President Hamid Karzai handpicked an election commission that threw the election his way.UN overseers declared the election was crooked and decreed that a runoff was required.Karzai didn’t want to face a runoff, but John Kerry and other U.S. officials talked him into accepting it.
Karzai’s opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, demanded that the crooked Karzai change the crooked election officials before the runoff and Karzai refused.So Abdullah refused to participate in the runoff and Karzai’s handpicked election officials cancelled the runoff and declared Karzai the winner. The U.S. and other western powers swarmed to decree Karzai Afghanistan’s “legitimate” president.
U.S. President Barack Obama said that it is time for a “new chapter” in Afghanistan’s history, “based on improved governance, a much more serious effort to eradicate corruption,” and more joint training of Afghan forces “so the Afghan people can provide for their own security.”
Then the corrupt Karzai government Afghanistan government rejected UN criticism of its corruption.The Foreign Ministry says criticism from the international community violates "respect for Afghanistan's national sovereignty."
What a crock of bull feathers.Afghanistan is an occupied country.Nobody respects its national sovereignty.
Dear American women, the GOP wants you very, very quiet while the boys talk (via ThinkProgress):
"This morning, the House began consideration of the rule for debate of the House health care bill. As the Democratic Women’s Caucus
took to the microphone on the House floor to offer their arguments for
how the bill would benefit women, House Republicans — led by Rep. Tom
Price (R-GA) — repeatedly talked over, screamed, and shouted
objections. “I object, I object, I object, I object, I object,” Price
interjected as Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) tried to hold the floor.
In an effort to delay and derail
the proceedings, the Republicans continually talked over the Democratic
women for half an hour. They sought to prevent the debate by calling
for unnecessary “parliamentary inquiries” and requests for “expanding
the debate” by an hour."
"This was one of the most frustrating, embarrassing examples of Rushpublic obstruction that I can remember."
I will go one step further and ask this the following of the Republican Party: do you plan on winning elections on pure testosterone alone now that you have lost the vote of Latinos, Blacks, Muslims, Jews, the GLBT community, the elderly, the sick and now women? Just asking.
Adnkronos
International (AKI), the Italian news agency, reports that the U.S., in the
person of Hillary Clinton, pressured Hamid Karzai rival Abdullah Abdullah to
drop out of the presidential race.The way AKI describes it this was the biggest foreign policy coup of the
Obama administration to date.
It was a four or more way swindle in which the
U.S. swung its full support behind Karzai, the Pakistani military agreed to
make peace with the Taliban, and the Indians withdrew their troops from the
Kashmir region.The $1.5 billion
annual aid package we’re giving Pakistan was mentioned in the story, and
probably had something to do with the transaction, if the story is true.
Asia Times Onlineran a similar story that said “In
exchange for the pullout of the non-Pashtun Abdullah, Pakistan's military has
agreed to actively mediate between Washington and the Taliban over a
reconciliation plan that will allow the U.S. to exit from Afghanistan, as it is
doing in Iraq, with a semblance of success.”
Don’t get the impression that the Asia Times story
corroborates the AKI story.Both
stories were written by Syed Saleem Shahzad,
who is the Pakistan bureau chief for Asia Times Online and the South Asia
correspondent for AKI.
Good god, please let this be the end of it for at least a little while:
"A sacked employee went on a shooting spree in a US office complex, killing one
person and injuring six others before being caught by police.
The suspect, named as 40-year-old Jason Rodriguez, terrorised workers inside
the Gateway Centre in downtown Orlando, Florida, with many barricading
themselves behind closed doors during the rampage.
He fled after the shootings, but was eventually apprehended by a Swat team at
his mother’s residence.
Authorities went to the residence after being alerted to his whereabouts via a phone
call. He gave himself up without incident, officials said."
It seems that by pointing out that the obvious issue with the Fort Hood shooting is NOT that the shooter was Muslim, but that he was first and foremost an American soldier frightened of being deployed to war makes me an "America-bashing terror enabler," according to professor of political science and professional fighter of 'teh Communistofascists' Don Douglas:
"And in response, Larisa Alexandrovna,
who is one of the left's biggest race-baiting smear-merchants on the
web - and now obviously an America-bashing terror-enabler - is
excoriating those who are rightfully outraged at Obama's inappropriate
nonchalance in a crisis deserving the deepest solemnity, "3, 2, 1... Attack Obama Over the Fort Hood Shooting":
Not that I am surprised one bit by the glue-sniffing attack on Obama in relation to the Fort Hood tragedy,
but thought you might like a little tour of the lunacy, racism, hate,
and stupidity that comprises that right-wing fringe of the Republican
Party.
Yep, had to
get the racist allegations in there. It's all about "race" and "hatred"
with the Obama administration's apologists. Iran's going nuclear,
unemployment's soaring past 10 percent, and this administration's own
Department of Homeland Security -- as well as other federal officials
and Army personnel -- knew of Nidal Malik Hasan's pyschological
infirmities, and of his solidarity with Islamist suicide bombers. But
for Larisa Alexandrovna, it's all about racist right-wing opportunism
in attacking poor Obambi!"
Wow, sounds almost like I should be rounded up along with the other Communistofascists and sent to Gitmo straight away.
Let's look at what I did actually say about the shooting, which Douglas - per the usual - does not link to in order to better construct his various glue-sniffing fantasies (emphasis in the original):
I am not excusing what the shooter did by any measure. I am
appalled and saddened for those killed and wounded. But we have to ask
why this happened and as the answers come in, the horror of the reality
is a tragedy for all involved.
<snip>
In addition, it has emerged
(by a media less interested in responsible coverage and more interested
in sensationalism) that in the last six months, the suspect became
extreme in his views. But remember, he has been in the military since
before 9/11. So what made him suddenly so angry? Well, he did just find
out he was going to be deployed, something his family has said was his
"worst nightmare." So this brings us once again back to the obvious
issue, the stresses of war and its casualties, including those who were
shot by a fellow soldier and the soldier who shot them. They are all
casualties of war, not of Islamic Jihad as the glue-sniffers are eager
to spin.
I have refrained from naming the suspect, because there is no doubt
in my mind that the hatriots are likely planning their own retribution
for what they see as an attack on America. His family should go into
hiding for a while, given the hate and violence coming from their
fellow Americans who, while not Muslim, are proud wearer of bed sheets.
Again, I want to be clear, I am not in any way defending
the actions of this man. I am saddened for the fallen and their
families and my prayers are for the wounded and their families. But we
must ask why this happened and we must understand how to prevent this
from happening again. Rushing to judgment and worse, branding all
Muslims - including others serving this country and risking their lives
- as terrorists is ugly and cruel. It is un-American to attack the very
people on the front lines in a war in which they are serving on OUR
SIDE because of their ethnicity or religious views. Simply put, an
American soldier went insane and shot other soldiers. The rest is
background, but NOT motive.
The reaction to condemn all Muslims for this shooting is a reaction based in bigotry, not fact. That is what I am calling racist, not people outraged over the shooting - which would include me. But Douglas does not end with simply misleading what I wrote - once again - and basically calling me a terrorist. He also seems happy to show off his homophobea in an attack on right-wing, NON-glue sniffer Charles Johnson:
Wow. Seriously, Douglas is a professor of something? I don't know if Johnson is gay or not as I don't even know Johnson. But if after I see a picture of him and assuming he is straight, I might consider a crush just to pass the time. No my dear Don Douglas, the hall of shame on all counts is and continues to be yours.
Daniel Ellsburg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers that revealed Lyndon Johnson went along with a war he knew was unwinnable, says we’re repeating Vietnam in Afghanistan.In an interview with The Real News, Ellsberg remarks “No victory lies ahead in Afghanistan” and “they’re not going to get effective performance out of Afghan troops.” Ellsberg also notes the existence of the open conflict between the Pentagon and the White House.
Journalist Seymour Hersh, who exposed the My Lai massacre in Vietnam and the Abu Ghraib scandal in Iraq, says the military is "in a war against the White House—and they feel they have Obama boxed in."In an Oct. 13 speech at Duke University, Hersh said, "They think he's weak and the wrong color. Yes, there's racism in the Pentagon. We may not like to think that, but it's true and we all know it."
Obama not only suffers from being the wrong color, he belongs to the wrong political party.Rank and file military officers don’t like Democrats. God help black Democrats.
Not that I am surprised one bit by the glue-sniffing attack on Obama in relation to the Fort Hood tragedy, but thought you might like a little tour of the lunacy, racism, hate, and stupidity that comprises that right-wing fringe of the Republican Party.
“That he would call yesterday’s horrific act of violence an ‘outburst
of violence’ validates that he deserves no respect. It is times like
this that I REALLY miss President Bush.”
Imagine that. This person would rather have a president who sat idly by while the nation was under attack on 9/11, not even bothering to ask if the attack was nuclear, chemical, or what have you. He just sat there reading My Pet Goat.
This person would rather have a president who did a fund-raising tour while NOLA drowned, despite being forewarned that the levees would not hold.
This person would rather have a President who lied us into a war of choice and aggression - a war crime - resulting in the deaths of thousands of Americans. I could go on, but you get the idea. The point is, this seriously unhinged glue-sniffer would rather have a George W. Bush over a president who he believes used the wrong adjective. Does the psychiatric facility where this blogger writes from offer some sort of hate-management program?
But my favorite thus far are the comments to a piece written by Robert George - who fails to make a solid argument for his position on Obama's "aloofness," which is today's meme of choice, replacing the now overused "Nixonian" meme. Here are just some of the enlightened comments from the minds of those left-behind during the last evolutionary jump:
BlowmeWhat do you you expect for a Kenyan Muslim. 8:55 AM, 11.6.09
--
djm159What's
amazing is that the general population expect anything more from this
narcissist. He could care less what happened in Fort Hood as long as
his Marxist plan for socialized medicine moves forward, after all first
things first. If B. Hussein Obama could stop going around the world to
terrorist countries apologizing for and blaming America perhaps nuts
like this peace loving Muslim who killed 13 people yesterday would not
be set off. If terrorists see a strong leader and know that there are... moreWhat's
amazing is that the general population expect anything more from this
narcissist. He could care less what happened in Fort Hood as long as
his Marxist plan for socialized medicine moves forward, after all first
things first. If B. Hussein Obama could stop going around the world to
terrorist countries apologizing for and blaming America perhaps nuts
like this peace loving Muslim who killed 13 people yesterday would not
be set off. If terrorists see a strong leader and know that there are
consequences for behavior these things would not happen. We saw what
happened in 2001 when a weak on terrorism president left office. For
seven years we were safe after that, now all bets are off because we
have a weak, indecisive terrorist sympathizer again at the helm. 8:56 AM, 11.6.09
--
anonymousI'm
so glad you wrote this. I was watching yesterday and thought the same
thing, "what is this guy doing? so disconnected." made me long for the
days of GWB or even Bill Clinton. Others should be pointing out the
same thing.9:08 AM, 11.6.09
--
retdep110Don't expect any improvement. He's a "red". Simple as that.9:11 AM, 11.6.09
--
irishkay
This 'usurper' of our country showed exactly how he feels about it, and
the men and women serving our country! Why is everybody so shocked?
Here we have a President who thinks the USA is the cause for ALL the
worlds problems, HE THINKS WE ARE SCUM! Mr. President, you screwed up,
and YOUR party, the Democrats will NOT put up with a president who is
AGAINST THE USA, you underestimate the power of the people, sir! We,
the Repub's and Dem's may have our disagreements, but one thing for
sure, WE ALL... more
This 'usurper' of our country showed exactly how he feels about it, and
the men and women serving our country! Why is everybody so shocked?
Here we have a President who thinks the USA is the cause for ALL the
worlds problems, HE THINKS WE ARE SCUM! Mr. President, you screwed up,
and YOUR party, the Democrats will NOT put up with a president who is
AGAINST THE USA, you underestimate the power of the people, sir! We,
the Repub's and Dem's may have our disagreements, but one thing for
sure, WE ALL BACK AND SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! What the heck is wrong with
you sir, where is your compassion, your concern, your
leadership....this is truly a matter with which we see the TRUE MEASURE
OF A MAN, A LEADER, AND SIR, YOU DON'T HAVE IT!
Obviously, there will be updates coming, because the day is still young. Plus, I am curious as to how many times Fox News will deploy the "aloof" or "insensitive" meme in describing Obama's reaction in the next 24 hours. If anyone is counting, do let me know.
Hey folks, it is that time again. As you know, money is very tight for me right now, due to the loss of health coverage and my medical bills. So I don't have a whole lot extra to pay for running this blog. If you have a little extra to spare, please donate at the tip jar (top right corner). Thanks again, as always.
The drooling, knuckle-dragging racists calling themselves Americans are busy bashing Muslims and Islam over the Fort Hood shooting. It appears, however, that the shooter - who joined the military BEFORE 9/11 - right out of high school - was being harassed by the other soldiers. Indeed, we also now know that he was an American soldier, born and bred in the USA. He did not recently convert to Islam as some faux-news outlets are claiming. He was always a Muslim. So what made him suddenly go postal?
We are also now learning that he was allegedly afraid to be deployed because of the horrors of war and because he was afraid to go overseas with his harassers. The motive for the shooting seems to be that he simply went postal as a result of war and harassment. Yet the people who are busy bashing Muslims in reaction to the Fort Hood shooting are the exact type of people who harassed this man into a mental breakdown.
I am a Jew. But I have friends who are Muslim. I will always defend Muslims against this kind of hate as I would expect others to defend Jews against this type of hate. Extremism happens in all religions and political views. Christianity is not, in itself, a religion of hate and violence. But if one were to spend some time with some of the pro-life movement, they would come away thinking Christianity is yet another terrorist cult.
I am not excusing what the shooter did by any measure. I am appalled and saddened for those killed and wounded. But we have to ask why this happened and as the answers come in, the horror of the reality is a tragedy for all involved.
Below is an interview with the shooter's cousin - amazingly enough, via Fox (and fairly balanced actually):
So this is a man born in the US. He is an American who joined the military out of high school. In essence he seems to have had a breakdown, but was being deployed anyway. This brings up the question of PTSD in soldiers and how well we are addressing this issue. But for the glue-sniffers, this is not PTSD, this is not an American soldier sadly driven into a breakdown by the horrors of war. Because of his name, they have already branded him a terrorist, an infiltrator, a Islamofascist.
Let me give you a small tour through the hate of the right-wing and how un-American it truly is:
"Their blood is on the hands of Islamic apologists, dhimmis, media, the
weak, and lily livered politicians. The media spin on this massacre is
another form of attack on America."
Let me see here. This woman openly supported (and still does) the Iraq war, despite the fact that it was based on lies, despite the fact that our military is over-stressed, despite the fact that the Bush policy of hiding the war from public scrutiny included repeated back-to-back deployments. This woman openly harasses Muslims and openly calls for genocide of Muslims. She was recently even showcased by the pro-Nazi, pro-fascist European "Pro Köln."
So when a soldier did not want to be deployed into hell for a war that we were lied into and when that soldier was harassed by bigots like Geller, the people this bimbo first blames are other Muslims. That is how hate works. It requires no responsibility by the person engaging in it. It is pure emotion without concept of consequences.
The attack on America is not by this lone American soldier gone insane and sadly taking so many lives with him. The attack on America is coming from the extremism and pro-war, anti-civil liberties, corporate sponsored hatriots (Shoq coined this) like Geller. By the way, next time a white man shoots someone, all white people should be blamed - at least according to Geller's logic (if one can call it that).
Racism is this guys bread and butter. And predictably, this idiot actually blames everyone who denies that all Muslims are terrorists and declares the whole lot, including the global warming crowd as evil:
Anyone who wants to distract you from real dangers by telling you to fear this week's pet bogeyman -- global warming! creationists! Ron Paul! -- is not your friend. They are fools and liars who cannot be trusted. They are objectively evil.
No you idiot. This guy is an American soldier, born and bred in the USA. Regardless of his religion, he is still an American soldier. What if he were a Christian soldier, would you run off screaming that all Christians are terrorists? Of course not.
"No one knew on Thursday whether stress, fear, anger over mistreatment,
mental illness or a warped understanding of his religion might have
motivated Major Hasan. The point here is not to defend the soldier or
his alleged actions. Rather, it is to question the rush to judgment
regarding not just this one Muslim but all Muslims.
It should be understood that to assume a follower of Islam who
engages in violence is a jihadist is every bit as absurd to assume that
every follower of Christianity who attacks others is a crusader. The
calculus makes no sense, and is rooted in a bigotry that everyone from
George W. Bush to Pope Benedict XVI has condemned."
In addition, it has emerged (by a media less interested in responsible coverage and more interested in sensationalism) that in the last six months, the suspect became extreme in his views. But remember, he has been in the military since before 9/11. So what made him suddenly so angry? Well, he did just find out he was going to be deployed, something his family has said was his "worst nightmare." So this brings us once again back to the obvious issue, the stresses of war and its casualties, including those who were shot by a fellow soldier and the soldier who shot them. They are all casualties of war, not of Islamic Jihad as the glue-sniffers are eager to spin.
I have refrained from naming the suspect, because there is no doubt in my mind that the hatriots are likely planning their own retribution for what they see as an attack on America. His family should go into hiding for a while, given the hate and violence coming from their fellow Americans who, while not Muslim, are proud wearer of bed sheets.
Again, I want to be clear, I am not in any way defending the actions of this man. I am saddened for the fallen and their families and my prayers are for the wounded and their families. But we must ask why this happened and we must understand how to prevent this from happening again. Rushing to judgment and worse, branding all Muslims - including others serving this country and risking their lives - as terrorists is ugly and cruel. It is un-American to attack the very people on the front lines in a war in which they are serving on OUR SIDE because of their ethnicity or religious views. Simply put, an American soldier went insane and shot other soldiers. The rest is background, but NOT motive.
A U.S. soldier opened fire Thursday at Fort
Hood, Texas, killing at least 11 people and wounding 31 others,
military officials said. The gunman was shot to death, and two other
soldiers were in custody.
NBC
News’ Pete Williams reported that U.S. officials identified the gunman
as Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who had been promoted
to major in May. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, said military
officials told her that the gunman, who was 39 or 40, was about to be
deployed to Iraq and was “upset about it.”
"Look at the number of idiots money can buy.
Yes, the people protesting are actually getting tax cuts. So why are
they out on the street? Well, because they are either paid to be there
or they are too stupid to actually grasp that the only tax increase
being suggested are for people NOT OUT THERE - the ones funding this
sham. Welcome to the herd of stupidity, sponsored by the very people
who want government bail-outs. Moreover, Fox News is acting as the
official PR arm of this faux movement."
No matter the issue, be it tax cuts for the middle class or health care for all, the stupid (and/or paid for) are out protesting against their own best interests.
But stupidity has crossed the line into offensive propaganda.
The photo was taken at today's glue-sniffer rally by ThinkProgress' Lee Fang. The sign above reads “National Socialist Health Care: Dachau, Germany – 1945."
Fox News has aggressively promoted this rally and its talking heads, like Glenn Beck, have aggressively tried to tie health care reform to Nazism. Americans for Prosperity, a corporate front-group sponsored this event.
Too bad for these right-wing haters that Hitler and the Nazis were fascists (right-wing), brought to power by corporate interests under the guise of "Socialism," because if this sign had some basis in fact it would at least be slightly less offensive and not so blatantly anti-Semitic.
But since this sign has no basis in fact and since Nazis were in fact right-wing; and since corporate interests now - just as then - had an interest in seeing piled up dead bodies, this sign is beyond offensive. This is in fact yet another display of the ignorant brandishing propaganda that is anti-Semitic and eagerly embraced as acceptable political talking points. This is not acceptable on any level.
I think the ADL needs to step in here. Please take a moment to contact them and express your outrage. Enough is enough. But for now, let us make this sign a bit more reality based. The caption on this sign should read "Corporate greed denies life to millions.
The Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General is conducting a new
investigation into a covert Bush administration Defense Department
program that used retired military analysts to produce positive wartime
news coverage.
Last May, the Inspector General’s office rescinded and repudiated a prior internal investigation’s report
on the retired military analyst program, which had been issued by the
Bush administration, because it “did not meet accepted quality
standards for an Inspector General work product.” Yet in recent
interviews with Raw Story, Pentagon officials who took part in the
program were still defending it by referencing this invalidated report.
Gary Comerford, Inspector General spokesman for the Defense
Department, told Raw Story last week that his office is conducting an
investigation into the retired military analyst program and confirmed
that the investigation began during the summer.
Asked when his office expects to conclude the investigation,
Comerford said, “As a matter of policy we do not set deadlines since
any number of variables or factors could result in a delay.”
He did confirm that investigators in his office have read Raw Story’s recent articles on the topic.
The election hysteria of 09 is remarkable for everything it is not about. It is as though someone mass injected spiked kool aid directly into the right-wing bloodstream over the last 48 hour period. Why yes, 2 + 2 does equal 5. So much is this lunacy out of whack with reality, that I feel as though I have to explain to a group of flatlanders that the earth is round.
Some (read the far-right and MSM) have called it a referendum on Obama. It is not a referendum on Obama. Why? Because these are local elections with very specific issues unrelated to the current President, despite the spin that is being employed to tie him to this. The same people who have blamed Obama for everything from the lack of rain to the choices made by the Bush administration over the last 8 years, are trying once again to tie Obama to something, anything, to show him as a failure. Apparently the whole Obama=Stalin, Obama=Hitler, Obama=anti-Christ memes are not working. The latest meme is that a corrupt New Jersey governor lost to an even more corrupt New Jersey US Attorney is a win for the GOP and a loss for Obama.
Some think that now-Governor Chris Christie is proof of a GOP comeback. It is not. It is proof of how corruption is no longer a hindrance to political office - so long as the person running parrots the right pro-war, pro-life talking points. There are a few of us who have spent years reporting on the US Attorney Scandal, corruption of the DOJ, and the use of federal office for political retaliation. Christie suddenly being thrust by his maker - Karl Rove - into an even more glaring spot-light is not a win for the GOP. It is a disaster.
In time, as is always the case, the excitement over the "R" after Christie's
name will dissipate as Christie's various questionable (and probably
illegal) activities will begin to emerge. We have seen these types elected
before. Where their faux stand on social issues initially energizes the
glue-sniffing base, and then fades as the corruption allegations begin
to emerge.
Tom Delay, for example, was the face of the GOP, until that
face became the image of corruption itself. Christie's problems are
being overlooked now, but it will all unravel just in time for the
Presidential election and taint the GOP just as Jack Abramoff and his
gang tainted the Republican party during a critical election.
If the GOP is serious about winning Congressional seats, they should consider running candidates not on socially conservative issues, but on actual standards tied to the actual party platform of small government, clean government, and fiscal responsibility - which for the last 8 years have been nothing but talking points.
On the other hand, if the GOP wishes to continue its slide toward irrelevancy and continue being the definition of corruption and cover-up, then by all means, run candidates like Christie for glue-sniffers to vote for. In other words, by all means, destroy yourselves.
Some of the delusional right-wing are claiming that the NY-23 GOP loss is actually a win, despite the fact that it was a solid Republican seat since the 19th century. Losing something as solid as that seat is an indication of monumental damage to the party, which the far-right refuses to accept. The reason that Rush Limbaugh, Sarah, Palin, and the rest of the glue-sniffing community refuse to accept responsibility for the damage they have caused to their own is the same reason the GOP is a regional, out-dated political cult rather than a national party.
They seek to impose their extremist beliefs on the rest of the nation through whatever means necessary. If they admit defeat in NY-23, then they admit that they are a liability rather than anything of value to the GOP. If the GOP is serious about winning elections on a national level, they need to purge themselves of this virus and do so very openly. In the meantime, I am enjoying watching Rush-Oxy play fool for the even more foolish.
As it stands, the GOP has won a NJ governor's seat that will soon be vacated because of the character and history of the candidate they chose. The scandal will diminish their chances in more important elections. They lost a solid GOP Congressional seat too, so solid, that it was a a given that a Republican would win. If that is success or a comeback, I fail to see it.
I often quote Bill Murray when attempting to sum up the glue-sniffers and their various adventures into decidedly crazy-land. So once again, and in short: "morons, your bus is leaving."
So this platoon comes back to an Afghan village it hasn’t visited in three months.One of the village elders tells the platoon commander, Lieutenant Thomas Goodman, "We ask you not to come here.It is better for us, and better for you."As the platoon leaves the village, the Taliban attack it and a four-hour firefight ensues.
This compelling story, told by a Knight Ridder/Tribune correspondent, perfectly illustrates the futility of the foreign policy course we are pursuing, especially in Afghanistan.
The U.S funded a clinic to be built it the village to “demonstrate to Afghans that they have more to gain from the Americans than from the Taliban.”Last spring the Taliban blew the clinic up.
Goodman takes off his helmet and sunglasses and explains to the village elders that the Taliban have been passing through their village on their way to attack U.S. outposts along the nearby Pech River. "Unless this is stopped, you have to understand that you'll be getting regular visits from coalition forces," Goodman says.
As Colonel Tim Reese noted in July, “The ineffectiveness and corruption of [Iraqi government] Ministries is the stuff of legend.”Of Iraq’s security forces, Reese reported that “Corruption among officers is widespread, Cronyism and nepotism are rampant in the assignment and promotion system,” and “Laziness is endemic.”
According to Gen. Ray “Desert Ox” Odierno, U.S. commander in Iraq, these concerns are mere “tactical issues.”Good God.Can the man we put in charge of our national quagmire really be that dense?(Silly question, never mind.)
NATO ministers were hot to trot for Gen. Stan McChrystal’s Afghanistan escalation scheme, but Europe isn’t likely to send any more troops to the fray.Opinion polls in most European countries show clear majorities in favor of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso says, "Honestly in Europe there is not great enthusiasm for sending more troops to Afghanistan.”
NATO members currently field 42,000 troops in Afghanistan.American troops there currently number 67,000.
It’s a wonder NATO and Europe will play with us at all.Donald Rumsfeld infamously referred to “old Europe” as “irrelevant.”
Rumsfeld’s successor has been just as insulting.Robert Gates has a track record of crying for more help from NATO and then complaining about the kind of help he gets.(They don’t know how to do counterinsurgency, dag nabbit.)
Recently declassified documents on the Bush administration
interrogation program describe several techniques used on detainees in
US custody, some of which may have violated the United Nations
Convention Against Torture, to which the United States is a signatory.
Included in the large cache of documents is one which describes (pdf) stress positions to be used as interrogation techniques, as well as the use of an abdominal slap as a punishment tool.
The “purpose” of the abdominal slap is defined in the documents as
being “to instill fear and despair, to punish selective behavior and to
instill humiliation or cause insult.”
The documents were requested by the American Civil Liberties Union
via a Freedom of Information Act request in 2004 and were made public
on Oct. 30, 2009.
While there is no information on when the stress-position document
was written or which government agency authored it, the entire cache of
documents was in the possession of the Justice Department's Office of
Legal Counsel, according to ACLU attorney, Alex Abdo. "We don't know
who wrote it," Abdo said in a Monday interview. "It may have been
written by the OLC, the CIA, or the DOD."
<snip>
Abdominal Slap
The “purpose” of the abdominal slap technique is far more defined
than the purpose of the stress position technique and it is this
portion that raises serious questions of legality, as defined by
several treaties to which the United States is a signatory.
The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment, for example, was adopted by the United Nations
in 1984 and ratified by the United States in 1994. It defines
torture as "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical
or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as
obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession,
punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is
suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a
third person."
The abdominal slap is outlined in the released document as being used “to instill fear and despair” and “instill humiliation.”
Who’s the bigger fraud: Hamid Karzai or the phalanx of western toads who are hailing him as the “legitimate” president of Afghanistan?
To review the bidding: Karzai appointed a gang of crooks as election officials who threw the original election in his direction.UN election monitors tossed out a million or so votes, so Karzai didn’t have a majority, and a runoff election was required.Karzai at first refused to face a runoff, but John Kerry supposedly talked him into accepting one.
Karzai’s main opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, demanded a change in electoral officials, saying that with the same people in charge, the runoff would be as crooked as the original election.Karzai refused to change the officials.Abdullah refused to participate in the runoff election.Karzai’s handpicked officials cancelled the runoff election.
Now Karzai is the “legitimate” president of Afghanistan.
Now you know why I use the term “Bananastan” to describe Afghanistan and Pakistan.They’re the Central Asian versions of a Banana Republic.
