Seigneur, écoute-nous - 4/9/2008

Iraq
More Skepticism Voiced at House Hearing on Iraq
New York Times - 2 hours ago
By BRIAN KNOWLTON WASHINGTON - General David H. Petraeus, the commander of American forces in Iraq, and Ryan C. Crocker, the American Ambassador to Iraq, faced a new round of deep congressional skepticism today, not only about progress in the war and ...
Petraeus, Crocker Testify Before the House Washington Post
Harry Reid's "Twilight Zone": Iraq ABC News

Violence Kills 16 in Iraq's Sadr City
The Associated Press - 4 hours ago
The heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses diplomatic missions and much of Iraq's government, came under renewed attack by rockets or mortars despite a daylong vehicle ban apparently aimed at preventing Shiite gunmen from moving freely about the ...
Iraq: violence plateau Oxford Analytica (subscription)
Iraq Sets Curfew on 5th Anniversary of the Fall of Baghdad Journal of Turkish Weekly

On anniversary of Saddam's fall, fighting claims 20 more lives in ...
International Herald Tribune - 44 minutes ago
BAGHDAD: Twenty people were killed in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad on Wednesday despite a vehicle ban aimed at preventing unrest from spreading on the fifth anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Petraeus Cites 'Significant, but Uneven' Security Progress in Iraq
Blackanthem.com - 50 minutes ago
By Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, DC - The efforts of US and Iraqi surge forces have boosted security in Iraq, but those gains are uneven and subject to reversal, the top US military and diplomatic officials in Iraq ...

Bullets from same rifle killed Basra soldiers, MoD says
Guardian - 48 minutes ago
This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Wednesday April 09 2008. It was last updated at 19:22 on April 09 2008. Seven British soldiers were shot and killed by the same sniper rifle in Basra last year, the Ministry of Defence said today.
Deadly gun killed Basra soldier BBC News
Same crack Iraqi sniper 'killed SIX British soldiers in Basra ... Mail on Sunday


Tibet - China - Olympics
Olympic Official Criticizes Anti-Chinese Protests
Washington Post - 50 minutes ago
By Maureen Fan BEIJING, April 9 -- A high-ranking Olympic official declared Wednesday that anti-Chinese protests during the torch relay had been "unacceptable," while acknowledging that he had watered down an official statement urging China to settle ...
Video: Richard Gere Critical Of China kcratv
Comment by Allyn Brooks-LaSure Director of Media Relations, Save Darfur Coalition

US Lawmakers Condemn China's Crackdown in Tibet
Voice of America - 1 hour ago
By Dan Robinson The House of Representatives is expected to approve a bipartisan resolution Wednesday condemning China's crackdown in Tibet and urging Beijing to hold a substantive dialogue with the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
House Criticizes China on Tibet The Associated Press
Bush urges China to open dialogue with Dalai Lama Reuters

Torch relay, protest taunts competing
San Francisco Chronicle - 2 hours ago
As the Beijing Olympic flame is carried through the streets of San Francisco today, what happens could be a triumphant acknowledgement of the power of peaceful protest or a blow to "our reputation as a country," according a top Olympic official worried ...

Violent clashes welcome Olympic torch to San Francisco
Times Online - 59 minutes ago
Police and protesters clashed on the streets of San Francisco today even before the Olympic flame had begun its six-mile journey through the city.

Kouchner parle souvent au dalaï-lama
Le Figaro - Publié depuis 1 heure
Le ministre français des Affaires étrangères Bernard Kouchner a assuré aujourd'hui qu'il parlait "deux à trois fois par semaine" au chef spirituel des tibétains en exil, le dalaï-lama, pour favoriser la reprise d'un dialogue avec Pékin. ...
La France assume sa condition Libération
Sarkozy lie sa participation aux JO à un dialogue entre Pékin et ... Les Échos

Rudd to pressure China on climate, rights
NEWS.com.au - 1 hour ago
PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd will get a chance today to act on his pledge to speak frankly with Beijing about problems such as human rights and climate change when he meets Premier Wen Jiabao.
Video: Australian PM delivers Olympics message - 09 April 08 AlJazeeraEnglish
Rudd tackles China over Tibet The Australian


Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe cop: Bosses 'told us to vote for Mugabe'
CNN International - 2 hours ago
INSIDE ZIMBABWE (CNN) -- Afraid to lose their jobs in a country with nearly 80 percent unemployment, Zimbabwe police officers voted for President Robert Mugabe under the watchful eyes of their bosses, one of those officers told a reporter.
South African enters Zimbabwean poll fray United Press International
Zimbabwe Vote Crisis Prompts Emergency SADC Summit (Update2) Bloomberg

Zambia Calls Regional Summit on Zimbabwe
The Associated Press - 51 minutes ago
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Zambia called an emergency summit of southern African leaders on the political crisis in Zimbabwe, where the opposition has accused President Robert Mugabe of withholding election results to cling to power.

African nations hold summitt over Robert Mugabe's conduct
Telegraph.co.uk - 1 hour ago
By Sebastien Berger in Johannesburg Zimbabwe's neighbours have announcedthat they would hold an emergency summit to discuss the country’s election crisis.
Mugabe's neighbours call regional summit on Zimbabwe Times Online

Nepal
Nepal Election Seen as Referendum for Monarchy, Maoists
Voice of America - 2 hours ago
By Steve Herman Seventeen-and-a-half million people are eligible to go to the polls in Nepal, Thursday. They will elect members of a constituent assembly that will draft a constitution to complete the transfer from a feudal Himalayan state into a ...
At Least 8 Killed on Eve of Nepal Vote New York Times
Nepal hit by killings, bombings ahead of crucial poll AFP

Népal: la fin annoncée du «roi maudit»
Cyberpresse - Il y a 7 heures
Le Népal renoue avec la démocratie dès jeudi. Un scrutin historique. Entre autres parce que la monarchie, vieille de 240 ans, risque fort d'être abolie. En grande partie à cause de l'actuel monarque, Gyanendra. Un roi maudit. Il a perdu tous ses palais ...
Le Népal secoué par de nouvelles violences à la veille d'élections ... AFP

Background information on King Gyanendre (from Wikipedia):

Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (Nepali: Jñānendra Vīra Vikrama Śāhadeva) (born July 7, 1947) has been the reigning King of Nepal since June 4, 2001. He succeeded to the throne upon the death of his nephew Dipendra, who was King for only three days while in a coma, following a massacre of the preceding king (Gyanendra's brother, Birendra) and other members of the royal family.

In February 2005 King Gyanendra took complete control of the government, dismissing the elected parliament. Following opposition to his direct rule he was forced to return power to parliament in April 2006 who in turn reduced the king's status to that of a ceremonial monarch.

Gyanendra is poised to be the last King of Nepal, as the interim parliament passed a bill that would turn Nepal into a republic, though this remains to be approved by the Constituent Assembly.

Nepal's date with democracy
Times of India - 1 hour ago
KATHMANDU: Two years after raging street protests forced King Gyanendra to give up power and allow the Maoist rebels walk into the heart of the capital, the monarch is preparing himself for an uncertain future.
Nepal set for historic elections NDTV.com
WRAPUP 1-Nepal king, facing ouster, urges people to vote Reuters India

Israel - Palestine
Foreign Ministry: Hamas will bear consequences of attack
Jerusalem Post - 1 hour ago
By ELIE LESHEM AND JPOST.COM STAFF "Israel considers the ruling Hamas in the Gaza Strip the sole party responsible for today's terror attack at the Nahal Oz Terminal.
Palestinians kill 2 Israelis in raid CNN International
Deadly clashes across Gaza Strip Aljazeera.net

Israel resumes strikes on Gaza
Telegraph.co.uk - 3 hours ago
By Carolynne Wheeler in Jerusalem Israel resumed air strikes on Gaza today after Palestinian militants conducted a daring daylight cross-border raid on a fuel terminal, killing two Israelis in a fierce gunbattle.
Israeli civilians killed after border stormed Times Online
IDF investigates Nahal Oz attack Ynetnews

Texas
Is Texas group a religious sect or clear-cut cult?
MSNBC - 1 hour ago
By Jeanna Bryner The allegedly polygamous group whose compound was raided this week in Texas is either a religious sect or a full-blown cult, depending on whom you ask.
Sect accused of marrying pubescent girls Kansas City Star
Teen mothers reported at polygamist sect's compound Los Angeles Times

Texan sect girls 'in abuse cycle'
BBC News - 1 hour ago
A polygamist sect raided by Texan authorities was the site of a pervasive cycle of sexual abuse against children, according to claims in court papers.
Court Files Detail Claims of Sect’s ‘Pattern’ of Abuse New York Times

Haiti
Prix de la nourriture
Canoë - Il y a 49 minutes
AP (AP) Jonathan M. Katz © AP La capitale haïtienne de Port-au-Prince demeure essentiellement paralysée, aujourd'hui, pendant que les émeutes alimentaires provoquées par l'explosion du coût de la nourriture se poursuivent. Le président René Préval, ...
Crise en Haïti: la capitale paralysée Le Figaro
L’ONU déploie des blindés autour de la présidence en Haïti Cyberpresse
Crise en Haïti: Préval appelle au calme et à la fin des pillages Romandie.com

Kenya
Kenya opposition urges restraint
BBC News - 3 hours ago
Kenya's main opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has appealed to his supporters to exercise restraint after violence broke out in the capital, Nairobi.
Kenyan leaders under pressure to resume coalition talks AFP
International Pressure Mounts for Kenya Cabinet Agreement Voice of America

Colombia - United States
US House speaker moves to postpone vote on Colombia deal
Guardian - 1 hour ago
This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Wednesday April 09 2008. It was last updated at 19:18 on April 09 2008. The controversial US trade deal with Colombia that has scarred Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign ran aground today in ...
White House criticizes Pelosi over trade deal Reuters
Democrats to Suspend Action On Colombia Trade Deal Wall Street Journal

For more on this and problems with Colombia and trade unions, see here.

Colombia - France
Continuará Francia con esfuerzos para liberar a Betancourt: Kouchner
La Crónica de Hoy - hace 1 hora
El canciller francés Bernard Kouchner aseguró hoy que su país continuará con sus esfuerzos 'bajo una forma u otra' para lograr la liberación de Ingrid Betancourt, tras el rechazo de las FARC a la misión humanitaria enviada a Colombia. ...
Decepciona a Sarkozy rechazo de las FARC a misión humanitaria El Universal (México)
Rechazan las FARC la misión médica enviada por Francia La Jornada (México)

La guérilla des FARC refuse la mission humanitaire française en ...
Le Monde - Il y a 7 heures
La guérilla colombienne ne veut pas de la mission humanitaire dépêchée par la France pour prêter assistance à Ingrid Betancourt et aux autres otages en leur pouvoir. L'avion, qui a atterri à Bogota le 3 avril, devrait "quitter prochainement la ...
Ingrid Betancourt - La mission française va quitter la Colombie TF1
Betancourt : Le Pen fustige un "fiasco" Le Figaro

Egypt
Egypt jails five 'homosexuals' for three years
AFP - 3 hours ago
CAIRO (AFP) - A Cairo court on Wednesday jailed five men, four of them HIV positive, for three years on charges of "debauchery" linked to homosexuality, the latest example of what rights groups call a "witch hunt.
Egypt court jails five men for debauchery Reuters South Africa
Egypt sentences 4 HIV-positive men to 3 years in prison for ... International Herald Tribune

India - Africa
India and Africa investment deal
BBC News - 1 hour ago
By Sanjoy Majumder Africa's top leaders have pushed for greater investment from India at the end of a two-day summit in Delhi.
India-Africa Summit to be held every 3 years Hindu
LEADER ARTICLE: Old Friends In A New World Times of India

Darfur
Thom Hartmann visited Darfur recently. You can see photos and learn more here and here.

Climate Change - Human Health
Congo-Brazzaville: Climate Change Linked to Spread of Disease
AllAfrica.com - 6 hours ago
Climate change is emerging as a major threat to health and adding pressure on public health systems, especially in Africa, a senior UN official has said.
Climatic Change Will Impact Human Health, Says WHO TopNews
Climate change will impact human health in South East Asia: WHO Hindu



Thou hast wrought salvation in the midst of the earth, O Christ God; Thou didst stretch out Thy pure hands upon the Cross, thereby gathering together all the nations, who cry: O Lord, glory be to Thee.
--Wednesday of the Myrrh-Bearers, Pentecostarion

--the BB

Fragile and reversible

Those were the words we heard from Petraeus and Crocker yesterday, when speaking of "progress" in Iraq.

Juan Cole gives Gen. Petraeus some props today while outlining the utter failure of the Maliki government.

Gen. Petraeus is clearly convinced that Iraq needs US troops to shore up the government and security. He has done the most responsible job yet seen by an American official in Iraq in trying to end the carnage. He has made bazaars no drive zones to stop the car bombings. He has surrounded city districts with blast walls to keep out insurgents. He has reached out to the Sunnis (though alas the Shiite government has not). He has done what he could, but it hasn't been enough. There really is little sign of political reconciliation.

Al-Maliki started out with a national unity government. He had Sunnis in his cabinet. He had Sadrists in his cabinet. Islamic Virtue Party. Iraqi National List. All gone. His government is more fractured and less representative than before the surge began!

Cole then shares this sobering fact:


So I found myself wondering what would be comparable to this in the US? I took a quick look at population estimates for Iraq and the United States. Then I did the quick calculation.

We have tut-tutted about nastiness in political campaigning. Well....

What if there were 3,266 deaths in political violence in the United States last month?

That is what life in Iraq is like these days.

Oh, and we don't have a tenth of our population living as refugees at the moment.

--the BB

4028

heart thread - 4/8/2008

Grandmère Mimi has shared many stories of life in Louisiana (Sazerac, anyone?) and these have included reports on the work the Bishop and Diocese have been doing to rebuild New Orleans and minister to those in need. We have journeyed there with Kirstin during her intersession ministry in January. Today Kirstin has posted about the work in New Orleans and how it has affected her. If you have read some of Mimi's reports you are aware that there is opposition to some of the ministry being done. Servanthood is not always popular or welcome and those whom it makes uncomfortable can seek to thwart it.

So let's keep Bishop Charles Jenkins and the other folks of, or temporarily ministering in, the Diocese of Louisiana in our prayers. They need to be upheld. And those they seek to serve often have so little and need so much. Woven throughout it all is the shared humanity and graces of the Spirit by which all give to one another and receive from one another. Pray for that corner of God's reign.

While looking for photos of something quite different today I stumbled upon a photo related to rioting in Haiti where people are dealing with food shortages. Tonight I saw a diary by Samza at Daily Kos sharing e-mails from a friend in Haiti. State Department employees are having to flee to a building where there are Marine guards. We may hear much more of this in the days ahead or--as is equally likely--we will hear nothing about it in the MSM.

At BBC News we get the headline "Hungry mob attacks Haiti palace."

Crowds of demonstrators in Haiti have tried to storm the presidential palace in the capital Port-au-Prince as protests continue over food prices.

Witnesses say the protesters used metal bins to try to smash down the palace gates before UN troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them.

Several people are reported to have been injured in the clashes.

At least five people have been killed in Haiti since the unrest began last week in the southern city of Les Cayes.


The demonstrators outside the presidential palace said the rising cost of living in Haiti meant they were struggling to feed themselves.

Buried in the article is a paragraph that should give us all pause: "Violence in Haiti has often been linked to poverty with more than half the population surviving on less than a dollar a day."

Security boosted amid violent protests over prices in Haiti
AFP - 1 hour ago
PORT-AU-PRINCE (AFP) — Blue-helmet UN peacekeepers were called in Tuesday to protect Haiti's presidential palace after violent demonstrations against high ...
Haiti’s food protest continues radiojamaica.com
Haiti crowds demonstrate against high prices Australian News

Let us pray for the people of Haiti.

Food prices are skyrocketing and it has only just begun. We are in for some very bad repercussions, if I guess aright.

Let us pray for the wisdom and will to sort out the world's resources that none may go hungry or suffer from malnutrition.

With recent news of protests, riots, repression, and re-education in Tibet and elsewhere in China, let us remember cultural and religious minorities throughout the world, Tibetans and all the Chinese people, those who live under repressive regimes throughout the earth.

I want to remember Ormonde who is still going through his chemo, though he doesn't talk about it;

Eileen who is still recovering from her ectopic pregnancy;

Freedom Bound and his former partner who now must sort out their lives and identity without doing so in terms of each other

The assaults on gay members of Changing Attitude Nigeria during Easter weekend remind us of the consequences of prejudice and prejudicial language. h/t to Susan Russell.

Let us pray for all who suffer violence or are threatened with it simply because of who they are (no matter what the category).

Caminante asks our prayers for Dean (R.I.P.), Naomi, Emilee, Esther, and her own self (Lee).

I know it is going to take a while for my friend Roussel to heal from her fall and broken hip. Pamela's eye is coming along nicely, though she still relies on her husband to drive. Tad is healing too.

I've forgotten many, of course, and you have your own names to add. Thank you for holding the world in love and compassion.

May Our Prayer Be as Incense

Almighty, everlasting God, let our prayer in your sight be as incense, the lifting up of our hands as the evening sacrifice. Give us grace to behold you, present in your Word and Sacraments, and to recognize you in the lives of those around us. Stir up in us the flame of that love which burned in the heart of your Son as he bore his passion, and let it burn in us to eternal life and to the ages of ages. Amen.
--the BB

I don't think they were having a very good day

But then, the Iraqis don't have very many good days, either, and few of them can look forward to lucrative careers as consultants, lobbyists, and/or board members in their retirement.

While Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum were testifying before Congress today, Mother Jones reports on life back in the Green Zone.

...U.S. embassy officials in Baghdad have been ordered to take heightened security precautions in light of stepped-up attacks on the Green Zone, including one on Sunday that killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded 17 others.

Under this new security boost, says a U.S. Embassy official who asked not to be identified, embassy personnel have been told to remain under "hardened cover." Instructed to avoid their trailers, some embassy staffers are now sleeping in their offices and on cots in the new embassy building, currently under construction, according to a source who has spoken with embassy officials in Baghdad. Embassy personnel have also been cautioned to limit their trips outdoors and, when they must leave the protection of reinforced structures, to wear flak jackets, protective eyewear, and helmets.

h/t to John Aravosis at Americablog.

Since every piece of bad news we hear is spun as yet another sign of success, things must be going swimmingly.

Meanwhile, in DC, there were some challenging moments, such as when Sen. Biden forced Amb. Crocker to answer a very thorny question:

SEN. BIDEN: Mr. Ambassador, is Al Qaeda a greater threat to US interests in Iraq, or in the Afghan-Pakistan border region?

AMB. CROCKER: Mr. Chairman, Al Qaeda is a strategic threat to the United States wherever it is, in my view–

SEN. BIDEN: Where is most of it? If you could take it out? You had a choice: Lord almighty came down and sat in the middle of the tabel there and said mr ambassadro you can elimibnate every AQ source in afghanistan and pak, or every aq personell in Iraq, which would you pick?

AMB. CROCKER: Well given the progress that has been made again Al Qaeda in Iraq, the significant decrease in its capabilities, the fact that it is solidly on the defensive, and not in a position of–

SEN. BIDEN: Which would you pick, Mr. Ambassador?

AMB. CROCKER: I would therefore pick Al Qaeda in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area.

SEN BIDEN: That would be a smart choice.

[Emphasis mine. And yes, we have the video.]



h/t to dday at Daily Kos.

dday's comment seems not out of place:

You can actually end this hearing right now. We have all the information we need. Joe Biden made the entire Administration policy for 6 years look foolish.

Marcy had this to say at emptywheel:

I suspect because of the dynamics of the Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee actually seems to be making progress. So far this hearing, we have established:

1. Everyone has had it with this war--Republican and Democrat.
2. The biggest threat to the United States from Al Qaeda is in Pakistan and Afghanistan, not in Iraq (as Biden got Crocker, the former Ambassador to Pakistan, to admit).
3. Petraeus and Crocker agree with Barbara Boxer and a bunch of other Republican and Democratic Senators--and presumably will go tell Bush as much--that Iraq has got to start paying for its own militias.
4. We will never remove the threats of AQI and Iranian influence in Iraq, so the best end point we should strive for is to achieve some kind of stability in Iraq.

Sen. Obama executed some rather clean tactical strikes today.

Should we be successful in Mosul, should you continue, General, with the effective operations that you've been engaged in, assuming that in that narrow military effort we are successful, do we anticipate that there ever comes a time where Al Qaida in Iraq could not reconstitute itself?

[exchanges with Gen. Petraeus]

OBAMA: OK. I just want to be clear if I'm understanding. We don't anticipate that there's never going to be some individual or group of individuals in Iraq that might have sympathies toward Al Qaida. Our goal is not to hunt down and eliminate every single trace, but rather to create a manageable situation where they're not posing a threat to Iraq or using it as a base to launch attacks outside of Iraq. Is that accurate?

PETRAEUS: That is exactly right.

OBAMA: OK. And it's also fair to say that, in terms of our success dealing with Al Qaida, that the Sunni Awakening has been very important, as you've testified. The Sons of Iraq and other tribal groups have allied themselves with us.

There have been talks about integrating them into the central government. However, it's been somewhat slow, somewhat frustrating. And my understanding, at least, is, although there's been a promise of 20 to 30 percent of them being integrated into the Iraqi security forces, that has not yet been achieved; on the other hand, the Maliki government was very quick to say, "We're going to take another 10,000 Shias into the Iraqi security forces."

And I'm wondering, does that undermine confidence on the part of the Sunni tribal leaders, that they are actually going to be treated fairly and they will be able to incorporate some of these young men of military age into the Iraqi security forces?

...


OBAMA: OK, let me shift to Iran.

Just as -- and, Ambassador Crocker, if you want to address this, you can. Just as it's fair to say that we're not going to completely eliminate all traces of Al Qaida in Iraq, but we want to create a manageable situation, it's also true to say that we're not going to eliminate all influence of Iran in Iraq, correct?

That's not our goal. That can't be our definition of success, that Iran has no influence in Iraq.

So can you define more sharply what you think would be a legitimate or fair set of circumstances in the relationship between Iran and Iraq, that would make us feel comfortable drawing down our troops?

h/t to Paul Kiel at TPM.

The Senator knows how to ask good questions. It is also evident that, in the sharpest possible contrast with Sen. McCain, Obama knows who the players and what the issues in Iraq are.

The video of Obama's questions and comments, in two parts, may be seen here and here.
--the BB

Mukasey utterance redux

Just five days ago I posted about Attorney General Michael Mukasey's astonishing assertion when speaking before the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco.

Officials "shouldn't need a warrant when somebody with a phone in Iraq picks up a phone and calls somebody in the United States because that's the call that we may really want to know about. And before 9/11, that's the call that we didn't know about. We knew that there has been a call from someplace that was known to be a safe house in Afghanistan and we knew that it came to the United States. We didn't know precisely where it went." [Emphasis mine]

The director of the 9/11 Commission has no memory of any such call coming to the attention of the Commission (as I posted then).

Not sure of course what the AG had in mind, although the most important signals intelligence leads related to our report -- that related to the Hazmi-Mihdhar issues of January 2000 or to al Qaeda activities or transits connected to Iran -- was not of this character. If, as he says, the USG didn't know where the call went in the US, neither did we.

Neither do the co-chairs or anyone in Congress. As Rep. Lee Hamilton finally responded to Glenn Greenwald:

I am unfamiliar with the telephone call that Attorney General Mukasey cited in his appearance in San Francisco on March 27. The 9/11 Commission did not receive any information pertaining to its occurrence.

Gleen Greenwald comments today:

(1) The Bush administration concealed this obviously vital episode from the 9/11 Commission and from everyone else, until Mukasey tearfully trotted it out last week; or,

(2) Mukasey, the nation's highest law enforcement officer, made this story up in order to scare and manipulate Americans into believing that FISA and other surveillance safeguards caused the 9/11 attacks and therefore the Government should be given more unchecked spying powers.

Either way, isn't it rather self-evidently a huge story?

Rep. John Conyers wrote Mukasey asking for clarification. I have not noticed word of any response.

I agree with Greenwald's obvious implication. This IS self-evidently a huge story.

Did the maladministration make a horrendous error in not acting when it could and should have?

Or is the current Attorney General, like the previous one, a liar?

Anyone have other interpretations of this (and some reason to deem them plausible)?

--the BB

4024

Five a day

I don't think I either noticed this when it came out on February 3, or it failed to register with me.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Every day, five U.S. soldiers try to kill themselves. Before the Iraq war began, that figure was less than one suicide attempt a day.
[CNN]

--the BB

Secret US plan for military future in Iraq

I used the headline from the article for my header here. Seumas Milne has an article in The Guardian today:

A confidential draft agreement covering the future of US forces in Iraq, passed to the Guardian, shows that provision is being made for an open-ended military presence in the country.

The draft strategic framework agreement between the US and Iraqi governments, dated March 7 and marked "secret" and "sensitive", is intended to replace the existing UN mandate and authorises the US to "conduct military operations in Iraq and to detain individuals when necessary for imperative reasons of security" without time limit.

The authorisation is described as "temporary" and the agreement says the US "does not desire permanent bases or a permanent military presence in Iraq". But the absence of a time limit or restrictions on the US and other coalition forces - including the British - in the country means it is likely to be strongly opposed in Iraq and the US.

Iraqi critics point out that the agreement contains no limits on numbers of US forces, the weapons they are able to deploy, their legal status or powers over Iraqi citizens, going far beyond long-term US security agreements with other countries. The agreement is intended to govern the status of the US military and other members of the multinational force.

You may click above and read it all.

We have known for some time that Bush was trying to work out something along these lines, bypassing the Senate's duty and right to be consulted on treaties.

Might we get another article of impeachment out of this (to go with the bazillion others that Bush has justified hitherto)?

Just thought y'all should know about this.

I hope copies of the article are being handed to congresscritters right now, even as Petraeus is testifying.

h/t to the Ed Schultz Show (I heard about it on the radio this morning).
--the BB

Господи помилуй - 4/8/2008

Iraq
Hearings thrust Iraq back into White House campaigns
CNN - 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The emotional debate over the war will once again dominate presidential politics when all three candidates have opportunities to question the top US general in Iraq during congressional hearings Tuesday.
Petraeus Faces Next President The Associated Press
Top US Officials in Iraq to Testify Before Congress Voice of America

Militant Cleric Postpones Big Baghdad Protest
New York Times - 2 hours ago
By STEPHEN FARRELL BAGHDAD - Moktada al-Sadr, the anti-American Shiite cleric in Iraq whose Mahdi Army militia has been engaged in fierce clashes with Iraqi and American troops in Baghdad over the past week, on Tuesday postponed a huge demonstration in ...
Iraqi cleric cancels plans for massive protest march Los Angeles Times
Al-Sadr Threatens to End Cease-Fire The Associated Press

Iraq Hearings Open With Criticism From Democrats
New York Times - 53 minutes ago
By THOM SHANKER WASHINGTON - Congressional hearings to define the future course of American strategy in Iraq opened Tuesday morning with sharp criticism from a senior Democrat that the Bush administration has adopted “a war plan with no exit strategy.
Officials: Petraeus likely to say conditions dictate troop levels CNN
Petraeus Says Iraq Plan Creates `Fragile' Progress (Update3) Bloomberg

Moktada Sadr annule sa manifestation, menace de rompre la trêve
L'Express - Publié depuis 1 heure
L'imam radical chiite irakien Moktada Sadr a fait savoir qu'il n'avait pas l'intention de plier dans l'épreuve de force engagée par le gouvernement de son coreligionnaire Nouri al Maliki contre sa puissante milice, l'Armée du Mahdi. ...
Petraeus: l'offensive de Bassorah pas préparée de manière adéquate Romandie.com
Moqtada Sadr menace de mettre fin à la trêve nouvelobs.com

Petraeus replantea la retirada progresiva de tropas de EEUU de Irak
elmundo.es - hace 1 hora
WASHINGTON.- El jefe militar estadounidense en Irak, general David Petraeus, ha recomendado que después de julio se haga una pausa de 45 días en el proceso de retirada paulatina de tropas que se inició el año pasado, "para evaluar la situación". ...
El embajador de EEUU admite que el avance en Irak es "reversible" AFP
Petraeus defiende los progresos en Irak y critica la 'influencia ... IBLNEWS

Washington elabora un acuerdo para seguir indefinidamente en Irak
Terra España - hace 8 horas
Un borrador de acuerdo de carácter confidencial entre Washington y el Gobierno de Bagdad sienta las bases para una presencia militar indefinida de Estados Unidos en territorio iraquí, según el diario británico 'The Guardian'. ...
La encrucijada de Moqtada Diario de León
El Ejército estadounidense y milicianos chiíes se enfrentan en Bagdad Diari de Tarragona

McCain optimistic about Iraq progress
Guardian - 2 hours ago
This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Tuesday April 08 2008. It was last updated at 15:02 on April 08 2008. John McCain, the Republican contender for the White House, offered his most optimistic assessment yet of Iraq today during his ...

The graphic on the right is the banner unfurled in many locales in Paris yesterday, including the Eiffel Tower. It is the graphic message of Reporters Without Borders.

Tibet - China - Jeux Olympiques
Olympic Officials May Reconsider Torch Relay
New York Times - 2 hours ago
By GRAHAM BOWLEY The Olympic torch arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday for the latest stage of its worldwide relay as the International Olympic Committee for the first time raised the possibility of cutting short the relay or amending the route after ...
Video: Chaos marks Paris Olympic torch relay - 08 April 2008 AlJazeeraEnglish
Beijing Makes Final Olympic Preparations Despite International ... Voice of America

Cultural Autonomy for Tibet
Wall Street Journal - 11 hours ago
By DAVID L. PHILLIPS Given the scrutiny Beijing faces for its handling of the recent uprising in Lhasa, it may come as a surprise that there is a relatively simple solution to the problem: China need only implement existing laws on cultural autonomy.
China orders Tibetans 'reeducated' about Dalai Lama Los Angeles Times
German parliamentarians report shortages in Tibetan monasteries

Beware an angry China
International Herald Tribune - 44 minutes ago
By Philip Bowring HONG KONG: Tibetans have a strong case against Beijing. But mixing it in with the Olympics and Darfur is a red rag to a wounded young bull.
Western media miss the real Tibet story The Age
The Tibet Issue, Cultural Autonomy Needed Enews 2.0

Olympic participation linked to Tibet
Independent Online - 1 hour ago
Cahors, France - President Nicolas Sarkozy made a direct link Tuesday between China starting talks with exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama and the level of French participation in the Olympic opening ceremony.

Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe High Court Takes up Election Results
New York Times - 1 hour ago
By REUTERS HARARE - Zimbabwe’s High Court ruled on Tuesday it would treat the opposition’s application for the immediate release of last month’s presidential election results urgently and began hearing arguments in the case.
Zimbabwe High Court to Consider Election Petition Urgently Voice of America
Zimbabwe court lets poll case begin International Herald Tribune

Zimbabwe: invasion d'au moins 30 fermes détenues par des Blancs
Romandie.com - Il y a 22 heures
HARARE - Au moins trente fermes détenues par des Blancs ont été envahies par des partisans du président zimbabwéen Robert Mugabe, a indiqué lundi le syndicat des fermiers commerciaux, qui représentent les derniers agriculteurs blancs du pays. ...
Zimbabwe: la justice reporte une décision cruciale, Mugabe fourbit ... Le Point
Zimbabwe: report de la décision de justice sur la publication des ... La Tribune.fr

Arrests over Mugabe votes
Melbourne Herald Sun - 1 hour ago
ZIMBABWEAN police have arrested at least five officials for allegedly under-counting votes cast for President Robert Mugabe in last month's election.
Zimbabwe High Court Takes up Election Results New York Times
Zimbabwe opposition slams 'deafening silence' of Africa AFP

Iran
Iran Says It’s Installing New Centrifuges
New York Times - 1 hour ago
By NAZILA FATHI TEHRAN - Iran announced Tuesday that it had started increasing its capacity to enrich uranium - a sensitive process in its nuclear program - despite a demand by the United Nations Security Council to halt the program.
Iran Steps Up Defiance of UN With More Centrifuges (Update3) Bloomberg
Defiant Iran expands nuclear operation CNN International

L'Iran s'offre de nouvelles centrifugeuses
L'Express - Il y a 3 heures
'Iran a célébré ce mardi son programme atomique controversé avec une Journée nationale du nucléaire qui devrait voir l'annonce par le président Mahmoud Ahmadinejad de nouveaux progrès dans l'enrichissement d'uranium, marquant son refus de céder aux ...
L'Iran célèbre sa "fête du nucléaire" par de nouvelles centrifugeuses AFP
Les Etats-Unis menacent l'Iran de nouvelles sanctions Romandie.com

Really, Really Bad Idea - European Union
EU approves in-flight mobile calls
VNUNet.com - 42 minutes ago
The European Commission has followed the lead set by Ofcom last month and introduced rules for harmonising the use of mobile phones in aircraft.
Keep In Touch Above Europe, In-flight Use Of Phones Approved eFluxMedia
Flee the Friendly Skies: Mobiles at 3000 Meters PC World

I mean, isn't it bad enough being anywhere near someone shouting into their mobile phone? What if you are strapped in right next to them with nowhere to escape? Forget the flight, I'll walk, thanks.

Kenya
Kenyan Opposition Party Suspends Talks
The Associated Press - 57 minutes ago
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Kenya's opposition party suspended talks with the government Tuesday and hundreds of angry young opposition backers set fires to protest delays in reaching a power-sharing deal.
Unrest in Kenya as Peace Plan Falters New York Times
Kenya opposition suspends talks Aljazeera.net

Egypt
Egypt's local elections start
Independent Online - 2 hours ago
Cairo - Voting for Egyptian local councils got underway on Tuesday with only 1 000 of the councils' 52 000 seats being contested between opposition parties and the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP).
Polls open in Egypt amid tensions BBC News
A trickle of Egyptians vote in local council polls Reuters South Africa

India - Africa - Economy - Environment
India, Africa seek to meet climate challenges together
Hindu - 2 hours ago
New Delhi (PTI): Noting the "lack of demonstrable progress" by developed nations on greenhouse gas reduction commitments, India and Africa on Tuesday sought equitable and fair burden-sharing to meet the challenges that will particularly be severe on ...
African nations seek more investments from India NDTV.com
21st century should belong to Asia-Africa says PM All India Radio

Colombia
El Ejército colombiano detiene en Bogotá a un cabecilla de las FARC
La Vanguardia - hace 19 horas
Bogotá. (EFE).- El Ejército colombiano detuvo en Bogotá a uno de los cabecillas del frente 26 de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) encargado de negociar armas y conocido como 'Aldinever', informaron hoy fuentes militares. ...
Brasil vuelve a abogar por la liberación de Ingrid Betancourt y ... Terra España
Brasil llama a rápida liberación de Ingrid Betancourt Reuters América Latina


O Thou Who hast rendered Thy Saints more radiant than gold, and has glorified Thy righteous ones, since Thou are good: Being entreated by them, O Christ God, make our life peaceful, since Thou art the Friend of mankind; and let our prayer be set forth as incense, O Thou Who alone dost rest in the Saints.
Tuesday of the Myrrh-Bearers, Pentecostarion

--the BB

L'Algérie fait quatre-vingt dix-sept

Today we have had a visitor from Algeria. Welcome to this site!

Algeria was featured in our geography tour two weeks ago. Wikipedia notes the following:

Algeria is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Arab League, and OPEC. It also contributed towards the creation of the Arab Maghreb Union. Constitutionally, Algeria is defined as an Islamic, Arab, and Amazigh (Berber) country.

...


Most of the coastal area is hilly, sometimes even mountainous, and there are a few natural harbours. The area from the coast to the Tell Atlas is fertile. South of the Tell Atlas is a steppe landscape, which ends with the Saharan Atlas; further south, there is the Sahara desert. The Ahaggar Mountains (Arabic: جبال هقار‎), also known as the Hoggar, are a highland region in central Sahara, southern Algeria. They are located about 1,500 km (932 miles) south of the capital, Algiers and just west of Tamanghasset.

Algiers, Oran , Constantine, and Annaba are Algeria's main cities.

They also have a nice topographic map:
Here is your armchair tour:



Our time-traveling juke box now goes back to the 1930's (in the Casbah?):
Lili L'Abbassi Algerian music from the 1930's



And now a little Rai to get us all up dancing: Nado Coeur by Reda Tailani.



And what's this? Rai rap (with playfulness and lots of scenery)? Embedding not allowed but you can watch and listen here.
Enjoy!
--the BB

Yikes!

Eric Zorn at the Chicago Tribune brings us this sorry news:

Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) interrupted atheist activist Rob Sherman during his testimony Wednesday afternoon before the House State Government Administration Committee in Springfield and told him, "What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous . . . it's dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists!

"This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God," Davis said. "Get out of that seat . . . You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon."

Apparently it's still open season on some views of God.

[Emphasis mine]

Who is this ignorant, fear-driven theofascist and how on earth did she get elected?

Sigh. Don't answer that. America has no shortage of ignorant, fear-driven theofascists.

The Constitution makes it clear that there shall be no religious test for federal office. I quite agree with the wisdom of that, though I doubt State Representative Davis would.

I do fantasize about testing for willful ignorance, however.

I mean, the woman almost makes Bush look good though an average bag of rocks would outstrip them both.

To me it appears that electing people several evolutionary leaps short of a lizard brain is dangerous for our children.

I might have phrased this post more charitably but I was too appalled when I read this to feel like switching into "nice" mode.

The whole thing is stunningly awful. I highlighted a phrase that carries strong memories for me. It was a moment in my life when I had an overwhelming sense of being in a state of mortal sin. It involved an indignant woman telling me I had no right to park my car in a shared driveway while unloading groceries. I could have easily gotten out of her way if she had backed up to allow me egress. She would not budge. This involved my having to do extensive maneuvers that involved more time and effort than the whole thing merited, especially since she had a reserved parking space and I, when all this was done, had to park on the street in a neighborhood where parking was scarce. What had hit me at multiple levels, many of them subconscious, was the repeated "You have no right to be here!"

It was a primal threat to my existence and my validity as part of the universe, as a creature of God, as a human being. That sort of shit cuts very deep.

I very much wanted to shift into reverse, slam my foot down on the accelerator, race backwards, and impale her on her steering column--not mortally but guaranteeing years of agony. That is literally what I fantasized with no exaggeration. Which is to say, I was pissed.

I told you I was in a state of mortal sin.

Second best would have been to say that until she moved, I wasn't going to, a position I held out for during about ten minutes of raised voices (and, in retrospect, I would do that now until her personal hell froze over--compromise does involve both parties giving).

But, ultimately, I complied with her demeaning position, and hated myself and her.

You could see the black cloud of emotion hanging over me from a mile off.

I saw a friend shortly thereafter, a priest who came to join me for an evening of theatre. He came in the door and I made him hear my confession before he could get his gin and tonic.

Perhaps this episode explains why I am disinclined to make nice with Representative Davis. Her comments are an insult to every sentient being and a travesty of American history.

I really want to say that she should not be allowed outdoors without a muzzle but that violates my own belief system. So I will settle with a phrase of my mother's: "How can anyone be so stupid and live?"

[By including her name in the tags for this post I have highly raised the chance that people googling her name will run across what I have to say here. I would like her to ponder what it means to tell someone they have no right to be here. It is an incredibly ugly and hateful thing to say. If an atheist is that terrifying for her, I suggest she switch to a bigger God--maybe even the one Jesus prayed to.]


h/t to John Amato at Crooks and Liars

For our Enemies

O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Update:
To be marginally more fair to Rep. Davis, Wikipedia provides what seems a fuller transcript. It still pushes my buttons and I am remain appalled, but there is more context for her comments.

The Chicago tribune reported on 3rd April 2008 that Representative Davis interrupted atheist activist Rob Sherman during his testimony Wednesday afternoon before the House State Government Administration Committee in Springfield:
Davis: I don’t know what you have against God, but some of us don’t have much against him. We look forward to him and his blessings. And it’s really a tragedy -- it’s tragic -- when a person who is engaged in anything related to God, they want to fight. They want to fight prayer in school. I don’t see you (Sherman) fighting guns in school. You know? I’m trying to understand the philosophy that you want to spread in the state of Illinois. This is the Land of Lincoln. This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God, where people believe in protecting their children.… What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous, it’s dangerous--

Sherman: What’s dangerous, ma’am?

Davis: It’s dangerous to the progression of this state. And it’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! Now you will go to court to fight kids to have the opportunity to be quiet for a minute. But damn if you’ll go to [court] to fight for them to keep guns out of their hands. I am fed up! Get out of that seat!

Sherman: Thank you for sharing your perspective with me, and I’m sure that if this matter does go to court---

Davis: You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon.

UPDATE:
A constituent wrote a great letter (read it here).
-the BB

4023

--the BB

Sri Lanka pays a visit

Today someone from Sri Lanka dropped by and I wish to offer a hearty welcome. This brings our virtual flag collection up to ninety-six in number and I am beginning to get excited about the approaching number one hundred.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon until 1972. It is an island nation in South Asia. Here is a helpful summary introduction from Wikipedia:

Because of its location in the path of major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link between West Asia and South East Asia, and has been a center of Buddhist religion and culture from ancient times. Today, the country is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation, with nearly a third of the population following faiths other than Buddhism, notably Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. The Sinhalese community forms the majority of the population, with Tamils, who are concentrated in the north and east of the island, forming the largest ethnic minority. Other communities include the Muslim Moors and Malays and the Burghers.

Famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts and rubber, Sri Lanka boasts a progressive and modern industrial economy and the highest per capita income in South Asia. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka's tropical forests, beaches and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage, make it a world famous tourist destination.

Sinhalese and Tamil are the two official languages of Sri Lanka. The capital is Colombo and the monetary unit is the Sri Lankan rupee. Mosts of the Buddhists in Sri Lanka follow Theravada Buddhism, the oldest branch of Budhhism, also predominant in Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia.

The nation has, for some time, struggled with conflicts between rebels and the government.

We must also be mindful of the tsunami that struck Sri Lanka and so many other areas in December 2004. This is a 3:44m video at a hotel in Sri Lanka when it struck. It was much worse in other areas but this is frightening enough. Let us remember to pray for those who still mourn and those who are probably still rebuilding their lives.



Here is a ten-minute presentation of an aerial view of Sri Lanka with a sound track of lapping waves, flute, and drum. A lovely chill pill with a gazillion shades of green. It has been shown on several cable channels, including National Geographic.



And now your global DJ brings you a very playful music video (one needs to get past the first 25 seconds of beeping countdown):
Sihinayaki - Udaya Shantha Panapitiya - Sri lankan Music



Sri Lankan hip hop? Can't say we don't do variety here.



Gotta have a love song:
Pipunu Malaka (Sinhala Music)



Enjoy!
--the BB