Archive for April 20, 2004

I dont want to get you worried, but: “Intense combat in Iraq is chewing up military hardware and consuming money at an unexpectedly rapid rate — depleting military coffers, straining defense contractors and putting pressure on Bush administration officials to seek a major boost in war funding long before they had hoped.

Posted on April 20, 2004 by As'ad

The Pentagon deleted from a public transcript a statement Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld made to author Bob Woodward suggesting that the administration gave Saudi Arabia a two-month heads-up that President Bush had decided to invade Iraq. This is the deleted text.

Posted on April 20, 2004 by As'ad

Have you seen this man?

Posted on April 20, 2004 by As'ad

Sharon pledges Israel will keep killing; Bush praises Sharon’s peace advocacy.

Posted on April 20, 2004 by As'ad

U.S. to keep tabs on Vanunu after he walks free Wed

Posted on April 20, 2004 by As'ad

I have been alerted by Mark Bellis and Jivan Vatayn that it was Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) (long before George Bernard Shaw) who had said: “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” I stand corrected. You may consult Life of Johnson (Boswell). 1 Vol. v. Chap. ix. 1775.

Posted on April 20, 2004 by As'ad

Been thinking about patriotism lately. How could I not? I see it everywhere around me, in US and Middle East. What an overrated virtue. And why should it be a virtue anyway? Is there anything more sentimentally mawkish? I was citing George Bernard Shaw’s the other day (that Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels). [...]

Posted on April 20, 2004 by As'ad

“The conflict may have abated, but its causes have not. Ten weeks before the planned handover of power to Iraqis on June 30th, Mr Bremer has yet to spell out what kind of government he will install. He has recently tended to ignore the Governing Council, for example when appointing a new interior minister. Sensing [...]

Posted on April 20, 2004 by As'ad

“In 1997 Paul Wolfowitz, the most important neo-con Vulcan, justified the first Bush administration’s decision not to march into Baghdad on the grounds that “conceivably, this could have led the United States into a more or less permanent occupation of a country that could not govern itself, but where the rule of a foreign occupier [...]

Posted on April 20, 2004 by As'ad

Mubarak: “Arabs Hate U.S. More Than Ever”; Angry Arab: “Arabs hate Mubarak more than Ever.

Posted on April 20, 2004 by As'ad

A biographical sketch of the new US colonial administrator of Iraq. (thanks Saleh)

Posted on April 20, 2004 by As'ad