Moussaoui to die with a whimper. AP via Yahoo: 'U.S. Judge Leonie Brinkema sent Zacarias Moussaoui to prison for life Thursday, to "die with a whimper," for his role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. ... A day earlier, a jury rejected the government's case to have Moussaoui executed, deciding instead to should spend life in prison with no chance of parole. Not all jurors were convinced that Moussaoui, who was in jail on immigration charges Sept. 11, had a significant part in the attacks, despite his boastful claims that he did. ... Brinkema firmly refused to be interrupted by the 37-year-old defendant as she disputed his declaration from a day earlier: "America, you lost. ... I won." "Mr. Moussaoui, when this proceeding is over, everyone else in this room will leave to see the sun ... hear the birds ... and they can associate with whomever they want," she said. She went on: "You will spend the rest of your life in a supermax prison. It's absolutely clear who won." And she said it was proper he will be kept away from outsiders, unable to speak publicly again. "Mr. Moussaoui, you came here to be a martyr in a great big bang of glory," she said, "but to paraphrase the poet T.S. Eliot, instead you will die with a whimper." ' Full article at the link. (AP via Yahoo)
Of cats, dogs, and bloggers. The blogger formerly known as Wretchard the Cat discusses the pros and cons of pseudonymous blogging: 'There's now a movement in the blogosphere to discourage pseudonymous blogging; the argument being that people will write more responsibly when signing under their own names. Let me play Devil's Advocate and assert that bylined blogging may in fact lead to the very opposite: a condition of shrill, polemical writing where the ad hominem attacks will become commonplace. When I used to write anonymously only my arguments mattered. If they were persuasive they persuaded; if they were ridiculous they were held up to contempt. But there were no hard feelings because it was the arguments themselves that bore the weight of both praise and opprobrium. There was no ego to puff up or to be bruised. ...' (Belmont Club)
UN drafts resolution on Iranian nuclear program. Iran Focus: 'Despite the objections of Russia and China, the U.S., Britain and France introduced a draft Security Council resolution Wednesday that would legally compel Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment activities. The resolution does not call for specific consequences if Iran does not comply, but makes clear that sanctions will be the next step. It demands that Iran "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development" and calls on nations to prevent the transfer of materials for Iran's nuclear and missile programs. The draft cites Chapter VII of the U.N. charter, which authorizes punitive action for matters designated to be threats to international security. "This resolution does not deal with sanctions," said U.S. Ambassador John Bolton. But he said if Iran did not "back away," the council stood ready to impose targeted sanctions banning Iranian leaders' international travel, freezing their assets and restricting some imports.' (LA Times via Iran Focus)
Sudan-Iran nuke deal? A current headline at Debka asserts: 'Sudan’s Bashir agrees to store sensitive Iranian nuclear equipment - including P-2 centrifuges - against potential military strikes.' (Debka)
Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.
