Grasshoppa

Intolerable Cruelty

Reading about the torture of Iraqi prisoners that took place in the Abu Ghraib prison a variety of emotions but the bottom line is that this is very bad, on so many levels.

The damage done to the tortured prisoners is obvious, but the fallout will be devasting. That the Army has already completed an investigion and has brought criminal charges against 6 soldiers will go unnoticed by the outraged Arab/Muslim world. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but one bad picutre is worth a thousand ones; the damage done to the American cause in Iraq will be immense. The graphic photos have been and will be continue to be beamed all over the Arab world and used as evidence that we are no better (and even worse since we're not Arab) than Saddam Hussein.

In the end, however, what bothers me most is that this isn't supposed to happen to us. I have no illusions about Americans (and America) being perfect angels, but we're supposed to at least strive for ideals and not act like the vicious savages who thoroughly enjoyed mutilating those four Americans in Fallujah some weeks ago. Instead we find cruelly jocose soldiers posing for picutres as they humiliate their prisoners.

The only, albeit infintessimal, silver lining here is that the military hasn't tried to cover this up. Charges have been brought and there will be court marshalls at least for the military personnel involved. And, at the very least, the political and military leadership have condemned these acts in no uncertain terms. I guess I need to hold onto something positive here.

One fight in Bankok

So, is there any change we can comvince Thailand to send a contingent of troops to Iraq? Because it seems they have no qualms about talking care of business, even if it requires storming a mosque. Then again, the Thais aren't under the media microscope, nor are they seen as the Great Satan by the Muslim world.

Syrian Shootout

I'm just wondering if Juan Cole is going to criticise the Syrians for killing two gunmen in Damascus instead of arresting them. I mean after all, it was in their own capital, and at the very least they could have gotten their proxy Hezbollah to pull it off since, you know, they managed to capture and murder 3 Israeli soldiers.

I'm also wondering if Robert Fisk is going to condemn the extrajudicial executions of these gunmen.

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Feeling Fisky

If there's one thing I despise more than that pompous wanker, Robert Fisk, is having to agree with said pompous wanker. Fortunately, after a bit of research I don't have to engage in the latter, odious activity.

I'm a bit late to the party, but I admit that I did get a kick out of watching Robert Fisk go into an apoplectic fit after being accused of writing that the Israelis were filling mass graves in Jenin in April 2002. Seeing as how these events are often too good to be true, I did a little digging. The accuser, Tom Cooney, claimed that in his April 16, 2002 article in the Independent, Fisk wrote that Israel had committed mass killings and opened up mass graves. This of course, set Fisk, into his self-righteous, entertaining rage, denying ever writing such a thing. A quick perusal of that particular column exonerates Fisk; it's one of his snide, trademark ranks discussing the evils of Israel and how Americans are naive about said evil. We only find a couple of brief mentions of Israel destroying Jenin and leaving rotting bodies out in the open. Sadly, I was ready to hold my nose and defend Fisk from the accusation.

However, to satisfy the masochist in me, I decided to read Fisk's April 14, 2002 column and hit paydirt. In it we find such gems as:

The Israeli army is still keeping the Red Cross and journalists from seeing the evidence of the mass killings that have taken place there. "Hundreds'' on Israel's own admission have died, including civilians.

As Israel's indisciplined soldiery yesterday continued to hide their deeds from the outside world by preventing the Red Cross, aid workers, ambulances and journalists from entering the rubble of Jenin, Mr Powell was sitting idly by in Israel, calling for the "utmost restraint'' from an army that has not yet finished filling the mass graves of Jenin.

Thus it would seem that despite Mr. Fisk's incoherent denials (do read that column, it so exemplifies Fisk's decent into self-parody), Mr. Cooney was correct, but merely off by a couple of days. Good on you, Mr. Cooney.

Good man down

All of our men and women in uniform who are currently serving in active combat zones are making a sacrifice to some degree. However, it's hard not to feel that Pat Tillman sacrified more than most, when he gave up his NFL career as an join the military. Reacting to the events of 9/11, Tillman left his job as a safety for the Arizona Cardinals and joined the Army Special Operations. Sadly, he was is killed in action in Afghanistan.

Obviously any soldier who makes the ultimate sacrifice deserves our respect, but somehow, someone like Tillman, who gave up the easy life to put his money where his mouth was, deserves more.

AK MP3

I've decided that I'm going to quit my job, move to Iraq, and open a business selling these puppies. I'm sure they'd be immensely popular, and I may even give the Mahdi army a volume discount.

Step 2

After reading Haggai's most recent post it occured to me that the Bush administration is similar to South Park's infamous Underpants Gnomes.

To wit:

Underpants Gnomes business plan:

Step 1: Collect underpants
Step 2: ?????
Step 3: Profit

Bush administration's Iraq plan:
Step 1: Invade and conquer Iraq
Step 2: ??????
Step 3: Iraqi democracy.

PDB

PDB, short for presidential daily briefing, is the latest acronymn to be tossed around the public conscious, thanks to the infamously titled PDB of August 6, 2001:

Sounds prescient, no? Except that it isn't, especially if you believe the Q&A that accompanies the released brief. According to CIA director Tenet's testimony to the 9-11 commision, the PDB was prepared at Bush 's request because he had seen other intelligence about possible al-Qaida threats to the US. I don't know if the nature of said intelligence has been investigated, but it ought to be. However, what is of primary importance is what was the result of this briefing. The PDB states that the FBI was conducting 70 "full-field" al-Qaida related investigations. What was Bush told about these investigations? What (who) were they investigating, and why did they miss the 9-11 conspirators?

Lord knows that this administration has made more than its fair share of mistakes. But as it stands, based on this PDB, it appears that Bush neither knew about the 9-11 plot nor did he ignore the al-Qaida threat. Whether he put enough emphasis on al-Qaeda is another story, however.

Marines fire missiles at a Falujah mosque

I have a bad feeling about this. I frankly do not see any chance that the Islamic world, and more importantly the Iraqis are going to care that the Marines let gunmen fire at them from the mosque for hours before calling in these strikes. All they will see, especially from Al-Jazeerah, is that the US targeted a mosque. We'll see what Riverbend has to say.

Two on UConn

I don't really like basketball that much (probably because being a short Jewish guy, I was never good at it), but I have to congradulate the University of Connecticut for winning not one, but two National Championships in one year. It must be one big party over at Storrs.

You linked to who??

I do not yet have an opinion on the new liberal "Air America" radio station since I've not yet listened to it. If liberals feel the need to have their own Rush Limbaughs, Sean Hannitys and Laura Ingrahams, then so be it.

However, it's obvious that Glenn Reynolds is no fan of Air America, and that's fine, he's entitled to his opinion. However, citing an article written by Alton Maddox to bolster his opinion is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. Yes, that Alton Maddox, of Tawana Brawley/Steven Pagones fame (or infamy). You might thank that a law professor might be a bit leery of linking to something written by a disbarred lawyer. Obviously not.

Update: It appears I'm not the only one who picked up on this. Mark Kleinman and Kevin Drum also have something to say about it.

Photos of the damage

This is just a follow up to the damage done to the Jewish school library in Montreal. I realize that compared to what's going on in the rest of the world, specifically Iraq, this is pretty minor. But, the personal hits harder than the abstract. The photos below were taken by a former student who lives across the street:

Closer to home

The library that was destroyed in a firebombing in Montreal was at my fiancee's old school.

Anti-semitic violence: not just for Europeans.

Sauce for the goose

It's rather odd to see the BBC complaining about Israel allegedly using the 16 year old almost suicide bomber to cynically maninpulate the media when not all that long ago the Palestinians were being instructed in how to manipulate the media.. by the BBC:
(Scroll down that link for the part about Lyse Doucet).

We have a problem

The situation in Iraq is deteriorating. Shi'as (at least some of them) are now in open revolt and now we're about to lay siege to Fallujah. We're losing more soldiers by the day and it's becoming clear that we are unable to govern Iraq. It's hard to see how any of this will turn out well.

Remind me never to be so dangerously naive again.

Right

I am assuming that this is an April Fool's joke.

Censorship

For all of the whining about Howard Stern that's been going around, it would behoove people to step back and recognzie what real censorship is:

SHANGHAI, China - A woman who posted an article on the Internet criticizing the way China's government handles public complaints has been sentenced to 18 months in a labor camp, a human rights group said Thursday.

Then again, we should not get too complacent when similar (albeit less egregious) circumstances occur closer to home.

[The entire article has been pasted into the extened entry]

Report: China Jails Woman Over Web Post Thu Apr 1, 1:32 AM ET

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press Writer

SHANGHAI, China - A woman who posted an article on the Internet criticizing the way China's government handles public complaints has been sentenced to 18 months in a labor camp, a human rights group said Thursday.

Ma Yalian used several Chinese legal affairs Web sites to post the article documenting her fruitless efforts to petition over the destruction of her Shanghai home, New York-based Human Rights in China, or HRIC, said in a statement.

Ma described police violence and harassment of her and other petitioners, the group said. She said some protested by committing suicide outside government offices.

HRIC said Ma was sentenced on March 16 by Shanghai's Re-education Through Labor Management Committee. It said the committee accused her of "falsely accusing Shanghai authorities of causing her physical injury," and having "turned petitioning into pestering."

Shanghai police said they had no information about Ma, and the phone number for the Re-education Through Labor Management Committee was not listed.

Chinese law permits such committees to sentence people to up to three years in labor camps without trial. Intended to punish minor criminals, prostitutes and drug addicts, the system is also frequently used to quiet political and religious dissenters.

Critics call the system unconstitutional, but officials say it's needed to maintain order across the huge nation.

Ma's case underscores China's efforts to squelch dissent on the Internet, which it polices heavily for content critical of the government and Communist Party.

Dozens of people have been sentenced to prison for posting or downloading such materials and authorities recently expanded their reach by cracking down on blogs — online diaries that sometimes include critical commentary on politics and society.

China allows citizens to register complaints through a nationwide network of offices, but the system is frequently criticized as slow, bureaucratic and ineffective. Chinese legal scholars say officials aren't legally obligated to respond.

During the annual session of China's parliament last month, hundreds of people who had made their way to Beijing from other parts of the country to present petitions to lawmakers were detained in a gymnasium in the capital.

Many complaints arise from the loss of homes to redevelopment projects. Petitioners usually say they were victims of collusion between officials and developers or weren't compensated.

HRIC said authorities appeared to be cracking down harder on petitioners. It cited recent cases of people in Shanghai being sentenced to labor camps after protesting forced relocations.