UK Confidential Memo: Civil War ‘Likely’ in Iraq

Britain’s outgoing ambassador to Baghdad warned in a leaked confidential memo, “The prospect of a low-intensity civil war and a de facto division of Iraq is probably more likely at this stage than a successful and substantial transition to a stable democracy.”

Posted on Aug 3, 2006 READ MORE  | 45 READS

Shall We Make Mel Gibson Our Mideast Envoy?

“Why not?” asks Clean Air Watch, after Bush just did something equally inane: appointing an avowed anti-regulatory “ghoul” as the White House’s new regulatory czarina.

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 READ MORE  | 23 READS

An Asinine GOP Era Comes to a Close

French fries and French toast are back on the menu on Capitol Hill—nearly three years of being tagged with the substitute moniker “Freedom.”

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 READ MORE  | 14 READS

Democrats Just Lost Any Excuse Not to Vote in November

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said that if he remains in power after the November elections, there will be no action on global warming for the entire 110th Congress, according to Energy and Environment Daily.
Scary enough for you?

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 READ MORE  | 24 READS

AP: ‘No End in Sight’ for Mideast War

As 8,000 Israeli troops pour over the Lebanese border and Hezbollah militants launch a record 230 rockets into Israel, the studiously neutral Associated Press concludes that there is no hope for a short-term cessation to the hostilities.

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 READ MORE  | 15 READS

Hamas Detainees Accuse Israel of Abuses

Two Hamas leaders recently released from detention in the West Bank say the Israelis mistreated them while in custody. Israel says they got the same treatment as other prisoners. Also, the allegations—being forced to sit for long stretches in backless chairs and living in squalid conditions—don’t appear to rise to near Abu Ghraib or Gitmo levels.

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 READ MORE  | 49 READS

U.S. Troops Reportedly ‘Smiled Before Killing’ Detainees

Four U.S. paratroopers charged with murdering three detainees in Iraq smiled before shooting them, according to the BBC.

Atrocities like these are further poisoning America’s already toxic image in the Middle East, and a continued occupation is likely to produce more of the same.

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 READ MORE  | 12 READS

CNN Host Gets Heated With Israeli Spokeswoman

Interviewing a flack for the Israeli government about the killing of women and children at Qana in Lebanon, this CNN anchor channels Anderson Cooper with her refusal to meekly accept meaningless government platitudes. Watch the sparks fly.

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 READ MORE  | 92 READS

Vanity Fair: Pentagon Likely ‘Covered Up’ 9/11 Response

How do you begin to unravel the conspiracy theories and mysteries surrounding the U.S. Air Force’s response on 9/11? Get your hands on over 30 hours of never-before-released NORAD tapes. Vanity Fair’s Michael Bronner did just that, and pieces together a picture of the “chaotic military history of that day—and the Pentagon’s apparent attempt to cover it up.” Complete with audio clips.  (h/t bb.net)

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 READ MORE  | 40 READS

More Soldiers Uploading Shock and Awe

The Pentagon has grown concerned as more and more service members send personal combat videos—some set to music—to websites such as Youtube and Myspace.  The military has no official policy on the practice, but rumors abound of behind-the-scenes pressure to limit the flow of footage out of Iraq.

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 READ MORE  | 15 READS

Majority of National Guard Not Combat-Ready

The Army National Guard?s top general said Tuesday that more than two-thirds of his brigades are not combat-ready.  Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum went on to say the problem would cost as much as $21 billion to fix.

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 READ MORE  | 31 READS

New Treasury Secretary Channels Paul Krugman

Bush’s new secretary of the Treasury, former Goldman Sachs CEO Henry Paulson, said in his first public remarks since taking office that he recognized the economy was not benefitting all Americans.

Posted on Aug 1, 2006 READ MORE  | 32 READS

Mideast Conflict a Setback for Iran Reform Movement

As the Islamic world rallies to the support of the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia, Iran is feeling more and more emboldened to press its confrontational foreign policy and efforts to silence political opposition at home.

Posted on Aug 1, 2006 READ MORE  | 18 READS

As U.S. Deaths Drop, Iraqi Deaths Rise

At least 44 U.S. troops were killed in Iraq in July, well below the average monthly death toll of about 64. However, the sectarian conflict is worsening: Baghdad’s morgue received 1,595 bodies in June, up 16% over May. (July figures were not available.) “American troops are no longer the primary focus of the people perpetuating the violence inside Iraq,” said a U.S. think tank expert, “they have become a secondary target.”

Posted on Aug 1, 2006 READ MORE  | 63 READS

Mel Gibson: The World ‘Seems to Have Gone Mad’

Celebrity scandals aren’t our bag. But considering that some Jewish groups felt Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” did more to further anti-Semitism than any other piece of pop culture in recent memory, we figure that Gibson’s apology for his anti-Semitic remarks over the weekend is fair game.

Posted on Aug 1, 2006 READ MORE  | 78 READS