Debka: Drone crashes over suspected Iranian nuclear site. A recent bulletin from Debka reports that: 'Unidentified drone crashes at Arak nuclear site in central Iran, according to sources close to Iranian Revolutionary Guards ex-commander Rezai. Evidence in wreckage of intelligence-gathering at presumed uranium enrichment site. Last week, Iranian air force commander said mystery aircraft reported by witnesses over sensitive sites would be shot down. UN watchdog inspectors expect early visit to secret Iranian military site at Parchin suspected of dual use of nuclear technology for weapons production. UAEA is coordinating visit with Iranian authorities.' (Debka)
FrontPage: Iran-China axis a growing threat. An article by Frederick W. Stakelbeck, Jr., in FrontPageMag points to increasing ties between Communist China and the Iranian regime as a cause for concern. 'China and Iran have been cultivating an increasingly close relationship in recent months, one borne from China’s need for energy to run its growing economy and Iran’s need for consumer goods to satisfy its young, West-leaning population. Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s former representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently confirmed this, saying, “We [Iran and China] complement each other. The Chinese have the industry and the Iranians have the energy resources.” ' Dreams Into Lightning has previously reported on these emerging economic and security ties. (FrontPage)
White supremacist charged in 1964 murders. "It is never too late to do what is right," said Lawrence Guyot, a spokesman for Veterans of the Southern Civil Rights Movement, of the arrest of 79-year-old Edgar Ray Killen in connection with the 1964 murders of three civil rights activists - Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman - in Mississippi. CNN reports that 'Schwerner, 24, and Goodman, 20, were volunteers sent to Mississippi as part of the "Freedom Summer" drive to register black voters in the state. Chaney, 21, was a black Meridian resident who participated in the drive.' Killen is scheduled for arraignment Friday in Neshoba County Court, and no bail amount has been set. (CNN)
2005-01-07
Survey: Iraqi Women Want Rights
Women For Women International released a survey of Iraqi women indicating that securing their legal rights is a primary concern for them:
View the report at this URL:
http://www.womenforwomen.org/Downloads/Iraq_Paper_0105.pdf
Washington, DC – The first survey of Iraqi women since the outbreak of the war was released today by Women for Women International, one of the few non-governmental organizations remaining in Baghdad. The groundbreaking survey paints a vivid and even surprising portrait of Iraqi women in transition and dispels the prevailing notion that women believe tradition, customs or religion should limit their participation in the formation of a new Iraqi government.
The results of the survey of 1,000 Iraqi women in Baghdad, Mosul, and Basra, major political and commercial centers in Iraq, was unveiled in a report entitled “Windows of Opportunity: The Pursuit of Gender Equality in Post-War Iraq.” Among the key results:
• 94% of women surveyed want to secure legal rights for women.
• 84% of women want the right to vote on the final constitution.
• Nearly 80% of women believe that their participation in local and national councils should not be limited.
“History has shown that when women play a role in the formation of new governments, those nations are more stable and more successful in the long run,” said Women for Women International’s founder and CEO Zainab Salbi. “Many Iraqi leaders have claimed that women do not want to be involved in the reconstruction process. This survey clearly shows that women overwhelmingly believe they should have a seat at the table.”
The most unexpected result of the survey is that despite increasing violence, particularly violence against women, 90.6% of Iraqi women reported that they are hopeful about their future. In recent months, many women who have been involved with the reconstruction efforts or women’s rights work have been kidnapped and murdered. Among those murdered included Zeena Al Qushtaini, an Iraqi businesswoman known for wearing western clothing, who was kidnapped and executed. Her body was found clad in a traditional headscarf, which she refused to wear when she was alive. In December, Wijdan al-Khuzai, a candidate in the Iraqi election, was also murdered near her house in Baghdad.
“Women make up more than half the population of Iraq. This makes them enormously influential, both for the election this month and for Iraq’s future,” said Manal Omar, who has been Women for Women International’s Country Director in Iraq, since the organization established offices there in July 2003. “The new Iraqi government must act quickly to ensure their rights today and secure their hope for the future. If women continue to be excluded from the new government and lose hope for the future, then the window of opportunity for women in Iraq – and hope for the country itself – closes.”
To date, women have not played an active role in the new Iraqi governing bodies. Only three women have been appointed to the 25-member Interim Iraqi Governing Council, and the three women on the Council did not have the right to serve on the Presidential Council. No women were appointed to be governors of 18 provinces in Iraq nor were any women appointed to a committee overseeing the drafting of the new Iraqi constitution.
Women for Women International warned, however, that the survey showed that more than twice as many women believed that religious institutions had done something to improve their lives in the past year (13%) than those who believed the government had done so (6%).
View the report at this URL:
http://www.womenforwomen.org/Downloads/Iraq_Paper_0105.pdf
2005-01-05
Zaidoun's Accused Killers Face Trial
The BBC is now reporting that the American soldiers accused of drowning Zeyad's cousin Zaidoun in the Tigris River are being tried in Texas. Iraqi blog readers first learned of the killing a year ago through Healing Iraq. The BBC story adds that, according to the survivor of the drowning incident, the US soldiers laughed as Zaidoun drowned.
Another entry in Healing Iraq (dated late January 2004) gives more of Zeyad's thoughts and a link to a Slate article on the killing.
We can't bring Zaidoun back to life, but we can honor him as a human being by making sure his killers receive their full measure of justice, and by ensuring that the soldiers of free nations are never allowed to disgrace their heritage in this way.
"He was calling my name, said: 'Help me! Help me!'" Marwan Fadel Hassoun told a military trial in Texas. Army Sgt Tracy Perkins, 33, is on trial for an array of charges including involuntary manslaughter. Three other soldiers have also been charged over the incident in the city of Samarra on 3 January 2004. Mr Fadel said he and his cousin were transporting plumbing supplies from Baghdad to the city when they were approached by US troops when their truck broke down a few minutes before a 2300 curfew. He said they were forced to the river at gunpoint. "We started to beg them not to throw us in the water," he said through a translator. "We said in English, 'Please, please', but it was in vain. "The soldiers had their rifles aimed at us. They were laughing." He said he tried to save his 19-year-old cousin by grabbing his hand, but to no avail.
Another entry in Healing Iraq (dated late January 2004) gives more of Zeyad's thoughts and a link to a Slate article on the killing.
We can't bring Zaidoun back to life, but we can honor him as a human being by making sure his killers receive their full measure of justice, and by ensuring that the soldiers of free nations are never allowed to disgrace their heritage in this way.
William Sampson: Canadian Hero
Many thanks to Diane (frequent poster at ITM comments) for this story.
In December 2000, Canadian citizen William Sampson was arrested in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on false charges connected with the al-Qaeda-backed November firebombing of an SUV in the Saudi city. In February 2001, Sampson and two other foreign nationals were tortured into "confessing" on Saudi television. Some time in 2001, Sampson was sentenced to death by beheading.
Sampson's father remembers him as a "stubborn bugger" since childhood. His defiance during his captivity under the Saudi regime was astonishing: 'He continually abused his guards verbally and threw things around his cell', according to this bio.
Human rights activists charged that the Canadian Government failed to aggressively press the Saudi regime for Sampson's release, which finally occurred on August 8, 2003. Shortly after the release, 'Documents obtained by the CBC reveal that William Sampson repeatedly told Canadian officials that he was being tortured. The documents, released to CBC's the fifth estate under the Access to Information Act suggest that the government dismissed his allegations of torture as speculative, right up to the time of his release on August 8,' according to this CBC chronology. Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham responded that if his department had publicly accused the Saudis of torture, Sampson might have been killed. In testimony before aHouse of Commons committee in November, Sampson blasted the Foreign Affairs department, while thanking the Canadian public for its support. He went on to take legal action against his Saudi tormentors, as well as demanding a full inquiry from the Canadian government.
Read more at these links:
William Sampson homepage
CBC: A State of Denial
CBC timeline
In December 2000, Canadian citizen William Sampson was arrested in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on false charges connected with the al-Qaeda-backed November firebombing of an SUV in the Saudi city. In February 2001, Sampson and two other foreign nationals were tortured into "confessing" on Saudi television. Some time in 2001, Sampson was sentenced to death by beheading.
Sampson's father remembers him as a "stubborn bugger" since childhood. His defiance during his captivity under the Saudi regime was astonishing: 'He continually abused his guards verbally and threw things around his cell', according to this bio.
Human rights activists charged that the Canadian Government failed to aggressively press the Saudi regime for Sampson's release, which finally occurred on August 8, 2003. Shortly after the release, 'Documents obtained by the CBC reveal that William Sampson repeatedly told Canadian officials that he was being tortured. The documents, released to CBC's the fifth estate under the Access to Information Act suggest that the government dismissed his allegations of torture as speculative, right up to the time of his release on August 8,' according to this CBC chronology. Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham responded that if his department had publicly accused the Saudis of torture, Sampson might have been killed. In testimony before aHouse of Commons committee in November, Sampson blasted the Foreign Affairs department, while thanking the Canadian public for its support. He went on to take legal action against his Saudi tormentors, as well as demanding a full inquiry from the Canadian government.
Read more at these links:
William Sampson homepage
CBC: A State of Denial
CBC timeline
Egypt Elections
As promised earlier, here's more information on the upcoming "election" in Egypt. I'm putting "election" in quotes because, according to Big Pharaoh, the current Egyptian consitution permits challenger candidates to run only AFTER the incumbent fails a referendum; and in that scenario, the winner must then be confirmed by Parliament:
Go read GM's whole post at the link. And if you haven't already, remember to bookmark his blog on your browser favorites.
The constitution states that the candidates can run for office only after a sitting president fails in the national referendum. In addition, the candidate must receive two thirds of the votes in the Egyptian parliament. And since the NDP, Mubarak’s party, controls about 95% of the parliament, no one from Egypt’s 70 million population has a chance.
Go read GM's whole post at the link. And if you haven't already, remember to bookmark his blog on your browser favorites.
Let's blogroll!
Don't miss Iraqi Bloggers Central for the latest info from and about Iraq. Those new to Iraqi issues, those just tuning in, and those who need to learn more (and this specifically includes the person who forwarded to me that ignorant anti-Bush e-mail) should take the time to read this site for an ongoing analysis of Iraq as told by those who know. In today's post, Husayn and Sandmonkey sound off.
Alliance voices. Loyal members of the Alliance of Free Blogs are out in force. Emperor Darth Misha I of the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler offers the latest headlines (just in case Dreams Into Lightning's Morning Report wasn't enough for you). Serenity asks some tough questions about theodicy in the wake of the tsunami. Blackfive passes some good scoop about a Marine sniper you should know. Greatest Jen isn't holding her breath for Saudi suffrage under the current misogynarchy. Mamamontezz is currently experiencing some comm problems but don't waste a chance to peruse her Mental Rumpus Room at leisure.
The Portland Mukhabarat's agent in New York, Julianne Shepherd, is keeping up her fabonculous blog, Cowboyz 'n' Poodles, under the most challenging circumstances. She's also the Portland Mercury's music critic. Go read her blog. It's binoculars. Maybe even omarion.
Baldilocks is trusting the universe to unfold as it should, in this important post on being single. A lot of us single folks might learn from her. Also some good meditations on faith, and a quote from "The Shawshank Redemption." Worth reading.
Emily, another trusted agent of the Portland Mukhabarat, has returned from her undercover assignment in Iowa. She's working hard to keep up that 4.0 GPA - and putting together a mammoth research project on people's environmental priorities - but don't let that stop you from visiting Strangechord.
Alliance voices. Loyal members of the Alliance of Free Blogs are out in force. Emperor Darth Misha I of the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler offers the latest headlines (just in case Dreams Into Lightning's Morning Report wasn't enough for you). Serenity asks some tough questions about theodicy in the wake of the tsunami. Blackfive passes some good scoop about a Marine sniper you should know. Greatest Jen isn't holding her breath for Saudi suffrage under the current misogynarchy. Mamamontezz is currently experiencing some comm problems but don't waste a chance to peruse her Mental Rumpus Room at leisure.
The Portland Mukhabarat's agent in New York, Julianne Shepherd, is keeping up her fabonculous blog, Cowboyz 'n' Poodles, under the most challenging circumstances. She's also the Portland Mercury's music critic. Go read her blog. It's binoculars. Maybe even omarion.
Baldilocks is trusting the universe to unfold as it should, in this important post on being single. A lot of us single folks might learn from her. Also some good meditations on faith, and a quote from "The Shawshank Redemption." Worth reading.
Emily, another trusted agent of the Portland Mukhabarat, has returned from her undercover assignment in Iowa. She's working hard to keep up that 4.0 GPA - and putting together a mammoth research project on people's environmental priorities - but don't let that stop you from visiting Strangechord.
Morning Report: January 5, 2005
Indonesia begins building refugee camps. 'Indonesia’s government has started breaking ground on four camps around Banda Aceh, the main city in northern Sumatra, for the estimated 1 million people left homeless by the tsunami.' Go to Command Post / Global Recon for more updates. And consider making a donation to Mercy Corps. You might also take a moment to reflect on what Rabbi Oppenheimer had to say. (Command Post)
Debka: Palestinian terror factions intimidate Abbas. Despite outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent admonitions to Mahmoud Abbas, the aspiring President of Palestine will be under the watchful eye - and thumb - of at least seven Palestinian terrorist groups, according to this article from Debka: 'Seven Palestinian terrorist groups have formed an ad hoc coalition with a more far-sighted goal than drawing the Israeli army into an extreme reprisal so as to sabotage the vote and Mahmoud Abbas’s election. Their eye is on the election’s aftermath. Taking Abbas’s win for granted, they are playing on his weakness to keep him running scared and make him too dependent to raise a finger against them. These groups are Abbas’s own Fatah, its suicide arm, the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the Abu Rish Martyrs Brigades, the Popular Resistance Committee’s Battalions, Hamas’s Ezzadin al-Qassam, Jihad Islami and, a newcomer making its first appearance, the Abu Masoud Squads.' Referring to the recent scene that caused Powell such concern, Debka's analysis concludes: 'The terrorists carried him on their shoulders – not as a sign of affection and respect, but as a warning to keep his feet and hands off their territory if he wants to survive.' (Debka)
IRIN: Ivory Coast anarchy speeds deforestation. From the Head Heeb comes this disturbing IRIN report from the UN explaining how the breakdown of law and order in Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) has contributed to an epidemic of illegal logging in the shadow of that country's two-year-long civil war: 'Sources in the timber trade told IRIN that pro-government militia chiefs, rebel warlords, timber companies and ordinary villagers were indiscriminately felling the giant hardwood trees that dominate the equatorial forests of southern and western Cote d’Ivoire. "When war breaks out, forests are suddenly up for grabs. Long-term forest protection policies are abandoned for short-term financial gain," said Frans Bongers, a Dutch ecologist who has been carrying out research in West Africa's forests for the last decade, told IRIN.' The article also notes that rising fuel costs are forcing many poor Ivorians to switch to wood for fuel. (IRIN via The Head Heeb)
Helen on Trinidadian music. Helen of CaribPundit has a fascinating essay on Trini music and its cultural roots. 'So, we went online, since soca is not available in the stores out here, and managed to download Rudder, Onika Bostic, Denise Belfon, Iwer George, Bunji Garlin, and a host of others, including our particular favorite, Sparrow. There is a sense to which the Trini desire to be ‘the other’ is reflected in the country’s music. If you doubt this, try listening to i955 FM for a period of time. ... Soca began with Ras Shorty I and was a new beat that was not a significant departure from its roots in calypso. However, as we trace the development of soca, from the complex rhythms of Ras Shorty I to the present day, we realize that rather than remaining purely Trini, soca began to reflect the inherent Trini desire to be ‘the other’; we’re pirating the terminology from Frantz Fanon’s Black Skins, White Masks. In this case, the ‘other’ to which Trini musicians aspire is not a racial ‘other’ but a musical one that has stunted the musical complexity and full development of soca’s rhythmic form and set it adrift from its moorings in calypso. Thus, it is possible to hear soca music that sounds like reggae, dancehall, rap, pop, blues, and the whole plethora of other musical forms that are not calypso. ... ' (CaribPundit)
Ali Fadhil: Terrorists losing in Iraq. In this new post at Free Iraqi, Ali notes that the pre-election terror campaign against the Iraqi people is no surprise, but that the Iraqis' will remains firm. 'It's truly a critical time in the history of Iraq, the region and the whole world. The terrorists are attacking almost everyone who does not agree with them. Today they threatened to" transfer the battle to America's land". If this should tell us anything new then it should be that the masters of these monsters are terrified as hell. They see all their efforts as not leading to the desired result; the withdrawal of American troops or at least the delaying and then the canceling of the elections. This is an important point that most of us, Iraqis and the coalition, forget most of the time. Just as we despair sometimes we should remember that our enemies are in even a worse situation than ours. I'm not talking about the terrorists, as these idiots have set up their minds to ride the highway to "heaven" through ending their miserable lives as soon as possible taking as many as possible of innocents' lives with them. I'm talking about those who finance them. The daily attacks in Iraq cost a fortune that no one and no single organization can afford.' Observing the dramatic improvement in Iraq's economy and in living conditions for ordinary Iraqis, he concludes that 'spending millions of Dollars to ruin Iraq's economy is not a great investment. And as Iraq is not ruined economically and politically, it seems that the only thing that these rulers can hope to achieve their sick dreams is making the lives of Iraqis a daily suffer through maintaining the difficult security. But even this is not a real victory and has failed to attract more supporters to turn it into a wide spread chaos that involve the whole country when tried three times. ' Readers wishing to help lessen the suffering of the Iraqi people should donate through Spirit of America. You can also help promote democracy in Iraq by supporting the Iraqi Pro-Democracy Party.
Scottish MP says no to IRI appeasement. Scotland's Struan Stevenson of the EU Parliament speaks out against the EU's accommodationist stance towards the Iranian regime in this article from the Washington Times, posted on the Free Iran message board: 'The EU's lack of spine in dealing with Tehran has emboldened the mullahs to step up repression in Iran. A resolution just adopted by the U.N. General Assembly censured Tehran for "failure to comply fully with international standards in the administration of justice, the absence of due process of law, the refusal to provide fair and public hearings, and right to counsel, the continuing executions, in particular the execution of persons below 18 years of age, the arbitrary arrest and detention without charge or trial, the use of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, in particular the practice of amputation and flogging as well as the systemic discrimination against women and girls." The deterioration of human rights in Iran has revealed new depths of barbarity, where pregnant women and children are routinely executed and floggings and amputations are an almost daily public spectacle. ' (Washington Times via Free Iran)
Debka: Palestinian terror factions intimidate Abbas. Despite outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent admonitions to Mahmoud Abbas, the aspiring President of Palestine will be under the watchful eye - and thumb - of at least seven Palestinian terrorist groups, according to this article from Debka: 'Seven Palestinian terrorist groups have formed an ad hoc coalition with a more far-sighted goal than drawing the Israeli army into an extreme reprisal so as to sabotage the vote and Mahmoud Abbas’s election. Their eye is on the election’s aftermath. Taking Abbas’s win for granted, they are playing on his weakness to keep him running scared and make him too dependent to raise a finger against them. These groups are Abbas’s own Fatah, its suicide arm, the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the Abu Rish Martyrs Brigades, the Popular Resistance Committee’s Battalions, Hamas’s Ezzadin al-Qassam, Jihad Islami and, a newcomer making its first appearance, the Abu Masoud Squads.' Referring to the recent scene that caused Powell such concern, Debka's analysis concludes: 'The terrorists carried him on their shoulders – not as a sign of affection and respect, but as a warning to keep his feet and hands off their territory if he wants to survive.' (Debka)
IRIN: Ivory Coast anarchy speeds deforestation. From the Head Heeb comes this disturbing IRIN report from the UN explaining how the breakdown of law and order in Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) has contributed to an epidemic of illegal logging in the shadow of that country's two-year-long civil war: 'Sources in the timber trade told IRIN that pro-government militia chiefs, rebel warlords, timber companies and ordinary villagers were indiscriminately felling the giant hardwood trees that dominate the equatorial forests of southern and western Cote d’Ivoire. "When war breaks out, forests are suddenly up for grabs. Long-term forest protection policies are abandoned for short-term financial gain," said Frans Bongers, a Dutch ecologist who has been carrying out research in West Africa's forests for the last decade, told IRIN.' The article also notes that rising fuel costs are forcing many poor Ivorians to switch to wood for fuel. (IRIN via The Head Heeb)
Helen on Trinidadian music. Helen of CaribPundit has a fascinating essay on Trini music and its cultural roots. 'So, we went online, since soca is not available in the stores out here, and managed to download Rudder, Onika Bostic, Denise Belfon, Iwer George, Bunji Garlin, and a host of others, including our particular favorite, Sparrow. There is a sense to which the Trini desire to be ‘the other’ is reflected in the country’s music. If you doubt this, try listening to i955 FM for a period of time. ... Soca began with Ras Shorty I and was a new beat that was not a significant departure from its roots in calypso. However, as we trace the development of soca, from the complex rhythms of Ras Shorty I to the present day, we realize that rather than remaining purely Trini, soca began to reflect the inherent Trini desire to be ‘the other’; we’re pirating the terminology from Frantz Fanon’s Black Skins, White Masks. In this case, the ‘other’ to which Trini musicians aspire is not a racial ‘other’ but a musical one that has stunted the musical complexity and full development of soca’s rhythmic form and set it adrift from its moorings in calypso. Thus, it is possible to hear soca music that sounds like reggae, dancehall, rap, pop, blues, and the whole plethora of other musical forms that are not calypso. ... ' (CaribPundit)
Ali Fadhil: Terrorists losing in Iraq. In this new post at Free Iraqi, Ali notes that the pre-election terror campaign against the Iraqi people is no surprise, but that the Iraqis' will remains firm. 'It's truly a critical time in the history of Iraq, the region and the whole world. The terrorists are attacking almost everyone who does not agree with them. Today they threatened to" transfer the battle to America's land". If this should tell us anything new then it should be that the masters of these monsters are terrified as hell. They see all their efforts as not leading to the desired result; the withdrawal of American troops or at least the delaying and then the canceling of the elections. This is an important point that most of us, Iraqis and the coalition, forget most of the time. Just as we despair sometimes we should remember that our enemies are in even a worse situation than ours. I'm not talking about the terrorists, as these idiots have set up their minds to ride the highway to "heaven" through ending their miserable lives as soon as possible taking as many as possible of innocents' lives with them. I'm talking about those who finance them. The daily attacks in Iraq cost a fortune that no one and no single organization can afford.' Observing the dramatic improvement in Iraq's economy and in living conditions for ordinary Iraqis, he concludes that 'spending millions of Dollars to ruin Iraq's economy is not a great investment. And as Iraq is not ruined economically and politically, it seems that the only thing that these rulers can hope to achieve their sick dreams is making the lives of Iraqis a daily suffer through maintaining the difficult security. But even this is not a real victory and has failed to attract more supporters to turn it into a wide spread chaos that involve the whole country when tried three times. ' Readers wishing to help lessen the suffering of the Iraqi people should donate through Spirit of America. You can also help promote democracy in Iraq by supporting the Iraqi Pro-Democracy Party.
Scottish MP says no to IRI appeasement. Scotland's Struan Stevenson of the EU Parliament speaks out against the EU's accommodationist stance towards the Iranian regime in this article from the Washington Times, posted on the Free Iran message board: 'The EU's lack of spine in dealing with Tehran has emboldened the mullahs to step up repression in Iran. A resolution just adopted by the U.N. General Assembly censured Tehran for "failure to comply fully with international standards in the administration of justice, the absence of due process of law, the refusal to provide fair and public hearings, and right to counsel, the continuing executions, in particular the execution of persons below 18 years of age, the arbitrary arrest and detention without charge or trial, the use of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, in particular the practice of amputation and flogging as well as the systemic discrimination against women and girls." The deterioration of human rights in Iran has revealed new depths of barbarity, where pregnant women and children are routinely executed and floggings and amputations are an almost daily public spectacle. ' (Washington Times via Free Iran)
2005-01-04
Morning Report: January 4, 2005
Baghdad governor assassinated. Ali al-Haidri, the governor of Baghdad Province, was assassinated in a fierce gun battle that also claimed the life of one of his bodyguards, according to this CNN report. (CNN)
Terrorism discounted in laser incidents. Also from CNN, a government official has stated that Federal investigations have found no terrorist connection in recently reported cases of green lasers being trained on commercial aircraft: 'The FBI investigation into recent incidents involving laser beams aimed at aircraft has found no link to terrorism, the Department of Homeland Security's transportation security chief said Monday. "There's not any evidence that these lasers are being used by terrorists," said Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary of border and transportation security. "The FBI certainly continues to investigate and look at these fact scenarios. It's also a safety issue that the Department of Transportation would certainly want to look at." ' (CNN)
Terrorism discounted in laser incidents. Also from CNN, a government official has stated that Federal investigations have found no terrorist connection in recently reported cases of green lasers being trained on commercial aircraft: 'The FBI investigation into recent incidents involving laser beams aimed at aircraft has found no link to terrorism, the Department of Homeland Security's transportation security chief said Monday. "There's not any evidence that these lasers are being used by terrorists," said Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary of border and transportation security. "The FBI certainly continues to investigate and look at these fact scenarios. It's also a safety issue that the Department of Transportation would certainly want to look at." ' (CNN)
The Return of Ali Fadhil
Ali Fadhil is back. He is now blogging as Free Iraqi, formerly "Iraqi Liberal". Some astute readers of Iraq the Model had already guessed that the new Ali and the old Ali were the same person; I didn't believe so, maybe because I thought it was just too good to be true! Anyway, I stand corrected and I'm happy to have been wrong!
For new readers, ITM is a very fine, informative Iraqi blog. It was begun in November 2003 by three brothers in Baghdad - Omar, Ali, and Mohammed Fadhil - and has drawn an intensely loyal readership. Then a few weeks ago, while Omar and Mohammed were completing a tour of the US, Ali abruptly quit the blog, fueling all kinds of speculation.
So now we have the whole story. Ali hasn't been abducted by aliens, and you can read about his decision in his own words at this post.
Many thanks to Stefania of Free Thoughts for passing on this news. Be sure to check out Free Thoughts: a bilingual (Italian/English) neoconservative blog featuring the latest human rights news on the Middle East, Cuba, and elsewhere. Current posts include a link on Saad Ibrahim and an aritcle on Cuban prisons Stefania is amazingly prolific - Free Thoughts is a great resource.
For new readers, ITM is a very fine, informative Iraqi blog. It was begun in November 2003 by three brothers in Baghdad - Omar, Ali, and Mohammed Fadhil - and has drawn an intensely loyal readership. Then a few weeks ago, while Omar and Mohammed were completing a tour of the US, Ali abruptly quit the blog, fueling all kinds of speculation.
So now we have the whole story. Ali hasn't been abducted by aliens, and you can read about his decision in his own words at this post.
Many thanks to Stefania of Free Thoughts for passing on this news. Be sure to check out Free Thoughts: a bilingual (Italian/English) neoconservative blog featuring the latest human rights news on the Middle East, Cuba, and elsewhere. Current posts include a link on Saad Ibrahim and an aritcle on Cuban prisons Stefania is amazingly prolific - Free Thoughts is a great resource.
2005-01-03
The Names
Last Saturday, Rabbi Oppenheimer spoke on the devastation caused by the tsunami in South Asia. Working from memory, I will try to capture the essence of his very fine sermon, although I will be unable to truly do it justice.
Rabbi Oppenheimer began by urging everyone to do what they can to support humanitarian relief efforts; he suggested Portland-based Mercy Corps. He then emphasized that any attempt to "explain" the mysterious acts of G-d is doomed to failure, as Job discovered centuries ago. From the voice in the whirlwind, Job received the great smackdown of all time: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth? Speak, if you have knowledge of it...."
There is something about the sea, the rabbi noted, that draws us: its sameness, its oneness. Even though a complex ecosystem is concealed beneath the waves, to our eyes the sea appears pure and whole. It reminds us of the undifferentiated unity from which the universe was created; and this is why so many people live by the sea - not only sailors and fishermen who depend on it for their livelihood, but vacationers and retirees who fill the tourist hotels and build their summer homes there.
While it is natural that we are drawn to the sea, it is also an essential fact of our existence that we are not part of it. We live on dry land, and just as we no longer belong to the sea, neither do we belong to the realm of the undifferentiated. We are all unique individuals, each with a name, each with a life, each with a special place in creation.
Turning to the week's Torah portion - the beginning of Exodus - Rabbi Oppenheimer reflected on the opening passages of the book: a list of the names of the sons of Israel who migrated to Egypt (from which the book of Exodus takes its Hebrew name, Shemoth, or "names"). This is to stress the importance of the individual - even in a time when Pharaoh's regime would come to enslave the whole Jewish population.
Eventually Pharaoh commanded that all male Israelite children be killed at birth, by drowning in the Nile. And it was from that very Nile that Moses, the future leader of the Jewish people, would be rescued. Moses seemingly made a career of doing battle with water, too - turning it to blood, bringing frogs out of it, and finally splitting it for the escaping Jews.
No one knows how many lives were lost to the Nile by Pharaoh's command. What is recorded is the Egyptian regime's determination to dehumanize its slaves by turning them into mindless automata, mere working machines. The Nazis did the same thing with their concentration camps. What the Torah comes to tell us - Rabbi Oppenheimer explained - is that each human being is unique and precious. We must never allow our lives to be swallowed up by the demands of industrial society - that's why the Sabbath is so important, because it forces us to break away from the work week and reclaim our own sense of self.
Tragedies remind us of how fleeting, and how sacred, life is. Returning to the victims of the tsunami, the rabbi said: "Each of those hundred thousand people had a name. Each one had a family; each one was special to someone."
Rabbi Oppenheimer began by urging everyone to do what they can to support humanitarian relief efforts; he suggested Portland-based Mercy Corps. He then emphasized that any attempt to "explain" the mysterious acts of G-d is doomed to failure, as Job discovered centuries ago. From the voice in the whirlwind, Job received the great smackdown of all time: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth? Speak, if you have knowledge of it...."
There is something about the sea, the rabbi noted, that draws us: its sameness, its oneness. Even though a complex ecosystem is concealed beneath the waves, to our eyes the sea appears pure and whole. It reminds us of the undifferentiated unity from which the universe was created; and this is why so many people live by the sea - not only sailors and fishermen who depend on it for their livelihood, but vacationers and retirees who fill the tourist hotels and build their summer homes there.
While it is natural that we are drawn to the sea, it is also an essential fact of our existence that we are not part of it. We live on dry land, and just as we no longer belong to the sea, neither do we belong to the realm of the undifferentiated. We are all unique individuals, each with a name, each with a life, each with a special place in creation.
Turning to the week's Torah portion - the beginning of Exodus - Rabbi Oppenheimer reflected on the opening passages of the book: a list of the names of the sons of Israel who migrated to Egypt (from which the book of Exodus takes its Hebrew name, Shemoth, or "names"). This is to stress the importance of the individual - even in a time when Pharaoh's regime would come to enslave the whole Jewish population.
Eventually Pharaoh commanded that all male Israelite children be killed at birth, by drowning in the Nile. And it was from that very Nile that Moses, the future leader of the Jewish people, would be rescued. Moses seemingly made a career of doing battle with water, too - turning it to blood, bringing frogs out of it, and finally splitting it for the escaping Jews.
No one knows how many lives were lost to the Nile by Pharaoh's command. What is recorded is the Egyptian regime's determination to dehumanize its slaves by turning them into mindless automata, mere working machines. The Nazis did the same thing with their concentration camps. What the Torah comes to tell us - Rabbi Oppenheimer explained - is that each human being is unique and precious. We must never allow our lives to be swallowed up by the demands of industrial society - that's why the Sabbath is so important, because it forces us to break away from the work week and reclaim our own sense of self.
Tragedies remind us of how fleeting, and how sacred, life is. Returning to the victims of the tsunami, the rabbi said: "Each of those hundred thousand people had a name. Each one had a family; each one was special to someone."
2005-01-02
Google Hit of the Day
Fellow Mac OS X sufferer in Central Time Zone, who found this blog (and this post) with the search terms "spinning beachball of death" and "unexpectedly quit".
I feel your pain.
I feel your pain.
Morning Report: January 2, 2005
Tsunami update. Over 100,000 dead and some five million homeless - those are the latest grim statistics on the South Asian tsunami tragedy. See Command Post for how to help.
Laser prankster "meant no harm", lawyer says. A man in Parsippany, New Jersey, who was detained by law enforcement officials for pointing a green laser at a police helicopter, "meant no harm", according to his attorney. The article in the Star-Ledger says Gina Mendola Longarzo, attorney for David Banach, stated that her client uses lasers in his work. Morning Report notes that most other reported laser incidents involved airplanes, not helicopters, and suggests that this case is at most a "copycat" incident, and not a reason to dismiss a potentially serious phenomenon.
Laser prankster "meant no harm", lawyer says. A man in Parsippany, New Jersey, who was detained by law enforcement officials for pointing a green laser at a police helicopter, "meant no harm", according to his attorney. The article in the Star-Ledger says Gina Mendola Longarzo, attorney for David Banach, stated that her client uses lasers in his work. Morning Report notes that most other reported laser incidents involved airplanes, not helicopters, and suggests that this case is at most a "copycat" incident, and not a reason to dismiss a potentially serious phenomenon.
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