials acknowledge. Iraqis are too divided to do many of these tasks alone, experts add.
In other words, the winners will be puppets who will have to rely on an occupying power to rule or lead. Here's more
Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)
'A Government Won't be Respected Unless it is Perceived as Sovereign'
Riverbend at Baghdad Burning, in an OpEd piece for the December 18, 2005 edition of The New York Times about the December 15, 2005 parliamentary elections in Iraq, wrote, in part:Many Iraqis went to vote because the current situation is intolerable. It's not so much with high hopes for drastic change that people went to the polls as it is in the national aspiration of putting an end to the occupation, and to the tyranny of the last year in particular.
Candidates on the political lists have been making endless promises in the hopes of attracting supporters, and the metaphorical carrot many political parties have been dangling in front of potential supporters is the promise of an end to the American-led occupation.
Will the new government be stronger or more reliable than the several interim governments we've had? Not likely. River, a former computer programmer in Iraq, added: "A government won't be respected unless it is perceived as sovereign by the people, and occupation in itself goes against every suggestion of sovereignty and democracy. How does one put faith in a government that needs the use of foreign armies to keep it in power?"
Riverbend was one of "several young Iraqi bloggers" the Op-Ed page asked to write about their experiences during the parliamentary voting on Thursday December 15, 2005]- and to share their thoughts about what the election will mean for their country's future." For more see, "Blogging the Vote in Iraq." Registration may be required.
Note: This item is also posted at The Opinion Gazette.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:10 AM | Comments (0)
December 17, 2005
Mr. Bush Wants His Patriot Act Renewed
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH is pissed that a few senators, both Democrats and Republicans, have finally gotten some balls and are not rubber stamping the "House of Representatives' reauthorization of the Patriot Act." Our president said in his December 17, 2005 radio address that "a minority of senators filibustered to block the renewal of the Patriot Act when it came up for a vote yesterday {December 16, 2005.
"That decision is irresponsible, and it endangers the lives of our citizens," he declared. "The senators who are filibustering must stop their delaying tactics, and the Senate must vote to reauthorize the Patriot Act. In the war on terror, we cannot afford to be without this law for a single moment."
Yes, we can. I think it is dangerous act because it gives the president and the FBI too much power to interfere in the lives of U.S. citizens . Here's a White House transcript of Mr. Bushes radio address.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:26 PM | Comments (0)
December 16, 2005
Majority in the U.S. House Commit to 'Achieving Victory' in Iraq
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution today committing the body to President George W. Bush's goal of "achieving victory" in Iraq, according to The Associated Press (AP) and other news outlets. The roll call vote was 279-109 "A "yes" vote is a vote to pass the measure," the AP said.
Surely this is no surprise. I think during the 2006 campaign season some of the representatives will wish they hadn't voted for it. Here's more.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:52 PM | Comments (0)
House Version of Renewed USA Patriot Act Rejected in the U.S. Senate
Senate majority leader Bill Frist of Tennessee and other supporters of renewing certain provisions of the USA Patriot Act suffered what The New York Times called "a stinging defeat in the Senate today, falling well short of the 60 votes needed to bring the act to a final vote and leaving it in limbo for the moment."
Richard B. Schmitt of the Los Angeles Times noted in a December 16, 2005 article that:
A deeply divided chamber engaged in an often-emotional debate Thursday [December 15, 2005], weighing issues of security and liberty on a day that one member noted was the anniversary of the ratification in 1791 of what would become known as the Bill of Rights, including the 4th Amendment's right against unreasonable searches.He quoted Senator Ken Salazar (Democrat of Colorado), who was "part of a bipartisan group of nine senators building support for the filibuster" threatened by Senator Dianne Feinstein (Democrat of California), as saying: "It is ironic ... that we are considering legislation that would greatly undermine that principle." At least some Senators have regained their sense of Independence following their capitulation to the Bush Administration on Patriot Act in the days after Al Qaeda's September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
Note: This article is also posted at The Opinion Gazette, one of my other blogs.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:13 PM | Comments (0)
A Transcript of Bush's Meeting With Warner and McCain on Torture
Here is a White House transcript of U.S. President George W. Bush's December 15, 2005 welcome of Senator John Warner, Republican of Virginia, and Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, to the Oval Office to discuss torture and interrogation.
Mr. McCain vehemently opposes torture. He was a victim of it while a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)
Rice Tries to Protect Bush From Allegations of Spying on Americans
LISA MYERS, NBC's investigative correspondent disclosed on December 14, 2005 that the Pentagon kept a database on anti-war activists around nation. It's getting worse. The New York Times reported December 15, 2005 on its website and December 16, 2005 in its print edition that:Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying, according to government officials.
The Times said, "Under a presidential order signed in 2002, the intelligence agency has monitored the international telephone calls and international e-mail messages of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people inside the United States without warrants over the past three years in an effort to track possible "dirty numbers" linked to Al Qaeda, the officials said. The agency, they said, still seeks warrants to monitor entirely domestic communications."
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was trotted out on December 16, 2005 to defend Mr. Bush, who can't seem to avoid bad news these days. She responded to a question about The Times article in an interview with Katie Couric on NBC's ``Today'' show, and in an interview with Charlie Gibson on ABC's Good Morning America.
She also appeared on the CBS Early Show With Harry Smith. I didn't see a question about The Times article in the State Department transcript of her interview with Mr. Smith.
The gist of Ms. Rice's statement on the matter, as she told Ms. Couric and Mr. Gibson, was that she was "not going to comment on intelligence matters and certainly not on a newspaper story about intelligence matters."
She specifically told Couric:
"Well, Katie, I'm not going to comment on intelligence matters and certainly not on a newspaper story about intelligence matters. I can tell you that the President has always lived within the law. He has always said that he will do everything that he can to protect the American people from the kind of attack that we experienced on September 11th, but within the law and with due regard for the civil liberties of Americans. Because he takes absolutely seriously his constitutional responsibility both to defend Americans and to do it within the law.I think events will prove Ms. Rice wrong. Just as the administration's lies about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction blew up in the president's face, expect more revelations about spying on Americans.
Note: This article is also posted at The Opinion Gazette.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)
John McCain Knows the Pain of Torture, Mr. Bush Doesn't
U.S. President George W. Bush's capitulation to Arizona Senator John McCain on the question of banning the use of torture by CIA agents and U.S. military personnel trying to extract information from Muslim prisoners of war is highly significant. The ban would apply at home and abroad.
As Washington Post staff writer Peter Baker noted in a December 16, 2005 article:
Nearly five months ago, President Bush issued a formal threat to veto legislation barring torture, and for the past five months he has been trying to find a way to avoid doing just that. The price: giving Senator. John McCain (R-Ariz.) the upper hand."Once again the awkward, freighted Bush-McCain relationship with all its history of rivalry and resentment took center stage in American politics yesterday [December 15, 2005], Baker added, "as the second-place finisher in the 2000 Republican presidential primaries forced the first-place finisher to swallow something he once opposed."
Mr. Bush really had no choice but to capitulate. How could he veto a torture bill by a man who spent five and a half years as a prisoner in Hanoi and was frequently tortured by the North Vietnamese? John McCain knows the pain of torture, Mr. Bush doesn't. He fought in a war, Mr. Bush didn't. McCain narrowly escaped death aboard the USS Forrestall when a bomb accidental launched and hit his A-4 Skyhawk. It "exploded underneath the plane, starting a major fire which killed 134 sailors and nearly threatened to destroy the ship," according to Wikipedia. Mr. Bush has had no such experience. McCain has earned the right to deferential treatment on this issue.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:15 AM | Comments (0)
Riverbend's Take on the Iraqi Elections
In her December 15, 2005 post on the Iraqi parliamentary elections, Riverbend at Baghdad Burning said, "Secular nationalists are leaning towards Salih Al-Mutlag (of list 667) who is seen as less of a puppet than the rest. After all, he is the only (one) heading one of the more popular electoral lists who wasn't blessed by the American army and Bremer when Iraq was invaded in 2003. He supports armed resistance (but not terrorism) and he has a group of prominent anti-occupation nationalists backing him.
"There's talk that after elections, his list will support Allawi to strengthen the secular movement," Riverbend added. Here's the entire post.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:42 AM | Comments (0)
December 15, 2005
Why President Bush Supports Tom DeLay
Question: Why is U.S. President George W. Bush expressing opinions about the money laundering charges and indictment of former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.)?
Mr. Bush leaves no doubt that he wants Mr. DeLay exonerated. According to the December 15, 2005 issue of The Washington Post, Mr. Bush told Fox News' Brit Hume:
I hope that he will, 'cause I like him, and plus, when he's over there, we get our votes through the House.The Post said "it is highly unusual for a president to express an opinion on a pending legal case. Richard M. Nixon, for instance, was widely criticized for declaring Charles Manson "guilty, directly or indirectly" of murder while Manson's trial was ongoing, the paper said, noting that, Mr. Bush also "offered strong support for several top Republicans who have been battered by investigations or by rumors of fading clout inside the White House."
Here's the transcript of Mr. Bush's December 14, 2005 interview with Brit Hume.
Note: This article is also posted at The Opinion Gazette.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:39 AM | Comments (0)
Bush Winds Up Campaign to Defend Iraq Policy
A Knight Ridder Newspapers and the Chicago Tribune article published in the Seattle Times under the headline "Bush winds up campaign to counter Iraq criticism" notes that "In the latest example of a broader White House campaign to rescue his second term," USA President George W. Bush "on Wednesday [December 14, 2005] wrapped up a series of speeches about Iraq by defending the 2003 invasion despite erroneous prewar intelligence about weapons of mass destruction."
"It's true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong," [Mr.] Bush said omitting that he and top aides had ignored warnings from midlevel intelligence agents that some of the evidence was suspect then quickly added that he has no regrets about his decision to oust Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein," the report says. "We are in Iraq today because our goal has always been more than the removal of a brutal dictator. It is to leave a free and democratic Iraq in its place."
So he admits again that he lied. We were initially told it was because Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. It is obvious that Mr. Bush's sees nothing wrong with a predominantly Christian nations invading a Muslim nation to impose that Christian nations way of life on the Muslim nation and nations in the region. What if another nation or a combination of nations announce that it would invade the U.S. for a similar reason? Just asking.
By the way, Mr. Bush ended his campaign to shore up his Iraq policy on the same day Iraqi politicians ended their parliamentary campaigns. Is that a coincidence? I doubt it. Here's a White House transcript of Mr. Bush's December 14, 2005 speech on his Iraq policy.
Note: This article is cross posted at The Opinion Gazette.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:37 AM | Comments (0)
December 14, 2005
Mr. Bush Admits Making Mistakes on Iraq
"On the eve of Thursday's [December 15, 2005] parliamentary elections in Iraq, President George W. Bush did something he rarely likes to do: He admitted a mistake. Sort of," according to a Newsweek column by Richard Wolffe and Holly Bailey headlined "It's Going to Take a While."
Mr. Bush also used the same old justification for going to war, none of which holds up to strict scrutiny.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:35 PM | Comments (0)
'We Want Our Troops to Come Home But...'
During the December 13, 2005 White House Press Briefing, Scott McClellan, President George W. Bush's press spokesman, was asked:
QUESTION: Do you think that a successful election in Iraq will point toward an exit for American troops, or show the way, give us some indication of --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that's going to a question of whether or not we should have artificial timetables in place. And the election is another historic milestone in the future of the Iraqi people, but the violence that the terrorists and Saddam loyalists are carrying out against the Iraqi people we expect to continue after the election. We are working with the Iraqi security forces to help train them and equip them so that they can address these threats. And it's important that we continue to stand with the Iraqi people moving forward -- and the President will talk a little bit more about that tomorrow and why it's important that we continue to stay in Iraq until we prevail.
And in terms of troop levels, we all want our troops to come home, but that will be based on conditions on the ground and what the commanders recommend. That's what the President believes those decisions should be based on.
I remember press secretaries using similar language during the Vietnam War. Always trying to put on a brave front for families losing their sons and daughters. The also tried to make good news out of bad news. There will be no victory for the Bush Administration in Iraq. One day the U.S. will just up and go home, the way the Russian did when the cost of their war in Afghanistan made it untenable to stay.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)
It's the Same Old Song on Iraq and It's Out of Tune
During a December 14, 2005 speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. U.S. President George W. Bush stuck to his long-held position that he invaded Iraq because former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was threat to U.S. national security, among other things. Saddam was no threat. It's all in Mr. Bush's mind. Here's a White House transcript of the speech.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:08 PM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2005
Murder of Journalist-MP Exacerbates Lebanon's Political Crisis
Nicholas Blanford, correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor, writing from Beirut, contends that:The murder of Gibran Tueni, an outspoken Lebanese critic of Syria, has plunged Lebanon into a political crisis that is threatening to topple the government and aggravate an already fraught sectarian climate.
Here's his analysis, which is in the December 14, 2005 edition of The Monitor.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:36 PM | Comments (0)
Arabic News.com: 'Syria Condemns Tweini Assassination'
Arabic News.com reported December 13, 2005 that, "Syria has quickly condemned the assassination of Lebanese member of parliament Jubran Tweini. An official statement quoted by the Syrian Official News Agency SANA said that the timing of the explosion which took place in Beirut on Monday [December 12, 2005] shows the intention to damage Damascus's reputation," Arabic News.com said.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:21 PM | Comments (0)
Leave Iraq Even If the Iraqi Army is Not Ready
Gregory Djerejian at The Belgravia Dispatch has a long but interesting post on the current debate in the United States over the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. It's headlined "Cease The False Declarations of Victory! (We Implore You)." It's a take-off on an article former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger recently published headlined "Moving Toward a Responsible Exit Strategy in Iraq."
Djerejian, who has evolved from gung-ho advocate of occupation of Iraq to a more sober observer of reality, holds the position that 'as they [Iraqi soldiers] stand up, we'll stand down' is bunk (it should be instead that, as they stand up, we'll stand up with them)." He thinks Kissinger nailed it with his argument, the essence of which seems to be:
Whatever one's view of the decision to undertake the Iraq war, the method by which it was entered, or the strategy by which it was conducted and I supported the original decision one must be clear about the consequences of failure. If, when we go, we leave nothing behind but a failed state and chaos, the consequences will be disastrous for the region and for America's position in the world.The disaster was the U.S. and Britain's invasion and occupation, which severely damaged the U.S. position in the world moreso than Britain's. The invasion created the chaos in Iraq, and created the conditions for Muslim fighters from abroad to enter the country to take on the U.S. It was inevitable.
And although the Bush Administration made the mess, I say let the Iraqis deal with the problem now. Anyway, the foreign element will go away, if the U.S. withdraws. Something that should be done immediately. Besides, if the Bush Administration is waiting on the Iraqi army to develop enough to fight the insurgents, the U.S will be in Iraq for years. The question really should be how many in the army are undercover insurgents or sympathizers who are deliberately slacking off to protect their fellow Muslim fighters. My guess is that many are. Here's Djerejian's post.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:04 PM | Comments (0)
Will Iraq Troop Pull-out Begin in Months?
Times Online correspondents Richard Beeston and Stephen Farrell in Baghdad and Michael Evans in Basra, Iraq reported December 13, 2005 that:Britain and America are planning a phased withdrawal of their forces from Iraq as soon as a permanent government is installed in Baghdad after this weeks elections.
"In a move that has caused alarm in the outgoing Iraqi administration," they added, "American and British officials have made clear that they regard the end of iraq's two-and-a-half-year transitional period as the green light to begin withdrawing some of their combined force of around 170,000 troops as early as March."
While the Bush Administration may withdraw some troops, there will not be a permanent withdrawal for quite some time. It's the old we can't let the natives force-us-out syndrome. It's part of the imperialist philosophy that still prevails among some Europeans and Americans leaders.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:10 AM | Comments (0)
David Hicks Wins Right to Register as British Citizen
David Hicks,"an Australian terror suspect held at Guantanamo Bay has won a High Court battle for the right to be registered as a British citizen so that he can call on the UK Government to secure his release," The Times Online of London reported December 13, 2005. Here's more.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
ABC News Online: 'Sydney Police Brace for Further Unrest'
ABC News Online of Australia has fairly good roundup of links on the racial unrest gripping Australia. See "Sydney police brace for further unrest."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:38 AM | Comments (0)
Is There a Place Under the Sun For All Australians?
Writing in the December 14, 2005 edition of the Australian, Dr. James Jupp, "director of the Centre for Immigration and Multicultural Studies at the Australian National University and author of From White Australia to Woomera: The Story of Australian Immigration, had the following to say about the race riots taking place in Australia:The massive race riot in Cronulla in Sydney's south at the weekend has been described as the worst such incident since the Lambing Flat attack on the Chinese in 1860. This is exaggerated. The Kalgoorlie riots of 1934, directed against southern Europeans, and the Battle of Brisbane during World War II, directed against US servicemen, were worse and lives were lost.
That nobody was killed in Cronulla is a tribute to the efficient intervention of the police rather than the moderation of the rioters.He said, "What made Cronulla different was that those taking part were much better off, better educated and from more respectable homes than the miners who enforced White Australia more than a century ago. Cronulla is essentially a white ghetto compared with many other parts of multicultural Sydney," Dr. Jupp added.
For more, please see "James Jupp: A place under the sun for all Australians."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)
The Australian: 'Racism Not Endemic'
The Australian, in a December 14, 2005 editorial headlined "Racism not endemic," told it readers: According to academic and sundry other Howard haters, Sunday's riot at Cronulla beach, and retaliatory affrays in seaside suburbs since, occurred because the Prime Minister and his allies have demonised young Lebanese Australians. The Opposition is no better for not denouncing racist politics, some suggest. And because ordinary Australians are inclined to racism, they readily accept what they are told.
"It is all nonsense and demonstrates a contempt for ordinary Australians, especially those who support mandatory detention for illegal immigrants and the Government's tough terror laws," the publication said.
I would have been quite surprised if the Australian said anything other than what it said in the editorial.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:47 AM | Comments (0)
Swiss Info: 'Allegations of CIA Prisons Harden'
Swiss Info revealed today that Dick Marty, "The Swiss investigator looking into claims of secret CIA prisons in Europe has said that people were apparently abducted and transferred between countries." Here's the report.Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)
Has the Bush Administration Embraced the Art of Diplomacy?
"After five years in office, the Bush team has belatedly discovered what it once derided -- the art of diplomacy," contends Derek Chollet at Democracy Arsenal, "a blog devoted to opinion, commentary and sparring on U.S. foreign policy and global affairs." See "Diplomacy is Back" for his views on the issue.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:21 AM | Comments (0)
Leaders of 17 Nations Attend ASEAN Summit
Endy M. Bayuni of The Jakarta Post reported December 13, 2005 that, "The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has scored another diplomatic scoop by the having leaders of 17 different countries attend a series of summits in the Malaysian capital this week."
"Vladimir Putin of Russia, John Howard of Australia and Helen Clark of New Zealand grace the annual ASEAN summit for the first time this year, which also sees the presence of 14 other regular participants," Bayuni noted. See "Myanmar takes the shine off ASEAN summit diplomacy."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)
U.N. Diplomats Getting Better About Paying parking Tickets
The Associated Press reported December 12, 2005 that, "For years, United Nations diplomats were notorious for running up millions of dollars in parking tickets, then just laughing at the city's attempts to collect. Diplomatic immunity meant there was little U.S. courts could do about it."
"But the city's thousands of foreign officials have largely changed their ways since a threatened crackdown three years ago," the wire service said. Read more here.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:28 AM | Comments (0)
Who Owns Iranian Relics Held by University of Chicago?
The Chicago Sun-Times reported December 13, 2005 that, "A group of terrorism victims is claiming that a set of ancient tablets worth millions rightfully belongs to them -- and not the University of Chicago, which is holding the Iranian texts." The U.S. Justice Department supports the university's position. Read why.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:49 AM | Comments (0)
December 12, 2005
Barry Desker: 'Why the East Asian Summit Matters
Barry Desker, "currently the Director of the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies" in Singapore, according to Asia Times Online (ATO), contends in a December 13, 2005 article in ATO that:The first East Asian summit of regional leaders in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday {December 14, 2005] is a historic event whose future impact is likely to be as significant as the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit held in Bali in February 1976.
His analysis is headlined "Why the East Asian summit matters."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:17 PM | Comments (0)
Australia's Race Problem Out in the Open
The December 11, 2005 "assaults on men and women of Middle Eastern appearance by a 5000-strong crowd at Cronulla" has resulted in what The Australian calls "race warfare."
And despite attacks on people of Middle Eastern descent, "Prime Minister John Howard has denied racism is characteristic of Australian society as he prepares for talks in Asia where the Sydney race riots are front-page news," according to NEWS.com.au of Australia. Japan Today quotes Mr. Howard as saying:
Attacking people on the basis of their race, their appearance, their ethnicity, is totally unacceptable and should be repudiated by all Australians irrespective of their own background and their politics.The Bangkok Post of Thailand thinks Australia's reputation for harmony is shattered. It said,
Australia's reputation for racial harmony lay shattered Tuesday [December 13, 2005] after a second night of violence in Sydney that saw youths of Middle Eastern origin fire shots, smash up shops and beat up bystanders in rich beachside suburbs where a mob of white youths went on the rampage at the weekend.Japan Today noted that, "In the mainly Muslim suburb of Lakemba, about 500 young people blocked roads near the local mosque after evening prayers, believing an attack was imminent. They later dispersed, some hurling rocks at police."
The Brisbane Courier-Mail reported December 13, 2005 that there is a bid to 'broker (a) beach peace deal'It will take more than peace at a beach to solve Australia's race problems, which began when the first European set foot on indigenous land.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:03 PM | Comments (0)
Will Israel Attack Iran in March 2006?
After reading Sunday Times of London Tel Aviv correspondent Uzi Mahnaimi and Washington correspondent Sarah Baxter's December 11, 2005 report that "Israel's armed forces have been ordered by Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, to be ready by the end of March for possible strikes on secret uranium enrichment sites in Iran, military sources have revealed," I asked myself: How can the sites be secret if Israel knows where to attack?"
The questions for the international community are: Will Israel strike? Probably? Is it wise? No.
If it does happen, it will probably have the sanction of the Bush Administration, especially since the U.S. will have to deal with the fallout, which will be horrendous. See the Jerusalem Post article headlined "Israel denies plans to attack Iran."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:23 PM | Comments (0)
Likud Continues Effort to Oust Ariel Sharon
According to the Jerusalem Post, Likud activists in Israel "continued attempts Monday [December 12, 2005] to assemble a majority of 61 MKs [members of Knesset] from Likud, Labor, Shinui and NRP in an effort to oust Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and delay elections until November 2006. Sharon defected from Likud on November 21, 2005 and established the Kadima party.
See "Likud renews bids to oust Sharon."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:00 PM | Comments (0)
'Germany Warns of Fallout Over Anti-Israel Remarks'
Deutsche Welle reported December 12, 2005 that, Germany will push for "political consequences" in the United Nations and the European Union over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's verbal attacks on Israel. The row comes just before nuclear talks with Tehran.
I would think that the Merkel government would have something better to do. Like work on the economy. Israel knows how to take care of herself. If not, the United States will look after her interest, as it has done since 1948. Besides, based on what I've read, many Iranians could care less. Others do. See "Germany Warns of Fallout Over Anti-Israel Remarks."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:43 PM | Comments (0)
Bush Says '30,000, More or Less,' Have Died" in Iraq
Speaking at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, on December 12, 2005, U.S. President George W. Bush acknowledged that thousands of civilian deaths have occurred in Iraq since the U.S. and Britain's March 20, 2003 invasion. A woman asked him:Q: Since the inception of the Iraqi war, I'd like to know the approximate total of Iraqis who have been killed. And by Iraqis I include civilians, military, police, insurgents, translators.
THE PRESIDENT: How many Iraqi citizens have died in this war? I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis. We've lost about 2,140 of our own troops in Iraq.Some estimates say more than 30,000 have been killed. On July 31, 2004, The People's Kifah, or Struggle Against Hegemony, an Iraqi political group, says a study it carried out indicates that "37,000 Iraqi civilians" were killed between March 2003 and October 2003.
Here is what Iraq Body Count says.
On October 28, 2004, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said a survey conducted by researchers from its school of public health, the "Columbia University School of Nursing and Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad" estimate that "100,000 more Iraqis died than would have been expected had the invasion not occurred. Eighty-four percent of the violent deaths were reported to be caused by the actions of Coalition forces and 95 percent of those deaths were due to air strikes and artillery," said the survey, which was published in the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet.
Finally, how does Mr. Bush know exactly how many Iraqis have been killed, if, as General Tommy Franks said in 2003, "We don't do body counts?" Frank was referring to civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq. The U.S. reportedly stopped doing body counts because U.S. officials were caught lying about them during the Vietnam War. However, the Pentagon does do so-called "enemy body counts" when it suits its purpose. .
Here is a White House transcript of Mr. Bush's December 12, 2005 Philadelphia speech.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:29 PM | Comments (0)
Rumors About Syria and Sanctions
The Daily Star of Lebanon told its readers today that, "As the Security Council receives the Mehlis report on Monday, [December 12, 2005] rumors are swirling that Syria will be punished for not "fully" cooperating with the UN probe into former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination."
For more, please see "Assad warns sanctions could destabilize region." Here's the Mehlis Report issued October 30, 2005.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)
If Syria is Hit With Sanctions
Joshua Landis at Syria Comment.Com says "If Syria is hit with sanctions it will be the worst of both worlds."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:52 PM | Comments (0)
Baghdad Burning Translated Into Spanish and Japanese
Back on December 5, 2005, Riverbend at Baghdad Burning commented on what she called the "Mother of All Trials..."
Meanwhile, her blog has been translated into Spanish and Japanese, and some of her posts have been turned into Baghdad Burning: The Book. She writes about here.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:52 PM | Comments (0)
The Iraq Voting
Omar at Iraq the Model on the Iraqi Elections: "Voting in Iraq's second parliamentary elections has begun this morning; this coincides with the deadline for all campaigning activities by all lists and parties who are required now to enter electoral silence." Here's more.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:42 PM | Comments (0)
There are 'More Than 1,000 Detention Centers Across Iraq'
At the end of Washington Post Foreign Service Reporter Ellen Knickmeyer's December 12, 2005 report headlined "Abuse Cited In 2nd Jail Operated by Iraqi Ministry," is this sentence: "Authorities have identified more than 1,000 detention centers across Iraq."
I wonder how many of them are operated by Saddam Hussein
Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:33 PM | Comments (0)
An Initiative to End the U.S. Occupation of Iraq
On December 11, 2005, Imad Khaduri at Free Iraq published a post on "An Iraqi national initiative to end the occupation of Iraq reflecting the will and view of the Iraqi National Resistance and the other major political forces opposing the occupation." He linked to a document titled "Proposed Principles for Dialogue and Agreement." Is it authentic? I have no way of knowing.Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:19 PM | Comments (0)
'Iraq's Campaign Season Has Grown Malicious'
Christian Iraq. Com, in a December 12, 2005 post: "The campaign season in Iraq has grown malicious in recent weeks as political parties attempt to place themselves in the spotlight at the expense of their competitors ahead of the 15 December parliamentary elections." Here's more.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:59 PM | Comments (0)
Juan Cole's Iraq Election News Analysis
Professor Juan Cole at Informed Comment has an informative roundup of news and opinion today on the upcoming election in Iraq. I recommend it.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:53 PM | Comments (0)
ABC News and Time Magazine's New Poll on Iraq
ABC's Gary Langer and Jon Cohen, in a December 12, 2005 analysis of "An ABC News poll in Iraq, conducted with Time magazine and other media partners, said:Surprising levels of optimism prevail in Iraq with living conditions improved, security more a national worry than a local one, and expectations for the future high. But views of the country's situation overall are far less positive, and there are vast differences in views among Iraqi groups a study in contrasts between increasingly disaffected Sunni areas and vastly more positive Shiite and Kurdish provinces
Look for all sides of the political spectrum to spin the poll to support their positions on the war. To read Langer and Cohen's analysis, see " Poll: Broad Optimism in Iraq, But Also Deep Divisions Among Groups. "
Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:41 PM | Comments (0)
Another Journalist Murdered in Beirut
Mayssam Zaaroura of The Daily Star of Lebanon reports today that "Anti-Syrian journalist and prominent lawmaker Gebran Tueni was killed by a car bomb Monday [December 12, 2005], a day after he returned from France, where he had been staying periodically for fear of assassination."
Two others died in the bombing. MP Walid Jumblatt accused Syria of being behind the murders. Syria promptly denied it.
For more, please see "MP Tueni targeted in Beirut blast."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:45 AM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2005
Bush Wants 16 Provisions of the USA Patriot Act Renewed
Today U.S. President George W. Bush applauded "for its good work" a "House and Senate conference committee" that "reached an agreement on reauthorization of the Patriot Act."
"Now Congress needs to finish the job," he said during his weekly radio address. Both the Senate and the House need to hold a prompt vote, and send me a bill renewing the Patriot Act so I can sign it into law." Mr. Bush added:
This week's agreement would renew all 16 provisions of the Patriot Act that are scheduled to expire at the end of this month -- and it would make 14 of these provisions permanent.Frankly, I find the prospect of the act being renewed frightening. With this act, legislation for a congressionally mandated dictatorship is in place.
Here's a White House transcript of Mr. Bush's December 10, 2005 radio address.
Note: This item is cross posted at The Opinion Gazette.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
December 09, 2005
IPS: 'U.S. Losing Clout in South-east Asia to China '
Tim Shorrock at the Inter Press Service News Agency reported December 9, 2005 that, "The United States is rapidly losing its influence in the South-east Asia region to China, thanks to an overly narrow focus on terrorism and a propensity to place bilateral ties above multilateral relationships, according to U.S. and Chinese analysts." Here's Shorrock's analysis.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:59 AM | Comments (0)
Asian Foreign Ministers Meet in Malaysia Ahead of ASEAN Summit
"Foreign ministers from Asian nations gathered Friday [December 9, 2005] in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur to discuss issues affecting the region, including the spread of the deadly avian influenza virus and the situation in Myanmar (Burma)," The Jakarta Post reported December 9, 2005.
For more, please see "Asian foreign ministers meet ahead of ASEAN summit."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:49 AM | Comments (0)
Australia to sign ASEAN Treaty
Despite Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer's "serious "reservations" about signing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) of the Association of South-East Asian Nations," Australia "will put pride aside and sign South-East Asia's non-aggression pact as the entry price to a first-ever summit that could lead to a free-trade bloc stretching from China to New Zealand and India," according to The Age newspaper of Australia.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:43 AM | Comments (0)
December 08, 2005
U.S. May Try to Deport Professor Sami al-Arian
The New York Times reported today that Federal "Prosecutors said Wednesday [December 7, 2005] that they may still decide to re-try... former professor Sami Al-Arian on some or all of the nine criminal counts on which a jury in Tampa, Florida, deadlocked over on Tuesday," December 6, 2005.
"But if the government opts not to retry him," The Times reported, "officials said they would probably bring separate immigration charges that could result in his deportation - and which would require the government to meet a lower burden of proof against him."
I think Prosecutor Paul Perez's effort will be rejected if he attempts to deport the professor.
Here's The Times article. Here's a Justice Department press release on Al-Arian's February 20, 2002 arrest.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:43 PM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2005
Is the Iraq War Debate About Winning or Losing?
In "Dean v. Bush: "Winning" in Iraq Or Winning Smart?" Professor Juan Cole at Informed Comment analyzes U.S. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean's pronouncement that the "idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong."
Mr. Dean made the statement in San Antonia, Texas, December 5, 2005 during an interview with WOAI Radio. I found Mr. Cole's analysis informative.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:20 AM | Comments (0)
What is the Bush Propaganda Strategy all About?
In a December 3, 2005 post headlined "Why the US is in Iraq," Eric Olsen at Deep Blade Journal, wrote: In the wake of US Representative John Murtha's quite reasonable call to stop the killing and maiming in Iraq on a rapid timetable, President Bush has begun a sweeping war propaganda campaign. The White House released a ``Victory'' strategy outline and the president began a series of rallying speeches, the first of which was delivered from Annapolis last Wednesday," November 30, 2005.
What is the strategy all about?
Olsen thinks Mr. Bush is defining "a permanent occupation [of Iraq] and it is about the oil." I agree. I've always believed the invasion was about oil and permanent military bases. There is no doubt that many of those in the Bush Administration, and in the country, want the U.S. to dominate the Middle East for years to come. But it won't work, at least not for long. As the old accommodationist Muslim leaders die off, a new breed of leader will emerge with no allegiance to the the U.S. They will sell oil to the West and cooperate in other areas but will place their national interest above that of the U.S.
By the way, I highly recommend Olsen's analysis.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:15 AM | Comments (0)
OIC to Hold Third Extraordinary Summit
"Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have expressed the hope that the Muslim leadership will be able to develop a consensus on a realistic program enabling the Ummah [the global Muslim Nation] to face the challenges it is confronting in the 21st century while seeking dialogue with the West to remove misperceptions about Islam," reports Dawn, a widely read Pakistani newspaper, in a December 6, 2005 dispatch from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The publication said, "In his inaugural address at the preparatory meeting of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference) foreign ministers on Tuesday [December 6, 2005], on the eve of the 3rd extraordinary summit, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said the program was based on the challenges facing the Muslim world and means to confront it."
Like the Arab League, the OIC, which is comprised of about 58 Muslim nations, is just another toothless organization among many in the Islamic world.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:47 AM | Comments (0)
Al-Zawahiri: Bin Laden Still Alive and in Charge of Al-Qaida
"Al-Qaida deputy chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has said in a video posted on a website that the network's leader Osama bin Laden is alive and leading the jihad against the West," Aljazeera reported December 7, 2005. Aljazeera used some information from news agencies in its report.
For more, please see "Al-Zawahiri: Bin Laden still in charge."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:31 AM | Comments (0)
Arian in Jail Despite Acquittal on Some Charges, Deadlock on Others
Sami Al-Arian, a former South Florida University professor who was acquitted December 6, 2005 on what TampayBays 10.Com calls "a key charge that he helped lead a Palestinian terrorist group that has carried out suicide bombings against Israel," will "go back to jail until prosecutors decide whether to retry him on the deadlocked counts."
Keep in mind that unforeseen circumstances and public opinion could cause prosecutors to change their minds about keeping him in jail.
For more, please see "No convictions for Al-Arian co-defendants."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:15 AM | Comments (0)
Ex-Professor Acquitted of Operating Palestinian Islamic Jihad Cell
Michael Fechter, Elaine Silvestrini and Lenny Savino, in a December 7, 2005 article in The Tampa (Florida, USA) Tribune headlined "No Guilty Verdicts In Al-Arian Trial," summed up the not guilty verdict for Sami Al-Arian on "eight of 17 counts against him, including one pivotal charge that he conspired to maim and murder people overseas," this way:Once billed as a major strike in the war on terrorism, the case against Sami Al-Arian crumbled Tuesday when jurors rejected federal charges that Al-Arian and three co-defendants operated a North American cell for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Associated Press characterized it as "a stinging defeat for prosecutors.
Melanie Ave, staff writer for the St. Petersburgh (Florida) Times provides background in an "Al-Arian trial: Q&A." Also see "Sami Al-Arian Trial Coverage."
According to The Tribune, co-defendants Sameeh Hammoudeh and Ghassan Zayed Ballut, were acquitted of all charges. A fourth, Hatem Naji Fariz, was found not guilty of 25 counts and jurors deadlocked on eight other charges."
Presumably, Lawyers handling similar cases stemming from the Bush Administration's so-called war on terrorism will closely study this case
Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:00 AM | Comments (0)
December 06, 2005
Is Sri Lanka Heading for More War?
The Asian Tribune reported today that, "Sri Lanka is edging closer to war with LTTE further "intensifying" its violence in Jaffna and in the east. In Jaffna the LTTE launched its second attack today on a Sri Lankan Army (SLA) tractor in Irupalai killing seven soldiers and one seriously injured," the publication said. Read more here.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:41 AM | Comments (0)
Budget Battle Underway Ahead of Next Week's EU Summit
The Guardian of London's Nicholas Watt reported from Brussels December 6, 2005 that, "France and Poland spearheaded an assault last night on Britain's plans to cut the EU budget by £16bn as part of a deal that would preserve most of the British rebate and slash spending in eastern Europe."
"Setting the scene for a bruising 10-day battle before next week's EU summit, the two countries on either side of Europe branded the British budget proposal as "unacceptable," Mr. Watt wrote. Here's more.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:35 AM | Comments (0)
'The European History of Europe'
Helen Szamuely at EU Referendum said in a December 5, 2005 post that, In its never-ending desire to educate the recalcitrant masses of Europe (that's us, dear reader) the euro-elite has put together a new series of historical studies, entitled The Making of Europe.
"It is edited by the French mediaevalist Jacques Le-Goff," she said. For more, please see "The European history of Europe."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:27 AM | Comments (0)
Secretary Rice Attempts to Appease Europe Over CIA Torture Camps
On December 5, 2005, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice issued a statement designed to placate the European Union, the Council of Europe, and "several individual countries" concerning media reports about U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) torture camps in Europe."
She respond "to those inquiries on December 5, as she departed Washington, D.C. for Europe. She said the statement "will also essentially form the text of the letter that I will send to [British Foreign] Secretary [Jack] Straw, who wrote on behalf of the European Union as the European Union President." Ms. Rice added:
The United States and many other countries are waging a war against terrorism. For our country this war often takes the form of conventional military operations in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. Sometimes this is a political struggle, a war of ideas. It is a struggle waged also by our law enforcement agencies. Often we engage the enemy through the cooperation of our intelligence services with their foreign counterparts.
We must track down terrorists who seek refuge in areas where governments cannot take effective action, including where the terrorists cannot in practice be reached by the ordinary processes of law. In such places terrorists have planned the killings of thousands of innocents in New York City or Nairobi, in Bali or London, in Madrid or Beslan, in Casablanca or Istanbul. Just two weeks ago I also visited a hotel ballroom in Amman, viewing the silent, shattered aftermath of one of those attacks."
The United States, and those countries that share the commitment to defend their citizens, will use every lawful weapon to defeat these terrorists. Protecting citizens is the first and oldest duty of any government. Sometimes these efforts are misunderstood. I want to help all of you understand the hard choices involved, and some of the responsibilities that go with them.
One of the difficult issues in this new kind of conflict is what to do with captured individuals who we know or believe to be terrorists. The individuals come from many countries and are often captured far from their original homes. Among them are those who are effectively stateless, owing allegiance only to the extremist cause of transnational terrorism. Many are extremely dangerous. And some have information that may save lives, perhaps even thousands of lives.
The captured terrorists of the 21st century do not fit easily into traditional systems of criminal or military justice, which were designed for different needs. We have to adapt. Other governments are now also facing this challenge.
We consider the captured members of al-Qaida and its affiliates to be unlawful combatants who may be held, in accordance with the law of war, to keep them from killing innocents. We must treat them in accordance with our laws, which reflect the values of the American people. We must question them to gather potentially significant, life-saving, intelligence. We must bring terrorists to justice wherever possible.
For decades, the United States and other countries have used "renditions" to transport terrorist suspects from the country where they were captured to their home country or to other countries where they can be questioned, held, or brought to justice.
In some situations a terrorist suspect can be extradited according to traditional judicial procedures. But there have long been many other cases where, for some reason, the local government cannot detain or prosecute a suspect, and traditional extradition is not a good option. In those cases the local government can make the sovereign choice to cooperate in a rendition. Such renditions are permissible under international law and are consistent with the responsibilities of those governments to protect their citizens.
Rendition is a vital tool in combating transnational terrorism. Its use is not unique to the United States, or to the current administration. Last year, then Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet recalled that our earlier counterterrorism successes included "the rendition of many dozens of terrorists prior to September 11, 2001."
-- Ramzi Youssef masterminded the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and plotted to blow up airlines over the Pacific Ocean, killing a Japanese airline passenger in a test of one of his bombs. Once tracked down, a rendition brought him to the United States, where he now serves a life sentence.
-- One of historys most infamous terrorists, best known as "Carlos the Jackal," had participated in murders in Europe and the Middle East. He was finally captured in Sudan in 1994. A rendition by the French government brought him to justice in France, where he is now imprisoned. Indeed, the European Commission of Human Rights rejected Carlos claim that his rendition from Sudan was unlawful.
Renditions take terrorists out of action, and save lives.
In conducting such renditions, it is the policy of the United States, and I presume of any other democracies who use this procedure, to comply with its laws and comply with its treaty obligations, including those under the Convention Against Torture. Torture is a term that is defined by law. We rely on our law to govern our operations. The United States does not permit, tolerate, or condone torture under any circumstances. Moreover, in accordance with the policy of this administration:
-- The United States has respected -- and will continue to respect -- the sovereignty of other countries.
-- The United States does not transport, and has not transported, detainees from one country to another for the purpose of interrogation using torture.
-- The United States does not use the airspace or the airports of any country for the purpose of transporting a detainee to a country where he or she will be tortured.
-- The United States has not transported anyone, and will not transport anyone, to a country when we believe he will be tortured. Where appropriate, the United States seeks assurances that transferred persons will not be tortured.
International law allows a state to detain enemy combatants for the duration of hostilities. Detainees may only be held for an extended period if the intelligence or other evidence against them has been carefully evaluated and supports a determination that detention is lawful. The U.S. does not seek to hold anyone for a period beyond what is necessary to evaluate the intelligence or other evidence against them, prevent further acts of terrorism, or hold them for legal proceedings.
With respect to detainees, the United States Government complies with its Constitution, its laws, and its treaty obligations. Acts of physical or mental torture are expressly prohibited. The United States Government does not authorize or condone torture of detainees. Torture, and conspiracy to commit torture, are crimes under U.S. law, wherever they may occur in the world.
Violations of these and other detention standards have been investigated and punished. There have been cases of unlawful treatment of detainees, such as the abuse of a detainee by an intelligence agency contractor in Afghanistan or the horrible mistreatment of some prisoners at Abu Ghraib that sickened us all and which arose under the different legal framework that applies to armed conflict in Iraq. In such casesthe United States has vigorously investigated, and where appropriate, prosecuted and punished those responsible. Some individuals have already been sentenced to lengthy terms in prison; others have been demoted or reprimanded.
As CIA Director Goss recently stated, our intelligence agencies have handled the gathering of intelligence from a very small number of extremely dangerous detainees, including the individuals who planned the 9/11 attacks in the United States, the attack on the U.S.S. Cole, and many other murders and attempted murders. It is the policy of the United States that this questioning is to be conducted within U.S. law and treaty obligations, without using torture. It is also U.S. policy that authorized interrogation will be consistent with U.S. obligations under the Convention Against Torture, which prohibit cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The intelligence so gathered has stopped terrorist attacks and saved innocent lives in Europe as well as in the United States and other countries. The United States has fully respected the sovereignty of other countries that cooperate in these matters.
Because this war on terrorism challenges traditional norms and precedents of previous conflicts, our citizens have been discussing and debating the proper legal standards that should apply. President Bush is working with the U.S. Congress to come up with good solutions. I want to emphasize a few key points.
-- The United States is a country of laws. My colleagues and I have sworn to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. We believe in the rule of law.
-- The United States Government must protect its citizens. We and our friends around the world have the responsibility to work together in finding practical ways to defend ourselves against ruthless enemies. And these terrorists are some of the most ruthless enemies we face.
-- We cannot discuss information that would compromise the success of intelligence, law enforcement, and military operations. We expect that other nations share this view.
Some governments choose to cooperate with the United States in intelligence, law enforcement, or military matters. That cooperation is a two-way street. We share intelligence that has helped protect European countries from attack, helping save European lives.
It is up to those governments and their citizens to decide if they wish to work with us to prevent terrorist attacks against their own country or other countries, and decide how much sensitive information they can make public. They have a sovereign right to make that choice.
Debate in and among democracies is natural and healthy. I hope that that debate also includes a healthy regard for the responsibilities of governments to protect their citizens.
Four years after September 11, most of our populations are asking us if we are doing all that we can to protect them. I know what it is like to face an inquiry into whether everything was done that could have been done. So now, before the next attack, we should all consider the hard choices that democratic governments must face. And we can all best meet this danger if we work together.
Thank you.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:18 AM | Comments (0)
CIA Reportedly Close Prison Bases in Europe Ahead of Rice Visit
According to Deutsche Welle, "The US has reportedly shut down two secret CIA prisons in Poland and Romania just ahead of US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's visit to Europe."
"The former German government meanwhile has come under pressure in the affair," the publication said. Here's more.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:13 AM | Comments (0)
Robles: 'Everyone Knew What Was Going On in Bondsteel"
Der Spiegel Online, December 5, 2005: As European governments investigate reports about apparent CIA "black sites" maintained by the United States to hold suspected terrorists, Camp Bondsteel has come under great scrutiny. Prisoners were locked up for months in the Kosovo military camp without trial in conditions similar to those at Guantanamo. Alvaro Gil Robles, Human Rights Commissioner for the Council of Europe, tells SPIEGEL ONLINE what he saw at the camp in 2002 and reveals that Germany knew all about it.
The interview is quite informative."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:04 AM | Comments (0)
Did Schroder Have Details on How CIA Operated in Europe?
Matthias Gebauer of Der Spiegel reported December 5, 2005 that former German Chancellor "Gerhard Schröder's government had detailed information on how the CIA operated in Europe -- and said nothing. The lower echelons of the administration even co-operated actively."
Mr. Gebauer said, "US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is likely to expect the same silent complicity from the new chancellor, Angela Merkel." For the entire story, please see "Berlin's Silence for Washington."
Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:59 AM | Comments (0)
December 05, 2005
Kurds Drilling for Oil and Trouble in Dahuk
Christian Iraq.com has a December 4, 2005 article that says, "Sunni and Shiite Arab leaders in Baghdad this week questioned the authority of the Kurdistan Regional Government after it began drilling for oil in the Dahuk Governorate."
"Several Arab leaders in Baghdad claimed that Kurdistan did not have the authority constitutionally to undertake a venture, particularly without the approval of the central government," the blog reported, adding:" Kurdish authorities however, maintained that it is their right to develop and control oil resources in their region." Surely the Kurds don't think a central government will allow them to control a substantial portion of Iraq's oil. Here's more.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:34 AM | Comments (0)
Will Most Iraqis Vote for a Secular Candidate December 15?
The Christian Science Monitor reported today that, "...some of Iraq's top leaders say that the single most important choice Iraqis will make in the December [15, 2005] vote will be between a secular and modernizing government and a religious-based one. The fact that Iraqis will be choosing their first permanent four-year government since Saddam Hussein's fall only adds to the significance, they say," reporter Howard LaFranchi. Even if a so-called secularist such as the Bush Administration's former prime minister in Iraq, Iyad Allawi, wins, he can still loose. Only it will be his life. Here's the Monitor story.Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:26 AM | Comments (0)
December 04, 2005
A Page Straight Out of the old Soviet Union's Media Control Playbook
The Los Angeles Times, which broke the story about the Bush Administration's "multimillion-dollar" propaganda program in Iraq that operated under the guise of a free press, scathingly denounced the operation in a December 3, 2005 editorial. The publication said, in part: The gang that couldn't shoot straight is firmly ensconced in Washington. The State Department trains Iraqi journalists how to be independent and fair; at the same time, the Defense Department contracts with an organization that secretly pays Iraqi publications to print stories making the American occupiers look good.
As often happens with propaganda, when daylight exposes the secret, the stench is overpowering.And it will get worse. Combine a propaganda program with killing and intimidating journalist who won't play ball with U.S. occupation forces in Iraq and you have scenario copied from the old Soviet Union's playbook on propaganda and intimidation. Here's the editorial.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:31 AM | Comments (0)
Bush's Iraq Intelligence Manipulation Has a Precedent
Kevin Whitelaw at US News.com examines "how erroneous intelligence reports led to a previous war." That's the Vietnam War. Some intelligence was deliberately skewered as a pretext for war. See "The attack that wasn't" for Whitelaw's analysis.
Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:45 AM | Comments (0)
