michael scanlon pleads guilty

* theres a remarkable article over at counterpunch which is largely about a 2003 lawsuit which 'proved' that saddam was involved in 911 - based largely on testimony by Mylroie, Woolsey, Tenet and Powell! fancy that! the interesting thing is that mylroie said, and the judge apparently agreed, that "it took a state like Iraq to carry out an attack as really sophisticated, massive and deadly as what happened on September 11'."
interesting huh? it "took a state", but we know it wasnt iraq... you'd think there might be an investigation or something into trying to learn which country it was.

* "The ATC and the Turkish Consulate in Chicago had been under the watchful eye of the FBI since the late 1990's and one suspects it still is. But that's about it since FBI field agents were told/are told to follow but not arrest suspected Turkish operatives. The ATC was/is also being monitored by the CIA. For example, Valerie Plame had attended a number of functions at the ATC and took several trips to Turkey. " (link)

* "One should note, moreover, that if Libby lied in order to ward off a Kerry victory, this would mean that Bush was elected the first time by the Supreme Court and the second time because of lies and perjury. This would not speak well for our system, would it?" (link)

* " Family members of Jordanian-born al Qaeda in Iraq chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi have renounced the terror leader, telling King Abdullah II on Sunday that they would "sever links with him until doomsday."" (link)
they dont say when they last saw him...

* AP: "On Saturday, police Brig. Gen. Said Ahmed al-Jubouri said the raid was launched after a tip that top al-Qaida operatives, possibly including al-Zarqawi, were in the house in the northeastern part of the city.
During the intense gunbattle that followed, three insurgents detonated explosives and killed themselves to avoid capture, Iraqi officials said. Eleven Americans were wounded, the U.S. military said. Such intense resistance often suggests an attempt to defend a high-value target." (link)
yep. blowing yourself up sure would help the HVT.

* " Qaeda's number two Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is rumoured to have been killed in Iraq. However, in the US there is scepticism about it. The US says it was "highly unlikely."" (link)
lol - i bet they were most surprised by the reports...

* heres a para i didnt notice from nyt when it first came out last month: "Libby's departure virtually ensures that more power will end up in the hands of Cheney's closest advisers: his wife, Lynne, and his daughter Elizabeth, aides said."

* " Michael Scanlon, a former partner to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to bribe public officials, a charge growing out of the government investigation of attempts to defraud Indian tribes and corrupt a member of Congress.
Scanlon, a former aide to Rep. Tom DeLay, entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle and agreed to pay restitution totaling more than $19 million to the tribes." (link)
popcorn, popcorn, popcorn