jeers and wolf whistles

WAR
* xymph: "So there you have it. When the time comes for the next attack - and as I've said before I think it will be Syria and Lebanon rather than Iran - there will be a 'terrorist' attack against a top American official - probably someone without the requisite subservient attitude towards Israel - which will immediately be blamed by the Bush Administration on "(obviously) Iranian-supported terrorists" (substitute 'Syrian-supported' if the neocon plan is to go after Syria). Of course, the attack could also be against Americans generally, following the model of September 11."

* "Here is what Jim Jeffords, Vermont Independant, said on VPR:
"I think it was all done to get oil," Jeffords said of invading Iraq. "And the loss of life that we had, and the cost of it, was to me just a re-election move, and they're going to try to live off it. Probably start another war, wouldn't be surprised, next year. Probably in Iran."
"I probably shouldn't even talk on it, I just feel so bitter about the thinking that's gone on behind them, and the reasons they go to war and went to war," Jeffords replied. "But I feel very strongly that they are looking ahead, and that there will be an opportunity to go into Iran and try to get their son elected president." ouch. LINK

* how funny is the sharon trip to crawford? apparently blinky is sposed to help sharon navigate a difficult and complex issue. lol.

* apparently there was a german reuters report about the popes funeral: "As the crowd saw the big picture of Bush on the screen, they greeted Bush with jeers and wolf whistles." sweet. so sweet. LINK

* (via CI) "The death toll from the fiery crash of a United States helicopter in Afghanistan rose to 18 after searchers found the remains of two more American soldiers in the wreckage, the military said Saturday." LINK apparently the am.barmy didnt know how many people were on the helicopter.

* ""As scientists and engineers, many with long experience in advising the government on military issues, we conclude that this missile defense system will have essentially no capability to defend against a real missile attack," the scientists added." LINK

* i saw the sgrena interview - catch in on the beeb if u can. she confirmed that she was not on the famous baghdad airport road. she said that she didnt stop at any checkpoints. she didnt mention that the bullets came from behind. she did say that her account was the same as the other agents', and she said she hadnt seen him since - ie - they were independently the same. and the americans still wont let the italians look at the car (in fact i think she said that the car was owned by the italians - from memory, earlier reports had said that it was a rental, which didnt seem to make much sense). the interview isnt on the hardtalk website yet LINK

* raimondo explains what is going on in mexico - and notes: "Any internal conflict south of the Rio Grande is bound to spill across the border, and could provoke a mass exodus that we would be hard put to stop. What kind of a superpower is it that can "liberate" a nation on the other side of the globe and yet somehow fail to protect its own borders?... the silence emanating from the White House on the Mexican question is eerie, and telling." LINK best u go read. and of course, it isnt just the shitehouse that is keeping mum on this issue. how funny would it be to see all the minutemen (pronounced My-newt-men) running away scared.

* "In addition to the prime minister, there will now be two vice premiers, according to the same newspaper. One will be Ahmad Chalabi, as vice premier for security affairs. The other will be a Kurd, Barham Saleh. The interim constitution had not specified any office such as vice premier." LINK

* "At the weekend, the final large detachments of Syrian heavy armoured divisions were pulling back across the border from their positions in the eastern Bekaa Valley, so bringing to a close almost 30 years of Syrian military presence." LINK