Adoring Crowd

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Flip-flopping Maverick Saint McCain

I use to have a modicum of respect for John McCain. There was an element of independence from him in a party that doesn't suffer well dissent in it's ranks. But that "Maverick" is no more. His transformation from so called maverick, to flip-flopping panderer to the amoral right, is sad to see. In the National Journal article I am linking to, McCain's pathetic effort to justify his vote against making waterboarding illegal for all government agencies is both enraging and so weak as to be laughable.
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McCain's vote against the bill seemed to contradict his public statements opposing torture generally and the practice of waterboarding in particular. McCain, who is trying to appeal to his party's conservative base, told reporters he believes his position is consistent.

"We always supported allowing the CIA to use extra measures. I believe that waterboarding is illegal and should be banned," he said.

"My position was very clear," he added. "We have said... that we would allow the CIA to use additional techniques that were not in violation of the anti-torture convention, that were not in violation of the Geneva Conventions and were not in violation of the Detainee Treatment Act."

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Tueday Iraq Report

Tuesday: 46 Iraqis Killed, 18 Wounded

Updated at 7:35 p.m. EST, Feb. 12, 2008

As Coalition and Iraqi forces secure more areas in Iraq, the number of mass graves found has increased. The latest was found in Muqdadiyah, while several more bodies were discovered scattered around Baquba. Overall, at least 46 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 18 more were wounded in attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported.

A grave containing 13 bodies was found in Muqdadiyah.

Seven bodies were found in villages around Baquba.

In Baghdad, the body of a local journalist was found; three unidentified bodies were also recovered. In Doura, mortar fire killed two people and wounded eight others. A roadside bomb wounded a policeman in Karrada. No casualties were reported during a bombing on Canal Street and another in Baladiyat.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Sadr Wants To Extend "Activities Halt"

I like that, "activities halt". Or in plain English or any other language -- killing Americans--. I read something like this and I feel like going outside and howling at the friekin' moon. All the bullshit about the success of the surge is mostly just that, bullshit. I say for the hundredth time-- the reasons for the lull in violence is because the Iraqi's wanted a lull in violence. Does anyone with a brain think that the Sunnis are going to accept the status quo as it currently is. With Baghdad largely controlled by Shia and a central government the same. In any civil war there are always periods like this when loyalties shift along with tactics and strategies. Exactly nothing is settled and won't be as long as we're trying to run the circus. No matter how good our military is or honorable our intentions may be.
These are proud people who been fighting for 1400 years. As much as we would like them to stop and become peaceful democrats, it ain't gonna happen till Iraqi's want it to.
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Iraq News
Sadr to extend activities halt decision
Monday, February 11, 2008 11:14 GMT
Sayyed Moktada Al Sadr had earlier issued a statement during which he announced that all those who breach the decision of activities halt will be dismissed. Yet, it seems that this decision will be extended for 6 additional months. Sadrist Movement sources revealed that the Leader of the movement insists on extending this period. Sources told Al Hayat Newspaper that Al Sadr will announce this issue in the few upcoming days. To that, an official in the bloc who refused to reveal his name said that the next step would be to head towards participating in institutions and to resort to law as a referee.
Based on these principles, Sheikh Hazem Al Talkani, another official in the movement expected that extending the decision of activitiesn halt will not be the last and it would carry on until restructuring Al Mahdi army and transforming the same into a humanitarian organization akin to Badr forces.
Yet, the aforementioned decision warns that Sadrist movement could undergo further splits especially that this decision contradicts the reports submitted by the committees established by the movement especially the parliamentary committee. Actually, the reports utter that the decision of activities halt facilitated targeting the movement’s leaderships, arresting its members and carrying out organized assassinations against them. The director of Al Sadr media office in Al Najaf Sheikh Salah Al Ubaidi said that some of Al Sadr leaderships asked him to cancel halt decision and added that these calls increased following the visit from Mahdi Army members who were detained in Diwaniya after the armed battles that took place there. Especially that it has been revealed that the local authority in the province mistreated Al Sadr followers.
Nevertheless, others, such as a commander of an Al Mahdi army battalion in Al Kufa, went even farther by uttering skepticism as to Al Sadr decision. The commander told Al Hayat Newspaper that there is a conspiracy against Al Mahdi army that aims to liquidate it. He also wondered whether those who staged this conspiracy are members of the movement or outsiders. In addition, he considered that the decision to dismiss is an implicit announcement of abandoning Al Mahdi army members and it legitimizes the presence of foreign troops.

Very Interesting

A group of British Judges will decide if the Blair government breached it's duty to ensure the invasion of Iraq was legal. I'm not an expert or even a novice at understanding the British system of justice, but this sounds pretty serious. Well here is the article that explains it. Needless to say the Brits go about things different than we do.
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* Published Date: 12 February 2008
* Source: Press Association
* Location: The Press Association Newsdesk

Government 'breached duty' on Iraq

The Blair Government breached its duty to the men and women of the armed forces by failing to ensure in advance that the invasion of Iraq was lawful and justified, a powerful committee of nine Law Lords has been told.
"That duty is owed to soldiers who are under the unique compulsory control of the State and have to obey orders," said Rabinder Singh QC, for the mothers of two 19-year-old men killed in Iraq.

"They have to put their lives in harm's way if necessary because their country demands it. There is what some people call a military covenant between the State and those who are literally prepared to put their lives at risk for the sake of their country."

The Lords are hearing a renewed bid by Beverley Clarke and Rose Gentle to force the government to order a public inquiry into Britain's involvement in the Iraq conflict.

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Why can't we have something like this in America. It sound highly democratic to be able to directly petition a high court to accuse the government of bad faith or even criminality. That could be why we have a President wittingly or unwittingly presiding over an administration that appears more like a crime syndicate than anything else. The following paragraph does offer suspicious goings on about how Blair got the legal go ahead to join up with Bush for the disaster of Iraq. I think maybe the Brits were taking lessons from Asscroft and Gonzo et al...on how to shine up a lawless turd.
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At the centre of the argument over whether the decision to invade was lawful is the families' demand for an explanation as to how 13 pages of "equivocal" advice from the then Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, of March 7 2003, was reduced within 10 days to one page of completely unequivocal advice that an invasion would be legal.

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Sound like they got additional lessons from Herr Cheney on "we can do any fucking thing we want, if we say it's Ok!"

Monday Iraq Report

February 11, 2008
Monday: 1 US Soldier, 25 Iraqis Killed; 53 Iraqis Wounded

Although Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek said that U.S. presence on Iraq is a destabilizing force in the region, U.S. Defense Secretary Gates hinted that a pause in the drawdown of American troops in Iraq is likely. Meanwhile, one American soldier was killed and two more were wounded during an IED explosion yesterday in Diyala province. Also, at least 25 Iraqis were killed or found dead and another 53 wounded in separate events.

In Baghdad, twin car bombs were detonated at a petrol station adjacent to a Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) office in Jadiriyah. At least 17 people were killed and 45 others were wounded. The SIIC is the largest Shi'ite party and has been targeted in the past.

Updated at 1:20 a.m. EST, Feb.11, 2008

Although Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek said that U.S. presence on Iraq is a destabilizing force in the region, U.S. Defense Secretary Gates hinted that a pause in the drawdown of American troops in Iraq is likely. Meanwhile, one American soldier was killed and two more were wounded during an IED explosion yesterday in Diyala province. At least 40 Iraqis were killed or found dead and another 67 wounded in separate events. Also, CBS news journalist and his translator were kidnapped in Basra.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Sunday Iraq Report

Sunday: 86 Iraqis Killed, 84 Wounded

Updated at 5:05 p.m. EST, Feb. 10, 2008

As U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a surprise visit to Iraq to meet with political leaders and military commanders, at least 86 Iraqis were killed and 84 more were wounded in new attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported, but a U.S. soldier was found guilty in of murdering an Iraqi.

A suicide car bomber near Balad blasted a Yathrib area checkpoint manned by Iraqi police and Awakening Council members. At least 33 were killed and 35 more were injured.

A Sad Iraq Tale

As a liberal and a vet who has opposed the Iraq war from the very beginning, the case of Sgt. Evan Vela is one of the sadder events in a long litany of unnecessary death and destruction from Mr. Bush's bloody decision to invade Iraq. His conviction today, of unpremeditated murder, causes me more than a little mixed emotion. As noted in the following AP article, the events leading up to Sgt. Vela's killing of an unarmed Iraqi does not, in my opinion , present "a simple case of murder", as described by military prosecutors. I know my fellow liberals will not agree with my assessment {and that's putting it mildly} . It seems to me however, that this case should not have been brought to trial and has more to do with Vela cast as a scapegoat to show the public {Iraqi and American} the US military is serious about holding troops accountable for war crimes.

This case is not like Haditha or the gang rape and murder of a 14 year old Iraqi girl by several soldiers who set out to do just that. This is a case of exausted, overworked GI's put in an impossible life and death situation that caused Vela to use poor judgment. But to convict him of murder reminds me of the line in Apocalypse Now where Martin Sheen's character, Captain Willard questions the military's label of murderer to Colonel Kurtz.

Willard: How many people had I already killed? There was those six that I know about for sure. Close enough to blow their last breath in my face. But this time it was an American and an officer. That wasn't supposed to make any difference to me, but it did. Shit... charging a man with murder in this place was like handing out speeding tickets in the Indy 500. I took the mission. What the hell else was I gonna do?

Anyways, here is the AP article and you can decide for yourself if this young man is really guilty of murder in a ultra confused war zone. I say the people who put them there and overworked them to the point of utter exhaustion are to blame and it is they who should be brought to account.

By BRADLEY BROOKS, Associated Press Writer Sun Feb 10, 9:05 AM ET

BAGHDAD - A U.S. Army sniper accused of killing an unarmed Iraqi civilian and planting evidence on his body was found guilty on all charges Sunday.
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Jurors deliberated for three hours before finding Sgt. Evan Vela guilty of murder without premeditation. He had previously been charged with premeditated murder, but that charge was changed during his court-martial in Baghdad

Here is the link for the rest of the article