Just a few thoughts to keep in mind when you're reading, or listening to, the legacy media.
Have you ever noticed how often they use vague quantifiers like "some" and "many", especially when they're talking about public opinion? But of course you have - Dreams Into Lightning readers are a smart bunch. So you've already figured out that that's an easy way for the "journalist" to introduce his or her own opinion into a story, without having to defend a more stringent assertion, e.g. the claim that said opinions represent a majority (which would require the word "most").
(You'll notice that I've just used a vague quantifier - "often" - but that's only because I'm inviting you to verify the phenomenon for yourself.)
How many is "many"? If "some" are saying A, how many others are saying B? Who decides what views are represented by the "numerous", the "several", the "number of"? What is that number, exactly?
Oh, but I'm wasting my virtual breath here, because you already know all this.
Just do me one favor, though - next time you get a chance, point it out to someone else who follows the mainstream media.
2005-01-16
Morning Report: January 16, 2005
Graner gets 10 years. Army Specialist Charles Graner was sentenced to 10 years for his role in the Abu Ghraib torture/abuse scandal, Command Post reports. CNN reported that 'Many Iraqis reacted angrily on Sunday to news that U.S. soldier Charles Graner had been sentenced to 10 years in jail for his role in prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib jail, saying he should have faced harsher punishment.' Similar sentiments were expressed by many Americans, such as Blackfive. (Command Post; AP via CNN; Blackfive)
Sharon: Gloves off for IDF in Gaza. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made it clear he expects more than words from newly-elected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, freezing relations with the Palestinian National Authority until the PNA can see its way clear to get serious about stopping terrorism. In a recent bulletin from Debka, 'Sharon tells Israeli cabinet: Army ordered to step up military actions “without restrictions” after weekend surge of Palestinian terrorist attacks in and around Gaza Strip. He accused new Palestinian leadership of taking no action against terrorists. Friday, Israel broke off contact with Abbas after 6 Israeli deaths - 3 from Sderot - at hands of Palestinian suicide bombers at Karni goods crossing from Gaza to Israel.' (Debka)
DDT reconsidered? The recent tsunami tragedy in southern Asia has brought fears of a malaria outbreak - and renewed debate over the acceptability of the use of the now-banned pesticide DDT, as Winds of Change reports. (Winds of Change)
Iraqi government publishes names of terrorists. MEMRI reports (January 13): 'The Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights published the names of 99 Arabs and Iranians who were arrested for planning or taking part in acts of terrorism. The list comprises 26 Syrians, 14 Saudis, 14 Iranians, 12 Egyptians. 4 Palestinians, 8 Jordanians and 5 Tunisians as well as individuals from numerous countries.' (Al-Mashriq, Baghdad, 1/15/05, via MEMRI)
Russia: Bushehr construction completed. Also from MEMRI: 'Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, in a recent meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush, said the construction phase of the nuclear units of Bushehr atomic power plant had been completed: 'Russia's fundamental stance is that nuclear material will be delivered to Iran when Iran and Russia sign a contract for returning spent nuclear fuel to Russia.' (Iran Daily, 1/13/05, via MEMRI)
Jakarta: Benchmark, not deadline. Indonesia's government has back-pedaled from its earlier statement that foreign humanitarian troops must leave the country by March 26, the BBC is reporting: 'Indonesia has denied saying that foreign troops involved in the tsunami relief operation must leave the country within three months of the disaster. Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono said 26 March was not a deadline for foreign military personnel, but a benchmark. He said that by that date, Indonesian authorities aimed to be able to take over most of the relief effort. The minister was speaking after talks on Sunday with visiting US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.' (BBC)
Sharon: Gloves off for IDF in Gaza. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made it clear he expects more than words from newly-elected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, freezing relations with the Palestinian National Authority until the PNA can see its way clear to get serious about stopping terrorism. In a recent bulletin from Debka, 'Sharon tells Israeli cabinet: Army ordered to step up military actions “without restrictions” after weekend surge of Palestinian terrorist attacks in and around Gaza Strip. He accused new Palestinian leadership of taking no action against terrorists. Friday, Israel broke off contact with Abbas after 6 Israeli deaths - 3 from Sderot - at hands of Palestinian suicide bombers at Karni goods crossing from Gaza to Israel.' (Debka)
DDT reconsidered? The recent tsunami tragedy in southern Asia has brought fears of a malaria outbreak - and renewed debate over the acceptability of the use of the now-banned pesticide DDT, as Winds of Change reports. (Winds of Change)
Iraqi government publishes names of terrorists. MEMRI reports (January 13): 'The Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights published the names of 99 Arabs and Iranians who were arrested for planning or taking part in acts of terrorism. The list comprises 26 Syrians, 14 Saudis, 14 Iranians, 12 Egyptians. 4 Palestinians, 8 Jordanians and 5 Tunisians as well as individuals from numerous countries.' (Al-Mashriq, Baghdad, 1/15/05, via MEMRI)
Russia: Bushehr construction completed. Also from MEMRI: 'Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, in a recent meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush, said the construction phase of the nuclear units of Bushehr atomic power plant had been completed: 'Russia's fundamental stance is that nuclear material will be delivered to Iran when Iran and Russia sign a contract for returning spent nuclear fuel to Russia.' (Iran Daily, 1/13/05, via MEMRI)
Jakarta: Benchmark, not deadline. Indonesia's government has back-pedaled from its earlier statement that foreign humanitarian troops must leave the country by March 26, the BBC is reporting: 'Indonesia has denied saying that foreign troops involved in the tsunami relief operation must leave the country within three months of the disaster. Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono said 26 March was not a deadline for foreign military personnel, but a benchmark. He said that by that date, Indonesian authorities aimed to be able to take over most of the relief effort. The minister was speaking after talks on Sunday with visiting US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.' (BBC)
2005-01-14
Barnett: the Gap and the Map
Thomas P. M. Barnett sets forth his theory of global connectedness in his March, 2003 article The Pentagon's New Map:
Barnett points out that the "rule set" which defines thriving, free societies today is something that Americans often take for granted - forgetting the long, bitter, and ongoing struggle within our own nation for the ideals of freedom, democracy, and equality. He also reminds us that the line between Core and Gap is always shifting, and that "the direction of change is more critical than the degree." Joining the Core will not guarantee immediate peace and prosperity, but it can be counted on to make things gradually improve over time. Leaving the Core, on the other hand, will swiftly and surely make things worse.
For many years, US strategy focused on the model of fighting a large national army (say, the USSR or Red China) and wrote off threats from smaller nations and nonnational entities as "lesser includeds", meaning if we could counter the greater Soviet threat, we could certainly handle the lesser ones. The shortcomings of this model were illustrated on a certain Tuesday morning a few years ago.
Another fallacy, which still holds sway among many on the Left, is a notion of "benign neglect": as Barnett puts it,
But why the Mideast? Barnett argues that "the Middle East is the perfect place to start" because "what is most wrong about the Middle East is the lack of personal freedom and how that translates into dead-end lives for most of the population—especially for the young." Furthermore, the Middle East has evolved into a kind of bully culture in which only an external power can act as the catalyst for reform.
Barnett's prescription is three-fold: '1) Increase the Core’s immune system capabilities for responding to September 11-like system perturbations; 2) Work the seam states to firewall the Core from the Gap’s worst exports, such as terror, drugs, and pandemics; and, most important, 3) Shrink the Gap.' He contends that "shrinking the Gap" means exporting security, in the form of "the attention paid by our military forces to any region’s potential for mass violence." It also means robust private-sector investment, particularly in the poorest areas such as Africa; but "it all has to begin with security, because free markets and democracy cannot flourish amid chronic conflict."
I think one very important feature of Barnett's analysis is the theme of empowerment. Empowerment for the peoples of the Middle East, because it rejects the assumption (common among pampered liberals in the West) that Mideasterners are unable or unwilling to govern themselves in a democratic society. Empowerment for Americans, because it affirms that we can use our enormous economic and strategic power for good rather than for evil. And empowerment for all the nations of the world, because it affirms that we live - we must live - in an increasingly global society, one in which it is in our own best interests to look out for one another. Nowadays this is called "neo-conservatism"; the old-fashioned term for it is "enlightened self-interest". No matter what you call it, the time has come to live up to our responsibility as citizens and as human beings. We are our brothers' and sisters' keepers.
Show me where globalization is thick with network connectivity, financial transactions, liberal media flows, and collective security, and I will show you regions featuring stable governments, rising standards of living, and more deaths by suicide than murder. These parts of the world I call the Functioning Core, or Core. But show me where globalization is thinning or just plain absent, and I will show you regions plagued by politically repressive regimes, widespread poverty and disease, routine mass murder, and—most important—the chronic conflicts that incubate the next generation of global terrorists. These parts of the world I call the Non-Integrating Gap, or Gap.
Barnett points out that the "rule set" which defines thriving, free societies today is something that Americans often take for granted - forgetting the long, bitter, and ongoing struggle within our own nation for the ideals of freedom, democracy, and equality. He also reminds us that the line between Core and Gap is always shifting, and that "the direction of change is more critical than the degree." Joining the Core will not guarantee immediate peace and prosperity, but it can be counted on to make things gradually improve over time. Leaving the Core, on the other hand, will swiftly and surely make things worse.
For many years, US strategy focused on the model of fighting a large national army (say, the USSR or Red China) and wrote off threats from smaller nations and nonnational entities as "lesser includeds", meaning if we could counter the greater Soviet threat, we could certainly handle the lesser ones. The shortcomings of this model were illustrated on a certain Tuesday morning a few years ago.
Another fallacy, which still holds sway among many on the Left, is a notion of "benign neglect": as Barnett puts it,
The knee-jerk reaction of many Americans to September 11 is to say, “Let’s get off our dependency on foreign oil, and then we won’t have to deal with those people.” The most naïve assumption underlying that dream is that reducing what little connectivity the Gap has with the Core will render it less dangerous to us over the long haul. Turning the Middle East into Central Africa will not build a better world for my kids. We cannot simply will those people away.
But why the Mideast? Barnett argues that "the Middle East is the perfect place to start" because "what is most wrong about the Middle East is the lack of personal freedom and how that translates into dead-end lives for most of the population—especially for the young." Furthermore, the Middle East has evolved into a kind of bully culture in which only an external power can act as the catalyst for reform.
Barnett's prescription is three-fold: '1) Increase the Core’s immune system capabilities for responding to September 11-like system perturbations; 2) Work the seam states to firewall the Core from the Gap’s worst exports, such as terror, drugs, and pandemics; and, most important, 3) Shrink the Gap.' He contends that "shrinking the Gap" means exporting security, in the form of "the attention paid by our military forces to any region’s potential for mass violence." It also means robust private-sector investment, particularly in the poorest areas such as Africa; but "it all has to begin with security, because free markets and democracy cannot flourish amid chronic conflict."
I think one very important feature of Barnett's analysis is the theme of empowerment. Empowerment for the peoples of the Middle East, because it rejects the assumption (common among pampered liberals in the West) that Mideasterners are unable or unwilling to govern themselves in a democratic society. Empowerment for Americans, because it affirms that we can use our enormous economic and strategic power for good rather than for evil. And empowerment for all the nations of the world, because it affirms that we live - we must live - in an increasingly global society, one in which it is in our own best interests to look out for one another. Nowadays this is called "neo-conservatism"; the old-fashioned term for it is "enlightened self-interest". No matter what you call it, the time has come to live up to our responsibility as citizens and as human beings. We are our brothers' and sisters' keepers.
The President's Words
Yesterday, I treated myself to the Presidential (Mis)Speak calendar. Now even President Bush's strongest supporters (and I count myself as one) know that the Chief has a certain, er, way with words. If you don't like the President, then his peculiar locutions won't make you like him any better. If you do, then such gems as "Is our children learning?" and "Families is where wings take dream" are just part of his appeal. In any case, it never hurts to keep a healthy sense of humor.
On a more serious note, though, my AOL News screen is carrying an AP story reporting that the President has expressed regret for his infamous comment of July 2, 2003, "Bring 'em on."
It's about time. This is probably the single worst thing President Bush ever said. Directed at the enemy militants killing American soldiers in Iraq, it sounded like an open invitation to attack Americans.
In typical MSM fashion, the article confuses the issue. First there's a gratuitous reference to the President's recent refusal "to identify any mistakes he'd made during his first term." I don't blame him for that; he wasn't claiming that he hadn't made any mistakes, but he was asserting his right to acknowledge his own shortcomings in his own way and in his own time. He was also declining to give the press a stick that he knew they would beat him with at the first opportunity. The AOL item also offers a sidebar poll on the merits of "Bush's style of tough talk". Good grief, aren't they tired of that phrase yet? I certainly am.
"Bush's style of tough talk" isn't the problem, and never was, except for the feckless copycrats who rule the press. The problem with "Bring 'em on!" was not one of style but of substance. The President simply had no right to say this. A defiant invitation to do battle - along the lines of "Do your worst!", or "Take your best shot!", or "Go ahead, make my day!" - is perfectly appropriate when one is risking only one's own safety, for example in a brawl or a gunfight. But for a President who lives in Washington and enjoys the full protection of the Secret Service, while young American men and women are daily sacrificing their lives in combat abroad, it is disgraceful. I have the highest respect for President Bush's service in the National Guard, and I believe he has every right to be proud of his performance as Commander-in-Chief. But he must never forget, not even for a moment, that it is other Americans who are being asked to risk their lives in this war. A common soldier, if he's feeling cocky, may be permitted to taunt the enemy to "bring it on"; but the President cannot do this.
I trust that President Bush will keep this lesson in mind as he prepares to begin his second term.
On a more serious note, though, my AOL News screen is carrying an AP story reporting that the President has expressed regret for his infamous comment of July 2, 2003, "Bring 'em on."
It's about time. This is probably the single worst thing President Bush ever said. Directed at the enemy militants killing American soldiers in Iraq, it sounded like an open invitation to attack Americans.
In typical MSM fashion, the article confuses the issue. First there's a gratuitous reference to the President's recent refusal "to identify any mistakes he'd made during his first term." I don't blame him for that; he wasn't claiming that he hadn't made any mistakes, but he was asserting his right to acknowledge his own shortcomings in his own way and in his own time. He was also declining to give the press a stick that he knew they would beat him with at the first opportunity. The AOL item also offers a sidebar poll on the merits of "Bush's style of tough talk". Good grief, aren't they tired of that phrase yet? I certainly am.
"Bush's style of tough talk" isn't the problem, and never was, except for the feckless copycrats who rule the press. The problem with "Bring 'em on!" was not one of style but of substance. The President simply had no right to say this. A defiant invitation to do battle - along the lines of "Do your worst!", or "Take your best shot!", or "Go ahead, make my day!" - is perfectly appropriate when one is risking only one's own safety, for example in a brawl or a gunfight. But for a President who lives in Washington and enjoys the full protection of the Secret Service, while young American men and women are daily sacrificing their lives in combat abroad, it is disgraceful. I have the highest respect for President Bush's service in the National Guard, and I believe he has every right to be proud of his performance as Commander-in-Chief. But he must never forget, not even for a moment, that it is other Americans who are being asked to risk their lives in this war. A common soldier, if he's feeling cocky, may be permitted to taunt the enemy to "bring it on"; but the President cannot do this.
I trust that President Bush will keep this lesson in mind as he prepares to begin his second term.
Morning Report: January 14, 2005
"Huygens has landed." The first human-made space probe to land on another planet's moon, Huygens has successfully touched down on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. This marks a milestone in the most ambitious phase of the Cassini/Huygens mission, a joint NASA/ESA/Italian venture. The European-built probe survived a descent through Titan's atmosphere, completing a 2.2-billion-mile journey. CNN reports: 'Grinning scientists watching from the ESA operations center in Germany said the first obstacle -- a tricky atmospheric entry -- had been a great engineering feat. Time will tell if all of Huygens' precious data will reach Earth. The probe will continue sending data until its batteries run out or Cassini, the satellite orbiting Saturn relaying Huygens' signal, passes over the moon's horizon in about two hours' time. "So far so good," said David Southwood, director of science for ESA. "The signal has been solid for a long time."' Earthlings on this side of the Atlantic have another reason to celebrate today: as Rand Simberg reminds us, 'it is also the first anniversary of the day that President Bush announced a new direction for our nation's space activities. I don't use the phrase "space program," because I hope that it will be much more than that. To paraphrase the Space Frontier Foundation's motto, it's a vision, not a program.' Simberg, an advocate of private space exploration and a frequent critic of NASA, believes that 'if we're going to be spending government funds on manned space, they're probably being spent more effectively now that they have been since the end of Apollo (and perhaps in the history of NASA).' Coming from him, this optimism about government space exploration carries a lot of weight. So as of today, humankind's future in space, and America's role in that future, seem very promising indeed. (CNN; Transterrestrial Musings)
Arrests in Baghdad governor assassination. Al-Sabah reports (January 13) that US forces have arrested several suspects in connection with the recent assassination of the governor of Baghdad province, Iraq, Ali al-Hadiri. 'The US forces announced on Jan 12 the arresting of six elements involved in assassination Baghdad's Governor Ali al-Hadiri. The Associated Press Agency said that 1st [Cavalry] Division has launched a raid against one houses in al-Huriya city and arrested the terrorist elements. The US Brigadier Jeffiri the Chief Assistant of Cavalry Division which in Baghdad said that he thinks that two terrorists had participated in the assassination. Notably, Al-Haidri is the most prominent Iraqi official had been assassinated after the assassination the former Governing Council Iz al-Dain Saliem (Abdul Zahra Othman) who had been assassinated on May, 2004. Al-Haidari was occupied the post of Education Undersecretary before assuming the responsibility of Baghdad's Governor in the beginning of the last year.' (al-Sabah English)
Soros backs Iran's islamist regime. WorldNetDaily reports that billionaire George Soros, fresh from losing millions in supporting John Kerry's failed presidential bid, has found a new sweetheart: the mullahs of Iran. 'On Jan. 13, 2005, the pro-mullah American-Iranian Council joined forces with George Soros's Open Society Institute to host Javad Zarif, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, to give a talk titled, "The View from Tehran." ... Soros invited Zarif to explain why Kerry was still right to insist that Iran deserves full economic and diplomatic recognition, as well as nuclear fuel, all the while trusting that they would keep their word and not make bombs.' The article, written by Jerome Corsi, rejects the notion that any "negotiations" between the US and the islamist entity can produce positive results, and notes that 'What this event signaled was that George Soros and the American far left were ready to spend millions more supporting America's enemies, including radical Islamic extremists from a terror-supporting rogue state like Iran.' Read the full article at the link. (WorldNetDaily via SMCCDI)
Arrests in Baghdad governor assassination. Al-Sabah reports (January 13) that US forces have arrested several suspects in connection with the recent assassination of the governor of Baghdad province, Iraq, Ali al-Hadiri. 'The US forces announced on Jan 12 the arresting of six elements involved in assassination Baghdad's Governor Ali al-Hadiri. The Associated Press Agency said that 1st [Cavalry] Division has launched a raid against one houses in al-Huriya city and arrested the terrorist elements. The US Brigadier Jeffiri the Chief Assistant of Cavalry Division which in Baghdad said that he thinks that two terrorists had participated in the assassination. Notably, Al-Haidri is the most prominent Iraqi official had been assassinated after the assassination the former Governing Council Iz al-Dain Saliem (Abdul Zahra Othman) who had been assassinated on May, 2004. Al-Haidari was occupied the post of Education Undersecretary before assuming the responsibility of Baghdad's Governor in the beginning of the last year.' (al-Sabah English)
Soros backs Iran's islamist regime. WorldNetDaily reports that billionaire George Soros, fresh from losing millions in supporting John Kerry's failed presidential bid, has found a new sweetheart: the mullahs of Iran. 'On Jan. 13, 2005, the pro-mullah American-Iranian Council joined forces with George Soros's Open Society Institute to host Javad Zarif, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, to give a talk titled, "The View from Tehran." ... Soros invited Zarif to explain why Kerry was still right to insist that Iran deserves full economic and diplomatic recognition, as well as nuclear fuel, all the while trusting that they would keep their word and not make bombs.' The article, written by Jerome Corsi, rejects the notion that any "negotiations" between the US and the islamist entity can produce positive results, and notes that 'What this event signaled was that George Soros and the American far left were ready to spend millions more supporting America's enemies, including radical Islamic extremists from a terror-supporting rogue state like Iran.' Read the full article at the link. (WorldNetDaily via SMCCDI)
2005-01-13
Believe it or not,
no one pays me to write this stuff.
Just thought I ought to get that out of the way.
Just thought I ought to get that out of the way.
2005-01-10
Best of Dreams Into Lightning
THE DREAMS INTO LIGHTNING UNIVERSE
Pacific Memories (Ken McLintock - WWII memoir) *
Urban Renewal (Ken McLintock - poetry and other writings)
Wilderness Vision (Stephanie McLintock - poetry) *
Portfolio (undergraduate papers)
The Ocean Names of Night (mysticism and miscellany)
Dreams Into Lightning Amalgamated (includes The New Republican series and Morning Report archives)
The Iraqi Holocaust
Iraqi Holocaust Files
* new posts
FREEDOM
Freedom and Responsibility (Thanksgiving Day post)
WOMEN AND POWER: Gender, politics, and the price of empowerment – responsibility.
Women and Power
But Can She Vote?
Iran in Transition?
Gender and Sexuality
IRAN
Iran Regime Change Petition
POLITICS
State vs. Defense (May 2004)
Disengagement: The Messy Divorce (May 2004)
THE L WORD: Liberalism in crisis.
Response to Thomas Friedman: America's Addiction
Response to E.L. Doctorow: The Unfeeling Left
Berman: Another Peace Movement
An Infinite Supply of Arab Murderers
The Moral Struggle
ORIGINAL FICTION
The Zero Ring
The Rose of Paradise
The Death Wish
SPIRITUALITY
The World of Tomorrow
The Kabbalah: complete series
Like a Persian: Madonna and Esther
Vashti and Freedom
I Am a Jew and My Father Was a Jew
Creating the World You Love
The Names
WORDS TO LIVE BY
Faith
Pacific Memories (Ken McLintock - WWII memoir) *
Urban Renewal (Ken McLintock - poetry and other writings)
Wilderness Vision (Stephanie McLintock - poetry) *
Portfolio (undergraduate papers)
The Ocean Names of Night (mysticism and miscellany)
Dreams Into Lightning Amalgamated (includes The New Republican series and Morning Report archives)
The Iraqi Holocaust
Iraqi Holocaust Files
* new posts
FREEDOM
Freedom and Responsibility (Thanksgiving Day post)
WOMEN AND POWER: Gender, politics, and the price of empowerment – responsibility.
Women and Power
But Can She Vote?
Iran in Transition?
Gender and Sexuality
IRAN
Iran Regime Change Petition
POLITICS
State vs. Defense (May 2004)
Disengagement: The Messy Divorce (May 2004)
THE L WORD: Liberalism in crisis.
Response to Thomas Friedman: America's Addiction
Response to E.L. Doctorow: The Unfeeling Left
Berman: Another Peace Movement
An Infinite Supply of Arab Murderers
The Moral Struggle
ORIGINAL FICTION
The Zero Ring
The Rose of Paradise
The Death Wish
SPIRITUALITY
The World of Tomorrow
The Kabbalah: complete series
Like a Persian: Madonna and Esther
Vashti and Freedom
I Am a Jew and My Father Was a Jew
Creating the World You Love
The Names
WORDS TO LIVE BY
Faith
2005-01-07
Morning Report: January 7, 2005
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)
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)
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.
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