2004-05-28

In Memoriam

My unit, the 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion, 1st Marine Division, lost several men in January and February of 1991. We took the first combat-related losses of the ground offensive in Desert Storm. Please take a moment to visit the memorial page of the unit veterans' website:

1st LAI fallen comrades

Thank you.

2004-05-27

I never

post after I've had a couple of beers.

I'm just too mellow to be effective.

See you in the morning.

The New York Times Takes DiL's Advice

... well, sort of.

This blog recently offered the traditional media several pieces of advice on at least two points: (1) to pay more attention to the phenomenon of blogging; and (2) to readily admit one's past errors. It appears the New York Times has followed this advice, albeit in its own fashion. (Of course, it is just possible that these articles were in the works anyway. But I say, think positive.)

Ah, but let's look at how the Dame Grise has seen fit to interpret our sage counsel.

Shall we begin with Katie Hafner's blogging article? The Times seems to think that it can counter the threat of blogging (and make no mistake, we ARE a threat to the NYT) by writing a derisive article on it. Could the Times possible acknowledge the relevance of blogging for an audience disillusioned with the manipulations of the media? Too much to expect, I suppose. I'll have more to say on this later.

And then there was the Times' so-called "correction" of its Iraq coverage. Well, it would be nice if this "correction" included a re-assessment of the Times' anti-American bias, but that, too would be asking too much.

The Zionist Conspiracy

wants you.

Department of Flying Pigs

... from Little Green Footballs. Can they really mean that they want to invite ... a ... THIRD PARTY to that Muslim-Christian conference in Qatar?

And then there's this from MEMRI:

second thoughts about jihad

The end is near, people.

Two Speeches

Jessica's Well from Midland, Texas compares notes from Bill Cosby's speech and E.L. Doctorow's. Worth reading.

Disaster!

Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler has the news on our so-called "catastrophe" in Iraq. Go check it out.

2004-05-25

"Secret Watchers" series - Portland Tribune

Read it here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The Secret Watchers - Portland (Oregon) Tribune

This story appeared in the Portland Tribune in 2002 and is particularly relevant today. While the agency involved was the Portland Police Bureau, rather than any Federal organization, it's a sobering reminder of how power can be abused. (One amusing sidenote: a "suspicious" young woman whose photograph appeared in the secret files - her offense was supporting the grape boycott in 1968 - was none other than Vera Katz ... by now the mayor of Portland!)

"The day we found the mass grave is vivid to me still. ... "

THE IRAQI HOLOCAUST:
Memory

"We found it up near the Iranian boarder. Very quickly people came from miles and miles away. We stood and watched the family members digging up bones and clutching remains as they sat in the dirt, rocked back and forth and cried. They were adamant that we should come over and look as they dug them up. Every single body had its hands and feet wired together with ROMEX. Each skull had a bullet hole in it except for a few that were smashed with a club or rifle butt. There were clearly men but also women and children. The grave never made the news as there were no media with us and it was small by Iraq standards. One detail that I found particularly outrageous was that the assassins left the identifications on the bodies as if they were so arrogant that it never occurred that someday, someone would dig up the bodies and hold them accountable. I will never forget it."

- Quoted by Zayphar from a US serviceman's letters home. Read the whole post. Thanks to Jane.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Wedding Party

... may be found at Belmont Club.

2004-05-23

At last!

No event of recent days has been more eagerly anticipated by DiL than William Safire's Monday column, explaining the mechanics and machinations of the Chalabi raid. Safire reveals the roots of both State's and Agency's animus towards Chalabi, as well as the role of Robert Blackwill in advancing Brahimi - who demanded the withdrawal from Falluja as well as the blacklisting of Chalabi. I'm too tired to post in detail tonight, but it's worth reading.