Hoarse Speak

The Iraqi "government" has decided in its wisdom to go with moats instead of the proposed wall that our most intelligent president suggested. From the Nytimes article, Iraqis Plan to Ring Baghdad With Trenches, I'll just pull some choice quotes:

BAGHDAD, Sept. 15 — The Iraqi government plans to seal off Baghdad within weeks by ringing it with a series of trenches and setting up dozens of traffic checkpoints to control movement in and out of the violent city of seven million people, an Interior Ministry spokesman said Friday.

The effort is one of the most ambitious security projects this year, with cars expected to be funneled through 28 checkpoints along the main arteries snaking out from the capital. Smaller roads would be closed. The trenches would run across farmland or other open areas to prevent cars from evading checkpoints, said the ministry spokesman, Brig. Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf.

“We’re going to build a trench around Baghdad so we can control the exits and entrances so people will be searched properly,” he said in a telephone interview. “The idea is to get the cars to go through the 28 checkpoints that we set up.”

This is what our 'C' average fratboy-in-chief had to say:

Bush said at a news conference on Friday that the Iraqis were “building a berm around the city to make it harder for people to come in with explosive devices, for example.” Military officials said the Iraqis had considered such a project earlier, but decided to go with trenches instead.

I guess, the Iraqi's figured that Bush hadn't studied his military history. Otherwise he would have known that walled cities became obsolete with the advent of artillery of which the guerillas fighting in Iraq have plenty - as they routinely mortar (that is lob shells over walls) the green zone, U.S. bases, Iraqi police outposts, etc…

I don't know that the moat (i.e. trench) strategy will be much more effective considering the sheer area of Bagdad (60 miles in circumference) - but then considering NR's post on the CPA, they'll be creating more jobs for people!! Now that is more modern!

So at least they admit that they are really deep admirers of Josef Stalin and his methods:

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush on Wednesday acknowledged previously secret CIA prisons around the world and said 14 high-value terrorism suspects — including the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks — have been transferred from the system to Guantanamo Bay for trials.

He said a small number of detainees have been kept in CIA custody including people responsible for the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 in Yemen and the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, in addition to the 2001 attacks.

'It has been necessary to move these individuals to an environment where they can be held secretly, questioned by experts and, when appropriate, prosecuted for terrorist acts,' Bush said in a White House speech. Families of some people killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks made up part of the audience.
…
Bush would not detail interrogation techniques used through the program, saying only that they are tough but do not constitute torture. He did use language that suggested its nature, saying the CIA turned to an "alternative set of procedures" that were successful after Zubaydah and others had stopped providing information.

I believe the proper term for "environment" is (and Robo could corroborate this for me) Gulags and the proper term for "alternative set of procedures" is Torture. People have been seized and without any respect for due process moved to gulags and tortured. Ok, at least they've finally admitted it. "Due process" is a key principle of legal "equality." Our system's presumption of innocence and the according of certain protections to the accused to prevent incarceration at the whim of the state is an example of a part of that principle in action. The Bush Administration has dispensed with this pesky notion and now has the audacity to say it did so in the "interests of the people."

Another principle of equality under the state is the notion of justice. It seems that accordingly, an injustice done to one member of the society is an injustice to all since it violates the notion that we will all be treated equally and under certain rules by the State. Apparently being accused of terrorism removes you from those protections, and since the government gets to determine who is a suspected terrorist based on undisclosed (i.e. secret) evidence, why wouldn't it be easier to accuse a shoplifter of terrorism and send them to a gulag then to go through the expense and inconvenience of a trial? Why not torture them while you are at it, I'm sure they'll know where UBL is. Shit, the Soviets figured out that people will tell you anything under duress.

link to AP story at NYTimes

Nathan Milian manager of Carr Mill Mall through www.nrmilian.com is a big meany. He hates dancing and made the guy who dances to his walkman (Bruce Thomas) on the weaverstreet lawn stop because "We don't allow performers to use the lawn without our permission." (Herald Sun article). Next up he says he is going after the hoola hoopers.

From WillR's Concerned Citizen.

A very interesting commentary in Haaretz The country that wouldn't grow up passed to me courtesy of Ms. A.

Apparently, the US Government is grudgingly living up to its mandate to protect its citizens, but it will charge them for the services:

From: http://beirut.usembassy.gov/lebanon/Lebanon_Situation_Update.html

Lebanon Situation Update - July 15, 2006
July 15, 2006

This information is current as of today, Sat Jul 15 12:20:12 2006.

A message to the American citizens in Lebanon:

The Department of State continues to work with the Department of Defense on a plan to help American citizens depart Lebanon. As of the morning of July 15, we are looking at how we might transport Americans to Cyprus. Once in Cyprus, Americans can then board commercial aircraft for onward travel. Commercial airlines provide the safest and most efficient repatriation options to final destinations.

The Department of State reminds American citizens that the U.S. government does not provide no-cost transportation but does have the authority to provide repatriation loans to those in financial need. For the portion of your trip directly handled by the U.S. Government we will ask you to sign a promissory note and we will bill you at a later date. In a subsequent message, when we have specific details about the transporation arrangments, we will inform you about the costs you will incur. We will also work with commercial aircraft to ensure that they have adequate flights to help you depart Cyprus and connect to your final destination.

The Department of State continues to work around the clock and will continue to send updates as appropriate.

Bolding added by me.

So the U.S. Government will give Israel the money and armaments to fight the war then charge its own citizens to extract them to Cypress? Most other European governments are extracting their citizens back to their home country via ship to Cypress then charter flight onwards.

said Abu Ali Koteish, 53, who owns a nearby flower shop.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107AP_Mideast_Fighting_South_Lebanon.html

Yes, especially for those great "Christians" in this country who support Israel just so the Israelites can reoccupy their lost lands and hasten the coming of the apocalypse.

Finally The UN is saying that war crimes might be occurring. Might be occurring? If the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes in Lebanon by the IDF and IAF is not a war crime, then what is? Olmert the heir to the architect (Ariel Sharon) of the Sabra and Shatila massacres in 1982 (who is trying to prove to the world that he's got as small a dick as Bush) should be indicted for war crimes.

Ok, attack Hezbollah, attack their rocket installations, attack Syria and Iran if they are to blame like Bush is saying (not that I agree with that nonsense) but the murder and destruction of Lebanon is unconscionable, and the United States complicity and consent to this criminal act makes it an accomplice. It is our weaponry that keeps the IDF armed to the tune of more than $3bn in tax dollars annually. If the U.S. wanted this to stop we could stop it, so while we sit idly by and watch the destruction of Lebanon we are guilty too.

Also, the action will be a failure. Hezbollah, who's power was waning in Lebanon prior to this action, is now gaining in popularity because those who do remember the Lebanese Civil War (really a proxy war between Syria and Israel) are seeing their nightmares return, and those who don't are shouting "why us, we didn't do anything."

Israel blames Lebanon for not implementing SCR 1559. Besides the hypocrisy (uhh, SCR 242 Israel?), Israel didn't hold up their end of 1559 by not retreating from the Shabaa farms. How was Lebanon supposed to disarm Hezbollah when it had no means to do so and no help was offered?