The irises and Patrick Fitzgerald

Victorian born novelist and St Kilda supporter, and long-time Webdiary columnist Kerryn Higgs spends a lot of time in New York, and lives the rest of the year in northern NSW. She's been obsessed with the looming environmental crisis since 1972 and is working on the relationship between globalisation, economic growth and the future (if any) of the planet.

Her regular visits to New York began the day before the 2000 election, so she watched the shutdown of counting in Florida by the US Supreme Court at close range. Living amongst New Yorkers, a breed unto themselves, has enriched her view of America and complicated her longstanding interest in its politics, history and impact on the rest of the world. Her 2004 articles The failure to prevent 9/11: Clarke's story and Bush on the ropes: his awful deeds post S11 reported on Clarke, the US counter-terror co-ordinator under every administration since Reagan, as he fronted the 9/11 Commission.

Her last piece for Webdiary was on Blowin' in the wind, the film by David Bradbury on the nature and effects of ‘depleted’ uranium (DU) munitions.

Again writing from New York, Kerryn reports on the early outing of iris and the alleged criminal outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame, wife of Joseph C Wilson, the CIA envoy investigating the fake Niger yellowcake deal.

by Kerryn Higgs

I left my garden bulbs in Australia last week before the first buds appeared, sorry to miss their splendour. But arriving in Kingston - 70 miles north of New York City and several degrees cooler - I find the iris here in rampant flower, buds bursting every day. They imagine, apparently, that spring is in the air. Locals assure me no one here has seen anything like it before. Simultaneously, the most intense Atlantic hurricane ever measured appeared in the Caribbean.

As Webdiarist David Roffey has detailed here in Climate change update 3: Greenhouse 2005, the climate stories come thick and fast these days. Quite a few caught my attention in the past few months. The Siberian tundra, with its immense load of sequestered methane, is beginning to thaw, an instance of what is called positive feedback - where the immediate consequences of a process magnify that same trend. UK scientists have also measured increasing CO2 loss from temperate peat bogs. The Arctic sea ice is vanishing at extraordinary speed, another positive feedback, where seawater absorbs even more heat from the sun, instead of reflecting it back into space the way the floating ice did. And last week it was revealed that the vast Antarctic ice-sheets may be far less stable than previously supposed.

Rather than exaggerating the extent of warming, the signs are that we might have seriously underestimated the speed and degree of climate change. Indeed, one team of geologists has foreshadowed feedback events cascading towards a global inferno such as that of the Permian extinction some 250 million years ago when most of the world's species disappeared.

***

Meanwhile, the cliffhanger story here is the culmination of Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation into the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame, wife of Joseph C. Wilson. Wilson was the envoy the CIA sent to Africa in February 2002 after Vice-President Cheney asked for more information on the story that Niger had sold yellowcake to Iraq. Documents purporting to prove this happened were later passed via a journalist from an Italian "security consultant" to the US Embassy in Rome.

Iraq's supposed nuclear ambitions were a key element in the Bush administration's case for the "grave and gathering danger" from Saddam's alleged WMD, which served as the primary pretext for the invasion of Iraq as well as the central fear motivating US public support for war.

Wilson's story

The Niger documents proved later to be inept forgeries and Wilson found no evidence for the uranium deal. He made his report in March 2002, a year before the invasion. His findings were disseminated to the CIA, the State Department and presumably reached the Vice-President's office - which had asked the question.

However, Wilson's report had no impact on the administration's trajectory and did not prevent the President from repeating the African uranium claim in his January 2003 State of the Union address, eight months later.

When Wilson realised Bush's State of the Union speech was referring to the same allegation he had debunked ten months earlier, it looked to him like the intelligence was being cooked - or "fixed" as the Downing Street memo put it. See this Newsweek article for a summary of the memo story. His distress about the apparent manipulation of intelligence culminated in his own piece, "What I Didn't Find in Africa", published in The New York Times on 6 July, 2003 (archived here on Common Dreams.org).

Valerie Plame's cover blown

Senior administration officials contacted various reporters to tell them that Wilson had been sent to Niger by his CIA agent wife, Valerie Plame. A week later, on 14 July, syndicated conservative columnist Robert Novak published the story. The supposed nepotism was apparently intended to undermine Wilson's credibility and the grim consequences for his wife (cover blown) demonstrated what whistleblowers might expect.

In the USA, it's illegal to reveal the identity of a covert agent - though it is not Novak who has committed a crime but the person(s) who disclosed the classified information in the first place.

In fact Plame was working under the deepest form of cover - "non-official". She worked out of a front organisation and enjoyed no diplomatic protection if something went wrong. Since Novak's article, she is obviously unable to pursue her career and her entire network has been rendered useless, its personnel endangered. Ironically, she was working on preventing WMDs from falling into terrorist hands.

Under pressure from the CIA, Attorney-General John Ashcroft's Justice Department and the FBI began inquiries into the possible felony in September 2003. Dozens of high-ranking White House officials were interviewed.

It is inconsistencies between these early testimonies to the FBI and later statements which could form the basis for indictments over perjury or obstruction. Martha Stewart, for example, went to jail for just such an offence - lying to the FBI - rather than for the insider trading she was found guilty of lying about.

Fitzgerald takes over

On 30 December 2003, the case was taken out of Ashcroft's hands. Apart from being a member of the same administration which harboured the leaker(s), Ashcroft had specific connections with Karl Rove ("Bush's Brain") who had handled political campaigns for him. It was rumoured at the time that Rove, White House advisor and fixer, might have been fingered by someone lower down. Chicago prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was named to take over the investigation.

Fitzgerald is widely regarded as independent and unlikely to allow political loyalties to cloud his judgement. For nearly two years, Fitzgerald has worked in camera with sparse indications of his hunches, his findings or his intentions. Occasional leaks have emanated from lawyers associated with targets of the inquiry, and some witnesses have published their stories. Most of those who have testified have been identified. But nearly two years have gone by without substantial information about the likely outcome of the investigation.

In the past weeks, however, there's been an avalanche of speculation as Fitzgerald nears his October 28 deadline.

We do not yet know who actually released Plame's name to reporters. We think Novak had one source whose name has not been made public. Two prominent members of the Bush administration have admitted talking to reporters about Plame - Cheney's Chief of Staff 'Scooter' Libby and Karl Rove, but both have maintained that it was reporters who told them Plame's name and job.

According to several sources, Fitzgerald is examining the possibility that blowing Plame's cover was a desperate tactic in a far-reaching conspiracy, first to falsify WMD intelligence and, later, to destroy Wilson's credibility and warn off other potential whistleblowers.

UPI news service cited NATO sources yesterday in reporting that Fitzgerald is investigating the Niger forgery, which was executed on letterhead stolen from Niger's embassy in Rome. The pursuit of this line of inquiry may suggest that Fitzgerald suspects connections between these fakes and administration officials.

The Judith Miller story

New York Times journalist Judith Miller (notorious for her links with Chalabi's defectors and her prewar front page stories based on their "intelligence" about Iraqi WMD) spent 85 days in jail rather than disclose her confidential source. Her reputation varies from First Amendment goddess (protecting journalists' constitutional right not to divulge their sources) to government stooge. Ultimately her source, who turned out to be Libby, waived her pledge of confidentiality. She was released on September 29.

Since then, she has appeared twice before the prosecutor and publishing an extensive account of her story in last weekend's New York Times (archived here at TruthOut.org). One curious admission made here was that she agreed to Libby's request to misrepresent him as a staffer in Congress rather than a senior member of the administration. Though reporters keep the identities of their sources confidential, it's unusual to agree to fudge their status.

After Miller's first testimony to Fitzgerald, the Times "found" an additional Miller notebook in their Washington office, covering an earlier conversation with Libby back in June. It included references to Plame. Miller claims she has no recollection of writing them down. Such lapses of memory on the crucial details seem incomprehensible in a top journalist. Avalanche of speculation - is Fitzgerald pursuing conspirators?

Fitzgerald established a website late last week, which some commentators believe could be used to post indictments. Suggested outcomes range from the President suddenly sacking Fitzgerald or issuing pre-emptive pardons, to Fitzgerald extending the inquiry or closing the case with neither charges nor report, to indictments of senior officials (possibly Libby and/or Rove) or conspiracy charges reaching to the very top - to Cheney perhaps, or even Bush. Some commentators also caution that proving the actual felony involved in leaking Plame's name may not be possible and any charges will more likely be confined to perjury or obstruction.

The more radical speculations are anchored in rumours that Fitzgerald's pursuit of the felon(s) who outed Plame has led him to examine the White House Iraq Group (WHIG) - the team set up inside the White House to market the war - and to investigate the overall process whereby bogus intelligence was deployed to launch the US - and its "coalition of the willing" - into Iraq. WHIG's records were subpoenaed in early 2004.

WHIG was set up as the marketing arm of the war effort and both Libby and Rove were members, along with Whitehouse Chief of Staff Andrew Card, Condoleezza Rice, Stephen Hadley and several other communications specialists. See Card's interview with Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times (archived here krigskronikan.com). The initial Commission that looked into what went wrong with US WMD intelligence before the war put the blame entirely on the CIA, though it was not authorised to look at the role of policymakers in interpreting intelligence. That issue was supposed to be taken up in Phase II, promised before the 2004 election and shelved by the new administration. There has still been no public inquiry into the use and/or abuse of intelligence by the administration.

Implications

Even if Fitzgerald decides against indictments, the problem for the administration will not go away. Valerie Plame and Joseph Wilson are preparing a civil suit against administration officials which they say they will launch if they have to.

Whatever he does decide, the most salutary result of Fitzgerald's work has been in bringing back into public focus the ruthless tactics employed to sell a war decided upon well in advance, with an objective of regime-change presented in the fictional - but far more saleable - guise of disarmament. See my Webdiary piece here for some of the evidence of the plans to attack Iraq dating back to September 11 and before. As US threats to Iran and Syria continue, it is to be hoped that Fitzgerald's inquiry contributes to ongoing public scepticism this time around.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week that an attack on Syria was not an "option" the President would be taking "off the table". When Senator Lincoln Chafee pressed her as to whether she agreed that an attack on Iran or Syria would require new authorisation by Congress, Rice declined to "circumscribe presidential war powers [which] the President retains... in the war on terrorism and in the war on Iraq." New York Times columnist Frank Rich argues that Rove pushed for the war in 2002 as a poll-reviver and election-winner. Given Bush's current abysmal ratings, US citizens should all be extremely cautious about the War President's next campaign.

[ category:

Terrorism and Defence

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Guilty!

Submitted by Bob Wall on March 7, 2007 - 4:53am.

Hot off the wires - "Scooter" Libby has been found guilty on 4 out of 5 counts.

Accounts here and here and here.

A statement from lawyers representing Plame and Wilson said the couple was pleased by the verdict and believed justice had been served.

But the Wilsons said they would continue to pursue a civil case against Cheney, Libby, Bush's adviser Karl Rove and former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.

"The criminal trial was about whether or not Mr. Libby obstructed justice and committed perjury by lying to FBI agents and the grand jury about the fact that he had disclosed to reporters that Valerie Wilson worked for the CIA.

"The civil suit, on the other hand, hinges on whether or not the defendants violated the constitutional rights of Valerie and Joe Wilson by making those disclosures in a concerted effort to retaliate against Joe Wilson for revealing the falsity of the president's rationale for the Iraq war," the statement said.

One juror, Denis Collins, said "there was a tremendous amount of sympathy for Mr. Libby on the jury.

"It was said, 'Where's Rove, where are these other guys?'

"We're not saying that we didn't think Mr. Libby was guilty of the things we found him guilty of. It seemed like he was the fall guy," Collins said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he welcomed the jury's verdict and called on Bush not to pardon Libby if the conviction stands.

"It's about time someone in the Bush administration has been held accountable for the campaign to manipulate intelligence and discredit war critics." Reid said.

"Lewis Libby has been convicted of perjury, but his trial revealed deeper truths about Vice President Cheney's role in this sordid affair. Now President Bush must pledge not to pardon Libby for his criminal conduct."

Can only reinforce the perception of abuses of the system by the Administration and perhaps embolden the Congress to look more assiduously at other matters.

The jury is out. But who is next?

Submitted by Bob Wall on February 22, 2007 - 3:05pm.

The jury is deliberating in the Libby trial - one day so far. A big point of interest is that Patrick Fitzgerald, who has made a minimum of public statements on the matter, pointed his finger at a bigger fish. There has been speculation, reported here, that that big fish has been Fitzgerald's target all along. So here is a Dan Froomkin roundup of the coverage of the issue. It begins thus:

"What is this case about?" special counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald asked in his rebuttal to the defense's closing arguments yesterday in the Scooter Libby perjury trial.

"Is it about something bigger?"

And while Fitzgerald never directly answered that second question, he at long last made it quite clear that the depth of Vice President Cheney's role in the leaking of the identity of a CIA operative is one of the central mysteries that Libby's alleged lies prevented investigators from resolving.

"There is a cloud over the vice president . . . And that cloud remains because this defendant obstructed justice," Fitzgerald said.

"There is a cloud over the White House. Don't you think the FBI and the grand jury and the American people are entitled to straight answers?" Fitzgerald asked the jury.

Libby, Fitzgerald continued, "stole the truth from the justice system."

After literally years of keeping his public pronouncements about the case to an absolute minimum, Fitzgerald yesterday finally let slip a bit of the speculation that many of us have long suspected has lurked just beneath the surface of his investigation.

Suddenly it wasn't just the defendant alone, it was "they" who decided to tell reporters about Wilson's wife working for the CIA. "To them," Fitzgerald said, "she wasn't a person, she was an argument."

And it was pretty clear who "they" was: Libby and his boss, Cheney.

Oh, if it were to come to pass that justice prevailed!

There is s-peculation that Fitzgerald will try to turn Libby if he is found guilty , ie, give evidence against Limp Dick but a caution on this is the possibility of a Presidential pardon, thus stymying the process. Much more to come. Meanwhile the roundup will bring readers up to speed.

How does another Richard sleep?

Submitted by Bob Wall on February 9, 2007 - 7:24am.

The Richard I refer to here is the sociopath who occupies the Office of Vice-President. A wholly different type of person to our Richard, much to the world's cost.

Here is a resource on the doings of the VP - aka Limp Dick. There are a number of articles on the site, including material on the Libby trial such as this.

The media are now keenly aware that it is not just Scooter Libby on trial; he is also the proxy for a Vice President whose credibility and reputation, already damaged, are being destroyed by one revelation after another. Last night, the major networks/cable channels covered this as a lead story, and PBS' News Hour devoted a large segment to it.

With ironic justice Chris Matthews devoted an entire hour to discussing the Libby trial and its implications for Vice President Cheney. After all, it was Matthews' July 2003 Hardball segment questioning Mr. Cheney's role in the Bush Administration’s WMD deception that provoked an angry phone call from the VP's Chief of Staff to NBC’s Tim Russert. Cheney was angry at any suggestion that he may have known about Joe Wilson's Africa trip, and it was Scooter’s job to express the Vice President's displeasure to Russert and NBC. But it was this phone call that may now determine whether Libby goes free or to jail, and if the latter, whether we head down a path that could lead inexorably to Dick Cheney’s resignation. We are almost there, but not quite.

Cheney's the one.

Here is one on Bush and Cheney's dirty secrets. It is an interview with former CIA official Troy Drumheller.

With impeachment getting some mentions, here is a story about what would motivate some to take that path.

On the Commander - an assessment of his psyche.

G'day Craig Rowley, here is an article by Leon Hadar on predictions I think you will find interesting. And not just because of the demands for predictions in the last days of Cease fire. Thanks for your efforts there.

And .... "They have a democratic government? Arrest them!" Well, start with the deputy health minister.

There are others who should be at the head of the list for arrest. See above material and this entire thread.

Where the finger points.

Submitted by Bob Wall on February 8, 2007 - 5:34am.

Time to check progress in the trial. And the fingers are pointing at the WH .

This.

But there are other areas that need to be investigated - this is the Bush Administration, after all.

On fixing intel.

The chief counsel to the committee that investigated abuses of power by President Richard Nixon in the 1970s tells RAW STORY he’d like to see asimilar inquiry into clandestine intelligence operations under President George W. Bush.

Frederick A.O. Schwarz, who presently works as Senior Counsel at the New York University School of Law’s Brennan Center for Social Justice, served as chief counsel to the Church Committee from 1975-1976. The committee drew its name from Senator Frank Church (D-ID) (in photo), who led the massive probe into abuses of power by US intelligence agencies.

When asked by RAW STORY in an interview last week about whether a deeper inquiry into the activities of the intelligence community akin to the work of the Church Committee would be appropriate, Schwarz said, “I think it’s a very good idea.”

“One thing that needs to be looked at is the conduct of the intelligence agencies on subjects like warrantless wiretapping and ‘rendition’ for torture,” he said. “One important issue is the actual conduct of the agencies, and the other is the ‘command and control’ questions – how were they authorized, or were they authorized? And if so, who were their bosses, the Department of Defense, or the White House?” he added.

Schwarz also believes Congress should tackle the concept of presidential power espoused by the Bush White House.

This might help.

A long awaited Pentagon Inspector General's report into the Office of Special Plans and its activities surrounding pre-war intelligence in the lead up to the Iraq war has been completed, RAW STORY has learned.

According to sources close to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the classified version of the Pentagon IG's report will be released to committee members Friday. Two to three declassified pages may also be concurrently released to the public.

A Senate aide on the committee, while not commenting on particular questions regarding the IG’s report, confirmed that a major focal point involves former Deputy Undersecretary for Defense Policy Douglas Feith – a keystone of the Administration’s intelligence on Iraq and director of the notoriously secretive Pentagon Office of Special Plans from September 2002 to June 2003.

Feith announced his resignation in January 2005, a week after the New Yorker’s Seymour Hersh accused him of working with Israeli officials to select potential targets for a preemptive Iran strike.

Where did the money go?

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), leading a Congressional review of possible U.S. waste and fraud in Iraq, sought answers from former Iraq Provisional Authority leader L. Paul Bremer today.

"House Democrats, taking charge of investigations now that they control Congress, grilled the former U.S. occupation chief in Iraq on Tuesday about the way he doled out billions of Iraqi dollars without accounting for the money," the Associated Press reports.

Over $4 billion in cash, which came from Iraqi oil exports and other sources, was sent by the Federal Reserve to Baghdad on pallets aboard U.S. military planes just before government control was given back to the Iraqis, Reuters says. The bills reportedly weighed hundreds of tons.

"Who in their right mind would send 363 tons of cash into a war zone? But that's exactly what our government did," Waxman said, according to Reuters.

Sort of pennies from Heaven after accounting for inflation.

Now to the question that puzzles everyone - when does Richard Tonkin sleep?

Raging inferno in trouser region?

Submitted by Bob Wall on January 31, 2007 - 8:33am.

More from the trial and Judith Miller's testimony - here and here and here.

Dan Froomkin on the unraveling of Dick Cheney.

The Commander on climate change. And

Bleak report on Iraq.

Way past time for action.

Has Ari helped scupper Scooter?

Submitted by Bob Wall on January 30, 2007 - 1:43pm.

Ari Fleischer has testified at the Libby trial. Accounts of his testimony are here and here.

Not good for Scooter. Tomorrow Judith Miller testifies.

Meanwhile, more power to the President.

A Senator has said Limp Dick is delusional. Maureen Dowd thinks he did not go far enough.

IMO, he deserves the serve.

As to serves, we have witnessed a great deal of demonisation by the US and others about certain states, from the "axis of evil" designation and "rogue states" on. Here is an article to give a bit of perspective.

Some might not like the content, but can they honestly refute it?

Trial and tribulation.

Submitted by Bob Wall on January 26, 2007 - 1:40pm.

To the Libby trial:

David Corn. A primer.

Jason Leopold.

From Huffpo.

International Herald Tribune.

From proceedings so far, things are not going well for Libby.

Here is a different take on the US military.

Being
a military thinker of the profoundest sort, I offer the following
manual of martial affairs for nations yearning to copy the American
way of war. Read it carefully. Great clarity will result. The steps
limned below will facilitate disaster without imposing the burden
of reinventing it. The Pentagon may print copies for distribution.

(1) Underestimate
the enemy. Fortunately this is easy when a technologically advanced
power prepares to attack an underdeveloped nation. Its enemy's citizens
will readily be seen as gadgetless, primitive, probably genetically
stupid, and hardly worth the attention of a real military.

(2) Avoid learning
anything about the enemy – his culture, religion, language, history,
or response to past invasions. These things don’t matter since
the enemy is gadgetless, primitive, and probably genetically stupid.
Anyway, knowledge would only make the enlisted ranks restive, and
confuse the officer corps.

Blank ignorance
of the language is especially desirable (as well as virtually guaranteed).
For one thing, it will allow your troops to be seen as brutal invaders
having nothing in common with the population; this helps in winning
hearts and minds. For another, it will allow English-speaking officials
of the puppet government to vet such information about the country
as they permit you to have.

And so forth. Different, but not, I suggest, inaccurate.

On the Bush presidency - worse to come.

And people will continue to die ... and the waters will continue to rise.

Basement - Menswear, Combustible trousers.

Submitted by Bob Wall on January 25, 2007 - 4:32pm.

At the trial, it will be a matter of finding a way through the fog of lies. Well, it is a perjury trial. Some will take that oh so literally.

From the NYTimes. Hints of intrigue and betrayal.

Ex-CIA Official testifies.

Limp Dick interviewed by Wolf Blitzer - call it the State of Delusion address. (see next item).

Here is a response to claims made by the veep.

From Tom Engelhardt - Elizabeth De la Vega - Lying and spying.

Carl Bernstein on the damage done and a comparison with Nixon.

Robert Scheer - Stop him.

Stop him before he kills again. That is the judgment of the American people, and indeed of the entire world, as to the performance of our president, and no State of the Union address can erase that dismal verdict.

President Bush has accomplished what Osama bin Laden only dreamed of by disgracing the model of American democracy in the eyes of the world. According to an exhaustive BBC poll, nearly three-quarters of those polled in 25 countries oppose the Bush policy on Iraq, and more than two-thirds believe the U.S. presence in the Middle East destabilizes the region.

In other words, the almost universal support the United States enjoyed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks has been completely squandered, as a majority of the world’s people now believe that our role in the entire world is negative.

Time is wasting.

Another WH leak - the SOTU.

Submitted by Bob Wall on January 24, 2007 - 12:45pm.

Appearing on at least two sites is the alleged full text of the SOTU speech which had been embargoed until delivery.

And the proposed Dem reply by Senator Jim Webb.

John Murtha on Iraq.

World opinion poll on the mess.

US opinion.

Some analysis of Bush proposals.

And it was said that Limp Dick would be central to The Trial - here is some news. Video and transcript.

Going to be a very interesting trial.

The trial.

Submitted by Bob Wall on January 24, 2007 - 5:58am.

Dear readers, the "Scooter" Libby trial has begun and the time has come for the Irises to end its summer break and cover what is the central theme of this thread. To Kerryn, g'day and the time has come.

Jason Leopold with the background.

The first order of business to note in the trial process was the selection of a jury.

Down to business.

WASHINGTON - Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald used his opening statement in the CIA leak trial Tuesday to allege that Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff lied and destroyed a note showing Cheney's early involvement.

Fitzgerald said Cheney told his chief of staff, “Scooter” Libby, in 2003 that Wilson’s wife worked for the CIA and Libby spread that information to reporters. When that information got out, it triggered a federal investigation.

“But when the FBI and grand jury asked about what the defendant did,” Fitzgerald said, “he made up a story.”

Lots of stories have been - and are being - made up.

The sacrificial lamb(?).

Top White House officials tried to blame vice presidential aide "Scooter" Libby for the 2003 leak of a CIA operative's identity to protect President Bush's political strategist, Karl Rove, Libby's defense attorney said Tuesday as his perjury trial began.

It would not surprise me if they did. Not a lot of honour amongst this crew.

Stay tuned.

Holiday Reading.

Submitted by Bob Wall on December 21, 2006 - 7:23am.

For those not too busy with other concerns I present an omnibus of articles for you delectation. Some should beware, however, that the omnibus does not run them over.

Where better to start than with Tom Engelhardt, an omnibus on his own - or perhaps an articulated vehicle. Here he draws parallels with Vietnam in a piece titled Good Evening, Vietnam.

Tariq Ali is an appropriate next contributor - The War is Lost.

Chris Floyd.

Justin Raimondo - Napoleon in the White House. Or should it be (deep) in the outhouse. Up to his criminal, delusional neck?

Gabriel Kolko - Rumsfeld and the American Way of War.

The Commander sees a hint of reality.

Then the follow up.

Not forgetting Condi "Mushroom Cloud" Rice.

Should stick with the bananas and leave the mushrooms alone.

Segue to Robert Scheer - Bush Can't Kick the Habit.

On the core theme of this thread - Limp Dick is to be a witness at the Libby trial. Something to look forward to in the New Year.

The machinations of the neocons - a plan not adopted. Changes ahead?

Perhaps a counter-Lobby.

Now that could be an interesting development and might cause a change of direction. Less of this?

Someone said something about someone starting a war - there are alternate opinions.

Enjoy the reading. There might be material that some do not like, but who will make a fuss? The liars, imbeciles and Likudniks?

To regulars, have an enjoyable festive season.

Madison Blues.

Submitted by Bob Wall on December 19, 2006 - 3:07pm.

Or - The aliens have landed. DemocracyNow! devotes its program to Howard Zinn on learning from history.

Audio, video and transcript.

Meanwhile, back in DC some are talking about a surge. Others see problems.

W. Patrick Lang and Ray McGovern.

Colin Powell. Video.

The polls are surging as well - downwards.

The WH responds.

The White House took a step back Monday from
President Bush's confident assertion two months ago that "absolutely,
we're winning" the war in Iraq.

"I'm not playing the game any more," said
White House press secretary Tony Snow. "It's one of those things where
you end up ... trying to summarize a complex situation with a single
word or gerund, and — or even a participle."

Someone finds the ISG Report a case of deja vu.

The new Secdef is off to Iraq.

Robert Gates assumed the helm at the Pentagon on Monday, warning in his
first public remarks as defense secretary that failure in Iraq would be
a "calamity" that would haunt the United States for years.

Would be?

Is?

Here is an article by William Blum which should be of interest to Craig Rowley (G'day) - Designer Monsters.

Interesting poll results in Iran as well, Craig.

A big G'day to Angela - firing away earlier in her inimitable fashion.

A follow up to earlier items on the proposed Bush Presidential Library - objections have been raised.

The likelihood that the George W. Bush presidential library will be
located at SMU has not been welcome news for at least one segment of
the university community. A letter, dated December 16, from "Faculty,
Administrators, & Staff" of the Perkins School of Theology to R.
Gerald Turner, president of the Board of Trustees, is now circulating
not only on the SMU campus but also among a wider academic community,
urging the board to "reconsider and to rescind SMU's pursuit of the
presidential library."

Texas Monthly has obtained a copy of this
letter, which, as you might expect, focuses heavily on objections to
Bush's policies: "We count ourselves among those who would regret to
see SMU enshrine attitudes and actions widely deemed as ethically
egregious: degradation of habeas corpus, outright denial of global
warming, flagrant disregard for international treaties, alienation of
long-term U.S. allies, environmental predation, shameful disrespect for
gay persons and their rights, a pre-emptive war based on false and
misleading premises, and a host of other erosions of respect for the
global human community and for this good Earth on which our flourishing
depends."

There's more. Interesting comments as well.

And now ... Jon Stewart interviews Fareed Zakaria on Iraq and Bush ("He needs a therapist"). Two part video. Also some other TDS segments linked.

Tough times, but it will all work out in a few centuries. Or so the theory goes - see above video.

You must live on another planet Bob Wall

Submitted by Jay White on December 16, 2006 - 1:32pm.

Bob Wall posts this link calling it how it can be done..

Two questions:

1. Is this guy serious or is this link a joke?

2. Is this guy serious or is this link a joke?

Look, all political parties and their members have disagreements. The GOP is a broad church and no doubt some are not happy about the Bush/ Cheney team. Even a small minority may even wish to see a changed team.

However, this guy blows it all out of the water when he says:

Now, if the Republicans start facing their unpleasant reality, that they MUST initiate the removal from office of Bush and Cheney, it is likely that they will want to negotiate. They might want to get the Dems to authorize a replacement for Cheney, before Bush and Cheney resign. They might ask for approval of a Republican vice presidential replacement.

Of course, this is wild speculation. But it would take the bite out of the Republican loss, if they could keep the executive branch. The possibilities are pretty wild.

The Dems could approve a republican VP who would become president, if a Democratic VP were also agreed upon.

Or the Dems could approve a democratic VP who would become president, if a Republican VP were also agreed upon.

Of course, if the Dems hold firm and insist on removal of Bush and Cheney, then Nancy Pelosi would become president.

What – not only should Republicans get rid of a democratically elected executive branch they should then install Democratic leadership? I mean, why even bother voting is what this clown should be asking. But no, it gets even worse:

Hmm. Who would they suggest? Jeb Bush? No. I don't think so. Trent Lott? No way. Forget about McCain, Giuliani, or Romney and leave Ahnold out while we're at it. If this wild scenario were to occur, a blue state republican governor might be a possible candidate, or one of the few remaining moderate Republicans, like Olympia Snowe.

So now this guy is suggesting who cannot be President. Even people who will be running for democratic office in two years. Many of them with very little to do with Bush and Cheney. Like I said, why bother voting?

And this clown calls himself democratic. Why does he not insist all Republicans march to Washington burning their member’s cards and joining the Democrats? We could all rejoice in a one party state. Nah recent victory has not gone to any of these people’s heads…

It is exactly this ugly presumptuous and anti democratic mindset that will see the GOP again returned to the Oval Office in 2008.

The albatross in the room.

Submitted by Bob Wall on December 16, 2006 - 12:26pm.

Time to catch up with views about and what to do about the Commander. Starting with the piece that gave me the subject header.

Early in this thread I suggested it might be the GOP that has to get rid of Bush - here is an article on that and how it can be done.

Bush's contempt.

The grassroots movement for impeachment.

John Dean on impeachment.

George Monbiot on US torture.

You might like a re-think Bob Wall?

Submitted by Jay White on December 10, 2006 - 10:32am.

Bob Wall Oh yes and one last thing. Before you start proclaiming victory and celebrating the Democrat resurgence it may be an apt time to remind you just who they are indebted to for the resurgence.

People such as Jim Webb:

A 1968 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Webb was a Marine Corps infantry officer until 1972, and is a highly decorated Vietnam War combat veteran. During his four years with the Reagan administration, Webb served as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, then as Secretary of the Navy. Webb won the Democratic nomination for the 2006 Virginia Senate race by defeating Harris Miller in the primary, then won the general election by defeating the Republican incumbent, George Allen.

Jim Webb just happens to be about the most pro military spending one can get. He actually resigned his post because he refused to cut spending on the US Navy. He also happens to be staunchly pro Reagan and along with Reagan very anti communist. Along with this he was highly critical of John Kerry for opposing the Vietnam war. He is in fact a "Southern Democrat" down to his boot straps.

Actually I think you should find out more about "Southern Democrats" and what it is they actually believe. Given as I personally identify with this grouping (old style) without the racist overtones I suspect that you would have little in common with them. In fact, I am certain of it. Since you enjoy clues here is one for you. Read up a little more on LBJ.

Finally Webb despised "neo conservatism" above all else. The reason? It was the most left wing thing he had ever seen. Let's just say old fashion conservative values will be making a big return. In my opinion they should never have gone away.

Watching you praise these people Mr Wall reminds me of a old time twilight zone episode. The one that ends with "who ever said this was heaven"?

Bagdad Bob right?

Submitted by Jay White on December 10, 2006 - 9:05am.

Bob Wall posting a link to the seriously comical "Bagdad Bob". Linked page ending with this quote "Lord help us, but Baghdad Bob was right".

Um come again? Methinks someone is getting a little ahead of themselves here. Let's go back to the quotes attributed to the comical Bob:

"God will roast their stomachs in hell at the hands of the Iraqis"; "The midget Bush and Rumsfeld deserve only to be beaten with shoes by freedom-loving people everywhere"; "Washington has thrown their soldiers on the fire"; and "I speak better English than this villain Bush."

Nice quotes but just a few minor points:

1. The US is still there.

2. The have just completed the largest embassy ever built. So a pretty strong presence one would say.

3. Nobody in any postion of power in the US is talking of packing up and leaving everything.

4. Rather then "roasting the stomachs of Americans" the best fighting in town is between Iraqis. At this rate of attrition they best hope the "Yanks" don't start breeding. We might end up with the fifty-first State.

5. Bob's boss is awaiting hanging.

6. All the terrorist attacks are taking place in Iraq. So let's face it the enemy is not hard to find. Some may have forgot to notice, but there are no terrorist attacks happening in the US. Actually since 9/11 none have taken place. A better record than even Clinton had.

The war lost? I would not be proclaiming "Bob" a future seer just yet.

Trials and tribulations.

Submitted by Bob Wall on December 10, 2006 - 5:54am.

Tom Engelhardt brings us Karen Greenberg on implicit confessions.

Confession, the time-honored, soul-soothing last resort for those caught in error, may not survive the Bush administration. It has, after all, long made a mockery of such revelations by manufacturing an entire lexicon of coercive techniques to elicit often non-existent "truths" that would justify its detention policies. And yet, without being coerced in any way, administration officials have been confessing continually these past years -- in documents that may someday play a part in their own confrontation with justice.

The Bush administration trail of confessions can be found in the most unlikely of places -- the very memos and policy statements in which its officials were redefining reality in their search for the perfect (and perfectly grim) extractive methods that would give them the detainee confessions they so eagerly sought. These were the very documents that led first to Gitmo, then to Abu Ghraib, and finally deep into the hidden universe of pain that was their global network of secret prisons.

Meanwhile, back at the courthouse, the judge ponders an unprecedented matter ...

A federal judge on Friday appeared reluctant to give Donald H. Rumsfeld immunity from torture allegations, yet said it would be unprecedented to let the departing defense secretary face a civil trial.

"What you're asking for has never been done before," U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan told lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union.

The group is suing on behalf of nine former prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. The lawsuit contends the men were beaten, suspended upside down from the ceiling by chains, urinated on, shocked, sexually humiliated, burned, locked inside boxes and subjected to mock executions.

Throw away the key!

On Foleygate (Foley tailgate?) someone seems to have not been completely honest.

According to the “Investigation of Allegations Related to Improper Conduct Involving Members and Current or Former House Pages” (what's become known as the “Page Report”), in October 2001 Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) received--and tried to suppress--sexually-explicit communications sent by Rep. Mark Foley to a House page Kolbe had sponsored the previous semester.

On lies and reality.

Money was said to not buy love, can't always buy seats in Congress either.

In the final two-and-a-half weeks of the midterm election, the GOP spent a staggering amount of money -- nearly $40 million -- on House races without picking up a single seat and while losing 29 of them to the Dems, according to new campaign finance filings analyzed by CQ Politics.

Of course, if the product is on the nose, no amount of money will help.

Impeachment - It's a democracy issue.

The last word in this post goes to "Baghdad Bob". Remember him? Remember how people laughed at his pronouncements? Well .....

On yer bike.

Submitted by Bob Wall on December 6, 2006 - 5:52am.

Or Rummy's last stand - Tom Engelhardt of Rummy's memo.

Here are just three last-stand aspects of the memo that have been largely or totally overlooked in most reporting:

1. "Begin modest withdrawals of U.S. and Coalition forces
(start ‘taking our hand off the bicycle seat'), so Iraqis know they
have to pull up their socks, step up and take responsibility for their
country."

From the early, carefree, "stuff happens"
period of the occupation comes the wonderfully patronizing image
embedded in this mixed metaphor of a passage -- though I suppose Iraqis
perched on bike seats could indeed have crumpled socks. The image of
the Iraqi (child) learning how to ride the bike of democracy -- or
whatever -- with the American (parent) looming behind, hand steadying
the seat, was already not just a neocolonial, but a neocon classic by
the time the President used it back in May 2004. (In fact, in an even
more infantilizing fashion, he spoke of taking the "training wheels" off the Iraqi bike.)

Many others in the administration proudly used it as well. Rumsfeld in his rococo fashion elaborated wildly on the image in a speech to U.S. troops that same year:

"Getting Iraq straightened out… was like teaching a kid
to ride a bike: ‘They're learning, and you're running down the street
holding on to the back of the seat. You know that if you take your hand
off they could fall, so you take a finger off and then two fingers, and
pretty soon you're just barely touching it. You can't know when you're
running down the street how many steps you're going to have to take. We
can't know that, but we're off to a good start.'"

And now, long after kids stopped riding bikes in Iraq and started
ending up dead in ditches, our nearly former Defense Secretary just
couldn't help cycling back to the good old days.

That was just number 1. Read on.

Another favourite - DemocracyNow! covers items such as Bolton's bolt - hear the Commander extol what a great job Bonkers did - sort of "Heckuva job , Brownie" equivalent. Then onto Gates - includes interview with two former members of the CIA, including Ray McGovern.

On the character of the Commander - recall a previous story about a confrontation between Bush and Senator elect Webb over a question Bush asked about Webb's son which Webb took as insensitive. Well, it seems that the Commander was briefed on the close call Webb's son had had in Iraq and warned to be extra sensitive.

A history of the US use of torture.

An interview with Kofi Annan.

Something to hide? Here is what happens when you lodge a FOI request for a WH visitors list.

Another one for Craig (G'day) - "Leave US Alone" say Iranian reformers.

Well, who would want to be the target of Bush's Spencerian foreign policy (Frank Spencer, that is)?

Bolton Bolts, Bush Bonkers?

Submitted by Bob Wall on December 5, 2006 - 5:50am.

US ambassador to the UN John "Bonkers" Bolton has resigned in the wake of not being confirmed by the Senate.

Meanwhile, Frank Rich is wondering whether Bush is bonkers and talking to the walls.

Tom Engelhardt on the ISG.

But Hadley says "We have not failed".

Iran the winners? Saudis to oppose?

The gulf's two military powers, Sunni-Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, are lining up behind their warring religious brethren in Iraq in a potentially explosive showdown, as expectations grow in both countries that America is preparing a pull-out of its troops.

The Saudis are understood to be considering providing Sunni military leaders with funding, logistical support and even arms, as Iran already does for Shia militia in Iraq.

The strategy — outlined in an article last week by Nawaf Obaid, a senior security adviser to the kingdom's government — risks spiralling into a proxy war between Saudi and Iranian-backed factions in the next development in Iraq's vicious sectarian conflict.

Saudi Arabia, America's closest ally in the Arab world, is considering backing anti-US insurgents because it is so alarmed that Sunnis in Iraq will be left to their fate — military and political — at the hands of the Shia majority.

However, a Saudi government spokesman said yesterday that Mr Obaid's view "does not reflect the kingdom's policy, which uphold the security, unity and stability of Iraq with all its sects."

G'day Craig, one of the possible outcomes from the reckless Iraq venture. Anything could happen. Raises the question yet again, was the US suckered? Oh, and crossing to your thread - I saw the latest letter - President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad to the US. Some people will be fuming about it but it was there hubris that has led to such a lecture being given.

Ray McGovern on Gates.

James K Galbraith on the dollar.

Meanwhile, back at the White House:

"No, I want that deck chair over there."

Stark contrasts.

Submitted by Bob Wall on December 3, 2006 - 7:15am.

First there is the Commander.

Paul Craig Roberts - Is the President Sane?

Bush's Manifest Destiny.

Worst President ever.

Now the contrast - The Olbermann effect.

And the man in action, taking aim in a Special Comment at New Gingrich and controlling (???!!!!) the internet. Oh and exploiting fear to wind back freedom. Video and transcript.

Corrupt! All is corrupt.

The Iraqi government is in danger of being brought down by the wholesale smuggling of the nation's oil and other forms of corruption that together represent a "second insurgency", according to a senior US official. Stuart Bowen, who has been in charge of auditing Iraq's faltering reconstruction since 2004, said corruption had reached such levels that it threatened the survival of the state.

"There is a huge smuggling problem. It is the No 1 issue," Mr Bowen told the Guardian. The pipelines that are meant to take the oil north have been blown up, so the only way to export it is by road. "That leaves it vulnerable to smuggling," he said, as truckers sell their cargoes on the black market.

Mr Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (Sigir), cites Iraqi figures showing that the "virtual pandemic" of corruption costs the country $4bn (£2.02bn) a year, and some of that money goes straight to the Iraqi government's enemies. A US government report has concluded that oil smuggling abetted by corrupt Iraqi officials is netting insurgents $100m a year, helping to make them financially self-sustaining.

There is mention of the activities of US corporations, including you know who.

Speaking of whom, here is a cartoon that links them to the proposed extravagant Presidential Library. G'day Richard, I think you'll like this.

And questions are being asked of the nominee for Defsec's business interests.

G'day Craig Rowley, here is an item about claims about Iran's nuclear program. It is by Gordon Prather.

Robert Dreyfuss on the ISG report and what it means.

To sum up - a mess.

Some weekend reading above for those who won't be glued to coverage of the test.

Just in - a Rummy memo two days before he "resigned" - it's not working."

“In my view it is time for a major adjustment,” wrote Mr. Rumsfeld, who has been a symbol of a dogged stay-the-course policy. “Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough.”

Nor did Mr. Rumsfeld seem confident that the administration would readily develop an effective alternative. To limit the political fallout from shifting course he suggested the administration consider a campaign to lower public expectations.

“Announce that whatever new approach the U.S. decides on, the U.S. is doing so on a trial basis,” he wrote. “This will give us the ability to readjust and move to another course, if necessary, and therefore not ‘lose.’ ”

“Recast the U.S. military mission and the U.S. goals (how we talk about them) — go minimalist,” he added. Mr. Rumsfeld’s memo suggests frustration with the pace of turning over responsibility to the Iraqi authorities; in fact, the memo calls for examination of ideas that roughly parallel troop withdrawal proposals presented by some of the White House’s sharpest Democratic critics.

Includes link to full text of the memo.

Tom Engelhardt and Part III

Submitted by Bob Wall on December 1, 2006 - 4:47pm.

Tom Engelhardt and Part III of Elizabeth De la Vega's case against Bush.

To the Iraq situation and here is a copy of a memo by NSA Stephen Hadley.

On the ISG report:

From the Washington Post.(vis Huffpo)

The NYTimes (via ICH)

Robert Scheer - Learning to Live With the Ayatollahs.

Tom Hayden on Iraq and a peaceful coup.

PM Carpenter on the loneliness of high office and asking the wrong question.

On the segment dealing with the Bush/Webb confrontation, had Webb "slugged the Commander, as he was tempted to do, could we have seen a Flying High moment? Recall the scene with the hysterical woman and the passengers lined up to take their shot.

And another ruling of Unconstitutional behaviour.

More machines for the Library.

Unconstitutional.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 30, 2006 - 8:44am.

Part II of Elizabeth De la Vega's case against Bush - The Indictment.

And here is a real case.

A federal judge in Los Angeles, who previously struck down sections of
the Patriot Act, has ruled that provisions of an anti-terrorism order
issued by President George W. Bush after September 11 are
unconstitutional.

U.S.
District Judge Audrey Collins found that part of the law, signed by
Bush on September 23, 2001 and used to freeze the assets of terrorist
organizations, violated the Constitution because it put no apparent
limit on the president's powers to place groups on that list.

They better order more shredding machines for the proposed Presidential Library.

To Iraq and Ray McGovern - Gates, Hadley: More of the Same.

On the School of the Americas.

CIA over Europe (Come fly with me).

Just in and G'day Craig Rowley, for whom this might have particular relevance:

Iran and Iraq reach security agreement.

Not in the US game plan I suggest.

Cases to be made and a legacy to protect.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 28, 2006 - 9:47am.

From Tom Engelhardt Part 1 of Elizabeth De la Vega's case of fraud against Bush.

Obviously, as a private citizen, I cannot simply draft and file an indictment. Nor can I convene a grand jury. Instead, in the following pages I intend to present a hypothetical indictment to a hypothetical grand jury. The defendants are President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. The crime is tricking the nation into war--in legal terms, conspiracy to defraud the United States. And all of you are invited to join the grand jury.

But what about a war crimes trial?

While Bush administration members have made a sport of breaking the law, both domestically and internationally, their intransigence will come back to haunt - one way or another.

The Bush Doctrine of taking "the battle to the enemy," for example, is a direct repudiation of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of international force unless in self-defense (after an armed attack across an international border) or related to a UN Security Council decision. And that explains why Bush’s 2002 National Security Strategy makes a point to "protect Americans" from "the potential for investigations, inquiry, or prosecution" by the International Criminal Court "whose jurisdiction does not extend to Americans and which we do not accept."

The whole idea of the US being able to preemptively attack other nations was penned by White House lawyers two weeks after 9/11; former justice department lawyer John Yoo wrote memos for then-White House counsel Alberto Gonzales arguing that "no limits" stood in the way of Bush’s ability to take military action and that "the president’s decisions are for him alone and are unreviewable."

But giving someone like Bush "unreviewable" and unlimited military powers is reckless; the man can barely construct a sentence, let alone articulate a humane and effective foreign policy.

Besides, a "no limits" approach to foreign policy can’t coexist with rule of law, which explains why just last week, US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff accused the United Nations and other world bodies of using international law "as a rhetorical weapon against us." Chertoff co-authored the infamous Patriot Act but is best known for his stunning incompetence regarding Katrina. If only he had been as eager to protect Americans from hurricanes as he is to protect them from global treaties...

Chertoff’s view of international law as a threat to the US is supported by Rumsfeld’s 2005 National Defense Strategy, which notes: "Our strength as a nation state will continue to be challenged by those who employ a strategy of the weak using international fora, judicial processes and terrorism."

In other words, the Pentagon links "judicial processes" with "terrorism," and sees "judicial processes" as weakening the US "nation state." What kind of nonsense is that?

And what is the Commander looking ahead to? The most lavish Presidential Library of all. Yes, the man who when walking looks like he is searching for a coherent thought wants to raise $500 milliuon for his library. That's a gobsmacker worth some speculation on the possible contents.

Here are some ideas:

A whole section devoted to "My Pet Goat", perhaps 100,000 leather bound copies for those remaining Bush supporters;

An interactive section where a long line of document shredders are placed, each with a pile of copies of the Constitution for the public to pretend they are Bush in office;

A series of pitch dark rooms where people are secreted with their escape clause being that if they can find the telephone and call a lawyer they will be released. Trick is, there would not be a telephone in the room.

But will there be a bar in the Library?

American Exceptionalism.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 26, 2006 - 10:23am.

Howard Zinn looks at the history of the belief that America was exceptional.

The notion of American exceptionalism — that the United States alone has the right, whether by divine sanction or moral obligation, to bring civilization, or democracy, or liberty to the rest of the world, by violence if necessary—is not new. It started as early as 1630 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony when Governor John Winthrop uttered the words that centuries later would be quoted by Ronald Reagan. Winthrop called the Massachusetts Bay Colony a “city upon a hill.” Reagan embellished a little, calling it a “shining city on a hill.”

The idea of a city on a hill is heartwarming. It suggests what George Bush has spoken of: that the United States is a beacon of liberty and democracy. People can look to us and learn from and emulate us.

In reality, we have never been just a city on a hill. A few years after Governor Winthrop uttered his famous words, the people in the city on a hill moved out to massacre the Pequot Indians. Here’s a description by William Bradford, an early settler, of Captain John Mason’s attack on a Pequot village.

Those that escaped the fire were slain with the sword, some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so as they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped. It was conceived that they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire and the streams of blood quenching the same, and horrible was the stink and scent thereof; but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the praise thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them, thus to enclose their enemies in their hands and give them so speedy a victory over so proud and insulting an enemy.

The kind of massacre described by Bradford occurs again and again as Americans march west to the Pacific and south to the Gulf of Mexico. (In fact our celebrated war of liberation, the American Revolution, was disastrous for the Indians. Colonists had been restrained from encroaching on the Indian territory by the British and the boundary set up in their Proclamation of 1763. American independence wiped out that boundary.)

Note the last point in the above extract - this suggests that some might have seen throwing off British rule as an opportunity to avail themselves of land and resources belonging to others. Plus ca change.

K Gajendra Singh on the mess the US has made for itself.

The mess Iraq could create for its neighbours.

More on the background of the new SecDef.

The outgoing SecDef authorised abuses.

Gabriel Kolko on a colossal mess.

Now for those who have missed this Oz angle on Iraq involvement - former SAS officer on Howard lies.

THE former SAS officer who devised and executed the Iraq war plan for Australia's special forces says that the nation's involvement has been a strategic and moral blunder.

Peter Tinley, who was decorated for his military service in Afghanistan and Iraq, has broken ranks to condemn the Howard Government over its handling of the war and has called for an immediate withdrawal of Australian troops.

"It was a cynical use of the Australian Defence Force by the Government," the ex-SAS operations officer told The Weekend Australian yesterday.

"This war duped the Australian Defence Force and the Australian people in terms of thinking it was in some way legitimate."

Too true.

Meanwhile, "the crowd is flocking into the 'Gabba." Would include some flocking Poms, who wish to witness a flocking flogging. Sort of like watching Bush forpol.

And what of Afghanistan? The forgotten war (Waugh).

Learning difficulty.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 22, 2006 - 9:56pm.

The Commander's comments on the lessons from the Vietnam war have brought another telling response - this time from Robert Scheer.

President Bush has said many dumb things in defense of his Iraq policy. Citing the Vietnam War as a model, however, is perhaps his most ludicrous yet.

This past week found the president sitting before a bust of the victorious Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, seemingly unaware that the United States lost its war with the Communist-led country. Having long and vehemently denied parallels between the invasions of Vietnam and Iraq, he nevertheless admitted now to seeing one.

“Yes,” Bush said. “One lesson is that we tend to want there to be instant success in the world, and the task in Iraq is ... just going to take a long period of time to—for the ideology that is hopeful, and that’s an ideology of freedom, to overcome an ideology of hate.... We’ll succeed, unless we quit.”

Bush seems not to have noticed that we succeeded in Vietnam precisely because we did quit the military occupation of that nation, permitting an ideology of freedom to overcome one of hate. Bush’s rhetoric is frighteningly reminiscent of Richard Nixon’s escalation and expansion of the Vietnam War in an attempt to buy an “honorable” exit with the blood of millions of Southeast Asians and thousands of American soldiers. In the end, a decade of bitter fighting did not prevent an ignominious U.S. departure from Saigon.

Just a part of it. Do we detect a learning difficulty with the Commander?

Speaking of limitations, here is a two-parter from Tomdispatch - Mark Danner Iraq: The War of the Imagination.

"Today, if we went into Iraq, like the president would like us to do, you know where you begin. You never know where you are going to end." -- George F. Kennan, September 26, 2002

Link to Part II at bottom.

So where does it end? Tom Hayden on feelers that have been put out by the US.

Paul Craig Roberts on the Assault on liberty.

George Orwell warned us, but what American would have expected that in the opening years of the 21st century the United States would become a country in which lies and deception by the president and vice president were the basis for a foreign policy of war and aggression, and in which indefinite detention without charges, torture, and spying on citizens without warrants have displaced the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution?

If anyone had predicted that the election of George W. Bush to the presidency would result in an American police state and illegal wars of aggression, he would have been dismissed as a lunatic.

What American ever would have thought that any U.S. president and attorney general would defend torture or that a Republican Congress would pass a bill legalizing torture by the executive branch and exempting the executive branch from the Geneva Conventions?

What American ever would have expected the U.S. Congress to accept the president's claim that he is above the law?

What American could have imagined that if such crimes and travesties occurred, nothing would be done about them and that the media and opposition party would be largely silent?

And on another assault on democracy - whistleblower says you can't trust Diebold.

Meanwhile, as the chaos unfolds in Iraq at great cost in blood and treasure and time, a reminder.

The world has less than a decade to take decisive action in the battle to beat global warming or risk irreversible change that will tip the planet towards catastrophe, a leading climate scientist said on Tuesday.

And the United States, the world' biggest polluter but major climate laggard, has a vital role to play in leading that fight, James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, told Reuters on a visit to London.

"The biggest problem is that the United States is not taking an active leadership role -- quite the reverse," he said.

"We have to be on a fundamentally different path within a decade," said the man who earlier this year caused an outcry when he revealed that scientific warnings on the climate crisis were being rewritten by White House officials.

He said reliance on -- and growing use of -- fossil fuels like coal both in the United States and in boom economy China had to be stopped and reversed to avoid the planet's climate tipping into catastrophe with floods, droughts and famines.

Dirty deeds done.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 22, 2006 - 5:57am.

A follow up to Sy Hersh's recent article - posted by Craig Rowley (G'day) on his thread - DemocracyNow! has this interview with Hersh. Covers Iran, Rummy, Limp Dick, Gates etc. Video and transcript.

Salon has the top dirty deeds done by the GOP in 2006.

Despite the apparent attempt to rig the election and the dirty tricks, too many people had had enough.

Too many lies and frauds - an interview with Michael Isikoff on his book on the selling of the Iraq war.

Whilst US policy makers discuss ways and means about Iraq, here is the latest survey of Iraqi opinion.

Past surveys have hinted at this result, but a new
poll in Iraq makes it more stark than ever: the Iraqi people want the
U.S. to exit their country. And most Iraqis now approve of attacks on
U.S. forces, even though 94% express disapproval of al-Qaeda.

At one time, this was primarily a call by the Sunni
minority, but now the Shiites have also come around to this view. The
survey by much-respected World Public Opinion (WPO), taken in
September, found that 74% of Shiites and 91% of Sunnis in Iraq want us
to leave within a year. The number of Shiites making this call in
Baghdad, where the U.S. may send more troops to bring order, is even
higher (80%). In contrast, earlier this year, 57% of this same group
backed an "open-ended" U.S. stay.

By a wide margin, both groups believe U.S. forces are
provoking more violence than they're preventing -- and that day-to-day
security would improve if we left.

But what does their opinion matter, they only live there? With all that entails courtesy of the COW.

More contractor shenanigans.

Dogged by serious allegations of human
rights abuses in Iraq, a leading profiteer from the Iraq war engages in intimidation
campaigns against journalists in America who seek to expose its practices.

    Consider the unique problems faced by the corporate suits at CACI International,
a defense contractor whose services have included "coercive" interrogations
of prisoners in Iraq - interrogations most people simply call "torture."

    Think about the image problems a major multinational corporation faces after
becoming inextricably linked with the abuses at Abu Ghraib, a firm whose employees
have contributed to the iconic images of the occupation of Iraq - the symbols
of American cruelty and immorality in an illegal war. What can a company like
that possibly do to protect its brand name after contributing to the greatest
national disgrace since the My Lai massacre?

    CACI's strategy has been two-fold: its flacks have distorted well-documented
facts in the public record beyond recognition, and its senior management has
lawyered up, suing or threatening to sue just about every journalist, muckraker
and government watchdog who's dared to shine a light on the firm's unique role
as a torture profiteer.

On the matter of torture - Ron Suskind interviewed.

Gotta keep spreading that democracy fellas. Or is it something else entirely they have been spreading. It sure stinks.

A history lesson.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 21, 2006 - 10:09pm.

The Commander was muttering about lessons learned from the Vietnam war. Keith Olbermann gives him a real history lesson. Video.

As he gets a mention in the above item, here are Kissinger's views on Iraq.

On what might play out in Congress - Ron Suskind Send in the Subpoenas.

Here is a lengthy piece on the crack down on Muslim charities. Charity might begin at home but it can end in a courtroom. A tragic farce.

On the usurpation of power - presidential power vs the Constitution.

Lots of people still dying in Iraq. Hardly needs saying. Oh, for some justice.

G'day Angela, just a quick note on your assessments elsewhere on certain persons - look good to me.

Bob and a very very bizarre passage

Submitted by Jay White on November 18, 2006 - 12:59pm.

Bob Wall "Justice at last for one miscreant - Fla police investigating Michael Foley. You remember, the former Rep who sent emails to boys. Some who are railing about allegations in NSW never had a word to say about the events in DC -not only the behaviour of Foley, but the years of cover-up that are said to have involved senior members of the Grotesque Old Paedophiles, including Karl "Turd Blossom" Rove".

What a odd passage to write.

Stangely I have not seen you wirte one comment about the possible disgraceful goings on in NSW regarding the Labor party. Stanger even, is that I suspect you live in Australia and this should be a little closer to home for you. No children perhaps?

I would have thought a direct reason for the GOP losing the elections was due to the Foley scandal. In fact I would guess that some even switched their votes because of it. I would also guess that many would like not only Foley totally removed but those who had prior knowledge of it. I would be in those ranks.

How about you in regards to the Labor party and the possible cover ups? For a person so loud about "children abuse issues" you are quiet silent on that particular one.

Funny how your link does not even mention the name Karl Rove. Just thought you would put it in for the hell of it, hey?

Finally, why do you feel the need to hide over here and make indirect accusations against "some"? Sure HQ has not gone to Labor training camp?

The 4% non-solution.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 18, 2006 - 8:12am.

An analysis has been done that claims the Republicans tried to fix the recent elections, but did not get the amount required right.

A major undercount of Democratic votes
and an overcount of Republican votes in U.S. House and Senate races
across the country is indicated by an analysis of national exit polling
data, by the Election Defense Alliance (EDA), a national election integrity organization.

These findings have led EDA to issue an urgent call for further
investigation into the 2006 election results and a moratorium on
deployment of all electronic election equipment.

"We see
evidence of pervasive fraud, but apparently calibrated to political
conditions existing before recent developments shifted the political
landscape," said attorney Jonathan Simon, co-founder of Election
Defense Alliance, "so 'the fix' turned out not to be sufficient for the
actual circumstances." Explained Simon, "When you set out to rig an
election, you want to do just enough to win. The greater the shift from
expectations, (from exit polling, pre-election polling, demographics)
the greater the risk of exposure--of provoking investigation. What was
plenty to win on October 1 fell short on November 7.

"The
findings raise urgent questions about the electoral machinery and vote
counting systems used in the United States," according to Sally
Castleman, National Chair of EDA. "This is a nothing less than a
national indictment of the vote counting process in the United States!"

And is Rove on the way out?

Dems seek torture document.

In a letter addressed to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, soon to
be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has
requested the release of documents that outline the Bush
Administration's interrogation policies.

If the request is not met, the Democratically-controlled judiciary
will have the option to subpoena when the new congress begins in
January.

The documents, which have long been thought to exist by observers
and critics of America's national security policies, were confirmed to
exist as the result of a still-pending Freedom of Information Act
lawsuit by the ACLU.

One of those documents is believed to be a companion piece to the now-infamous August 2002 memorandum which redefined torture and, as a result, broadened the range of interrogation tactics permitted in the field.

"Another impeachable offence."

Here is the Penatagon's view of Rummy's achievements.

Follow the links.

Now for an interesting claim and a suspicion that has lurked in the background of discussions of Iraq - were they suckered?

An al-Qaeda captive deliberately misled the U.S. into attacking Iraq,
an ex-spy is claiming. Under the assumed name Omar Nasiri, the former
double agent detailed last night on a BBC program and in a new book his
infiltration of terrorist organizations over a decade and what he
learned about their strategies.

...

Nasiri adds to the story with his contention that Libi intentionally
lied to provoke the U.S. to invade Iraq in hopes of overthrowing Saddam
and establishing Iraq as the center of a massive jihad.

If true, it worked.

Here is an item that might amuse or bemuse, the comments of the outgoing chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on global warming. Video and transcript. Read the comments.

“God’s still up there,” Inhofe said, and to the extent there is warming going on, it is “due to the sun.”

So it's all OK then?

Undoing the damage.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 17, 2006 - 8:20pm.

The Democrats have begun the process of undoing the damage done to underpinnings of democracy wrought by the Bush administration. They are targeting the Detainee law.

Gearing up for a
major clash with the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress,
several key Senate Democrats are planning to overhaul the newly minted
legislation governing military tribunals of detainees.

Even before it was signed into the law
last month, Democrats were criticizing the military commission bill as
unconstitutional and a magnet or endless legal challenges.

Defense lawyers working on behalf of
military detainees at Guantanamo Bay quickly filed suits with the U.S.
District Court challenging the constitutionality of the tribunal bill
because it suspends the writ of habeas corpus, a court order that would
allow detainees to have the legality of their detention reviewed in
court to determine whether they should be released from custody.

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who is
running for president and who, come January, will be the second ranking
Democrat on the International Relations Committee, introduced
legislation today that would amend the existing law.

Dodd said he’s expecting the legislation to be taken up early next year.

A good start.

And that old source of dirty tricks the School of the Americas (as it was originally known) might fall on hard times.

The talk about bipartisanship might be just more Bushspin.

Here is the Centre For Constitutional Rights website and their case against Rummy and others.

Another good start. Those interested in justice will hope it succeeds (if the evidence warrants success) and others follow.

Iraq uncovered.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 17, 2006 - 3:26pm.

The header refers to aspects of the Iraq war that do not receive much media attention as explained by Tom Engelhardt. Copious quantity of material, as usual.

Norman Solomon on the media trying to prolong the war.

Bush plans one last big push.

But what is really happening in Iraq?

And.

Audio and transcript.

And - choose your partners.

Now for some Rummy material. First, his involvement in "interrogation techniques". Torture to us.

And what about the generals?

Where have all the prisoners gone, long time passing?

Justice at last for one miscreant - Fla police investigating Michael Foley. You remember, the former Rep who sent emails to boys. Some who are railing about allegations in NSW never had a word to say about the events in DC -not only the behaviour of Foley, but the years of cover-up that are said to have involved senior members of the Grotesque Old Paedophiles, including Karl "Turd Blossom" Rove.

Fixing the news.

Appropriate to allow Keith Olbermann to respond on the above Faux item. Video.

Go get 'em.

Time to tend the blooms.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 15, 2006 - 9:28am.

After the pause for election, it is time to get back to work here.

Picking up on the Rumsfeld and co. war crimes issue - the papers have been filed in Germany. Here is DemocracyNow! on the matter. Video and transcript. Includes interview with star witness Janice Karpinski.

Now for the "I" word and why it should happen.

Reasons Congress must investigate the Bush Administration.

Ray McGovern on the ISG - and how it won''t get the US out of Iraq.

What plans to control Iraq?

There were none according to senior Marine.

Detainees have no rights - the Administration spells it out.

Impeachment should be just the starting point.

Note to Mark Sergeant in case I don't get back to the other thread: humble apologies for the misspelling.

To all, lots more to play out over the next 2+ years. So lots more for Irises to report.

Madame Speaker.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 8, 2006 - 2:56pm.

Barring strange events from now on the Dems are projected to have won the House. Even Foxnews says so. So it is likely to result in the first woman Speaker of the House.

In the Senate the Dems are projected to have picked up 3 seats with the chance of gaining more. They need 3 more. It is close.

Governorships have also swung to Dems, including Massachusetts first black governor.

The above projections are based on the coverage of the 5 major networks - ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox.

A high stakes game.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 8, 2006 - 6:35am.

As will be seen from items I will link shortly as well as from the material that has been provided here, there is much at stake in the mid term elections. One commentator heads his piece A national referendum on America's soul. Another looks Americans squarely in the eye and says "we have allowed it to happen". (A paraphrased version).

The latter comment comes from Keith Olbermann and it is appropriate to start with his election eve special comment. Video and transcript. As usual and imo, superb and right on target.

The former comment is from Doug Thompson.

Paul Krugman.

Then there is Robert Parry's warning of a dark future.

Meanwhile as voting proceeds there has been confusion and allegations. or convenience I will link the mainpage of The Huffington Post where a number of stories can be found.

Another example elsewhere is this report that in Virginia the FBI is investigating allegations of voter intimidation.

However Greg Palast thinks polling day shenanigans are minor compared to the preparations made beforehand.

Here are some late polls prior to voting.

Now we wait.

Was that the 'phone?

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 7, 2006 - 2:48pm.

Some cards are falling from sleeves as polling time approaches. One tactic that has raised ire is Robocalling. Here are are few links on the matter:

This.

And this.

Not all that is happening, there is some voter suppression as well.

Even The American Conservative wants the GOP to lose.

I have mused over why they think they can do a "Rummy", ie., take recourse to denial, create their own reality. Arianna Huffington muses over the matter as well, in re an Administration and its spiritual advisers.

Can we hear an old refrain about the Iraq disaster - "We were stabbed in the back."

And now for something completely different ... Well, not exactly but a segue to Python Terry Jones' comparison of Bush to Julius Caesar.

I have thought for some time that life is imitating art but it is tragic when the art is absurdist humour - Satirical sketches now seem almost prophetic.

Down and dirty.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 7, 2006 - 6:29am.

First today DemocracyNow! on electronic voting. Video and transcript.

The second story is on the Saddam verdict.

Further on on electronic voting and a report that was never released in full.

Follow the links - you can even get the full 200 page report.

On the Saddam verdict, Paul Craig Roberts asks for the even application of justice.

Norman Solomon reminds us of an unindicted co-conspirator.

Riverbend's view.

On another thread Richard (G'day) posted an article about Bush claiming victory. Here is a view of the sense in which the US might be winning. Mission accomplished? Always depended on what the mission was.

The public utterances do not always reflect the truth. Robert Parry - Bush Will Say Anything.

And some people do still swallow the crap. Reminds me of an assessment of Bush someone made - "He appeals to the less intelligent half of America".

P M Carpenter - Bush-Cheney's Dishonesty Factory.

Limp Dick is to spend election day hunting with his daughter. First time since that infamous day on which he bagged himself a lawyer. His daughter is to be admired for her courage and familial loyalty. I wonder if an idea has crossed the minds of Black Ops.

Bush is spending the day before the vote in Florida with Katherine Harris for company. Recallling the good old days? Or?

To follow yesterday's item about a certain pastor - here is a video of him preaching against homosexuality.

Note who he would talk to every Monday. And wasn't there an admission he bought meth? Mmmm.

And now for those who would like a lengthy read, an article from NYTimes Magazine on Ahmad Chalabi. Runs to 12 pages. Tries to find out just what he was up to and who he was working for.

Enough to keep people occupied - for a while.

Republicans still very much in the race

Submitted by Jay White on November 6, 2006 - 8:24am.

For a much more realistic and unbiased look at the polls I again suggest this http://www.pollster.com/senate.php

Republican 49, Democrat 47, Toss up 4

Up for grabs Montana, Missouri, Virginia and Maryland. Leiberman is now independent but counted as Dem.

Or this poll http://www.electoral-vote.com/

Republican 49, Democrat 51

Again Leiberman is counted as Dem.

It is a very real chance the Senate may end up a 50/50 split. With Lieberman a shoe in to win he may well become the deciding Senate factor.

If this occurs again the Dems have nobody to blame but themselves.

Can hardly wait for the "conspiracy theories"!

It's not about oil. Oh, hold on.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 6, 2006 - 6:59am.

Lots of items to cover this morning - I'll start with the matter of justification for the war against Iraq. Recall the denials about oil being the reason? Here is an article on the matter .. and a little bit of inconsistency.

During the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, President Bush and his aides sternly dismissed suggestions that the war was all about oil. "Nonsense," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld declared. "This is not about that," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
Now, more than 3 1/2 years later, someone else is asserting that the war is about oil -- President Bush.

As he barnstorms across the country campaigning for Republican candidates in Tuesday's elections, Bush has been citing oil as a reason to stay in Iraq. If the United States pulled its troops out prematurely and surrendered the country to insurgents, he warns audiences, it would effectively hand over Iraq's considerable petroleum reserves to terrorists who would use it as a weapon against other countries.

Surely it is up to Iraq to decide what it does with its resources. Perhaps not in Bushworld.

Here is the ArmyTmes editorial.

More troops for Iraq?

American commanders in Iraq have privately told the President that additional troops will be needed in Iraq to maintain the current policy.

Plans are secretly underway for a suprise new call up of National Guard and Reserves to be announced sometime after the election.

The Washington Post has now reported that plamning that is now classified, being kept secret from voters and military families until the election is over, could well include what the Post calls a policy change forcing a new wave of involuntary call ups.

Not enough blood and treasure wasted?

Now to the mid terms.

A poll.

From Ohio.

Tom Engelhardt and Michael Schwartz.

A NYTimes editorial.

Stephen Zunes on Senators facing the electorate for the first time they authorised the illegal and unconstitutional war.

On the matter of the Grotesque Old Paedophiles and the Foley cover up - Karl Rove's name comes up. Surprised? Should not be. Short video and partial transcript.

There has been another scandal gaining a lot of attention - an evangelical pastor accused of naughty stuff which he at first denied ... but ....

Seems it was not God he also got down on his knees before. Seriously, it is the hypocrisy which is the issue.

Final article in this post is Frank Rich and too much "truthiness".

It is tragic when farce has become the reality.

What stolen election?

Submitted by Jay White on November 5, 2006 - 12:33pm.

Bob Wall: "... it appears that to some that is OK, but raising the issue of stolen election, of which there is vast evidence, is poor form."

The only poor form is to repeat a simple mistruth over and over and over again, hoping that it will become truth. The fraud of the so-called "stolen election" relies solely on dupes and those naive to the American electorial process.

The 2000 election came down to the state of Florida. The American electorial system differs from Australia in that it is first past the post. Preferences are not used. As you will see this had a direct effect upon Al Gore and his election chances.

Florida vote tally

Bush 2,912,790 48.85%

Gore 2,912,253 48.84%

Nader 97,421 1.63%

Other 40,193 0.67%

If one was to cancel out the "other" vote by allowing that these votes took away from each candidate an even 50/50 split of the vote it is obvious it came down to the vote for Nader (Green).

Nader's vote of around 97, 000 in Florida, one of the largest states, is clearly consistent with his overall national vote of 2,883,105 (2.7%). If anything it is under what he should have scored.

Being a Green candidate it is also obvious his votes would have been taken directly from the Gore vote. Even if one was to allow the unrealistic bare minimum of a 60/40 split this would still have been easily enough for a Gore victory.

The GOP smartly helped along the campaign of Nader. The Nader people, such as Michael Moore, did not complain about this help during the run up to the election. They, in fact, had Gore in their sights. The problem only surfaced after the election. Hence the fairytale entering into legend.

There are a number of factors in Gore losing the election. The main factor though is this and this alone. The dubious re-telling of the stolen election is either sheer thorough dishonesty or extreme ignorance. The qualities of a poor loser.

There is also a big chance that neither party will have a clear majority after the mid term elections. It is not realistic to suppose that the balance may indeed by held by one Joe Lieberman, a now independent.

The 2004 election came down directly to Ohio. Even if the 20 college votes that fell the GOP way were disallowed (as the more extreme asked for). Under the twelfth amendment this would have still seen Bush declared President. Why though let truth get in the way of a ripping good yarn?

I can hardly wait for the "conspiracy theory" fables.

A matter of priorities.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 5, 2006 - 7:53am.

G'day Andrew and thanks for your kind words and observations. As you mentioned the Phils, they are just two of the number of people who drop by to lend a hand. Worth reminding people, as you mentioned a military coup, of Phil Moffats' wonderful imagined coup posted earlier this year. A WD, not just Irises, highlight, imo.

As to your observations - "the fools, liars, thieves, paedophiles, hypocrites and general pond scum running their country.", it appears that to some that is OK, but raising the issue of stolen election, of which there is vast evidence, is poor form. People have their priorities and to some the breaching of the Constitution, US and international law and all the other aforementioned behaviour does not seem important.

You picked up on the editorials that are coming out in military related papers, here are further articles on the matter:

This.

And this.

And, as he got a sort of reference, Ralph Nader's view.

On the matter of polls, here is the latest from Newsweek.

And from the NYTimes, "the worst political environment for Republican candidates since Watergate."

Not looking good for the GOP. Expect all the cards up their sleeves to be played.

Best have the lawyers at hand.

Not forgetting old friends who lent a hand and beating the odds.

More winding back of legal rights.

Now a glimpse of Limp Dick's reality.

Compare this with all the other material that has been provided. Perhaps he is just determined to "stay the course". Oh, hold on, they never said that, did they?

On the war, here is an update of the estimated cost.

Lots of treasure, lots of blood.

But hey, get your priorities right.

Struth, a military coup?

Submitted by Andrew OConnell on November 4, 2006 - 10:27pm.

Thanks Bob (G'day), Phil (G'day) and Phil (G'day) for keeping this thread alive. I noticed that the average IQ of contributors has dropped by about 20 points over the past few days and thought I'd drop a few lines to prop it up a bit.

It appears that the US military (obviously pinko commies) have had enough of the fools, liars, thieves, paedophiles, hypocrites and general pond scum running their country. An editorial to be published tomorrow in the Army Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times and Marine Times is calling for Rumsfeld, the 2IC in charge of torture and murder, to resign or be sacked. I'm not certain of the etiquette of the military getting themselves involved in civilian hiring and firing, but this can't be a good thing for democracy. But hey, that's what ya get for allowing an idiot surrounded by psycopathic sycophants to run a nation.

It'll be fascinating to see what our resident useful idiots make of this one...

I have a feeling we might be back at these preemptive posts

Submitted by Jay White on November 4, 2006 - 2:28pm.

Bob Wall: "There has been a great deal of material provided here and more is available elsewhere to support the contention that there have been marked "irregularities" in the past. You have provided no material with which to rebut these claims."

I actually know how to read a poll. That is why the "irregularities" are meaningless to me.

The 2000 election was lost in Florida. One can clearly see that the votes taken by the Green party were terminally damaging to Gore. In a first past the post system, losing by 500 odd and knowing another left candidate has taken not only those 500 but 90,000 plus votes is simple mathematics.

The 2004 election was won in Ohio. Florida being won easily has a direct correlation with Ohio for every GOP winning President in the last fifty or so years. So the Ohio result should not surprise, if history is anything to go by. This has been the case long before Diebold was ever in existence.

Like I have said; how one handles a defeat is a measure of a person. If people cannot handle the rules of the system they should either attempt to change it system or not take part in the system. If they take part they should respect the rules and the outcome with good grace. The essential part of any peaceful democracy.

I expect, in the event of the GOP holding the majority, the recent histronics and shameful performances of the "bad loser" by some quarters. It shames these people and it shames, unfortunately by extentsion, those people that wish to be involved with a certain wing of politics.

The true face of the ugly loser is all around in this present world.

My posting of the current election polls is to give people a glimpse into how easily without corruption this could be won by either side. If you believe that is wasting people's time, I feel sorry for you.

And it does indeed prove you are a propagandist!

Even their apologists ...

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 4, 2006 - 1:24pm.

G'day Phil Moffat a thank you for attending to the point of "exist [sic] polling" and reminding readers of the problems attributed to e-voting machines. Not that they need much reminding with the wealth of material available on their "unreliability".

Thank you Jay White for the links. However, I must point out that the material you provided in no way, shape or form supports your comments about past or possible future reactions to the outcomes of US elections. There has been a great deal of material provided here and more is available elsewhere to support the contention that there have been marked "irregularities" in the past. You have provided no material with which to rebut these claims.

Elsewhere sometime ago I suggested you look up the meaning of the word "propaganda", your comments on that indicate that you either did not or did understand what you read.

As to you not wishing to post here again, as previously pointed out you should provide reasoned and substantiated arguments if you wish to do so. Otherwise you are just wasting everyone's time.

Now, to some of the latest shenanigans of the corrupt, delusion and criminal subjects of this thread ....

Last year I had a debate on another thread about attempts to bring members of the Bush Administration before courts on war crimes charges. One attempt was dealt with then and that matter is being attempted again.

On November 14 a group of lawyers and other experts will come before the
German federal prosecutor and ask him to open a criminal investigation
targeting Donald Rumsfeld, Alberto Gonzales and other key Bush
Administration figures for war crimes. The recent passage of the
Military Commissions Act provides a central argument for the legal
action, under the doctrine of universal jurisdiction: It demonstrates
the intent of the Bush Administration to immunize itself legally from
prosecution in the United States, even for the most serious crimes.

The Rumsfeld action was announced at a conference in New York City in
late October titled "Is Universal Jurisdiction an Effective Tool?" The
doctrine allows domestic courts to prosecute international crimes
regardless of where the crime was committed, the nationality of the
perpetrator or the nationality of the victim. It is reserved for only
the most heinous offenses: genocide, war crimes and crimes against
humanity, including torture. A number of countries around the world have
enacted universal jurisdiction statutes; even the United States allows
it for certain terrorist offenses and torture.

Many of the participants in the New York conference were human rights
lawyers who have been expanding the use of universal jurisdiction since
it was employed against former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. In a
recent case brought in Spain, for example, Argentine Adolfo Scilingo was
tried and found guilty of crimes against humanity he committed in
Argentina and sentenced to serve a 640-year prison term [see Geoff
Pingree and Lisa Abend, "Spanish Justice," October 9]. The decision was
made to try to prosecute Rumsfeld in Germany because its laws facilitate
the use of universal jurisdiction.

Good to see and may the process continue until justice is done.

Here is a Vanity Fair article about the neocons and their reflections on what went wrong.

Guess who they blame.

And on the matter of hypocrisy, here is some more.

Despite running an attack ad accusing a Democratic senatorial candidate
of accepting money from "porn movie producers," the Republican National
Committee itself has accepted several donations over the past few years
from the president of a large pornographic movie distribution company.

Who is the most dangerous of them all?

America is now seen as a threat to world peace by its closest
neighbours and allies, according to an international survey of
public opinion published today that reveals just how far the
country's reputation has fallen among former supporters since
the invasion of Iraq.

Carried out as US voters prepare to go to the polls next week in
an election dominated by the war, the research also shows that
British voters see George Bush as a greater danger to world
peace than either the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, or the
Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Both countries were once
cited by the US president as part of an "axis of evil", but it
is Mr Bush who now alarms voters in countries with traditionally
strong links to the US.

Not the first poll to have that result.

Now for what to do if an oversight body gets results.

Investigations led by a Republican lawyer named Stuart W. Bowen Jr. in Iraq
have sent American occupation officials to jail on bribery and
conspiracy charges, exposed disastrously poor construction work by
well-connected companies like Halliburton and Parsons, and discovered
that the military did not properly track hundreds of thousands of
weapons it shipped to Iraqi security forces.

And tucked away in a huge military authorization bill that President
Bush signed two weeks ago is what some of Mr. Bowen’s supporters
believe is his reward for repeatedly embarrassing the administration: a
pink slip.

Another NYTimes editorial - this one on the Administration's approach to climate change.

Just out - Keith Olbermann claims editorials in US military papers will be run on Monday calling for Commander Codpiece to sack Donald "I never said that" Rumsfeld.

I will post an update on this when available.That is sufficient for the moment.

A final word to Jay White - perhaps your time would be better spent emailing GOP Congressmen, they might just appreciate a helping hand.

Dont trust exit polling

Submitted by Jay White on November 4, 2006 - 12:47pm.

Phil Moffat, thanks for taking the S out of Exit. Funny how a more common word is typed out almost by instinct.

I do not like "exit polls" because people say all sorts of things for any number of reasons. Along with this, the sample is only ever a small one in the larger scheme of things.

Anyway from my poll link:

"We have 19 new Senate polls today listed below, including 10 from Zogby. The strangest one is Zogby's poll in Tennessee, which has Bob Corker ahead of Harold Ford 53% to 43%. This seems way out of line with previous polls that showed a neck-and-neck race."

Obviously, this shows how quickly sentiment can change. This polling site is independent and has nothing to do with Diebold. Given most make their minds up only days before an election, this could go either way.

It would not surprise to see the GOP win Montana, Virginia, Ohio, Missouri and Washington. Equally it would not surprise to see them lose all of them. It is that close, and all independent polling shows that.

Exit polling in any of these places (such tight races) is like putting ones hand in the ocean and attempting to catch fish.

There is an attempt being made to show the Dems as a shoe in for the Senate majority, minus corruption. This is obviously far from the truth and every single unbiased poll shows this. This election will be won by the party that best gets their support base out and voting.

The GOP has an advantage in this area and has had one for a number of years.

Another opinion

Submitted by Phil Moffat on November 4, 2006 - 12:18pm.

"BE WARY OF EXIST POLLING, IT IS NOTORIOUSLY UNRELIABLE!"

This from Wiki in relation to the US:

Reliability of exit polls

The same US online encyclopedia cited above ([11]) states that

"Exit poll data - asking voters which way they voted as they leave the polls - are used around the world as excellent predictors of actual vote counts, usually accurate within a fraction of a point. Exit polls in this election seemed to match the vote tallies, as usual, except in those areas using touchscreen voting machines (like the Diebold Accuvote) or other software or modem-mediated electronic systems (like those from ES&S) with no paper trail - used by approximately one third of voters, many in swing states. 80% of all US voters [emphasis in original article] use some kind of voting machine from one of these two companies."

A follow up for the webdiary history books

Submitted by Jay White on November 4, 2006 - 9:37am.

Just in case of claims of bias here is another one http://www.electoral-vote.com/.

As of 3rd November GOP 49, Dem 49, two up for grabs. The two being Missouri and Virginia.

Lets hope if the GOP does happen to lose the Senate majority, they show a lot more grace in accepting the will of the people than their opponents have shown in these last few elections. Casting doubt, aspersions and a constant undermining of the electorial system is not the behaviour of future leaders.

Picking up ones bat and ball and behaving like the proverbial sook not only reflects poorly on the individual it reflects poorly on the system of democracy and indeed the nation. It is often a measure of a person not how they act in victory but how they act in defeat.

This being the case, some over the last six years have shown their "measure" to be very, very small indeed!

The preemptive poll

Submitted by Jay White on November 4, 2006 - 4:58am.

Although I never wish to post at this propaganda thread again, in the spirit of balance I give you all this link http://www.pollster.com/senate.php.

Lets call it a preemptive strike. No doubt the historonics will be making a return if results do not go the way some here would like to see them go. This can serve at least as some future historical reference.

This particular poll site has the GOP winning the Senate race 49 to 48 with 3 up for grabs as of the American 3rd November. The states up for grabs are Montana, Missouri and Virginia. It is quiet conceivable that the GOP can win all three.

I predict that due to the nature of the particular races it is going to be very close. If the GOP can garner its support base and all sections of it hold the faith, they will win. If not, they will lose these particular elections. Rigged elections and such will play no part in the process.

Irrespective of the results I expect these elections to have little impact on the next Presidential elections.

On a slightly different note good to see big Arnie doing so well. You cannot help but like the guy. Any Constitution changes and we could well be looking at a future President!

BE WARY OF EXIST POLLING, IT IS NOTORIOUSLY UNRELIABLE!

Still going and still a lot further to go.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 3, 2006 - 7:56pm.

Yes, Margo, I am keeping it going - as I said I would and as such a major issue deserved. Thank you for the OK to to keep it alive. And thanks for passing on Kerryn's comment, it is gratifying. If Kerryn reads this, thanks not only for the foundation of Irises but all the other articles you submitted.

With the mid terms so close things are heating up. Fox must be worried as they are up to this.

The fear factor being tried again. The polls indicate that it is not working as well as it once did. Will the other methods the GOP exploits work?

And some found the Commander's support for Rummy unhelpful, given the central place the Iraq disaster has taken in the public mind.

A string of Republican candidates called on Donald Rumsfeld to resign
yesterday, rejecting the surprise assertion by President Bush that his
Defence Secretary would stay in office for another two years.

In campaign advertisements and on the stump, at least six
Republicans in tough re-election battles directly contradicted a claim
by the President that Mr Rumsfeld was doing a “fantastic” job. Their
swift response marked the latest attempt by endangered incumbents to
distance themselves from the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq and the
polarising figure at the Pentagon.

Not the smartest thing for the Commander to have said at this time. But we can hardly expect any better.

What is at stake? This is Robert Parry's view.

For those who have the facilities and time, here is a 70 minute audio of Howard Zinn on the US and war and lots of things. A lot of the history many are unaware of.

Here is one particularly for Craig Rowley (G'day) and is Mohammad Khatami's view on US forpol in the ME. Hint - the word "joke" appears.

Tragedy could also apply. And more to come.

Due to a technical hitch ...

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 3, 2006 - 4:29pm.

We are unable to bring democracy to you at the moment. Here is a report about problems with electronic voting machines. HBO is airing a documentary on Diebold machines tonight (US time). More on that later.

A case of of trying to justify the war that could have done real harm - Republican members of Congress insisted on setting up a website to display the mass of documents captured in Iraq. Problem is that they included plans on how to build nukes.

Speaking of the party and its works - here is a story about an alleged Foley cover up.

Another GOP hypocrite.

A Republican congressman accused of abusing his ex-mistress agreed to
pay her about $500,000 in a settlement last year that contained a
powerful incentive for her to keep quiet until after Election Day, a
person familiar with the terms of the deal told The Associated Press.
...

Sherwood, a 65-year-old married father of three who is considered a
family-values conservative, had one of the safest seats in Congress
until Ore sued him in June 2005, alleging he physically abused her
throughout their five-year affair.

Must be referring to an extended family. Well, something's been extended.

On to other matters and Tom Engelhardt brings us Nick Turse's The Bush Administration as Global Jailor. You know "come fly with me ..."

Due to a moral hitch we cannot bring you due process ...

Some conjecture on post-mid term oil prices in the US ...

It is a reasonable conclusion that the Bush Administration has not exhibited a lot of smarts, more than sufficient evidence for that conclusion. Others might just be a whole lot smarter.

Political leaders of most African nations will be present at a massive summit in China, The New York Times will report in its Friday edition.

"Beijing has put on its best face to court Africa, 'the land of myth
and miracles,' as official posters call it," writes Joseph Kahn.
"Political leaders of 48 of the 53 African countries, including 40
heads of state, are to arrive this weekend for a huge diplomatic event,
the China-Africa forum."

Officially, the summit's purpose is to expand trade and help China
secure oil and mineral ore necessary to keep its bustling economy on
track. In turn, African nations will be offered assistance with road,
rail and school improvements, the article reports.

"The unofficial purpose," however, as Kahn writes, "is to redraw the
world's strategic map by forming tighter political ties between China,
now the country with the fastest-growing major economy, and Africa, a
continent whose leaders often complain about being neglected by the
United States and Europe."

The new American Century has been stillborn. China is the coming power and not a little of US machinations over oil and gas have been designed to try to stymie China. Beware the waning hegemon.

A very big G'day to Margo. Great to see you active here.

Margo: Hi Bob. Notice you're keeping the Iris thread alive. I saw Kerryn Higgs on my way to Sydney - she was most impressed!

More gutter politcs ... and some do OK.

Submitted by Bob Wall on November 3, 2006 - 7:39am.

Where better to start than Keith Olbermann's response to the reactions to the John Kerry "you'll get stuck in Iraq" controversy. This is an 11 1/2 min video but there is a transcript. Gives Bush the usual deserved kicking.

Not to mention this NYTimes editorial.

As President Bush throws himself into the final days of a particularly
nasty campaign season, he’s settled into a familiar pattern of ugly
behavior. Since he can’t defend the real world created by his policies
and his decisions, Mr. Bush is inventing a fantasy world in which to
campaign on phony issues against fake enemies.

Or the LATimes.

About the architect of the tactics.

Comparing the politics of the human animal with those of "man's best friend.

Paul Craig Roberts - Evil Is As Evil Does.

Compared to the current Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s former president Muhammad Khatami is
regarded in Western foreign affairs circles as a moderate. When
Khatami visited the US in September, he called on the US and
Iran to stop verbally assaulting each other in the interest of
dialogue that could build trust and eliminate the frictions
between the two countries. Khatami said that the precondition
for dialogue was “to eliminate the language of threat.”

In an attempt to “resolve conflicts by talking, rather than by
aggression,” the venerable Scottish University of St. Andrews
invited Khatami to the United Kingdom for an honorary degree,
followed by a speech at the Royal Institute of International
Affairs in London. However, a spanner was thrown into the works
by two Iranian exiles, who claim to have been unlawfully
imprisoned and tortured in Iran during the period of Khatami’s
presidency. Under Section 134 of Britain’s Criminal Justice Act
of 1988, torture wherever committed in the world is criminal
under British law and triable in the UK. Thus, Khatami might
still be arrested as he tours the UK in the interest of opening
communication.

If Khatami can be arrested in the UK for torture, how does
British Prime Minister Tony Blair escape arrest for the torture
of Afghans and Iraqis by coalition forces? Why are not US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld, Vice President Richard Cheney, and President George W.
Bush arrested when they visit the UK?

Excellent question. One point, no mention of the runt or Dolly. They might be disappointed by being overlooked. But being overlooked in not unusual.

With all the reports of chaos in Iraq caused by the aforementioned criminals we must not overlook the fact that some are doing quite nicely, thank you very much. "There's plenty of money to be made ..."

Now for more on the torture bill and its implications.

Here is a Robert Parry review of how the evidence against Iraq was fixed. A handy collation of the processes that led to the disaster.

Lots more evidence to add to the mountain. Do we expect a mass exodus to the Bush estate in Paraguay when the term ends?

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