Howard always.

Printable Format

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tommy Vietor or Robert Gibbs, 202-228-5511
Date: January 30, 2007

Obama Offers Plan to Stop Escalation of Iraq War, Begin Phased Redeployment of Troops
Goal to Redeploy All Combat Brigades out of Iraq by March 31, 2008

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today introduced binding and comprehensive legislation that not only reverses the President's dangerous and ill-conceived escalation of the Iraq war, but also sets a new course for U.S. policy that can bring a responsible end to the war and bring our troops home.

NEW YORK - Democratic Sen. Joe Biden has been saying for months he's running for president. He makes it official on Wednesday. The Delaware senator will file the paperwork with the Federal Election Commission and release a videotaped campaign message to voters on his Web site, joebiden.com. He also is planning another trip to New Hampshire early next week.

A little backbone would be my first recommendation to the new kid in the ring.

Here's the link to Obama's Plan.

Doesn't Biden run every time? Hardly a new kid (and barely a Democrat).

Progressive Patriots Podcast - Hearing on the Iraq War
Russ Feingold talking directly to the people about defunding the war and bringing our troops home within 6 months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tcui4kn4...

Missteps by Iraqi Forces in Battle Raise Questions

Study: US Must Abandon Iraqi Cities 'Or Face Nightmare Scenario'

Tuesday: 118 Iraqis, 2 GIs Killed; 245 Iraqis Wounded

Who Is the Enemy in Iraq?

Bush: Iraqi Forces 'Beginning to Show Me Something'

Biden: Most Senators Oppose US Troop Buildup

Senate GOP Leader Skeptical Anti-Escalation Resolution Will Pass

'US Poised to Attack Iran' From Bulgarian Bases

State Dept: Israeli Use of Cluster Bombs Violated Arms Deal Terms

Headlines @ antiwar.com

...from end of last thread

Skimming thru Obama's plan, I find it unacceptable.  Here's one reason why.

If the Iraqis are successful in meeting the thirteen benchmarks for progress laid out by the Bush Administration, this plan also allows for the temporary suspension of the redeployment, provided Congress agrees that the benchmarks have been met and that the suspension is in the national security interest of the United States.

9.

Charles in Montana

Definitely.

My Mom is on Rosie's email list. :)

Dear Mary,




there's a lot going on in r country
and the world right now
we can all do something
speak up
and give r view
some of us marched in washington
united for peace
i went to san antonio
where i met the brave men and women
who have lost limbs in this war
honoring them
face to face:
http://www.fallenheroesfund.org
talk to your representatives
unite for peace and justice:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org
together
we can make change
peace,
rosie

I think Libby has had the cookie. I hope he takes Dick Tater Jr. with him.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to jail we go.

11

I got that same email from Rosie. :) 

I'm on Rosie's list, too.  She's been talking impeachment.

2nd incident of Natl. Guard backing down against "armed" group at border.

The armed  group was armed with rocks.

Something is seriously wrong  with the quality of training of our NG. They have AK-47s and their "enemies" have rocks. 

This:

versus

This:

16

I stopped watching The View when Lisa left and they got that blonde bimbo but since Rosie is on there I try to catch it or tape it once in awhile because she really makes it lively. 

Olbermann's Special Comment is up at Crooks and Liars

19. Firefox!

I haven't seen The View more than a couple of times total, usually from clips they show on the news.  I've always like Rosie's activism on gay adoption issues. 

Nite, all.

'nite JC. Sleep tight.

Whoops, looks like I just missed jc ... really great graphics, jc!  People who can make us laugh so consistently are worth more than gold!

***********

Not politics, but very interesting!

===========

British archaeologists have uncovered an extensive Neolithic settlement not two miles away that was possibly once home to hundreds of people. They have also unearthed a physical link between that settlement and Stonehenge: a 4,500-year-old stone avenue runs between the settlement at Durrington Walls and the nearby River Avon. Since a similar avenue was unearthed in the 1960s linking the river to Stonehenge, researchers believe ancient Brits almost certainly traveled between the two sites, both carbon-dated to 2,600-2,500 B.C. "We knew these were from broadly the same period, but the idea that it forms a single integrated complex is quite new," says Julian Thomas, a director of the project and an archaeologist at the University of Manchester. "It completely changes our understanding of Stonehenge."

The path is, therefore, not an umbilical cord but a kind of existential passage between twin parts of the cosmos: a world of the living, as represented by the remains of the settlement, and the world of the dead, signified by the great stone circle. Researchers now believe the monument contains the remains of about 250 cremated people. The roads that link Stonehenge, through the river Avon to Durrington Walls — which is right next to the site of a timber structure intriguingly known as Woodhenge — suggest a society with elaborate ceremonies that Stonehenge alone only hints at. "For the very first time," says Mike Pitts, editor of British Archaeology and a Stonehenge expert, "it's creating a social world into which we can place Stonehenge."

[...]

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1583689,00.html

In case you ever doubted ... .

Instead of running around trying to convince us they are Presidential timber, Dems should be in DC right now moving to get these criminals out of office and to stop them before they kill again (great Robert Scheer piece, Linda).

Otherwise, they are no better than the criminals and there is no reason that any of them should get a chance to continue ruining our country ... and the world.

==============

· Transatlantic rift emerges over how to handle crisis
· America builds up its naval forces in the Gulf

Ian Traynor in Brussels and Jonathan Steele
Wednesday January 31, 2007

Senior European policy-makers are increasingly worried that the US administration will resort to air strikes against Iran to try to destroy its suspect nuclear programme.

As transatlantic friction over how to deal with the Iranian impasse intensifies, there are fears in European capitals that the nuclear crisis could come to a head this year because of US frustration with Russian stalling tactics at the UN security council. "The clock is ticking," said one European official. "Military action has come back on to the table more seriously than before. The language in the US has changed."

As the Americans continue their biggest naval build-up in the Gulf since the start of the Iraq war four years ago, a transatlantic rift is opening up on several important aspects of the Iran dispute.

The Bush administration will shortly publish a dossier of charges of alleged Iranian subversion in Iraq. "Iran has steadily ramped up its activity in Iraq in the last three to four months. This applies to the scope and pace of their operations. You could call these brazen activities," a senior US official said in London yesterday.

[...]

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329701104-111322,00.html

Nite Jc., Judy and Fire.

They cooked the intelligence on Iraq and slimed anyone who tried to point out the truth (case in point, Joe Wilson); they have held back or attempted discredit facts about global warming; they have distorted and perverted the cause of justice; they torture ... and deny that they do ... why on earth with anyone with an IQ above 10 ever believe that the information that they are trying to sell us on Iran would be true?

If the Congress-critters once again fall for this merde de taureau, then the lot of them should be removed from office.  At once. 

===============

US officials in Baghdad and Washington are expected to unveil a secret intelligence "dossier" this week detailing evidence of Iran's alleged complicity in attacks on American troops in Iraq. The move, uncomfortably echoing Downing Street's dossier debacle in the run-up to the 2003 Iraq invasion, is one more sign that the Bush administration is building a case for war.

Nicholas Burns, the senior US diplomat in charge of Iran policy, says Washington "is not looking for a fight" with Tehran. The official line is that Washington has made a conscious decision to "push back" against Iran on a range of fronts where the two countries' interests clash. Primarily that means Tehran's perceived meddling in Iraq, where its influence with the Shia-led government and Shia majority population appears to be increasing as Washington's weakens.

State department spokesman Sean McCormack claimed this week the administration has a body of evidence implicating Iran in sectarian attacks against Iraq's Sunni minority. "There is a high degree of confidence in the information that we already have and we are constantly accumulating more," he told the New York Times.

[...]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329701003-111322,00.html

With every bit of so-called information about Iraq, there should be posted a headline and story of equal length and importance about the Libby trial.

Fool us once, shame on you!  Fool us twice ... there are no excuses left!

If Obama or Clinton do not rise to the occasion now, they never will.

And that's the truth.

===================

Miller Testimony Contradicts Libby Story

Wednesday January 31, 2007 5:46 AM

By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Reporter Judith Miller testified Tuesday that former vice presidential aide I. Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby identified a CIA operative to her on two occasions on dates earlier than he has told investigators he first heard the information from another reporter.

Miller, the former New York Times reporter who spent 85 days in jail trying to avoid revealing these conversations, said Libby identified the wife of a prominent Iraq war critic as a CIA employee in face-to-face meetings on June 23 and July 8, 2003.

Libby, then Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, told the FBI and a grand jury that he thought he was hearing Valerie Plame's CIA job for the first time from NBC's Tim Russert on July 10, 2003.

Five government officials, including ex-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, also have testified that they discussed Plame and her CIA job with Libby before July 10.

[...]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6382980,00.html

If we can't even tell the difference between our allies and our opponents, then how on earth can we believe the reports that try to distinguish Iranians from Arabs?

Hello?

=============

A group of British soldiers yesterday described their frantic attempts to stop an attack on their convoy by "rogue" US warplanes that left one dead and four injured.

Oxfordshire coroner's court heard that two US A10 planes opened fire on a patrol in southern Iraq in March 2003, killing Lance Corporal of Horse Mattie Hull three days before his 26th birthday.

Yesterday his colleagues told the court that the "friendly fire" incident had happened on a clear day as they patrolled an area about 30 miles north-west of Basra.

Staff Corporal Ashley Bell said there had been a flash as the first attack started. He had immediately radioed forward air control with the "Stop, stop, stop" instruction but had been told the planes were being flown by "rogue US pilots".

"[The controller] could not contact the US pilots because they had switched frequencies and were talking to each other."

Soldiers in the five-vehicle convoy released smoke canisters to identify them to friendly pilots. The smoke was visible as one of the planes returned at low level and attacked a second time.

L/Cpl Steven Gerrard said: "Something exploded, there was just a massive flash ... I just shouted to everyone to get out."

[...]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329701170-103681,00.html

With example after example of lies, deceit and why putzCo should not be believed or entrusted with anything, our Congress-critters have no excuses if they fall for anything they say again.

I will hold them accountable ... and any Prez candidate who does not also hold them accountable ... will not receive my support.   It may mean that I will not vote at all in 2008.  I sincerely hope that will not be the case, but this time, I will not support ANY candidate who does not take a clear stance that is anti any kind of pre-emptive war where a country is halfway around the world from us and we know literally nothing about that country except what comes through putz's propaganda organs.

Voices full of sound and fury ... signifying nothing!

=================

· Inconvenient conclusions censored, hearing told
· Researchers warned not to talk about global warming

The Bush administration was yesterday accused of systemic tampering with the work of government climate scientists to eliminate politically inconvenient material about global warming.

At a hearing of Congress, scientists and advocacy groups described a campaign by the White House to remove references to global warming from scientific reports and limit public mention of the topic to avoid pressure on an administration opposed to mandatory controls on greenhouse gas emissions.

Such pressure extended even to the use of the words "global warming" or "climate change", said a report released yesterday by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Government Accountability Project. The report said nearly half of climate scientists at government agencies had been advised against using those terms.

[...]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329701117-110878,00.html

The lies about the *glorious* weekend assault and *victory* are now being unearthed ... and the picture is not a pretty one.

================

There are growing suspicions in Iraq that the official story of the battle outside Najaf between a messianic Iraqi cult and the Iraqi security forces supported by the US, in which 263 people were killed and 210 wounded, is a fabrication. The heavy casualties may be evidence of an unpremeditated massacre.

A picture is beginning to emerge of a clash between an Iraqi Shia tribe on a pilgrimage to Najaf and an Iraqi army checkpoint that led the US to intervene with devastating effect. The involvement of Ahmed al-Hassani (also known as Abu Kamar), who believed himself to be the coming Mahdi, or Messiah, appears to have been accidental.

The story emerging on independent Iraqi websites and in Arabic newspapers is entirely different from the government's account of the battle with the so-called "Soldiers of Heaven", planning a raid on Najaf to kill Shia religious leaders.

The cult denied it was involved in the fighting, saying it was a peaceful movement. The incident reportedly began when a procession of 200 pilgrims was on its way, on foot, to celebrate Ashura in Najaf. They came from the Hawatim tribe, which lives between Najaf and Diwaniyah to the south, and arrived in the Zarga area, one mile from Najaf at about 6am on Sunday. Heading the procession was the chief of the tribe, Hajj Sa'ad Sa'ad Nayif al-Hatemi, and his wife driving in their 1982 Super Toyota sedan because they could not walk. When they reached an Iraqi army checkpoint it opened fire, killing Mr Hatemi, his wife and his driver, Jabar Ridha al-Hatemi. The tribe, fully armed because they were travelling at night, then assaulted the checkpoint to avenge their fallen chief.

[...]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2201103.ece

From Juan Cole ... you'l have to scroll down a bit ...

===============

[...]

Either thing at a time the country is at war is truly horrifying.

The radical Sunni Arab newspaper Mafkarat al-Islam and the moderate Arab nationalist newspaperal-Zaman weighed in with yet a fourth account of the fighting in Najaf on Sunday and Monday.

In this one, an innocent poor little tribal group from Diwaniyah, the Hawatimah, got up a night-time convoy to the holy city of Najaf on their way to Karbala for Ashura. They happened to have raised anti-Iranian slogans and placards. (At night or early dawn? How could they be seen?) The evil Najaf government authorities, themselves proto-Iranian, suddenly and for no reason launched a massive attack on the Hawatimah, massacring them, as they approached Najaf. In this narrative, the Diwaniyah tribal group had nothing to do with any millenarian cult (al-Mahdawiyah), and were just killed at the instigation of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq and the Badr Corps (pro-Iranian political and paramilitary groupings who basically run Najaf) because they dared object to Iranian influence in Iraq. It is even being alleged in al-Zaman that the Hawatimah were only implementing Bush administration strictures against Iranian machinations in Iraq.

Note that the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which controls Najaf, is Bush's major ally in Iraq even though it is close to Iran. Those fighting the Najaf government and Iraqi army forces were anti-Iranian. Rightwing bloggers seem confused on these points.

It is, of course, possible that the Hawatimah got caught up in the fighting between the Mahdawiyah and the Badr Corps as they were proceeding toward Karbala. And the Najaf authorities did themselve no favors by trying to depict this Shiite group as al-Qaeda (a hyper-Sunni movement) or related to the old Baath Party.

[...]

http://www.juancole.com/

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/30/world/...

Missteps by Iraqi Forces in Battle Raise Questions

By MARC SANTORA
Published: January 30, 2007

BAGHDAD, Jan. 29 —Iraqi forces were surprised and nearly overwhelmed by the ferocity of an obscure renegade militia in a weekend battle near the holy city of Najaf and needed far more help from American forces than previously disclosed, American and Iraqi officials said Monday.

----------

This doesn't exactly build confidence and we're expecting a lot out of the Maliki government.

It appears we're beefing up troop levels somewhat, but it is NOT being accompanied by a diplomatic push....something the Iraq Study Group explicitly called for in its report. Anyways, the build-up most likely won't work because experienced outgoing MNF-Iraq commanders have already publicly stated that an escalation is the wrong approach because it does nothing to encourage the Iraqis to take up the fight for themselves.

What a foreign policy disaster....

Blogging by myself ... a solitary sin?  LOL

*************

Must go now, but we should heed these words carefully.

=================

With all the differing stories about Najav, we are again being told lies by Bushco.  They've barely changed the Iraq script and, as Judy said, if congress buys this, they all should be removed asap.  The candidates are yakking it up about domestic issues, when they should be stopping the war in Iraq at the very least.  They don't seem all that concerned about Iran either.   Not one of these candidates deserve the office nor even face time on the CM.

Pelosi and Reid will meet and have talks with putz.  They are either deluded or complicit; there's no other excuse for them at this point.

I sent Keith some more love today.  I think we should simply let these candidates know that we're not interested in anything they have to say unless it's how to end this war and prevent the one in Iran that putz is itching to start. 

Gore needs to step in or Feingold needs to change his mind or we're done as a country.  

*************************

Boston Legal was superb tonight discussing the cruelty of animal testing for cosmetics and mentioning the fact that 2 year old thoroughbreds's legs aren't even fully formed before they're sent out to race.  

Barbaro was abused. (that wasn't said on the program)  We use animals for our own vanity and pleasure. (that was said)

The program mentioned that Revlon and 2 others I can't remember do not test on animals. 

If American car manufacturers don't wise up, they will close completely. 

27th January 2007 17:03:18

Don’t’ Settle For Silver - Go For Gold

Think of a family hatchback car and the VW Golf may spring to mind followed closely by say, the Ford Focus. But now Toyota have thrown a spanner into the works or rather the highly competitive C-segment that accounts for 26% of UK sales, with their brand new family hatchback, the AURIS.

Meaning ‘Gold’ in Latin, Toyota are confident this 24-caret gem will seriously send ripples of anxiety through to the other manufacturers by luring new customers into a family hatchback that boasts innovative interior styling, high levels of specifications but mated to a very responsible price tag along with low cost of ownership.

Due in the UK showrooms on February 1st, an elite group of motoring journalists, oh, plus I, were whisked off to Barcelona for a sneak preview of the all-new Auris, which effectively is taking the place of the Corolla that will no longer be built for the UK market.

Potential customers will have a choice of two petrol engines, a 1.4 VVTi and a new 1.6 VVTi litre or three diesels all of which produce outstanding fuel economy on a combined cycle. The fuel frugal 1.4 litre D-4D 90 achieves 56.5 mpg while the 2.0 litre D-4D130 claims 52.3 mpg mated to a the six speed manual transmission and the flagship model, the most clean, mean and powerful D-4D 180, a respectable 45.6 mpg, again on a six speed manual transmission. But the patrols are not far behind with the 1.4 achieving 40.9 mpg and the 1.6 litre just below at 39.8 mpg.

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/motoring/motorreviews/Toyota+Auris+Review-1134.html 

Video: Columnist describes Cheney as 'paranoid, arrogant, frightened'

David Edwards and Mike Sheehan
Published: Tuesday January 30, 2007 Print This  Email This  

Boston Herald reporter Mike Barnicle, appearing on MSNBC's Imus in the Morning show, describes Dick Cheney as a "paranoid, arrogant, and now, thankfully, frightened Vice President of the United States."

Barnicle, a regular guest of show host Don Imus, also praises Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) as "an original" and "a guy grounded in reality" who'll be a plus for the U.S. because "at any given time he is liable to reach across the aisle or reach across the desk in front of him and choke the person that he's dealing with."

The Herald writer often tempers his heated opinions with humor, as does Imus, who describes Cheney at one point as a "war criminal."

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Video_Reporter_describes_VP_Cheney_as_0130.html 

Sorry, his plan doesn't work for me either.  They are all parsing words, stalling, and over-speaking.

Here's a good plan.  Invoke the War Powers Act.  They just can't say that, can they, becuz of "interests" in the region.

Sen. Obama offers plan to stop escalation of Iraq war

Mike Sheehan
Published: Tuesday January 30, 2007 Print This  Email This  

2008 Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama is offering his own plan to stop the continued escalation of the war in Iraq, according to a press release.

Sen. Obama's stated goal is "to redeploy all combat brigades out of Iraq."

The junior senator from Illinois introduced the legislation today, the release saying that it "not only reverses the President's dangerous and ill-conceived escalation of the Iraq war, but also sets a new course for U.S. policy that can bring a responsible end to the war" and return American soldiers home.

"Our troops have preformed brilliantly in Iraq, but no amount of American soldiers can solve the political differences at the heart of somebody else's civil war," said the senator. "That's why I have introduced a plan to not only stop the escalation of this war, but begin a phased redeployment that can pressure the Iraqis to finally reach a political settlement and reduce the violence."

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Sen._Obama_offers_plan_to_stop_0130.html 

Judy, anybody here?

By PARIAH

"Why are you travelling so often to Canada?" the tough U.S. border guard barked. I was on Amtrak, going from New York to Montreal, as I'd done dozen of times before over several decades. This was my first experience (summer 2006) of the increasingly standard and intrusive "U.S. Exit Interviews" on trains crossing the border. I've been hassled on every train crossing since then, most recently January 2007. The U.S. now has a combined FBI-compiled file of all arrests and charges at all government levels for millions of Americans, and this is instantly viewable by police in many jurisdictions, including border officials of the U.S. and most other countries. In some cities, local police can access this file via one's license plate. The files do NOT show the favorable disposition of arrests that did not lead to charges or of dismissals and findings of innocence. "And what's this entry stamp from Canada, with no country of departure? Was that from Cuba? You know U.S. citizens may not travel to Cuba--you could be imprisoned and fined."

I love this man's books.  Sidney Sheldon, RIP.

Sheldon died Tuesday afternoon of complications from pneumonia at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, said Warren Cowan, his publicist. His wife, Alexandra, and his daughter, author Mary Sheldon, were by his side.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/01/30/D8N00F5G3.html 

Let up hope that Fitzgerald can bag the big on - darth putz!

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former New York Times reporter Judith Miller spent 85 days in jail before testifying that White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was one of her confidential sources. Now, Libby wants to know who else she was talking to.

Miller testified for more than two hours Tuesday about two conversations she had with Libby regarding CIA operative Valerie Plame. Those conversations are at the heart of Libby's perjury and obstruction trial because they allegedly occurred well before Libby says he learned Plame's identity from another reporter.

She was to return to the stand Wednesday.

Under cross-examination Tuesday, defense attorneys sought to ask Miller about others who provided information about Plame. Miller's memory was shaky at times Tuesday and defense attorneys want to exploit that.

"This is nothing more than classic 101 impeachment," attorney Theodore Wells said. "The very essence of the cross-examination of Ms. Miller is about her credibility."

William Jeffress, another of Libby's lawyers, pressed her on how she could remember in great detail one of her three conversations with Libby _ a conversation she says she'd totally forgotten about for two years before finding a notebook memorializing it.

"Counselor, I have already said I didn't remember that meeting," Miller said.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/01/31/D8N0480G0.html 

So we know for sure that invading Iran IS the plan.

Bush Says Invading Iran 'Not the Plan'...

What a lovely idea....to help Molly out till she's well again.

".....

And now it really is up to us. While Molly is sick, the rest of us will have to carry her “old-fashioned newspaper campaign” forward.

With that in mind, the Berkeley Daily Planet is hereby launching what we might call the “Molly Ivins Festschrift.” A festschrift is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a volume of writings by different authors presented as a tribute or memorial especially to a scholar.” Academics are wont to create festschrifts on the occasion of a revered colleague’s 60th birthday, for example. Molly’s already 62, but no time like the present to catch up with what we should have done two years ago. And we might call it festschrift if we could reliably remember how to spell or pronounce that German word, but let’s just call it the Molly Ivins Tribute Project.

The idea is that her colleagues in the opinionated part of the journalistic world should take over her campaign while she’s sick, creating a deluge of columns about what’s wrong with Bush’s war and what should be done to set things right. It would be nice if a lot of these columns could be funny, since skewering serious subjects with humor is what Molly does best, but that’s not required.

Here at the Berkeley Daily Planet we’ve set up a special mailbox to receive the offerings, tribute@berkeleydailyplanet.com. We’ll publish them as they come in, at least one every day if possible, in our Internet edition, berkeleydailyplanet.com. We’d like them to be contributed free of copyright, so that any publication, print or online, can take them off the web and re-circulate them to their own readers. The best ones we’ll also run in our Tuesday and Friday printed papers. A good length would be 600-800 words, which would work for most publications. And of course, columnists under contract should just write pieces to run in their regular outlets.

Readers, please take on the job of forwarding this call for contributions to any good columnist you read regularly, and to any publications which might circulate the results.

Just to get started, would-be writers might take a look at Monday’s top story from Iraq, which described a fierce battle in which 200 (or was it 300?) Iraqis were killed. They were variously described, in A.P. reports and by L.A. Times correspondents, as members of a messianic Shiite sect, die-hard survivors of Hussein’s (mostly Sunni or secular) Baath party, tribal fighters dressed in colorful Afghan robes, and more—no one really seems to know who they were or what they were up to. But whoever they were, we seem to have killed a bunch of them—and it’s “we” because though the Iraqi national forces started things off, U.S. helicopters and bombers were called in to finish up when things were not going well. And yes, two or three Americans died too, fighting whoever they were for whatever reason it turned out to be. I’m glad I’m not the person who has to explain to their families why they died."

http://www.berkeleydaily.org/text/article.cfm?issue=01-30-07&storyID=26216 

Candles for Molly.

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=Molly 

"Goodnite, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are."

Jimmy Durante 

More rhetoric, no concrete action to stop PP and Mr. Death Squad. Hoping, praying and warnings will not stop this madhatter at his tea party.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/31/us.iran.ap/index.html 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican and Democratic senators warned Tuesday against a drift toward war with an emboldened Iran and suggested the Bush administration was missing a chance to engage its longtime adversary in potentially helpful talks over next-door Iraq.

"What I think many of us are concerned about is that we stumble into active hostilities with Iran without having aggressively pursued diplomatic approaches, without the American people understanding exactly what's taking place," Sen. Barack Obama told John Negroponte, who is in line to become the nation's No. 2 diplomat as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's deputy.

Obama, an Illinois Democrat and a candidate for president in 2008, warned during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that senators of both parties will demand "clarity and transparency in terms of U.S. policy so that we don't repeat some of the mistakes that have been made in the past," a reference to the faulty intelligence underlying the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican and another possible presidential candidate, asked Negroponte if he thinks the United States is edging toward a military confrontation with Tehran. In response, Negroponte repeated President Bush's oft-stated preference for diplomacy, although he later added, "We don't rule out other possibilities."

What a fetching remark.  What exactly IS taking place?  Is Obama suggesting that if we knew all the facts we'd all yell, "bring it on?"  More like, "Impeach now!"  The more I hear Obama's words, the less I like and trust him.

"What I think many of us are concerned about is that we stumble into active hostilities with Iran without having aggressively pursued diplomatic approaches, without the American people understanding exactly what's taking place," Sen. Barack Obama told John Negroponte,

Is this Mr. Placater "we have interests" talking to Mr. Death Squad?   Condi will be marginalized and NP will be the real SoS.  He and Cheney share the title of the "Fifth Horseman."

I used to do political drawings and paintings. Maybe I'll start those again instead of painting tango dancers. 

OK, now sweet dreams all.  Tomorrow we get closer to Darthcheney being removed or removing himself.  That's a good thought.

Good Morning, everybody

Today is travel day.  We'll be boarding Amtrak  in less than four hours and then have a day to mull over our D.C. adventure.  The capitol area is really a mess.  Whoever made the point that this Bob Ney project should be looked into should be listened to.  All this "guarding and monitoring" amounts to is a softer version of military spending--efforts to control the population with the passive use of force, rather than serving the population.  Governments that serve their people do not have to be afraid of being attacked or overthrown.

"so that we don't repeat some of the mistakes that have been made in the past"

When someone slips into the passive voice like that, it's a clear sign that he's shirking responsibility. 

For the record, I do not agree that John McCain is a war hero.  His survival as a prisoner of war was not an heroic achievement and his behavior since does not reflect a commitment to heroism.  Also, I don't agree that the troops in general have performed splendidly in Iraq.  Evidence that they had refused illegal orders might persuade me otherwise.

BTW, senior son says that in basic training he was instructed that a particular machine gun could not be aimed at an enemy soldier, only at military equipment.  When someone inquired whether that equipment would include the soldier's belt buckle, he was told, "of course." 

First: EXCELLENT top of the thread! I love it when we are reminded of our history. THANK YOU.

Second: for a very poignant, and artistically excellent, representation of what our Iraq Vets are experiencing, check out Robert Cray's "Twenty" video at www.robertcray.com It features Aidan Delgado, one of the enlisteds who refused deployment and has served prison time as well as being court-martialed.

Finally, here's my final report from our grassroots, citizen lobby days. Head home to San Deigo this a.m.

Spent yesterday at the Senate Office Bldgs -- saw Sen. Feingold's Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on Constitutonal powers to end the war -- was interesting to see him in person, as well as Ted Kennedy, Dick Durbin, Whitehouse from RI; Spector was surprisingly VERY supportive and Hatch was unsurprisingly, unapologetically sticking w/ the "talk of ending the war emboldens the enemy and demoralizes the troops".  ALL the other senators disavowed that kind of rhetoric.  Durbin very effectively skewered a law professor witness who is of the same mind by asking the guy whether he would have applied the same logic to Somalia (our getting out of there) -- and the guy stammered and said he hadn't formulated an opinion on that. 

Feingold will introduce Senate Bill today to end the war, with specified conditions that are very smart and fit quite well with what we have been lobbying for for the past few days (and consistent w/ what Reps. Woolsey, Waters and Lee are carrying on the House side).  We were CHEERING him in the Committee Room at the end of the hearing, after he announced this!  It was all over CNN and MSNBC last night.

Then had lunch and sat in on Biden's Foreign Relations Committee hearing w/ Baker and Hamiton on the Iraq Study Group report ... pretty much a snoozefest but it's interesting to see folks in the flesh (including Webb, Casey, Hagel, Dodd ...).  Just found out that after we left (and had talked w/ Ann Wright on our way out of the bldg), that Ann went inside and at some point stood up and shouted (along w/ 2 other activists) ... they all got hauled out by the Capitol Police, but Ann is on probation so she was kept in custody -- we weren't sure 'til Elliott of the Vets for Peace connected w/ her last night where she was, but they didn't hold her.

The adrenaline started wearing off around mid-aftn yesterday and we kinda hit the wall.  BUT, then the Vets for Peace had one last action they needed help with, so we gathered our energy and bundled up for that last night. Hopefully, there will be fruits of this at the Capitol in the next couple of months ...

ANYway -- it feels like we've been here a month.  Will be very weird to be back in the "real world" and not have the luxury of doing anti-war work round the clock. 

p.s. to 53 ... 'Hatch was unsurprisingly, unapologetically sticking w/ the "talk of ending the war emboldens the enemy and demoralizes the troops". '

Forgot to also report that during Hatch's ridiculously out of touch remarks, the mother of a 2-tour Iraq Marine veteran stood up and shouted that her son had been called up for a THIRD tour after being home less than a month. Tina Richards I believe his her name. When she stood up, several more of us stood up w/ her and one of the Codepinkers I was near whipped out a banner that we held up behind her. KEY difference between Feingold and Biden: in Feingold's hearing, a very effective young woman who managed the seating came over to ask us to sit down, firmly but politely, but the cops stayed back (although were in the room). In Biden's Foreign Relations hearings, folks get hauled out by the cops (although not arrested unless they have outstanding warrants).

I learned later that Ms. Richards son is suffering pretty seriously from PTSD, and has said he will kill himself before he goes back -- this was from Col. Ann Wright, who has worked w/ the family for several months through Vets for Peace (she is the Foreign Service diplomat who resigned in protest of the Iraq Invasion and has been a leader at Camp Casey and elsewhere since - an AMAZING woman whom I'm proud to know).

THIS is the face of this war, folks. A young man who has served, who won't flee to Canada (or away from his country), but is considering ending his life rather than go back to Iraq. We gotta stand up for these souls!!!!

E

Print

Ex-International Development Secretary Clare Short joined the Tories in accusing Tony Blair of pushing through the £28m sale by BAE Systems.

Ministers said the deal had not damaged Tanzania's economy or its development.

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is currently investigating claims that BAE bribed Tanzanian officials.

'Reputation in tatters'

Ms Short, who is now an independent MP, has consistently argued Tanzania could have paid much less for the same equipment.

"I believe that all the parties involved in this deal should be deeply ashamed," she said in a Commons debate on Tuesday night.

She said the deal was "useless and hostile to the interests of Tanzania" and had been opposed by senior cabinet members including Chancellor Gordon Brown.

She said Barclays Bank had "colluded" with the government by loaning Tanzania the money, but lying to the World Bank about the type and size of the loan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brits have a Bob Ney on their hands Monica

Monica, Safe travels.

____________________

Judy and Seashell, great posts.

______________________

Judy ...I'm right there with ya' :)

THANK YOU PEACE ACTIVISTS

Martha

That is just an excellent report.

I hope you and Monica and others can post some on the big board and we can recommend them to the front page.

DNC Winter Meeting this weekend in DC

Four years ago, Howard Dean:

What I want to know is why in the world the Democratic party leadership is supporting the president's unilateral attack on Iraq.

What I want to know is why are Democratic party leaders supporting tax cuts. The question is not how big the tax cut should be, the question should be can we afford a tax cut at all with the largest deficit in the history of this country.

What I want to know is why we're fighting in Congress about the Patient's Bill of Rights when the Democratic party ought to be standing up for health care for every single American man, woman, and child in this country.

What I want to know is why our folks are voting for the president's No Child Left Behind bill that leaves every child behind, every teacher behind, every school board behind, and every property tax payer behind.

I'm Howard Dean and I'm here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic party!



Interesting side note. Also four years ago, as the Corporatists were trying to shove at us their candidates, we actully had Dick Gephard and Joe Lieberman as our parties Front Runners.



Schedule for speakers 4 years later

This weekend's lineup:

Friday (9:30am-Noon)
Senate Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid (NV)
DNC Chairman Howard Dean
Senator Christopher Dodd (CT)
Senator Barack Obama (IL)
General Wesley Clark (Ret.)
Senator John Edwards (NC)
Representative Dennis Kucinich (OH-10)
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY)

Saturday (9am-Noon)
Senator Joseph Biden (DE)
Governor Bill Richardson (NM)
Senator Mike Gravel (AK)
Governor Tom Vilsack (IA)

54.

Martha Sullivan
Wed, 01/31/07

It is so great you were able to be there and be a part of this.

Your entire post is mouth dropping, but this:

"during Hatch's ridiculously out of touch remarks, the mother of a 2-tour Iraq Marine veteran stood up and shouted that her son had been called up for a THIRD tour after being home less than a month."


I really don't have words for this.


Thank you so much for what you and all other did for us.

new thread

Just signed up because I am utterly disgusted by the direction the country has taken.

I am not a Democrat (I used to be a long time ago). I am a registered Independent and will probably remain so.

I am sick to death of Bush and his lies. I never thought Iraq war was a good idea and opposed it at that time. But here in Arizona (just moved here from Michigan), some people cling to the fantasy that Bush spun them.

As to why I am not a Democrat, its simple. I will not be a part of a party that relinquishes its responsibility and nominates weasels like Kerry for President in 2004 (even though it was a foregone conclusion by then, I did support Dean for President when it was our turn to vote) and now might nominate that arch-Machiavellian triangulating piece of work called Hillary. Funnily enough, I used to like Hillary. As late as 1998. Then her carpet bagging and her treasonous support for the Iraq war did it for me. Now she is finding faults with the war, and even had the brazenness to blame Bush for misleading her. Funny - Bush never mislead me. I know Hillary is not stupid. The only conclusion is that she thinks I am stupid and will buy that hogwash.

Anyways, enough about me. Hope to get to know everyone here better.

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